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

Chapter 277 The imperial court is too difficult to deal with, let's feign surrender!
Thinking of this, Li Zicheng felt somewhat annoyed and questioned:
"Gao Guizi, what nonsense are you spouting? Didn't I tell you before that there are grain supplies stored in some places? Have you overlooked those places?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Guizi quickly explained:
“Chuang Wang, I went, I really went! I went to all the places you mentioned before, one by one, but when I got there, I found that they were all deserted.”

"There was neither people nor food, and even everything that could be moved from the house had been taken away, leaving only a bare house."

“I felt something was wrong at the time, and thought it was an isolated case, so I continued to walk for several dozen miles. To my surprise, I found that not only was there no one in the town, but I didn’t even encounter a single living person along the way.”

"But I didn't think much of it at the time. I thought these people had run away to other places because they were afraid of being affected by us. So I quickly sent people to search everywhere. But then something even more frightening happened."

"That is, within a hundred miles, there is not a single living person in any of the towns, and all the food, pots and pans, and everything else have disappeared, as if no one had ever lived here."

"I was not giving up, so I went to check several large cities nearby, but the results were even more despairing. There was no one in those cities either. The entire city was like a ghost town, without a trace of life."

After hearing these words, Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong, and Luo Rucai looked at each other in shock, their eyes filled with extreme astonishment!
They were truly stunned by the news and had no idea what had happened!
According to Gao Guizi, it seems that all the people in Henan suddenly disappeared, leaving behind not even a single grain, pot, or pan!
Could it be the work of ghosts and spirits?

Thinking of this, Li Zicheng couldn't help but feel nervous, because it was the first time he had encountered such a strange and terrifying thing, and his heart was filled with fear and doubt.

The next second, Li Zicheng, suppressing his inner fear, looked at Luo Rucai beside him and asked:
"Mr. Luo, what exactly is going on? Why do people from Henan seem to have suddenly disappeared? This is unbelievable."

Luo Rucai was, after all, quite intelligent, and upon hearing the news, he immediately understood the reason behind it.

Needless to say, this was definitely done by the imperial court.

Otherwise, how could food, pots and pans, and all valuables have disappeared? It's obvious that the people were migrating, and in an organized and planned way.

Thinking of this, Luo Rucai slowly said:

"If I am not mistaken, all of this should be the work of the imperial court."

"The imperial court must have ordered the relocation of the people in Henan to several other surrounding provinces in order to cut off our food and manpower supplies."

"Our peasant army has always relied on collecting food and recruiting farmers from the populace to sustain itself. Now that the imperial court has relocated all the people, we have lost our source of food and manpower. This is a fatal blow to us!"

Upon hearing this, Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong instantly realized how ruthless the court's move was.

However, Zhang Xianzhong then said, still somewhat shocked:
"To relocate all the people of an entire province to a neighboring province—what an enormous undertaking that must be! I never imagined the imperial court would do something like this."

"This must have cost a lot of manpower, resources, and money. The imperial court is really going to great lengths to deal with us."

Luo Rucai said in a solemn tone:

"Doing this will indeed consume a lot of manpower, material resources, and financial resources, but from the perspective of the imperial court, it is actually very worthwhile!"

"Because doing this will put us in a desperate situation. It's obvious that the imperial court wants to fundamentally undermine our power and make us lose without a fight."

Upon hearing this, Li Zicheng's heart sank.

He never expected that the imperial court would come up with such a treacherous scheme to deal with them.

It must be said that the current situation is indeed very unfavorable for them.

Without the replenishment of farmers, his army could not expand and would only dwindle with each battle.

Without food supplies to plunder, his army will starve to death until it can no longer hold on and then collapses!
Thinking of this, Li Zicheng sighed helplessly, then continued to ask:

"Mr. Luo, how much food and fodder do we have left in the military camp? We need to have a clear idea of ​​this so we can think about what to do next."

Luo Rucai thought for a moment before speaking:

"King Chuang, after these days of attrition, the army's food supplies can only last for about three months."

Three months?

Li Zicheng frowned upon hearing this, his worries deepening.

Although three months seems like a lot, based on the timeline, it would take about January or February to finish all the food.

And that was during a time when heavy snow was falling.

If there had been no food at that time, these 500,000-plus soldiers would have starved to death in Henan.

Realizing this, Li Zicheng's mood grew even heavier, his eyes filled with worry and helplessness, and his mind a jumble of thoughts.

At the same time, he no longer had any plans to attack Tongguan. At this point, his only concern was to get some food as soon as possible so that his army could get through the cold winter.

