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

Chapter 236 gives you two choices: either go to Liaodong to fight the Jurchens, or die!
In the courtyard of the Northern Garrison Command, sunlight filtered through the lush foliage, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

The light and shadow slowly moved across Zhu Cilang's slightly immature face.

In the blink of an eye, Zhu Cilang's face suddenly darkened, and his once calm gaze instantly became sharp as a knife, piercing straight at Li Dingguo.

Immediately afterwards, a loud shout rang out in the courtyard:
"Li Dingguo, do you really think Zhang Xianzhong can be compared to my founding emperor?"

"Back then, Emperor Taizu personally led a large army on a northern expedition, and after countless fierce battles along the way, he finally succeeded in driving out the barbarians."

"Not only did it recover the Han Chinese territory that had been occupied by the Yuan Dynasty for a century, but it also reclaimed the Sixteen Prefectures of Yan and Yun, which had been lost for 430 years, allowing the Han Chinese land to return to its rightful place."

"After that, Emperor Taizu implemented a policy of light taxes and levies, allowing the people to recuperate and thrive."

"Under his rule, the people were finally able to live and work in peace and contentment on this land, creating the prosperous Hongwu era. His achievements will surely be recorded in history and remembered for generations to come!"

"On the other hand, what commendable things did Zhang Xianzhong do?"

“Every time a city was breached and a village was looted, countless people were left destitute and their families torn apart.”

"Have you ever shown a shred of pity, or even a modicum of mercy, to those who refused to follow you in your rebellion?"

Zhu Cilang's eyes burned with fury, and his words became increasingly sharp.

"Zhang Xianzhong used innocent civilians as cannon fodder, sending them to their deaths on the battlefield. His hands are already stained with the blood of the people, including you!"

"Furthermore, Zhang Xianzhong was utterly lacking in strategy, and his army was undisciplined; no matter how many men they had, they were nothing more than a rabble."

"Two hundred thousand men couldn't even withstand twenty thousand imperial troops, and were instead routed, with only a thousand cavalrymen escaping in disarray. With such meager abilities, how dare he compare himself to the founding emperor?"

"This is utterly absurd!"

As Zhu Cilang finished his impassioned questioning, Li Dingguo's face instantly turned extremely ugly, alternating between white and red, as if a palette of paint had been overturned.

He clenched his fists tightly involuntarily, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down on his neck, instinctively wanting to refute Zhu Cilang's words.

However, when those words reached his lips, it was as if a huge rock was blocking his mouth, and he couldn't say them no matter what.

Although Li Dingguo never took Emperor Chongzhen and the civil and military officials of the Ming Dynasty seriously, he had to admit one thing: Emperor Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang, was indeed a great hero.

Zhu Yuanzhang came from a poor background and rose step by step from the bottom of society. With his extraordinary courage, he finally overthrew the cruel rule of the Yuan Dynasty, rescued the Han people from their suffering, and restored the Han people's clothing and dynasty.

As for the great achievement of "driving out the barbarians and restoring China", his merits are indelible and will surely be recorded in history forever!

In comparison, Zhang Xianzhong's actions were indeed far inferior.

It should be noted that the peasant army was initially forced to rise up because they were starving and had no other options.

But as things have developed to this point, Li Dingguo, as a core member, is naturally well aware of all the chaos that has occurred.

Every word Zhu Cilang uttered was like a sharp dagger, piercing their vital points with unerring precision.

From coercing displaced people into rebellion, to burning, killing, and looting, and then to forcing ordinary people to their deaths, these are all undeniable facts.

Even Li Dingguo himself has done such things!

For a moment, Li Dingguo was speechless, and beads of sweat instantly appeared on his forehead.

Looking around, the other peasant army generals were also kneeling on the ground, trembling like leaves, and the sound of their teeth chattering could be clearly heard.

Because they've all done the same thing!

They never expected that the young crown prince would say something so insightful.

In contrast, the people behind Zhu Cilang straightened their backs instantly, their eyes flashing with fierce light as they stared intently at Li Dingguo and the others.

