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

Chapter 332 Li Zicheng was just lucky not to run into us, otherwise he would have been finished long ago!
Just then, Hong Chengchou continued to ask:
"By the way, we must inform the Jurchens of this matter as soon as possible and ask them to send an envoy to wish His Majesty a happy birthday. Do you think it would be more appropriate to send someone?"

Zu Dashou thought about it and felt that it didn't really matter who he sent, since it was just a matter of going to greet the Jurchens and there was no danger involved.

After all, the Jurchens were in a very difficult situation at this time and dared not provoke the Ming Dynasty again.

First, the Ming army had won a major victory and redefined the border with the Jurchens. That border was like an insurmountable chasm, greatly restricting the Jurchens' range of activities.

Furthermore, with the morale of the Ming army greatly boosted and the soldiers full of fighting spirit, the Jurchens dared not do anything reckless.

Secondly, the imperial court deployed naval forces in the Dongjiang Town area. These forces were located in the rear of the Jurchens, like a sharp dagger constantly harassing them.

The Jurchens had to allocate a portion of their forces to target them, so they were no longer able to cause trouble on the border. Therefore, the entire Liaodong region has been very stable recently.

His thoughts raced, and Zu Dashou suddenly remembered someone, then smiled and said:

"Why don't we send that new kid over there?"

A sly smile appeared on his face, as if he already had a plan in mind.

Upon hearing this, Hong Chengchou was slightly taken aback, then asked with some uncertainty:

Are you talking about Li Dingguo?

Zu Dashou nodded and said:

"it's him."

However, after receiving confirmation, Hong Chengchou hesitated.

His brow furrowed slightly, and a hint of worry appeared in his eyes.

In fact, when Li Dingguo came to Liaodong, Zhu Cilang also wrote a letter to Hong Chengchou. The letter was very simple, hoping that he could properly cultivate Li Dingguo, who might become a great general in the future.

To be honest, this was indeed a bit unexpected for Hong Chengchou. After all, in his view, Li Dingguo was just a minor leader of a peasant army, but he never expected that the Crown Prince would value him so much.

In Hong Chengchou's impression, most peasant armies were a motley crew, lacking proper training and discipline, and unlikely to amount to much.

However, since it was the Crown Prince who spoke, Hong Chengchou naturally dared not delay.

Therefore, he made an exception and gave Li Dingguo the position of guerrilla general, and then let him serve under Zu Dabi.

Since arriving in Liaodong, Li Dingguo has always been wandering around the border between the Jurchens and the Ming Dynasty, and no one knows what he is thinking.

Hong Chengchou then thought about it and decided that since the Crown Prince valued Li Dingguo so much, it shouldn't be a problem to send him there.

Perhaps this is also an opportunity for him to train and grow.

Thinking of this, Hong Chengchou nodded:

"In that case, let's do as you say."

After chatting about some other things, Zu Dashou turned and took his leave, taking the two imperial edicts with him.

However, the edict given to Huang Taiji was sealed with sealing wax, so neither Hong Chengchou nor Zu Dashou had the right to inspect it.

After Zu Dashou left, Hong Chengchou had nothing to do, so he sat down at the table and began to think about how to write the congratulatory letter.

He sat there quietly, his eyes focused and deep, pondering the life and achievements of Emperor Chongzhen.

Hong Chengchou did not have a very good impression of Emperor Chongzhen. If he had to describe him, he would probably only use the eight words "suspicious by nature, mean and ungrateful".

After all, before this, the emperor had not treated his ministers very well, and several ministers had died tragically because of his suspicions.

Even his most loyal "lackey," Grand Secretary Xue Guoguan, almost died at Chongzhen's hands because of a false accusation.

This made Hong Chengchou feel both awe and a slight dissatisfaction towards Emperor Chongzhen.

Because he was also afraid that one day he would follow in Xue Guoguan's footsteps!

But who could have imagined it?
Suddenly, the situation took an unexpected turn. Xue Guoguan did not die, and even became the Grand Secretary of the Ming Dynasty again.

And all of this is probably thanks to that prince!

Upon thinking of Zhu Cilang, Hong Chengchou's gaze changed slightly.

