I wield power with my innate talents, and forge the Heavenly Court.

Chapter 208 The Northern Expedition, Zhang and Li's Voyages to Sea, Chongzhen's Confiscation of Property
Since neither Zhang Xianzhong nor Li Zicheng wanted to return to being ordinary citizens, nor did they want to surrender to the People's Salvation Army.

Their best option, then, is naturally to seize the opportunity and leave the Ming Dynasty.

Now that they have made this decision, they can act much more recklessly.

Leaving aside Li Zicheng, after Zhang Xianzhong captured Qufu in Shandong, he showed no mercy to the Confucius family there, looting and killing them on a large scale.

Since they're all leaving anyway, who cares if you're a descendant of a saint?

Given Zhang Xianzhong's bloodthirsty nature.

You won't give it to me? If you won't give it to me, I'll take it.

Give it to me? Even if I do, I'll still have to fight them.

By the time Zhang Xianzhong left Qufu, very few members of the Kong family remained.

This time, the dynasty did not show much aversion.

After all, dynasties don't really have a good impression of those opportunistic fence-sitters.

When Emperor Chongzhen received the news, he had no choice but to issue another imperial edict, ordering Cao Wenzhao and Sun Chuanting to go to Shandong to suppress the bandits.

Faced with the encirclement and suppression by the two men, Li Zicheng and his companion were no match for them and could only run all over Shandong, circling around with the government troops.

Time flies. In just over half a year, Wang Shi, Li Shu, Li Yu, and Chen Ying have led their troops to occupy Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces and are now poised to invade Guangdong and Fujian.

Meanwhile, the new army of the Salvation Army had completed its training and began to be converted into a regular army. They were continuously transferred to the Shaanxi border, while Sichuan troops were transferred to Yingtian Prefecture, ready to launch a northern expedition at any time.

However, this was before the dynasty could even send troops.

In May of the ninth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, the Qing army took advantage of the Ming dynasty's conquest of cities and territories, with Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng wreaking havoc in Shandong, leaving the Ming army with a great deal of energy but no time to attend to the border.

Huang Taiji dispatched Dorgon, Haoge, Abatai, Dudu and others, dividing their forces into four routes to attack into the pass from places such as Gubeikou, Heiyuguan, Qiangziling, Jiangjunshiguan and Qingshankou.

Upon receiving the news, martial law was once again declared in the capital. Emperor Chongzhen immediately issued an edict ordering Lu Xiangshan and the troops stationed in various regions to enter the capital for protection.

However, Lu Xiang-sheng was located in Jiangbei, which was quite far from the capital.

Even though most of the soldiers had already cultivated true qi, their speed was far beyond that of ordinary people.

However, after Lu Xiang-sheng rushed to Beijing and fought another battle with Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong's troops in Shandong, it was more than a month later when he finally arrived in Beijing.

During this period, the Qing army roamed the capital region, winning over fifty battles, large and small, over a period of more than a month, and capturing a large number of people and livestock.

By the time Lu Xiang-sheng arrived, the Qing army had already retreated. Helpless, Lu Xiang-sheng could only go beyond the Great Wall to rescue more than 7,000 prisoners before returning after reaching Muye Mountain.

During this period, the dynasty had already led its army across the Yangtze River and quickly occupied Southern Zhili.

Furthermore, he dispatched Yang Zonghan, the general of Wuping and Yulin in Shaanxi, to lead troops to attack Henan and Shanxi.

He then headed west into Henan, aiming directly at Beizhili (northern Hebei).

Ordered Chen Qing, Chen Mo, and the surrendered Hong Chengchou to attack Shandong.

Before leaving, Wang Chao said something indifferently.

"It is said that the blessings of a sage last only five generations."

Upon hearing this, Hong Chengchou paused in his steps.

But in the end, he didn't say anything, and just gave a deep military salute, as was the training he had been doing.

In June, after receiving news that the People's Salvation Army was attacking Shandong, Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng immediately led their troops by boat and headed east to sea while Sun Chengzong led his troops to intercept them.

After setting sail, the two headed northeast and arrived at Tsushima Island in the Korea Strait.

At that time, Tsushima Island was still occupied by Japan.

However, facing the combined forces of Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng, who had greatly increased their strength after looting extensively in Shandong, the small number of Japanese troops on Tsushima Island did not last long and were quickly captured by the two.

Subsequently, the two agreed to help each other and each leave behind a portion of their troops before parting ways.

