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

Time flies, and before we knew it, it was the next morning.

The morning sun shines on the earth, giving the entire Hanzhong Plain a golden glow.

After a simple breakfast, the peasant army set off again towards Hanzhong City.

Their procession snaked along the road like a long, black python.

However, along the way, they still did not see any people, or even a single living creature. The once bustling countryside was now eerily silent, like a series of ghost towns.

This time, not only Li Zicheng panicked, but even the peasant army under his command panicked.

You should know that they originally thought that after arriving in Hanzhong, they would be able to live a good life with endless food and money.

After all, that's what Li Zicheng said when they first started marching towards Hanzhong!
Unexpectedly, after going through so much hardship to reach Hanzhong, they found nothing of food or gold and silver, not even a single living person or animal.

They felt they had been deceived by Li Zicheng, and their anger and dissatisfaction were about to erupt like a volcano.

But that's not the most important thing. The most important thing is that the peasant army's food supplies are running out.

In addition, after the consumption of food over the past few days, even if we eat porridge, the current food supply can only last for three days at most!

In other words, if they don't receive supplies within three days, everyone will starve to death here!

In an instant, everyone was filled with panic, and they didn't even have the strength to keep going. Their steps were sluggish, and their eyes were filled with despair.

Li Zicheng took all this in stride, his heart burning with anxiety, like an ant on a hot pan. Yet, he was powerless to do anything but instruct a few trusted confidants to continue encouraging the peasant army.

They said that once they reached Hanzhong City, they could obtain a large amount of grain and gold and silver treasures.

Hearing this, the group regained some strength and continued on their way.

However, what they didn't expect was that at this very moment, the imperial army was already waiting for them ahead.

Time quickly came to noon, and the army began to cook.

The wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys could not dispel the gloom in everyone's hearts.

Just then, Zhang Xianzhong approached Li Zicheng with a worried expression, his face showing anxiety and unease. He said:
"Your Majesty, I have a feeling something is wrong! It's so quiet in Hanzhong, there's not a single person here."

"Do you think it's possible that the imperial court really did relocate all the people to surrounding areas, such as Sichuan?"

His eyes revealed a sense of worry, as if he had a premonition of impending danger.

In the past, Li Zicheng would have refuted such a statement without hesitation, confidently declaring that the imperial court lacked the capability!

But things are different now, because Li Zicheng is also very panicked.

After hesitating for a moment, Li Zicheng finally said:
"I don't think so. You know, Hanzhong has a population of about 500,000. How could the imperial court possibly transfer all 500,000 people to the surrounding provinces? That's too outrageous."

Although his voice carried a hint of determination, it could not conceal the fear in his heart.

Zhang Xianzhong continued:
"This humble general also finds this statement a bit outrageous, but the facts are right in front of us!"

"After we arrived in Hanzhong, we had traveled at least fifty li, but we didn't see a single living person along the way."

“Some soldiers even broke into the homes of the people to look for food, but they found not a single grain of food or a single piece of valuables. This was clearly abnormal.”

"Furthermore, we encountered Ming troops blocking our way in the Qinling Mountains. I have a feeling there must be a trap. Perhaps the imperial court has already deployed a large number of troops ahead, just waiting for us to go and die!"

"Chuang Wang, we must make plans for this as soon as possible!"

His voice carried a hint of tension and vigilance, as if he could already see the hidden danger ahead.

It has to be said that Zhang Xianzhong was practically a prophet, guessing exactly what was about to happen.

However, these words sounded extremely harsh to Li Zicheng.

Even if he knew it was possible, what could he do now?

We can't just retreat back to the Qinling Mountains, can we?

If that's the case, then it would be better to die in Hanzhong!

Thinking of this, Li Zicheng's face darkened, and he looked at Zhang Xianzhong and rebuked him:
"Shut up! How dare you disrupt the morale of the army now! You should know the current situation of the Ming Dynasty. Even though Chongzhen carried out a series of reforms, the various problems of the Ming Dynasty cannot be solved all at once. They simply do not have the ability to mobilize a large army to deal with us."