He suddenly remembered what Zhu Cilang had promised him: once things were settled in Liaodong, Zhu Cilang would let him return to the capital and then appoint him to the cabinet.

For a civil official, entering the cabinet is the highest honor and the ultimate pursuit.

This means that one can participate in the core decision-making of the country. If one can go further and become the Grand Secretary, then one will be a person second only to the emperor!
However, this matter may take some time, because with a large number of disaster victims beginning to flood into Liaodong, resettling them remains a major problem, and even now this matter has not been resolved.

Therefore, the matter of returning to the capital will have to wait for a while longer.

But Hong Chengchou was not in a hurry, because he knew that good things often come with difficulties, and that the wait was worthwhile as long as he could eventually achieve his goal.

Thinking of this, Hong Chengchou felt a surge of relief.

The snow was still falling outside, the white snowflakes fluttering down like fluffy cotton balls, gently covering the earth.

The entire Liaodong region was a vast expanse of white, with everything in sight covered in snow, some as deep as a person's height.

If it weren't for the soldiers who were specifically tasked with clearing the heavy snow, we probably wouldn't even be able to walk on the road.

Even now, many soldiers braved the cold, wielding their tools to clear the snow from the roads, making it easier for everyone to travel.

At the same time, at the intersection of the border between the Ming Dynasty and the Jurchen Kingdom, a city wall resembling a long dragon rose from the ground. This was the city wall newly built by the Liaodong soldiers after the Battle of Songjin.

The city wall was tall and sturdy, like an indestructible barrier, guarding the borders of the Ming Dynasty.

However, due to its remote location, limited materials, and tight schedule, the newly built city wall was generally not high, only about four or five meters high, far lower than the ten-meter-high walls of Jinzhou City.

But this is the best they can do.

Here, the Ming army deployed approximately 30,000 troops, who remained on duty day and night, vigilantly watching the Jurchens' every move.

The highest-ranking general was Zu Dashou's elder brother, Zu Dabi, who was the one who led the army to burn the wasteland in Mongolia.

He was brave and skilled in battle, experienced and a fierce general in the Ming army. At this moment, the biting wind, carrying snowflakes like goose feathers, recklessly cut through every inch of space between heaven and earth like countless sharp blades, shrouding the entire world in a chaotic white haze.

On the city wall, Zu Dabi stood tall and proud, like a pine tree, atop the battlements. His eyes were deep and sharp, like two gleaming blades, as he carefully examined the scene in the distance, its outline blurred by the heavy snow.

Through the telescope, he could clearly see that on the snow-covered land not far away, the Jurchen troops opposite him were like a group of black ghosts, moving indistinctly in the snow curtain.

It turns out that it wasn't just the Ming army that had deployed heavy troops to guard this border area; the Jurchens had done the same.

However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that the Jurchen army is significantly smaller, numbering only around 20,000.

But there was nothing that could be done about it, after all, the Jurchens had lost as many as 110,000 elite troops in the previous Battle of Songjin.

Moreover, they now have to be constantly on guard against the Ming navy in Dongjiang Town. The Ming navy in Dongjiang Town is like a giant dragon lurking in the ocean, which may deliver a fatal blow to the Jurchens at any time. Therefore, the Jurchens have no choice but to disperse some of their forces to deal with this potential threat.

As a result, the Jurchens had very few troops available to confront the Ming army in this area.

Zu Dabi quietly observed for a long time, taking in every move of the Jurchen troops opposite him, silently calculating the balance of power between the two sides and the possible development of the situation.

After observing for a while, he suddenly turned his head slowly, turned his gaze to the young man beside him, and asked:
"So? You've been here for a while now. What are your thoughts on the situation in Liaodong?"

Immediately afterwards, the figure of a young man came into clear view of Zu Dabi.

This young man was none other than Li Dingguo.

Initially, Zu Dabi did not particularly like Li Dingguo.

In his view, Li Dingguo came from a peasant army, had not received formal military training, and lacked discipline and combat skills.

Therefore, from the very beginning, Zu Dabi believed that Li Dingguo was just an ordinary farmer, and he even resented that Li Dingguo had obtained the position of guerrilla general, feeling that he was not worthy of such a position.

