There are many people who think the same as Huang Taiji and want to eat big money.
No, in Xiangyang City, people wearing official and military uniforms are like thieves and bandits, running around, kicking in doors, jumping around, even killing people, and robbing civilian girls. This happens from time to time.
The whole city of Xiangyang was filled with cries and cries.
On the top of the city, a large flag fluttered with a big "Left" embroidered on it.
Under the big flag, a group of people who looked like generals were looking at Xiangyang City happily, as if the city was not in turmoil but having fun.
On the street, there was an official, escorted by a team of government officials, walking cautiously towards the city.
Along the way, the soldiers running around were holding bright swords and guns. When they bumped into this group of people, they would often raise their swords to scare them.
When they saw the official and the government servants turned pale with fear, they laughed and left again.
After finally arriving at the city, looking at the handsome flag on the top of the city, the official shouted loudly: "Liu Sizhong, the prefect of Xiangyang, wants to see Marshal Zuo!"
Marshal is the honorific title given to the commander-in-chief. Logically speaking, even the commander-in-chief would have to bend down when meeting civilian officials!
But at this moment, at the top of Xiangyang City, the situation was reversed. The dignified prefect humbly asked to see a commander-in-chief.
Time has changed, perhaps this is a sign of troubled times!
The general's surname was Zuo, and it was Zuo Liangyu who allowed the soldiers to plunder the city. During the fifteenth year of Chongzhen, it was basically Zuo Liangyu who did not run away.
"Commander, the last general went to chop off that dog official's head and dared to close the city gate and prevent us from entering the city!" A general asked loudly for instructions from the leader, Zuo Liangyu.
When Zuo Liangyu heard this, he shook his head with a smile and said, "Shixiu, this is someone else's territory. Why are you shouting and killing? Don't forget, we are officers and soldiers!"
Shixiu, whose surname was Ma, was a deputy general and was Zuo Liangyu's loyal lackey.
At this time, after hearing Zuo Liangyu's words, he turned around and waved his hand, letting the Xiangyang magistrate go to the top of the city.
"Commander Zuo, you are the officers and soldiers of the imperial court, how can you allow your men to plunder Xiangyang City!" When Liu Sizhong saw Zuo Liangyu, he bent slightly and begged with a bitter look on his face.
After hearing this, Zuo Liangyu said with a smile: "I tell you, Lord Magistrate, please don't talk nonsense! This general did not rob Xiangyang City, he just called for military rations."
After finishing speaking, when he saw that the Xiangyang magistrate was about to speak, he spoke first: "The emperor has made a decree to clear the land for payment. The military fields here in Xiangyang City have been usurped by the people in the city.
If the food is not given, the general will have no choice but to send people to get it himself. This is to do things according to the order. You are an official of the imperial court, how dare you violate the imperial order?"
"..." When Liu Sizhong heard this, he was so angry that he was speechless.
They looted and plundered with open swords and guns, and they dared to say that they were ordered to clear the villages for payment!
It was true that the Baigan Army had been transferred away, and the defense in Xiangyang City was empty. I didn't expect that Zuo Liangyu would be so bold and bold to attack Xiangyang City. He was careless and was allowed to enter the city!
Thinking like this, he quickly came to his senses and did not dare to be angry. He could only say to Zuo Liangyu with a bitter face: "Commander Zuo, if you want to clear the land to pay for it, just let me know. I have land there."
Let’s keep the account books and we can check them together. Aren’t you afraid of the emperor punishing you for committing such a crime? The emperor’s decree has stated that the officers and soldiers must not disturb the people!”
"Oh?" When Zuo Liangyu heard this, he immediately laughed, then turned to look at Ma Shixiu beside him and said: "Go, send someone to burn down the warehouse of the prefect's Yamen!"
"General, I obey!" Upon hearing this, Ma Shixiu immediately clasped his fists and loudly accepted the order, then strode away.
In the past, when Sun Chuanting was clearing up the settlement of villages and towns in Qin, it was mostly local powerful people who thought of ways to burn land registers. But in Xiangyang, it was the other way around.
After hearing his order, the prefect Liu Sizhong couldn't help but be stunned!
Zuo Liangyu turned his head, looked at him again, and said with a smile: "Look, the field register is gone, how can we check it?"
Liu Sizhong really didn't expect that Zuo Liangyu would be so shameless. He was so angry that he trembled all over, pointed at Zuo Liangyu, and was speechless for a moment.
Zuo Liangyu didn't care at all, but still smiled and said to him: "Master Magistrate, please don't talk nonsense. I am not disturbing the people. It's just that some people don't obey the king's law and don't hand over military rations. They are all unruly people. You
If you don't manage them well, I'll just teach them a lesson for you. You tell me, right?"
"You...you..." Liu Sizhong was so angry that his face turned red. His hand pointing at Zuo Liangyu kept shaking. For a moment, he didn't know how to describe such a shameless person like Zuo Liangyu!
Zuo Liangyu still had a smile on his face, and then ordered: "Come here, I will serve you with pen and ink, and let our magistrate write a memorial, explaining that Xiangyang City suffered from bandit rebellion, and it was thanks to the rescue by my general that it was spared. In order to protect
Xiangyang will not be lost, I sincerely ask my general to station in Xiangyang for the time being!"
"Yes!" Upon hearing this, his bodyguard quickly agreed and went to find the Four Treasures of the Study for writing the memorial.
