Saving the Ming Dynasty: I can exchange bodies with Chongzhen

Chapter 184 The sword at the waist is still bloody!

"It's easy for the emperor to say that he wants to make the people suffer, but he never comes down to see how we, the people, can get any money?"

"That's right, he's eating and drinking well, why would he care about us? We really can't eat, so we can only use hoes and sickles to dig the emperor's ancestral tomb."

"If not him, who else can we deal with?"

A group of rebellious refugees gathered together and cursed the emperor.

Since the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang uprising, there have been peasant uprisings in every dynasty.

Especially in the middle and late period of the dynasty, the warriors who rose up in uprisings and rebellions were like reeds in a marsh, which were cut every year, but in the next year, when the spring breeze passed, they would break out of the ground again.

Why are they risking death and extermination of their clan? Isn't it just to survive?
In order to have food to eat, to have clothes to wear, and to wrap the body with a mat when dying.

But if such a simple and plain wish cannot be realized, they can only jump out and rebel.

"Our Prince Xin is the best. Not only does he give us food, he also gives us money."

"Even the Eight Great Kings have never done this before!"

"How can Zhang Xianzhong compare with the Lord?" The old blind man's apprentice interrupted them, "Just wait, my master said that one day in the future, we will be able to live a life of drinking wine and eating meat every meal."

"We have arrived at a good time..."

As Chongzhen listened, his face turned purple and the corners of his mouth twitched.

You are scolding yourself, and you are also praising yourself.

At this moment, he was leading more than 50,000 people to De'an Prefecture. During these days of contact, his ears were constantly filled with such words cursing the emperor.

To be honest, at the beginning, Chongzhen was also angry and wanted to hit someone, but after seeing and hearing more, he gradually got used to it.

Who made the Ming Dynasty have so many exorbitant taxes and levies, and who made the people go hungry?

This is all they can do when they have no other way to survive except to rebel.

Chongzhen adjusted his mood and raised his hand to interrupt everyone, "Everyone, take a break. Anlu County is thirty miles ahead. Get enough rest and contact the people in the city."

De'an Prefecture governs four areas: Anlu, Yunmeng, Yingcheng, Yingshan and Suizhou.

The steam rising from Yunmeng Lake refers to the group of lakes in the vast area from the north side of the Huarong Uplift to the south of the Han River, collectively known as the Yunmeng Lake.

However, by the end of the Ming Dynasty, these lakes had been gradually silted up by the Yangtze River and the Han River, while some had expanded, such as the later Honghu Lake.

"Old blind man, the people in the city have been arranged, right?"

"My lord, everything has been arranged. This morning our people have discussed with the people in the city, and more than 500 households are willing to open the city gates for us."

"More than 500 households? It turns out that the Anlu County Magistrate is a good-for-nothing." Chongzhen couldn't help but curse.

Previously, in Zaoyang and Nanzhang, the number of people coming to seek refuge was only one or two hundred households, but in Anlu County, there were more than five hundred households, which shows how popular this guy is.

……

After walking thirty miles and taking two hours, we finally saw the county seat of Anlu.

Following Chongzhen's order, tens of thousands of refugees stopped laughing and cursing and became murderous. Some were sharpening their knives, while others were weaving their rotten armor.

All of them were murderous.

Under the arrangement of the old blind man, Chongzhen placed a table and placed three kinds of livestock and six kinds of domestic animals on it.

It was not the old blind man who asked for it, but Chongzhen who insisted on doing so. As an emperor, he paid attention to this before every major war.

Although it cannot be compared with the time in the capital, the necessary rituals still have to be performed.

Chongzhen was at the front, praying to God.

Prince Xiang and Old Han were on the left and right, followed by the old blind man, and then the small leaders who were the first to surrender to Zhang Xianzhong.

Although they have been members of the gang for a relatively short time, they can offer sacrifices to heaven together with "Prince Xin", which makes everyone feel that "Prince Xin"'s loyalty is impressive.

Think about it, among Zhang Xianzhong's subordinates, except for his four adopted sons, how could anyone else have the qualifications to sit at the same table with the eight kings?

What about offering sacrifices to heaven?

