I have a cornucopia

Chapter 231: The King of Rebellion Comes and Doesn’t Pay Taxes

Meeting day.

Tujiaobu venue.

The reason for choosing this place was because Li Zicheng needed to supervise in person.

But he certainly could not go to Nanchang unless he took tens of thousands of cavalry with him, but this was unacceptable to the Jiangxi Elders Association. In the end, they could only choose a place located on the control line of both sides, so Tujiaobu was the best choice.

At this time, Li Zicheng's 10,000 cavalry and 20,000 infantry were lined up opposite the militia defense line.

The militiamen were on high alert in their makeshift fortresses...

Neither side was idle during the truce.

Li Zicheng bypassed De'an and continued to send troops to Jianchang, while the militia of the Tujiabu defense line took the opportunity to continuously build fortresses, and they were forced to do so in a very scientific way. The core is a simple bastion, which was known in the late Ming Dynasty. Besides, it would take more than a month to build a high-level one. It is just a big mound of earth, and then it serves as a gun platform. The outer water surface is indispensable. In this kind of water network terrain, there is no need to dig. As long as the surrounding flood control embankments are dug, it will be enough to form a swamp, and breast walls and trenches are also provided. In short, it has a bit of the style of the Civil War.

There is even barbed wire!

Of course, it’s not made of iron wire, but its uses are similar.

The militia buried countless bamboo barricades around Tujiabu Fort, and then connected them with bamboo strips. There were bamboo sticks underneath and bells hung inside, which would easily trigger an alarm if anyone tried to pass through.

They even started laying landmines.

The Ming Dynasty also had landmines.

And there are many types, including trigger types.

Use a steel wheel to rub the flint to light the fire, or use the built-in slow-burning kindling.

Of course, success depends on one's character.

But it is indeed usable and is actually often used on battlefields in the north.

It can be said that in this month, the scholars from Jiangxi and other places who came to Tujiabu as reinforcements completely regarded this place as a stage for their talent show, and designed various useful or useless or even stupid defense systems for this line of defense. For example, landmines are quite stupid. This thing works very well in the nine borders, especially in the arid northwest regions, but burying mines underground in the water network near Poyang Lake...

A bit too hasty.

Of course, no matter what, the day that decides fate has finally arrived.

In the thatched hut, the supervisor, King Donghai, was wearing heavy armor and sitting upright on a huge boss chair, leaning on his famous new weapon, like a statue in a temple. On both sides were fully armed followers, each of them also wearing heavy armor, carrying sabers, short-barreled flintlock rifles on their backs, and short guns on their waists, looking like a pistol team.

Li Zicheng, protected by guards, walked into the meeting place with Song Xiance, Gu Junen, Li Laiheng and Hao Yaoqi, then walked up to Yang Feng and looked at him with interest.

"Are you trying to scare me with this?"

Li Zicheng looked curiously at the exaggerated six-root pure pestle in Yang Feng's hand...

That's the name.

Although it is actually an oversized thunder gun.

It's just a multi-barreled musket, not some high-tech device.

It’s just that Yang Feng’s is a bit too big. After all, it is three meters long from front to back, and the shape is a bit exaggerated, especially those triangular nails welded on it. Although it doesn’t have much practical significance, with his stainless steel welding skills, it can only be considered a decoration at most.

But it looks really scary!

And its power on the battlefield is equally astonishing.

Of course, it is not based on firepower, which is not sustainable, and it takes several minutes to reload, but a three-meter-long, more than 100-pound stainless steel rod is swung in a melee, which is terrifying in itself. However, these are definitely useless to Li Zicheng. After all, he has even delivered 24-pound cannons. Although he said he cast them himself, considering that he has never cast such a level of cannon before, he has cast more than 20 cannons in a month. The source of this cannon is very suspicious. It is not ruled out that the batch cast by Huguang before may suddenly fall into the Yangtze River and disappear at some point in the future. After all, making money is not shameful.

During this period, Li Zicheng's military supplies, especially food, were entirely supported by the gentry in Huguang.

There was a constant stream of merchant ships transporting goods from Changsha to Wuchang.

Li Zicheng gave money.

Since grain can be sold, cannons can certainly be sold as well. Anyway, Huguang has already decided to surrender once Li Zicheng wins the battle downstream.

The cannons were useless.

The most important thing now is to seize the opportunity to make a fortune.

It is estimated that this wave of Huguang gentry can make four to five million from Li Zicheng, but it is not known whether Li Zicheng will come back to ask them for it back. Of course, he will ask for it back with some interest, and maybe the interest will include their heads.