He then turned his gaze to Luo Rucai again, and asked with a hint of urgency and expectation:
"Mr. Luo, so what should we do next? Where can we get food to get through this winter?"

Luo Rucai also felt a headache coming on; what could he do about such a thorny issue?

In previous winters, they relied on plundering the resources of wealthy farmers and cities to survive.

But now, the situation is completely different. Suddenly there are no more people to plunder. Can he conjure up food out of thin air?

But these words certainly couldn't be said directly, otherwise it would be too disrespectful to Li Zicheng, after all, Li Zicheng was now the leader of this army, and his prestige needed to be maintained.

So, Luo Rucai then cleared his throat and slowly said:

"King Chuang, given the current situation, I think we should issue an order that, starting today, everyone's daily rations must not exceed a certain amount, and extravagance and waste are strictly prohibited."

"In this way, the problem of food supplies should be alleviated to some extent."

Hearing this, Zhang Xianzhong, who was standing nearby, couldn't help but speak up:

"But doing this doesn't seem to make much of a difference! We are facing a serious shortage of food supplies right now, and saving this little bit of food is just a drop in the ocean."

"The most urgent task is to acquire more food supplies as soon as possible; that is the fundamental solution to the problem."

Luo Rucai continued:
"I am well aware of the urgency of this matter, but at this point, is there anywhere else we can obtain supplies?"

"The best place was actually Shaanxi, where the land is fertile and the produce is plentiful. But Tongguan Pass is like a natural barrier in front of us, blocking our army from entering."

"If we can't capture Tongguan, how will we get supplies from Shaanxi?"

"So we can only think of other ways. The first way is to start today and reduce the food and clothing of the entire army."

"As for the second option, it is to lead the army to another place, either to Shanxi or Hubei."

Upon hearing this, a hint of embarrassment flashed in Zhang Xianzhong's eyes, as if he had recalled the time when he was brutally beaten by the Shanxi general.

At that moment, Li Zicheng suddenly regained his senses and said in a deep voice:

"Even if we travel a long way to Shanxi or Hubei, do you think the imperial army will also start to gather around Shanxi?"

"If we make a move, they will inevitably follow suit. Wouldn't we then find ourselves surrounded again?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai both nodded helplessly.

They had already considered this matter beforehand. Since the imperial court had deployed troops around Henan to surround them, the court's army would certainly make corresponding adjustments when they began their operation.

They will move with them and then surround them again.

If their army marches a long way into Shanxi and the imperial army happens to be lying in ambush nearby, wouldn't they be walking into a trap?

But if they don't do this, where else can they go?
The tent fell silent again, the flickering lamplight casting long shadows of the group.

Luo Rucai couldn't say anything more at this point. After all, as a strategist, he had already said everything he needed to say. Now it was up to Li Zicheng to decide what to do.

Zhang Xianzhong, however, couldn't help but look at Li Zicheng and ask:
"Chuang Wang, what exactly do you want to do? Why don't you tell us now so we can discuss it? The situation is urgent, and we must make a decision as soon as possible."

Li Zicheng stroked his beard, a determined glint in his eyes, before speaking:

"Now that there are no outsiders here, there are some things I will no longer hide from you."

"Given the current situation, I have two solutions that, if implemented smoothly, should help us get through this winter."

Upon hearing this, the two men first looked at each other in bewilderment, and then simultaneously turned their gazes toward Li Zicheng.

Then, Li Zicheng slowly said:

"The first method is what Mr. Luo just mentioned: cutting back on food and clothing, but with some slight modifications."

"That means the main combat personnel cannot have their food reduced; they must be well-fed to maintain their combat effectiveness."

"After all, we may face various battles in the future. If our combat personnel are not well-fed, our combat effectiveness will be greatly reduced, and we will not even be able to protect ourselves."

"As for those peasant soldiers who have little fighting ability, just give them a bowl of thin porridge for each meal."

"This will ensure that they don't starve to death, and will also alleviate the pressure on food supplies to some extent."

It must be said that Li Zicheng's words were quite cruel.

The so-called combat personnel were actually his old soldiers, including elite troops who had followed him for many years and experienced countless battles, as well as Ming Dynasty officials and soldiers who had surrendered to him.

In total, there were about 30,000 cavalry and 30,000 infantry, totaling about 60,000 men!

In other words, Li Zicheng's priority now is to ensure that these people have enough to eat. As for the other nearly 500,000 peasant soldiers, he will give them a bowl of thin porridge to keep them alive.

