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

Chapter 262 What? Shaanxi is going to fall?
Back at the Eastern Palace, Zhu Cilang was still immersed in the scene of parting, his thoughts filled with countless emotions.

But suddenly, at that moment, Ma Bao rushed over, clutching a secret letter tightly in his hand, and said breathlessly:
"Your Highness, this is an urgent military report sent by Lord Zuo Liangyu from Henan with the fastest speed of 800 li. Please take a look!"

As Ma Bao spoke, he handed the military report in his hand to Zhu Cilang.

Eight hundred miles urgent?
Was it sent from Henan?

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang's heart skipped a beat, and a bad premonition instantly filled his heart.

Because he knew something must have happened in Henan!

Zhu Cilang took the secret letter, and the moment his fingertips touched the paper, he felt a chill.

He then slowly opened the envelope, his movements seemingly heavy.

Sure enough, just one glance made Zhu Cilang's heart beat faster.

His expression instantly turned serious, and his hand gripping the letter tightened unconsciously.

Just as he had predicted, something had indeed happened in Henan.

After the previous major battle, Zuo Liangyu's army rested in the local area for ten days before embarking on the journey to pursue the peasant army again.

But in just ten short days, the situation has undergone a dramatic change.

After all, in years of great disaster, the dead are everywhere, and the refugees are like duckweed in the wind. As long as they can be given food, they are willing to risk their lives just to survive.

Zhang Xianzhong seized this opportunity, and in just ten days, his troops expanded rapidly from a few thousand to one hundred thousand, like an inflated balloon.

Even so, Zuo Liangyu had nothing to fear. After all, he had defeated Zhang Xianzhong's 200,000-strong army before, so why would he be afraid of this 100,000-strong army now?

But when he finally caught up with Zhang Xianzhong, he found that the other party had become extremely cunning.

As soon as Zhang Xianzhong learned that Zuo Liangyu's army was approaching, he immediately ordered a retreat, leaving only a small force to harass and delay them.

Moreover, these peasant soldiers who stayed behind to delay the inevitable had been deliberately trained. They were like foxes in the mountains, appearing and disappearing mysteriously in the woods and villages, constantly harassing Zuo Liangyu's army.

This resulted in Zuo Liangyu being unable to locate Zhang Xianzhong's main force.

Just when Zuo Liangyu was at his wit's end, he suddenly received another piece of shocking news.

That is, Zhang Xianzhong actually led his army to join Li Zicheng!
Upon receiving this news, Zuo Liangyu was both shocked and furious, because if Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng joined forces, he would be helpless.

If these two forces were to join together, their combined strength would exceed 600,000.

Moreover, Li Zicheng was not like Zhang Xianzhong. His core troops, the so-called "old camp," had never experienced any brutal battles before, so their strength and combat effectiveness had always been at their best.

If Zuo Liangyu were to lead his troops to pursue them at this point, then without a doubt, he would be doomed to a death without a burial place!
Because 20,000 imperial troops are absolutely no match for 600,000 peasant soldiers!

With a troop strength difference of thirty times, no one would dare to risk their life.

Left with no other choice, Zuo Liangyu set up camp in Nanyang, wrote down the urgent military situation in a secret letter, and sent it to the capital by fast horse.

And so, the scene we see today came about.

After reading the letter, Zhu Cilang felt a chill run down his spine.

Because his worst fears came true.

Previously, he had tried every means to separate the forces of Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng, and then find a way to defeat them one by one.

Unexpectedly, by a twist of fate, the two ended up together and formed an even larger peasant army.

However, this kind of thing seems quite reasonable.

After all, in Zhang Xianzhong's eyes, Zuo Liangyu was now like a mad dog that was biting him and wouldn't let go, tearing a piece of flesh from him every time they clashed.

If he doesn't find a way to get rid of Zuo Liangyu, he will be wiped out sooner or later.

At this point, joining Li Zicheng seemed to be the best option.

After all, Li Zicheng had more than 500,000 troops under his command, and his men were all old acquaintances. If they could join forces with him, they could not only get rid of Zuo Liangyu's entanglement, but also preserve their strength.