"Everyone, I'm leaving it to you!" Chongzhen raised the wine jar dripping with chicken blood, gestured to everyone, and drank it all in one gulp, fully demonstrating his chivalry.

The rest of the people also raised their glasses and said, "We are willing to serve the king till our death!"

"Prince Xin has given us enough food to eat. Even if we die immediately, we will die well-fed. It's worth it!"

"Yes, it was worth it. Even though my head fell off, I got a scar as big as a bowl."

"This world is worse than that of pigs and dogs, with corrupt officials and dog emperors running rampant. Let's fight our way out and create a peaceful and clear world."

"kill!"

"Kill~"

Looking at this group of excited bandits, my heart was pounding. Don't you have to scold me every time you shout slogans?

Although he has accepted his current identity, every time this happens, he feels a burning anger inside, but there is another voice telling him to calm down.

This thought made Chongzhen extremely irritated. He drew out his sword with a clang, "Target Anlu County."

"rush……"

Tens of thousands of refugees rushed towards Anlu County like a flood.

"My son, come here." Chongzhen followed the refugees forward, but was stopped by Prince Xiang.

"Come with me."

"What's wrong?" Chongzhen looked at the mysterious Prince Xiang in a daze and couldn't help asking.

But King Xiang pulled him to a corner and took off his soft armor, saying, "Put this on."

Chongzhen looked at him steadily, his eyes suddenly reddened, "Dad, what about you?"

King Xiang patted his chest and said, "You forgot that people over sixty don't have to go to the battlefield. Your father turned sixty this month."

"Don't just stand there, put it on!"

Before Chongzhen could say anything, he was forcibly put on the throne by Prince Xiang. Chongzhen looked at this old man with gray hair with red eyes. He was the person closest to him for all these years.

Family members with the same surname, clan, and ethnicity.

"Dad, I really don't want it, put it on yourself."

Chongzhen vowed to protect Prince Xiang at all costs.

Even if the Ming Dynasty really collapsed, he would risk his life to save the old man and keep him safe.

King Xiang scolded him, "Are you the father or am I the father? You wear what I tell you to wear. You are disobeying your father and rebelling..."

After saying that, he put on the armor again. The thick, bright, and cold metal texture stuck to Chongzhen's body, but it warmed his heart.

He had captured this iron armor some time ago and brought it to King Xiang. In the midst of war, swords and knives had no eyes, and he was afraid that something might happen to this elder. But now he was wearing it on himself.

"You are my son. If I don't feel sorry for you, who will? Well, you are really my son, right?"

"Huh?" Chongzhen was stunned for a moment, not understanding what he meant.
King Xiang patted him on the shoulder and said, "It's okay. Be sure to pay attention to safety!"

Rumble!
There was suddenly a flash of lightning and thunder in the sky.

……

In Anlu County, the county magistrate heard the thunder and couldn't help cursing, "It just rained the day before yesterday, and it's thundering again today. Can people live in peace?"

The reason for cursing is not because they are afraid of rain, but because they are afraid of the dam bursting.

There has been a lot of rain in Huguang these days, even though the imperial court allocates silver every year.

But there have been continuous droughts and insufficient rain in the past few years, so they have put all the money into their own pockets and have not repaired the dozens of miles of embankments at all.

The heavy rain this year inevitably made him a little worried.

Boom, boom, there was another sound, making my ears buzz.

"Okay, go ahead if you want. Anyway, I will no longer be serving in Anlu in a few days. I won't care about the flood when the time comes." The county magistrate rolled up his sleeves and ran back to the back court.

The worry he had just felt was quickly put behind him.

It is still a long way from dark, but the dark clouds seem to be hanging overhead, making people drowsy.

As the rain gets heavier.

There were no pedestrians on the road.

There were sounds of wind, rain and dogs barking, and the entire Anlu County was completely silent.

At the gate of Anlu County, several guards ran into the gate to take shelter from the rain, cursing.

Hua Hua Hua~
Suddenly, there were waves of sounds of hitting rain, coming towards the city gate from far away. The soldiers guarding the city squinted their eyes in confusion, trying to see through the rain curtain who was running on the road in such a heavy rain.

But there was too much water vapor and they couldn't see clearly. When they finally saw who was coming, the first thing that caught their eyes was a cold light.