Most of these peasant soldiers were coerced into joining their ranks and lacked combat experience and training. In the eyes of Li Zicheng and others, they did not seem to be that important.

When Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai heard this, they didn't object at all; on the contrary, they nodded in agreement. Clearly, they also supported the plan, since in their eyes these ordinary peasant soldiers were merely "tools" they could discard at any time.

As long as their interests and those of the core troops can be guaranteed, the life or death of the peasant army seems to be of little importance.

Then, Li Zicheng continued:

"As for the second method, it's even simpler: I intend to surrender to the imperial court!"

what?
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xianzhong and Luo Rucai immediately stood up, their faces filled with disbelief.

Even Gao Guizi, who had been kneeling on the ground, suddenly jumped up.

For a moment, all three people in the tent looked at Li Zicheng in shock, their eyes filled with doubt and confusion.

None of them expected that Li Zicheng would utter such absurd words as surrendering to the imperial court at this time.

They all thought Li Zicheng had gone mad!

It should be noted that Li Zicheng had previously killed thousands of members of the Ming imperial family in Henan. These members were all relatives of the emperor and the face of the court. Li Zicheng's actions were undoubtedly a slap in the face to the court.

Then he led 600,000 men to attack Tongguan, which lasted for several months, and the two sides developed a deep-seated hatred for each other.

Now they suddenly say they want to surrender to the imperial court? Isn't that absurd?

How could the imperial court possibly agree so easily?
Li Zicheng was not surprised by the reactions of the people in front of him. He simply gestured for them to sit down again, and then slowly said:

"Gentlemen, please don't misunderstand. What I mean by surrender is not true surrender, but merely a delaying tactic to secure some supplies from the court."

"Then during this time, we can take a short break, recharge, and figure out what to do next."

"After all, we are currently short of food and our morale is low. If this continues, we will be defeated by the imperial army sooner or later."

"So we need a chance to catch our breath, and surrendering is a perfect excuse."

Upon hearing this, the group suddenly realized that this was a feigned surrender!
Upon further reflection, Luo Rucai suddenly realized that Li Zicheng's strategy actually made some sense.

It should be noted that the imperial court had always adopted a policy of appeasement towards these peasant armies. As long as they were willing to surrender, the court would accept them, provide them with some supplies, and give them official positions to help them settle down.

However, this was actually useless, because they would rebel again each time, and the court would still accept their surrender.

The reason for this was not because the court was stupid, but because in the court's view, accepting their surrender was far more cost-effective than sending troops to suppress them.

Even if it was a feigned surrender, at least during the period of the feigned surrender, they would be a little more obedient, which would not do any harm to the imperial court.

After all, accepting their surrender would only require giving them some supplies and a few official positions, and that would be the end of it.

However, if we were to encircle and annihilate them, we would need to mobilize tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even millions of troops, and the grain and various supplies required for this would not be easy to obtain.

Therefore, the imperial court preferred to resolve the issue through appeasement, even knowing that they might rebel again.

After a brief moment of thought, Luo Rucai suddenly smiled and said:
"The rebel leader is truly brilliant; he actually came up with such a wonderful idea."

"In that case, we will surrender to Sun Chuanting tomorrow. But I wonder what conditions the King of Chuang will propose this time?"

"In my opinion, we must not make any unrealistic demands this time, otherwise the court will easily see through our scheme."

Li Zicheng smiled upon hearing this and said:

“In the past, I would have made that brat Chongzhen grant me the title of King of the Northwest, and then annex Shaanxi to me.”

"But now, all I ask for is the position of a general, and then I ask them to provide some supplies."

"After all, it's just a feigned surrender. If the demands are too unreasonable and they are rejected outright, then there's nothing we can do."

"Therefore, the demands we made had to make the court feel that we were sincere in surrendering, and also meet our current needs, so that the plan of feigning surrender could proceed smoothly."

Zhang Xianzhong, standing to the side, couldn't help but speak up:

“In the past, the court would have agreed to our surrender. After all, the court was facing the threat of the Jurchens and didn’t have the energy to deal with us.”

"But not long ago, didn't the imperial court win a great victory in Liaodong? The Jurchens were driven back deep into Liaodong."

"Therefore, I think the imperial court might not accept our surrender!"

However, Luo Rucai, upon hearing this, said without any concern:

"No, no, you don't know this. The court's attitude towards us peasant armies is actually mainly to appease us. However, after we surrender, we will all be moved to Liaodong to defend against the Jurchens."

