The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 423 Hongmen
February 13, the 15th year of Chongzhen.

The sun rises and the sky and earth are clear.

Nanjing, which used to be bustling, has now become deserted and silent.

There were no civilians or pedestrians in the streets and alleys, only teams of fully armed soldiers.

Yellow and black flags were spread all over Nanjing city, north and south, dividing Nanjing into two completely different sides.

Three days had passed since the fall of Nanjing.

Inside the Nanjing Imperial College, outside a side hall, there were fully armed soldiers standing there.

The armored soldiers on the south side all wore yellow scarves tied around their helmets, cloth-covered iron armor, swords and spears, and Kaiyuan bows tied around their waists.

The armored soldiers in the north all wore helmets and black scarves, wore water-polished Ming armor, carried spears and axes, and also had bows on their waists, but the bows were not the Kaiyuan bows commonly used by the Ming army, but hard bows with large bow tips.

The Ming army in the nine borders were not unfamiliar with the shape of the hard bow, because the bows commonly used by the Qing army were strong bows with large bow tips.

Calling it a bow is actually not quite appropriate, and the name of a small spear launcher is more appropriate.

The armored soldiers wearing yellow turbans on their helmets were naturally the Western Army under Zhang Xianzhong.

The armored soldiers wearing helmets and black scarves are the Wanmin Army led by Li Yan.

As their power gradually grew, both the Wanmin Army and the Western Army became more and more regular.

Most of the armor of both sides came from captured after defeating the Ming army.

Changing the shape of armor would take a huge amount of time and energy, which is not worth it, so it is right to start with the simplest colors and flags.

Soon after Henan started to gain momentum, Li Yan set the tone for the Wanmin Army. The army preferred black, the main military flag was black, and the soldiers wore black scarves as an identification.

Apart from consumption, the more important consideration is the theory of the five elements.

There is a theory of the five elements in different dynasties. The five virtues are invincible: wood in Xia, gold in Yin, and fire in Zhou.

Ming belongs to the fire virtue, so Li Yan ordered the army to prefer black, because water controls fire and the water virtue prefers black.

The Wanmin Army first used black, and Zhang Xianzhong naturally could not follow suit, so under Xu Yixian's advice, he changed the uniform color of the entire army to yellow.

Yellow represents the virtue of earth, and fire can produce earth, which can also be considered as good fortune from heaven.

Outside the side hall, the soldiers, one black and one yellow, were clearly separated from each other and made no secret of their hostility and vigilance towards each other.

The atmosphere in the side hall was equally tense.

In the inner courtyard of the side hall, Li Yan sat upright with a solemn expression, a serious gaze, and a frown, without saying a word.

Opposite Li Yan, Zhang Xianzhong was sitting on a chair with his horse and sword in his hands, holding a wine glass, and not even looking at Li Yan.

Sitting on both sides of the square table, one in the south and one in the north, were the high-ranking officials of the Western Army and the Ten Thousand People's Army.

Sitting beside Li Yan were Yuan Shizhong, Yidougu Changjianxi, the old Huihui Ma Shouying, and Zuojin Wang He Jin.

The only people accompanying Zhang Xianzhong were Xu Yixian and Sun Kewang.

The people Zhang Xianzhong relies on now are naturally his four righteous sons: Sun Kewang, Li Dingguo, Liu Wenxiu and Ai Nengqi.

Liu Wenxiu and Ai Nengqi were left in Wuchang by Zhang Xianzhong.
Li Dingguo was placed outside the city by Zhang Xianzhong to manage the troops outside the city.

The troops in the city were commanded by military advisor Pan Du'ao.

So when Zhang Xianzhong brought people for the talks, he only brought Xu Yixian and Sun Kewang.

This negotiation was arranged because Li Yan sent someone to invite us.

The location of the negotiations was set at the Imperial College in Nanjing.

The Imperial College in Nanjing was located in the center of the armies of both sides. The terrain was quite open and nothing could be hidden.

Li Yan gave up half of the Imperial College and allowed Zhang Xianzhong to send troops there, and both sides sent troops to garrison there.

Zhang Xianzhong had no worries about safety at all.

