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

Chapter 326 King Qin: Sun Chuanting, are you trying to slaughter me like a pig?!

On the Tongguan Pass, Sun Chuanting stood quietly, a hint of weariness showing in his eyes.

His gaze was fixed on the scene below as the people entered the city one by one, his eyes filled with both pity for the people and worry about the situation.

But a moment later, he turned and left.

Upon returning to his study, Sun Chuanting immediately picked up his pen and wrote a letter to the King of Qin.

To prevent the King of Qin from refusing, Sun Chuanting used both soft and hard tactics in his letter. He first explained the current predicament in the city and hoped that the King of Qin could understand the suffering of the people and lend a helping hand.

Finally, he made it clear that if the King of Qin did not agree to provide the grain, he would send the 100,000 people directly to Xi'an Prefecture and hand them over to the King of Qin for resettlement.

To be honest, this move is really shameless.

If these 100,000 people were actually sent to Xi'an Prefecture, the prefecture would instantly descend into chaos.

At that time, the King of Qin will definitely be driven crazy by this group of people, and may even be "swallowed alive".

Therefore, in order to prevent such a thing from happening, the King of Qin would definitely do everything he could to provide grain.

After writing the letter, Sun Chuanting immediately ordered a fast horse to deliver it to the Prince of Qin in Xi'an Prefecture.

After all this commotion, time quietly slipped away from noon until evening.

As night fell, the 100,000 people entered Tongguan one by one.

There was no other way; the number of people was simply too large, so large that it was daunting.

In addition, each group of people needs to be strictly controlled and inspected to ensure that no unexpected situations occur, such as riots or the spread of infectious diseases, so it has been going on for a long time.

Only after the last group of people entered Tongguan City did Liu Zongmin and the others in the distance breathe a sigh of relief and then ride back to Li Zicheng's camp.

As for Sun Chuanting and the others, they had already gone back to rest halfway through the process.

Everything has been arranged, and they no longer need to be here to supervise.

As for the other military officers, they all took turns resting.

After all, no one knows what will happen next, so they must conserve their energy and strength to meet future challenges.

Even so, an unprecedented atmosphere of tension permeated the entire city of Tongguan.

The tense atmosphere was like an invisible net, enveloping the entire Tongguan Pass, making it almost impossible to breathe.

Because 100,000 people suddenly poured into the city, and with the peasant army that had surrendered earlier, the number of peasant army in the city now exceeded 120,000, while the number of government troops was only 60,000!
If this matter is not handled properly, something bad is bound to happen.

For example, people might lose control of their emotions due to hunger, disease, or other problems, leading to conflicts with officers and soldiers, or other uncontrollable situations.

However, it is clear that their worries were somewhat unnecessary.

After having a hearty meal, these peasant soldiers no longer harbored any rebellious intentions.

Their faces beamed with satisfaction, their minds filled with thoughts of a "wonderful life" ahead.

After all, once they entered Tongguan City, they were no longer "rebels" and no longer had to live the life of constant fear and displacement that Li Zicheng had led during their rebellion.

Although they might be relocated to Liaodong, it's still better than losing their lives, right?

Furthermore, the imperial court had previously promised that as long as they went to Liaodong, the court would provide them with silver, land, and grain, and they would not have to pay taxes for three years.

This gave them a glimpse of hope for the future.

After all, if they could live a peaceful life, who would want to follow Li Zicheng in rebellion!
Of course, bad things also happened.

Those were the seriously injured people, many of whom died while waiting for treatment.

Most of the time, it's because of excessive blood loss, and the wound cannot be treated effectively and the bleeding cannot be stopped in time.

But there was nothing that could be done about it, because the number of injured people was simply too far too many, so many that it was shocking.

Even if every military doctor had eight hands, they still wouldn't be able to handle it all.

As a result, corpses were continuously transported to designated locations for cremation.

Those once vibrant lives are now reduced to cold bodies, and in the end, all they leave behind is a handful of ashes.

War is always cruel, at all times.

It was like a ruthless beast, devouring countless lives and hopes, leaving only ruins and endless pain.

The scene shifts to Li Zicheng's side.

After sleeping all day, Li Zicheng was in really good spirits.

