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Part One: Penghu Storm Chapter 554 Wu Sangui¡¯s Choice

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    Beijing.

    Starting from March 23, bureaucrats led by Chen Yan and Zhu Chunchen, the surrender ministers of the Ming Dynasty, repeatedly tried to "persuade" Li Zicheng.  Niu Jinxing, Song Xiance and others in the rebel army were busy planning the new emperor's ascension all day long.

    Under Niu Jinxing's arrangement, civil and military officials once again "persuaded entry."  The person who made the most noise was Zhou Zhong, a celebrity from Fushe.  While this man and Wei Xuexue, the orphan of Wei Dazhong, jointly proposed to Li Zicheng to bury the late emperor, he also wrote an article according to Niu Jinxing's intention, "The Theory of Moral Death of Scholars Seeing Danger", describing them who had changed their families as heroes who understood current affairs.

    Niu Jinxing admired this article very much, and Zhou Zhong was very proud of it. When he met acquaintances, he would praise "Teacher Niu" for his kindness.  He also wrote an "Encouragement Table", praising Li Zicheng as "more martial arts than Yao and Shun" and condemning Emperor Chongzhen as a "lone husband".

    The old man in Beijing thought it was a great shame and humiliation. He didn't expect that Wei Xuexian wanted to take the "first place" and told people, "More martial arts than Yao and Shun." He came up with these words. Zhou Zhong never thought of this.

    At the same time, after entering Beijing, the Dashun Army, which had always been under the banner of "welcoming the king of Chuang without paying for food" and "not conquering for three years and not killing a single citizen", began to feel lost in the bustling city of Beijing.  Their true nature is gradually revealed!

    The first is the so-called "pursuit of stolen goods to support salaries". Officials of the Dashun regime, headed by Liu Zongmin, indiscriminately identified all officials of the Ming Dynasty as corrupt officials, and the amount they demanded was shocking.

    ¡°Officials who really couldn¡¯t come up with money actually borrowed money from merchants, and even borrowed silk and satin to pay their bills when they had no money. As a result, the merchants ran out of money and goods, and the market was in chaos. It completely exceeded the limit of recovering stolen goods and got out of control.

    ?? Among the Dashun generals who tortured officials who could not pay, they included Liu Zongmin and Li Yan, who was recognized as "lenient and righteous in torture"

    ????????????? The pursuit of stolen goods to support the army has also been extremely harmful to the Dashun Army itself. The most obvious thing is that it has destroyed military discipline to a great extent. Wu Sangui¡¯s decision in Chapter 554 completely destroyed the morale of the army.

    The reason for the lack of pay for the soldiers of the Dashun Army was to pursue stolen goods. After entering the city, they were not paid and could only be paid to the enemy, which made it difficult to control them.  When Dashun's army first entered the city, it was true that Qiu Wuwei was in good order.  But after the scattered people's homes, it was a different scene. They first searched for weapons and gunpowder, and then asked the people to provide food.  Women without husbands were forcibly distributed to soldiers, raped and killed, and used all kinds of atrocities.  The people who resisted a little were immediately killed by these "rebel" soldiers.

    As for the king of Chuang, Li Zicheng, and his trusted generals, after entering the palace, they divided up Emperor Chongzhen's maids as spoils of war.  Li Zicheng, Liu Zongmin and Li Guo each selected thirty beauties, and Niu Jinxing, Song Qijiao and other generals each selected several people.

    Before Li Zicheng ascended the throne, he had already settled in the palace and lived the life of an emperor.  When Li Zicheng entered the palace, he called dozens of prostitutes and people from the opera house into the palace. On March 21, all civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty entered the palace to meet Li Zicheng in accordance with the requirements of the Dashun regime. They waited for a full day from morning to night and were disappointed.  When he returned, Li Zicheng was just drinking in the palace.

    ¡°The ones that worry Li Zicheng now are Ding Yunyi and Wu Sangui.

    In order to relieve his worries, he decided to send Tang Tong, a surrender general, with a reward of 40,000 taels of silver and Wu Xiang¡¯s family letters to Shanhaiguan to recruit Wu Sangui.

    After receiving the emperor's imperial edict, Wu Sangui abandoned Ningyuan and led his troops to defend the capital. When he arrived in Fengrun on March 20, he learned that the capital had fallen, so he returned to Shanhaiguan, looked at the capital in the south with his subordinates and elders, and howled loudly.  cry.

    Wu Sangui failed to enter the Wei capital and returned to Shanhaiguan to garrison.  He was anxious and depressed; the past and the events before him all came to his mind.

