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

Chapter 360 Let's have the final battle! Li Zicheng!
After thinking about this, Zhu Cilang nodded and said:

"Since you've put it that way, then I'll grant your request!"

"To make things easier for you, once you arrive in Sichuan, go find General Liu Jiayin and become his deputy, and work together with him to resist the peasant army."

"Once we arrive at the destination, we should recruit as many White-Spear Soldiers as possible to expand the local military strength in Sichuan."

Upon hearing this, a glint of surprise flashed in Ma Xianglin's eyes. He then quickly knelt down and kowtowed three times, saying excitedly:

"Thank you for your grace, Your Highness! This humble general will certainly live up to Your Highness's trust and vow to fight to the death against the peasant army to protect the Ming Dynasty!"

It's important to know that the so-called deputy general is not just a deputy general; it also has another title: deputy commander-in-chief!

A proper second-rank military officer position!

In the military system of the Ming Dynasty, the deputy commander-in-chief held a very high position and power, and had a certain amount of military authority!

This is equivalent to promoting Ma Xianglin several levels. How could Ma Xianglin not be excited?

Zhu Cilang smiled and nodded, then continued:

"By the way, let's wait until after the New Year to leave. Take advantage of these two days to visit your mother. She's had a tough time in Xuanfu too."

"Also, there's someone who's going with you when you leave, so you can keep each other company."

Upon hearing this, Ma Xianglin quickly agreed:
"Your subject obeys! Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness."

Without a doubt, the person Zhu Cilang mentioned who was going to Sichuan with Ma Xianglin was Li Dingguo.

He was worried that Li Dingguo was not familiar with the environment in Sichuan, but unexpectedly Ma Xianglin volunteered, so he had nothing to worry about.

After Ma Xianglin left, Zhu Cilang slowly walked to the window, looked at the scene outside, and sighed softly.

At this moment, snowflakes were fluttering in the sky, like white butterflies dancing in the air.

The palace walls and trees in the distance were covered in white snow, like a beautiful painting.

However, Zhu Cilang felt no appreciation whatsoever.

Because he knew that after this harsh winter passed, the imperial court would have to fight the peasant army in a final battle.

This decisive battle was of paramount importance to the Ming Dynasty!
Moreover, given the current situation, the peasant army's defeat seems inevitable!
Although they were numerous, they were mostly a motley crew, lacking proper training and unified command.

On the imperial court's side, although there were some problems before, the army's strength has gradually increased and morale has risen day by day under Zhu Cilang's reforms and reorganization.

Defeating the peasant army was nothing more than a matter of course!
However, Zhu Cilang still felt a pang of sadness, because after this war, countless people would lose their lives and countless families would be torn apart.

If possible, he also wants to avoid causing more deaths and injuries and resolve the crisis peacefully.

But reality did not allow him to do so. As he said before, the conflict between the imperial court and the peasant army was irreconcilable, and the only way for the two sides to decide the outcome was through a life-or-death battle!

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but sigh again.

Time flies, and a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

At this time, the officials' holidays were basically over, and the court began to operate officially again.

Although the weather was still cold at this time, and a heavy snow had fallen a few days earlier, covering the entire capital with thick snow, the matter of suppressing the peasant army had already begun to be put on the agenda.

As the saying goes, "an army marches on its stomach," meaning that food supplies are the lifeline of an army in war. Without sufficient food supplies, an army cannot fight effectively.

Therefore, the first thing the imperial court had to do was to start transporting large quantities of grain and fodder to the areas surrounding Sichuan to ensure the army's supply.

Therefore, after discussions between the cabinet and the Ministry of Revenue, it was finally decided to allocate three million shi of grain, plus eight million taels of silver, and three thousand carts of other military supplies.

These supplies included weapons, armor, tents, medicine, and so on, each of which was essential in war.

In addition, another 100,000 troops need to be mobilized to fight in Sichuan!
In fact, if the porters transporting food and military supplies are also included, the number of people mobilized this time exceeded 500,000.

The cost of grain and military supplies was estimated to be over 20 million taels of silver!
This was unimaginable for the Ming Dynasty in the past.

After all, the Ming Dynasty's treasury was empty and its finances were in dire straits. It often struggled to raise funds for its military and was simply unable to launch a war involving 500,000 people.

