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

Chapter 386 The army arrives in Hanzhong, and the Battle of Hanzhong is about to begin!
The scene shifts to Zhang Xianzhong's camp on the other side.

The atmosphere inside the tent was oppressive and somber. Zhang Xianzhong was drinking alone by the dim light.

That liquor wasn't good; it was the lowest quality spirit, bitter and hard to swallow, burning your throat like a fire.

But at this moment, it was good enough to have wine to drink, so Zhang Xianzhong didn't dare to be picky.

Beside him was a plate of fried beans and a roast chicken.

Fried beans were a supply in the army; although not much, it was still a small consolation for Zhang Xianzhong.

As for the roast chicken, it was hunted in the woods by one of his personal guards, and he gave it to Zhang Xianzhong without hesitation.

It has to be said that roast chicken is now considered a rare delicacy.

It's estimated that besides Zhang Xianzhong, only Li Zicheng could get a bite!

There's no other way; recently, food has been in severe shortage, to the point that even the lowest-ranking peasant soldiers can't get two bowls of porridge a day.

The peasant soldiers at the bottom of the social ladder could only survive on some thin porridge every day. Many of them were so hungry that they were pale and emaciated and had difficulty walking!

Therefore, wherever the peasant army went, they would spontaneously dig up grass roots, tree bark, and anything else edible to fill their stomachs.

They searched for food in the mountains and forests like hungry wild beasts.

This resulted in the entire mountain forest being barren wherever they went.

Zhang Xianzhong tore off a chicken leg and took a bite. Although the meat was a bit dry, he still ate it with relish.

Then he drank another glass of strong liquor, which burned like fire in his stomach, bringing him a sense of warmth and comfort.

Even so, his heart was filled with helplessness and bitterness.

To be honest, he was increasingly regretting why he had insisted on joining Li Zicheng's cause.

If he hadn't gone to join Li Zicheng, but instead waited a month or two before joining the imperial court, he might be an official in the court now!

It wouldn't have come to this point where they're trapped in these 100,000 mountains with Li Zicheng, not even knowing if they can get out alive!

What's worse, he knew he was in a very dangerous situation because Li Zicheng didn't fully trust him, and he could be abandoned or killed by Li Zicheng at any time.

Thinking about these things filled him with fear and unease.

But it's too late to regret it now; after all, there's no going back.

Zhang Xianzhong knew he had embarked on a path of no return, with no way to turn back!

Now, he only hopes that they can get out of the Qinling Mountains alive and reach Hanzhong.

He dared not think about what would happen next!
All he wants now is to survive; that's his biggest wish!
However, he didn't know if Li Zicheng would give him that opportunity.
Hey!
For a moment, Zhang Xianzhong sighed helplessly again, his sigh filled with endless bitterness and despair.

Time flies like an arrow, and in the blink of an eye, three days have passed.

And today, Zhu Cilang's army finally arrived in Hanzhong successfully!

What came into their view was the only pass between Hanzhong and the Qinling Mountains, named Wuxiu Pass!

Wuxiu Pass, like a giant dragon, is located there, guarding the gate of Hanzhong. Its terrain is dangerous and easy to defend, making it a strategic location that has always been contested by military strategists!

At this very moment, all the officials and military officers of Hanzhong were waiting outside Wuxiu Pass.

At this moment, everyone's faces were filled with anticipation and excitement. After all, once the imperial army arrived, they would no longer have to fear Li Zicheng's peasant army!
"Look, the army has arrived!"

Suddenly someone shouted something, and everyone's eyes turned to the front.

Immediately afterwards, they saw a huge army slowly approaching in the distance, stretching forward like a giant dragon, winding and turning.

Leading the way was none other than the vanguard of the cavalry, spearheaded by the Guan Ning Iron Cavalry!
They rode tall warhorses, clad in gleaming armor, and charged forward menacingly.

The sound of the horses' hooves was like thunder, shaking the earth and inspiring awe.

Although Zhu Cilang only brought 5,000 Guan Ning cavalry with him when he set out, he continuously recruited local garrison troops to expand his forces along the way.

Therefore, by this day, there are already 10,000 cavalry!

These 10,000 cavalrymen might not seem like much in other parts of the Ming Dynasty, but in the Sichuan area, they were definitely a once-in-a-century sight!

Because the Sichuan region is mostly mountainous and not suitable for cavalry warfare, there has never been a large number of cavalry in the Sichuan region!

If you add it all up, it probably wouldn't even be five thousand.

But now ten thousand cavalrymen have arrived, a sight that has truly stunned everyone.

