Li Zicheng stood outside the camp of Zhang Xianzhong with what remained of his Old Eighth Squad.
A little over a hundred men.
Wind-worn. Mud-stained. Hungry.
Waiting to be received.
The feeling sat poorly in his chest.
He had served under others before. Under Wang Zuogua. Under Bu Zhan Ni. He had once commanded the Eighth Squad. Later he followed Gao Yingxiang, the former Chuang Wang, acting as the Dashing General.
By reason alone, seeking refuge should not have been difficult.
But reason does not rule a man who has once been at the top.
The moment he inherited the title Chuang Wang, something inside him shifted.
He could no longer tolerate standing beneath another banner.
Perhaps this was the curse of all former leaders. Once you have sat in the main seat, even a fine second chair feels like humiliation.
He looked at the camp ahead.
Inside, ragged rebel soldiers leaned on spears and sabers, grinning openly at him. Their eyes carried mockery. Ten zhang away and he could still feel it.
They were enjoying this.
The once mighty Chuang Wang, reduced to begging protection.
Li Guo leaned close.
"Uncle. A great man knows when to bow and when to rise."
Liu Zongmin added quietly, "Endure this. We will rise again."
Before Li Zicheng could respond, men emerged from Zhang Xianzhong's camp.
At the front was a general, arms spread wide in exaggerated warmth.
"Brother Chuang Wang! We have awaited you for so long!"
The smile was too wide.
Li Zicheng did not look at the man's face.
He looked at the soldiers behind him.
Every hand rested on a saber hilt.
Every stance was tight.
This was not a welcome.
This was an execution formation.
The realization struck like cold water.
"Old Eighth Squad!" Li Zicheng shouted. "Run!"
He spun and bolted without hesitation.
The Old Eighth Squad reacted as one body. No confusion. No questioning. They had followed him through fire before. They followed him now.
Behind them, Zhang Xianzhong's men froze for a heartbeat.
Then came shouting.
"Damn it! They saw through it! Chase them!"
But they had barely taken a few steps when more soldiers poured out of the camp to watch.
Zhang Xianzhong's confidants stiffened.
They could not openly slaughter Li Zicheng in full view of their own men.
Nominally, Li Zicheng was still one of the foremost figures among the greenwood heroes. If they assassinated him quietly, that was one thing. If they butchered him publicly after he came seeking refuge, their reputation would rot.
The pursuit stopped.
One of the generals forced a laugh and turned back toward the watching soldiers.
"A misunderstanding! We only wished to greet Brother Chuang Wang properly. He panicked for no reason. Does our Big Brother look like someone who betrays allies? Truly, he judges a gentleman's heart with a villain's mind."
No one answered.
By then, Li Zicheng and his men were already gone.
---
They fled north.
If Zhang Xianzhong wanted them dead, Hubei was no longer safe.
They crossed into Henan.
The grain they had received by the Han River was long gone. Hunger clawed at their insides. Their legs trembled from exhaustion. Every step felt stolen from collapse.
Then, ahead, they saw a large manor.
Li Guo's eyes hardened.
"Let's take this household."
Li Zicheng nodded.
They rushed forward.
Before they reached the gates, a scholar stepped out.
He wore plain robes. His expression calm. His eyes sharp.
He looked at the banner with the character Chuang and sighed.
"So. The Chuang Wang has fallen this far. A hundred men left, and now even a small estate like mine tempts you. I expected this outcome long ago. With your way of doing things, how could it end otherwise?"
Li Zicheng halted.
"Who are you?"
The man replied evenly, "My name is Li Yan. You may also call me Li Xin."
Li Zicheng studied him carefully.
A scholar. Not afraid.
"You think I cannot achieve greatness?"
Li Yan did not hesitate.
"You are a bandit. When in history has a bandit achieved greatness?"
Silence.
The Old Eighth Squad bristled.
Li Zicheng raised a hand, stopping them.
"If I wish to achieve greatness," he asked, "what should I do?"
Li Yan answered clearly.
"Honor the virtuous. Respect scholars. Remove tyrants. Care for the people. Practice benevolence and righteousness. Forbid your soldiers from wanton killing and plunder. Win the hearts of the people. Only then can you plan for great undertakings."
"The hearts of the people?" Li Zicheng repeated.
"With the hearts of the people, you will have endless soldiers," Li Yan said. "Without them, you only gather rabble."
Li Zicheng frowned.
"I once commanded over a hundred thousand."
Li Yan gave a faint smile.
"You call that an army? Those men followed whoever fed them. Lose one battle and they scatter. If separated during a march, would they search for you? Would they refuse another leader and wait faithfully for your return?"
Li Zicheng had no answer.
Li Yan's voice sharpened slightly.
"You never possessed their hearts. That is why one defeat turned a hundred thousand into dust."
Li Zicheng bowed deeply.
"Teach me. Be my military advisor. Let us seek great things together."
Li Yan sighed.
"This world needs saving. I see no one more suitable than you. Very well. I will follow you."
Thus, Li Zicheng gained more than a strategist.
He gained direction.
---
The first thing Li Yan did was not draft battle plans.
He wrote songs.
"Open wide the gates to welcome the Chuang Wang. When he arrives, no grain shall be surrendered."
"Open early and greet the Chuang Wang. All under heaven shall rejoice."
"The Chuang Army stands for benevolence and righteousness. It neither kills nor plunders."
He spread these songs through villages.
Then he turned to Li Zicheng.
"You have only a hundred men. Good. Easier to reform. From today onward, no plundering commoners. We take from corrupt officials, not from the people. Discipline is the foundation. Only then can you build a true righteous army."
It was the tenth year of the Chongzhen era.
Pressed by forces from Gao Family Village on one side and Zhang Xianzhong on the other, Li Zicheng had been driven into a corner.
And there, at the edge of ruin, he met Li Yan.
A true king is not meant to remain in a pond.
The moment he met Li Yan, he began to change.
From that day forward, the Chuang Army slowly abandoned blind slaughter and chaotic plunder.
It began to transform.
No longer merely a wandering band of brigands.
But something far more dangerous.
A peasant uprising army.