"Therefore, even if there are Ming troops ahead, they would only number twenty or thirty thousand at most. How could they possibly be a match for our two hundred thousand troops!"

His voice boomed, an attempt to mask his inner fear with an air of authority.

Zhang Xianzhong was immediately embarrassed after being reprimanded by Li Zicheng.

But for the sake of his own life and property, he still said:

"Chuang Wang, don't forget what I told you in Shaanxi before. It seems that the imperial court has developed a new type of firearm. That firearm is extremely sharp and far surpasses the arquebus and musket."

"If these 30,000 to 50,000 Ming soldiers are equipped with such firearms, then they should not be underestimated!"

This again!

Upon hearing this, Li Zicheng's expression darkened even further.

When Zhang Xianzhong came to join him, he mentioned this to him, saying that the Ming army seemed to have been equipped with a new type of firearm, which was extremely powerful and caught him off guard.

However, Li Zicheng didn't take it seriously at all, thinking that Zhang Xianzhong was afraid of the court and was using such a lame excuse to cover up his defeat.

After all, he had never seen the Ming army use any new firearms, and firearms are not something that can be developed just like that.

It should be noted that the firearms currently used by the Ming army are still decades or hundreds of years old. If it were so easy to develop new firearms, why didn't the Ming army equip themselves with such firearms before?

Therefore, when he heard Zhang Xianzhong mention this matter again at this time, he only felt more annoyed.

But he ultimately didn't continue to lose his temper, after all, he had to give Zhang Xianzhong some face.

Therefore, he simply said:
"Alright, I've remembered what you said. You may leave now."

His voice carried a hint of impatience, as if he were shooing away an annoying fly.

Seeing Li Zicheng's impatient expression, Zhang Xianzhong sighed helplessly.

He knew that Li Zicheng hadn't listened to him at all, but Zhang Xianzhong couldn't say anything at this moment, so he took his leave.

At that moment, his silhouette appeared exceptionally lonely and forlorn in the sunlight, as if foreshadowing the fate that awaited him.

After lunch, the army continued its slow advance.

The sounds of hooves, footsteps, and wheels mingled together, creating a somber and oppressive marching symphony.

Li Zicheng, mounted on his warhorse, frowned deeply, his face as gloomy as the sky before a storm.

For some reason, Zhang Xianzhong's words from before now seemed like a curse, constantly echoing in his mind and making him increasingly uneasy.

The army continued advancing for another ten miles, the surrounding scenery still being a vast plain, eerily quiet. However, at this moment, Li Zicheng keenly sensed that something was amiss.

That means none of the scouts he sent out before returned to report the news!

Li Zicheng frowned, turned his head to look at Li Guo beside him, and asked in a low and serious voice:

"Have any scouts returned to report the news after noon?"

Li Guo was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, a hint of doubt flashing across his face, but he still answered truthfully:
"No, none of the scouts sent out since noon have returned."

Upon hearing this, Li Zicheng's brows furrowed even more, and several deep wrinkles appeared on his forehead.

Because this is clearly not right.

According to his usual practice, the scouts would return approximately every hour to report on the situation ahead.

In addition, he would send out several waves of scouts each time, so scouts would come to report the situation at the front every half hour or so.

This was to ensure that the army could promptly understand the enemy situation and terrain ahead during the march, and avoid falling into enemy ambushes.

But now almost two hours have passed, and not a single scout has returned, which is quite unusual.

Moreover, he had encountered something similar before in the Qinling Mountains!

It was later discovered that there was an ambush by Ming troops ahead, and most of the scouts sent out had either died at the hands of the Ming army or surrendered after being captured.

That experience made Li Zicheng more cautious and more vigilant about such situations.

Upon realizing this, Li Zicheng immediately gave the order:

"Li Guo, you will personally lead men to the front to gather information. If you encounter any disturbances, return immediately to report!"

"There may be Ming troops lying in ambush ahead. If you spot them, do not engage them and retreat immediately!"