However, as time went on, Jo Dae-bi gradually changed his opinion.

In their daily interactions and battles, he discovered that this young man was indeed quite skilled.

Li Dingguo not only possessed extraordinary courage and insight, but also outstanding military talent and strategy, enabling him to flexibly respond to various complex battle situations and propose some unique and effective combat plans.

Gradually, Zu Dabi's impression of Li Dingguo underwent a dramatic change. He began to like the young man and began to cultivate him as his confidant.

At the same time, upon hearing Zu Dabi's question, Li Dingguo once again turned his gaze to the faintly visible Jurchen camp not far away.

His eyes revealed a hint of contemplation and emotion. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke:
"To be honest, if I hadn't come to Liaodong, I wouldn't have known how vast this world is."

Li Dingguo was speaking from the heart. Since arriving in Liaodong, his horizons had been greatly broadened, and his understanding of the world had undergone a fundamental change.

Looking back on my experiences with Zhang Xianzhong in the Northwest, those so-called battles and expeditions now seem like nothing more than minor skirmishes.

Although they had encountered border troops in Shaanxi, Yulin, and Gansu, and had engaged in fierce conflicts and battles with them.

However, after witnessing the strength of the Liaodong border army firsthand, he realized that the strength of those border troops was worlds apart from that of the Liaodong border army and the Jurchens.

It is no exaggeration to say that if they had encountered the Liaodong border army or the Jurchen Eight Banners, they would probably have been wiped out long ago.

Upon hearing this, Zu Dabi naturally understood the meaning behind Li Dingguo's words.

He smiled slightly, a confident yet slightly teasing smile on his lips, then patted Li Dingguo on the shoulder and said:

"Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong were just lucky that they didn't run into us. If they had, they would have been finished long ago!"

"How can the border troops in Shaanxi and Gansu compare to the border troops in Liaodong? The soldiers here grew up in this harsh and cold land, and the harsh environment has honed their indomitable will and strong physique."

"They are forthright, brave and warlike, with an indomitable spirit flowing in their veins. That is why we have to be constantly on guard against the Jurchens and have no time to deal with the peasant army."

"If it weren't for the Jurchens holding them back, Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong would have been nothing but a rabble. Once the Liaodong army arrived, they would have collapsed instantly and would have been utterly vulnerable."

Although Zu Dabi's words sounded very uncomfortable, especially for someone like Li Dingguo who had once been a member of the peasant army, it seemed as if he was belittling their past and efforts.

But it must be said that what Zu Da-bi said was the truth.

Indeed, it was because the Liaodong border army had to concentrate its efforts on dealing with the powerful enemy, the Jurchens, that it had no time to deal with the peasant armies of Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong.

Otherwise, if the imperial court had sent the Liaodong army to fight the peasant army, the peasant army would probably have been wiped out long ago!

Where would we find the glorious deeds of Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong afterward?

In response, Li Dingguo simply chuckled awkwardly twice, a helpless expression on his face, without replying.

Suddenly, at that moment, a series of hurried footsteps broke the silence on the city wall.

A soldier rushed up to Zu Dabi, bowed, and reported:

"General, someone from Jinzhou has arrived, bringing with them an imperial edict and a letter from the Marquis, requesting that you review them immediately."

Upon hearing this, Zu Dabi's previously languid gaze instantly brightened, and he straightened up slightly before quickly saying:

"Come here."

Then, he grabbed Li Dingguo, who was standing next to him, and said:
"Don't just stand there, let's go take a look."

Li Dingguo couldn't refuse, so he followed Zu Dabi into a room.

This house was not newly built, but was originally there. It had always existed as a garrison for the Jurchens, a place where they rested and stood guard.

After careful renovation, it became Zu Dabi's residence and office.

The furnishings inside the room were not luxurious, but simple and practical. A large desk was placed in the center of the room, on which were placed writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, and some important documents.

Next to the desk were several sturdy chairs, with a thick cloak draped over the back of each chair.

Several bookshelves were placed around the room, filled with various military and historical books.

Of course, these things were just for decoration, since Zu Dabi really wasn't interested in military books or anything like that.

(End of this chapter)