    Since joining the army, Wu Sangui has been galloping across the land of western Liaoning, fighting against the Qing soldiers for many years.  He took it upon himself to guard the frontier and secure the border. He relied on the solid passes and the bravery of the Liao soldiers, so it was expected that the Qing troops would be difficult to break through.  He was worried that the situation would be difficult, but he never thought that the rebel army would so quickly capture Beijing, which had been its capital for more than 200 years, nor could he imagine that the huge Ming soldiers and numerous generals would be so vulnerable!

    He simply couldn't believe what was happening.  Yesterday, he was still the dignified chief military officer and Ping Xibo, but today, the king is the king of the subjugation of the country, and he is the minister of the subjugation of the country.  He also thought about his home, where his parents, sister and more than 30 relatives were still in Beijing. Their life and death were unknown, and their fate was uncertain.  Waves of suspense and hidden worries tore at his heart.

    It was only then that he felt that he had truly become a man without a country and a home.  When he thought of this, he couldn't help but feel confused and sad.  However, it can be said with certainty that he will not think of death or die for his country.

    You know, he is only thirty-three years old, which is the golden age of life. Why does he want to think about death?  He is stillThe commander-in-chief of the army has a powerful armed force of 40,000 people, more than 3,000 of whom are his disciples of the Wu family. With this capital, he is confident that he can still achieve something.  What to do next?  He was hesitating and had no final decision in his mind.

    Will the vote be cleared?  This way out could not help but flash in his mind, but looking back on his consistent attitude towards Qing and his basic thoughts in the past, he would not think so much about it at this time, or it could be said that he had temporarily ruled out this idea.

    ???????????????????????????????????????????????? Who knows whether Li Zicheng can establish a foothold and establish a new dynasty?  Besides, he still doesn't know Li Zicheng's attitude towards him, so he can't think about it now.  Wu Sangui is at the crossroads of the Ming and Qing regime changes. With the two roads before him, he must make a choice and find a way out.

    He feels that the current situation is unpredictable and he cannot yet make a firm conclusion as to who will win.  Wu Sangui assessed the forces in all aspects, weighed the pros and cons, and still adopted an attitude of waiting and watching the situation change.  He has to wait for the situation to become clear and stable before making any plans.  He felt that this was a foolproof and safe plan.  Therefore, he stood still at Shanhaiguan.

    ¡°As Wu Sangui expected, the moment of his choice came soon.  This is why Li Zicheng took the initiative to take action against Wu Sangui and sent him a message of appeasement.  When Li Zicheng entered Beijing, all the generals in the towns surrendered, except Wu Sangui and Zhu Youbin, who had a large army and refused to surrender.

    Li Zicheng realized the importance of occupying Shanhaiguan and was determined to win it.  He once sent Ming surrender generals Tang Tong and Bai Guang'en to lead their troops east to attack Luanzhou as the first step to capture Shanhaiguan.  However, the attack failed and Wu Sangui was defeated and retreated to Beijing. Wu Sangui did not pursue the attack and remained stationed at Guan Guan.

    What Li Zicheng is most worried about is that the whereabouts of Wu Sangui, who is stationed at Shanhaiguan, is crucial to the Dashun regime.  He knew very well that Wu Sangui and his Liao soldiers were brave soldiers and powerful generals, and they were actually a powerful enemy of the Dashun army.

    Shanhaiguan is seven hundred miles away from Beijing, and is separated from the Qing soldiers by a single pass, so it is very close.  Therefore, if Wu Sangui advances, he can threaten Beijing; if he retreats, he can rely on the dangers of the mountains and seas to hold on; if he escapes, he can reach the Qing military camp with just a few steps.  If the two unite, the peasant army will be put in danger.  Li Zicheng thought of the existence of Wu Sangui and his Liao soldiers and felt restless.

    When Wu Sangui received the letter that Tang Tong brought to him, his father Wu Xiang said in the letter: "The Ming Dynasty is over, and destiny cannot be violated. The emperor has passed away, and his father is also in danger. People who understand current affairs can also adapt to changes. If you surrender early, not only can you  You will be rewarded and your reputation as a filial son will be fulfilled. If you act on your own initiative and are defeated, your father's life will be in danger and your reputation will be ruined."

    Wu Xiang was in the hands of the peasant army and played a direct role in persuading Wu Sangui to surrender.  Before and after instructing Tang Tong and Wu Xiang to persuade Wu Sangui to surrender, Li Zicheng also sent Wang Zayao, the former governor of Miyun in the Ming Dynasty and the minister of the military government after surrendering Li, to continuously carry out activities to persuade Wu Sangui to surrender.  He also told Wu Sangui that as long as he came to surrender, he would not lose his position as marquis!