Even for the Ming Dynasty at present, this is not a simple matter.

Because the Battle of Songjin had just mobilized so many troops and consumed a lot of financial and material resources, the need to mobilize so many troops and financial resources again would undoubtedly put enormous pressure on the imperial court.

However, the current imperial court is not short of money.

Since Zhu Cilang implemented a series of economic reforms, the imperial court's fiscal revenue has gradually increased, and the national treasury has become increasingly full.

With enough money, there's nothing you can't do!
Sure enough, within just three days of the notice recruiting porters being sent out, approximately 100,000 porters were recruited.

It was winter, and the young and middle-aged people in the capital were suffering from a lack of income, making life extremely difficult.

Now that the imperial court is recruiting porters and offering them one tael of silver a month, do you think they would be willing to accept that?
As soon as the news spread, young and middle-aged people in the capital eagerly signed up, afraid of missing this great opportunity.

As for the remaining transporters, they were recruited from the areas surrounding the capital.

The imperial court dispatched a large number of officials and yamen runners to post notices in villages and towns around the capital, announcing the recruitment of laborers.

Soon, all the necessary transporters were recruited.

A few days later, when the weather improved slightly, wagons loaded with grain and various military supplies began to head towards the surrounding areas of Sichuan.

The carriages formed a long procession, like a giant dragon winding its way across the snow.

The wagons were piled high with grain and supplies, covered with thick tarpaulins to prevent them from getting wet from the wind and snow.

The drivers waved their whips and shouted "Giddy up!" to urge the horses to quicken their pace.

Thus, the war against the peasant army was about to slowly begin.

Zhu Cilang stood on the city wall, watching the procession gradually disappear into the distance, his heart filled with anticipation.

Because he knew that the final battle with Li Zicheng was about to begin!

Let's fight to the death, Li Zicheng!
Meanwhile, the scene shifts to Shaanxi.

In the endless, desolate Qinling Mountains, a large convoy, like a winding black dragon, slowly moved through the towering peaks.

Not long ago, a heavy snowfall descended on this mountain range without warning.

The pure white snowflakes, like countless graceful sprites, danced freely in the air before finally settling down on every corner of the earth. In just a few days, the entire Qinling Mountains were completely covered in snow, as if draped in a thick white velvet blanket.

The once rugged mountain road is now completely buried under snow and is almost unrecognizable.

In the deepest parts, the snow can even reach more than a meter.

If you step on it, you might be completely submerged, and the footprints you just left will be filled with new snowflakes in an instant.

In such harsh conditions, walking naturally becomes extremely difficult, and each step requires a great deal of effort.

The snow underfoot was soft and slippery; a slight misstep could cause one to slip and fall, or even tumble down the cliff and die.

However, the team stubbornly continued to move forward, showing no sign of retreating.

Without a doubt, this was the peasant army led by Li Zicheng!
At the very front of the column was a group of ragged peasant soldiers.

Their clothes were tattered, patched and torn, and they shivered in the biting wind.

His face was etched with the marks of time and the hardships of life, and his eyes revealed weariness and numbness.

Their main responsibility was to scout ahead and clear the road, carrying simple tools such as sticks and shovels, as they painstakingly carved out a narrow passage through the snow.

And every now and then someone would fall down and never get up again.

Perhaps due to overwork, perhaps due to cold and hunger, or perhaps due to a slip and fall, in any case, they could only rest in peace among these towering mountains.

Faced with this situation, the people around only glanced at it briefly before continuing to walk forward numbly, as if they had become accustomed to it all.

Their hearts have long been worn down by the hardships of life, losing the ability to feel pain, like living dead!
During the Ming Dynasty, there were several routes to choose from when entering Sichuan from Tongguan.

The first route starts from Tongguan, first arrives in Xi'an, then continues west to Baoji, then passes through Dasanguan, enters Hanzhong, and finally enters Sichuan via Jinniu Road or Micang Road.

This is the most traditional Qin-Shu passage. This route has a long history, frequent trade and travel, and many post stations and checkpoints were set up along the way.

The second route starts from Tongguan and proceeds along the Wuguan Road to Shangluo.