It seemed that as long as Zhu Cilang gave the order, they would rush forward without hesitation and tear these people to pieces.

But soon, Li Dingguo took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil in his heart, and then looked at Zhu Cilang again and said:

“Indeed, I admit that your ancestor Zhu Yuanzhang was indeed a man of great talent and ambition, and he saved the Han people from peril.”

"But what does that prove? Does it mean that your Zhu family still deserves to rule the world?"

"Do you know what a terrible situation Shaanxi and Henan are in right now? Thousands of miles of fertile land have become a land of starvation, and along the way there are disaster victims suffering from hunger, all of them emaciated, and every inch of land is filled with despair and sorrow."

"In your eyes, the starving dead everywhere and the people exchanging their own children to eat are just eight simple words in the history books, but they are scenes I witnessed with my own eyes!"

"The common people were starving and on the verge of death, while the rich gentlemen had mountains of grain in their homes, which were almost going moldy."

"And what about them? They'd rather let things rot than give a single penny to the poor."

"The imperial court remains indifferent to this. If you had opened the granaries and distributed grain in time, how could we ordinary people have been driven to such a desperate situation?"

"If people truly had enough to eat, who would want to rebel?"

"All of this is your fault!"

Li Dingguo became more and more agitated as he spoke, his eyes becoming bloodshot and veins bulging on his forehead.

However, Zhu Cilang remained calm and composed upon hearing this, his eyes showing no emotion. He simply looked at Li Dingguo coldly and slowly said:
"That's right, I admit there's some truth to what you said."

"The imperial court has indeed failed in its duties in providing relief to disaster victims, but is it all the court's fault?"

"You think the imperial court doesn't want to help the disaster victims? You're wrong! The imperial court does want to help the disaster victims, but unfortunately, the court can't collect taxes, the national treasury is empty, and there is simply no extra grain to help the disaster victims."

"The gentry and powerful people of this land are rich but heartless. They are unwilling to pay taxes and even shift the burden of taxes that should be paid onto ordinary people in an even more ruthless way."

"Even so, the imperial court still cannot collect the total amount of taxes."

"Even though the imperial court has tripled the tax rate, the tax revenue collected is still less than double that during the Hongwu era!"

Do you know where all that extra tax revenue went?

"Let me tell you, it all went into the pockets of those gentry and powerful families. You've been rebelling for so long, surely you know that?"

"To be honest, if you had gone straight to the south and wiped out all those tax-evading gentry and powerful figures, I would have praised you as heroes."

"But you have been ravaging several northern provinces all along. Those people have already suffered enough. And now you want to lead them to their deaths? Is this what you call acting on behalf of Heaven?"

"Have you really made those people live a good life? Can you really feed them enough?"

Zhu Cilang's voice was not loud, but it was full of authority. Every word was like a heavy hammer, striking Li Dingguo's heart and causing ripples in his heart.

Li Dingguo finally fell silent.

Looking at Zhu Cilang, he felt that this crown prince was meticulous in his thinking and sharp in his words, and was definitely not an ordinary person.

Zhu Cilang continued pacing back and forth in the courtyard, the soles of his boots making a crisp sound on the stone slabs, as if knocking on Li Dingguo's heart.

The next second, Zhu Cilang continued:
"The inability to collect taxes from across the country led to financial difficulties for the nation, and the north was also hit by various disasters such as drought, which ultimately led to the emergence of Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong."

"In addition, the fact that some officers and soldiers harbored bandits for their own selfish interests has exacerbated the current chaotic situation."

"Originally, as long as the imperial court was willing to mobilize the entire nation to suppress Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng, they could have been easily quelled no matter how powerful they were."

"However, the Jurchens in Liaodong were wreaking havoc at this time, forcing the court to transfer most of its troops to Liaodong."

Do you know the Jurchens? They are also known as the Jiannu.

"Do you know how many Han Chinese people the Jurchens have plundered and slaughtered over the years?"

