My father is Chongzhen? Then I have no choice but to rebel.

Chapter 231: 20,000 Ming soldiers vs. 50,000 peasant soldiers, the massacre begins!
Just then, another supervising soldier shouted loudly:
"Listen up, all of you! Anyone who dares to flee will suffer the consequences!"

"Now that you have joined the Western King's forces, you should obey his orders."

"You must do whatever the Western King tells you to do!"

Then, a farmer said in a trembling voice:

"Sir, we're just trying to get a meal. We don't want to fight the soldiers. We're no match for them. This is sending us to our deaths!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than another supervising soldier shouted:
"Shut up! If you dare to undermine morale again, I'll kill you!"

Then, seemingly realizing his tone had been a bit harsh, he immediately softened it.

"The officers and soldiers aren't actually that scary; you're just scaring yourselves!"

“Once our 50,000 men rush over, they will immediately collapse, and then we will win. This is how we have always defeated government troops.”

It was obvious that the supervising soldier was deceiving the peasant army.

But these peasant soldiers were not easily fooled and refused to go forward no matter what.

Seeing this, the soldiers in charge stopped talking and went straight forward to kill several more people.

In an instant, the strong smell of blood filled the air, making the surrounding air feel even hotter.

Ultimately, under the threat of death, these peasant soldiers had no choice but to advance towards Zuo Liangyu's army.

Perhaps in historical records, these peasant army leaders are described as incredibly great and selfless, but in the end, they were also human beings with selfish desires.

When their status and position reach a certain level, they will no longer regard their former peers as their own.

Just like right now.

Once upon a time, these soldiers in the old camp were also farmers.

But now, they act like superiors, ruthlessly driving these peasant soldiers to their deaths.

At this moment, the sun was blazing, its intense heat relentlessly baking the earth, while the dry, hot winds, carrying yellow sand, raged and swirled wildly across the vast plains.

Zuo Liangyu held the binoculars in his hand to his eyes. The binoculars were slightly hot in the sunlight. His gaze was like that of a hawk, fixed on the movements in the distance.

When Zuo Liangyu saw the peasant army opposite him, who had already turned around, suddenly turn around again as if they had received an order and rush towards their camp, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, and a contemptuous sneer appeared on his lips.

Sure enough, when these peasant soldiers saw that he wouldn't fall for their tricks, they decided to fight him head-on!

However, they didn't consider their own strength. Could this rabble possibly defeat him, who had 20,000 elite soldiers?
Immediately afterwards, Zuo Liangyu's gaze swept over the densely packed peasant army. Although in terms of numbers, the peasant army was a dark mass, numbering nearly 50,000, while his own forces were far outnumbered.

But you have to understand that these peasant armies were all poor peasants who were starving and naked. How could they be compared to his 20,000 well-equipped and well-trained elite troops?

Just now, Zuo Liangyu saw clearly through his binoculars that, in order to force the peasant army to change direction and attack, the enemy's supervisory team was holding long swords and slashing at the peasants who hesitated even slightly.

What kind of fighting power could a peasant army that is maintained by bloody suppression have?

I'm afraid that if the cavalry charged, it would collapse instantly, just like the House of Cards.

Thinking of this, Zuo Liangyu turned his head without hesitation and decisively gave an order to the deputy general beside him:
"let's start!"

The lieutenant's expression hardened, and he clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, saying:

"As ordered!"

In an instant, the stirring sound of bugles pierced through the scorching air and tore through the sky.

Upon hearing the command, the three thousand cavalrymen sprang into action, their hoofbeats sounding like a dense drumbeat, as if the earth itself were trembling.

They sped towards the peasant army like arrows released from a bow, raising clouds of dust behind them like a giant yellow dragon.

At this moment, they were like a sharp steel knife, wanting to pierce straight into the heart of the peasant army!
Zuo Liangyu had a habit when fighting: he never charged ahead.

Firstly, he valued his life highly and was unwilling to take unnecessary risks.

Secondly, as the highest-ranking military officer, it is only natural for him to command operations from the rear.

