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

Chapter 396 Raise the Dragon Banner!

The next second, Li Zicheng coldly swept his gaze across everyone in the tent, his eyes as cold and sharp as a star in the cold night.

Then he said in a low voice:

"Remember this, everyone: no one is allowed to tell anyone what just happened!"

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a chill and quickly responded:

"Rest assured, Your Majesty, we understand!"

Li Zicheng nodded slightly and then gave the following instructions:

"Go and invite the other generals to my tent to discuss important matters!"

Then everyone got busy again. Some rushed out of the tent to deliver orders, while others prepared tables, chairs, and tea inside the tent, waiting for the arrival of other generals.

Before long, Li Zicheng's generals gathered in his camp like a tide.

There were at least twenty or thirty people!

The leaders were none other than Liu Zongmin, Gao Yigong, Liu Fangliang, Tian Jianxiu, Li Yan, Hao Yongzhong, and others, all of whom were Li Zicheng's staunch confidants!
However, when these people arrived, they all had a hint of doubt on their faces, because most of them did not know what had just happened, nor did they know that the scouts had not returned since they went out.

Once everyone was seated, the atmosphere inside the tent instantly became somewhat heavy.

Li Zicheng's gaze swept over the crowd one by one, then he said in a deep voice:

"Gentlemen, I have some bad news for you: there may be Ming troops lying in ambush ahead, and if nothing unexpected happens, there may be a large number of Ming main forces."

Li Zicheng believed that his words might cause a disturbance among the generals before him.

Surprisingly, however, the crowd's expressions did not change much when they heard these words.

Because they had already guessed this outcome.

After all, when they were in the Qinling Mountains, there were many Ming soldiers who kept harassing them and preventing them from advancing, just like annoying flies.

Although it is unknown why the Ming army withdrew later, it is obvious that the Ming army would have set up an ambush in Hanzhong, just like a hunter would set a trap on the path of his prey. Therefore, it is reasonable for such a thing to happen.

Seeing the calm demeanor of everyone before him, Li Zicheng breathed a sigh of relief, and his tense nerves relaxed slightly.

What he feared most was that these people would become fearful and lose their fighting spirit after hearing the news.

However, it seems that I was overthinking it.

However, Li Zicheng ultimately did not tell these people about Li Guo, because Li Guo was someone he was grooming as his successor, roughly equivalent to the status of a "crown prince," and was the hope and future in the hearts of many.

If this group of people knew that Li Guo's fate was unknown, they would probably be thrown into chaos.

Then, Li Zicheng continued:

"Therefore, I have summoned you all here today to discuss how to resolve this matter."

"After all, we have nowhere to retreat!"

As soon as Li Zicheng finished speaking, one of the peasant army generals suddenly stood up. He was a burly man with a full beard like steel needles, and his eyes revealed a resolute look.

Then he said loudly:
"Chuang Wang, what's the point of discussing things now! Whether there are ambushes ahead or the imperial army, we have no way out!"

"So we have no choice but to fight!"

"I'd rather die on the battlefield than in the mountains!"

His words were immediately met with agreement from everyone present.

The generals all stood up and began to speak at once:
"That's right! King Chuang, let's just fight the imperial army! We've fought them before, the imperial army might not be a match for us!"

"Yes, that's right! And how many troops can Hanzhong City have? At most twenty or thirty thousand, what's there to be afraid of?"

"In any case, we cannot retreat back into the Qinling Mountains. If we go back, we will only face death. It is better to die in battle than to starve to death!"

In an instant, the generals' clamor was deafening, with almost all of them supporting a direct battle with the Ming army at the front.

Upon seeing this, Li Zicheng no longer hesitated. His eyes gleamed with determination as he spoke directly:
"In that case, let's just start a war with the Ming army!"

"Even if there are mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead, we will fight to the death and never retreat!"

When Li Zicheng said those words, he felt a surge of pride and high spirits.

Ultimately, he was also afraid that the peasant army would be divided and unable to form a strong fighting force.

But now that everyone agrees to fight, there's nothing to worry about. No matter if there are ambushes ahead, or if it's a dangerous place, they're going to go for it!
Immediately afterwards, Li Zicheng discussed the battle strategy with his generals.

Of course, there was really nothing to discuss, because Li Zicheng had his own tactics, namely the "three walls" strategy.

The so-called "three walls" tactic was a classic field tactic of Li Zicheng.

The specific combat method is quite simple. First, the infantry is positioned in front of the formation, and then the most elite cavalry is divided into three groups: the left and right flanks and the rear reserve, forming three walls.

In combat, infantrymen would first engage the enemy, wearing them down and entangled them.

When the enemy's formation becomes chaotic, once the order is given, the cavalry on both the left and right flanks launch a massive charge, breaking through the enemy's lines in one fell swoop.

The reserve force is used to expand the gains or deal with emergencies.

This tactic of combining infantry and cavalry proved extremely effective in the Battle of Zhuxian Town and the Battle of Ruzhou, repeatedly defeating the main force of the Ming army and striking fear into their hearts.

