The Ming Dynasty began in the seventeenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign.

"Madam, you must not act rashly. The King of Chuang has his reasons for this action, and we cannot make decisions on our own!"

Li Yan pulled Hong Niangzi down to sit, gently patted her shoulder, and patiently comforted her:

"Madam, you may not know this, but the imperial power of the Ming Dynasty does not extend to the countryside. Those who harm the common people are the officials, gentry, nobles, and princes."

"They deceived their superiors and subordinates for their own benefit, and the emperor was unaware of many things, not to mention the crown prince who did not leave the inner palace."

"The Ming Dynasty suffered from natural disasters and man-made calamities. The area around Chibi was littered with corpses of the starving. As the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Chongzhen bears an inescapable responsibility."

"Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world. The reason why Li Zicheng was able to stand out in the chaotic world was precisely because he had the support of the people."

Li Yan was a scholar who passed the imperial examination in the Ming Dynasty, and he had his own insights into the affairs of the Ming court.

Hong Niangzi was born into humble circumstances, and her experience could not compare to Li Yan's. Seeing how eloquently Li Yan spoke, her eyes lit up.

She nestled gently in Li Yan's arms and said softly:

From now on, I will do everything in accordance with my husband's wishes and will be careful in my words and actions.

Li Yan gently stroked Hong Niangzi's long, black hair and smiled slightly:

"The fact that the rebel leader did not kill the former crown prince and even bestowed upon him the title of Prince of Song was a brilliant move, showing the world that he was magnanimous and tolerant."

The matchmaker nodded obediently:

"I know I was wrong, and from now on I will listen to my husband..."

As a scholar who passed the imperial examination in the Ming Dynasty, Li Yan was not a die-hard fan of Li Zicheng. When he rebelled, he was kidnapped by Hong Niangzi and forced to marry her.

Later, they discovered that Hong Niangzi was not a bad person at heart. She stood up for the people and killed corrupt officials, tyrants, and landlords. Gradually, they accepted Hong Niangzi.

What normal person would want to rebel and become a bandit?

Moreover, Li Yan was a man of merit in the Ming Dynasty, and he had no worries about food, drink, or other necessities.

After Hong Niangzi joined Li Zicheng, Li Zicheng valued Li Yan highly and gave him important positions. He also wanted to change this cannibalistic world and began to work for Li Zicheng.

He opposed the gentry class, corrupt officials, and merchants and nobles who forced people to eat their own children. Li Yan did not actually oppose the Ming imperial family.

He held the Ming imperial family and Emperor Chongzhen in high esteem, as can be seen from his attitude toward Zhu Cilang.

After Li Zicheng rose to power again, the Shun army swept through the Ming army with unstoppable momentum, and the Ming army surrendered almost without resistance.

Li Zicheng's attitude towards Li Yan also began to change, especially under Niu Jinxing's instigation, Li Yan gradually faded out of the core of the Da Shun regime.

Li Yan himself is well aware of this.

At this time, the Da Shun regime was at its zenith, and he was a rebel, so he had no other choice but to continue following Li Zicheng.

After persuading Hong Niangzi, Li Yan hosted a banquet for Zhu Cilang.

Only the three of them attended the banquet; Li Yan did not want others to know Zhu Cilang's identity for the time being.

Despite her initial urge to kill Zhu Cilang upon learning his true identity, Hong Niangzi became somewhat reserved when she actually met the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty.

The emperor was considered sacred by the people; the Son of Heaven was the son of Heaven.

No matter how down on her luck the Crown Prince was, Hong Niangzi could only look up to him because of his former status; after all, she was just a commoner.

Zhu Cilang entered the main tent, and Hong Niangzi bowed slightly in greeting:

"Greetings, Your Highness."

Zhu Cilang was somewhat surprised, not expecting Hong Niangzi to greet him. He returned the greeting with clasped hands and a fist salute.

"Madam, you needn't be so polite. I am a fallen prince, and I am deeply grateful for your care!"

Li Zicheng called Zhu Cilang the crown prince of a fallen kingdom, while Zhu Cilang himself referred to himself as a destitute prince.

Zhu Cilang believed that although his father had passed away, the Ming imperial family was still alive and Jiangnan was under the control of the Ming army, so the Ming Dynasty was not yet dead.

Li Yan smiled slightly:

"When there are no outsiders present, it is best to address you as Your Highness. Please take a seat."