After all, he is the core of this army. If he suffers casualties, it will easily damage the morale of the army and may even cause the army to collapse instantly.

Therefore, having the highest-ranking general command the central army is undoubtedly the best choice.

And this is also the way most generals fight!
Generally speaking, generals will not easily engage in battle unless it is a matter of life and death.

As for Zhu Cilang's earlier charge against the Jurchen army, it was because that war involved the life and death of the Ming Dynasty, and he was forced by circumstances to disregard everything else.

Meanwhile, behind the peasant army camp.

When Li Dingguo saw the enemy cavalry move out, he instantly became alert, and all his nerves were on edge.

His fingers gripped the hilt of the knife at his waist tightly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Immediately afterwards, he quickly ordered the soldiers in the old camp to prepare for battle, while instructing the front-line supervisory team to drive the peasant army forward again.

These poor peasant soldiers instantly became easy targets for others to slaughter.

Their clothes were tattered, their eyes filled with fear and despair as they watched the cavalry charge like tigers, their hearts filled with terror.

They tried to turn and run away, but were mercilessly killed by the supervisory team.

Left with no other choice, they could only continue forward.

For a moment, mournful cries echoed across the battlefield, like a tragic elegy.

Li Dingguo knew perfectly well that what he was doing was wrong, but what could he do?

He could only suppress his pity for the time being and watch all of this happen with a cold eye!
It must be said that the impact of these three thousand cavalrymen was extremely shocking. These farmers, who had never seen such a large-scale battle before, were instantly terrified.

Moreover, the cavalry charged at an extremely fast speed, and soon they reached them without slowing down at all, piercing into the peasant army's ranks like a steel blade.

Then they brandished their weapons and slashed wildly, blood splattering everywhere, like a merciless slaughter feast.

At this critical moment of life and death, no one cares whether the other party is a farmer or not, because as long as you stand on the opposite side of them, you are the enemy and can gain military merit.

Therefore, the cavalrymen killed without mercy, their eyes revealing coldness and determination.

In just a moment, the three thousand cavalrymen swept through the defenses of the forty thousand peasant soldiers as if they were in an empty field.

The peasant army collapsed instantly, and everyone panicked and fled in all directions.

Their shouts and cries mingled together, creating a chaotic scene.

The supervisory team tried to stop them, but to no avail.

There was no way around it, there were just too many people.

Some farmers were so enraged that their eyes turned bloodshot, like mad beasts, that they actually reached out and pulled the soldiers supervising the battle off their horses.

Immediately afterwards, more peasant soldiers rushed forward, tearing at their clothes and cursing them:
"Damn bastards! Why should I go and die? Why don't you go?"

"I only followed you guys to make a living, why should I go and die for nothing?"

"You keep saying you're doing this for our own good, but in reality, you're not even as good as the officers and soldiers!"

Immediately afterwards, the 40,000 peasant soldiers ignored the government troops and turned to launch a counterattack against the supervisory team that had been overseeing them, making the situation increasingly chaotic.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. Although they also disliked the current Ming Dynasty, feeling that the emperor was incompetent and the officials were inactive.

But after all, the Ming Dynasty didn't send them directly to the battlefield to die!
But this group of peasant soldiers in front of them directly sent them to their deaths on the battlefield, and even slaughtered them at will. Which one do you think they should hate?
Upon witnessing this scene, Li Dingguo and Liu Wenxiu exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with unease and fear.

Li Dingguo clenched his teeth, his heart sinking into an icy abyss.

He knew in his heart that everything was over!

Faced with the Ming Dynasty's elite troops, these peasant armies proved to be utterly ineffective and collapsed at the first encounter.

Of course, this was also due to Zuo Liangyu's change of mind.

In the past, Zuo Liangyu would not have sent cavalry to attack the peasant army at the beginning, but would have driven the peasant army that had surrendered to him to take the lead.

In this way, both sides send out peasant armies with similar combat strength, often resulting in a fierce and evenly matched battle.

However, Zuo Liangyu sent out elite cavalry from the very beginning, while the opposing side consisted of ordinary farmers, which meant that the battle was impossible to fight from the start.

