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

Chapter 314 Zhang Xianzhong: What's going on? How come I didn't know I had betrayed them?
Before long, Li Guo and his group arrived in a flurry of activity.

Some of them were still sleepy, some had messy hair, and some hadn't even had time to button up their cotton-padded coats.

It was obvious that they had all rushed over.

At this moment, they were all bewildered, not knowing why Li Zicheng had summoned them in such a hurry.

"Chuang Wang, what has happened?"

Seeing Li Zicheng's anxious appearance, Li Guo spoke first and asked.

Although he didn't know what had happened, judging from Li Zicheng's appearance, he knew that something terrible must have occurred!
Li Zicheng didn't hide anything and said directly:

"Listen up, tonight someone is planning a rebellion. I need you to lead troops to suppress it immediately. You must eliminate them before they act. If anyone resists, kill them without mercy!"

His voice was cold and resolute, clearly indicating that he was determined to eliminate these rebels.

However, everyone present was completely dumbfounded when they heard this, seemingly not expecting such a thing to happen in the camp.

After all, Li Zicheng had been killing people indiscriminately for the past month to prevent such things from happening. He never expected that someone would dare to do such a thing at this time.

Immediately afterwards, Li Zicheng recounted what Luo Rucai had just said, and also read out the names on the list.

Soon, Li Guo realized that something was wrong.

He frowned and asked:

"Wait a minute, some of these names seem to be former subordinates of Zhang Xianzhong. Could it be that Zhang Xianzhong was also involved in this?"

Upon hearing this, Li Zicheng replied with a dark face:
"I don't know, but we have to be careful about this kind of thing."

Although Li Zicheng had begun to suspect Zhang Xianzhong, he did not want to show it at this time, lest it cause greater chaos.

In any case, everyone present realized the seriousness of the matter, so they all became extremely vigilant.

Li Zicheng then immediately gave the order:

"Li Guo, send 10,000 men to guard the granary and ensure its safety. Apart from that, do not harm Zhang Xianzhong for the time being. We will deal with this matter after it has been thoroughly investigated."

Upon hearing this, Li Guo quickly clasped his hands in greeting and said:

"As ordered!"

He then prepared to leave.

Time was of the essence, and he had to act quickly to stop the potential rebellion.

Just then, a cry of alarm suddenly came from outside the tent.

"Oh no! The granary is on fire!"

The sound was sharp and piercing, like a bolt of lightning, shattering the tense atmosphere inside the tent.

what?
Upon hearing this, everyone in the tent paled.

Li Zicheng's face turned deathly pale; he never expected that his worst fears would come true.

The next second, Li Zicheng was the first to rush out of the tent, his steps hurried and flustered, like a frightened wild beast.

The others also hurriedly ran out, including Luo Rucai.

Immediately afterwards, everyone saw that a raging fire had indeed broken out in the direction of the granary.

The flames shot into the sky, illuminating the entire night.

Although it was too far away to know whether the burning building was actually a grain warehouse, the location was clearly in the direction of the grain warehouse.

The raging fire seemed like a giant demon, devouring everything.

"Damn Zhang Xianzhong, you dare to betray me!"

Upon seeing this, Li Zicheng could no longer contain himself and burst into a tirade of curses.

His voice was filled with anger and hatred, as if he wanted to tear Zhang Xianzhong to pieces, and his words undoubtedly condemned Zhang Xianzhong.

In his view, Zhang Xianzhong was behind it all, and Zhang Xianzhong was the mastermind behind the rebellion.

The next second, Li Zicheng's voice suddenly rose, booming like thunder in everyone's ears, his majestic tone revealing an unquestionable determination.

"Li Guo! What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and go!"

Upon hearing this stern shout, Li Guo's heart trembled violently. Without daring to hesitate for even a moment, he turned around and hurriedly left.

At the same time, Li Zicheng's sharp eyes quickly scanned the other generals present, and he issued the order in a cold and decisive tone:

"You lot, immediately lead your troops to suppress Yuan Dafu and his men! Remember, once you meet them, kill them all without mercy! Leave no one alive!"

