I, Emperor Chongzhen, have extended the life of the Ming Dynasty by five hundred years.

Zhu Youjian led his warrior battalion on a journey that took him day and night to return to Baoding.

He Fu and Miao Gang were still waiting for the imperial edict, but unexpectedly, the emperor arrived instead.

"We were unaware of Your Majesty's personal arrival and were unable to greet you from afar..."

"Alright, this isn't the capital. Let's skip the formalities!"

Zhu Youjian, in a flurry of activity, went straight to the point: "Tell me, what's the situation now?"

He Fu said, "Following Your Majesty's instructions, I have been distributing land to the people. To date, more than 60,000 people have been resettled, and this number is still increasing..."

"I wasn't asking about the land!"

Zhu Youjian interrupted again, turning to look at Miao Gang: "What's the situation with the rebel army?"

Upon hearing this, He Fu quickly stepped aside and let Miao Gang come to the front.

"Your Majesty, the rebel army in the southern route is said to number 300,000, but in reality, it has at most 150,000. In the battle that day, more than 50,000 were directly lost. Of the remaining 100,000, half were logistics and miscellaneous personnel. Therefore, only 50,000 were truly capable of fighting."

"Liu Fangliang took these 50,000 men away and replaced them with Li Yan, who is said to be a scholar who passed the imperial examination. I believe that Li Zicheng is preparing to abandon the southern front and focus all his efforts on attacking Juyong Pass."

"Your Majesty and Prefect He have discussed the matter and concluded that since the rebel army has brazenly withdrawn its main force, it would be better for our army to take advantage of the situation and recapture Zhengding!"

"No!"

Zhu Youjian waved his hands repeatedly and said, "I came here for this very reason. Don't underestimate Li Yan; he's a shrewd strategist and not to be underestimated!"

Upon hearing this, Miao Gang couldn't help but turn to look at He Fu.

He Fu was also looking at Miao Gang, his expression somewhat strange.

Zhu Youjian ignored him and continued, "If I am not mistaken, the Red Maiden Army is already on its way!"

Miao Gang and He Fu looked at each other again, both showing surprise.

Zhu Youjian asked, "What do you mean? You don't believe me?"

"No, no..."

Miao Gang waved his hands repeatedly, then said, "But Your Majesty's words were only mentioned by someone yesterday..."

"What did you say?"

"That's right... what you just said, Li Yan is no simple man, he's resourceful, and he even has a matchmaker..."

"I am asking you, who said these words?"

Miao Gang pulled He Fu in front of him, and He Fu said, "Your Majesty, this is my Assistant Prefect, Shao Zongyuan!"

"Shao Zongyuan?"

Zhu Youjian thought for a moment and asked, "I remember that this person was a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial civil service examination) and started as a county magistrate. He had a remarkable political record. Before you took office in Baoding, he also served as the acting prefect for a period of time."

"Exactly!"

He Fu nodded and said, "Before I came to Baoding to take up my post, Magistrate Shao had already made perfect arrangements for the entire city. He even gave me a warning before Chen Yan lured me out of the city..."

"Really? Could this person possess the ability to foresee the future?"

Zhu Youjian immediately became interested and continued, "Tell me, what did Shao Zongyuan say?"

He Fu said, "Prefect Shao once said that Chen Yan was too self-serving and warned me to be careful. I only regret that I trusted that scoundrel Chen Yan too much and didn't take Prefect Shao's words to heart. Now that I think about it, it's too late to regret it!"

"When Chen Yan was deceiving you, didn't this person stop him?"

He Fu shook his head and said, "Prefect Shao is in charge of education in Baoding Prefecture. He was on an inspection tour of various counties recently and was not in the city."

Zhu Youjian increasingly felt that this person was no ordinary individual, so he asked, "Where is this person now?"

"He was on duty at the yamen (government office)."

"Call them over here right now!"

"yes!"

A short while later, Shao Zongyuan rushed over.

"Your subject, Shao Zongyuan, kowtows to Your Majesty, wishing you a long life!"

"You may dispense with the formalities, sir!"

As Zhu Youjian spoke, he carefully examined the person in front of him.

He was plain-looking, of medium build, around forty years old, and looked unremarkable.

However, it is precisely because it looks so ordinary that it appears unusual.

This person was a fourth-rank prefectural prefect, the second-in-command of Baoding Prefecture, which was considered a high-ranking official in the local area.

Take Prefect He Fu as an example. His clothes, hairstyle, and beard were all meticulously groomed, making him clearly not an ordinary person.

Shao Zongyuan, on the other hand, was completely different. He was dressed very casually, his beard was messy, and there was even a chopstick stuck in his hair.

"You certainly don't care about your appearance!"

"I am rather unkempt; please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

Zhu Youjian hesitated for a moment, then said, "Since you are on duty in the yamen, shouldn't you at least wear official robes?"