You should know that an elite cavalryman can easily take on ten peasants.

Moreover, the fact that ordinary farmers naturally have a fear of government officials and soldiers only exacerbated their defeat.

In an instant, the entire battlefield descended into chaos, dust filled the air, and shouts of battle shook the heavens.

Seeing all this, Liu Wenxiu looked anxiously at Li Dingguo and asked:
"What should we do now? If we had known this would happen, we should have asked Father to give us all the troops in the old camp. That way, we might have been able to resist Zuo Liangyu."

Li Dingguo shook his head with a wry smile, his face full of helplessness.

The old camp troops were Zhang Xianzhong's trump card; how could he entrust them all to his adopted sons?

But it's too late to say all this now.

Hey!
Li Dingguo sighed deeply, his eyes filled with determination, before he spoke:
"At this point, there's nothing more to say; only battle remains!"

After saying this, he drew his sword with a "whoosh," the blade gleaming coldly in the sunlight.

The next second, Li Dingguo rushed forward first.

Seeing this, the veteran soldiers behind him were greatly encouraged and rushed forward with Li Dingguo.

Although Liu Wenxiu was filled with helplessness, he could only lead his cavalry to follow and throw himself into this brutal battle.

It must be said that Li Dingguo's combat prowess was truly extraordinary; he killed three or four cavalrymen in just one encounter.

He was agile and his swordsmanship was fierce; every swing of his sword was accompanied by a whooshing sound.

His eyes revealed an unwavering determination, as if telling everyone before him that he would never back down.

The veteran soldiers behind him were also quite formidable, and with the addition of Liu Wenxiu, they were able to fight Zuo Liangyu's cavalry to a standstill for a time.

However, this did not change the final outcome of the battle.

Because Zuo Liangyu's other two thousand cavalry and infantry had also charged forward.

The two thousand cavalrymen flanked the old camp soldiers from both sides, pouncing on them like hungry wolves.

As for ordinary peasant soldiers, they wouldn't bother with them unless they blocked their way, instead targeting veteran soldiers. The infantry behind them were even more ruthless, slaughtering anyone who stood in their way, whether peasant soldiers or veteran soldiers, without mercy.

Although the imperial court had previously ordered that as long as the peasant army surrendered, the Ming army must accept them and then send them to Liaodong to implement the policy of immigration and border defense.

However, since they have not surrendered yet, the Ming army will naturally not show any mercy.

After all, these heads could be exchanged for military merits.

Driven by self-interest and power, the officers and soldiers fought with increasing ferocity, their eyes fixed solely on the enemy and military achievements.

After a fierce battle, more than 5,000 of the 40,000 peasant soldiers were killed or wounded, and the rest fled in all directions.

From the air, the peasant army looked like startled ants, scattering in all directions in a very disheveled manner.

In the center of the battlefield, Zuo Liangyu's 20,000 troops were engaged in a fierce battle with Li Dingguo's 10,000 veteran soldiers.

To be honest, this battle was almost tantamount to a massacre.

Although Li Dingguo's veteran soldiers had some fighting ability, they were still no match for the fully armed officers and soldiers.

Especially when Zuo Liangyu's flintlock soldiers appeared, the old camp soldiers instantly collapsed.

These flintlock muskets were naturally obtained from Sun Chuanting.

Sun Chuanting was well aware of the importance of the Henan battlefield, so when Zuo Liangyu set off, he reluctantly gave him one hundred new flintlock muskets.

Zuo Liangyu treasured these flintlock muskets and carefully selected one hundred sharpshooters to train them in their use day and night.

At this point, while I can't say I'll hit the bullseye every time, hitting it five or six times out of ten is definitely achievable.

These hundred sharpshooters, equipped with flintlock muskets, were Zuo Liangyu's most prized possessions. They usually stayed by his side and rarely took action.

As soon as they made their move, gunfire erupted and smoke filled the air.

In an instant, more than sixty veteran soldiers were hit and fell to the ground.

