On the first day of the seventh month of the fifth year of Shenwu, Zhu Hongsan, who was in Guiyang, made arrangements for all things, left Guiyang with the Praetorian Guard, and went north to Wuchang via Changsha.

Zhu Hongsan, who accompanied him, only brought one division, and Zhou Yu took the remaining two divisions to be stationed in Banzhou, which has now been renamed Zunyi Mansion. Zunyi is already the boundary of Sichuan, not far from Chongqing, an important city in Sichuan, and sending Zhou Yu to Zunyi is to prepare for entering Sichuan.

Sichuan has been in a mess since Zhang Xianzhong first entered Sichuan in the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, and the later Manchu Qing Dynasty was even more chaotic, with no less than 100 warlords and warlords in various places, and some places dared to call themselves generals and governors when they occupied a county seat.

Of course, it is a fool's dream to rely on Zhou Yu's 30,000 people to occupy the whole of Sichuan, and now although Sichuan has gone through war, its population is still three to five million, and there are about five or six hundred thousand soldiers in the hands of warlords in various places, which is not something that Zhou Yu can eat at all. Therefore, Zhu Hongsan also prepared a second hand, which was He Tengjiao who was far away in Changsha.

Although He Tengjiao is a big man in history, he is a guy at both ends of the head. When Tang Lu was competing for the throne, He Tengjiao bet on both sides, and later when Zhu Hongsan and Zhu Youlang were competing for the throne, He Tengjiao was the same. accepted Zhu Youlang's appointment here, but secretly sent Zhu Hongsan's messenger out of the country, so that a person surrendered to Zhu Hongsan immediately after learning that Zhu Hongsan had beaten Zhu Youlang away.

However, the governor of Hunan appointed by Zhu Youlang was a little temperamental, and he was about to hang himself after hearing that He Tengjiao wanted to surrender, but He Tengjiao found out in time and locked up Yinxi.

Zhu Hongsan's calculation was to incorporate He Tengjiao's more than 200,000 troops, but these guys were all peasant bandits before, and it was really not possible to use them to go to the front line to fight the Manchu Qing Dynasty, so Zhu Hongsan was ready to let He Tengjiao take this group of people to Sichuan to pacify the warlords in Sichuan. Therefore, Zhu Hongsan asked Zhou Yu to take two divisions to Zunyi first, and then seize the important town of Chongqing.

After all the arrangements were made, Zhu Hongsan got up and left Guiyang, and the path Zhu Hongsan chose was to return to Guilin, then go north into Huguang, and then go to Changsha.

Zhu Hongsan traveled together at the beginning of July of the fifth year of Shenwu, and the road of the Ming Dynasty was not comparable to that of later generations, and he arrived in Changsha on September 13.

At this time, Zhu Hongsan came to Changsha for the second time, and the last time was when Zhu Hongsan fled south and abducted Zhu Youjia, the lord of Jiwang County, in Changsha.

He Tengjiao, who was in Changsha, had already received the news and went out of the city twenty miles in the morning to wait for the new emperor. Seeing that the emperor's imperial chariot arrived, He Tengjiao hurriedly led his subordinates and Wu Qunchen to kneel forward and bow: "Long live the criminal minister He Tengjiao to meet my emperor!" ”

Zhu Hongsan got down from the imperial chariot, stepped forward and pulled He Tengjiao up and said with a smile: "Yuncong, hurry up, you and I are Huguang fellow villagers, why are you so formal?" ”

He Tengjiao has been an official in Wuchang all the year round, and has been a governor and a governor, but at that time, He Tengjiao was a provincial guard, and he could look at Zhu Hongsan such an unlucky clan. But He Tengjiao didn't dare to say that now, and when he heard the relationship between the emperor and him, he hurriedly bowed down and said: "Your Majesty doesn't dare, your subordinates were also ignorant back then, so that Your Majesty's pearls were covered in dust!" ”

He Tengjiao's sycophant is really shameless, did you still want to support Zhu Hongsan to rebel back then? But everyone knows that He Tengjiao can't help it, after all, Zhu Hongsan is now the emperor.