"It's been washed, but it's not dry!"

"Just one? Didn't you prepare a change?"

"I think one is enough. Preparing more is useless and a waste of money."

Zhu Youjian couldn't help but chuckle, then said, "Alright, let's get down to business. What do you think of Li Yan?"

Shao Zongyuan seemed to have been prepared, and bowed, saying, "If I'm not mistaken, Your Majesty must have come for this person."

Zhu Youjian smiled and said, "Minister He just said you could predict the future, and now I believe you!"

Shao Zongyuan hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, I dare not show off. Li Yan is a man of great talent and a heart full of righteousness. If he can serve Your Majesty, it will be a blessing for the people of our Great Ming."

"Indeed, I have come here to recruit this person. Tell me your thoughts."

Shao Zongyuan nodded slightly and said, "If Your Majesty wishes to persuade Li Yan to surrender, a two-pronged approach is necessary. First, our army needs to demonstrate sufficient strength, just as Zhuge Liang captured Meng Huo seven times. If Zhuge Liang's strength hadn't far surpassed Meng Huo's, how could Meng Huo have willingly submitted?"

"Although our Great Ming is facing many difficulties, His Majesty is personally leading the expedition, the morale is high, and Baoding Prefecture is now stable. Next, we must show our fangs and claws and let Li Yan see that even if he holds on to Zhengding, it is nothing but a last-ditch resistance, and he will eventually be unable to escape the fate of defeat and destruction."

"Secondly, Li Yan is a man of great righteousness, and all his policies are based on the people's interests, which is his most valuable quality. If Your Majesty wishes to recruit him, you must first work on winning the hearts of the people and demonstrate Your Majesty's benevolence. In the past, Li Zicheng was able to gather the people's support by saying, 'When the King of Chuang comes, there will be no more taxes.'"

"Now His Majesty has issued an edict that taxes will never be increased, and has implemented new policies in Baoding, attracting tens of thousands of refugees. The results are already evident. These newly settled people are His Majesty's greatest weapon. If Li Yan can witness His Majesty's benevolent rule firsthand, it will naturally touch his heart."

"Your Majesty is advised to send an envoy with a personal letter from Your Majesty, to express Your Majesty's ambition to restore the Ming Dynasty, to appeal to Li Yan's emotions and convey Your Majesty's righteousness, to explain Your Majesty's eagerness to seek out talented people, and to express Your Majesty's desire to work together for the well-being of all people."

Zhu Youjian listened attentively, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes, and then asked, "What are your thoughts on Hong Niangzi?"

Shao Zongyuan replied, "Hong Niangzi was originally an actress, and her soldiers are all from poor backgrounds. I heard that this army only robs landlords and gentry and never lays a hand on the poor, which is especially rare."

"For this reason, Hong Niangzi often had disagreements with other generals in the rebel army. Although Li Zicheng was tolerant, many of his generals were greedy and lustful, and they had a lot of complaints about Hong Niangzi's actions."

"However, in the eyes of the poor, Lady Hong holds considerable prestige. I believe that such a person should be primarily offered amnesty..."

"Your Majesty, I believe this is inappropriate!"

Upon hearing this, Miao Gang frowned and retorted, "While what Magistrate Shao said has its merits, rebellion is a serious crime. If it is easily pardoned, it will be difficult to win over the people and may even encourage rebellion. How will we govern the country in the future then?"

Shao Zongyuan smiled slightly and said calmly, "General Miao is right. In times of chaos, severe measures should be used. However, in extraordinary times, extraordinary measures should be taken. Now that war is raging all over the country, it is not a long-term solution to suppress everything with iron-fisted methods. The imperial court has limited military strength and its provisions are not unlimited. If we make enemies everywhere, we will eventually exhaust the country's strength and it will be difficult to end the situation."

"Li Yan and Hong Niangzi, though of humble origins, have the common people at heart, and their actions differ from those of bandits who rise up simply for their own selfish desires. If we could recruit them, we could weaken the rebel army and also add a useful force to the court. Why not do it?"

Miao Gang shook his head and said, "What you're saying is useless. A rebel is a rebel. No matter what their motives are, once they embark on this path, they are disloyal to the court. If we easily pardon them, what will those loyal and patriotic people think?"

The two argued endlessly, each sticking to their own version of events.

Zhu Youjian looked at He Fu and asked, "What does Minister He think?"

He Fu, who was deep in thought, stepped forward upon hearing this and said, "I believe that offering amnesty is something worth trying. Even if Li Yan and his wife refuse, it won't be a loss for the court. However, the person sent to deliver the decree must be bold, meticulous, and eloquent. I have been considering candidates..."

"This humble official, though unworthy, is willing to give it a try!"

Shao Zongyuan remained calm and volunteered.