Given the current situation, Li Zicheng has no choice but to send his most trusted nephew!

Upon hearing this, Li Guo instantly realized the seriousness of the situation and quickly shouted:

"As ordered!"

He then selected a squad of his personal guards and broke away from the main army, galloping forward.

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves echoed across the silent plains, like the drumbeats of war, striking at the hearts of everyone present.

At the same time, Li Zicheng ordered his army to rest on the spot. He dared not go any further until he received definite news from the front.

Because his intuition told him that Zhang Xianzhong might be right, and there might indeed be some unknown danger ahead of them.

This danger was like a dark cloud hanging over Li Zicheng's head, making him feel depressed and uneasy.

On the other side, Li Guo, accompanied by his personal guards, sped off like an arrow towards Hanzhong City.

They moved incredibly fast, their hooves kicking up clouds of dust that, under the sunlight, formed streaks of golden smoke.

About fifteen minutes later, they discovered something amiss not far ahead.

There were many messy hoof prints on the ground ahead.

These hoofprints vary in size and depth, and some are even intertwined. Based on this, it is clear that a battle took place here.

Li Guo dismounted and squatted down to carefully examine the hoofprints. His brows furrowed slightly, and an ominous premonition welled up in his heart.

Suddenly, at that moment, the sound of horses' hooves came from not far ahead.

The sound of horses' hooves grew clearer and clearer as they approached, like the footsteps of death drawing ever closer.

Li Guo looked up abruptly and saw several cavalry units appearing not far away.

These cavalrymen were dressed in Ming army uniforms, their armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight. Their eyes revealed a sense of vigilance and killing intent, suggesting they were Ming army scouts.

This confirmed Li Guo's guess!

Those were the scouts they had sent out earlier; they had indeed been killed by the enemy!

Thinking of this, Li Guo immediately prepared to lead his men back to report the matter to Li Zicheng.

Although he was young, he knew that now was not the time to be reckless, so he had no intention of fighting the other party at all.

After all, on this brutal battlefield, every decision could affect the lives of countless people, and he could not let his army fall into a desperate situation because of a momentary impulse.

Before he could make a move, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from both sides of their location again.

The sound of hooves was like rolling thunder, making the earth tremble slightly.

The next second, hundreds of cavalrymen appeared from both sides and charged straight at them. Just as they were about to get close, the cavalrymen suddenly changed formation, seemingly to form an encirclement and completely surround them.

At the same time, the number of cavalry in front suddenly surged to several hundred and charged straight at them!

All of this happened so suddenly that Li Guo didn't have time to react at all!
A hint of panic flashed in Li Guo's eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and shouted loudly:

"Retreat! Retreat!"

After saying this, Li Guo instantly mounted his horse, and the others immediately turned their horses around to head back.

But it was too late, because their warhorses, like them, had also traveled a long distance and hadn't even had enough fodder along the way.

Moreover, warhorses not only need to be fed grass, but also grain and salt to maintain their basic strength. However, the peasant army didn't even have enough grain to feed its own people, so how could they possibly feed their horses?

This resulted in their warhorses being mostly thin and weak, having lost their former mobility.

In contrast, the Ming cavalry that suddenly appeared were all fat and strong, tall and big. Their warhorses had glossy coats, well-developed muscles, and strong and steady hooves, making their mobility almost perfect.

These warhorses are like well-trained warriors, ready to obey their masters' commands and charge into battle at any time.

Therefore, before Li Guo and the others could escape, they were completely surrounded.

And those surrounding them were not ordinary cavalry, but the renowned Guan Ning Iron Cavalry!

Although Li Guo didn't know who the people surrounding them were, he knew from their warhorses and armor that they were definitely not ordinary cavalry.

The armor was exquisitely crafted, gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight. Each plate was tightly joined together, forming an impenetrable suit of armor.

He didn't even recognize the weapons they were using.

Although it looks like a musket, it is shorter.

For a moment, Li Guo inwardly groaned. He knew he was in deep trouble; this was an elite Ming cavalry force they had never encountered before! (End of Chapter)