Li Zicheng led his army into Korea. He felt that since everyone shared the surname Li, the Korean king would be a suitable candidate for him.

Although Korea has now submitted to the Qing Dynasty.

However, it was merely a vassal state.

Moreover, Li Zicheng believed himself to be no less capable than others. The fact that the Li dynasty could not resist the attack of the Later Jin and Qing court did not mean that he could not resist either.

Moreover, such a former vassal state of the Ming Dynasty was easier to conquer.

He was able to create such a great stir in the Ming Dynasty, conquering cities and seizing territories.

Then, a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty was naturally not a problem at all.

As he had expected, he captured Geoje Island and landed in Korea within just a few days.

Zhang Xianzhong, on the other hand, marched eastward, crossed the Korean Strait, and led tens of thousands of soldiers into northern Kyushu, Japan.

That was a real invasion. It seemed that because he was forced to flee overseas, Zhang Xianzhong's resentment and ferocity surged.

After entering northern Kyushu, Zhang Xianzhong immediately carried out a massacre, slaughtering all Japanese soldiers and ordinary civilians.

At least 30,000 people were slaughtered.

Subsequently, upon discovering Zhang Xianzhong's inner turmoil, the normal process of conquering cities and seizing territory began.

Yes, that's normal in his view.

He slaughtered all the soldiers, taking no prisoners, and killed anyone who resisted, as well as any useless civilians.

Then came the enslavement of other obedient commoners, the construction of cities, and the assistance in conquering and seizing territory.

Under the threat of slaughter and the provision of food, the Japanese pirates not only had no intention of rebelling, but instead knelt down and submitted, attacking cities and territories and killing people, which was even more powerful than the army led by Zhang Xianzhong.

This greatly pleased Zhang Xianzhong, who then began to have the soldiers he brought from the Ming Dynasty supervise and manage the Japanese army, while the Japanese army gradually took the lead in conquering cities and seizing territories.

He didn't care how many Japanese died, but the tens of thousands of soldiers he brought from the Ming Dynasty were his foundation. It was best to avoid casualties if possible. Because of its location in the western part of the Japanese islands, and in order to commemorate the Ming Dynasty from the west, Zhang Xianzhong established the Great Western Kingdom, proclaimed himself King of the Great Western Kingdom, and named his army the Great Western Army. He truly established a kingdom in northern Kyushu, Japan, and began his bloody rule there.

Meanwhile, Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong had established themselves in Korea and Japan, respectively.

The dynasty had already occupied Guide Prefecture in Henan, and led its army across the Yellow River into Beizhili, occupying places such as Dagang and Dushengji, heading straight for the Ming capital, Shuntian Prefecture.

Meanwhile, Hong Chengchou and his associates were also conquering cities and seizing territory in Yanzhou, Shandong.

By July, they had completely occupied Yanzhou Prefecture. Hong Chengchou led his army into Qufu, and the Kong family attempted to submit a letter of surrender but were executed.

Subsequently, Hong Chengchou submitted a memorial stating that the Confucius family in Qufu had been completely slaughtered by Zhang Xianzhong, and that the Wanwang Dynasty should send officials to take over the Confucius Temple for worship and the remaining hundreds of thousands of acres of fertile land to be rented out to the people.

The dynasty naturally agreed.

At this time, the dynasty was already approaching Shuntian Prefecture.

At the very beginning, Emperor Chongzhen, who discovered the full-scale attack of the People's Salvation Army through the national fortune, was extremely anxious, like an ant on a hot pan.

He immediately issued an urgent edict summoning Lu Xiangshan, who had just entered the pass and rescued thousands of people, to return to the capital to provide assistance, and also ordered people from all over the country to come to the capital to defend the emperor.

However, as time passed, Chongzhen only saw through the fate of the nation that from the west, south, and southwest, territories were being lost piece by piece, rapidly turning into unobservable black holes.

From the outside, one could only see a bright yellow that resembled the fate of the Ming Dynasty, yet was clearly distinct from it.

By the end of July, when Lu Xiang-sheng, who was pursuing the Qing army, received the imperial edict and prepared to return, Wang Chao had already led his army close to the capital, Shuntian Prefecture.

Most of Shanxi, most of Henan, and most of Shandong have been occupied by the People's Salvation Army, and they are advancing rapidly.

By this time, Emperor Chongzhen was in utter despair.

The officials and nobles throughout Shuntian Prefecture were filled with apprehension.