His previous agitation over the camp being disturbed has subsided; after all, what's done is done, and there's no point in getting angry now.

At this moment, he stood outside the tent, quietly looking at Tongguan City in the distance by the moonlight.

He now knew that Sun Chuanting had taken in the 100,000 wounded peasant soldiers, but to be honest, this was both expected and unexpected.

He hadn't expected things to go so smoothly. He had thought Sun Chuanting would hesitate or make some harsh demands before agreeing to accept the people.

The results of it?
Things went a little too smoothly!

Regardless, he has achieved his goal.

Suddenly, at that moment, someone rushed over.

This person was none other than Li Guo.

After a day of rest, Li Guo recovered his energy.

He received Li Zicheng's order as soon as he woke up, instructing him to take stock of the current grain reserves and see how long they could last for the army.

After receiving the order, Li Guo did not hesitate for a moment and hurriedly went to investigate. Now he was here to report the results to Li Zicheng.

Upon seeing Li Zicheng, Li Guo immediately cupped his hands and said:
"King Chuang, the grain has been counted and can supply the army for more than two months."

Upon hearing this, Li Zicheng nodded slightly, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

It seems we must act quickly, otherwise they will starve to death if they run out of food.

Thinking this, Li Zicheng looked at Li Guodao:
"Quickly send someone to summon all the generals to the camp. Tonight we will finalize the matter of going to Sichuan."

Li Guo quickly accepted the order and then turned to relay it. After about half a cup of tea's time, all the senior generals of the rebel army had gathered in the camp.

Some of these people had rested during the day and were still in relatively good spirits, but others had been busy since last night and were so tired that they kept dozing off, their heads nodding as if they might collapse at any moment.

Li Zicheng glanced at the crowd, cleared his throat, and then said:
"Gentlemen, you have all seen the current situation. If we continue to stay here, we will face certain death."

"We are surrounded by Ming troops, and our food supplies are running out. If this continues, we will collapse on our own without the Ming army even having to lift a finger. So we must go somewhere else to seek a glimmer of hope."

Upon hearing this, everyone present instantly changed their expressions. Even those who had been dozing off earlier turned pale and immediately became fully alert.

After all, their lives were at stake, so they had no choice but to be cautious.

Seeing that everyone was taking it seriously, Li Zicheng continued:

"After these few days of research, I have finally decided to go to Sichuan."

"As we all know, Sichuan has always been known as the Land of Abundance, and it is rich in resources, fertile land, and high grain yield, which can guarantee our food supply."

"Furthermore, with such a large population, we can recruit more soldiers and strengthen our forces."

"Of course, the most important thing is that the terrain there is treacherous, easy to defend and difficult to attack. It is surrounded by towering mountains, which is like a natural barrier that can block any enemy's attack."

"Once we reach Sichuan, we'll be like a dragon entering the sea. Even if the imperial court wants to take action against us, they won't be able to do anything about it!"

"And we can accumulate strength and pursue great undertakings."

Upon hearing this, a look of worry immediately appeared on Zhang Xianzhong's face, and then he couldn't help but say:

"Chuang Wang, going to Sichuan shouldn't be an easy task, right? After all, the imperial court has already deployed troops in the provinces surrounding Henan. I'm afraid that if we make a move, the Ming army from all around will surround us. What should we do then?"

After learning that Zhang Xianzhong was indeed completely unaware of what had happened the previous night, Li Zicheng apologized to Zhang Xianzhong and then comforted him.

After all, Zhang Xianzhong's subordinates could only be appeased by Zhang Xianzhong himself.

Although Zhang Xianzhong was very unhappy, he felt that Li Zicheng did not treat him as one of his own, otherwise why would he kill him because of a few provocative words?

But now that he was living under someone else's roof, he couldn't say much, so he accepted Zhang Xianzhong's apology and then personally went to appease his former subordinates.

Given Zhang Xianzhong's 'merits,' Li Zicheng once again elevated Zhang Xianzhong's status slightly, making him the "second-in-command" of the rebel army.