Zhang Xianzhong did not think that any unexpected events would occur during the negotiations. Now that the threat from the soldiers was imminent, it was impossible for Li Yan, an official who wanted to fight against the court, to attack him.

"It's almost noon now. If Marshal Li can't make a decision for the time being, we can wait until the afternoon to discuss it."

Xu Yixian was the first to break the dull atmosphere and spoke out.

Hearing Xu Yixian's words, Li Yan frowned slightly, then looked to the left and right, pondered for a moment, and nodded.

"We can give up Nanjing, but our attack on Nanjing has also consumed a lot of energy and suffered heavy casualties. Please consider this point."

"Chen Wang's troops are strong and their guns and cannons are powerful. They have already taken over the three prefectures of Xuzhou, Fengyang, and Huai'an, and are now heading south."

Li Yan sighed and said in a serious tone.

"Zheng Zhilong is now in the east of Zhenjiang Prefecture. Now there are only two of us left in the Southern Kingdom's righteous army. If we don't cooperate sincerely, there will be a danger of overthrow."

Xu Yixian nodded and agreed.

"My Marshal also holds the same view. Marshal Li is willing to give up Nanjing, which is enough to show his sincerity."

Xu Yixian said with an embarrassed look on his face.

"You and I are both righteous soldiers, and we should support each other. However, our army has come from afar, and it was difficult to get food and fodder before. We even have to ask for your assistance. The loss of capturing Nanjing is also not small, and the gap in food, fodder, and armor is not small."

"But please rest assured, Marshal Li, if you give up Nanjing, you will definitely be given ample compensation."

Li Yan's expression eased a little and he said.

"In that case, let's wait until the afternoon and meet again."

After Li Yan finished speaking, he stood up, bowed, and left the side hall where the meeting was held with a group of officers.

Zhang Xianzhong did not move and continued to sit at the table.

Only Xu Yixian stood up to see him off.

Xu Yixian came back not long after, smiling broadly.

"Chen Wang's actions are faster than we thought. The vanguard of the Hanzhong Army has already entered Chuzhou Prefecture."

"The Wanmin Army and the Hanzhong Army fought another battle and suffered heavy losses. Waguanzi led his troops to retreat and abandoned the city to flee south. Li Yan could no longer hold on."

Zhang Xianzhong looked relaxed. He picked up the snacks on the table and swallowed them in one gulp, with a smug look on his face.

Li Yan's concession made him feel very happy, as if the world was just around the corner.

The city of Nanjing has great strategic and political significance.

Nanjing is a place where strategic locations are located.

If we occupy Nanjing, we will have the capital to conquer the world.

After capturing Nanjing, the gains far exceeded his expectations.

Cartloads of gold, silver and treasures were pulled into the warehouse, and piles of grain and fodder almost filled up the granaries everywhere.

It is said that the Jiangnan area is the richest in the world, and now Zhang Xianzhong has truly experienced it.

During these days of recovering stolen goods and seizing military pay, Zhang Xianzhong realized how wealthy those high-ranking officials were.

There was a huge difference between the landlords, wealthy officials and families in Shaanxi in the past and the noble families in Jinling City.

And most importantly, he will be able to get the palace soon!

"Hahahahaha."

A hint of fanaticism flashed in Zhang Xianzhong's eyes. He was in a very good mood and couldn't help laughing out loud.

Zhang Xianzhong had lived in the Xiangwang Palace in Xiangyang and the Chuwang Palace in Wuchang. The days he spent in the palace were the happiest days for Zhang Xianzhong.

But neither of these two palaces is half as magnificent as the imperial palace in Nanjing.

Zhang Xianzhong was already imagining moving into the Nanjing Imperial Palace.

The Ming army in the south was almost completely wiped out, and there were no troops in the south that could resist the troops under his command.

At this time, we only need to march our troops southwards and easily seize the southern provinces.

The dream of dividing the land and becoming king, and conquering the world, is just around the corner.

To say that I wasn't excited would be a lie.

Zhang Xianzhong's breathing couldn't help but become heavy.

When he was young, his family was ordinary. He worked as a constable in Yan'an Prefecture and then joined the army in Yansui Town.

At that time, I never dared to imagine that I would be able to establish my own territory and stir up troubles in the world.

