"Who is coming?" The Ming army guarding the city shouted at a man and a horse outside the city.
"Zhang Rong." The people below the city answered loudly.
"There are bandits nearby. The city is under martial law and no one is allowed to enter. You should leave quickly." The defender advised.
Zhang Rong glanced at the city wall and asked, "Do you know the exact location of the bandits?"
"Yes, it's just five miles north of the city."
"Okay, thank you."
"You haven't told me your identity yet!" the Ming army continued to ask.
"Eastern Investigation Factory!"
When the Ming army guarding the city heard these four words, they were stunned at first, and then looked at each other in surprise.
"What are the people from the East Factory doing here?"
"It should be to summon the bandits to surrender."
"Will it work? There's something wrong with the brains of those bandits."
"Just eat salty radishes and worry less, and defend your city."
Zhang Rong rode alone northward and met many people in a hurry on the way.
They were either carrying loads on their shoulders or pushing carts, and looking back as they walked.
Zhang Rong knew he had come to the right place, so he whipped his horse and galloped down the official road.
He and his horse were soon discovered by Li Dingguo's scouts, who led them to an open space beside a pond.
Li Dingguo was wearing a short shirt and was sitting next to a big iron pot cooking porridge.
The sticky rice porridge was bubbling in the pot, and the aroma of rice was filling the air.
Li Dingguo looked up at Zhang Rong and said, "Who are you? What do you want from me?"
"Zhang Rong from the East Factory, I have been ordered to come here to ask a few questions."
Li Dingguo frowned: "By order? I am not his subject, and I will not answer his questions."
Zhang Rong laughed and asked directly: "Li Dingguo, you joined the army at the age of nine and fought in the north and south for fifteen years. Have you ever thought about why you fought?"
"Why fight...?" Li Dingguo kept stirring the pot with a wooden stick.
"If you don't know the answer, you don't have to answer." Zhang Rong used provocation.
Li Dingguo stopped stirring and replied seriously: "Fight for the people of the world."
"Okay," Zhang Rong nodded, "The second question is, do you think the Ming Dynasty has run out of luck?"
Li Dingguo answered without hesitation: "The fate of the country has run out. Three hundred years of national life is an insurmountable mountain."
"Well," Zhang Rong nodded again, "The third question is also the last question. Are you selfish?"
"Hmm?" Li Dingguo thought he had heard it wrong, "Ask again!"
“Are you selfish?”
Selfish...what kind of bullshit question is this?
Li Dingguo laughed: "I usually lead the troops to eat and live with them. Do you think I am selfish?"
"Congratulations..." Zhang Rong took a deep breath and then exhaled heavily, "The answers are all wrong."
Li Dingguo threw down the stick and stood up: "Since you are so confident, I want to hear the so-called correct answer. If those answers cannot convince me, I will chop you up and cook you into meat porridge."
"No problem." Zhang Rong's mouth corners slightly raised.
Li Dingguo has already fallen into his trap.
"Let me tell you the answer to the first question first," Zhang Rong paused, "The correct answer is to fight for fairness."
"Fair?" Li Dingguo frowned and thought about it, but couldn't figure it out.
"Yes, it is fair." Zhang Rong repeated, "Your claim that you are fighting for the people of the world is simply not true."
"Why?"
"Because many people in the world died because of you! Don't tell me that you killed them for their own good!"
Zhang Rong's question left Li Dingguo stunned.
Zhang Rong continued, "It is unfair for the gentry and landlords to hide their land and evade taxes! It is also unfair for the merchants to take advantage of the situation to exploit the people and bribe the officials! It is also unfair for the corrupt officials to protect the evil merchants and gentry and treat human lives as worthless!"
"Even if the current emperor has appointed corrupt officials and mediocre people, it is unfair to other ministers."
“So, everything you do is a fight for fairness.”
Li Dingguo frowned and remained silent in thought.
Although what Zhang Rong said made sense, he did not quite agree with it.
But he couldn't find any rebuttal.
"Well... tell me the next answer." Li Dingguo's voice was a little dull.
"Well, the Ming Dynasty is not doomed yet. It has been saved by a strong medicine."
"What kind of strong medicine?"
"Exempt the whole country from taxes for two years."
Li Dingguo gritted his teeth and said, "Tell me the answer to the third question."
"The reason why I say you are selfish is because you have never considered your subordinates."
"What does this mean?" Li Dingguo asked.
"Life is short, and grass and trees wither with autumn. You can't be bandits forever. Sooner or later, you will be destroyed by the Ming Dynasty. Whether you leave your name in the history of bandits or in the history of famous generals is up to you."
"Are you here to persuade us to surrender?" Li Dingguo's eyes flashed with ferocity.
Zhang Rong shook his head: "I am not here to persuade you to surrender, but to discuss cooperation. Your Majesty provides money and people, and you provide the labor, that's all. Your Majesty also said that you don't have to be loyal to the Ming Dynasty, you only need to be loyal to your own heart."
Li Dingguo was stunned when he heard this condition, then shook his head: "Your Majesty's words are really nice. If it is true that he does not need to be loyal to the Ming Dynasty, why did Liu Zeqing and Zuo Liangyu die?"
"I won't kill you today, so go away."
Not only did Zhang Rong not leave, but he sat down instead.
He picked up a bowl and scooped a bowl of porridge directly from the pot. "Liu Zeqing and Zuo Liangyu used the banner of the government army to kill people and burn people. Isn't it right for Your Majesty to get rid of these evil people?"
Although Li Dingguo still refused to surrender on the surface, he had already begun to hesitate in his heart.
There was no way back for Zhang Xianzhong, and he looked down on Li Zicheng.
There are only two paths left.
One is to act alone and plunder the people under the pretext of equal distribution of land and exemption of grain taxes.
Recruit the civilians into the army to strengthen the ranks.
When the army is large enough, he will follow Li Zicheng's example and conquer a place and become king or emperor.
The other option was to surrender to the Ming army.
They transformed themselves into government troops and, under the order of the imperial court, wiped out the rebel army.
Li Dingguo came from a rebel background and he couldn't do such a thing as crossing the river and destroying the bridge.
Just as he was about to refuse again, Zhang Rong spoke up first, "If you accept the imperial edict, His Majesty will not let you fight Zhang Xianzhong or Li Zicheng."
Li Dingguo snorted coldly: "Let me fight the Jiannu? Use the Jiannu to kill me? Your Majesty is indeed vicious and cruel."
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