Zhu Hongsan is also a person who understands people's hearts, and he didn't take He Tengjiao's sycophants to heart, but looked at the back and asked, "Yun Cong, are these all your subordinates?" I don't want to introduce you to me! ”

The generals who came with He Tengjiao today include Li Chixin, Hao Yongzhong, Yuan Zongdi, Gao Jincai, Liu Chengyin, Dong Ying, Ma Jinzhong, Ma Shixiu, Cao Zhijian, Wang Yuncheng, Lu Ding and others. Li Chixin is Li Zicheng's nephew Li Guo, who was renamed Li Chixin after returning to the Ming Dynasty.

After Zhu Hongsan learned that this Li Chixin was Li Zicheng's nephew, he took Li Chixin's hand and said, "Okay! Li Zicheng's rebellion was wrong for Emperor Chongzhen to do, and now he has hanged himself, but Li Zicheng's ability to adhere to the national righteousness and oppose the Qing Dynasty is really commendable! Someone! The decree enshrined Li Zi as the king of Shaanxi, Gao as the queen, and Li Zicheng's nephew Li Chixin as the king of Suide County! ”

Li Chixin was originally worried that the new emperor would find a posthumous account, but who knew that the new emperor would crown himself as the king of the county, which was secondary, the most important thing was to rehabilitate his uncle Li Zicheng and posthumously crown him as the prince. You must know that most of the reason why the Ming Dynasty is like this is because of Li Zicheng, when Li Chixin surrendered to Zhu Youlang and was named Hou, but Li Zicheng was not given the title.

Now that the new emperor has given Li Zicheng the title, that is, in the official history, it will never be said that Li Zicheng has become a rogue. Li Chixin, as Li Zicheng's successor, naturally did not want to be called the descendant of Liukou in the future, and now that he heard that his worst fears had been solved, Li Chixin quickly knelt down and said with tears in his eyes: "Minister. . . Uncle Li Zicheng thanked the emperor! ”

Zhu Hongsan hurriedly helped Li Chixin up: "King Suidejun, now that the national disaster is at hand, everyone must work together to deal with the Manchu Qing Dynasty!" Li Chixin was moved and nodded again and again.

Zhu Hongsan is next to the generals of Dafeng, today all those who followed He Tengjiao are mixed with titles, Hao Yongzhong, Yuan Zongdi, Liu Chengyin, Dong Ying were named the princes of the country, and the rest of the general soldiers were named marquis, and the deputy general was named uncle, and for a time there were many marquis in Changsha City like dogs, and the earls were everywhere.

It's not that Zhu Hongsan is indiscriminately sealed, it's just that people are in need of hard work at this time, you are buckling the thin and thin and not giving benefits, who will give you your life? However, after the reward was completed, the benefits immediately appeared, in the past, Zhu Youlang only named Liu Chengyin and Dong Ying as a marquis, and Hao Yongzhong was not hereditary. Now the new emperor is generous, and he has been directly promoted to three levels, and they are all hereditary replacements, which makes these Qiu Ba too satisfied.

These generals swore to the sky one by one, and they all wanted to lead their troops to Hanyang to fight to the death with the Qing army, and if the emperor did not agree, he would die in front of the emperor.

Zhu Hongsan is also a human spirit, knowing that these guys swear by one by one, you should be happy and it will be over as soon as you listen to it, if you really believe them, the fate of He Tengjiao in the future is an example.

Zhu Hongsan waved his hand to stop the generals' expressions of loyalty: "I know everyone's feelings of serving the country, but everyone has to think about other generals, how can they live after you have all made war achievements?" So the Manchus still let them fight, what do you do, I still have arrangements! ”

Zhu Hongsan's words caused a burst of laughter among these generals, Li Chixin, as the king of the county and Li Zicheng's successor, was naturally the leader of these generals, he stood up and said: "Your Majesty, what should we do, please make it clear to Your Majesty!" ”

"Now that Sichuan is in turmoil, I want you to go to Sichuan and pacify Sichuan for me, are you willing?"

