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

Chapter 309 Li Zicheng's Helplessness!

Seeing this, Sun Chuanting quickly gestured for everyone to quiet down before speaking:
"You don't need to argue anymore. I already have a plan regarding this batch of flintlock muskets: select ten thousand soldiers from the army to use these firearms exclusively!"

Upon hearing this, everyone reluctantly shut their mouths.

But his eyes still gleamed with longing for the flintlock musket.

After all, who wouldn't want a team like that!
Without saying a word, Sun Chuanting then ordered all the flintlock muskets to be distributed.

In fact, Sun Chuanting had already selected a force of about 10,000 men from the army and had them train with the previous 600 flintlock muskets.

Although the number of flintlock muskets was very small, and each person could not even guarantee to practice every day, these people still made rapid progress with their tenacious perseverance.

Therefore, they were listed by Sun Chuanting as gunmen who used flintlock muskets.

On the other side, after receiving their brand-new flintlock muskets, the soldiers were overjoyed.

They had already experienced the power of the flintlock pistol during their previous practice, but there were only 600 flintlock pistols available. With 600 pistols for 10,000 people, they sometimes couldn't even handle one every day or two.

But now things are much better. Everyone has their own flintlock pistol. How could they not be happy?
Although he had plenty of bullets, Sun Chuanting still dared not waste a single one.

He knew that winter had arrived and that transporting any supplies would be extremely inconvenient.

If we run out of bullets, we'll have to wait until next spring to get more.

Therefore, he had to be prepared for any eventuality, so that the soldiers would continue to use the previously fired clay bullets during training, and only when they were in actual combat could they use the bullets supplied by the imperial court.

This ensures both the effectiveness of the soldiers' training and that there are enough bullets available in critical moments.

Just as the soldiers inside Tongguan were immersed in the joy of the arrival of ten thousand flintlock muskets, outside Tongguan, a completely different, bleak picture was slowly unfolding.

The heavy snow continued to fall relentlessly.

The pure white snowflakes, like frenzied dancers, fluttered down from the gray sky, swirling and dancing wildly in the air, as if trying to engulf everything in the world in this white carnival.

The distant mountains and trees, and the nearby city walls, were all covered by the thick white snow.

Beneath these icy, bone-chilling city walls, approximately five thousand peasant soldiers stood in a loosely arranged yet utterly helpless line, like orphans cruelly abandoned by fate.

They were all dressed in rags, their worn-out cotton-padded clothes covered with patches, some even revealing the cotton inside.

Everyone's faces were covered in filth, their hair was disheveled and fell across their foreheads, and their eyes were filled with hunger and longing.

Those eyes, like two sparks in the darkness, flickered with a tenacity for survival.

Not far away, dozens of large pots were set up, with thick porridge bubbling inside.

The rising steam, spreading through the cold air like a soft veil, only added to the desolation and sorrow.

The porridge in the pot kept boiling, and the rice grains floated up and down in the water, like a group of people struggling in a predicament.

These peasant soldiers were like a pack of hungry wolves, staring intently at the thick porridge in the pot, constantly swallowing their saliva.

If it weren't for the soldiers guarding them, they would have rushed forward like wild horses and looted everything.

There was no other way; they were just too hungry, and hunger had gradually eroded their reason.

Right next to them, a group of about two thousand people were watching them closely like a pack of vigilant hunting dogs.

But don't get the wrong idea, this army is not the Ming Dynasty garrison inside Tongguan, but veteran soldiers sent by Li Zicheng, in order to prevent these peasant soldiers from taking the opportunity to escape to Tongguan while they are eating porridge.

Initially, Li Zicheng absolutely refused to accept the porridge provided by the imperial court.

He felt that doing so would affect the morale of his troops.

However, less than a month later, Li Zicheng had no choice but to accept the porridge provided by the imperial court.

The reason is simple: he simply didn't have enough food to feed everyone.

During this period of about a month, he sent a large number of troops to search for cities that were still inhabited or places where food was stored.

But the result was very disappointing.

Because there wasn't a single living person or a single grain of food to be found in the entire Henan province!

Not only the living and the food, but everything of value was taken away.

