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

Chapter 361 Li Zicheng: This is too difficult for me!

Left with no other choice, Li Zicheng had to place his main force of about 10,000 men, the old camp soldiers, at the rear to confront the Ming army.

These 10,000 veteran soldiers bore the heavy responsibility of resisting harassment from the Ming army, and they would react immediately once they discovered any action by the Ming army.

Of course, it was just a matter of driving them away!

After all, a real fight couldn't break out in these deep mountains and forests.

However, this resulted in the peasant army's marching speed becoming increasingly slower.
The team at the front could not ignore the situation behind them and had to slow down as well. The entire team of 300,000 people was like a giant beast with its hands and feet tied, and its movements became slow and difficult.

In addition, it is estimated that the garrison troops in Hanzhong and other places have also received orders, so recently the Ming army can be vaguely seen in the distance.

These Ming soldiers appeared and disappeared like ghosts, making the peasant army feel extremely tense and uneasy.

Moreover, they would set up various traps and mechanisms in front of them, making life miserable for the peasant army.

Fortunately, the peasant army relied on sheer numbers, and despite encountering numerous difficulties and obstacles during their march, the troops maintained a steady pace as they advanced towards Hanzhong.

In Li Zicheng's view, once they entered Hanzhong, the peasant army could take a period of rest and recuperation.

After all, Hanzhong is located south of the Qinling Mountains, with a relatively warm climate and abundant resources, making it an ideal place for rest and recuperation.

There, the peasant army could replenish its food and supplies, and then plunder Hanzhong to replenish its lost troops and make full preparations for entering Sichuan.

In this way, we can successfully enter Sichuan!

But imagination is always beautiful, while reality is cruel. How easy was it for Li Zicheng to enter Sichuan via Hanzhong?

As darkness fell and the afterglow of the setting sun gradually disappeared below the horizon, night, like a huge black curtain, slowly enveloped the entire Qinling Mountains.

Li Zicheng's army had already stopped, and the peasant soldiers then began to choose suitable places to set up camp.

Some peasant soldiers took out the tents they carried with them. These tents were mostly made of coarse cloth, with a dull color, and were covered with dust and stains.

They skillfully unfolded the tent and secured it to the ground with stakes and ropes.

However, since it was in the mountains, flat places were hard to find. Some people had no choice but to set up their beds on piles of rubble and cover them with a thick layer of dry leaves, which was enough to make sleeping possible.

Amidst everyone's busy work, campsites gradually took shape in the mountains like bamboo shoots after a spring rain.

There's no need to worry about keeping warm at night, because this is the Qinling Mountains, where there are tall trees everywhere.

These trees, weathered by time, have grown thick and tall. The peasant soldiers, armed with axes, entered the forest and selected the dry trees to cut down for firewood.

After some effort, bonfires were finally lit everywhere, their warm light illuminating everything around them and dispelling some of the chill.

Even so, not everyone can afford to stay in a tent.

After all, this trip involves crossing the Qinling Mountains, a long and arduous journey, so there's no time to carry so many tents.
Therefore, most people could only huddle together around the campfire to keep warm and spend the night.

They huddled together, warming each other with their body heat, their faces showing exhaustion and helplessness, their eyes revealing confusion and worry about the future.

The Little Ice Age was already exceptionally cold, and the Qinling Mountains, being a mountainous region, would have been even colder.

Even in the summer of later generations, the temperature in the Qinling Mountains may quietly drop to around zero degrees Celsius, and in some places the snow may not melt all year round!
And now, it's only going to get worse!

It is no exaggeration to say that if someone were to throw a bowl of steaming hot water into the air at this moment, the scalding water would instantly turn into crystal-clear ice.

However, faced with such terrible, almost hopeless weather, the peasant army had no other choice.

They were like a flock of lambs driven by fate, forced to grit their teeth and follow closely in Li Zicheng's footsteps.

If they were on a plain at this moment, they might still have a sliver of hope and be able to look for other ways out.

But now they were trapped in these towering mountains, surrounded by peaks that seemed like insurmountable barriers. In this desperate situation, if they didn't follow Li Zicheng, they would only face certain death.