Life and death depends on just one thought!
I was not born to compete for supremacy, and I am too lazy to build a golden tower in the capital.

The top scholar and all the officials are like dogs, always trembling under the knife!

How wonderful! How wonderful!
Seeing that Zhang Xianzhong was in a very good mood, Xu Yixian stepped forward a little and gave him some advice.

"Although Li Yan has bowed his head temporarily, he is determined and will never give in easily. I'm afraid that the concessions he has made have almost reached the bottom line. If we continue to force him, I'm afraid the final result will be counterproductive."

"We previously obtained a lot of gold, silver and grain from the Chu Palace in Wuchang, and now we have gained a lot by conquering Nanjing City."

"Now that Li Yan has bowed his head, the Marshal has an absolute dominant position in the alliance. If we can be a little more tolerant at this time, it will show the Marshal's magnanimity and make the Ten Thousand People's Army better serve our army."

Zhang Xianzhong was in a good mood at the moment. He waved his hand and said nonchalantly:
"It's good for the military advisor to know what's going on."

Zhang Xianzhong didn't care about gold, silver, jewelry, etc. The world was right in front of him.

It’s not a pity to waste some yellow and white things.

One day, he will have the rich land of Jiangnan in his hands, so why bother about these tiny benefits?
Once you have conquered the world, how much gold, silver, treasures, and playthings and beauties will you not get?

"Now that Li Yan has bowed his head, the Wanmin Army is in danger. This is a good opportunity for our army."

Xu Yixian had a smile on his face and looked very proud.

"Nanjing is an important city in the world. Now that our army occupies Nanjing, it can be said that we are blessed by nature."

"Relying on Nanjing, we can take the rich land of Jiangnan in the south, store up food and grass, train our troops, and spy on the Central Plains in the north, waiting for an opportunity to act."

When Xu Yixian talked about waiting for an opportunity to act, he paused for a moment, raised his folding fan, pointed to the location of Nanjing on the map, and continued.

"We just need to wait until the Ten Thousand People's Army and the imperial court are both defeated. By then, our army will have strong soldiers and generals. We can take advantage of the situation to annex the Ten Thousand People's Army and march north again to conquer the world!"

After hearing this, Zhang Xianzhong's eyes flashed with a hint of approval and he laughed out loud.

"The military advisor has a long-term vision. The military advisor will have the final say on everything this afternoon."

The results of the negotiations are much better than Zhang Xianzhong originally expected.

Xu Yixian smiled slightly and bowed.

"I am honored to be trusted by the Marshal, and I will not let him down."

It was just past noon and the bell of Chou hour had just rung.

Li Yan led his men into the side hall where meetings were held.

Xu Yixian stood in front of the hall, greeted Li Yan as he walked into the hall, and said with a smile:
"You have made great contributions to the capture of Nanjing. Your contribution is invaluable."

"We will raise the compensation you requested within three days. On top of that, we will send you another 50,000 shi of military rations."

Li Yan's originally serious expression eased a lot, and his voice was no longer as serious as before. He bowed and replied.

"In that case, thank you very much."

Xu Yixian raised his folding fan and said with a smile.

"We are all volunteers, and we should support each other."

Everyone sat back at the negotiation table, and the atmosphere was much better than in the morning.

Zhang Xianzhong also put away his previous arrogant look and no longer sat as casually as before.

"Our army and yours are both righteous armies, and we share the same goal of overthrowing the tyranny of the imperial court."

"As Marshal Li said, if we don't cooperate sincerely at this moment, there will be a danger of collapse."

Li Yan sighed, nodded and said.

"Chen Wang's Hanzhong army is pressing forward step by step. It is difficult for us to resist alone."

Upon hearing this, Xu Yixian smiled calmly, already having a plan in mind.

"Marshal Li, rest assured. We all understand the principle of the lips and teeth being cold. If the Hanzhong army attacks, we will never stand idly by."

"In this case, we will be relieved."

Xu Yixian noticed that Li Yan seemed to have breathed a sigh of relief.

Xu Yixian also felt a lot more relaxed. Everything was going very smoothly, so he was naturally in a good mood.

Just when Xu Yixian thought that everything was settled, Li Yan's next words interrupted Xu Yixian's thoughts.

"but……"

"What else is Marshal Li worried about?"