Of course this is good, these generals were scared by the Manchu Qing Dynasty, just now they said that they would go to Hanyang to fight the Qing army, and now they are listening to the emperor asking them to go to Sichuan to deal with those warlords and bandits, this is no problem at all.

"Please rest assured, Your Majesty, if those turtle sons in Sichuan dare not surrender, the last general will kill their entire family!"

Seeing that he had subdued this group of Qiu Ba, Zhu Hongsan said to He Tengjiao beside him: "Yun Cong, you have been appointed by me as the governor of Sichuan, and Sichuan will be handed over to you!" ”

He Tengjiao was born in Jinshi, and his mind was much more flexible than that of Qiu Ba, and of course it was not something that the emperor could buy if he threw off some benefits. Originally, he planned to support his troops in Changsha as before. But who knew that the emperor's means were superb, so he used high-ranking officials to buy his generals, and directly named Li Chixin a county king.

He Tengjiao's soldiers were divided into two groups, and the most capable of fighting were the former Li Zicheng's subordinates, and now the main force was in the hands of Li Chixin. The second is Liu Chengyin and Dong Ying, although there are also seventy or eighty thousand people, but they are all bandits, it is okay to fight a good battle, but they still need Li Chixin and them if they really want to fight hard.

He Tengjiao thought about it and thought about going to Sichuan, anyway, the mountain is high and the emperor is far away, and it is not bad for him to dominate Sichuan, so he will bow down and accept the order after he wants to open it.

Of course, Zhu Hongsan couldn't make He Tengjiao feel comfortable, he knew that there was still a plug Yinxi who didn't deal with He Tengjiao, and asked: "Yuncong, why didn't he come to block Yinxi?" ”

He Tengjiao heard the emperor's question and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, this plug Yinxi learned that the minister belonged to His Majesty, and scolded His Majesty for usurping the throne in the mansion, so the minister arrested this guy and waited for His Majesty to fall!" ”

He Tengjiao wished that the emperor would directly order to cut off the head of Plug Yinxi, but who knew that the emperor just nodded and said: "In this way, I heard that this Plug Yinxi is very talented, so let's take him tonight, I want to see him!" ”

He Tengjiao didn't dare to say anything when he heard the emperor say this, so he had to bow down and receive the order.

After the discussion of the important matter, He Tengjiao said: "Your Majesty, please go into the city to rest!" The minister has finished cleaning up the Changsha Ji Palace, waiting for Your Majesty! ”

How do you know that Zhu Hongsan is very careful, and said with a smile: "Don't bother, I am used to the army, and I am not used to living in the palace, I will live in the military camp outside the city tonight, and I will leave for Wuchang tomorrow!" ”

Zhu Hongsan thought clearly, this He Tengjiao is not sure, what if he enters the city and is caught by him? is still rest assured in his own army, although the Praetorian Guard Division only has 15,000 people, but the field battle is not something that he He Tengjiao's 200,000 rabble can deal with.

He Tengjiao saw that the emperor was careful with himself, and he had no choice but to leave and return to the city.

Back in the mansion, He Tengjiao's son He Changrui asked: "Dad, didn't this Shenwu Emperor clearly let us go to Sichuan to die?" Sichuan has now become a pot of porridge, and when we go to that group of Sichuan babies, they will definitely work together to deal with us. ”

He Tengjiao sighed: "How can a father not know what the emperor thinks?" But there is no way, this Shenwu Emperor is not like King Gui who can fool him, you see that he bought Li Chixin when he first arrived in Changsha, and now Li Chuang's remnants have been bought by the emperor, and there is no way to be a father! ”

"Father, isn't it good for us to occupy a place and establish ourselves as kings after entering Sichuan?"

"Hey! The world is not chaotic, Shu is chaotic, the world has been decided, Shu is undecided, you have heard the sentence! If the world is in turmoil, Sichuan will have more than enough to protect itself, but after the end of the melee in the Central Plains, Sichuan will no longer have the capital to fight against the central government! ”

"Father, what are we going to do then?"

"There's no way, just take one step at a time!"