To say the most important people around Li Zicheng, then Niu Jinxing and Song Xiance are definitely on the list. So what happened to these two people after Li Zicheng died? After several years of fighting since the uprising, Li Zicheng finally broke into Beijing, and Emperor Chongzhen of Daming hanged himself. Li Zicheng was emperor in Beijing for a period of time, only to find that Manchu entered the customs at this time, and Li Zicheng led only a mob, so that he was driven out of Beijing without fighting with the Qing soldiers. It is also from this time that Li Zicheng has been going downhill.
In the process of fleeing, he was often besieged by the Qing army. He first retreated from Beijing, then went to Xi 'an and other places, and then moved around Hubei. Niu Jinxing, who was appointed as a university student at that time, saw that Li Zicheng was doomed, and thought that there was no future to follow him, so he quietly left Li Zicheng with his son. In fact, Niu Jinxing is a formidable figure in Shunjun. His first half of life was very difficult. Haven't take refuge in Li Zicheng, was framed, the result was removed from the juren, sent into exile.
Originally, Niu Jinxing's life ended here. Later, because of Yan Li's recommendation, he became a counselor under Li Zicheng's account. If Niu Jinxing had not met Yan Li, his life would have been even more miserable. However, Niu Jinxing bite the hand that feeds him and instigated Li Zicheng to kill Yan Li, so it seems not surprising that Niu Jinxing took his son after Li Zicheng fell from power. Niu Jinxing left, naturally to take refuge in the qing army. In order to buy people's hearts, the imperial court named Niu Jinxing's son as the magistrate of Huangzhou.
Because Niu Jinxing's previous official position was too high, it was not convenient for the Qing court to arrange his official position, so he always lived in his son's house and eventually died of old age. But the other Song Xiance was not so lucky. He is a military commander around Li Zicheng. Shunjun was ambushed by Qing soldiers on the Yangtze River. In the case of defeat, Li Zicheng always fled in a hurry. Although Li Zicheng recovered his life, his Liu Zongmin and Song Xiance were miserable, and both of them were captured. The fate of these two prisoners is also different. Liu Zongmin is the most valued general around Li Zicheng, so after being captured, the Qing soldiers strangled him with bowstring for the first time.
Song Xiance is just a strategist. He came to vote halfway, so he is not loyal to Li Zicheng. He's just making a living in troubled times, and Song has a glib tongue. So after Manchu was captured, he was spared the death penalty, but he stayed in the palace and let him return to his old job as a counselor. Li Zicheng was the direct figure who overthrew the Ming Dynasty, and Niu Jinxing and Song Xiance were his right-hand men, who made great contributions to his career. Unexpectedly, Li Zicheng won quickly and lost quickly. Under the encirclement and suppression of down archers in Ming and Qing Dynasties, Li Zicheng's troops soon collapsed, so when he fled to Hubei, Li Zicheng's men actually didn't have many military forces, and some people who followed him began to feel it in their hearts.
In modern times, many people say that the ancients were foolish and loyal, but they are not. Judging from Niu Jinxing's behavior, the ancients were very clever, knowing how to seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, and assess the situation. Although Niu Jinxing's behavior is not desirable, it also proves that he is not a man who refuses to accept the truth. On the contrary, he had a unique vision and saw that Li Zicheng was bound to retreat.
So Niu Jinxing finally enjoyed his old age under the rule of the Qing Dynasty, and it would be nice to have another Song Xiance. Although he was captured by the Qing army, fortunately, his life was not threatened. As for Li Zicheng, that would be terrible. He died of illness within a few months after he escaped from Beijing. I'm sure everyone knows what happened later. Manchu officially took over the Central Plains Dynasty.