“In Liaodong, they treated Han people like cattle and horses, abusing them at will. Beating, scolding, and humiliating them was commonplace. Killing Han people was like slaughtering livestock.”

"During battles, they even drove Han Chinese civilians to the front to act as human shields, just like you did when you fought against the government troops."

"Tell me, what's the difference between you and the Jurchens?"

"No, you are even more despicable than the Jurchens! Because the Jurchens are foreigners, that's why they treat the Han people this way."

"But what about you? You are also Han Chinese, so why do you treat your fellow Han Chinese like this?"

"Tell me, what gives you the right to do this?"

Zhu Cilang became increasingly agitated as he spoke, approaching Li Dingguo step by step with piercing eyes and a stern questioning tone.

His voice echoed in the courtyard, making people's eardrums ache.

Upon witnessing this scene, Li Ruolian, Fang Zhenghua, and the others broke out in a cold sweat, fearing that Li Dingguo might suddenly lash out and harm the Crown Prince.

They wanted to stop Zhu Cilang from getting close to Li Dingguo, but dared not act rashly. They could only follow behind Zhu Cilang cautiously, their eyes fixed on Li Dingguo.

At the same time, Li Dingguo was also frightened by Zhu Cilang's imposing manner and retreated repeatedly.

He never expected that Zhu Cilang would dare to walk directly in front of him. Wasn't he afraid that he would suddenly attack him?
In fact, Zhu Cilang was not afraid at all.

Because as soon as he sensed any unusual movement from Li Dingguo, he would immediately use the system to ensure Li Dingguo's demise.

Even if Li Dingguo were to become a national hero in the future, it would be a pity to kill him.

But don't forget, Li Dingguo is no longer a national hero, but a traitor!
Zhu Cilang really had no qualms about killing him!
Moreover, Zhu Cilang was surrounded by many skilled fighters. If Li Dingguo could still injure him under such circumstances, it would be a gross underestimation of Fang Zhenghua and Li Ruolian.

Fortunately, Li Dingguo was somewhat sensible at this point and did not intend to hurt anyone.

Instead, he was forced back several steps by Zhu Cilang.

Noticing the astonishment in Li Dingguo's eyes, Zhu Cilang's lips curled into a mocking smile. He then flicked his sleeve, turned around, and strode back to the stone table.

Then I redid it.

Upon seeing this, Li Ruolian and the others breathed a sigh of relief and returned to Zhu Cilang's side.

At the same time, Li Dingguo, Liu Wenxiu, and others were all pale-faced, completely at a loss for words to answer Zhu Cilang's words.

Although they had rebelled, they were still Han Chinese. However, Zhu Cilang had just compared them to the Jurchens, and even said that they were inferior to the Jurchens, which made them angry.

But upon closer examination, what Zhu Cilang said doesn't seem to be wrong.

The Jurchens treated the Han people that way because they were a foreign race, but they were Han people themselves, so why did they treat those Han people in the same way?
In an instant, guilt, self-blame, and all sorts of emotions surged up like a tide, filling everyone's hearts.

Li Dingguo knew that Zhu Cilang's words made a lot of sense, and he also knew that he couldn't argue with him, so he gritted his teeth and said:
"Fine, I can't argue with you anyway, so I'll stop." "Just tell me what to do next. Kill me or torture me, it's up to you."

"Even if you were to execute me by slow slicing, I wouldn't even flinch!"

His voice was resolute, carrying a do-or-die determination, as if he were declaring his final dignity to Zhu Cilang.

However, the others were indeed startled when they heard this.

A short peasant army general quickly knelt down and stepped forward, tugged at Li Dingguo's sleeve, and whispered:
"Dingguo, you can't be so reckless! He is the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty. You have to leave us a way out!"

At this moment, these peasant army generals realized that the prince in front of them did not seem to intend to kill them.

After all, if you really want to kill them, why waste so much breath talking to them?
With just a glance, they would probably have lost their heads and lives long ago.