The village was desolate, the houses were dilapidated, and the fields were overgrown with weeds, with no sign of life.

The once vast province of Henan has now become desolate and uninhabited, like a giant tomb, filled with the aura of death.

Li Zicheng did not want to sit idly by and wait for his death, because he knew that if he continued to suffer like this, he might not be able to hold on for long.

So at the very beginning, he started discussing with his soldiers the idea of ​​entering Shanxi or Hubei.

He dreamed of finding food in a new place so that the army could be revitalized.

But before he could take any action, he received another shocking piece of news.

The temperature in these two provinces suddenly plummeted, with rain or snow falling constantly, as if the heavens were conspiring against them.

In contrast, it hasn't snowed in Henan yet, and the temperature is still relatively warm.

What can he do in this situation?
He can't just lead his army to a snowy place, can he?
By then, many people would probably freeze to death before even reaching Shanxi or Hubei. Helpless, Li Zicheng ultimately decided to stay in Henan to spend the winter.

But the days that followed were not peaceful either, even though he had killed many people in an attempt to deter those who wanted to escape.

However, people continued to flee to Tongguan every day to surrender to the imperial court, and this was a persistent problem that could not be stopped.

There was no other way; most people had lost all hope of following Li Zicheng in his rebellion. They just wanted to surrender to the imperial court as soon as possible, hoping to get an official position and live a peaceful life.

This has led to Li Zicheng losing trust in those around him and no longer daring to easily trust others.

Even when it was necessary to send some peasant soldiers to collect porridge from the imperial court in order to maintain the army's supplies, he would choose to send his own nephew, Li Guo, with a troop of veteran soldiers to monitor these peasant soldiers and prevent them from escaping. Li Guo, courtesy name Buzhi, later changed his name to Li Jin, and was given the name Li Chixin by the Longwu Emperor of the Southern Ming Dynasty. He was Li Zicheng's nephew.

He was born in Lijiazhan, Mizhi County, Shaanxi Province. His mother died when he was three years old, and he lived with his father and uncle Li Zicheng from a young age.

Li Guo's early military career was unremarkable. He served as a squad leader in the Gansu border army, living a mundane and monotonous life every day.

However, in 1629, the third year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, the emperor ordered the closure of most of the post stations across the country, leaving Li Zicheng without a job.

This ultimately led to the uprising led by Li Zicheng. This event was like a lightning bolt that pierced the dark night sky, igniting the flame of resistance in Li Guo's heart.

He then resolutely led fifty border soldiers to Li Zicheng's camp to fight alongside him, thus beginning their magnificent journey.

In the years that followed, Li Guo, with his bravery and wisdom, gradually distinguished himself in Li Zicheng's army, grew into an important general, and made great achievements on the battlefield, becoming Li Zicheng's right-hand man.

With this relationship in place, Li Guo would never betray Li Zicheng.

On the contrary, it's hard to say about others, after all, in this chaotic world, people's hearts are unpredictable!

Li Guo did not disappoint Li Zicheng's trust. Even though many military generals in Tongguan tried to win him over, and even Sun Chuanting personally tried to persuade Li Guo to surrender, Li Guo still refused them firmly.

The scene returns to outside Tongguan City.

As pots of thick porridge were cooked, the soldier in charge of cooking the porridge struck the gong in his hand.

clang clang clang.
The crisp sound of gongs echoed in the silent air, as if sending a signal of hope to these starving peasant soldiers.

Upon hearing the gong, the eyes of the more than 5,000 peasant soldiers lit up, and they lined up one by one to receive the thick porridge.

Soon, many peasant soldiers received thick porridge and then found a corner to squat down and drink it.

Judging from how they wolfed down their food, it was as if the porridge was the most delicious food in the world.

Some of the peasant soldiers held their bowls with both hands and drank the porridge in big gulps, the soup dripping down their lips, but they didn't bother to wipe it away.

Some of the peasant soldiers carefully scooped up the porridge with a broken spoon, savoring it slowly as if enjoying this rare delicacy.

Just then, a Ming army commander responsible for guarding the area brought a bowl of porridge to Li Guo and said with a smile:

"It's so cold outside, let's have a bowl of porridge to warm ourselves up."

