Yongning City, in the palace of Yongning Palace.

Li Zicheng sat on the main hall of the palace with a curious face, scanning the surrounding golden decorations, and the luxurious decorations and decorations really made this country man stunned.

Now there is famine everywhere in Henan, not to mention the people, even the official offices and county offices in various places are also poor, and many officials are even wearing patched clothes, which looks quite like Huazi, and this Yongning Palace, so luxurious that it really makes people feel unreal.

On the top of the main hall, the generals and strategists of the army stood one after another, and they were all amazed at the luxurious buildings, but Li Yan was quite calm, after all, later generations were used to seeing high technology, and these things still couldn't be put on the stage, just standing in the crowd with an indifferent face.

Kneeling in the center of the main hall was the captured Yongning King Zhu Cai, looking at the traitors in the first hall, he was already frightened, trembling like a water dog, and behind him was a group of warblers and swallows, all of whom were his concubines.

Outside the main hall, the soldiers of the army are busy, the Yongning palace has a lot of property, and it takes a lot of time for the soldiers to just copy it, which shows how ridiculous Zhu Cai is......

"Report!" A sergeant broke into the main hall and said to Li Zicheng: "King Chuang, I found a few women in the backyard, and they all hanged themselves, looking at the decoration status, it should not be low." ”

Hearing this, Li Zicheng's eyelids jumped slightly, and the tiger glanced at Zhu Cai, who was slightly shocked, and immediately guessed what was going on, and immediately smiled contemptuously, and asked Zhu Cai, "The deceased is your concubine?" ”

When Zhu Cai saw Li Zicheng talking to him, he was so frightened that he couldn't possess his body, and immediately kowtowed and said bluntly: "This ..... This is the king of solitude..... No, it's a cheap ......."

As soon as the cheap came out, they all laughed in private, and Liu Zongmin even pointed directly at Zhu Cai and mocked: "The king of the county of Erguo, the emperor is bloody, but he calls himself cheap, and he laughs to death!" ”

Li Zicheng was also very disdainful of this cowardly county king, slapped the chair violently, and scolded angrily: "A woman still knows the country of death, but Zhong Ming is a person who eats Dingding, but she steals her life, isn't it ridiculous?" Moreover, the famine in Henan, the people died, I see that your palace is so brilliant, the treasury is full of gold and silver, why can't you provide disaster relief and protect the people? ”

Zhu Cai was so frightened by Li Zicheng's angry shout that he couldn't do anything, so he could only say vigorously: "This loss of the Son of Heaven is not my fault, and it is ......"

Hearing this loss of the Son of Heaven, Li Zicheng's contempt in his heart was even heavier, and he couldn't raise any interest in the cowardly prince in front of him, waved his hand, and said: "Come on, take it down, and wait for it to fall!" ”

Zhu Cai was shocked when he heard this, only that Li Zicheng wanted to kill him, and repeatedly kowtowed and begged for mercy, and swore to the sky: "The property of the palace is willing to be dedicated to the king, just to live!" ”

"Kill you, isn't the treasury property ours?" Li Jin couldn't stand it from the sidelines, and couldn't help but say sarcastically.

Hearing this, Zhu Cai's expression suddenly dissipated, yes, now that Yongning is broken, aren't all the belongings already fish and meat on the board of the army? What kind of chips is that?

So he could only cry and cry out, begging Li Zicheng to spare his life, and Li Zicheng was also impatient, so he quickly pulled him down and controlled him.

After pulling Zhu Cai down, Li Zicheng asked the generals in front of the palace: "According to your brothers, how should King Yongning be handled?" ”

After all, he is the county king of the imperial court, and he has a great stake, so Li Zicheng feels that it is still necessary to brainstorm.

"King Chuang, generals, my subordinates have a word to tell, I don't know if it's appropriate?" Li Yan took the first step and said loudly, in fact, Niu Jinxing was ready to move at this time, but Li Yan took the lead, Niu Jinxing was not angry, but just glanced at Li Yan coldly, as if he didn't mind.

Li Zicheng saw that it was Li Yan, so he laughed and said: "Li Guanjun's wit is the best in the army, and he can talk about it. ”

Li Yan nodded, and said loudly: "My subordinates think that King Yongning can't be killed!" ”

"Why?" Hearing this, not only Li Zicheng, but also the generals around him questioned, why didn't this greedy prince kill? It's really hard to imagine that King Yongning is of any use to Li Zicheng.

"Not only can't it be killed, but it also deserves to be offered in a false position." Li Yan glanced at the generals with doubts on their faces and said slowly: "Fang is in a big mess today, and there are many people who are dissatisfied with the court, are the people dissatisfied with those officials full?" Chongzhen has been in power for thirteen years, how many first assistants have been replaced, and how many ministers have been killed? Who in the court is not in danger? If at this time, we wait to erect a tablet of the descendants of the Zhu family and grab the name of orthodoxy with that Chongzhen, wouldn't it be twice the result with half the effort? ”

In fact, Li Yan's thinking is very simple, the reason why the officials of the Ming Dynasty were very resolute in resisting the army, and those talented scholars were not willing to surrender to the army.