Although some of the soldiers in the old camp used firearms, most of them were muskets and matchlock guns that they had seized from the officers and soldiers. How could these things compare to flintlock muskets?
"This won't work, we can't fight anymore, run! The soldiers are too strong, survival is the priority!"

The soldiers in the old camp instantly lost their composure and fled in all directions without regard for anything else.

"Damn it! Come back now!"

Li Dingguo and Liu Wenxiu tried to stop them, but to no avail; their shouts were drowned out by the chaotic noise.

Worse still, they forgot Zhang Xianzhong's previous instructions.

That means if we can't stop Zuo Liangyu, we need to send the situation back as soon as possible.

But things happened so suddenly that they didn't have time to pass on the message.

As Zuo Liangyu's army drew ever closer, Li Dingguo, without the slightest hesitation, said to Liu Wenxiu:
"We can't hold them off any longer, you have to get out of here! We must tell Father what's going on here as soon as possible, or everything will be over."

"You retreat first, leave this to me, I can hold them off for a while longer."

Liu Wenxiu glanced at Li Dingguo with a serious expression, and seeing his earnest look, she said no more.

He then turned his horse around and, with several hundred men with him, galloped towards Xinyang City.

At the same time, Li Dingguo brandished his broadsword again and shouted to the remaining veteran soldiers:

"Fighting means death, fleeing means death, so we might as well fight the government troops! Even if we die, we'll have done right by the Western King!"

Li Dingguo had fought for many years and was highly respected among the peasant army. Upon hearing this, the soldiers gradually calmed down, drew their weapons, and shouted:

"I am willing to die alongside the general!"

Immediately afterwards, more and more veteran soldiers responded and charged directly at Zuo Liangyu's army, numbering as many as five thousand!
However, it was clear that this was still tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock, and their resistance was insignificant in the face of Zuo Liangyu's army.

Just then, Zuo Liangyu finally arrived.

He originally didn't want to show up, since the outcome of the war was already decided and there was no need for him to personally intervene.

But when he thought of what Zhu Cilang had told him, he decided to capture Li Dingguo himself.

This way, he could also curry favor and seek rewards from Zhu Cilang.

The next second, Zuo Liangyu did not hesitate and led his personal guards to rush over.

Just then, one of Li Dingguo's men recognized Zuo Liangyu and shouted to him:
"General, that leader is Zuo Liangyu! Kill him, and the enemy army will surely be defeated!"

Upon hearing this, Li Dingguo's spirits lifted instantly, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes. He then spurred his warhorse forward without hesitation, intending to kill Zuo Liangyu.

Zuo Liangyu sensed his intention and sneered:

"This kid is really fearless, like a newborn calf that doesn't know the fear of tigers. Does he really think I'm easy to deal with?"

The next second, he shouted at his personal guards:
"Listen, the leader wants him alive, but the rest can be killed!"

The guards received the order and immediately rushed forward, while the sharpshooters with flintlock muskets also raised their guns and aimed at the veteran soldiers.

In an instant, bullets rained down, killing dozens of people in the blink of an eye.

When the two sides clashed, Li Dingguo's side had less than three thousand men left, while Zuo Liangyu's side had almost no fewer men.

Of course, this was also because of the orders given by Zuo Liangyu, which made the soldiers dare not easily kill Li Dingguo, otherwise Li Dingguo would have been dead long ago.

Although Zhu Cilang had not previously stated that he absolutely had to capture Li Dingguo alive, Zuo Liangyu was eager to make a contribution and still kept the matter of capturing Li Dingguo alive in mind.

He thought that Zhu Cilang would be pleased if Li Dingguo were captured alive, which is why he gave such an order.

There was no way around it; I had made too many mistakes in the past, so I had to do more things to make the Crown Prince happy to make up for it.

Immediately afterwards, the two sides clashed fiercely.

With a clang, Zuo Liangyu and Li Dingguo's steel blades clashed, sparks flying everywhere.

Since they were both riding horses, the two separated instantly due to inertia.

At the same time, Zuo Liangyu was startled, because with just this one movement, his tiger's mouth felt slightly numb.

