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

Chapter 320 Li Zicheng: I will use 100,000 men to exchange for Luo Rucai's dog head!

Inside the tent, Li Zicheng sat in the main seat with bloodshot eyes, his hands clenched into fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

Listening to the report from his personal guards, Li Zicheng felt increasingly terrified.

Who would have thought that in just one night, the number of dead and injured on his side would exceed 130,000!

This is 130,000!

In ancient times, it was equivalent to the total population of a medium-sized prefecture or county. Even in later times, it would be equivalent to the population of a county town.

The deaths and injuries of so many people were undoubtedly a heavy blow to Li Zicheng.

You have to understand that after so many years of rebellion, this is only the second time that Li Zicheng has suffered such a great loss!
As for the first time, it was naturally when Sun Chuanting had reduced his forces to only eighteen riders.
Li Zicheng never expected that the culprit behind his second major loss would be Luo Rucai, whom he had always trusted!
The thought of Luo Rucai made Li Zicheng so angry that he wanted to tear him to pieces!
The next second, Li Zicheng shouted at Li Guo, who was standing to the side:

"How's it going? Still haven't found Luo Rucai?"

Upon hearing this, Li Guo could only bite the bullet and say:

"Reporting to the King, your subordinates have done their best to search, but have not found Luo Rucai."

"However, we did find some clues. It seems that someone went directly into the mountains from the southeast. If nothing unexpected happens, they should be planning to cross the mountains and head straight for Tongguan."

"However, the mountain road is too steep, and it is nighttime, so I dare not send anyone to investigate rashly!"

what?
Hearing this, Li Zicheng became even angrier!

He was absolutely certain that the person who entered the mountain from this spot was Luo Rucai!

Clearly, he remembered that he had followed Luo Rucai's advice and deployed only a small number of troops in the southeast direction.

At the time, Luo Rucai said that there were mountains blocking the southeast direction, which was considered a natural barrier, so there was no need to waste too many troops.

Li Zicheng thought it made a lot of sense, so he followed his advice.

Unexpectedly, this route became Luo Rucai's escape route, allowing him to escape successfully.

Thinking about this, Li Zicheng couldn't help but wonder if Luo Rucai had already wanted to betray him back then.
However, Li Zicheng was overthinking things, because at that time Luo Rucai had no intention of betraying him and was genuinely looking out for him.

However, by a twist of fate, this suggestion ultimately became the key to Luo Runeng's escape.

In conclusion, Luo Rucai's rebellion was like a storm that turned Li Zicheng's forces upside down, plunging him into an unprecedented predicament.

Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the tent.

Li Zicheng was in a fit of rage at this moment, and immediately shouted:

"Who's out there? Get in here now!"

The next second, several guards brought in a person who was tied up like a dumpling.

This person was none other than Yuan Dafu, who had previously plotted to betray Luo Rucai!
It was obvious that Yuan Dafu had not escaped, but this was also part of Luo Rucai's plan, because the meeting point Luo Rucai gave Yuan Dafu was actually a pass guarded by Li Zicheng's old camp's personal guards.

When Yuan Dafu arrived here, wasn't he like a lamb entering a tiger's den?
Moreover, the number of troops stationed here was over ten thousand, and the commander was not some nobody, but Liu Zongmin, a subordinate of Li Zicheng.

This man is incredibly brave and can be considered a tiger general.

In contrast, Yuan Dafu only brought five thousand men.

Furthermore, these more than 10,000 people had already been on high alert and prepared to deal with any emergencies when the chaos first broke out.

Therefore, as soon as the two sides clashed, Yuan Dafu immediately fell into a passive situation and was caught off guard.

In contrast, Liu Zongmin commanded with composure, and his soldiers were well-trained. Their offensive surged like a tidal wave, throwing Yuan Dafu's troops into disarray instantly.

Fortunately, the darkness of night provided them with some cover.

Under the cover of night, Yuan Dafu's troops, though suffering repeated defeats, managed to hold on and fight back and forth, with neither side gaining the upper hand for a time.

However, as time went on, Yuan Dafu gradually realized that something was wrong.

