The seventeenth year of Chongzhen was a critical moment that determined the fate of the Ming Dynasty.

For Li Zicheng, this year was no longer the seventeenth year of Chongzhen, but the first year of Yongchang.

Also on the first day of the first lunar month, Li Zicheng proclaimed himself emperor in Xi'an and founded the country Dashun. He added a "ri" to the head of "Cheng" and changed his name to Zisheng. He was awarded the title of honor to his great-grandfather. He also named Niu Jinxing Tianyou Hall Grand Secretary, Song Xiance as military advisor, and added the Secretary of the Six Mansions, and established a complete set of political institutions in accordance with the Ming system. Song Qijiao was appointed as the Secretary of the Official Affairs, Lu Zhiqi was appointed as the Secretary of the Household Affairs, Gong Yan as the Secretary of the Rights Affairs, and Zhang Linran as the Secretary of the Military Affairs. He was awarded the title of a great meritorious official with a fifth-class title, including nine of Marquis Liu Zongmin, seventy-two of Bo Liu Tichun, threety of sons, and fifty-five of males.

After the last fortress Yulin was conquered, except for Hanzhong, Chapter 548: Life is a minister of the Ming Dynasty and death is a ghost of the Ming Dynasty! At this time, Li Zicheng had already taken the entire land of the Three Qins, and under the organization there were 600,000 cavalry and 400,000 infantry.

At that time, the prophecy of "Eighteen Sons Become the Master's Artifact" had been spread everywhere, and some people had compared it to King Ying Zheng of Qin, a cruel and powerful founding king of the future.

Listening to the former brothers "Emperor Grandpa" one by one, Li Zicheng was so happy.

At this time, Li Zicheng was already quite satisfied with entrenching Guanzhong and remotely controlling Henan. He was not Ying Zheng, nor did he really have the ambition to rule the world. His intention was to divide the world equally with Ming.

In fact, Li Zicheng and his subordinates did not have long-term strategic vision and talent in governing the country. They were good at destruction but did not build. Niu Jinxing and others only encouraged Li to quickly attack the capital and become a veritable emperor. It seemed that once they captured Beijing, they would solve all problems. Li Zicheng was much more realistic in this regard, so when he was in Hubei in the past, he would adopt Gu Junen's suggestion to take Guanzhong first, but did not march into Hebei as Niu Jinxing suggested and head directly to the capital.

At this time, Li Zicheng was facing a serious choice. He had been fighting for many years and fought in the east and west, relying on fighting to support the war. Most of his subordinates were rebellious. Once he was stable, he would be at a loss. Chapter 548: Life is a minister of the Ming Dynasty, and death is a ghost of the Ming Dynasty! Follow.

A million troops who have been in the area for a long time will definitely be in vain. Sending troops to continue the battle is the will of most people in the Dashun government, and Li Zicheng cannot stop this, although he may not be willing, perhaps he has sensed some ominous meaning in his intuition.

In February, Li Zicheng crossed the Yellow River, and his troops were sent to Shanxi, and officially marched into the capital.

At the beginning of the journey, there was basically no resistance, and even before the army arrived, the surrender letter arrived first. On the seventh day of the third month, Li Zicheng successfully occupied Taiyuan. Then he fought fiercely with the Ming general Zhou Yuji in Daizhou. Zhou Yuji followed Hong Chengchou and participated in the Battle of Songjin. He was not an ordinary person. After fighting hard for more than ten days, Li Zicheng was blocked and wanted to withdraw his troops. Li Zicheng suffered countless defeats, and this small setback was nothing, but he was worried that his hastily established regime still had many problems that needed to be solved urgently. At this time, he was more inclined to lay a solid foundation first, and destroying Ming was a secondary matter. However, the generals were not convinced and insisted on deciding the victory and defeat. As a result, the opponent was exhausted from ammunition and food, and retreated without support.

Li Zicheng chased Ningwu Pass and announced that if he did not surrender in five days, he would massacre the city. But this time Li Zicheng encountered stubborn resistance. Zhou Yuji followed Yuan Chonghuan's tactics and used cannons to defend the city, and occasionally sent troops to occupy the periphery and dealt with the opponent. After three days of fierce battle, the Dashun Army lost 10,000 people. Li Zicheng also fired a cannon and knocked down the city wall several times, but the opponent immediately formed the building. The Dashun Army once broke through the city gate, but the city gate was immediately closed, and no thousands of people who entered the city survived. Li Zicheng was furious and continued to attack with the sea of ​​people, and finally captured Ningwu Pass. Then the city was massacred, and women, children, young and old were unable to escape.

