Li Zicheng stood with his head held high and his chest held high. When he cupped his hands, he looked directly at Zhao Han. Unfortunately, he was too far away to see clearly.
However, Niu Jinxing knelt down immediately, prostrating and worshiping: "Caomin Niu Jinxing, long live my emperor!"
"No courtesy." Zhao Han said.
Niu Jinxing slowly got up, but seeing that Li Zicheng was still looking directly at the emperor, his heart beat suddenly, for fear that he would be implicated by this rude act.
But Zhao Han said: "Come closer, and give me a seat."
Li Zicheng strode forward, Niu Jinxing walked quickly, and sat down a foot away from the emperor.
The palace guards on both sides put their hands on the handle of the hammer one after another, and if there was an accident, they would rush forward and beat Li Zicheng to death.
As they got closer, Li Zicheng finally saw Zhao Han's face clearly, and he was inevitably a little disappointed in his heart. This Emperor Zhao was a little different from what he had imagined, more like a scholar full of knowledge, not like the founding monarch who recklessly raised his troops to conquer the world.
He was born quite good-looking, just like a little boy.
The beard is not very imposing, there is only a small slender mustache between the lips and nose, and the beard on the chin is only four or five inches.
However, there is one thing that Li Zicheng quite admires, that is, Emperor Zhao's generosity. He was not forced to kneel, nor was he angry because of his rude behavior, otherwise it would be really embarrassing for him to kneel.
Zhao Han was also looking at Li Zicheng. This person had dark and rough skin, sunken eye sockets, high cheekbones, forward nostrils, and a big beard under his jaw. The most noticeable thing is Li Zicheng's eyes, bright and sharp, looking directly at the emperor at this moment, vividly interpreting what is called "the eagle looks at the wolf".
Zhao Han couldn't help laughing and asked: "Why does King Chuang stare at me? It seems like there is a sworn enemy."
Niu Jinxing quickly smoothed things over: "Your Majesty doesn't know, Mr. Li has always seen things like this, and he didn't mean to stare at His Majesty."
Li Zicheng didn't want to offend the emperor, he knew how to accept it when he saw it, his eyes softened a little, and he cupped his hands and said, "The emperor please forgive me!"
"It doesn't matter," Zhao Han assessed Li Zicheng's merits and demerits face to face, "Chuang Wang raised his army because the officials forced the people to rebel. You and I are both of the same kind. It's a pity that the killing was too much, and it was an act of injustice. I was lucky enough to win the world. And also Recapturing Hetao is a great contribution to our Huaxia, and if the merits and demerits are equal, does King Chuang think it is possible?"
"Listen to the emperor," Li Zicheng said, "Your Majesty don't want to call me King Chuang anymore. It's a thing of the past, and it's boring to mention it now."
Zhao Han said with a smile: "It's just a nickname, don't worry too much about it. King Chuang doesn't want to go back to his hometown and settle down?"
Li Zicheng said: "As long as you don't go back to Mizhi, you can go anywhere."
Zhao Han said: "Then let's settle in Hebei. Hebei is vast and sparsely populated, so it's easy to divide the property when you register."
"Thank you, Emperor, for your understanding!" Li Zicheng said.
Zhao Han looked at Niu Jinxing again: "What about you? I heard you want to be an official."
Niu Jinxing quickly replied: "The grass people are guilty of crimes, and they dare not have extravagant hopes. They all depend on His Majesty's arrangement." Go to the grass and become a bandit. The grassroots have read the "Datong Collection" repeatedly, and they know the good governance of the new dynasty. If they can really be an official, they must follow the "Datong Collection" and seek the well-being of the people."
This guy really wants to be an official!
But Zhao Han was shaking his head: "You are quite old, and you have been prime minister with King Chuang. If you are given a small official, you will not be convinced. If you are given a high official, the civil and military will not be convinced. Why don't you go to teach, just specialize in it?" Ask a student from the teaching university, I think you must have something to say in your lecture."
"Your Majesty is holy!"
Niu Jinxing was so disappointed by this that he finally gave up his desire to be an official. At the same time, he thought to himself that by luck, Zhao Han asked him to teach, and he probably won't bring up old troubles again in the future.
Zhao Han looked at Li Zicheng again, but saw this guy staring at his desk. All he could see was the globe on the table.
"Wang Chuang likes this?" Zhao Han asked.
Li Zicheng said: "I don't know what it is, but it's so eye-catching, I couldn't help but look at it a few more times."
Zhao Han said to the accompanying maid: "Hold him over."
Li Zicheng has been educated, but his literacy is not much, and he has not yet reached the level of a child.
Holding the globe in his arms, he saw the big word "Nanjing" at a glance, and knew it was a weird map. Go all the way up and find Yulin and Hetao, and go east to see Shanhaiguan and Liaoning.
Looking down, it is North Korea and Japan.
The sea is to the east of North Korea and Japan. If you continue to turn the globe, you will see America, which you have never heard of. Europe, Africa, India and then China again.
Li Zicheng's eyes widened, and his hometown dialect came out.p; If you count the dependent countries, it is really a huge territory!
Not to mention a bunch of vassal states in Nanyang, even Japan, North Korea, Tibet, Qinghai, and Xinjiang are all vassals.
On the way out of the Forbidden City, Li Zicheng said to Niu Jinxing: "Do you know there is America?"
Niu Jinxing was at a loss: "Where is America?"
Li Zicheng said: "Go straight across the sea and go east. It's a big piece of land."
Niu Jinxing didn't know how to answer the conversation at all.
Li Zicheng said with emotion: "We have been holding back in Hetao for several years, but we don't think the world has changed. The earth is a ball, and there are so many places overseas. There are coal-burning machines, and spinning is scary fast. Such a bizarre situation, I can't read it anymore, it's like like"
"It seems like a lifetime away." Niu Jinxing said.
"Adversary, it's like reincarnation." Li Zicheng sighed more and more.
Niu Jinxing also felt this way. From Hetao all the way to Nanjing, what he saw and heard was really like a world away, and it was not the Chinese land he knew well at all.