The commander wore a kind smile, but his eyes revealed a hint of probing.

Li Guo glanced at the porridge that had been delivered, then said coldly:

"No need, you can drink it yourselves."

He wasn't worried that the porridge had been poisoned; after all, the Ming army wouldn't dare to be so bold under the watchful eyes of everyone.

He simply didn't want to get involved with the Ming army. After all, his own family was rebelling, so how could he accept the Ming army's porridge? Wouldn't that be bowing down to the Ming army?
Moreover, as Li Zicheng's nephew, even if others couldn't get enough to eat, he would definitely be able to eat his fill!

The commander wasn't angry at being rejected by Li Guo; in fact, he actually took a sip of the porridge in his bowl, and then said with a smile:
"As the saying goes, a wise man submits to circumstances. Given the current situation, you should know that the peasant army cannot last long."

"Since that's the case, why not surrender to the imperial court? Even if you are Li Zicheng's nephew, the court will keep its promise and grant you an official position. Why do you have to follow Li Zicheng down this dark path?"

Upon hearing this, Li Guo sneered and said:
"Don't waste your breath. I will never betray King Chuang. We are on different paths and cannot work together."

After saying this, Li Guo urged his warhorse forward. The horse neighed and began to drive away the peasant soldiers who wanted to approach the Tongguan city gate.

"Go back! All of you, go back! Anyone who dares to approach Tongguan City, don't blame me for turning my back on you!"

Li Guo spoke loudly, his eyes showing both ruthlessness and reluctance.

As a normal person, he was actually unwilling to stop these peasant armies from surrendering to the imperial court, since everyone knew that surrendering to the imperial court was the best option at the moment.

Putting everything else aside, at least we won't have any problem getting enough to eat.

The reason these peasant soldiers followed them in rebellion was ultimately because they wanted a full stomach.

But as Li Zicheng's nephew and one of the generals of the peasant army, he had no choice but to do so!
If this situation is left unchecked, more peasant armies will surrender to the imperial court, and the peasant army will collapse without a fight.

At that time, forget about rebellion; they would probably have lost their heads!
Therefore, Li Guo absolutely could not allow these peasant armies to surrender to the imperial court right under his nose!

At the same time, the peasant soldiers shrank back in fear upon hearing this, and then moved further away from the Tongguan city gate.

Because they knew that if they really tried to break into Tongguan, the veteran soldiers that Li Guo brought would definitely kill them without hesitation.

Now, they truly regret following Li Zicheng in the rebellion. Now, they can't even surrender to the imperial court, as if they're stuck in a quagmire from which they can't escape.

After the peasant army outside Tongguan City had moved far away from the city gate, Li Guo turned around and glanced at Tongguan City, his expression showing some worry.

For some reason, he felt that the number of soldiers guarding the city wall had more than doubled.

Even standing at the city gate and looking inside, you can see that the number of guards inside has increased several times, as if they are on guard against something.
But then again, what exactly are they guarding against?

Li Guo didn't know, but he felt that something big might have happened in Tongguan City that they didn't know about.

It seems I need to hurry back and report this to Li Zicheng to see if he has made any further discoveries.

Before long, after the five thousand peasant soldiers had eaten their fill and felt warm in their stomachs, Li Guo led his personal guards and herded the peasant army toward Li Zicheng's army like a flock of sheep.

The peasant soldiers dragged their weary bodies back step by step, their eyes filled with disappointment and helplessness. Every now and then, they would look back at Tongguan City behind them, their eyes filled with longing.

They really wanted to surrender to the imperial court!

unfortunately
They can't do it!
Seeing this, some people might not be able to help but ask: Li Guo only brought two thousand personal guards, so why couldn't the Tongguan garrison just seize him?
The answer is simple: of course not!
After all, not long ago, Li Zicheng had already 'accepted' the court's offer of surrender. Regardless of whether he sincerely submitted, he certainly put on a very good show.

Every so often, they would send people with peasant soldiers to Tongguan to express their "sincerity" to the court, as if they had truly submitted to the court.

Therefore, the imperial court naturally couldn't afford to make things too ugly.

(End of this chapter)