Crazy at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Although Zhang Xianzhong is now inferior to Li Zicheng in terms of strength and prestige, but in terms of ambition, Zhang Xianzhong will never be inferior to Li Zicheng.Therefore, when the news of Li Zicheng proclaiming the emperor and founding the country came, Zhang Xianzhong immediately refused to be resigned, and planned to proclaim the emperor and found the country in the same way.

No matter how you say it, Zhang Xianzhong has to live an emperor's addiction first!

In Xiangyang, Zhang Xianzhong officially established the Daxi regime. The main measures include: changing Xiangyang to the capital, casting the treasure of the king of the West, changing Xiangyang mansion to Tianshou mansion, etc.Zhang Xianzhong lived in the Xiangwang Mansion, and two banners were set up in front of the gate, which read: "Heaven and people return, recruiting talents!"; every city gate in Xiangyang also erected two banners, which read: "The world is quiet, Weizhen Eight directions".

In terms of political institutions, the central government set up six ministries and five government offices; the capital set up five military and horse divisions; Zhou Wenjiang, the magistrate of Changshun Prefecture, was promoted to the Minister of the Ministry of War, and Zhang Qizai was appointed as the former commander of the army.In the local area, Li Shirong was the governor, Xie Fengzhou was the guardian, Xiao Yan was the patrolman, and Chen Yuliu was the Taoist, all of whom were awarded imperial seals.

In addition, officials from 21 prefectures and counties were appointed, and they were given official seals and rewarded with 100 taels or dozens of taels of silver.Zhang Xianzhong's Daxi regime basically followed the name of the Ming Dynasty in terms of official system.

Then there is the opening of the imperial examination and emphasizing schools, which are worth mentioning in the Onishi regime.As various levels of government have been established, many intellectuals are needed.In order to win them to serve the Daxi regime, Zhang Xianzhong had repeatedly held examinations to recruit scholars.The scholars who took the exam were quite enthusiastic.Zhang Xianzhong also attached great importance to the school. In addition to appointing full-time officials such as Xuedao to take charge of the management, he also visited the school himself.

In addition, the Onishi regime also issued silver relief to the hungry.The source of military pay is basically raised by confiscating the property of the Ming clan and bureaucratic landlords.

From the point of view of essence and framework, Zhang Xianzhong's Daxi regime and Li Zicheng's Dashun regime are similar, both want to change the dynasty.They also established feudal dynasties.However, due to Li Zicheng's large population, he could no longer maintain his huge food and salary supply by confiscating the properties of officials and gentry. Therefore, they have begun to actively resume local production, and they have the embryonic form of a state power.However, Zhang Xianzhong's Daxi regime was encircled and suppressed by officials and troops all around, and the number of troops was small, so it could rely on confiscation to maintain its own economy. Therefore, Dashun has gradually evolved into a country, but Daxi has not yet escaped the category of rogues.

After the Daxi regime was established, Zhang Xianzhong wanted to go down the river.Conquer the important town of Huguang - Wuchang.

Zuo Liangyu, who fled from Xiangyang to Wuchang, had no intention of defending Wuchang at all. He still built large ships and plundered the people in order to transport these wealth to a "safe" place.But seeing Zuo Liangyu looked like this.The civil and military officials in Wuchang also lost any confidence in keeping Wuchang.Even the governor Hou Xun also recited poems and painted paintings every day, and had no intention of defending Wuchang City.

But in Wuchang City.There are still officials who want to struggle.I saw chaos in Wuchang City.Lack of soldiers and wages is precarious.On the one hand, they asked the Runing Army for help; on the other hand, they wanted to prepare their troops and defend the precarious Wuchang City.

But if you want to prepare your military affairs, you must first have food and pay, so someone thought of the king of Chu who was entrusted here.As for the king of Chu who was entrusted in Wuchang City, he searched for it for many generations.accumulated huge wealth.The only hope of the civil and military officials left in the provincial capital is to hope that the king of Chu, Zhu Huakui, will spend money to raise troops and fortify.

Officials from the Huguang Buzhengshisi, the inspectorshisi and the commandoshiji gathered in the palace, knelt down in front of Zhu Huakui and asked him to lend a few 10 taels of silver as military pay.He Fengsheng, the former academician at home, also met with Zhu Huakui to discuss payment matters.However, Zhu Huakui asked someone to move out a gold-covered chair given to the king of Chu when he divided the princes during the Hongwu period.Said: "This can assist the army, he has nothing!"

Facing the rogue behavior of King Chu, He Fengsheng completely lost hope. He left the mansion crying, heartbroken.It wasn't until Zhang Xianzhong's army approached Wuchang, and the situation was already very critical, that Zhu Huakui took out money to recruit the stragglers who fled from Chengtian (Ling Zhongxiang) and De'an (now Anlu), and appointed Shi Xu Xueyan, the governor of the Chu government, to Commander, known as the recruit of the Chu Mansion, does not allow other civil and military officials to intervene.In fact, these "recruits" were all frightened birds who were defeated by the peasant army, and they had no combat effectiveness at all.

At this time, Zhu Huakui, king of Chu, might still be playing tricks. Could it be that he wants to rely on this newly recruited army to make a comeback for the Ming Dynasty, and then ascend to the throne of the Ninth Five Supreme?If so, then the chair given by Zhu Yuanzhang, his treasure, would come in handy.

On the 15th day of the twelfth lunar month in the [-]th year of Chongzhen, the governor of Wuchang City went to camp.

"Hou Gong! My younger brother is in the army, so I can't go to Wuchang to pay New Year's greetings. Before my late birth, my younger brother specifically told him to declare the crime to Hou! Hope Hou Gonghaihan!" Wu Shili saluted Hou Xun respectfully.