But Li Dingguo remained unmoved, directly shaking off the man's hand and continuing to look at Zhu Cilang, his eyes revealing a strange stubbornness.

It's obvious that even though he can't win an argument, he's still not convinced.

At this moment, Zhu Cilang was also sizing up Li Dingguo.

Although the conversation had angered him somewhat, he had to admit that he still admired Li Dingguo's courage and straightforwardness.

After a brief hesitation, Zhu Cilang spoke:
"You are all intelligent people, so you should have guessed that the reason I spared your lives and brought you to the capital was not to kill you."

"So now I'm giving you two choices."

"Your first choice is to surrender to the imperial court. I will then arrange for you to go to Liaodong."

"If you do not want war, we will give you land so that you can live in peace."

"If you want to be officials, we will appoint you as military generals so that we can fight against the Jurchens together in the future."

"As for the second option, it's much simpler: kill you all to pay tribute to the dead members of the royal family and ordinary people."

So, which one would you choose?

The moment those words were spoken, the room fell into a deathly silence; even the sound of breathing could be clearly heard.

In the eyes of these peasant army generals, choosing the first option was undoubtedly the best.

Moreover, strictly speaking, the first option actually gave them two choices: either to be ordinary citizens or to become officials.

The second option is a dead end, so only a fool would choose the second option.

But Li Dingguo was not one to surrender easily; he questioned:
"You're sending us to Liaodong, aren't you? We'll be the first to die if the Ming Dynasty and the Jurchens go to war again."

His eyes were filled with vigilance as he stared intently at Zhu Cilang, as if trying to discern his true thoughts.

Zhu Cilang gave Li Dingguo a half-smile, then said:

"Li Dingguo, you overestimate yourself."

"Did you know that in the previous great victory in Liaodong, the Ming army wiped out a full 110,000 Jurchens!"

"The reason you look down on the Ming army and think that the Ming army needs you to die in battle is because you have never been in contact with the elite troops of the Ming Dynasty."

"Because the Ming Dynasty's elite troops are deployed in the Nine Garrisons, Liaodong, and the capital, the Zuo Liangyu troops that dealt with you before were just third-rate troops in the Ming army."

"Moreover, if we were to go to war with the Jurchens again in the future, it would surely be a war of annihilation, and the imperial court would definitely send its elite troops to fight."

"Under these circumstances, do you think you deserve to be on such a battlefield?"

Zhu Cilang's voice wasn't loud, but it struck Li Dingguo's heart like a heavy hammer, making his face burn.

Although he knew that the imperial court had won a great victory in the war against the Jurchens some time ago, he did not know the details.

After all, they were so focused on rebelling that they had no energy to pay attention to the court's war situation. Moreover, they were located in the Shaanxi and Henan areas, where information was not readily available.

Before Li Dingguo could speak again, Zhu Cilang continued:
"To tell you the truth, the reason we sent you to Liaodong was to give you and all the peasant soldiers a way to survive."

"Because the natural disasters in Shaanxi and Henan will not disappear for at least ten years, the only way to survive is to go to Liaodong."

"In short, these are the two choices I'm giving you: either surrender to the Ming Dynasty and become a farmer or a military officer in Liaodong, or simply die!"

"Of course, you don't have to decide now. I'll give you three days to consider."

"During these three days, I will not restrict your freedom; you are free to wander around and explore."

Give me an answer in three days.

"If no decision is made after three days, then I will assume that you have chosen the second option."

After saying this, Zhu Cilang said no more, then got up and left.

Fang Zhenghua and the others hurriedly followed, leaving only Li Ruolian behind.

After Zhu Cilang and the others had completely left, Li Ruolian waved to a member of the Imperial Guard next to her.

The next second, a member of the Imperial Guard walked over carrying a heavy money bag.

Li Ruolian picked up the money pouch and threw it directly in front of Li Dingguo, saying:
"Here is some silver, a reward from His Highness the Crown Prince. With this silver, you can find a place to stay in the capital and do whatever you want."