As it turned out, Zhang Xianzhong made the right gamble.

When he led an army of 100,000 to join Li Zicheng, Zuo Liangyu dared not take another step forward.

Thinking about this gave Zhu Cilang another headache.

Although he roughly understood the temperaments of the two men and knew that they were both ambitious, this cooperation was destined not to last long, after all, in the original history, Zhang Xianzhong had once joined Li Zicheng.

However, he eventually fled to Sichuan overnight because Li Zicheng attempted to annex his troops.

But now, with his time travel, the course of history has changed, and no one can say for sure whether the two will put aside their past grievances and truly unite as one.

If that's the case, then it'll be a real problem!
What worries Zhu Cilang even more is the current situation in Shaanxi.

For nearly three months, Li Zicheng's army had been eyeing Tongguan Pass covetously. Sun Chuanting barely managed to hold the line thanks to the natural defenses of Tongguan Pass and tens of thousands of troops.

But now that Zhang Xianzhong has joined with 100,000 troops, the situation at Tongguan has instantly become precarious.

If the 600,000-strong peasant army launches a full-scale attack on the city, can Tongguan still be defended?
Once Tongguan falls, the Guanzhong Plain will fall into enemy hands. The peasant army will hold their ground in the mountains, and it will be extremely difficult to take it back!

With this in mind, Zhu Cilang no longer hesitated.

"Ma Bao!"

Zhu Cilang suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of coldness and seriousness.

"Summon several cabinet ministers and Minister of War Li Banghua to come for an audience!"

Ma Bao knew that this was no small matter, so he didn't even bother to bow and hurriedly ran out.

Not long after, several cabinet ministers and Li Banghua, the Minister of War, rushed over.

The group filed in and saw Zhu Cilang pacing back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back. His steps were hurried and his face was full of anxiety. They knew that something big must have happened.

Immediately afterward, before they could even begin to bow, Zhu Cilang said:
"No need for formalities, Ma Bao. Bring over a few chairs so the gentlemen can sit and talk."

Ma Bao quickly led several eunuchs to bring over stools.

After everyone was seated, Zhu Cilang handed over Zuo Liangyu's secret letter.

"Please take a look at this first."

The letter was passed around among the people, and their expressions, which had initially been somewhat puzzled, froze instantly after they finished reading it.

Clearly, they were also aware of the seriousness of the situation.

"His Royal Highness."

Grand Secretary Xue Guoguan broke the silence first, his voice filled with worry:
"Given the current situation, should we move up the original plan?"

The plan he mentioned was, of course, the long-planned scheme by the imperial court against the peasant army: to gather a large army after the spring of the following year and wipe out Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong in one fell swoop.

But now it seems that if we don't act in advance, Tongguan Pass may fall.

If the peasant army were to gain a foothold in Shaanxi, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Li Banghua couldn't help but speak up as well:
"Your Highness, Shaanxi must not be lost! The Guanzhong Plain is a strategically important and important place. Once it falls into enemy hands, they will defend it from their natural defenses, and it will be virtually impossible for our army to retake it!"

"Even if we succeed in recovering Shaanxi, there's no guarantee that the peasant army won't enter Sichuan through Shaanxi again. If that happens, things will become even more complicated."

Following that, the other ministers also expressed their own views.

The early autumn sunlight pierced through the carved window lattices of the East Palace, casting dappled shadows on the blue brick floor. The cicadas chirped incessantly outside, but could not dispel the suffocatingly solemn atmosphere inside the palace.

Zhu Cilang stood there quietly, listening to the discussions of the ministers before him, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the jade pendant at his waist, his thoughts already drifting to the war situation thousands of miles away.

In fact, even as Ma Bao hurriedly went to summon everyone, he was already thinking of ways to break the deadlock.

The most direct approach was to implement the plan ahead of schedule, immediately dispatching a large army to Henan to encircle and annihilate the peasant armies of Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng.

However, he immediately extinguished the thought as soon as it surfaced.