"You're welcome." Hou Xun said politely, and then said, "But the old man is also old, and his energy is low. Most of the time, no one listens to what he says."

As soon as he said this, Wu Shili was a little embarrassed.But it's no wonder Hou Xun was a little resentful.Although he was highly praised as the governor, Wu Shigong and Zuo Liangyu did not delegate any power, and only "respected" him on the surface.And the imperial court did not dare to target Wu Shigong and Zuo Liangyu, who held heavy soldiers in their hands, and had Hou Xun take responsibility for everything.Hou Xun even had some doubts: if the court had not overestimated his influence on Wu Shigong and Zuo Liangyu, he might have been locked back to the capital by an imperial decree, and went to the prison to "cultivate his character" again.

Hou Xun couldn't suppress the anger in his heart for a long time because of being angry at both ends.If it weren't for his good self-cultivation skills, today it would not be a few words of yin and yang, but Wu Shili would be beaten out with a stick.

"Ahem!" In order to cover up his embarrassment, Wu Shili couldn't help coughing a few times, but he quickly recovered, and then said to Hou Xun: "My brother has always said: Mr. Hou is a model for him. Brother Chao Zong is irresistible. Duke Hou is doing nothing now, so the court really has no eyes."

Hou Xun nodded with a smile, and thought to himself: "I have nothing to do, I should not blame the court, but Wu Changjing and Zuo Kunshan!" But his patience is still very good, so he still listened patiently to Wu Shili's continuation .

"Brother Sister asked Wansheng to come here firstly to pay New Year's greetings to Duke Hou, and secondly to ask Duke Hou a question: Would Duke Hou and brother Chaozong want to show off their strengths?" Wu Shili continued.

As soon as he said this, Hou Xun immediately felt that the high-ranking demeanor he had cultivated in the past few decades was suddenly shattered.He noticed that his eyelids were twitching, and his ears were buzzing, and the word "rebellion" kept circling in his mind.

"Come here! Take care of the surroundings of the study, don't let idlers approach." Hou Xun immediately ordered loudly.

No matter what Wu Shili will say next, Hou Xun is very interested in this topic.

……

Two hours later, when Wu Shili was personally sent out of the governor's camp by Hou Xun, Wu Shili was quite satisfied with today's conversation.Because Hou Xun has promised that he will cooperate closely with Wu Shigong.

This time the Runing Army encircled and suppressed Zhang Xianzhong's Daxi Army. It would be best if they could wipe them all out. If they couldn't, they would drive Zhang Xianzhong far away from Huguang.Otherwise, the Runing Army may not have time to turn back to support the Runing Army in northern Henan.

But in this way, the Runing army is likely to end up with a sledgehammer hitting mosquitoes.Facing the encirclement and suppression by the Runing Army, Zhang Xianzhong, who is as cunning as a fox, will definitely run away.What is even more unsatisfactory is that after the Runing Army leaves, the army of Zuo Liangyu will make a comeback and reoccupy this area of ​​Huguang.

As for the Runing Army, it didn't eliminate Zhang Xianzhong's Daxi Army, and it didn't gain the territory it had conquered, and let Zuo Liangyu fisherman benefit, which is a disadvantage.

That being the case, if Zhang Xianzhong's Daxi Army cannot be wiped out, then a part of Zuo Liangyu's official army should be wiped out!Therefore, the Runing Army's Huguang battle will also wipe out part of Zuo Liangyu's troops.

But in this way, it is necessary to have an excuse to the court. After all, the Runing Army and Zuo Liangyu's Department are still officials.And the most suitable person to explain to the court is undoubtedly the supervisor Hou Xun.

So Wu Shigong gave Hou Xun such a choice: let him choose between Wu Shigong and Zuo Liangyu.If Hou Xun chooses Zuo Liangyu or stays out of the way, then Wu Shigong will have no future with Hou Xun.

If Hou Xun chooses to support the Runing Army, then Wu Shigong will guarantee that no matter what step the Runing Army will take in the future, the future of Hou Xun and Hou Fangyu's father and son will be guaranteed by the Runing Army.For now, Hou Xun's personal safety will be guaranteed.What this means is that even if the imperial court issued an imperial decree to arrest and punish Hou Xun, as long as Hou Xun fled to Runing, the Runing army would never hand over Hou Xun.

But Hou Xun chose to cooperate with Wu Shigong without much consideration.For him, the choice was fairly simple.Not to mention that Hou Xun's entire family is in Guide, but just talking about him as a senior official from Guide, he is very familiar with what the Runing Army has done in the local area.So Hou Xun is quite confident in Wu Shigong's reputation and the strength of the Runing Army.

Coupled with the fact that Hou Xun still has the status of Wu Shigong's "mentor", the Guide Hou family also benefited greatly from the business in Runing, and many of the family's children also served in the Runing army.So no matter what, Hou Xun will also favor Wu Shigong between Wu and Zuo.

And Hou Xun also has his own moral bottom line.Although Zuo Liangyu was still respectful to Hou Xun, his actions were worse than the rebellious peasant army, and he could even be called the black sheep of the official and gentry class.So from the bottom of his heart, Hou Xun despised Zuo Liangyu.

After such a comparison, Hou Xun chose Wu Shigong without hesitation.As for Wu Shigong's future?Hou Xun and Wu Shili also had a tacit understanding without mentioning anything.

After finishing Hou Xun, the Runing Army began to send troops to Huguang.But for Zuo Liangyu's action, he still needed an excuse.Fortunately, this excuse was immediately delivered to the Runing Army. (To be continued..)