By March, the entire Shanxi had fallen into the hands of Li Zicheng. At this time, another side army led by Liu Fangliang had also captured Baoding, and the Grand Secretary Li Jiantai, who was personally expeditioned by the Emperor, was captured.

On March 11, Li Zicheng arrived in Xuanfu. General Wang Chengyun and military eunuch Du Xun went out of the city to greet him thirty miles away. Before Du Xun left the city, he informed the governor Zhu Zhifeng and advised him to know the current affairs. Zhu Zhifeng cursed: "Your trust is yourselves and you are responsible for your territorial territory. When will you meet the enemy?"

Du Xun did not answer and left with a laugh. Zhu Zhifeng, who was guarding the city alone, stood in front of a cannon. Seeing Li Zicheng's troops approaching step by step, he turned to the left and right orders: "Send it to me."

But the left and right were silent, and no one came forward. Zhu Zhifeng wanted to do it himself, but the soldiers around him held their sleeves. Zhu Zhifeng beat his chest and sighed: "I didn't expect that people's hearts would come to this point!" So he hanged himself and died.

On March 15, Tang Tong surrendered, and Li Zicheng's army drove through Juyong Pass and arrived directly to Beijing.

Outside Zhangyi Gate, an incense burner was lingering, a yellow blanket was laid on, and a dragon chaise was placed on. Li Zicheng sat down with satisfaction, beside him were two princes of the Ming royal family who had become prisoners: King Qin and King Jin.

He had already sent his subordinates to pretend to be a merchant to touch the truth of the capital. He had even started to do this work when he was even far away in Xi'an. Now all the officials and soldiers of the suburbs surrendered or fled were basically wiped out, and Beijing was just an isolated city that could be taken away.

Although after the vigorous publicity of Niu Jinxing, Song Xiance and others, everyone around him regarded him as the next true emperor, he was always half-believing and half-doubted. For more than ten years, he was busy fighting with officers and soldiers, or fighting with his peers. He did not stop for a moment. He was not mentally prepared to be the emperor. He was extremely unfamiliar with the behavioral norms and way of thinking. After satisfying vanity and compassion, he even felt a sense of disgust from the heart, but he was stepping into this strange field step by step. He wanted to slow down this too fast pace, so he secretly sent the Ming general Wang Yongji to Beijing to negotiate with the emperor in exchange for the condition of "dividing the river and governing". Emperor Ming appointed him as king and cut the north of the Yangtze River as his territory. But Wang Yongji has no trace yet. Now Du Xun has been sent in again, and the conditions have been lowered.

Liu Zongmin came over and asked, "Our army has been besieging the city for a day. Why don't we attack quickly and take down Beijing quickly?"

Li Zicheng shook his head and replied, "Let's wait for noon."

There was a hazy drizzle in the sky. This rain was arrived at Song Xiance the day before yesterday. "The calculation is really accurate. Could it be that the Sa family is really the main artifact?"

At this time, Du Xun came back and told Chongzhen that he refused to discuss peace. "This kid, if you don't want toast, you will be punished for wine." Li Zicheng stood up angrily.

Although the situation was irreversible, Chongzhen still went to court to ask about things every day and handled government affairs as usual. In early March, he heard Jiang Dejin, the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, say that although the court had already issued an order to integrate the "three salary", the prefectures and counties in various places were still plundered and issued another order to abolish the "food training".

He also personally inquired about the defense of Beijing City, and armed the three or four thousand eunuchs in the palace and assigned them to various places to participate in defense. He summoned the missionary Joshua Chau to inquire about the configuration and use of firearms. On the sixth day of the March 19th, the order was issued to the King.

The order of serving the king is to serve the king, but unfortunately, can the order of serving the king still work at this time?

At this time in Fujian, Wu Liehou Ding Yunyi no longer had to wait for Chongzhen's order to serve the king. He knew what would happen this year.

The generals at all levels of the Hu Ben Guard had been summoned. Looking at the solemn expression of Wu Liehou, they already knew what was going to happen.

Ding Yunyi didn't speak for a long time, and then slowly said after a while: "Li Zicheng has marched into the capital."