"In short, His Highness the Crown Prince will see your choices in three days."

"Of course, you can try to escape, but you'd better think twice about the methods of the Embroidered Uniform Guard before you try to escape."

"Also, it's best not to cause any trouble during these three days, or the Embroidered Uniform Guard won't let you off the hook."

After saying this, Li Ruolian waved her hand, and a group of Imperial Guards stepped forward, lifted Li Dingguo and the others up, stuffed the money pouch into Li Dingguo's arms, and then dragged them out of the Northern Garrison Command and threw them directly at the door.

Even when they were thrown out of the Northern Garrison, Li Dingguo and the others still looked completely bewildered.

At the same time, a group of ordinary people gathered around them, and they all looked at them with strange eyes.

After all, no one had ever seen more than a dozen people thrown out of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's office early in the morning without any injuries; it was really too strange.

However, this was not something ordinary people should worry about. The crowd was just curious for a moment, and then dispersed.

At this moment, Liu Wenxiu was the first to come to her senses, walked to Li Dingguo's side, and muttered to herself:
"What happened? They actually let us out."

Li Dingguo didn't speak, but reached into the money pouch on his chest, opened it, and saw that it contained a lot of gold coins, silver coins, and some Ming Dynasty banknotes.

Liu Wenxiu, who was standing next to her, picked up a coin, examined it, and then said in surprise:
"I've never seen this kind of coin before. It looks like it's a new one issued by the imperial court, and the portrait on it seems to be the emperor?"

Li Dingguo looked down and indeed saw a portrait of a middle-aged man wearing a winged crown printed on the coin.

Although he did not know Emperor Chongzhen, he assumed that only Emperor Chongzhen could be dressed like that.

Of course, there's no point in thinking about these things now.

Suddenly, at that moment, one of them asked in a low voice:
"So what do we do now? The Crown Prince of Ming has given us two choices. Which one should we choose?"

Another person chimed in:

"What other choice do we have? The second option is to go and die, so we can only choose the first one: either go to Liaodong to be a farmer and farm the land, or become a military general."

"I don't know what your choices are, but I choose to be a military general!"

"Even if I die at the hands of the Jurchens in the future, my life will not have been in vain!"

In his view, there was really nothing to hesitate about.

Having followed Zhang Xianzhong in his rebellion for so long, he had long been accustomed to this kind of life, and he would definitely be unwilling to become a farmer now.

As for the others present, most of them also preferred to become military officers in Liaodong.

Although they might have to fight the Jurchens to the death, did they have any other choice at this point?
Of course, there were also a few generals who were tired of fighting and just wanted to be ordinary farmers.

Liu Wenxiu glanced at Li Dingguo without saying a word, knowing that Li Dingguo must be feeling very conflicted at that moment.

Hey!
After sighing, Liu Wenxiu said:

"Let's put this aside for now and find a place to rest."

"Anyway, he gave us three days. Let's think it over before we say anything!"

Immediately afterwards, Liu Wenxiu, along with Li Dingguo and the others, left the Northern Garrison Command.

They walked for miles until they were too tired to walk any further, then they came to an inn, booked a few rooms, and ordered some wine and meat.

They had previously thought they were doomed, so apart from Li Dingguo, the others didn't eat much.

Now that they knew they wouldn't die and could even become officials, everyone's appetite was whetted.

After the waiter brought the food to the room, Liu Wenxiu called to Li Dingguo, who was standing nearby:

"Dingguo, come and have something to eat."

Li Dingguo shook his head:

"I have no appetite, you eat."

After saying that, he stood by the window, staring blankly out the window, seemingly lost in thought.

dong dong dong.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Liu Wenxiu, thinking it was one of her companions, called out:
"come in."

But no one came in, and even the knocking stopped.

Curious, Liu Wenxiu walked over and opened the door, only to find no one there. There was a thick stack of Xuan paper on the ground, covered with densely written characters.

Upon closer inspection, the four characters 'Da Ming Daily' came into view.

(End of this chapter)