The scholar-bureaucrats always acted with a high-sounding attitude. It was obvious that Yang Sichang was interested in the wealth of Lantian and wanted to use Zhang Xianzhong's excuse to infiltrate his power into Lantian County and reap benefits. However, he spoke upright and awe-inspiring in front of the court.

In order to know Li Chaosheng's loyalty and treachery, he did not hesitate to destroy Lantian County.

As if he felt sorry for Lantian County, Emperor Chongzhen's face showed no emotion or anger at this time. He looked at Yang Sichang indifferently. He felt that there was nothing wrong with Yang Sichang's behavior. He also wanted to know Li Chaosheng's loyalty, treachery, good and evil. As for Lantian County, Lantian

Although the people were very wealthy, in Chongzhen's opinion, they were small, too small compared to his huge Ming Dynasty.

It is necessary to sacrifice this small group of people and recognize a person's good and evil, loyalty and treachery. If Li Chaosheng is a loyal minister and he is so capable, then Lantian is nothing. He, Chongzhen, is willing to give him greater rights.

It is not a problem to be the governor of a place, the chief envoy, or even to promote him to the cabinet and become the cabinet minister.

As long as Li Chaosheng is loyal, with his ability and his own support, then it will not be a small Lantian County that will be revived, but the entire Ming Dynasty. Compared with the Ming Dynasty, Lantian County will be nothing.

Lantian County can hand over nearly one-tenth of the Ming Dynasty's tax revenue with half of Shaanxi's territory. So if all the Ming Dynasty's two capitals and thirteen provinces are handed over to Li Chaosheng, how much tax revenue will the Ming Dynasty reap? With such a majestic Ming Dynasty,

National power, Tatars are nothing, but the disease of scabies can be wiped out overnight.

Chongzhen was a little excited when he thought of this. Although he felt that what Yang Sichang had done was a bit excessive, he secretly agreed with Yang Sichang's approach.

It is worth sacrificing Lan Tian to confirm Li Chaosheng's loyalty, treachery, good and evil.

At this time, all the princes in the imperial court said that they were taking advantage of the situation. The minister of the Ministry of War and the emperor all agreed to this approach. They did not feel that it was necessary for them to get involved, and this matter did not harm their core interests, and even

If they can get some credit, after all, they can win Lantian County, Yang Sichang can eat meat, and they can still drink some soup.

But those who are really worried, knowing the dire consequences of irritating Lantian County, or the ministers who are good friends with Lantian can't speak at all at this time. For example, Zhang Shenzhi is just a censor. It's okay to rant a few words, but when the big bosses have made up their minds, he

There is no way at all.

There was nothing that could be done. The imperial power was still too weak against Lan Tian, ​​Lu Xiangsheng, Sun Chuanting and others, so under Yang Sichang's encouragement and Chongzhen's acquiescence.

Two imperial edicts left the capital respectively. The first one went straight to Hubei and was for Zhang Xianzhong. The content was very simple. He appointed Zhang Xianzhong as the guerrilla general of Lantian, stationed in Lantian, and wiped out the bandits. The past crimes and culprits were ignored and the past was forgotten.

Another imperial edict was given to the respected Li Chaosheng of Lantian County. The content was very simple. It was a simple edict for promotion. The content was roughly that Li Chaosheng was loyal to the king and had meritorious service in governing the place. He is now promoted to the magistrate of Kaifeng, Henan Province. I hereby express my gratitude.

With these two imperial edicts, a bloody storm was inevitable. The court dispersed in the morning, and Yang Sichang left with satisfaction, leaving only Chongzhen crying and rushing to the Ancestral Temple. Ancestors, ancestors, I, Zhu Youjian, am unfilial. I have to do it for the sake of the Ming Dynasty.

The traitor who dug up the ancestral grave of the old Zhu family in Zhao'an.

Chongzhen cried because he was still alive. He stayed in the Ancestral Temple for one night and did not go to court the next morning. When he returned to the palace, he fell seriously ill. Queen Zhou went to the bedside to take care of him. Chongzhen cried again and talked with Queen Zhou for a long time.

Queen Zhou asked Chongzhen why he agreed to Zhang Xianzhong's troops entering Lantian, which would offend Li Chaosheng. Chongzhen's answer was that if Li Chaosheng was loyal, he should go to Kaifeng and take office after receiving the imperial edict. With his ability, within three to five years,

Kaifeng is the second Lantian.