    After Wu Sangui settled the envoys, he secretly summoned the generals to discuss whether to surrender to Li Zicheng.  Originally, he was very tempted by Li Zicheng's surrender. He changed his position and wanted to shake hands with the former sworn enemies and thieves because the situation had changed tremendously. The destruction of the Ming Dynasty to which he was loyal was a foregone conclusion. Li Zicheng's Dashun Dynasty  The Zhu dynasty will be replaced and become the new master.

    And only by relying on this new regime can we have our own way out

    And the conditions given by Li Zicheng could not be more generous, and the courtesy was more generous. For Wu Sangui, this was exactly what he had been pursuing for many years, and once he got it, he felt satisfied.

    At the same time, he was also concerned that the lives and property of his parents, relatives, and property were in the hands of the peasant army. If he surrendered, he would not only save his family's life, but also preserve his glory and wealth.  At this time, Wu Sangui's troops were seriously short of pay and urgently needed supplements. Otherwise, the soldiers would be shaken or even disintegrated.

    Originally, he could still rely on Zhu Youbin, but the fall of the capital and the subsequent news of Zhu Youbin's serious illness caused his confidence to be fundamentally shaken.

    " Wu Sangui's soldiers had been without pay for fourteen months when they were in Ningyuan, and they were in a very difficult situation. Now Li Zicheng is sending pay to his door, which is like providing help in the snow. Why not take it!  Considering the immediate situation, surrendering to the peasant army is of great benefit.  Otherwise, everything will come to naught.

    After careful consideration, Wu Sangui had decided to surrender, but he did not say it clearly.  Because he is worried about whether his subordinates' ideas are consistent with his, especially in the current fierce political turmoil, people's hearts are in confusion and they still can't figure out their true plans.  Therefore, he wanted to test the thoughts of his subordinates first.  He deliberately asked the generals: "The capital has been lost, the late Emperor Bin Tian, ??Wu Sangui has been favored by the country, and it is appropriate to die to repay the country. However, the enemy cannot be defeated without relying on the strength of the generals. What do you think of Sangui's opinion?"

    The generals were silent, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

    Wu Sangui asked three times in a row, but no one dared to express his opinion.  Wu Sangui looked around at the faces of each general with a compelling look and said:Tiao said solemnly: "The king of Chuang is in great power. Tang Tong and Jiang Yu have both surrendered. I can't stand on my own alone."

    When he said this, Wu Sangui raised his voice and asked categorically: "Now that King Chuang's envoy has arrived, should you kill him or welcome him?"

    Wu Sangui¡¯s aggressive questioning made the generals feel startled, as if they were waking up from a dream, and they all uttered a voice in unison: ¡°Today¡¯s life and death are decided by the general¡¯s orders!¡±

    The generals had already stated that they would obey Wu Sangui's orders, so he announced his decision to formally receive the envoys and surrender to the rebels.

    Later, Li Zicheng was very happy to report Wu Sangui's surrender, and took advantage of the situation to write letters of persuasion to surrender to the Ming generals Zuo Liangyu, Gao Jie, and Liu Zeqing: At the end of March, Wu Sangui held a funeral for the martyred Emperor Chongzhen and his concubines, and the entire army mourned.  Although he decided to surrender to the rebels, he still wanted to take this action to show that he did not forget Mingshi's kindness to their family.

    Originally, everything was going smoothly, Wu Sangui was about to surrender to Dashun, and Shanhaiguan was about to fall into Li Zicheng's hands. But at this moment, the arrival of an envoy completely changed Wu Sangui's decision!

    He is the envoy sent by Prince Rui Dorgon!

    The envoy who saw Wu Sangui brought nothing. He just held a booklet with both hands and said respectfully: "General Wu, our Prince Rui asked me to bring this. Please take a look."

    Wu Sangui took it, and after turning over two pages, his expression changed slightly. It turned out that what was recorded in this booklet was none other than all the family property he left behind in the city when he evacuated Ningyuan.  Wu Sangui felt bright in his heart, but he pretended not to know anything and asked in surprise: "What is this?"

    "This is what General Wu left in Ningyuan and forgot to take away." The messenger lowered his hands and said, "Prince Rui asked me to tell you, whether you are willing to go back and get it yourself, or let us bring it to you, just ask, Rui  The prince will always comply immediately. Also, our soldiers accidentally damaged some things when they entered your house. According to the discount, this is the silver to compensate you."

    Wu Sangui took the banknote. It was not much, just two thousand taels.  He thought it was a huge sum of money, but he didn't expect it to be just such a small amount. He was surprised. He glanced at the messenger, but heard the messenger say in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "That's all. The villain is not greedy for ink." Prince Rui said  Yes, General Wu is a rare hero in the world. If I buy you with money, it will undoubtedly be an insult to you. Therefore, we will compensate you according to the price, one tael is not a lot, but one tael is not enough.  many"

    A smile finally appeared on Wu Sangui's face, and then he heard the messenger continue: "Also, before entering Ningyuan City, Prince Rui repeatedly warned not to damage any plant or tree in the Wu family, but we have no way of discipline.  , two soldiers were still damaged, Prince Rui was furious, and he wanted to arrest the two soldiers on the spot, but after thinking about it carefully, it was better to hand them over to General Wu."

