Those Who Seek the Country

In the thirteenth year of Chongzhen, Zhang Renxin rescued King Zhou from the dead city of Kaifeng. The court praised his loyalty and bravery, but he put the vassal king under house arrest and hid the jade seal secretly. On the night when the army besieged Beijing, he knelt down and admonished Chongzhen: "I am willing to defend to the death." He turned around and whispered to his confidant: "Quickly control the nine gates and lock King Qin's army to death." Under the old locust tree in Meishan Mountain, he held the jade seal to collect the defeated army and bloodbathed the leader of Donglin. On the eve of Hong Chengchou's surrender to the Qing Dynasty, he tapped the scabbard of his sword and was imprisoned: "Does Mr. Hong know that I let Li Yan go on purpose?" Ten years later, the new dynasty was established, and the ministers competed for credit. However, he burned all his military symbols on a boat in Taihu Lake. "This world," he whispered to the empty lake: "It's time to give it back to the people."