According to Luo Rucai's previous plan, there shouldn't be this many veteran troops here!
However, Yuan Dafu did not suspect that Luo Rucai was trying to frame him. He thought that Luo Rucai's plan had gone wrong, which led to the current situation.

After a while, seeing that the situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable, Yuan Dafu had the idea of ​​retreating, so he took a few confidants and planned to sneak away under the cover of night.

But he never expected that his every move had already been watched.

Therefore, before he could run very far, he was blocked by a group of veteran soldiers.

Among these soldiers happened to be some of the men sent by Li Zicheng. These men recognized him and knew that he was one of the masterminds behind the incident, so they tied him up without saying a word.

And that's how we ended up in this situation.

At the same time, Li Zicheng looked at Yuan Dafu, who was bound hand and foot, with a sense of doubt, because he did not recognize the man.

Before he could ask about Yuan Dafu's identity, Liu Zongmin walked in. He went straight to Li Zicheng, pointed at Yuan Dafu, and said:
“Chuang Wang, this man is Yuan Dafu.”

Upon hearing the name "Yuan Dafu," Li Zicheng's expression immediately changed.

In an instant, his expression twisted, and his eyes seemed to spit fire.

Snapped!
The next second, Li Zicheng slammed his fist on the table and roared angrily:
"You bastard, how dare you betray me! I have always treated you well, yet you have committed such a heinous act!"

"He deserves to die a thousand deaths!"

Li Zicheng didn't blush when he said this; he probably forgot that these people couldn't even afford three meals of dry food a day.
Of course, that's not important!

Yuan Dafu was already terrified. Upon hearing Li Zicheng's roar, his legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground.

His lower body was soaked and emitted a pungent stench.

Even so, he forced himself to kneel on the ground and kept kowtowing and begging for mercy.

"King Chuang, please don't kill me! It's not my fault. It was Luo Rucai who forced me to do this! He told me that as long as I followed his plan, I would definitely be able to escape tonight."

"Then we'll surrender to the imperial court with him, and wealth and glory will be just around the corner!"

"Luo Rucai was my former leader after all. How could I dare disobey him? I was forced into this situation. I beg the King of Chuang to spare my life!"

Even at this critical moment, Yuan Dafu still wanted to smear Luo Rucai.

In Yuan Dafu's view, since last night's plan had completely failed, Luo Rucai certainly hadn't escaped either; he might have already been captured or killed by Li Zicheng. At this point, by framing Luo Rucai, Li Zicheng might actually spare him!
At the same time, Yuan Dafu felt an intense hatred for Luo Rucai.

This guy even dared to call himself 'Cao Cao,' but in the end, his plan still failed. How could he compare to Cao Cao even slightly?
Poor Yuan Dafu still doesn't know that Luo Rucai truly deserves the nickname 'Cao Cao'.

Moreover, he and the others had long been sold out by Luo Rucai and had become pawns in Luo Rucai's hands.

Li Zicheng couldn't help but sneer inwardly as he listened to Yuan Dafu's pleas for mercy.

At the same time, he also realized that this guy was actually a pawn of Luo Rucai. Luo Rucai used him to cause chaos, and then took advantage of the chaos to secretly escape with his real elite troops.

Thinking of this, Li Zicheng said coldly:
"You idiot, you've been fooled by Luo Rucai! Luo Rucai already fled with his elite troops last night, and if nothing unexpected happens, they should have entered Tongguan City by now."

"Do you really think he'll take you with him when he runs away? He's just using you."

"What an incurable idiot!"

what?
Yuan Dafu was stunned when he heard this.

His eyes widened, his face full of disbelief.

He never expected that, since he was the one who went to Luo Rucai to plan this, he would end up being left behind.
In an instant, a surge of intense anger and resentment welled up within him, and he couldn't help but curse loudly in front of Li Zicheng:
"Damn Luo Rucai, how dare you play me like this! I, Yuan Dafu, will haunt you even in death!"

But at this point, Li Zicheng was too lazy to bother with this fool anymore.

Li Zicheng felt that saying another word to him was a waste of breath.

The next second, Li Zicheng's voice rang out again, like the pronouncement of death.

