The Qinghai envoy led by Dai Qing of Chechnya had just entered the border of Henan, and Li Zicheng also received a reply from Zhao Han.

Li Zicheng convened a meeting in front of the emperor and said directly: "In this year's war, there is not much grain left in Shanxi... People's hearts are unstable, and if the surname Zhao calls again next year, Shanxi will definitely not be able to keep it, and I don't know how many civil and military surrenders. We discussed with the surnamed Zhao, and he agreed to release the captured brother back, and also gave us a Yinshan Marquis. ”

"Let's go out of the fortress to fight, occupy the grassland and be the king. If you are willing to follow, I will take you to the grassland. If you do not want to follow, stay and surrender. It's all old brothers, let's talk openly today. I don't want to go to the grassland to herd sheep, we don't force it, who the hell wants to go to herd sheep? ”

"Don't lose face, you don't have to express your stance today. Those who want to go with us, those who want to stay and surrender, go back and prepare secretly. ”

"If you want to go, take only the cavalry. Even if there are no horses, at least a mule. If you don't have a mother-in-law, hurry up and ask for a mother-in-law, let's go to the grassland to settle down. Don't go to the grassland, and I'm fucking homesick again. Don't loot too hard, before leaving, find local gentry and businessmen to torture them, don't embarrass those bitter people. ”

"After the beginning of spring next year, it will be set on the second day of the second month of February, and the dragon will go to Taiyuan to meet the troops on the day he raises his head. If you came to Taiyuan before the second day of February, I will take you to the grassland. If you don't come, you will stay and surrender, and today will be our farewell feast......"

After Li Zicheng finished speaking, no one in the audience made a sound, the news was too sudden.

Someone was finally about to open his mouth to express his position, but Li Zicheng raised his hand and interrupted: "Just drink wine and eat meat today, and don't say anything else." If you want to go, bring the troops over at the beginning of spring; Don't go, don't show up again at the beginning of spring. If you put it bluntly today, you won't be able to drink well. Come on, serve food and drink! ”

Good wine and good food, all served, Li Zicheng has not been so extravagant for a long time.

A group of old camp brothers, it seems to go back to ten years ago. They pushed the cups and changed the lamps, and told yellow jokes in a prodigal manner, and Li Zicheng also put down the emperor's shelf and ran to hook up with the old brothers.

After three rounds of drinking, Liu Zongmin said with tears in his eyes: "Our family farms for people, and we can't afford to pay the rent, so my father hanged himself, and my mother took us to beg for food." It's good to be called Huazi, I heard that Zhu Yuanzhang did it as Huazi, and Emperor Zhao also called Huazi. My mother gave us clothes to wear, and my mother gave us what I begged to eat, but my mother herself froze to death and starved to death......"

Li Zicheng slammed his glass and scolded: "They are all corrupt officials and corrupt officials who have entered the dog, which of us is not a good citizen?" Forced to beg for food, forced to kill, forced to be a rogue! ”

"Isn't it? In the past, we just wanted to farm well, and we didn't want to eat meat, and we were content if we could have a full stomach......" Liu Fangliang also began to reminisce about the hard days.

Zhang Nai said: "Our parents are dead, but fortunately our father-in-law (Li Zicheng) took me in." In this life, wherever the father-in-law goes, we will follow. Isn't it the grassland? Let's go and occupy the grassland, and elect our father-in-law to be the Han Khan of the grassland! ”

After a meal of wine and meat, the DNA of these guys was stimulated, and they returned to the state of being trapped in Shangluoshan.

They fled from Tongguanyuan into the mountains, leaving only one or two thousand people, and many of them froze to death in winter. But after the beginning of spring, it was killed from the mountains and quickly swept the entire Henan.

The current situation is better than it was then, one winter came to collect money and food, and then swaggered away with the soldiers.

The banquet dispersed, and they each returned to their stations and began to arrest the gentry and merchants in full swing.

Regardless of the charges, they were tortured first.

