Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 807 Zhang Xianzhong Enters Beijing

In order to paralyze Zhang Xianzhong, Zhu Shenzhu also promised Li Dingguo and the other three a future, and also made proper arrangements for Zhang Xianzhong's subordinates. Of course, it was impossible to put them together, so it was inevitable to split them up. After the split, the subordinates were handed over to Li Dingguo and the other four respectively, and then they were arranged separately.

As long as Zhang Xianzhong agreed to this matter, the imperial court would not treat him and his subordinates unfairly. In this way, Zhang Xianzhong would also lose complete control over his four adopted sons, including the jurisdiction over his original subordinates in the old camp. As time went on, Zhang Xianzhong would become a toothless tiger and would never be able to cause any trouble again.

In this regard, Zhu Shenzui sent people to Henan to convey his order, and asked the Jinyiwei to accompany him. Once Zhang Xianzhong refused, it would be proved that Zhang Xianzhong's surrender was false. Then, it would be natural for the Jinyiwei to take action or mobilize the army to directly deal with Zhang Xianzhong.

Ten days later, the imperial edict from the capital reached Henan. Upon learning that the angel had arrived, Zhang Xianzhong hurriedly set up an incense table to receive the edict. After the angel finished reading the imperial edict, Zhang Xianzhong stuck out his butt and kowtowed to thank God for his grace. He respectfully accepted the imperial edict and presented it to him with a generous gift that had been prepared long ago. Seeing that Zhang Xianzhong was so considerate, the person who delivered the edict was relieved, a smile appeared on his face, and he comforted Zhang Xianzhong with kind words, urging him to arrange for his subordinates to go to the capital as soon as possible and not to delay the journey.

After sending the angel away, Zhang Xianzhong's face changed instantly. He was smiling just now but his expression suddenly became very ugly. He returned to the main hall without saying a word and sat there gloomily. When his four adopted sons saw Zhang Xianzhong like this, they couldn't help but exchange glances with each other, feeling uneasy.

"Father, this matter..." Li Dingguo, as the eldest brother, saw that Zhang Xianzhong had been silent and could not help but ask.

"What do you think about this matter?" Zhang Xianzhong did not answer but asked Li Dingguo instead.

Li Dingguo hesitated for a moment before speaking: "I think the court is afraid of my father. Once my father goes to the capital, he will never be able to do anything."

"Alas... you are right. The court does have such an intention. Now that the court has made its cards clear, I, as a father, am in a dilemma." Zhang Xianzhong sighed and shook his head. He has never been the kind of person to put his fate in the hands of others. Zhang Xianzhong has always been in control of his own destiny, whether he was serving as a border soldier or starting a rebellion and being called the Eight Kings, or now he is forced to surrender to the court.

In Zhang Xianzhong's view, if a man does not work for himself, he will be punished by heaven and earth. Once he hands his fate over to others, he has no choice. If he had not been desperate, he would not have made this decision to surrender to the court. He originally thought that he could be settled in the guard house after surrendering. Although he was only a temporary thousand households now, or the court would formally give him a commander position in the future, he could still control a piece of land and his subordinates would still be in his hands. If the situation changed, he might start a rebellion again to pursue a greater cause.

But now the sudden imperial edict from the court directly disrupted Zhang Xianzhong's original plan. On the surface, the treatment given by the court far exceeded Zhang Xianzhong's original expectations. Not only was Zhang Xianzhong conferred the title of Dingbian Earl, but he was also given the official title of Jinyiwei Zhenfushi, and an additional actual position of commander of the Southern Police Department of the Capital. In addition to these Jinyiwei hundred households, he was also granted a mansion in the capital. This treatment was quite generous. You must know that even if Gao Jie defected to the court earlier than himself, led troops in battles for a long time and made great contributions, he still has no title except for the military position of a general.

It is no exaggeration to say that he rose to heaven overnight. Such a generous treatment for a rebel who rebelled against the imperial court fully proved the sincerity of the imperial court. Moreover, as long as Zhang Xianzhong nodded and agreed, he would definitely have no shortage of wealth and honor in this life. However, Zhang Xianzhong was very unwilling in his heart. Although he wanted wealth and honor, he did not want such wealth and honor! What was the reason for his rebellion? Wasn't it just to be able to rule the world one day? As a second choice, he could cede land and become king!

According to his original idea, surrender was only a temporary solution, but now the imperial court's order broke his plan and forced him to make a choice. This made Zhang Xianzhong unwilling and extremely embarrassed.

"In my opinion, the court gave father favorable conditions on the surface, but in fact it was using an official position in the capital as bait to get father to come to Beijing. Once in Beijing, father will be trapped in a shallow pool and will never be able to achieve anything!" Liu Wenxiu's opinion was similar to Li Dingguo's, and he said on the side.

"Father! You must not go! If you go to the capital, you will be at the mercy of the imperial court. What if the imperial court tries to harm you?" Sun Kewang advised hurriedly. In his opinion, the imperial court must be up to no good. The capital is a dangerous place and he really cannot go there.

Ai Nengqi also expressed his opposition, shouting that the imperial court had ulterior motives. If Zhang Xianzhong went to the capital and suddenly attacked, they would not have a chance to resist. Rather than waiting to die, it would be better to fight back, kill the messenger who delivered the imperial edict, and rebel directly. Anyway, they had no shortage of food these days, and their subordinates had recovered some of their vitality. They could take advantage of the fact that the Ming army had not reacted to rebel again, escape at the risk of their lives, and then go to other places to raise troops to resist the imperial court.