Xu Yixian frowned slightly and asked in confusion.

"I have no worries."

Li Yan shook his head, which made Xu Yixian even more confused.

Zhang Xianzhong, who was sitting opposite, looked even more unhappy. He had already made concessions, but Li Yan still wanted to go even further?
"Marshal Zhang, please don't be angry. I am not greedy. The terms have been agreed upon, and I will not break my promise."

What Li Yan said afterwards calmed down Zhang Xianzhong's anger a little.

Zhang Xianzhong snorted coldly and asked impatiently.

"Then Marshal Li wants to..."

Zhang Xianzhong did not finish his words, nor did he have the chance to finish them.

"you you……"

Zhang Xianzhong covered his neck tightly with both hands, blood gushed out from between his fingers, staining his clothes red.

His eyes were wide open, filled with disbelief and anger. He stared at Li Yan, as if he wanted to question him, but he could no longer make any sound.

But soon he could not say anything, because the knife in Ma Shouying's hand had pierced his chest.

The atmosphere in the hall froze instantly, as if time had stopped at this moment.

Sun Kewang reacted extremely quickly and drew the sword at his waist almost instantly.

However, no matter how fast he moved, he was no faster than the crossbow that had already been aimed at him.

"Whoosh-!"

A sharp sound of breaking through the air suddenly rang out, and the crossbow arrow shot out like lightning, hitting Sun Kewang's chest directly.

Sun Kewang's pupils suddenly contracted and his body instinctively dodged to the side, but the crossbow arrow was too fast and he only had time to avoid the vital parts.

He dodged one crossbow arrow, but the other two pierced deeply into his shoulders.

The next moment, a long spear pierced through his chest without any hindrance, and the tip of the spear came out of his back, bringing out a puff of blood.

In the hall, a group of soldiers from the Wanmin Army came with swords and guns in hand to attack!

A large amount of blood spurted out of Sun Kewang's mouth, and he staggered back a few steps, finally falling to his knees weakly on the ground.

His hands tightly grasped the spear that pierced his chest, his knuckles turned white from the force, and blood slowly flowed down the spear shaft and dripped onto the ground, making it a bright red.

Sun Kewang's eyes gradually became unfocused and he was breathing heavily.

But every gasp was accompanied by blood gushing out of the mouth.

His lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he was unable to say it.

As the spear was retracted, Sun Kewang's body slowly fell to one side and there was no movement anymore.

Xu Yixian was so shocked by this sudden change that he stood there in a daze. How could he have anticipated such a situation?

How dare he, Li Yan!
"Li Yan!"

Xu Yixian fell to the ground. Without his previous confidence, he looked at Li Yan with horror and said fearfully.

"You...how dare you!!"

Li Yan had a cold expression on his face. He looked down at Xu Yixian condescendingly without saying a word.

The negotiations over the past few days had already made the Western Army's soldiers slack off.

As the negotiations were about to end, the Western Army members were extremely relaxed.

No one expected that the Wanmin Army would suddenly launch an attack at this time.

The situation in the hall had long been firmly under the control of the Wanmin Army.

The armored soldiers of the Western Army didn't even have time to draw their weapons before they were quickly subdued by the armored soldiers of the Ten Thousand Peoples Army.

Amid the flashing of swords and the flying of blood, the armored soldiers of the Western Army in the hall fell one after another.

The corpse lay on the ground, and the unpleasant smell of blood quickly spread throughout the hall.

"Li Yan, you... you think that by killing Zhang Xianzhong, you can control the Western Army!?"

"In the face of a powerful enemy, you are so unwise! You are going to lead us into eternal damnation!!"

Xu Yixian looked terrified and said in despair.

Li Yan's expression was cold, and his eyes were calm as he looked at Xu Yixian who fell to the ground.

"Do not……"

Xu Yixian's expression suddenly changed. He looked at Li Yan's indifferent face and suddenly understood everything.

"Did you..."

Xu Yixian's eyes were filled with despair.

How could Li Yan be a reckless person if he could lead the Wanmin Army to this point?

The reason why Li Yan dared to kill Zhang Xianzhong must be that he had his own reasons.

He has the means to quell the unrest after Zhang Xianzhong's death...

(End of this chapter)