When he is half dead, he will hand over the money and food.

A bunch of Jin merchants who betrayed the country for profit didn't need Zhao Han to clean it up at all, and they were tossed to death by Li Zicheng's generals. Some Jin merchants hid as many as one million taels of silver in various cellars, and this was the result of being tortured once a few years ago.

After the Spring Festival, these Dashun generals, including a few generals who defected halfway, gathered in Taiyuan with their soldiers and their families.

There were soldiers running away along the way, but it didn't matter, ordinary soldiers ran casually, as long as they saw that those who could ride horses didn't run.

After Zhao Han was released from Li Guo, Gao Yigong and other prisoners, Li Zicheng led the army towards the grassland. When he crossed the Great Wall, he had more than 12,000 cavalry, more than 40,000 family members and a small number of civilians, nearly 10 million taels of silver, and more than 20,000 heads of livestock carrying various kinds of goods.

Those gentry and merchants in Shanxi were almost all looted for money and grain. Only a few people who asked for money and didn't want to die, were beaten to death and didn't say where the money was hidden.

Today's north and south of Yinshan, including the vast Hetao area, are all the territory of the West Tumut Department.

Although the population of the West Tumert is only 150,000, their territory is too large. The Manchus were not at ease at all, so they did not give autonomy and set up all the banners to govern them, so they were also called the Naturalized Tumut Department, and they did not even have a nominal big chief.

Since the Manchu Qing Dynasty declined, the Western Tumut Department became a plate of scattered sand. Some tribes are at war with each other, and some tribes are trying to form alliances, where can they resist Li Zicheng's army?

Li Zicheng led his army north out of the Great Wall and immediately split into two.

He personally led a group to the west, and Liu Zongmin led his troops to the east, and when he saw the tribe of Xitumut, he would fight.

"Kill!"

Outside the city of Tutuo (Tuoketuo County), Li Zicheng led the cavalry to attack for a long time.

Although it is not a man and two horses, it is a horse and a mule.

War horses are used for riding, mules are used to carry armor, and they travel 300 miles to kill them directly.

The Mongols near Totuo City were completely stunned by Li Zicheng.

I heard that the Manchu Qing were defeated and fled, and the Dalat Department in the northwest had just come to Tuotu City to fight. Under the heavy losses, the Mongols here chose to submit to the Dalat Department. Who knew that as soon as the Dalat Department left, Li Zicheng led his troops to kill him again.

The well-armored Dashun cavalry, like the autumn wind sweeping away the leaves, beat the Mongols to pieces.

"Your Majesty, what about the captives?" Zhang Nai asked.

Li Zicheng said: "The Mongols were killed, and their children and grandchildren were also killed, leaving only the children who did not remember. Mongol civilians stayed behind and let them help with the grazing. This pasture is ours! Rest for two days, and then go to the Dalat Department. When the Dalat tribe is destroyed, they will attack the city of Guihua. ”

The city of Guihua is near Hohhot, where it was formerly the court of the Mongol Khan. Like Toto City, Naturalization City is also in disrepair, and it is impossible to retreat into the city to hold on.

It is worth mentioning that from the city of Toto to the city of naturalization, it is possible to cultivate along the river. In that year, Altan Khan recruited a large number of Han people, and the border town military households could still divide the land if they fled, so a large number of border troops could not bear the abuse, and they ran to the Mongols, and several leaders of the White Lotus Sect also fled to become landlords.

Unfortunately, after the death of Altan Khan, the policy of treating Han people well was overturned. At the beginning, there were only 100,000 Han people left at the southern foot of Yinshan Mountain, and now there are very few left, and they have either been killed, fled, or used as herding slaves.

Li Zicheng took a short rest in Tutuo City, and soon killed the Dalat Department.

In a bloody battle, Li Zicheng lost hundreds of cavalry, and the Dalat department was killed and fled north.

