The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 425 Li Dingguo

"shut up!"

Li Dingguo tightly gripped the goose-feather knife at his waist, glared at Li Yan who was kneeling on the ground, and said with gritted teeth.

"shut up!"

"You do not deserve!"

Li Dingguo's voice was low and cold, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

There was a strong resentment in his eyes.

"You are not worthy of mentioning the people of this world! Who do you think you are? A savior? Ridiculous!"

Li Dingguo's expression was grim and he spoke hatefully.

"You say that the lamentations of the common people are all over the earth and are tormenting your spirit all the time. How ridiculous!"

"In this vast world, under the vast sky, are you the only one who can save the world?!"

Li Dingguo tried his best to suppress the anger surging in his chest. He held the goose-feather knife at his waist tightly, for he was afraid that he would not be able to resist pulling out the knife.

Chen Wang's army is now strong, with his generals as brave as carp crossing the river and hundreds of thousands of armored soldiers. He dominates the interior and his power is felt throughout the country.

The Wanmin Army seems to be in its heyday, but in fact, Chen Wang is just nurturing the enemy and using the Wanmin Army to eliminate dissidents and clear away thorns.

Li Yan is indeed a smart man. He wants to lead the Wanmin Army to break free from Chen Wang's constraints and not be a puppet.

He knew that all the alliances he and Zhang Xianzhong had negotiated were nothing but empty talk, and the final result would only be annexation.

So Li Yan turned over the table, put all his chips on the table, and started this big gamble.

He bet everything, including his own life, the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians of the Ten Thousand People's Army, and the fate of the entire Southern Righteous Army.

"Everything you said cannot be understood by me."

"You said you wanted to end the war and create a peaceful and prosperous era for all people."

"You said you didn't want the Wanmin Army to be a puppet on strings. You said you didn't want the Wanmin Army to become a butcher's knife in Chen Wang's hands."

Li Dingguo looked down at Li Yan from above, his eyes full of disdain.

"hypocritical……"

Anger, hatred, disappointment, and all kinds of emotions were constantly mixed in Li Dingguo's heart.

But all these negative emotions did not affect his thinking.

There was a cold clarity in Li Dingguo's eyes, and his thoughts had never been as clear as they were now.

"Everything you say, such as the peaceful and prosperous times and the great harmony of the world, these high-sounding words are just a gorgeous cloak you put on for your own ambitions."

"Zheng————"

The orange-yellow flames reflected on the blade, and the cold light fell to the ground, as chilling as autumn water.

The cold and bone-corrosive blade was pressed against Li Yan's neck. Li Dingguo only needed to exert a little force to easily kill Li Yan.

"You came into the camp alone as a messenger, trying to persuade me to surrender."

"You want to use the justice of this world to pressure me!"

Li Dingguo's eyes were cold and his mind was clear.

Li Dingguo knew all about Li Yan's purpose and everything he did.

Li Yan defeated the 160,000 Western troops inside and outside Nanjing without bloodshed.

These 160,000 Western troops account for two-thirds of the elite troops in the current Western Army.

There were only a few elite troops left in Wuchang, and most of the rest were newly recruited troops.

In order to be able to compete with the Wanmin Army, Zhang Xianzhong led them to fight all the way, and naturally selected elite troops.

Now Li Yan wants to swallow up the army he leads, which is almost on the verge of extinction.

Li Yan used righteousness to pressure him.

"Li Yan, Li Yan."

"You have such deep calculations and plans."

Li Dingguo tightly grasped the goose-feather knife in his hand, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

"If I kill you, I will be disregarding the overall situation!"

"But you killed my adoptive father and my adoptive brother. If I don't kill you, how can I be worthy of my adoptive father and my adoptive brother!"

Even though the blade was on his body, there was no fear in Li Yan's eyes.

His eyes were calm and dark, like a pool of stagnant water, without any emotional fluctuations.

With the blade at his neck, Li Yan slowly stood up and looked directly at Li Dingguo without any retreat.

"How can your adoptive father be called a righteous man for what he did?"

Li Yan's voice was cold and calm, as if he was stating a very simple fact.

"Except Gao Chuang, which of your 72 battalions can be considered as the rebel army?"

Li Yan's expression was cold, and there was undisguised sarcasm in his tone.

"From the beginning to the end, you are just a group of bandits."

"You can't survive anymore, and you want to survive. There's nothing wrong with that."

"You killed corrupt officials, killed corrupt officials, killed gentry, killed the powerful, there is nothing wrong with that."

Li Yan's gaze was like a knife, piercing Li Dingguo's heart

“But why did you raise your butcher knives and swing them at the poor people who were once like you? Why did you want to cut off their livelihoods?!”

"Your blades are stained with the blood of innocent people, and their cries are echoing in your ears, but you turn a blind eye to them!"