    He turned around and clapped his hands, and then two people walked in. As soon as they came in, they knelt on the ground.

    "These are the two soldiers who committed the crime." The messenger said calmly: "Now we will leave it to General Wu to deal with."

    This move made Wu Sangui stunned. He waved his hands repeatedly and said, "I can't do it, I can't do it. I accept Prince Rui's wishes. But I think these two people made unintentional mistakes. I think I will exempt them from punishment."

    "This is not possible." Who would have thought that the envoy said in a rare and tough tone: "Military regulations are military regulations, and they must not be changed. I think General Wu's Guan Ning cavalry dominates the world because of the strict military regulations, right?"

    As he spoke, he turned his head to the two people and said, "You know what to do, right?"

    The two men shouted loudly: "After we entered the general's mansion, we smashed some things. The list is here!"

    Before Wu Sangui could react, he saw that the two men had already pulled out a sharp dagger from their arms. Holding the knife in their left hands, they slashed their right hands with the knife. Amidst the exclamations around them, the two severed hands fell to the ground.  .

    The two men were sweating from the pain, but they knelt straight and said: "Please check General Wu's hand!"

    Wu Sangui quickly helped the two of them up and ordered them to be sent down for treatment. He sighed and said to the envoy: "Wu Sangui has remembered Prince Rui's kindness, but I am a minister of the Ming Dynasty after all."

    "Prince Rui did not want the general to come to our Qing Dynasty." The envoy said with a smile: "Before coming, Prince Rui told me that you saved his life back then, and I am a man who knows how to repay his kindness.  Man, we must treat whoever is good to us. Whether the general comes to our Qing Dynasty or continues to be loyal to the Ming Dynasty, we will never interfere in the eugenic years of Prince Zhongrui and will never attack the border guarded by the general.  One soldier and one soldier!"

    This time Wu Sangui was really stunned. He never expected that Dorgon would do this.  stay in a dazeAfter a long while, he said: "Then, doesn't the Qing army not want to enter the pass?"

    "Think!" the envoy said simply: "We think about it every day, but now Shanhaiguan is guarded by the general, Prince Rui will never come. We would rather take a detour to avenge the Ming Emperor.  Meet the general Dao Rong! Even if the Qing Dynasty defeats the invaders, the general will always control Shanhaiguan!"

    "Prince Rui will not deceive me!" Wu Sangui looked up to the sky and sighed: "It's a pity that I, Wu Sangui, have become a minister of the Ming Dynasty."

    "It's still the same sentence. We Manchus will never change what we said." The messenger's smile did not diminish: "It's just that Prince Rui has only one request, that is, no matter where the general goes in the future, he must never surrender the intruder!"

    Seeing Wu Sangui's eyebrows twitching slightly, the messenger continued: "First of all, the intruder is a regicide. It can be said that he has a sworn enemy with the general. Surrendering to the Qing Dynasty is just a slight loss of reputation, and the general is helpless.  If you can surrender the thief, the general will leave an eternal infamy in history. Secondly, we also know that the trespassers sent envoys to the general to surrender, but the general still doesn¡¯t know about his family.  What happened in the capital?"

    Seeing Wu Sangui slowly shaking his head, the messenger sighed and went over what happened.

    As soon as Li Zicheng led the bandit army into Beijing, he took a major action, that is, to pursue the stolen goods and pay them to officials at all levels in Beijing, and to ruthlessly attack them.  Starting from March 20th to the 25th and 26th, the peasant army marched through the streets to recruit scholar-bureaucrats.

    The names were also registered in a large register, and each group of 100 people was escorted by eight cavalrymen to each camp for detention. From morning to night, "the sound of grievances was heard endlessly."  The pursuit of stolen goods and salary assistance began with Hanlin officials.  On March 23, when Li Zicheng discovered a huge amount of gold hidden in a Hanlin family, he issued an order: no matter whether old or new Hanlin officials, each Hanlin official should be given a salary of more than ten thousand taels of silver.  Afterwards, almost all officials in the Ming Dynasty were tortured and the stolen silver was recovered to help pay the rebel army.

    Wu Xiang was the commander-in-chief of the imperial camp, so he was naturally not immune.  Li Zicheng blackmailed Wu Sangui into submission and held Wu Xiang's family hostage.  They were detained in Liu Zongmin's apartment and were also tortured to recover the stolen goods.  !  !  !
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