This is because Zhu Cilang knew that war was no child's play. From drawing troops from various places, preparing food and equipment, and integrating military equipment, to the long-distance march of the army to Shaanxi, each step required a lot of time.

After careful consideration, it will take at least a month.

Although it is early autumn, the weather in the Northwest is unpredictable. By the time the army arrives, the Henan area will likely be covered in snow.

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang sighed helplessly in his heart.

The next second, he raised his hand to interrupt the crowd's discussion.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please calm down, I have something to say!"

Upon hearing this, everyone present fell silent and turned their gazes toward Zhu Cilang.

Zhu Cilang then slowly spoke.

"In fact, I did consider sending troops to Henan immediately to suppress Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng, but I ultimately gave up on it."

"Everyone should think about this carefully. From preparation to arrival in Henan, it will take at least a month. By then, the Henan area will inevitably be covered in heavy snow."

"In that frozen wasteland, with roads blocked by ice, soldiers can hardly move an inch, and transporting supplies is even more difficult than climbing to the sky. How much fighting power will the soldiers have then?"

"Throughout history, winter warfare has always been difficult, and the slightest mistake could lead to the annihilation of the entire army."

"Moreover, the heavy snow in Henan and Shaanxi has always been exceptionally fierce in recent years. I'm afraid that before the battle even begins, our army will have already suffered heavy losses, with countless soldiers frozen to death or injured."

After Zhu Cilang finished speaking, the hall fell into a deathly silence. Only the occasional chirping of cicadas from outside the window added to the oppressive atmosphere.

After a brief silence, Li Banghua stood up, stepped forward, and cupped his hands in greeting, saying:
"Your Highness, since a large-scale expedition is not feasible, could we mobilize troops from the surrounding areas of Henan to fight the peasant army first? You have already stockpiled grain and troops in the provinces surrounding Henan, and now the combined forces of the surrounding provinces number 100,000."

Zhu Cilang slowly shook his head and said:
“This plan is not feasible. The situation is delicate right now, and I am unwilling to reveal my plans without being absolutely certain of success.”

“Once these troops are deployed, Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong will definitely notice. Given their cunning, they will surely gather all their forces to break out of Henan.”

"If they flee to Anhui, or sneak into Hubei or Jiangxi, the bandits will be scattered like sand into the river. How easy would it be to gather them together and annihilate them?"

"In that case, this war may never end." "Unless I am certain that I can eliminate them in one fell swoop, I do not want to alert them!"

Upon hearing this, everyone frowned, unsure of what to do.

Because they also understood Zhu Cilang's concerns.

Zhu Cilang wanted to wipe out all the bandits in one fell swoop, so he was unwilling to take action until he was absolutely certain of success.

From a broader perspective, this isn't actually wrong, since we can't keep fighting like this indefinitely, can we?
But then again, we also need to deal with the problems in Shaanxi!
If the bandits really manage to breach Tongguan Pass, what's the point of considering all this now?

For a moment, the hall fell silent once again.

Suddenly, at that moment, Zhu Cilang seemed to have thought of something, and turned to Li Banghua, asking:
"Minister Li, has Sun Chuanting recently submitted any military reports to the Ministry of Revenue?"

"Your Highness, military intelligence has indeed arrived."

Li Banghua hurriedly said:
"However, in his letter he only said that the situation in Shaanxi was stable and that the peasant army was not a threat, without going into details about other matters."

Zhu Cilang was not too surprised to hear this; on the contrary, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Because Sun Chuanting had said something similar in a secret letter to him not long ago.

Then he finally spoke:

“This is not the first time Sun Chuanting has been to Shaanxi, nor is it the first time he has clashed with Li Zicheng. He should be very familiar with the situation in Shaanxi.”

“Since he says there is nothing wrong, I believe him.”

"With him stationed at Tongguan, we should be able to withstand the peasant army's offensive."

"Therefore, there is no need to deploy troops to deal with the peasant army anymore; everything can proceed according to the original plan!"

Despite Zhu Cilang's words, the senior officials present were still deeply worried.