"You are joking, King Qin. It is just a weapon."

Yang Feng said.

Li Zicheng smiled calmly, then sat down on the armchair next to him.

At the same time, Kuang Zhao, who represented the Jiangxi government, came in, saluted the two kings, and sat down on the other side of Yang Feng. The voters who had been waiting outside began to enter. Jiangxi had a total of 13 prefectures and 78 counties, plus those guard posts, a total of more than 300 voters. In this simple straw shed, each person was given a small stool when they entered the door...

These were all prepared by the Jiangxi Elders Association. Of course, they wouldn't spend any extra money and would save wherever possible.

What kind of decent venue do you want?
Not sitting on the floor is good enough.

This is called retro!

It has been traced back to the time of Yao, Shun and Yu.

Of course, the elders and local celebrities who also came to supervise certainly could not sit on small stools. They each had a throne on both sides of the venue, and they also brought servants and maids to set out tea and snacks, and sat there to watch coldly.

Amidst the noise, more than 300 people finally entered the venue.

Then they bowed in confusion to Yang Feng and others.

They had no reaction to Li Zicheng, and probably had no idea who he was. They knew Yang Feng, and had even met him before, but basically they didn't know Li Zicheng, and no one thought too much about it. Because of the selection method of Li Zicheng's subordinates, the literacy rate of this group of voters was very low. After all, they were all selected based on poverty, and many of them had never been to the county town in their lives.

Their understanding of Li Zicheng was limited to knowing his name.

And it is very likely that even the name will not be known until after being selected.

It's entirely possible.

For many isolated villages, it may take more than ten years for them to learn about the outside world. However, there is no shortage of small villages like this in the mountainous areas around Jiangxi. It is good enough to have a peddler come in occasionally, so the gentry can control the local discourse power.

Yang Feng looked at Kuang Zhao.

Governor Kuang quickly stood up.

"Dear fellow villagers, please come here to make a choice for the future of Jiangxi!"

He shouted with a smile.

There was a lot of discussion on the other side, like a market, and many of them were confused...

I dont understand!

How could he, a Sichuanese, speak Mandarin with a Sichuan accent and make these people who basically only speak their own local dialect understand him? Mandarin doesn't work either. The only people who can understand Mandarin in the local area are gentry and businessmen who travel all over the country. But how can we expect those old farmers in small mountain villages who have spoken Gan dialect all their lives to understand him? People in southern Jiangxi can't understand him at all!
They can't even fully understand the dialect of the next village!

"Shut up and listen carefully!"

Yang Feng shouted.

At the same time, he paused with the six pure pestles in his hands.

Along with the vibration of the stainless steel pipe, the voters fell silent in an instant. They could not understand the official language, but they understood this one immediately.

Yang Feng signaled Kuang Zhao to continue.

The latter hastened to continue his long, boring, and doomed speech.

"You shut up too!" Li Zicheng shouted impatiently.

Kuang Zhao quickly shut up and looked at Yang Feng.

Of course, Prince Yang closed his eyes and rested.

Li Zicheng stood up, walked to Kuang Zhao, and pushed him away. Governor Kuang was caught off guard and almost fell to the ground, but fortunately there was a pillar next to him to support him. However, the voters were already laughing. Li Zicheng waited until they finished laughing, and then, in the doubtful eyes of the voters, he stretched out his hand, and Li Laiheng next to him handed him his big banner with the word "Chuang". Because the straw hut was low, he could only carry it on his back.

"I am the King of Rebellion!"

he shouted.

Several soldiers who followed him in translated for him in different dialects.

It can be seen that he is really well prepared.

Those voters immediately looked panicked.

After all, there are too many legends about his demonization, which are already at the level of a devil. Now that a devil is standing in front of him, it is impossible not to panic.

"I used to be a postman, but the emperor laid off the postmen and sent me back home to farm. There was a drought and the harvest failed. I had no money to pay taxes, so I had to borrow high-interest loans from Mr. Ai to pay taxes. I thought I could pay it back in a good year, but there was a drought again the next year and the harvest failed. I couldn't pay it back, and other people who borrowed high-interest loans to pay taxes couldn't pay it back either. Mr. Ai wanted to make an example of me, so he colluded with corrupt officials to put me in jail and kill me. My nephew broke into the prison to rescue me and killed Mr. Ai to avenge me. I couldn't be a good citizen anymore, so I had to escape and join the army. But in the army, not only did we not have enough food to eat, we didn't even get any military pay, and we were forced to fight on the battlefield. So I took my brothers and rebelled.