“Flow…flow…”

"Puff~puff~"

The suppressed scream was cut off by the sound of a sharp weapon entering flesh.

The scarlet blood flowed into the rain like dye, spreading into a single piece, and flowed out through the city gate, gradually fading as it was beaten by the raindrops outside.

There was only a strong smell of blood in the air, spreading in all directions.

"Change!"

The clothes of the two defenders were stripped off, and their pale bodies were carried like two plucked sheep and thrown into the moat.

A guy who had changed his clothes yelled, "Release the winch and lower the suspension bridge." After a few breaths, the refugee army blew a whistle towards the distance, indicating that everything was done here.

……

Outside the city, countless pairs of eyes were looking at Anlu City. They tightly grasped their swords and guns, blending into the rain.

Chongzhen held the sword in his hand, signaling everyone not to panic and to wait.

When he saw the drawbridge being lowered, Chongzhen's eyes suddenly focused, "We succeeded. Everyone, enter the city!"

"rush!"

"Into the city!"

boom!
The refugees stepped into the city of Anlu in the heavy rain, splashing water everywhere.

It was not until then that the soldiers guarding the city gate reacted. They came out of the houses where they had been hiding from the rain, looked at the bandits in the distance like a surging flood, and shouted in fear: "The bandits, the bandits are entering the city!"

"The bandits have entered the city..."

However, before they could utter a few shouts, they were surrounded. The people in the city had been looking forward to the arrival of "Prince Xin" and had already gathered near the "weisuo". When they saw the government troops coming out, they rushed forward.

They used hoes, rakes, and whatever else they had and smashed it on their heads.

"Brothers, kill the corrupt officials..."

"Prince Xin enters the city, the people must not move an inch, and anyone who dares to resist will be killed without mercy!"

"Prince Xin is entering the city to distribute land and food. All the people don't need to panic!"

"Prince Xin entered the city and only dealt with corrupt officials, corrupt officials, and bullies..."

Tens of thousands of bandits shouted and rushed into Anlu City. Under the guidance of the people of Anlu County, they rushed towards the county government office and granary like a roaring torrent.

The people of Anlu County closed their doors one by one, but some of them rushed out and joined the army of bandits.

"Kill corrupt officials, kill bullies!"

"Kill that bastard Qian Zongfu~"

The rain was still falling, but it was like falling into hot oil, boiling non-stop.

Throughout Anlu County, the sounds of people’s voices, dogs barking, shouts of killing, and children crying... all blended together, constantly tearing at people’s nerves.

……

When the noise from the outer city died down, the inner city finally responded. The soldiers in the inner city fled in all directions like frightened rabbits, wildly banging the gongs in their hands.

"The bandits have entered the city, everyone gather."

"The bandits have entered the city..."

With the support of local villagers, the bandits have entered the inner city.

Chongzhen was surrounded by bright eyes. There was no panic or confusion on their faces, but more excitement.

Because the next step was to siege the county government office and granary.

"Prince Xin" is the most trustworthy and loyal.

By then, they can eat white flour, drink wine and eat meat again.

Thinking of this, everyone's eyes became as bright as calves, and they couldn't help swallowing their saliva.

"Reply to the king, the county magistrate of Anlu, Qian Zongfu, has escaped."

"Run away? Send someone to chase him back for me." Chongzhen stepped into the county government office with a sword in hand and sat in front of the county magistrate's desk. He looked at the women and servants in the county government office who were tied up by the bandits with an unsightly expression.

These bastards have read so much that their brains have gone to waste.

When talking about loyalty to the emperor and patriotism, and feeling for family and country in the court, they were spoken with great confidence.

When he heard that the bandits were coming, he ran away without even taking his family and servants with him.

The longer he was a "thief", the more disappointed and powerless he felt towards the Ming Dynasty. The anger in his heart was like a surging river, which could not be resisted.

"Are you the master?"

A skinny middle-aged man with a mustache and green eyes swallowed hard and replied with a trembling figure, "My lord, the next person is the legal advisor of Anlu County."

"Bring me the account books of Anlu City in recent years."

The master trembled all over and nodded quickly, "Yes, my king!"