"And you few, lead troops to suppress Zhang Xianzhong's subordinates! Kill them all without mercy! Leave no survivors!"

At this moment, Li Zicheng's voice was filled with intense killing intent, as if he wanted to crush those who dared to rebel.

Upon hearing the order, the generals quickly agreed and went to carry it out, creating a tense and ominous atmosphere.

Immediately afterwards, Li Zicheng looked towards the granary again, his heart filled with worry.

Although Li Zicheng was well aware that the granary was of paramount importance, concerning the life and death of the entire army.

However, he could not send all his troops to the granary, because he knew that Yuan Dafu and Zhang Xianzhong's followers together numbered 100,000, and if they rebelled together, the consequences would be unimaginable.

The foundation that Li Zicheng had painstakingly built could very well be destroyed in this rebellion.

More importantly, he had to leave a portion of his troops behind to protect his own safety.

After all, in this chaotic world, nothing is more important than one's own life.

Having fought so many battles and endured countless life-or-death trials, Li Zicheng knew that only by staying alive could he possess everything.

If he dies, all his ambitions and all his wealth and glory will vanish into nothingness.

Therefore, he must prioritize saving his own life no matter what.

Meanwhile, at the granary, Zhang Xianzhong was sitting with several of Li Zicheng's old generals, drinking and chatting.

Recently, Li Zicheng appointed him to manage the granary. Although this position was a significant demotion compared to his previous status as an equal to Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong did not complain much.

After all, he found it rather boring to have nothing to do every day, and managing the granary brought him a lot of enjoyment.

He got along fairly well with some of Li Zicheng's old troops, and the two sides often got together to drink and chat.

Moreover, managing the granary has another real advantage: there is an endless supply of delicious food and wine to eat and drink.

He could even occasionally take care of his former elite troops and send them some supplies.

Such days were quite carefree and comfortable.

But just now, the peaceful atmosphere was broken by a sudden shout.

Someone outside was shouting at the top of their lungs:

"Fire! Fire!" Upon hearing this shout, Zhang Xianzhong was startled. He quickly put down his wine cup and hurriedly came out with the other two veteran generals who were in charge of managing the granary.

After all, they manage a granary; if that place catches fire, they're definitely doomed!

As soon as they stepped out of the camp, they saw a raging fire suddenly burst into flames several hundred meters away. The fire looked extremely fierce and lit up half of the sky.

However, saying that the grain warehouse caught fire is actually a bit of an exaggeration.

Because the fire was several hundred meters away from the granary, the fire couldn't reach there at all.

Zhang Xianzhong looked at the fire but didn't think much of it, assuming it was just an ordinary fire.

Immediately afterward, just as he was about to send someone to put out the fire, he suddenly heard an even louder, more piercing shout coming from not far away:

"It's terrible! Zhang Xianzhong has betrayed us! Zhang Xianzhong has betrayed us!"

what?
Upon hearing this voice, Zhang Xianzhong's eyes widened in disbelief.

His mouth was slightly open, as if he wanted to say something, but he was speechless for a moment.

Not
What the fuck is going on?

Which bastard just threw shit on his head?

When did he rebel?

Zhang Xianzhong was both shocked and furious. He never expected that he would be falsely accused of treason while he was peacefully staying there.

Upon hearing this, the two veteran generals standing next to Zhang Xianzhong looked at him differently, their eyes filled with suspicion and wariness.

It was as if Zhang Xianzhong had truly rebelled.

One of them even reached for the hilt of his sword at his waist, as if he were about to rush up and kill Zhang Xianzhong at any moment!
Realizing things were getting out of control, Zhang Xianzhong quickly explained:

“Brothers, don’t be fooled! I’ve been with you every day lately. How could I possibly betray King Chuang? This is clearly a frame-up, designed to incite unrest and reap the benefits.”

Zhang Xianzhong spoke with such sincerity that fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Upon hearing this, the two veteran officers immediately realized what was happening.

After careful reflection, they realized that they had been with Zhang Xianzhong every day recently and had been watching his every move.

Even when he slept at night, there were guards outside Zhang Xianzhong's tent. Zhang Xianzhong had no chance to meet his former subordinates alone and launch a rebellion with them.