After all, what pass in this world is impregnable?
What's more, there are a full 600,000 people on the other side!
Sun Chuanting only deployed 30,000 troops at Tongguan.

Is it too incredible that 30,000 troops could withstand an attack from 600,000?
Some couldn't help but wonder if His Highness the Crown Prince trusted Sun Chuanting too much.

But on second thought, if Shaanxi were truly in imminent danger, why wouldn't Sun Chuanting urgently request assistance? The truth of the matter is indeed difficult to discern.

Just as everyone was deep in thought, Cabinet Minister Fan Jingwen suddenly stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said:
"Your Highness, if we do not send troops out for the time being, I have a plan that may turn the tide, saving more ordinary people while weakening the peasant army."

Upon hearing this, all eyes turned to Fan Jingwen, and Zhu Cilang, intrigued, quickly added:
"Please speak, Grand Secretary Fan."

Then Fan Jingwen cleared his throat and said with a serious expression:

"As you all know, the reason why bandits are so difficult to eradicate is that it is too easy for them to expand their forces."

"Now is a year of great disaster, and the people are suffering from hunger and cold. As long as they have a bite to eat, they are willing to follow."

"In addition, every time the bandits captured a city, the people in the city would also be drawn into their ranks and become their soldiers."

He paused, looking over the crowd.

"Therefore, I have a bold plan: the imperial court shall order the relocation of all the people in Henan to the surrounding provinces, with the court responsible for providing them with food and supplies."

"After the bandits have been completely dealt with, the people can return to Henan."

"In this way, the bandits will lose their source of soldiers and their food supply will be cut off, because when the people migrate, they will take their family's property, food and livestock with them, leaving the peasant army with nothing but empty cities."

"When the bandits run out of food and supplies and have no more men to replenish their ranks, their strength will inevitably continue to weaken."

As soon as Fan Jingwen finished speaking, the hall fell into a deathly silence, so quiet that everyone could almost hear their own heartbeats.

It must be said that Fan Jingwen's suggestion was far too bold.

It will not only cost a huge amount of money, but also involve the lives and deaths of countless people.

It is important to know that since ancient times, the relocation of people has been a momentous event. If not handled carefully, it can cause public resentment and even incite a popular uprising.

What's more, it involves relocating the entire population of Henan Province at once?
Although by the end of the Ming Dynasty, the population of Henan Province had decreased sharply from six million to seven or eight hundred thousand, successfully relocating them to neighboring provinces was no easy task.

Furthermore, the imperial court's attitude towards the peasant army had always been ambiguous, and it had never considered exterminating them. If this plan were implemented now, then hundreds of thousands of the 600,000 peasant soldiers would probably starve to death.

Such ruthless methods are not the actions of a benevolent ruler.

If this were to be discussed in the imperial court, probably more than 90% of the ministers would strongly oppose it, and even Emperor Chongzhen, for the sake of his reputation, would certainly not agree.

Xue Guoguan and the others had different thoughts. Although Zhu Cilang did not speak, a hint of admiration flashed in his eyes when his gaze fell on Fan Jingwen.

It must be admitted that this was indeed an extremely ruthless tactic.

Zhu Cilang had thought that only someone like Hong Chengchou could come up with such a ruthless plan, but he was surprised to find that Fan Jingwen also had such methods.

However, Zhu Cilang did not rush to speak, but instead turned his gaze to the other ministers and slowly began to speak:
"My lords, what are your thoughts on this plan?"

The cabinet ministers looked at each other, their expressions awkward.

To say that this plan is bad would be a lie, because from the perspective of the battle situation, this plan can indeed greatly weaken the strength of the peasant army.

But if one says this plan is good, it would make one seem too cruel and indifferent to the lives of ordinary people.

For a moment, no one knew how to answer. The atmosphere in the hall grew increasingly heavy. Everyone knew that this seemingly simple answer concerned the fate of countless people and would profoundly affect the future of the Ming Dynasty.

Soon, Grand Secretary Xue Guoguan was the first to react.