After all, following Li Zicheng at least meant getting a bowl of thin porridge so watery you could see your reflection in it, which barely kept them alive.

In comparison, Li Zicheng's camp was undoubtedly the most eye-catching at this time.

The tent's top and sides were meticulously crafted from the finest sheepskin, and a thick blanket was wrapped around it to effectively block out the harsh cold.

A charcoal fire had already been lit inside, making the entire tent incredibly warm and comfortable, a stark contrast to the scene outside.

Just then, Li Zicheng, who had just finished inspecting the camp, slowly walked into the tent.

His tall figure appeared somewhat lonely and weary in the firelight.

He then walked to the bed and sat down, gazing blankly at the brazier of charcoal fire before him, as if lost in deep thought.

The heat emanating from the charcoal fire warmed his body, making him feel cozy, but his heart felt as if it were covered by a thick layer of frost, extremely cold.

Because during those long three months, they were like a group of ants groping their way forward in the vast Qinling Mountains, and they only traveled less than 700 li in three months!
What pained him even more was that in these three months, he had lost more than 30,000 troops!

Hundreds of people die almost every day!
The seemingly perfect plan to enter Sichuan has now become riddled with flaws.

Putting aside everything else, let's just talk about the most important thing: food. We are now far from having enough.

It should be noted that Li Zicheng only carried three months' worth of food before leading an army of 300,000 men into the Qinling Mountains. He was fully convinced that within those three months, they would be able to successfully cross the Qinling Mountains and reach Sichuan.

However, with three months fast approaching, they were still trapped in the Qinling Mountains, unable to even reach Hanzhong, let alone Sichuan!
Although they encountered some people living in the mountains during their march and obtained some food from them, it was only a drop in the ocean for such a large army.

It is far from enough to meet everyone's daily needs.

Therefore, they currently have no choice but to cut back on food and clothing.

Apart from Li Zicheng's elite troops, who could barely manage two meals of dry food each day, everyone else could only drink that pitifully thin porridge every day.

There were hardly any grains of rice in that thin porridge, and it was impossible to fill your stomach after drinking it.

Unable to get enough to eat, the peasant soldiers had no choice but to find their own food.

Some young and strong peasant soldiers would spontaneously go into the deep mountains to search for prey hidden in the forests.

However, in the cold winter, most animals do not come out easily, so most of the time they can only return empty-handed.

Therefore, most people would choose to dig up tree roots and peel tree bark to fill their stomachs.

These things were bitter and astringent, hard to swallow, but in order to survive, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and swallow them.

Therefore, wherever the peasant army passed through, most of the trees in the mountains were destroyed beyond recognition. The once lush mountains were now riddled with holes.

Moreover, they have completely forgotten about time recently and don't even know when the New Year has already passed. But in the face of life and death, who cares about this holiday?
"Hey!"

His thoughts raced, and Li Zicheng sighed helplessly, his heart filled with worry.

boom!
boom!
boom!
Just as Li Zicheng was about to lie down and rest for a while, a burst of gunfire suddenly rang out outside the tent.

The gunshot was deafening, like a thunderclap, instantly shattering the tranquility of the night in the dark, empty mountains.

It's obvious that the Ming army is harassing them again!

Taking advantage of the peasant army's encampment to constantly harass the surrounding areas was already one of the most common tactics used by the Ming army.

Although Li Zicheng was already used to it, their appearances still caused great disturbance to the peasant army.

The peasant soldiers, who were already exhausted and on edge, were filled with fear and panic the moment they heard the gunshots.

On several occasions, this even caused the camp to be bombed, resulting in thousands of deaths and injuries!

Almost instantly, Li Zicheng stood up abruptly, his eyes revealing an uncontrollable rage.

He then strode out without hesitation.

Immediately afterwards, he saw several guards around him looking in the direction from which the gunshots came with expressions of fear.

Their faces were as pale as paper, their eyes were filled with fear and unease, and their bodies trembled slightly involuntarily. Clearly, they had been traumatized by the Ming army!

Li Zicheng snorted coldly, then shouted loudly:
"Isn't this just the Ming army trying to scare people again? What's there to panic about?"