After arriving in Shangluo, continue to Nanyang, then Xiangyang, then follow the Han River to Jingzhou, then go up the Yangtze River through the Three Gorges to Chongqing, and finally enter Sichuan.

This route detours southeast, avoiding the towering mountains of the Qinling Mountains, making it suitable for water transport or military maneuvers.

The third route starts from Tongguan, goes to Longxian, then to Tianshui, then along the Qishan Road to Wudu, and finally enters Sichuan via the Yinping Road.

This route is a long detour and is mostly used for military purposes. It is rarely chosen by civilian merchants and travelers because the journey is long and full of unknown dangers.

The last route starts from Tongguan, arrives in Xi'an, enters the Ziwu Valley, and then enters Sichuan from there!

However, although the Ziwu Valley is a shortcut, it is extremely dangerous. The road in the valley is narrow and there are cliffs on both sides. If you are not careful, you will fall into the abyss. It is not suitable for the army to pass through.

Logically speaking, since Li Zicheng was going to travel from Tongguan to Sichuan, he would have chosen one of these four routes.

However, Li Zicheng did not act in this way.

Because he knew that if he knew these four routes, then the imperial court must have known them as well.

If they marched along the conventional route, they would undoubtedly be surrounded and intercepted by the imperial army, putting them in a passive position.

After careful consideration, he chose a new route.

That means going from Tongguan through Shangluo, then from Shangluo into Hanzhong, resting and recuperating in Hanzhong for a period of time before entering Sichuan.

In Li Zicheng's view, this should be considered a pretty perfect plan.

However, he underestimated the danger of crossing the Qinling Mountains, especially since it was winter!
Once it snows on the Qinling Mountains, it doesn't melt easily; instead, it accumulates more and more over time.

In some places, the snow is as deep as one or two meters. The white snow covers the originally rugged mountain roads and also conceals many potential dangers.

For example, when snow covers the original cliff, it looks no different from a flat snowfield from a distance. However, if you take a step out, you may fall directly off the cliff and disappear into the vast snowfield in an instant, with no place to be buried.

Hundreds of people have died recently because of this situation!

Faced with these tragic scenes, Li Zicheng had no choice but to become more cautious, which greatly slowed down their march.

It should be noted that Li Zicheng originally planned to spend three months entering Sichuan.

He had a clear plan in mind: to reach Sichuan as quickly as possible to establish his own base and then expand his power.

But now, almost three months have passed, and they have only just left Shangluo and have not yet reached Hanzhong.

If you calculate it, the average speed per day is less than ten miles.

This slow march made Li Zicheng extremely anxious!
Of course, the reason for this was twofold: firstly, the mountain roads were difficult to traverse in winter, and secondly, of course, it was due to the harassment by the Ming army!
Li Zicheng thought that once he entered the Qinling Mountains, Sun Chuanting would no longer actively cause him trouble.

However, he greatly underestimated Sun Chuanting's determination.

After Li Zicheng entered the Qinling Mountains, Sun Chuanting quickly organized a force of about five thousand men and then went directly into the Qinling Mountains to catch up with Li Zicheng's army.

However, Sun Chuanting did not launch an attack on Li Zicheng's army. He knew that Li Zicheng's peasant army was numerous and its fighting power should not be underestimated. If he attacked rashly, he would likely be wiped out.

So he adopted a strategy of continuous harassment.

Furthermore, these 5,000 men were traveling the same route that Li Zicheng's army had taken, so they did not encounter any obstacles.

Whenever Li Zicheng's army rested, they would take the opportunity to set fires or deliberately make noise to cause chaos.

Some fired arrows from a distance, raining down on the peasant army's camp.

Some shouted loudly, creating all sorts of terrifying sounds that filled the peasant soldiers with dread.

Even worse, some deliberately used flintlock muskets while the peasant army was asleep, which greatly annoyed Li Zicheng.

However, Li Zicheng had no choice but to give up his five thousand men.

Firstly, he couldn't afford to waste time, and secondly, the main task of these 5,000 men was harassment, not actual combat with the peasant army.

Whenever Li Zicheng mobilized his troops to fight them, they would instantly disappear without a trace.

Once the peasant army starts to rest, they will jump out and continue to cause trouble!

It can be described as a late Ming Dynasty version of 'guerrilla warfare'!
(End of this chapter)