"Your adoptive father's current actions are even more inhumane than those officials and gentry who used to ride on your heads and abuse their power!"

Li Dingguo's expression was gloomy, but his heart was not as simple as it appeared.

A heavy murderous intent flashed in Li Dingguo's eyes.

His heart seemed to be torn in two.

On the one hand, there is loyalty and gratitude to the adoptive father.

Zhang Xianzhong, even if he was a thousand bad people and did not do what he should have done.

But he is still his adoptive father.

It was Zhang Xianzhong who brought him out of the pile of dead bodies, it was Zhang Xianzhong who gave him food, and it was Zhang Xianzhong who gave him a second life.

Zhang Xianzhong adopted him as his adopted son, taught him martial arts, taught him military tactics, and raised him to adulthood.

That's his adoptive father!

On the other hand, the irrefutable facts in Li Yan's words also tore Li Dingguo's heart.

How could he not know that they had blood on their hands, how could he not know that what his adoptive father did was wrong.

"Your adoptive father is cruel and ruthless. You know better than me how many times he has massacred cities and towns along the way."

"Can such an act be called a righteous army?"

"How ridiculous!"

Li Yan's voice was icy, like a cold spring in the mountains in autumn and winter.

"Why after King Gao Chuang died, your adoptive father was the most powerful but could not become the leader of the alliance? Don't you know it in your heart?"

"Why was Luo Rucai surrounded by soldiers and why did he surrender to them? You know this better than I do."

Li Yan raised his head. He was not as tall as Li Dingguo. Even if he stood up straight, he still had to raise his head to look at Li Dingguo's face.

However, the height difference did not weaken Li Yan's momentum.

"At first, your adoptive father also wanted to use force to annex Gao Chuang's remnants, but his plan was exposed and he failed."

"Now I am doing the same thing, but my plan is more careful. I succeeded, but your godfather failed."

Li Yan looked into Li Dingguo's eyes.

"You called me a hypocrite."

There was a hint of madness in Li Yan's eyes, and his voice was filled with self-mockery and sarcasm.

Li Dingguo noticed that Li Yan's body was trembling slightly.

Li Yan's voice was terribly low, making people feel extremely uncomfortable.

"I am indeed hypocritical, I admit it, you are right."

"I'm not a saint. I never have been one."

"The building is about to collapse, the raging waves have already fallen, and the best person in the world who can save the world and revive China is not me, not Li Chuang, and certainly not you, the Western Army..."

A trace of anger flashed in Li Yan's eyes, and Li Dingguo could see his unwillingness.

"It's Chen Wang..."

There was a deep sense of helplessness and anger in Li Yan's voice.

"It's Chen Wang..."

Although I don’t want to admit it.

But Chen Wang is indeed better than him. "Chen Wang's ambition is greater than you can imagine."

Li Yan's expression gradually became distorted, and his look gradually became crazy.

"He, Chen Wang, wants more than just this world."

"What Chen Wang wants is to overthrow the entire country."

"He doesn't want to be Cao Cao, he doesn't want to be Sima Yi, he wants to do what Huang Chao did!"

Li Yan's voice suddenly rose several notches, as if he wanted to vent out all the anger and resentment in his heart.

"Chen Wang wanted to wipe out the nobles and local tyrants in the southern country, but he couldn't do it because of his official status."

"In Kaifeng, he could easily lead his troops to destroy the army I led. The Hanzhong Army is much stronger than you think."

"You simply don't understand the horror of the Hanzhong Army."

Li Yan looked painful, his eyes full of despair and unwillingness.

His voice was hoarse, as if every word carried a heavy burden.

Faced with the powerful Hanzhong army, he saw no hope of victory.

The feeling of powerlessness in his heart almost crushed Li Yan.

Li Dingguo frowned and hesitated.

He also had a certain understanding of Chen Wang, and he also knew a little about the strength of the Hanzhong army.

But when Li Yan talked about Chen Wang, he was so afraid.

"The reason why the Wanmin Army has grown to this point is simply because Chen Wang wants us to continue to be their butchers."

Li Yan raised his head, feeling deeply helpless and self-mocking.

"We are just pawns in his hands, tools he uses to clear obstacles."

There was a flash of sadness in Li Yan's eyes. He saw through everything, but was powerless to do anything.

"It's just that we still have some use, so we haven't been wiped out."

"Everything is under Chen Wang's planning."

Li Yan's voice was cold. He had never mentioned his powerlessness to anyone before.

"Once we lose our usefulness, all that awaits us is destruction."

"Do you know how much hardship I have gone through, how much torture I have endured, and how much pressure I have been under along the way?!

"I crawled out of the prison in Qi County. I tried my best. I didn't dare to stop for a moment, slack off, or even sleep for a quarter of an hour!"