But if he doesn't respect the will, his idea will be obvious. I happened to send Zhang Xianzhong there. When the two tigers fight, one of them will be injured. It can also be considered as indirectly weakening the strength of both sides, which is good for Ming Dynasty itself.

.

After hearing this, Queen Zhou said: "But Your Majesty, if Li Chaosheng really doesn't respect the imperial decree, will Your Majesty really be willing to fall out with Lan Tian? If he falls out with Lan Tian, ​​we will have no money to use."

After hearing this, Chongzhen said: "I just made a decree to get promoted. Why should Lan Tian rebel against me? Moreover, I also want to see where Lan Tian's bottom line is. If he rebels in this way, why not rebel as soon as possible?"

Once the rogue bandits subside a little, we will have the strength to deal with them."

"If it doesn't happen, I have to know in my heart what Li Chaosheng is thinking. Putting such a person who I can't see through will always make me feel worried."

As Chongzhen spoke, Queen Zhou sighed and said, "I always feel like something will happen."

At this time, Chongzhen breathed a sigh of relief and said: "If something happens, you can't avoid it. If you want something to happen, then it will happen."

After saying this, Chongzhen's eyes gradually became deeper and he said: "Li Chaosheng, Li Chaosheng, you have been telling the outside world that I am alive and you will not go back on it. Please let me see if you are really what you say.

"

As soon as the imperial edict left Beijing, it arrived in Hubei three days later. When Zhang Xianzhong saw the imperial edict, his mouth was split into molars. It is done, it is done.

So Zhang Xianzhong gave an order, and the army marched to Tongqian Pass to prepare to take over Lantian. With Lantian as the foundation, it would be easier to plot Sichuan. It must be said that Zhang Xianzhong's goal has always been firm, that is, to plot Sichuan, and he wants to turn Sichuan into a

his base.

The army was mobilized, with 30,000 elite soldiers and 100,000 soldiers sent to the Tongqian Pass. When the emperor's decree was delivered to Lantian County, Li Chaosheng voluntarily gave way to the Tongqian Pass to let him in.

Just when Zhang Xianzhong was sending troops to Tongqian Pass, Li Chaosheng also received news of spies in Zhang Xianzhong's army.

"County respect, county respect."

In the early morning, Li Chaosheng was having breakfast. Li Chaosheng's breakfast was always very simple, a bowl of gruel, a tea egg, and a plate of pickles.

Logically speaking, with Li Chaosheng's current status, it is not too much to eat bird's nest and shark's fin in the morning, but Li Chaosheng is very simple, and he still only drinks gruel and eats pickles for breakfast.

The ministers under Li Chaosheng persuaded him to eat something good, instead of pickles and rice porridge, and drink supplements such as bird's nest.

Li Chaosheng's answer was: "When people live in this world, there will always be enough fish and meat. Rice porridge and pickles will last forever. Besides, if you eat big fish and meat, the people below will also learn from it. Lantian has just passed a few years ago."

The weather is good, but it's not yet time for everyone to have a big meal, so as a county official, he must set an example and use money wisely."

It is precisely because of Li Chaosheng's behavior that the officials in Lantian are also very simple, and the expenditure in this area of ​​Lantian is not high.

It also indirectly saves a lot of money, which can be used to build Lantian County.

Li Chaosheng was eating pickles when he saw Gu Zi and Bai Shoumin rushing over. Seeing the two of them coming, Li Chaosheng smiled and said, "What's the rush?"

After saying this, Bai Shoumin said: "I just received the spy report from Zhang Xianzhong."

After hearing this, Li Chaosheng raised his hand and said: "Okay, don't worry about business, have you had breakfast?"

Bai Shoumin said: "How can I have time to have breakfast? I'm so anxious."

Li Chaosheng smiled and said, "There's no rush. Guzi will ask the cook to bring another breakfast."

"yes."

Gu Zi responded, and Li Chaosheng picked up the tea egg on the table and knocked it, looked at Bai Shoumin and said, "What is it that makes you so flustered?"

At this time, Bai Shoumin quickly took out two intelligence reports: "Your Majesty, something serious is going to happen."

Li Chaosheng took the tea egg and peeled it and said, "What's wrong?"

Bai Shoumin said at this time: "The county magistrate just now sent a message from the lurking spy on Zhang Xianzhong's side, saying that Zhang Xianzhong has received an imperial edict from the imperial court, and now Zhang Xianzhong has been ordered to be annulled by the imperial court."

