Chapter 1172: A King Not Meant for the Pond
The Dashing King and his retinue stood at the entrance of Zhang Xianzhong's camp, waiting to be received. The impending feeling of being dependent on another made him deeply uncomfortable.
He had, in fact, served under Wang Zuogua before, and also under Bu Zhan Ni, even commanding the Eighth Squad. His current "Old Eighth Squad" was formed during that time. Later, he served under the former Dashing King, Gao Yingxiang, always playing the role of the "Dashing General."
Logically speaking, seeking refuge with Zhang Xianzhong shouldn't have been a source of such inner turmoil.
However, the moment he himself became the Dashing King, his mindset had changed.
He no longer permitted himself to play second fiddle!
It was perhaps the mindset of a former boss, who found it difficult to return to working for others.
With this complex mix of emotions, the Dashing King silently observed Zhang Xianzhong's camp before him. Inside, a ragged group of bandit soldiers were leering and grinning at him, the scent of their mockery palpable even from ten zhang away.
“These men are making a spectacle of me! To see me, the mighty Dashing King, now forced to seek Zhang Xianzhong’s protection,” the Dashing King gritted his teeth.
“Uncle,” Li Guo whispered, “a great man knows how to stoop and how to rise.”
Just as they were speaking, Zhang Xianzhong's men emerged.
At the forefront was a general, who smiled as he approached the Dashing King, his arms outstretched, adopting an overly cordial demeanor. “Brother Dashing King,” he exclaimed, “we’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival!”
But the Dashing King’s gaze wasn't fixed on the general. His keen eyes noticed that the soldiers behind the general all had their hands resting on their saber hilts, their nerves taut, exuding an aura of readiness for battle.
A sudden realization struck the Dashing King, and he abruptly called out, “Old Eighth Squad! Run!”
Having spoken, he spun around and fled.
The Old Eighth Squad, being of one mind with him, understood immediately. They all reacted almost simultaneously, quickly turning, and sprinting after him.
Zhang Xianzhong's subordinates were momentarily stunned, but the Dashing King and his group were already far away. “Damn it, they’re quick-witted!” cried their commander. “Chase them! All of you, give chase!”
However, they had only chased a few steps when they heard gasps of alarm from their own camp, as many soldiers rushed out to watch.
Zhang Xianzhong’s confidants froze. They knew they couldn't openly pursue and kill the Dashing King in front of so many of their own men.
The Dashing King was nominally still the top figure among the greenwood heroes. If they quickly eliminated him without letting the news spread, it would be fine. But if the onlookers were all present, and they still pursued the Dashing King to kill him, making it known to everyone, their reputation in the martial world would be ruined.
The confidants quickly halted and turned to their own men, chuckling awkwardly. “Oh, dear, we simply wanted to give the Dashing King a proper welcome, but he suddenly fled for some reason. Perhaps he misunderstood. He truly underestimated our Brother Zhang Xianzhong. Is our big brother the kind of man who would betray his own? Ah, he’s truly judging a gentleman’s heart with a villain’s mind.”
The Dashing King and his retinue fled in disarray, sprinting desperately.
Since Zhang Xianzhong sought to kill them, they naturally dared not linger in Hubei and had no choice but to head north, escaping into Henan territory.
The food they had begged from the Gao Family Village logistics team by the Han River had also run out. Everyone was exhausted, hungry, and utterly drained. Unsure how they would survive, they suddenly looked up and saw a grand manor appearing before them.
“Let’s plunder this family,” Li Guo said.
“Good!”
The Dashing King and his group surged towards the grand manor, only to see a scholarly-looking man emerge from within. Upon seeing the Dashing King’s banner emblazoned with the character 'Chuang', he couldn’t help but sigh. “The Dashing King? Have you truly fallen to such a state? With only a hundred or so men left, are even small, insignificant households like mine worthy of your attention now? I had long predicted you would come to this. Alas, with your way of doing things, you were bound to end up in this predicament.”
At these words, the Dashing King was indeed surprised and no longer rushed to plunder. “Who are you, sir?”
The man, with a calm expression, replied, “I am Li Yan. You may also call me Li Xin.”
The Dashing King discerned that this was a man of learning. “Mister Li, it seems you have some opinions about my affairs? Do you believe I cannot achieve greatness?”
Li Yan said, “You are merely a bandit. How can you achieve greatness? I have read countless books and have never encountered anyone who acts like a bandit achieving anything truly significant.”
The Dashing King was secretly startled. “If I wish to achieve greatness, what should I do?”
Li Yan replied: “Honor the virtuous and treat scholars with respect; eliminate the tyrannical and care for the people. Practice benevolence and righteousness, forbid soldiers from wanton rape and slaughter, win the hearts of the people—only then can you plan for great things.”
The Dashing King frowned. “The hearts of the people?”
Li Yan continued: “With the hearts of the people, you will gain the support of the common folk, and only then will you have an inexhaustible supply of soldiers.”
The Dashing King argued: “In the past, I burned, killed, plundered, and committed every evil imaginable, yet didn’t I still raise an army of over a hundred thousand?”
Li Yan chuckled. “Do you call that raising a great army? You merely gathered a rabble of disloyal followers. They will abandon you at any moment, given the slightest opportunity. Or rather, whether you are with them or not makes little difference; they will follow any chieftain equally. If a detachment gets lost or separated during a march, will they come looking for you? Will they follow you faithfully, never abandoning you? Will they refuse to obey any leader other than you?”
The Dashing King was speechless.
Li Yan pressed: “Admit it, you do not possess the hearts of the people. That is why your army is merely a fleeting illusion, and a single defeat can turn your hundred thousand strong army into dust.”
The Dashing King bowed deeply. “Please, Master, teach me. I am willing to take you as my military advisor, and together we shall plan for great things.”
Li Yan let out a long sigh. “Very well, I shall follow you. This world needs someone to save it, and besides you, I cannot find anyone more suitable to do so.”
Thus, the Dashing King, Li Zicheng, joyfully gained a military advisor.
From then on, his army had a true intellectual in its ranks, a learned scholar with vision and insight.
The first thing Li Yan did after joining the Dashing Army was to compose songs!
“Open wide the gates to welcome the Dashing King; when the Dashing King arrives, no grain shall be surrendered!”
“Open the gates early to greet the Dashing King, and everyone will surely rejoice!”
“The Dashing King’s army is one of benevolence and righteousness, they neither kill nor plunder!”
After composing the songs, Li Yan had people spread them far and wide, while also addressing the Dashing King: “Now that you only have a hundred or so men, it will be easier to reform military discipline. Starting today, command all your subordinates not to plunder the common folk. We will only seize grain from the officials, not from the people. Under this fundamental principle, we can reassemble a truly benevolent and righteous army, and only then can we contend for the empire.”
In the tenth year of Chongzhen, the Dashing King, Li Zicheng, cornered by Gao Family Village and Zhang Xianzhong, encountered Li Yan.
A true king is not meant for the pond; upon meeting Li Yan, he transformed into a dragon.
From that day forward, the Dashing Army abandoned its old ways of burning, killing, and plundering, transforming from a ferocious band of bandits into an army of benevolence and righteousness.
From this day on, the Dashing Army could no longer be called mere vagabonds.
But rather: a peasant uprising army!
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