Li Yan's eyes were filled with anger and unwillingness. His body was shaking slightly. He could hardly suppress the pain in his heart.

"Why?"

"Why!"

"Why."

Li Yan's eyes gradually regained their calmness, but beneath the calmness were countless surging undercurrents, it was the calm before the storm.

His voice was firm, with an unshakable determination.

"I can not be reconciled."

The cold wind whistled past, causing the braziers that were lighting the surrounding areas to sway continuously.

The firelight flickered, shining on Li Yan's face, sometimes bright and sometimes dim.

Li Yan's eyes appeared particularly bright in the firelight, like two burning flames, hot and unextinguishable.

"I am not willing to be manipulated by others, I am not willing to waste my life, I am not willing to let the world be taken by others!"

He didn't want to let this country fall into the hands of anyone other than himself. He wanted to take over this great country of China himself!

"I'm going to take a gamble."

Li Yan's expression was cold and his eyes were firm.

His tone softened. Compared to his previous anger and despair, he seemed calmer at this moment, even with a hint of relief.

"I've put everything on the line. There's no way back. I've done it."

"I'm not a star in the sky, nor am I a reincarnated god. There are many things I can't consider completely."

"This is the only way I can think of to get out of this bind, and I have to seize it."

The coldness on his neck disappeared, and Li Yan's eyes were as calm as water. He saw that Li Dingguo had put the knife back into the sheath.

But Li Yan didn't feel relaxed at all.

Li Dingguo's eyes had regained their calmness.

Li Dingguo's calmness and insight far exceeded his expectations.

Li Yan knew that Li Dingguo saw through him.

"If we have different principles, we cannot work together."

Li Dingguo looked at Li Yan calmly and spoke slowly.

"At this point, if I kill you, the rebel army will be destroyed in no time."

"I can't kill you now."

"But I will not obey your orders and join your People's Army."

"How can I not avenge the murder of my brother and father?!"

Li Dingguo tightly gripped the goose-feather knife at his waist, and his knuckles turned white from the force.

"I know your plan."

"You came into the camp alone as a messenger, and you knew that I would consider the overall situation and not kill you, but I would not surrender to you either. I would take a third path."

"This third path is your real plan."

Li Dingguo looked at Li Yan and said coldly.

"You know I will most likely choose this third path."

Li Yan's expression gradually became solemn, and he looked at Li Dingguo.

Originally, what he knew about Li Dingguo was basically the information passed on by Pan Du'ao and the fragmentary reports from his spies.

Li Yan knew that Li Dingguo was brave and resourceful, and he knew Li Dingguo's abilities and talents.

Knowing that Li Dingguo was an outlier in Zhang Xianzhong's army, he had a certain sense of patriotism and sympathy for the poor people.

But right now, it seems that he doesn't understand enough.

Li Dingguo is a hidden dragon.

A true hidden dragon.

"You can now ask your deputy to return to the camp and order the navy to evacuate Jiangpu."

"After we safely cross the Yangtze River, I will release you, just as you planned from the beginning."

Li Dingguo was well aware of Li Yan's plan.

Li Yan understood him, so he knew that he would never kill him and would put the overall situation first.

The worst outcome is the current outcome.

He led his troops out of Nanjing and returned to the territory they controlled, maintaining a fragile peace with the Wanmin Army.

The military strength of the Wanmin Army has been strengthened again. When it captured Fengyang, it had a total of 400,000 soldiers and horses.

After layoffs and reorganization, there are still 200,000 people.

In the Battle of Pizhou, a large number of Ming troops surrendered, and with the completion of the training of the recruited new troops, the strength of the Wanmin Army expanded to 250,000.

After many battles, the military strength of the Wanmin Army fluctuated, but it basically hovered around 250,000.

Now, after annexing the Western Army, 150,000 combat-capable soldiers were added in an instant, and the total strength increased to 400,000.

He also obtained the armor and weapons of the defenders in Nanjing City, and was already strong enough to fight against Chen Wang.

In addition, there are a large amount of food and supplies, as well as a large number of craftsmen and laborers in Nanjing City, which can be used as a military and logistical base.

The Ten Thousand People's Army has a lot of wealth. With huge amounts of money spent, the workshops in the city run day and night, and the Ten Thousand People's Army will only become stronger and stronger.

Li Dingguo raised his hand, and two bodyguards beside him immediately stepped forward, holding down the standing Li Yan on the left and right.

Li Yan did not resist, but just stood there quietly, still at his mercy.

"I admit, I underestimated you."

The two deputy envoys behind Li Yan had already retreated and were taken away from the military camp.

"This time, I will do as you wish."

Li Dingguo ignored Li Yan's words.

"But after that, I will never do what you want again."

Li Dingguo turned around, slowly closed his eyes, and spoke word by word.

"The hatred for killing my brother and my father is irreconcilable."