Clearly, Li Dingguo was no ordinary person.

Of course, age is also a factor. Zuo Liangyu is already over forty, while Li Dingguo is in his prime, not yet thirty. As the saying goes, youth has the upper hand.

But Zuo Liangyu quickly realized that he wasn't alone and there was no need to fight him to the death.

Even if his own personal guards captured Li Dingguo, it would still be considered that he had captured him with his own hands!

The next second, Zuo Liangyu did not step forward, but instead called his personal guards to engage Li Dingguo in battle.

As for the others, they launched a frenzied massacre against Li Dingguo's old camp soldiers.

Um.
Nearly 20,000 Ming soldiers fought against 3,000 peasant soldiers. Wasn't that a massacre?
The sun was high in the sky, and the air was filled with a strong, pungent smell of blood.

Leading the Ming army were a group of elite soldiers clad in sturdy armor.

Their armor was made of fine iron, gleaming with a cold, eerie light, and reflected in the sunlight like mirrors.

Although they were already drenched in sweat from the heat, they gritted their teeth and charged forward.

On the other hand, the peasant army, although composed mostly of veteran soldiers, was largely composed of peasant soldiers. Although they wore armor, it was mostly half-body armor with sparse plates, offering far less protection than the officers and soldiers.

As the two sides clashed, the soldiers' sharp blades, accompanied by whistling winds, viciously slashed at the peasant army.

With each strike, blood splattered, and the peasant soldiers fell one after another under this fierce attack.

However, the peasant army's swords could only leave shallow marks on the Ming army's thick armor, failing to cause any real damage.

The difference in combat strength between the two sides was obvious in this fierce battle.

Before long, the soldiers of the old camp were completely surrounded by the Ming army's overwhelming attack.

They charged left and right, but could not break through the encirclement of the officers and soldiers, and their numbers dwindled.

Although Li Dingguo was still surrounded by some loyal personal guards, they were quickly killed and scattered under the fierce attack of the government troops.

The corpses lay scattered on the ground, blood gushing out and pooling into puddles.

After this fierce battle, Zuo Liangyu knew that Li Dingguo was exceptionally brave and dared not advance easily.

After all, his goal was to capture Li Dingguo alive and then curry favor with the Crown Prince, so there was really no need for him to risk his life against Li Dingguo.

Thinking of this, Zuo Liangyu whispered something in the ear of one of his personal guards. The guard immediately understood and drew his bow and arrow.

With a whoosh, the arrow shot towards Li Dingguo like a meteor, striking him squarely in the thigh.

Li Dingguo grunted, reached out and grasped the arrow shaft, pulled it out sharply, and blood gushed out immediately.

He endured the excruciating pain, determined to continue fighting.

But suddenly another arrow struck his horse's leg.

The warhorse, in pain, reared up on its front hooves, let out a neigh, and threw Li Dingguo to the ground.

But Li Dingguo, a veteran of many battles, rolled on the spot, quickly stood up, and then brandished his broadsword, roaring as he slashed at a Ming soldier next to him.

Before the Ming soldier could react, he was cut down to the ground.

But the next second, more soldiers rushed forward and pinned him down.

If Zuo Liangyu hadn't specifically ordered that Li Dingguo be spared, he would probably have been torn to pieces by the enraged soldiers by now.

Meanwhile, seeing their commander captured, the veteran soldiers around them stopped resisting and surrendered one after another.

They threw down their weapons, then knelt on the ground trembling, their faces filled with fear and despair, their eyes revealing their terror of death.

Zuo Liangyu glanced at the surrendered soldiers, waved his hand, and signaled his men to stop making things difficult for them.

There was no other way; the imperial court had previously stipulated that the surrender of the peasant army must be accepted. If he killed all of them, he would have no way to explain it.

Moreover, Li Dingguo was to be sent to the capital. What if he met the Crown Prince and accused him of massacring surrendered soldiers? Wouldn't that be the end of him?
Moreover, these people now number only three hundred or so, and they can't cause any more trouble!

Soon, Li Dingguo was brought before Zuo Liangyu.

(End of this chapter)