The chieftains and generals from Guizhou were especially terrified when they saw this scene, their breathing became rapid.

You should know that their chieftains only had a few hundred cavalrymen at most, but now there were ten thousand cavalrymen standing in front of them!

The ten thousand cavalrymen, arrayed in battle formation, looked just like a swimming dragon!
Moreover, those cavalrymen were all tall and strong, far superior to the local chieftains' soldiers!
After the cavalry passed, Zhu Cilang's imperial carriage appeared before everyone.

The imperial carriage, as magnificent and imposing as a moving palace, was pulled slowly forward by six or four tall, fine horses.

Zhu Cilang sat upright atop the imperial carriage.

He had already changed into a magnificent dragon robe, wore a winged crown, and had a composed expression on his face.

The moment the imperial carriage appeared, Liu Jiayin, the Sichuan general, was the first to react. He immediately bowed down, his movements swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation.

"Your subject, Liu Jiayin, the General-in-Chief of Sichuan, along with civil and military officials from Hanzhong, respectfully welcomes Your Highness the Crown Prince. May Your Highness live a thousand years!"

The generals behind Liu Jiayin also reacted one after another, kneeling down like dominoes, their synchronized movements as if they had been meticulously rehearsed.

Immediately afterwards, they shouted in unison:
"Your Highness, we pay our respects! May Your Highness live a thousand years!"

The sound was deafening, as if it were about to pierce the sky.

At the same time, Zhu Cilang's imperial carriage slowly came to a stop.

Then the curtain on the imperial carriage was gently lifted, revealing a young and handsome face.

His eyes were deep and firm, revealing a maturity and composure beyond his years.

Zhu Cilang first sized up the crowd, then said calmly:
"Everyone, please stand up."

His tone was calm yet authoritative, as if carrying an unquestionable power.

Upon hearing this, everyone stood up shakily.

At the same time, Zhu Cilang also stepped down from the imperial carriage.

Immediately afterwards, everyone saw Zhu Cilang's appearance.

Some people were inevitably surprised to see that the person standing in front of them was a teenager.

After all, some of these people did not know Zhu Cilang, nor did they know his age. Moreover, since ancient times, how could a crown prince who was not yet an adult lead troops into battle?

Only Liu Jiayin and the others knew the truth, so they remained calm and showed no surprise whatsoever.

After dismounting from the imperial carriage, Zhu Cilang looked at the civil and military officials before him and smiled:
"Gentlemen, I will not waste any more pleasantries. This battle concerns the fate of our Great Ming Dynasty, and I hope that you will all give it your all." "After this battle is over, I will certainly recommend you for merit."

Upon hearing this, everyone quickly bowed again.

"Please rest assured, Your Highness, we will do our utmost to serve you until our dying breath!"

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Cilang said no more, but had someone bring over a horse, and then mounted it by himself.

He really didn't want to ride in the sedan chair anymore after the whole journey!
Seeing this, no one could say anything, and they could only ride their horses and follow Zhu Cilang, heading straight for Hanzhong.

The hundreds of thousands of troops behind them moved slowly forward like a winding dragon.

Among the crowd, there was one person who seemed inconspicuous and was at the very back.

And this person was Li Dingguo!
As the person appointed by the Crown Prince to come to Hanzhong, Li Dingguo was certainly going to greet the Crown Prince.

However, at this moment, his official position is indeed somewhat insignificant, so he can only stand at the very back.

However, Li Dingguo actually quite liked this arrangement. After all, if he were to walk at the front, he would have to flatter those high-ranking officials and military officers, something he simply couldn't do!
At this time, Zhu Cilang did not pay attention to Li Dingguo. His attention was focused on understanding the current situation in the Hanzhong area with Liu Jiayin, the general of Sichuan, and Lin Zhaoding, the general of Guizhou.

They rode their horses and talked, with Zhu Cilang listening attentively to their reports and occasionally asking questions.

Liu Jiayin and Lin Zhaoding answered Zhu Cilang's questions in detail.

As they chatted, Zhu Cilang suddenly remembered something. He glanced around at the crowd behind him and then asked:

Where is Li Dingguo?

Upon hearing this, everyone around turned their gaze to Li Dingguo, who was following at the very back.

Li Dingguo was also slightly taken aback, not expecting Zhu Cilang to suddenly mention him.

But he quickly realized what was happening, hurriedly spurred his horse to catch up, and then, while still on horseback, cupped his hands in greeting:
"The minister is here."

Zhu Cilang said with a smile:

"You're here too. I didn't see you earlier, so I thought you weren't here."

Li Dingguo hurriedly replied:
"Your Highness, I have been here the whole time, but I was standing a little far away."