"Alright, I don't want to see this idiot anymore. Drag him away and behead him!"

"Everyone involved in this incident, without asking why, was killed!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Dafu was so frightened that he forgot all about cursing Luo Rucai.

He struggled desperately, pleading loudly for mercy:

"King Chuang, I was tricked too! Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I'm still useful! I can serve you like a slave!"

However, Li Zicheng was too lazy to say another word to him and just waved his hand impatiently.

The next second, several guards immediately stepped forward and dragged Yuan Dafu out like a dead dog.

As for the other rebels who weren't brought in, they were all beheaded as well.

Screams erupted outside the tents, and blood stained the ground.

The surrounding scene was already like hell, with cries of pain and wails filling the air, making the beheading seem commonplace.
After killing the people, Li Zicheng's emotions were noticeably calmer, but the anger in his heart still could not be quelled.

After all, the instigator Luo Rucai is still alive, so how can he be at ease?

The thought that Luo Rucai had already fled to Tongguan City and might even be plotting against him with Sun Chuanting made him uneasy.

After all, Luo Rucai was very familiar with the internal situation of the peasant army. If he really gave Sun Chuanting some advice, it was very possible that he could catch him off guard.

Thinking of this, Luo Rucai asked in a hoarse voice:

"Last night brought an unexpected turn of events. We must be wary of a Ming army attacking at this time. Li Guo, have you made any arrangements for defense?"

Upon hearing this, Li Guo quickly stepped forward and respectfully said:
"Rest assured, Your Majesty, I had already considered this. Therefore, I had already dispatched troops to carry out a series of defenses and sent out sentries. As long as there is any movement from the Ming army, we will receive the news immediately. Your Majesty need not worry."

Given Li Guo's prestige in the army, he was not qualified to take on this important task; a veteran like Liu Zongmin should have been appointed instead.

However, after Luo Rucai's betrayal, Li Zicheng became increasingly distrustful of those around him, and only his nephew Li Guo was worthy of his trust.

Upon hearing this, Li Zicheng first breathed a sigh of relief, then nodded and said:

"Very well, but this matter cannot be left unresolved! Luo Rucai betrayed me, causing me such great losses. I will not let this go!"

"Did he think he was safe once he escaped to Tongguan? No! This matter is not over yet!"

The next second, he looked at Li Guo again, his eyes revealing a fierce look.

"You personally lead a group to Tongguan and tell them that I intend to exchange 100,000 men for Luo Rucai's head. As long as the Ming army agrees, I will immediately send 100,000 men to Tongguan to surrender to the Ming Dynasty."

"I want to see whether Sun Chuanting wants Luo Rucai or a hundred thousand peasant soldiers!"

what?
However, upon hearing this, everyone around was startled.

Even veterans like Li Guo and Liu Zongmin were stunned; they looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock and bewilderment.

Without the slightest hesitation, they quickly urged:

"You absolutely cannot do this, King Chuang! How can Luo Rucai's head be worth 100,000 soldiers?"

"These 100,000 troops are our elite force. If we just hand them over to the Ming army, how will we ever be able to fight them again?"

"King Li Zicheng, do not let hatred blind you!"

Despite the advice of the crowd, Li Zicheng remained unmoved and instead sneered, saying:

"Do you really think I made this decision because I was blinded by hatred? If so, you are seriously underestimating me!"

Those present immediately fell silent upon hearing this, and looked at Li Zicheng with some surprise.

Then, Li Zicheng continued:

"Last night's incident resulted in numerous casualties in the army. Not to mention the dead, there were also as many as 100,000 wounded. These people are also a problem if they stay behind, because their injuries are too serious to go back to the battlefield."

"Moreover, a large amount of medicine is needed for treatment, but with our current conditions, we simply cannot save so many people."

"And they all need to eat too!"

"Instead of letting them waste our resources here, we might as well give them to the Ming army, which would also lighten our burden."

Upon hearing this, everyone finally understood Li Zicheng's true intention.

It turns out that exchanging 100,000 men for Luo Rucai's head was just a pretext; whether Sun Chuanting agreed or not, they would suffer no loss.

(End of this chapter)