After hearing this, Li Chaosheng continued to peel the eggs and said: "Oh, this is what was expected. Gao Yingxiang died, Li Zicheng failed, and Zhang Xianzhong surrendered when he saw that nothing could be done. This is normal, it's not a big deal."

"It's nothing, but the official title given to him by the imperial court is Lantian Guerrilla General, based in Lantian."

After hearing this, Li Chaosheng stopped peeling the eggs, glanced at Bai Shoumin and said, "Resident Lantian."

Bai Shoumin said: "That's right, and the people we support in the court asked a spy to send a message saying that the morning after the news of Gao Yingxiang's arrest was delivered to the capital, people from Yang Sichang, Zhou Yanru and Zuo Liangyu were at the court.

He proposed the idea of ​​giving Lantian as a fief to Zhang Xianzhong, and using this to test our Lantian loyalties."

"A test of our Lantian's loyalty?"

Li Chaosheng peeled the eggs and took a bite. He looked at Bai Shoumin. Bai Shoumin nodded and said: "Yes, this was proposed by Yang Sichang. Yang Sichang told Chongzhen to ask Chongzhen to issue an imperial edict to the county and promote the county to Henan.

The magistrate of Kaifeng transferred the county magistrate away from Lantian County. As long as the county magistrate obeys the imperial edict and leaves Lantian County, it proves that the county magistrate is loyal. If the county magistrate does not obey the imperial edict, then the county magistrate is rebellious, and the court will make plans in advance.

.”

After hearing this, Li Chaosheng laughed and said, "Oh, that's interesting."

Bai Shoumin wanted to say something else, but Guzi brought breakfast. Li Chaosheng said, "Okay, let's eat first and chat while we eat."

Seeing that Li Chaosheng had said this, Bai Shoumin didn't say anything more and just drank porridge. Li Chaosheng took another bite of tea eggs and said, "Where is the imperial edict issued to me by the imperial court?"

Bai Shoumin immediately put down his porridge bowl and said, "We're almost in Shanxi."

Li Chaosheng nodded and said: "Send someone to deliver a message to Hong Chengchou, Sun Chuanting, and Lu Xiangsheng, saying that if the imperial decree reaches Lantian County, Chaosheng will never let Zhang Xianzhong cause harm for the sake of the people in the county. If there is trouble then,

If something unpleasant happens, please invite the three Haihans. Of course, if there is no imperial decree to come to Lantian County, then Lantian will not know about it, and Chaosheng will naturally still be good friends with them."

After Li Chaosheng said this, Bai Shoumin's eyes lit up and he said: "The county magistrate meant for them to intercept and kill the angels on the way."

Li Chaosheng said with a smile: "I didn't say anything or do anything. I just sent them a message. As for what they do, that's their business."

Bai Shoumin said: "I understand, I understand, I will handle this matter myself."

Bai Shoumin stood up and was about to leave, but Li Chaosheng stretched out his hand and said, "Eat before leaving."

"If you don't eat, if you don't eat, you won't finish your work. If you eat, you won't feel at ease. You have to go to work in the county."

Upon seeing this, Li Chaosheng picked up the tea egg on the table and threw it to Bai Shoumin and said, "Now, this tea egg is good, just right salty and light, give it a try."

Bai Shoumin took the tea eggs, cupped his hands and walked out.

Li Chaosheng twirled his fingers at this time, Gu Zi found a rag, Li Chaosheng wiped it and said: "Gu Zi."

"exist."

"There are several things to do. First, order Li Chaolong's troops to continue advancing to northern Shaanxi, rescue more suffering people, and let more land be transferred to our Lantian command. In addition, let Baoji, Xianyang, and Weinan send 80,000 militiamen to assist

Li Chaolong gathered the land in northern Shaanxi, wiped out the bandits when he encountered them, and eliminated the mountain bandits when he encountered them."

"yes."

Gu Zi responded, and then waved to call the guards at the door. The guards obeyed the arrangement and immediately passed the order.

"Second, recall Shi Dalei's troops and order them to rest on the spot for a day. Tomorrow we will march to Tongqianguan to join forces with Li Dezhen's troops. Give Zhang Xianzhong a good beating and let this bastard know that Lantian is not something he can get his hands on.

, and also ordered the arsenal to transfer all the five hundred new artillery pieces that have been rushed to production to Tongqian Pass. If a war breaks out, I must blow up Zhang Xianzhong’s troops within one day."

"yes."

Gu Zi responded, and another messenger went to convey the order.
To be continued...