Legitimacy is an underlying concept in Chinese history, which tends to grow in proportion to the duration of the dynasty, which is why often after the collapse of a centuries-old dynasty, there will be people who go forward to restore it, which is essentially an orthodox ideology at work.

You must know that officials and scholars are all vested interests in the first system, and they will not be willing to overthrow or overturn the existing system unless they have to, but this does not mean that internal corrections cannot be carried out, such as Huo Guang's abolition of the Marquis of Haidu, and Zhu Di's abolition of Emperor Jianwen, all of which are the same truth.

In the system of changes, a lot of moral and ideological hurdles will pass, loyalty to Chongzhen is also loyalty to the descendants of Taizu, loyalty to Zhu Cai is also loyalty to the descendants of Taizu, not to talk about disloyalty, just to set things right, after all, there is Grandpa Cheng Zhuyu in front.

According to Li Yan's concept, on the one hand, it is necessary to win the hearts of the people at the bottom, and on the other hand, it is necessary to gradually win the support of the landlords and bureaucrats.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Li Yan's words fell, a strong voice came: "A bunch of nonsense!" ”

Hearing this, everyone's eyes focused on the middle-aged man standing next to Li Zicheng, who was it not Niu Jinxing?

"Qi Yu Chuang Wang, Li Yan's words are reprehensible, and the hidden evil intentions are really terrifying!" Niu Jinxing didn't glance at Li Yan at all, walked straight out of the ranks, and said loudly.

Li Yan didn't expect to be so faceless, he thought that Niu Jinxing would just rub himself secretly, but he didn't expect the bayonet to be red so soon.

"King Chuang, my subordinates asked, what is Zhu Cai's identity? A county king who has five suits, if he really wants to support him, how can he serve the public? If we really set up the king of Mingting, I'm afraid that we will make the world laugh and lose their teeth! Niu Jinxing stood on the hall and talked eloquently.

"Secondly, we have set up the county king of the imperial court, and where are the other rebels? It is absolutely impossible for these people to recognize the Zhu family as the master, and when the time comes, we can only meet each other in arms, and there will be a strong enemy outside, and there will be elbows and armpits inside, this is not the practice of attracting trouble! Niu Jinxing continued to refute.

After pointing out two questions, Niu Jinxing threw out his own conclusion: "Zhu Cai is just a mediocre king's ear, and he should be killed!" The subordinates thought that in this world, no one except the people could not be killed! I don't rely on power and tactics to win the world, but only by public opinion! My invasion of the army is not given by God, not by the Zhu family, but by the people! So Zhu Cai 𨮫 not only wants to kill, but also kills openly! To ascend to the church, to gather the people, let them state their grievances in turn, and then make the canonical punishment clear! Since then, it has been announced to the world that the Zhu family is not a nobleman, but also a cloth ear! ”

The last paragraph was too deafening, Li Zicheng nodded again and again when he heard it, and the four generals were all from the bottom, and soon resonated with Niu Jinxing's words, and they all agreed with it.

It was only at this time that Niu Jinxing glanced at Li Yan proudly, obviously he got the initiative again in the confrontation of this sentence.

Li Yan really didn't expect Niu Jinxing to be so powerful, his speech was indeed very inflammatory, which made Li Zicheng and others resonate, and invisibly put himself in a passive situation.

Originally, he wanted to make a preemptive strike, but he didn't want Niu Jinxing to play a preemptive move, but this does not mean that Li Yan will give up, after all, this is a matter involving the direction of decision-making, if Niu Jinxing is allowed to dig into the wall, his entire strategic plan will collapse, and Li Yan will never tolerate this kind of thing.

So regardless of Li Zicheng's inclination towards Niu Jinxing, Li Yan immediately said: "Chuang Wang!" The subordinates thought that Niu Jinxing's statement was ridiculous! ”

Hearing this, Li Zicheng, who had already had a plan in his heart, set his eyes on Li Yan again, wanting to see what else he had to say.

I saw Li Yan say loudly: "To fight the world, it is natural to collect the hearts of the common people, but to govern the world, but have to rely on the gentry and the people, now although the Ming court is in decline, it is far from the point of collapse, and there are Manchu Qing Dynasty outside the gate, it is not difficult to fight the country, but how to sit after the country is laid is another problem!" You can't ignore it! ”

Niu Jinxing sneered when he heard this, and asked loudly: "Does Li Guanjun mean that this world cannot be cured without the gentry?" ”

"Yes!" Li Yan did not show weakness, stared at Niu Jinxing and said.

"Jokes, the affairs of the world, in the king, in the generals, how can those gentry who smoke the people's fat and ointment all day long understand? If they were really good, how could the world come to such a state? Niu Jinxing scoffed at Li Yan's statement, because of his background, he has always been full of contempt and contempt for the gentry, thinking that they are in a high position and meat eaters are despised.

Li Zicheng was also unhappy by Li Yan's words, can't he do without the gentry? When will he, Li Zicheng, rely on the gentry to do things? Who has the army relied on to get to where it is today? Isn't it all relying on these old brothers?

In an instant, Li Zicheng thought of the rumors about Li Yan's origin, and some bad associations were formed in an instant, Li Zicheng is now very suspicious of Li Yan's "revolutionary" loyalty, whether his ass is on the side of the peasants or the landlords and bureaucrats?