When Li Zicheng led the army to Yinshan and Liu Zongmin led the army to Daqingshan, a total of more than 3,000 Mongolian herdsmen were captured and more than 1,000 Han slaves were rescued. It also took away more than 30,000 head of livestock and grabbed a large amount of grain - grain can be grown in Hohhot and other places, where there are many Han people and Han slaves, and nearby tribes have almost become resident herders.

Not only did they attack the West Tumut Division, but they also plundered the Chahar Division all the way, because the Chahar Department was also a plate of scattered sand, and the infighting between them had already been beaten out of the dog's brain.

Then, Li Zicheng did not keep his promise and did not lead his troops over Yinshan.

Li Zicheng led his troops to garrison Guihua City (near Hohhot), Li Guo led his troops to stationed in Montenegro (near Baotou), and Liu Zongmin led his troops to garrison Jining (near Ulanqab).

They planned to accumulate strength here, capture more Mongol slaves, rob more Mongol horses and livestock, grow more grain in the farming areas, and train the rescued Han slaves into cavalry.

At that time, if the Datong army kills, they will go north of Yinshan; If the Datong army does not come, Li Zicheng will be the king and hegemon here.

The Chahar Division, which had already submitted to the Nanjing court, cried and sent an envoy for help, begging the Datong army to drive Li Zicheng away.

It can only be said that the Mongolian tribes in Inner Mongolia have been abolished by the Manchu Qing Dynasty, otherwise Li Zicheng would not have been so smooth.

Of course, the Chahar Right Wing and the West Tumut Department were forced by Li Zicheng to begin to seek an alliance. Only when they join forces can they fight with Li Zicheng, and if they continue to fight, they will all wait to die.

If Li Zicheng wanted to gain a firm foothold at the southern foot of Yinshan Mountain, he had to repel the combined attack of the Mongols.

No matter who wins or loses, the population of this vast grassland must be decimated!

"Dada-da-da!"

A fast horse came from the direction of Baotou and galloped to Hohhot.

"Your Majesty, the Dalat Division, which fled to the northwest, has returned with the Urad Division, which is further west. The enemy soldiers are numerous, and the general (Li Guo) asks for a quick rescue! ”

"Got it."

Li Zicheng immediately gathered the cavalry, but before he set off, he received a request for help from Liu Zongmin, who was also attacked by the Chahar department.

Niu Jinxing rode over and said, "Your Majesty, we are all outsiders, although the battle was smooth a while ago, but now we are surrounded by wolves. In addition, many of the Mongolian herdsmen have escaped. We have to change our methods, first, to win a few battles; second, the slaughter of one or two tribes; Third, divide and win over some small tribes. ”

"The prime minister is right, but I'll talk about it after this battle is over." Li Zicheng turned over and got on the horse.

Niu Jinxing said: "Let General Liu (Liu Zongmin) withdraw, temporarily reconcile with the Chahar Mongols, and first gather troops to completely subdue the Tumut Mongols." We are outsiders, and we can't provoke two big clans at the same time. As soon as we withdraw, Chahar Mongolia will inevitably fight again, and it will not be too late to fight Chahar Mongolia after cleaning up Tumut Mongolia. ”

Li Zicheng nodded and said, "Immediately send someone to give an order to Liu Zongmin, and ask him to lead his troops to Naturalization City, and Jining will give it to the Chahar Department." ”

Less than two months after Li Zicheng occupied Hohhot, he encountered a joint counterattack by the Mongols, and it was not a great alliance of the whole clan, which was enough for him to drink a pot in the grassland.

This goods quickly went to support Li Guo, and Li Guo had already retreated to Lingzhao Temple in defeat.

The two joined forces to fight back, won a big victory, pursued all the way to Bayannur, and directly slaughtered the Urad Houqi tribe there.

Li Zicheng is not a-stirring stick, but a cross-river dragon who lives in the grassland.

The grassland war, I don't know how many years it lasted.

In the spring of this year, the Qinghai delegation led by Chechen Daiqing finally arrived in Nanjing to pay tribute to the emperor.

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