After a short while of silence, someone actually let out a sigh of relief, as if he was relieved.

In fact, they have been waiting for this day. Fujian, Taiwan, Japan, Luzon, Malacca, Batavia, Siam, Myanmar and other places have been controlled by them. What they are waiting for is nothing more than this moment.

The moment that continues to create miracles for the Hu Ben Guard has arrived.

"Everyone, all are ready." Ding Yunyi said lightly: "My navy and army, all of them are set off. Cai Jiuzhou, Zhang Xianxuan, and Ye Dahai."

"exist!"

"You three are the commander-in-chief of the navy, and you know what you should do."

"yes!"

"Huangfu Yunjie, Hou Lu."

"exist!"

"You two are left and right forwards, and lead the cavalry to set off today!"

"yes!"

Ding Yunyi's eyes fell on the generals: "This town will lead all the main forces to attack. In addition to the left-behind Fujian, Taiwan, various colonies and other places, a total of 350,000 naval and land troops will be formed. Our team will use these 350,000 troops to reverse the Ming Dynasty!"

"We are willing to fight to the death with Marquis Wu Lie!"

This is the loudest answer from all the Hu Ben Guard soldiers!

Ding Yunyi's eyes fell to the distance, far and far away. From now on, a brand new challenge, a challenge that can determine the fate of a nation, has slowly opened the unknown curtain.

He didn't know whether he could succeed, nor whether his 350,000 army could reverse this dynasty that was about to collapse, but he didn't care.

He fought for this nation, and his enemies did not only include bandits like Li Zicheng, but also the more fierce enemy.

He can tolerate failure. Even if it fails, he still has Fujian, Taiwan, Japan, and so many colonies, and he can still reorganize an army in the shortest time.

Now, the future and destiny of the Ming and Han people are firmly in their own hands

Li Zicheng's army has approached the capital.

At this time, everyone's reactions in the capital were different. Some were panicked, some just wanted to leave this terrible place as soon as possible, and some were thinking about how to get along with the bandits. No, now they can't call them bandits anymore, but how to get in touch with "Emperor Yongchang" Li Zicheng and show his loyalty.

Some people were calm and unstoppable.

For example, Ding Yuanzhao, the former Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War.

In the two years when Chongzhen was most suspicious and hated Ding Yunyi the most, Ding Yuanzhao was also implicated. He was casually excused by Emperor Chongzhen to dismiss him. Finally, Chongzhen was still thinking about his past contributions and did not pursue further investigation.

However, Ding Yuanzhao has been restricted from living, and his range of activities is only in Ding Mansion.

When Li Zicheng proclaimed himself emperor and finally decided to march into the capital, no one paid attention to Ding Yuanzhao anymore, and those who were watching him had already fled in all directions.

Ding Yuanzhao still didn't leave. He woke up early every morning, first moved his body, then ate the delicious porridge prepared by his wife, and then read the book and spent the day quietly.

He didn't care at all what he would face.

He didn't care, but his son-in-law Wang Qingheng had to care. When he appeared in front of his father-in-law again, he couldn't hide his panic: "Father, I heard that Emperor Yongchang has approached the capital."

"What did you say? What did you call a thief?" Ding Yuanzhao suddenly glared.

"Ah, the thief." Wang Qingheng then realized that he had lost his words: "I was wrong. Now many people in the capital call it thief, and I am used to calling it casually. Father, think of a solution as soon as possible."

Ding Yuanzhao closed his eyes and said nothing.

Wang Qingheng quickly winked at his father Ding Biwei. Ding Biwei quickly pulled her fifteen-year-old son Wang Chirui and said, "Father, if you don't think about yourself, you should also consider that for your grandson. Now Xiang Wen, second sister and second brother-in-law are in Fujian, so it's better to go and surrender to them."

"The country is in danger of seeing loyal ministers!" Ding Yuanzhao opened his eyes and said slowly, "You are so panicked before the thieves have arrived. What kind of morality is it? Xiang Wen did whatever he wanted in Fujian, and the emperor was angry. Although he could not do anything, would he still want me to take refuge in his place with a long face?"

"Father." Wang Qingheng swallowed: "Although Xiang Wen was a little at fault, it was still your son."

Ding Yuanzhao closed his eyes again.

Wang Qingheng's father had no choice but to look at Ding Chen Wanhe and found that he was helpless.