Soon, the account book was brought over, but the records on it were in a mess, which made Chongzhen's brows twisted into knots, "Is this the account book you made?!"

"Canglang!"

The master's expression suddenly changed, "Spare my life!"

The next moment, he suddenly covered his neck with his hands, "Cough, cough, cough..." Blood foam spurted out from his blood vessels, dripping onto the bluestone slabs on the ground.

"Who is the county magistrate?"

"This is the county magistrate." The old blind man's apprentice grabbed a man by the collar and pulled him out.

"My Lord... spare my life!"

Chongzhen put the sword on his neck and said, "Tell me, where is the county magistrate's treasury silver?"

"I……"

"Think it over first. You have one and only one chance."

"My lord, how could he possibly tell me such a private matter?"

"Pfft~"

At this time, Chongzhen's inner anger had burned to the extreme. Based on the previous precedents, if the county magistrate was corrupt, the legal advisor and the county magistrate must be involved.

The sword in his hand was dripping with scarlet blood, fell to the ground and broke into eight pieces. He turned his head and looked at a young lady.

"Who are you to Qian Zongfu?"

"My lord, I am the sixth concubine of the county magistrate Qian Zongfu." The thin woman's shoulders couldn't stop shaking. "My lord, please don't kill me. I was born into a poor family and have only been in this county government for three days. I really don't know anything."

"Skinny horse?" Chongzhen paused as he had already raised his sword.

Although he was an emperor, he still knew what a "skinny horse" was.

"Don't raise a skinny colt, don't teach a little whore"

This poem is from Bai Juyi.

The meaning is to compare a young girl to a foal.

This metaphor was widely used in the middle and late Ming Dynasty and even became an investment industry.

Many poor families, either because of misfortunes at home or because the parents owed huge foreign debts, making it difficult for them to make ends meet, had no choice but to sell their daughters in exchange for a little money to get by.

These girls who were sold were called "skinny horses".

Of course, the prices of these girls sold varied, ranging from a few hundred coins to just a few taels of silver. In short, they were sold to others at a very low price.

Those who bought "skinny horses" were called "驵辩" at the time. To put it bluntly, these people were human traffickers who specialized in looking for and buying young women.

If they come across some beautiful and talented women, they will even resort to deception and other means to bribe them.

After training, they are sold to high-ranking officials to make huge profits. Skinny horses are also divided into different grades according to their qualifications.

The woman in front of him had skin as smooth as cream, a slender figure, and slept like a delicate oriole. She was able to enter the county magistrate's office, so it was obvious that her qualifications were among the top three.

"Your Majesty, I am good at playing the musical instrument, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and various types of dominoes."

Chongzhen, who had already put down his sword, had a cold light flashing in his eyes. "How much did the county magistrate spend when he bought you back?"

"One thousand eight hundred taels."

“Are you the tallest?”

"Your Majesty, I am not the highest-paid. The highest-paid one is as much as six thousand taels."

"How much is the worst third-class skinny horse?"

"About one hundred and eighty taels."

Chongzhen had a sharp eye. When the human traffickers bought these girls, they only spent a few taels of silver at most. The profit from this round trip was hundreds or even thousands of times.

"Give me your boss, or you will die!"

From princes and nobles to wealthy merchants and even ordinary landlords, they had money to buy "skinny horses" and they spent huge sums of money, but they had no money to pay a penny of tax to the Ming Dynasty.

Since they have become "thieves", they naturally cannot let these human traffickers go, or in other words, they cannot let go of the money in their hands.

Over the past few months, Chongzhen had seen farmland fail, corpses of starving people everywhere, hundreds of miles of barren land, and mountains of dead bones. His heart had become harder than a rock.

At this moment, a bandit came to report, "Prince Xin, the granary has been found, and there is only some old rice in it."

"Open the warehouse and distribute the grain."

Chongzhen held up his sword and strode out of the county hall. "Kill all the corrupt officials!"

Han Qianhu, the old blind man's apprentice, and several bandit leaders, holding swords, moved at the sound.

In an instant, in the courtyard of the county government, heads fell to the ground one after another, blood flowed like a river, and the blood tried desperately to drill into the sinkhole, but was pushed away by the larger pool of blood...

……

(End of this chapter)