Zhu Cilang nodded, and then said:

"Then I'll accompany you."

Li Dingguo replied:
"The minister obeys the order."

He then rode off alongside.

Upon seeing this scene, General Liu Jiayin of Sichuan breathed a huge sigh of relief.

At the same time, he secretly rejoiced:

Fortunately, he hadn't offended Li Dingguo before, and he had agreed to everything he asked for. Otherwise, if Li Dingguo had made things difficult for him in front of the Crown Prince, he would have been in real trouble!

However, at this moment, Zhu Cilang had no idea what Liu Jiayin was thinking, and he didn't care.

As he rode forward, he continued to ask Li Dingguo, who was standing beside him:

"I heard that you recently selected some people from those surrendered peasant armies to form an army?"

Li Dingguo naturally knew that this matter could not be hidden from Zhu Cilang, so he immediately said:
"Your Highness, that is indeed the case. I intend to use the peasant army to persuade them to surrender. Even if they are to be relocated to Liaodong in the future, they can be directly converted into the local garrison in Liaodong."

After a pause, Li Dingguo continued:

"However, Your Highness, rest assured, they are absolutely loyal to the court."

His eyes revealed a resolute look, as if he were making a promise to Zhu Cilang.

Zhu Cilang naturally understood Li Dingguo's concerns, and then smiled calmly and said:

"There's no need to emphasize this again. I've already said before that as long as those who surrender are subjects of my Great Ming, I won't pursue the past anymore, as long as they remain loyal to the court from now on."

Li Dingguo did not speak again, but instead bowed deeply to Zhu Cilang from his horse!
Zhu Cilang asked again:

What is the current situation on Li Zicheng's side?

Li Dingguo replied:
"According to some accounts from surrendered peasant soldiers, Li Zicheng's forces now number less than 190,000. After so many days, I estimate that they are now less than 180,000, or even less."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but sigh.

Because he knew that this meant that around 100,000 people had died in the Qinling Mountains.

To be honest, if he could, Zhu Cilang would have preferred that Li Zicheng hadn't entered Sichuan, and that the two sides would have fought a final battle in Henan.

If that were the case, wouldn't those 100,000 people have been spared from dying in the Qinling Mountains?

Of course, it's too late to say all this now; the wheels of history keep turning and can never be turned back.

Soon, the group arrived in Hanzhong. The army was stationed outside the city, and Zhu Cilang only led the Imperial Guards, the Embroidered Uniform Guards, and his personal guards into the city.

It is also worth mentioning that there was actually a vassal king in Hanzhong during the Ming Dynasty.

This prince was named Zhu Changhao, the fifth son of the Wanli Emperor, and was given the title of Prince Rui.

The Prince Rui's Mansion is located in the center of Hanzhong City and is a magnificent architectural complex.

The tall walls separated the palace from the outside world, and the glazed tiles on the walls shimmered with iridescent colors in the sunlight.

The main gate of the Prince's Mansion is solemn and majestic, and the stone lions in front of the gate are lifelike, as if guarding the peace of the mansion.

However, Prince Rui did not stay in Hanzhong for many years in total, and as early as last year, he brought his whole family to the capital and stayed there.

He probably knew that with the peasant army launching attacks on Shaanxi, Hanzhong might also fall.

Rather than waiting to die in Hanzhong, it's better to obediently go to the capital and wait to go overseas!
In conclusion, the Prince Rui's Mansion in Hanzhong is currently vacant, which is just right to serve as Zhu Cilang's temporary residence.

Moreover, since they knew Zhu Cilang was coming, the Prince Rui's mansion had already been properly prepared.

Some of the original servants remained in the mansion, dressed in simple clothes, their eyes revealing a mixture of tension and anticipation.

When Zhu Cilang arrived at the Prince Rui's residence, a large group of people knelt down in a dark mass:
"Slave, please see His Highness the Crown Prince!"

Zhu Cilang nodded upon seeing these people, then suddenly seemed to remember something and looked at the Prince of Tang beside him, asking:

"Uncle Tang, are there any descendants of Prince Rui among the Zhu family army this time? After all, we have now entered Prince Rui's fiefdom, and we can't just turn the tables on him."

The Tang emperor had clearly done his homework on this matter, and upon hearing this, he quickly replied:

"Your Highness, there are no members of Prince Rui's faction among Zhu's army this time."

Oh?
Zhu Cilang was somewhat surprised to hear this.

After all, he had said he would gather all the imperial clan members to form the Zhu Family Army, so why were there no members of Prince Rui's lineage?

(End of this chapter)