Now I am the King of Qin.

When I wanted to be a good citizen, it was difficult for me to survive despite all kinds of hardships. But after I rebelled, I became the King of Qin, second only to the emperor.

Isn’t it funny?

He said simply.

The voters who heard the translation were very excited and cheered in various dialects...

They applauded from the bottom of their hearts. After all, this was absolutely gratifying to the common people at the bottom of society. It was completely in line with their aesthetic taste and immediately brought them closer to Li Zicheng, making the demonization of the gentry in the past disappear into thin air.

Old Li still understands.

"Now I am here. When I rebelled, I shouted that we would not pay taxes. Now I am in Shaanxi and I have kept my promise. The people of Shaanxi do not pay taxes. Now I let you choose. Will you follow me or those scholars?"

Li Zicheng shouted.

At the same time, he swept the big flag past him.

"Follow King Chuang!"

"Follow King Chuang!"

……

The voters shouted excitedly.

"King Qin, this is inappropriate. We are all here to supervise. It is unfair for you to come out and incite people personally."

An elder suddenly said.

Then he looked at Yang Feng.

"Well, I think the King of Qin did not violate any rules. If you elders feel that it is inappropriate, you can stand up like the King of Qin. This is a gentleman's dispute, and everyone can stand up and speak. It's still early today, so everyone can express their opinions. We also have to let these voters make their choices."

Yang Feng said.

The elders looked at him speechlessly.

"I just want to say one thing: don't forget that you are from Jiangxi."

The elder said with a cold face.

Several other elders and local celebrities echoed this.

Of course, he was actually translating for the voters from his hometown who couldn't understand him. After all, it was normal for people from different parts of Jiangxi Province to not understand each other's dialects. But their effect was still obvious, just like pouring a bucket of water into a brazier, calming down those voters. In the final analysis, what Li Zicheng could bring to them was empty, invisible and intangible, at least for now, while the elders and local sages were visible and tangible to them.

"The rent and interest reduction is guaranteed by the King of Donghai and the Regent, so you can rest assured. We are all fellow villagers and we won't fool you. Even if we want to fool you, we can't get past the King of Donghai.

What the King of Qin said sounded good.

No one knows what will happen in the future.

But we all know each other well. You know which way my front door faces, and I know where your ancestral graves are.

We have to work together to deal with outsiders."

An elder said slowly.

"Think it over carefully. Do you want to follow a stranger you've only met once, or do you want to follow us, who know you well?"

Another elder said.

……

Li Zicheng looked at it calmly, even with a hint of smile on his face.

"Don't you feel like you've just botched a play?"

he said suddenly.

"It's better to sing badly than not sing at all."

Yang Feng said.

Then he suddenly pulled the steel wire, and the six pure pestles in his hand suddenly sprayed flames, accompanied by continuous thunder-like loud noises. The elders who were scolding the voters and the voters who were discussing were all frightened and raised their heads to look at the hole in the roof of the straw shed. At the same time, the straw and wood chips on the roof fell down, and the sunlight shining in just shone on Yang Feng. He was leaning on the six pure pestles to hold up the straw falling on his head, sitting there in a strange style.

Governor Kuang fell to the ground in fright.

However, Li Laiheng quickly dodged the falling wood chips on his head.

"quiet!"

Yang Feng said.

Everyone looked at him blankly.

“I have been entrusted by the Regent to preside over this meeting of the four people as a mediator to supervise the voters of Jiangxi to decide through public discussion whether to welcome the King of Qin to Nanchang. Therefore, I have the responsibility to remind all voters that the decision you make concerns your descendants. The decision you make today is the beginning of the life you and your descendants will live in the future.

Indeed, everyone says that I am treating it like a joke. I guess you guys think it is a joke too. How can a bunch of peasants like you decide the ownership of a province?
The elders thought so.

The officials thought so.

You think so yourself.

However, now that Jiangxi belongs to you, what you do in the future is really up to you to decide. No matter what decision you make, I will guarantee that I will do it that way. Whoever dares to refuse to comply, the Six Pure Pestle in my hand will punish you on behalf of God.

But I have to tell you too.

Don't regret it.

There is no regret medicine in this world. No matter what the consequences of the decision you made, since you have chosen it, you have to bear it. Whether it is hardship or happiness, you have to accept it. "

He said.

This is what he really wants.

Did you make the wrong choice? Do you regret it? Then let future generations see it!

(End of this chapter)