Besides, if they really wanted to do this, how could Zhang Xianzhong still be with them right now?
You have to understand that they are all around him now, and Zhang Xianzhong is just a commander without any troops. Isn't that just throwing his life away?
After figuring out the reasoning behind it, one of them quickly said:
"It seems someone is indeed trying to frame the Western King for rebellion. We were the ones who acted rashly!"

"However, this person dared to falsely accuse the Western King of rebellion, so he must have a bigger plan. We must report this matter to the King of Chuang as soon as possible, otherwise I'm afraid this matter will get out of control."

Upon hearing this, the other person quickly nodded and then prepared to rush out of the tent to see Li Zicheng.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xianzhong, who was standing nearby, quickly added:
"I will go with you."

After this incident, Zhang Xianzhong could no longer remain idle.

He knew he had to see Li Zicheng as soon as possible and explain the situation clearly, otherwise he would be in a real predicament.

The old camp commander didn't say anything when he heard this, he just nodded.

Immediately afterwards, the two decided to go see Li Zicheng.

Fortunately, the granary was not too far from Li Zicheng's camp, less than two kilometers away, and could be reached in just a few minutes.

However, it was dark and there was snow on the road, making it difficult to travel, so we would definitely have to go slower.

After walking a few steps, they discovered that things were far more serious than they had imagined.

Although they roughly knew that Zhang Xianzhong had been framed, the peasant armies outside did not.

Moreover, Yuan Dafu and his men were well-prepared. They not only set fires near the granary, but also continuously set fires throughout a large area of ​​the surrounding camps, while shouting the same message.

In an instant, similar sounds echoed throughout most of the camp.

"Oh no! Zhang Xianzhong has betrayed us!"

"Zhang Xianzhong is about to surrender to the imperial court! By order of the King of Chuang, we are to exterminate Zhang Xianzhong's former subordinates!"

"By order of the King of Chuang, kill Zhang Xianzhong! Whoever kills Zhang Xianzhong will be rewarded by the King of Chuang!"

The sounds rose and fell, like waves, one after another, spreading rampantly throughout the camp.

Upon hearing this news, the entire camp erupted in chaos.

The peasant soldiers rushed out of their tents, their faces filled with fear and confusion.

Similarly, this message also reached the ears of Zhang Xianzhong's former subordinates.

At first, these people were completely bewildered; they never expected such a huge thing to happen so suddenly.

Why did Zhang Xianzhong suddenly betray us?

Didn't they just surrender to Li Zicheng not long ago?
And why didn't you tell them about this?

These people were filled with doubt, but they couldn't find the answers.

But at this moment they had no time to think, because they had heard the sound clearly just now.

Because Zhang Xianzhong betrayed them, Li Zicheng ordered Zhang Xianzhong to be executed, and even ordered the killing of his former subordinates!
If they only killed Zhang Xianzhong, they could pretend that nothing had happened, but if they killed them all, they would not be able to tolerate it!
Moreover, it was dark, so there was no way to verify it at that time.

The next second, the tents everywhere erupted in chaos.

Many people grabbed their weapons and rushed out of the camp like arrows released from a bow.

As they rushed out, they shouted at the top of their lungs, trying to rally their men.

At first, they didn't actually intend to take action directly, after all, this was in Li Zicheng's camp, and to make a move here would undoubtedly be suicidal.

However, things developed far beyond their expectations, leaving them no choice but to take action.

It was nighttime, and the surroundings were pitch black, making it impossible to distinguish friend from foe.

Everyone looked at each other, but could only see a blurry outline; they couldn't tell who was who at all.

Furthermore, it's unclear whether some hothead was overly nervous or acted impulsively, but they actually started the fight first.

This single strike was like a spark falling into a powder keg, instantly igniting everyone's emotions.

"what!!!"

A piercing scream rang out, and a sense of fear quickly spread through the crowd.

The emotions of everyone present reached their peak, and they no longer cared about anything else, starting to kill each other.

In an instant, the shouts of fighting and killing were deafening, as if they were about to tear the entire night sky apart.

(End of this chapter)