"Have Li Guo and Liu Zongmin lead men to patrol the surrounding area. If they can be killed, kill them; if not, drive them away."

Upon hearing this, the peasant army general beside him quickly accepted the order and hurriedly left.

Suddenly, a burst of gunfire erupted all around them, coming from all directions, as if they were now completely surrounded by the Ming army!

In an instant, chaos erupted once again in the peasant army camp.

Even though it was obvious to everyone that the Ming army that came to pursue them numbered only a little over 5,000 and it was impossible for them to launch an attack on their own initiative, the scene before them was still too frightening.

Imagine the night, thick as ink, pressing heavily over this deep mountain forest, swallowing all the light of the world, leaving only a campfire barely illuminating the surroundings.

The cold wind was like a knife, howling and raging through the forest with a bone-chilling cold, cutting people's faces painfully, and invading every inch of skin with this icy cold, making people shiver.

At this moment, you and a group of peasant soldiers who can only drink two bowls of thin porridge a day are huddled together around a weak campfire for warmth.

The campfire flickered precariously in the cold wind, as if it might go out at any moment, yet it was the only source of warmth and comfort in the darkness.

You had intended to endure the hunger and cold and barely fall asleep in your exhaustion, hoping to find a moment of peace and satisfaction in your dreams.

However, at this moment, a sudden change occurred!

Suddenly, a barrage of gunfire erupted from all directions, echoing like thunder through the silent forest and shattering the tranquility.

The gunshots were sharp and piercing, like death's death knell, striking your heartstrings again and again.

In an instant, fear spread through your hearts like a tidal wave.

Everyone's eyes widened suddenly, their faces filled with panic and despair, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

Looking around, it seemed as if countless eyes were watching from the darkness, ready to pounce like wolves and tear you to shreds at any moment.

Are you panicking right now?
This is the mindset of most of the peasant army at this moment!
About an hour later, the surrounding sounds gradually faded away.

It's unclear whether the Ming soldiers were killed or driven away, but the dark forest returned to its former tranquility.

But this tranquility felt like the calm before a storm, always leaving one with a sense of unease.

Meanwhile, Li Zicheng had already returned to his tent and was preparing to sleep, with a beautiful woman in his arms.

The beauty nestled in his arms, her eyes revealing a hint of shyness and dependence, but also a subtle sense of fear and apprehension.

However, Li Zicheng had no interest in such trivial matters at this moment, nor did he care about doing anything to the beauty in his arms.

His gaze was fixed blankly on the top of the tent, as if something there was attracting his attention.

Looking back on all that he had experienced during this period, he felt utterly exhausted and helpless.

As night deepened, the entire Qinling Mountains were shrouded in a thick darkness, with only the scattered bonfires twinkling faintly like stars in the night sky.

The Ming army also stopped harassing them, as they needed rest as well.

If they don't get enough rest, they won't have the energy to continue harassing the peasant army the next day!
Time flies, and before we knew it, it was the next morning.

As the first rays of sunlight fall on the Qinling Mountains, a new day begins.

As usual, the peasant army began to break camp and prepare to continue their march.

However, at this moment, Li Zicheng received very bad news.

That means more than 500 people died last night. These people could not withstand the cold and hunger in this cold night and were left here forever.

Hey!
Li Zicheng sighed softly, his sigh filled with helplessness and sorrow.

Even though he only regarded these peasant soldiers at the bottom of the social hierarchy as expendable resources, the loss of 500 men in one night without doing anything still pained him greatly!

Suddenly, at that moment, Li Zicheng keenly noticed that the subordinate who came to report to him looked hesitant, as if he had something to say but dared not say it.

Li Zicheng frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure in his eyes, and then rebuked:
"Just say what you want to say, don't beat around the bush."

Upon hearing this, the subordinate felt a tightness in his chest, as if oppressed by an invisible force, but finally mustered his courage and said:

"Reporting to the King, among those who died, two corpses were eaten."

what?
Upon hearing this, Li Zicheng's eyes widened instantly, filled with shock and disbelief, as if he had heard the most incredible thing in the world!
Dead body
Was it eaten?

(End of this chapter)