He slowly rose to his feet amidst the gazes of the crowd, then cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Zhu Cilang and said:

"Your Highness, this old minister believes that although this plan is ruthless, it is also a brilliant one!"

"Although it will require a large amount of money and grain to settle the people, and the cost will be incalculable, I think it is entirely worthwhile compared to letting them become bandits."

"After all, if the peasant army is allowed to continue to grow, by next spring, the number of peasant army members may exceed one million."

"This old minister dares to assert that as long as this policy is implemented, when the harsh winter arrives, the 600,000 peasant army will be reduced by at least 100,000, or even 200,000!"

As he uttered these words, cold sweat had already seeped from the back of Xue Guoguan's neck.

In fact, if he could, Xue Guoguan would not want to be the one to stick his neck out, but as a member of the imperial faction, how could he not take the initiative to stand up?

He had already figured it out: although Zhu Cilang hadn't said anything, he agreed with the plan.

If that's the case, what else is there for him to consider?
As a staunch supporter of the emperor, his task was to stand firmly on the side of imperial power without reservation at crucial moments.

At present, Zhu Cilang represents imperial power!

Zhu Cilang remained silent, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the other ministers before suddenly landing on Zhang Zhifa's face.

At this moment, Zhang Zhifa's expression was somewhat strange, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

Zhu Cilang asked again:
"Grand Secretary Zhang, what is your opinion?"

Zhang Zhifa's beard trembled slightly, and when he raised his head, his eyes were full of pity. He said:
"Your Highness, the people of Henan are utterly innocent! How is this forced relocation any different from driving them into misery?"

"It's fine for young and strong people, but what about the elderly and young children who have difficulty moving around?"

His voice carried a hint of pity, and it sounded particularly clear in the silent hall.

Before Zhu Cilang could answer, Li Banghua, who was standing to the side, let out a heavy sigh:

"Lord Zhang, please forgive my bluntness, but if we do not do this, most of the people who remain will eventually become a new peasant army, and Henan will only become more chaotic."

"Instead of doing that, we should solve the problem at its root."

"After all, a short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Zhifa was momentarily speechless.

Just then, Zhu Cilang finally spoke.

He slowly said:
"In fact, I understand that this plan has its flaws, but in order to completely eliminate the threat of bandits, this is the only option for now."

"At that time, the imperial court will dispatch troops from the surrounding areas of Henan to help relocate these people, and all the necessary food and fodder will be provided by the imperial court."

"If anyone is unwilling to move, or is unable to move due to health reasons, we will carry them there even if it means having to carry them by hand!"

"In short, we cannot leave Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong a single person or a single grain of food!"

After a pause, Zhu Cilang continued:
"Rest assured, I know you value your reputation, so let this matter be announced to the world in the name of the Emperor. I will speak to the Emperor myself!"

"I am confident that Father will agree!"

Upon hearing this, the ministers exchanged glances, but quickly bowed and replied:
"I obey!"

When they looked up, the way they looked at Zhu Cilang was completely different.

Originally, it was thought that the crown prince would shift the responsibility to the cabinet, and he and Chongzhen would gain a reputation for being compliant.

Unexpectedly, he intended to place this eternal infamy on Emperor Chongzhen's head.

In the past, they would have thought this was a complete fantasy.

After all, throughout history, which monarch hasn't valued the title of "benevolent ruler" more than their own life?
Emperor Chongzhen was no exception!

If Emperor Chongzhen were to agree to that, it would be practically like seeing a ghost.

But now
They, however, believed that Emperor Chongzhen would definitely agree to this, after all, the current Emperor Chongzhen was no longer the same as the one before.

In fact, at the beginning, Zhu Cilang really wanted to pin the blame on several cabinet ministers.

But after thinking about it, I felt it was inappropriate. After all, I would still need to use these people in the future, and if their reputations were ruined, it wouldn't do me any good.

On the contrary, for Emperor Chongzhen, reputation was no longer important.

That's why he planned to make Chongzhen take the blame, since Chongzhen was specifically in charge of this kind of thing.

(End of this chapter)