At this moment, my old man, Uncle Zheng, rushed in in a hurry: "Master, Madam, Second Miss, Second Miss is back!"

Everyone was stunned.

Second Miss? Is Ding Biyue back?

Only after Ding Biyue appeared did everyone know that this was not an illusion. Even though the children were old, Ding Biyue still looked very enthusiastic: "Go away, go quickly, it will be too late if you don't leave!"

"Second girl, why are you back?" Seeing the second daughter she hadn't met for a long time, Ding Chenwanhe's tears suddenly flowed down.

"Second sister." Ding Biwei grabbed her sister's hand and tears flowed down her face.

Ding Yuanzhao was still calm as usual: "Biyue, was Ding Xiangwen asked you to come?"

"Dad, Xiang Wen didn't ask me to come, I was here myself." Ding Biyue hurriedly invited his father to An: "Xiang Wen had known that there would be a big disaster in the capital, so he sent his Golden Sword Guard to pick us up our Ding family in advance. I happened to hear it from the original mouth that I was worried about my parents, sisters and brother-in-law, so I insisted on following him."

"Golden Sword Guard?" Ding Yuanzhao snorted coldly in his nose: "When did I have a Golden Sword Guard in the Ming Dynasty?"

"Dad, it's not the time to talk about this." Ding Biyue was a little anxious: "Xiang Wen is not a ruthless minister. He knew that the capital was in danger. He had no choice but to order all his troops and was preparing to go to the capital to serve the king!"

As soon as the word "Salvation of the King" came out, Ding Yuanzhao's eyes lit up, but then he sneered and said, "The grudges with the court? The court has never felt sorry for him. Ding Xiangwen, it was because he was the one who was defeated by the court first! Go back and tell your younger brother, I will wait for him in the capital. When will he arrive with the army of the King, and when will I recognize his son!"

Ding Biyue knew that her father's temper would never change what she decided. She looked at each other with her mother, sister and brother-in-law for a moment.

"Why should Lord Ding be so stubborn?" At this moment, a voice drifted in, and then a person in his thirties dressed simply and looked like a scholar walked in.

"Who are you?" Ding Yuanzhao asked staring at him.

"Xie Tian, ​​the commander of the Golden Sword Guard, met the Lord." Xie Tian said calmly: "My Golden Sword Guard was ordered to pick up the Marquis' family from the capital. It is of great importance. Xie Tian dared not be negligent at all, so he went to the capital in person. Sir, along the way, I kept receiving information from my subordinates. The thieves' army was only a few days away from the capital. My carriage and guards have been arranged. Please take your family and me quickly, otherwise everything will be too late."

Ding Yuanzhao looked at him coldly: "I said, I won't leave. I am a minister of the Ming Dynasty in life, and a ghost of the Ming Dynasty in death. If the thief really enters the capital, I will just die for my country!"

"Mr. I only know how to be loyal. Have you never thought about family?" Xie Tian said calmly: "Mr. I want to be loyal, but Xie Tian has no other way to persuade him, but what about your wife? What about your daughter? What about grandson? Did they let them all die with you? I heard that the order to serve the king has been given, but no one has responded so far. Only Wu Liehou led the army to set off. Are such a person a treacherous minister? Do you really have the heart to let Wu Liehou's family leave him one by one?"

Ding Yuanzhao was silent there. He slowly looked at his family, and then suddenly sighed heavily: "Go, go, go, you all go. I stay here, whether it is life or death, I stay here. Thank you, go and tell your Marquis Wu Lie, let him remember that he is a minister of the Ming Dynasty, and let him not forget that he is Marquis Wu Lie of the Ming Dynasty!"

"Dad!" The Ding sisters shouted out together.

Ding Yuanzhao smiled tragically: "You don't have to persuade me anymore. My determination is settled. Qingheng, don't leave either. Stay with me."

"Ah!" Wang Qingheng was stunned.

Ding Yuanzhao smiled slightly: "Qingheng, don't worry, I am your father-in-law, which means your father. I will not harm you. Then I will definitely give you a clear path."

Wang Qingheng didn't want to stay at all, but he didn't dare to disobey his father-in-law's orders.

"I won't leave either." Ding Chenwanhe smiled slightly: "The old couple has been going for so many years, where can I go without you? I will always be by your side regardless of life or death." Baidu searches, hand-taps, and provides download of this book.
Chapter completed!