When Liu Sizhong heard this, he was finally so angry that he spoke: "If you act like this, are you really not afraid that the court will hold you accountable for this act of treason?"
"Hahaha……"
When Zuo Liangyu heard this, he seemed to have heard a very funny joke, and he burst out laughing, causing Liu Sizhong's expression to change again and again.
After a while, Zuo Liangyu stopped laughing and said with a mocking look on his face: "Now if there is food, there will be soldiers. If there are soldiers, there will be power. If there are soldiers, there will be power. The court will also give up three points. I will
Just do this, when will the imperial court be able to defeat this general?"
From a few years ago, he had been disobedient to orders and even disobeyed the governor's military orders many times. He had already tricked many generals and governors to death. For this, the most the court could do was reprimand him, but in the end he was not used!
It can be said that he, Zuo Liangyu, has long seen through the falsehood and reality of the imperial court!
When he arrived in Xiangyang this time, he wanted to stay here because the war in Kaifeng in the north had started. He expected that the imperial court would transfer him to rescue Kaifeng; but Li Zicheng was not easy to mess with, so he didn't want to go.
In the south, Zhang Xianzhong and the Fifth Battalion of Gezuo joined forces and the commotion was fierce, and he also didn't want to go.
Unless he sees an opportunity and can take advantage of it, he will go!
At this time, Liu Sizhong was extremely angry when he heard Zuo Liangyu speak so nakedly. Suddenly, he let out a long sigh helplessly.
Just as he finished sighing, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned around and saw fierce fire rising from the magistrate's office. He knew that the warehouse had been burned down by Zuo Liangyu.
In fact, he just said casually that military field account books and other such books were kept in the guards and in the capital's military department. If Zuo Liangyu burned these, it would not be possible to burn them all.
But at this time, Liu Sizhong saw Zuo Liangyu's arrogance, and already understood in his heart that Zuo Liangyu was just showing it to him, and didn't really care about the field records or anything like that.
Think about it, in today's troubled times, only those who have soldiers in their hands have power!
This Zuo Liangyu is called an officer, but he is actually a bandit!
With such rebellious officials and traitors, the Ming Dynasty will perish!
With this thought in his mind, Liu Sizhong still wanted to give it a last try, so he asked Zuo Liangyu sincerely: "Are you worthy of the emperor by acting like this?"
"Ashamed of your Majesty?" Zuo Liangyu asked as if he had heard unbelievable words, and then sneered, "I, Zuo Liangyu, am today because of my sword and spear on the battlefield!"
I have fought against Jianlu, and my battle achievements rank first, and I have made numerous meritorious service by strangling the bandits! Why should I be ashamed? What do I have to be ashamed of?"
After a pause, he continued: "I have been fighting for the imperial court for many years, and even my whole family has suffered misfortunes. In this way, I am worthy of the current emperor!"
"Your whole family was killed, wasn't it because you withheld military pay and caused a mutiny?" When Liu Sizhong heard this, he couldn't help but sarcastically said.
In the eleventh year of Chongzhen, Zuo Liangyu led troops to Shaanzhou, but a mutiny broke out in Xuzhou, and his family was wiped out in the mutiny. Only his son Zuo Menggeng, who was with him in the army, survived.
At this time, upon hearing Liu Sizhong's words, Zuo Liangyu's smile that had always been on his face suddenly disappeared, replaced by a gloomy look on his face, staring at Liu Sizhong as if he wanted to eat him.
At this moment, his men came with the Four Treasures of the Study.
Zuo Liangyu then stared at Liu Sizhong with a gloomy face and shouted: "Write as the general wishes!"
"I still want to save face. It is absolutely impossible for me to write about such a thing." Liu Sizhong's waist straightened up at some point. He glared back at Zuo Liangyu and replied angrily, "Don't even think about it!"
When Zuo Liangyu saw it, anger appeared on his face. Just when he was about to explode, he saw Ma Shixiu burning down the warehouse of the prefect's Yamen and coming back to resume his life!
So, he told Ma Shixiu in a cold voice: "Go and bring all the family members of the prefect to the city!"
Ma Shixiu glanced at Liu Sizhong and loudly accepted the order: "I will obey your order!"
"No!" Liu Sizhong became anxious as soon as he heard their conversation and shouted quickly.
When Zuo Liangyu saw it, he sneered but said nothing.
When Ma Shixiu saw it, without saying a word, he immediately returned to the top of the city to carry out Zuo Liangyu's military order.
Zuo Liangyu stared at Liu Sizhong and said with a sneer: "If you don't want to write it, that's fine! I'll let you see later. How many times does it take a person to jump from the top of this city before dying!"
When Liu Sizhong heard what he said, his face turned pale. After hesitating for a moment, his waist unconsciously bent a little more, and at the same time he said feebly: "I... I'll just write it down!"
So, while Zuo Liangyu watched, he wrote a memorial according to Zuo Liangyu's wishes.
While he was writing, Ma Shixiu had brought all his family members over, which made him dare not write randomly and write this memorial carefully.
Seeing that Zuo Liangyu seemed very satisfied after reading the memorial, Liu Sizhong quickly said to Ma Shixiu: "Please general, please let go of the official family members!"
Ma Shixiu ignored him and just turned to look at Zuo Liangyu, waiting for his order.
Zuo Liangyu casually handed the memorial with the official seal to the bodyguard beside him and ordered: "Send to the capital quickly!"