Luo Rucai's words were not unfounded, because Zhu Cilang did indeed plan it that way.

He even issued an imperial edict to Sun Chuanting, which stated that if the peasant army was willing to surrender, the court should accept their surrender and send them to Liaodong in batches.

Furthermore, before grain was produced in Liaodong, the imperial court provided food and lodging, and even gave them silver!
After receiving the imperial edict, Sun Chuanting felt that it was a good way to pacify the peasant army. After all, as long as they went to Liaodong, the court would provide them with food and drink and give them silver. This was a good thing that was hard to find even with a lantern!
So he summarized the words in the book and ordered people to make thousands of copies, which were then scattered into Li Zicheng's camp every night while the peasant army was asleep.

However, Li Zicheng reacted quickly. After discovering these items, he immediately ordered his men to collect them all and destroy them.

In addition, few people in the peasant army were literate, so this matter did not cause much of a stir. Only some of Li Zicheng's core generals knew about it, including Luo Rucai.

The reason Zhang Xianzhong was unaware of this was not because Li Zicheng deliberately concealed it, but simply because this matter occurred before Zhang Xianzhong joined Li Zicheng.

Immediately afterward, Zhang Xianzhong's expression changed, and he hurriedly asked:
"What does this mean? Do you want us to go to Liaodong? Liaodong is a harsh and cold place, and the Jurchens are extremely fierce. Wouldn't it be very dangerous for us to go there?"

"Isn't this pushing us into a fire pit?"

Upon hearing this, Li Zicheng and Luo Rucai fell silent instantly.

Not
Was Zhang Xianzhong really not mentally ill?

Didn't we just say it was a feigned surrender?

How could he say such a thing?

Although he felt helpless, Luo Rucai patiently explained:
"Don't misunderstand, have you forgotten that we only feigned surrender? Even if the imperial court really wanted us to go to Liaodong, would we really go?"

"We'll agree to the court's demands on the surface, then ask for some supplies. Once we get the supplies and get through the winter, we can just turn our backs on them. What can the court do to us then?"

Now, Zhang Xianzhong finally understood completely.

He nodded approvingly, then looked at Li Zicheng and said:

"The rebel king's plan is brilliant. In this way, we can obtain supplies and buy time. Once we get through this winter, we can start our uprising again."

Seeing that both Luo Rucai and Zhang Xianzhong expressed their support for the plan, Li Zicheng finally smiled.

Just then, Luo Rucai suddenly seemed to remember something, and then said with a smile:

"King Chuang, since we're surrendering, shouldn't we at least show some sincerity?"

Li Zicheng was slightly taken aback and asked:

"What does the strategist mean by this?"

Luo Rucai smiled and said:
"When the King of Chuang sends people to surrender tomorrow morning, he can give all the old, weak, sick, and disabled soldiers, as well as the soldiers who were injured in the siege, to Sun Chuanting."

"In this way, we can both demonstrate our sincerity and alleviate our army's food problem."

Upon hearing this, Li Zicheng's heart stirred.

Because this is indeed a good method. After all, there are indeed some old, weak, sick, and disabled people in the peasant army. They are basically of little use and can only do some simple logistical work. They can almost be called a burden.

The peasant soldiers, especially those wounded during the siege, were an even greater burden.

Keeping them around would not only require treating their injuries but also providing them with food, which would be quite troublesome.

But if he were to give them all to Sun Chuanting, then these burdens would no longer be his concern!

However, Li Zicheng suddenly frowned again.

Because he felt that Sun Chuanting would not accept these people.

Thinking of this, Li Zicheng looked directly at Luo Rucai and asked:
"Strategist, aren't you afraid that Sun Chuanting will refuse to accept these people?"

Luo Rucai chuckled lightly:

"Rest assured, King Chuang, I can guarantee that Sun Chuanting will absolutely not be able to refuse these people, because the pamphlets that Sun Chuanting sent before stated that accepting the surrender of the peasant army and relocating the peasant army to Liaodong is an imperial edict!"

"How dare Sun Chuanting disobey the imperial decree?"

"After all, the crime of disobeying an imperial edict is punishable by death. Even if he can't be killed now, this crime of disobeying an imperial edict will be a stain that Sun Chuanting can never erase for the rest of his life!"

"Who knows, one day in the future, this crime could lead to his demise!"

When Li Zicheng heard these words, he was overjoyed.

After all, he had once been a low-ranking official in the Ming Dynasty, and he knew all too well the value of this imperial edict.

(End of this chapter)