When he was a teenager, Li Zicheng was hit hard by the death of his parents. He was helpless and faced heavy taxes, and he could no longer afford the income from sheep herding. So he applied to work as a postman at the post station. Unfortunately, just in time for the post station reform and streamlining the post station, Li Zicheng had no choice but to be laid off and go home.
Because he was unable to repay his debts, Li Zicheng was sued by his creditors and was almost beaten to death. Later, he escaped with the help of his friends and killed his creditor. However, misfortunes never come singly. Li Zicheng, who was already upset, discovered that his wife had committed adultery and killed her in a rage. With two lives on his back, he had no choice but to rebel and seek a way out.
Fortunately, Li Zicheng liked to practice martial arts since he was a child, and he was handy with swords, guns and sticks. He was very popular among the rebels, and he quickly formed his own team and joined his uncle Chuang Wang Gao Yingxiang . Later, Gao Yingxiang died in the battle at Heishuiling. His old troops chose to follow Li Zicheng, and Li Zicheng was also recommended as the "King of Chuang".
The heavy taxes of the Ming Dynasty caused the people to suffer miserably, and disaster victims were everywhere. Li Zicheng was born as a farmer and was well aware of the hardships faced by the common people. So they opened warehouses to release grain and provide relief to the victims. The victims burst into tears of gratitude, as if they had seen hope.
So Li Zicheng responded to his call, and young and strong young people joined the army one after another. In just a few dozen days, Li Zicheng's troops numbered tens of thousands. As the saying goes: "He who wins the hearts of the people wins the world." This also laid the foundation for Li Zicheng's later attack on the city.
In the 16th year of Chongzhen , Li Zicheng's troops were like The Yellow River was overflowing and out of control. In the first month of the first month, he captured Chengtian and became known as the "King of Xinshun". In April, he killed the traitor Yuan Shizhong . In August, Li Zicheng led his army in pursuit for 400 miles, defeated the Ming army, and marched westward. In October, Li Zicheng broke through Tongguan, killed Sun Chuanting, and occupied Shaanxi.
The following year, Li Zicheng proclaimed himself emperor, established his capital in Xi'an, and established the "Dashun ", overthrowing the 276-year rule of the Ming Dynasty. Faced with the chaos after the war, Li Zicheng began drastic reforms.
Economically, Li Zicheng was exempted from taxes and expropriated land from landlords. Regardless of high or low, the land is equally divided for the common people to cultivate, and the common people are helped to improve their farming techniques. These measures were in sharp contrast to the harsh rule of the Ming Dynasty.
In terms of political power construction, he appointed intellectuals, granted amnesty to the world, and released prisoners in prisons. At the same time, the suppression of high-ranking officials and nobles not only safeguarded the interests of farmers, but also consolidated their own rule.
Under these seemingly perfect policies, some problems are actually covered up. That is, Li Zicheng appointed frustrated intellectuals. Most of them were farmers, had lived at the bottom for a long time, were short-sighted, and had no experience in leading troops to fight or running a country.
As time goes by, problems begin to emerge. They are unable to solve the problems that arise one after another and frequently make mistakes in decision-making. This laid the foundation for Li Zicheng's future failure.
Because the old Ming Dynasty Wu Sangui refused to surrender, Li Zicheng had to lead his troops to Shanhaiguan in person. Unexpectedly, Wu Sangui had surrendered to Dorgon . In the battle of Shanhaiguan, Li Zicheng was defeated by the two of them and was forced to retreat to Beijing.
Perhaps Li Zicheng's failure was destined. Li Zicheng, who was seriously injured, also encountered the plague , which had not been seen in decades. Most of the soldiers who returned to Beijing were infected, resulting in a significant reduction in combat effectiveness.
Although Li Zicheng recruited troops aggressively, he was far unable to keep up with the spread of the plague. Facing the fierce iron horse of the Qing Dynasty, Li Zicheng was unable to resist, and was finally driven out of Beijing.
There are different opinions about the cause of Li Zicheng's death. Some people say that he committed suicide by hanging, some say that he died in battle, and some say that he finally retired to the mountains and forests. In any case, Li Zicheng's failure cannot be changed.
Although he only served as emperor for 42 days, Li Zicheng still left a mark in Chinese history. It's a pity that as a farmer, he couldn't get rid of the small farmer mentality and was short-sighted. His failure was doomed. But his tax policies had a profound impact on later generations. respectable! What a shame! Pitiful!