After all, the high-ranking officials and nobles of Yingtian Prefecture did not fare much better after surrendering.

They wanted to surrender, but they were afraid of incurring the wrath of the militia.

Logically speaking, faced with this situation, they should be united in their hatred of the enemy and would likely make a final desperate stand.

However, they did not do so.

Instead, he was thinking about whether he could take his family's wealth and escape from the capital, then pretend to live as an ordinary citizen.

The court officials, in particular, are still attacking each other, seemingly oblivious to the impending doom of the nation and the approach of death.

Faced with this situation, how could Emperor Chongzhen not despair?
In the end, when Chongzhen was in utter despair, a hint of ruthlessness and madness gradually appeared in his eyes.

Everyone wants to escape, right?
Aren't you afraid of dying?

Then I'll grant your wish.

On August 1st, the dynasty captured Baoding Prefecture, and the next day it occupied Zhuozhou in Shuntian Prefecture.

On this day, Emperor Chongzhen, on charges of corruption, bribery, dereliction of duty, and treason, confiscated the property and exterminated the families of more than ten ministers, and obtained a million taels of gold and silver.

Upon receiving the news, Chongzhen's expression shifted constantly, alternating between crying and laughing, before finally becoming twisted and ferocious.

These damned parasites are all crying poverty and playing the victim. His imperial treasury can't even come up with a few taels of silver, and he even has to take the palace's gold and silver artifacts to the crafts bureau to melt them down.

How ironic that these parasites who cry poverty and play the victim can have millions of taels of gold and silver found in their homes.
Although some people in later generations said that Li Zicheng confiscated 70 million taels of silver from Emperor Chongzhen's private treasury.

However, according to records from many other places, this is certainly not the case.

According to the "Records of Chongzhen", the imperial treasury during the Wanli and Tianqi periods had already been completely depleted.

Even if Emperor Chongzhen were frugal, how much could he possibly save?
Emperor Chongzhen once told Wu Xiang, Wu Sangui's father, "The imperial treasury only has 70,000 taels of gold. If we search for all kinds of gold, silver and other valuables to make up the difference, we can only get 200,000 to 300,000 taels."

After the gold and silver artifacts in the Imperial Treasury and the palace were melted down, the total amount was only two or three hundred thousand taels of gold and silver.

This shows just how depleted the imperial treasury had become.

According to the Miscellaneous Records of the Remnants of the Coup, Wu Luzhong, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, once asked Emperor Chongzhen for money.

“When I was in charge of accounting, I requested that the imperial treasury be emptied. The emperor ordered me to come close and secretly tell me that the imperial treasury was empty. I then shed tears.”

The line "The imperial treasury is empty, and tears fall" evokes a deep sense of sorrow, and when one thinks of the suicide at Jingshan later on, one can't help but feel heartbroken.

The author of "Jiashen Jishi" was Zhao Shijin, an official in the Ministry of Works.

He and several officials inventoried the assets in the Jieshen Treasury, and found that there were only a little over 2,300 taels of silver in the new treasury.

Old Kuli had about nine hundred taels of silver, which was specifically prepared for the defense of the city.

In addition, there were some clothes and jewelry confiscated from disgraced officials, worth approximately one thousand taels of silver.

The total, including both inside and outside, is only a little over four thousand taels of silver.

Now, Emperor Chongzhen has confiscated over a million taels of silver from the homes of his ministers, and one can imagine how he feels.

And this is only a dozen or so ministers.

How many ministers and powerful figures are left in the capital?
On August 5th, the dynasty crossed the Liuli River and occupied Fang County and Liangxiang.

Emperor Chongzhen confiscated the property of more than a dozen ministers, obtaining three million taels of silver.

Emperor Chongzhen lamented that it was not that the Ming Dynasty lacked funds and provisions, but that the Ming emperor lacked them.

Others, whether they were regional princes, high-ranking officials, or wealthy merchants, were all far richer than him.

On the 9th, the dynasty captured Lugou Bridge in the northwest of the capital. Emperor Chongzhen confiscated the property of several noble families and more than a dozen ministers, obtaining eight million taels of silver.

At this moment, Chongzhen was completely numb, his eyes were bloodshot, and he had only one thought in his mind.

I am not a ruler destined to bring about the downfall of the nation, but you are all ministers destined to do so. Since you have received imperial favor for generations and are even expected to share the fate of the nation, then you shall also perish with the nation.

(End of this chapter)