"Don't talk nonsense!" As soon as Ai Nengqi finished speaking, Zhang Xianzhong glared and slammed his hand on the table. He lowered his voice and said, "How can you say such things? Do you think the court was not prepared for this decree? If I guess correctly, the angel had already made arrangements before delivering the decree to me. Now Gao Jie and other troops must be on guard against our unusual movements. If we rebel against the decree, Gao Jie will definitely not be soft on you and me. What's more, there are other Ming troops nearby. Even if we can fight to the death and break out of Gao Jie's encirclement, where can we run to?" "I am old and my death is not a pity, but how can I bear to let the four of you die with me? Besides, since the court has issued such a decree, it is also a test for me. As long as I bow my head and agree and obey the arrangements of the court, it may not be a way out."

After a pause, Zhang Xianzhong looked at the four people and said earnestly: "It is natural for the court to be on guard against your father. If your father were the court, he would do the same. This is nothing more than a blatant conspiracy. As long as your father behaves himself in the future, your life will definitely be safe, and you will have a lifetime of wealth and honor. What is more important is the court's arrangements for you."

"You have heard the angel's decree just now. Once I go to the capital, the four of you will not only be able to lead troops directly, but also be generals. You may be able to take charge of high positions in the future. Although I have never dealt with the regent Zhu Shenzhu, I can see from the fact that Gao Jie surrendered to the Ming Dynasty that he is not a stingy person. Since he can use Gao Jie, he can certainly use you. You are still young and have a bright future. Why do you have to waste your time following me?"

Zhang Xianzhong was filled with heroic spirit, and laughed loudly, "I was born in a frontier army. When I was strong, I led more than 100,000 soldiers and conquered the world. I was also known as the Eighth King. This life is worth it. Besides, I am not going to die, but to the capital to enjoy life. How can I complain? How many people in the world can do this? Why should I be dissatisfied? Why should I be unwilling?"

"Haha! Hahaha!" Zhang Xianzhong's eyes became moist as he laughed. Although he seemed free and easy, he was still unwilling in his heart. But the situation was like this. If he took a wrong step, all would go wrong. If he had not been defeated by Lu Xiangsheng and Qin Liangyu, he, Zhang Xianzhong, might still have a chance. But now he had lost his capital, and the court had also made such a decision. Even if he was reluctant in his heart, he could only bow his head.

"Father!" Li Dingguo and the other three knew what Zhang Xianzhong was thinking. Seeing Zhang Xianzhong like this, they felt extremely uncomfortable and fell to their knees in tears. They all knew that Zhang Xianzhong had made a decision, not only for himself, but also for the future of the four of them. This made them moved and ashamed.

"Okay, okay, why do you have to act like women? Get up! All of you get up!" Zhang Xianzhong helped them up with a smile, and held the hands of the four of them and explained everything to them one by one, especially to Li Dingguo, because he knew that Li Dingguo was the most capable of the four. He would live in the capital in the future, and as long as Li Dingguo could stand out in the Ming army and secure his position, he would be safer in the capital. In other words, the rest of his life would depend on these four adopted sons.

Zhang Xianzhong took several days to make arrangements, dividing his old camp and handing over his subordinates to his four adopted sons. He also gave them instructions, asking them to be careful with their words and actions and to obey the arrangements of the court.

After doing all this, Zhang Xianzhong followed the imperial edict and set off for the capital with only 20 guards. Li Dingguo and others escorted Zhang Xianzhong 30 miles before saying goodbye. When Zhang Xianzhong set out on the road to the capital, the angels, Jinyiwei and Gao Jie, who had been worried, finally put their minds at ease. Zhang Xianzhong was still tactful and a smart man, and made the best choice. Since Zhang Xianzhong was willing to go to the capital, the many arrangements before did not need to be carried out.

On the second day after Zhang Xianzhong left, the orders that had been arranged long ago came down. Li Dingguo and four others were each given the rank of Qianzong military commander. Among them, Li Dingguo was transferred to Gao Jie's unit under Sun Chuanting, Liu Wenxiu was transferred to Lu Xiangsheng's unit, Sun Kewang was transferred to Zuo Liangyu's unit, and Ai Nengqi went to Cao Bianjiao's unit.

All four of them were split up and assigned to different armies under the command of their main generals to continue participating in the military operations to encircle and suppress the bandits. Although Li Dingguo and others had expected this result, they were still sad when the order was issued. The day before they parted, the four brothers had a drink together. After drinking, they held hands and talked to each other, reluctant to part. Even Sun Kewang, who had always disliked Li Dingguo, shed tears at this time. He hugged Li Dingguo and cried, saying that he had wronged his eldest brother before and asked him not to hate him.

Li Dingguo certainly would not bear a grudge against Sun Kewang. In his opinion, his third brother was just too young and a little jealous. What did this mean to his own brothers? Even if there were bumps and bruises between teeth and tongues, after parting today, it was unknown when the four of them would meet again. The little grudges in the past had long since disappeared like smoke, and everyone should look after each other in the future.

Let’s not talk about the arrangements made by Li Dingguo and others, let’s just talk about Zhang Xianzhong.

Zhang Xianzhong went all the way north and arrived at the capital in half a month. When the towering capital appeared before his eyes, Zhang Xianzhong felt extremely emotional. He stared at the tall city walls of the capital with complicated feelings. He once thought that one day he would lead his troops to capture the capital and become the master of the world. But now the capital is before him, but he, Zhang Xianzhong, did not come here to lead troops, but entered the capital as a surrendered general, which is really melancholy.

(End of this chapter)