Of course, it's still only in name.
Even so, Zhang Xianzhong was already able to participate in the core meetings of the rebel army!
Take this incident, for example!
Seeing Zhang Xianzhong ask the question, Li Zicheng first smiled slightly, and then explained:
"I have naturally considered everything you have said, so when the army sets off, I will present the court with another 'great gift'."

"With this generous gift, the imperial army will definitely not dare to pursue us for a short time, and we can take advantage of this time to enter Sichuan!"

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, for they had no idea what the "great gift" Li Zicheng was referring to was.

Judging from Li Zicheng's demeanor, he probably wouldn't tell.

Since that's the case, they didn't bother asking anymore!
Even Zhang Xianzhong obediently shut his mouth!

Zhang Xianzhong was unaware that in the original history, Li Zicheng had never been to Sichuan. Instead, he led his troops to Sichuan and established the "Great Western" regime there, thus experiencing the life of an emperor.

But now, with a series of events, the person who wanted to enter Sichuan has suddenly become Li Zicheng.

Of course, this is still just Li Zicheng's plan.

Whether he could successfully enter Sichuan in the end was hard to say, since Zhu Cilang would not just stand by and watch Li Zicheng enter Sichuan.
Immediately afterwards, Li Zicheng discussed the specific timing of the operation with the others.

Ultimately, the date was set for three days later.

Over the next few days, Li Zicheng was extremely busy preparing for his entry into Sichuan.

From the storage of provisions to the planning of marching routes and the adjustment of the army's organization, no detail can be overlooked.

Meanwhile, Tongguan is busy solving the problems of food, clothing, shelter and transportation for those 100,000 people.

In the beginning, because there was not enough place to accommodate 100,000 people, some people had to huddle in the open air, wrapped in thin blankets.

The cold night wind cut their skin mercilessly like icy blades, and they could only huddle together tightly, trying to gain a little warmth.

Even so, several people still froze to death on the first night.

Those who froze to death lay stiffly on the ground, their faces still bearing the marks of pain and despair, evoking pity in the eyes of those who saw them.

Their families surrounded them, their cries deafening.

But there was nothing that could be done, since supplies in Tongguan City were really limited, and there were simply no extra houses or bedding to give them.

Left with no other option, Sun Chuanting ordered the construction of more shacks for these people to live in, and also ordered the soldiers to take out their surplus bedding and cotton-padded clothes and distribute them to them.

After all, since we've taken these people in, we can't just stand by and watch them freeze or starve to death.

At the same time, the Prince of Qin in Xi'an Prefecture also received a letter from Sun Chuanting.

In the Qin King's residence, the Qin King sat in his study, holding the secret letter in his hand, his face so gloomy it seemed as if water could drip from it.

Although the King of Qin knew that Sun Chuanting's visit to him was unlikely to be anything good, he was still furious after reading the contents of the letter.

Snapped!
The next second, he slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacups on the table to jump up and spill tea all over the floor.

Then he burst into loud curses:
"Damn Sun Chuanting! What was he thinking? He actually accepted 100,000 peasant soldiers all at once, and all of them were either wounded or maimed. Has he gone mad?"

"Couldn't he see that this was Li Zicheng's trick?"

The more the King of Qin thought about it, the angrier he became.

Because Sun Chuanting immediately asked him to prepare 100,000 shi of grain, wouldn't that be the death of him?
Where is he going to get 100,000 shi of grain?
Previously, due to Sun Chuanting's various threats and inducements, as well as the grain that he voluntarily handed over, the grain in the Prince of Qin's mansion had been almost completely depleted.

The remaining food would only be enough for the Prince of Qin's mansion to eat for 'two or three' years.

Unexpectedly, Sun Chuanting asked for 100,000 shi of grain, in addition to a large amount of medicine and cotton!

This guy is really treating him, the King of Qin, like a pig to be slaughtered!
The King of Qin thought that it might be because he had been too good to Sun Chuanting that Sun dared to be so presumptuous!

Thinking of this, the King of Qin could no longer restrain himself and tore Sun Chuanting's letter to shreds.

In an instant, pieces of paper fluttered down like snowflakes.

The King of Qin pointed at the pieces of paper and cursed:

"What grain? I won't give you a single grain! How can I, the King of Qin, be treated like this!"

(End of this chapter)