Zhu Cilang bowed to the two men and sat down opposite Li Yan. Hong Niangzi personally poured wine for Zhu Cilang and Li Yan.

After pouring wine for the two men, Hong Niangzi poured wine into her own cup before sitting down next to Li Yan.

Zhu Cilang was the first to raise his wine glass, and stood up to say to Li Yan and his wife:

"This cup is dedicated to the General and his wife. Thanks to your care, the Emperor's remains were able to be buried quickly and smoothly. I'll drink it first as a sign of respect."

"Your Highness is too kind. It is my duty as a subject. If Your Highness needs anything in the future, please do not hesitate to ask."

Mr. and Mrs. Li Yan hurriedly stood up, raised their glasses, and the three of them drank them down almost simultaneously...

……

The three drank and chatted, and before they knew it, they had gone through several rounds of drinks. Zhu Cilang and Li Yan felt like old friends, and they talked about history and their experiences from all over the world.

Hong Niangzi also began to secretly observe the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, and found that the young man was handsome and talented, and knew almost everything about astronomy, geography, history and military affairs.

A single banquet completely changed Hong Niangzi's attitude towards Zhu Cilang, and her impression of the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty also improved...

However, it's clearly impossible for her to betray Li Zicheng and follow Zhu Cilang at this time; Li Zicheng is still a wise ruler in her heart...

During this period, Zhu Cilang and Li Yan never discussed the Da Shun army. Hong Niangzi suddenly had a whimsical idea and wanted the former crown prince to share his views on Da Shun.

After pouring wine for Zhu Cilang again, she smiled and asked:

"Your Highness, how would you evaluate the Great Shun regime? Was the rebel leader capable of unifying the country?"

Zhu Cilang was taken aback upon hearing this, and Li Yan also looked at his wife. Neither of them expected that Hong Niangzi would ask such a pointed question.

At this time, they were all in the Shun army, and Li Yan was a strategist for the Shun. If the topics they discussed reached Li Zicheng's ears, it would be detrimental to both Zhu Cilang and Li Yan and his wife.

Zhu Cilang looked at Li Yan, as if asking him a question. Li Yan knew Zhu Cilang's situation and figured he wouldn't say anything carelessly, so he nodded and said:

"It's alright, Your Highness. These are all my trusted confidants. Please feel free to speak your mind."

Zhu Cilang knew that the time had come to make a deep impression on Hong Niangzi.

Despite being a woman, Hong Niangzi was the backbone of this army and loyal to Li Zicheng. Thousands of female soldiers in the army were her trusted confidantes.

Li Yan was a scholar with only two thousand soldiers under his command. His younger brother usually led the troops, but Hong Niangzi commanded them in battle.

Zhu Cilang knew that Li Yan still had feelings for the Ming Dynasty, and persuading Hong Niangzi to follow him in the future would be more difficult than persuading Li Yan to follow him.

Zhu Cilang bowed to Li Yan and his wife and said:

"Thank you for your trust. I will briefly talk about the Great Shun regime and the rebel leader Li Zicheng. These are just my personal opinions. Please forgive me if I offend anyone."

"Natural disasters and man-made calamities, land annexation, and officials forcing the people to rebel have always been the case. The initial purpose of the rebel leader Chuang Wang in leading his people to rebel was to have enough to eat, which is understandable."

"With the establishment of the Great Shun regime, it occupied half of the country and captured the capital. The Great Shun regime basically stopped there and could not make any further progress."

"Chuang Wang was short-sighted and lacked ambition. His generals were all uncultured brutes, and people like Niu Jinxing and Song Xianze were not capable of great things. He lacked scholars and patriots to help him conquer the world."

"Even if the person needed appears, he will be rejected by the core of the regime and unable to use his talents. For example, Your Excellency, without your land redistribution and tax exemption, Li Zicheng would not have been able to rise to power."

"Now that even Your Excellency cannot integrate into the core of the Great Shun Dynasty, no one else will be accepted. If I am not mistaken, a Ming Dynasty minister will surely urge you to ascend the throne today."

"Would the rebel leader accept them? I think not. He would surely humiliate and torment them, and ultimately alienate them from the gentry group."

"When the rebel leader came, he said we would not pay taxes. This slogan could win people's hearts in the early stages, but once the regime was established, it became a farce."

"Without paying grain taxes and implementing land redistribution and exemption from levies, where will the revenue of the Great Shun government come from? Where will the military pay for the million Shun soldiers and their generals come from? What will the future hold?"