Of course, this tactic can only be used against the Ming army of the past. If it encounters the Ming army equipped with flintlock muskets, it will be completely useless!
However, Li Zicheng was unaware of this at the time!

After discussing the battle plan, the soldiers left Li Zicheng's camp and quickly led their troops to prepare for battle.

After all, this is an army of 170,000 men!
Getting them to coordinate their operations won't be that easy!

The commotion by the peasant army naturally attracted the attention of the Ming scouts, who soon reported the matter to Zhu Cilang.

When Zhu Cilang received the news, he knew that Li Zicheng had probably noticed their presence and was preparing to fight.

However, this was not a big deal for Zhu Cilang, since according to the scouts' reports, the distance between the two sides was less than ten miles.

Within this area, the army's whereabouts could not be concealed, and it was about time to prepare for battle.

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Cilang looked at the Prince of Tang beside him and said:

"Uncle Tang, let's begin."

Upon hearing this, the Tang Emperor replied with a hint of respect:

"Your subject obeys the decree!" He then spurred his horse forward, and before long, the army began to slowly change formation.

Zhu Jiajun's army arrived at the front lines in unison.

Previously, in order to highlight the special nature of the Zhu Family Army, Zhu Cilang specially prepared new armor for them. The armor was uniformly bright yellow, which looked glittering and quite majestic at first glance.

Of course, not all of them were brand new armor; many of them were old and then painted with gold paint.

The bright yellow armor shimmered brilliantly in the sunlight, like a golden ocean, inspiring awe in all who beheld it.

Soon, the Zhu family army at the forefront had completed their formation.

As with previous battles, about three thousand of Zhu's soldiers were at the forefront, carrying shields and mainly responsible for blocking incoming arrows.

The remaining members of Zhu's army were each equipped with a flintlock pistol and were mainly responsible for shooting.

As for the remaining army, they were on standby, ready to launch an attack when the peasant army retreated.

After the troops had formed ranks, they continued their advance.

In an instant, a tense atmosphere began to spread, like an invisible fog enveloping the entire battlefield.

Although everyone had absolute confidence in the war, they still felt tense.

After all, everyone knows that this is likely the last war between the imperial court and the peasant army, and the outcome will depend on this battle!
Just as Zhu Cilang was getting ready, the peasant army also completed its formation and began to advance.

Li Zicheng, Zhang Xianzhong, and other generals rode on their warhorses, advancing alongside the army.

However, this time Li Zicheng was noticeably more cautious, constantly alert to his surroundings, and his marching pace slowed considerably.

At this moment, having been exposed, the Ming army's scouts in front no longer concealed themselves.

Looking from Li Zicheng's direction, one could see thousands of cavalrymen pacing back and forth in the distance.

The cavalrymen rode tall warhorses, their figures agile, their armor gleaming coldly in the sunlight, as if telling the story of the impending battle.

Even Li Zicheng couldn't help but feel a sense of awe upon seeing these cavalrymen.

These cavalrymen were tall and strong, and their horses were incredibly powerful, clearly extraordinary and far superior to their cavalry.

Their cavalry, by comparison, looked like a flock of thin sheep.

However, although the opposing cavalry was formidable, their side numbered 170,000, a vast ocean capable of swallowing any force!
Therefore, the Ming cavalry dared not act rashly and could only keep pacing back and forth.

About half an hour later, Zhu Cilang finally saw the peasant army ahead.

At this moment, Zhu Cilang took a deep breath and murmured to himself:

"Finally, what was bound to happen has happened!"

At that moment, what appeared before him was a vast army that almost filled his entire field of vision.

Those 170,000 people were like a surging black tide, almost covering half of the Hanzhong Plain, stretching as far as the eye could see.

Countless flags fluttered fiercely in the wind, as if announcing their presence!
Putting everything else aside, its sheer presence is absolutely top-notch!
On the other hand, the Ming army now only has 70,000 troops, a much smaller number.

But at this moment, the Ming army showed no fear, because the two sides were not even on the same level.

At the same time, the peasant army also discovered the Ming army.

Upon seeing the opposing team's formation, everyone's expressions turned serious.

Just by looking at the formation, they knew that the vanguard was no ordinary army.

The neat formation was as precise as if cut by a knife, and the soldiers moved in unison, as if they were a single person.

Especially the troops at the very front, whose armor was actually golden yellow, looked like gods descending to earth!
However, Li Zicheng and his men didn't think much of it, assuming that these were either Qin troops transferred from Shaanxi or Sichuan troops transferred from Sichuan.

After all, only the Qin army and the Sichuan army around Hanzhong had this scale.

As for their golden armor, it was probably just a useless tactic to intimidate the peasant army.

They thought that although the Qin and Sichuan armies had some fighting power, the peasant army was numerically superior, so they might not be able to gain an advantage.

And so, the leading peasant soldiers gripped their weapons, preparing for the impending battle.

A battle that will determine life or death is about to begin.

When the two armies were less than three miles apart, Zhu Cilang turned his head slightly to look at Li Hu beside him and gave the order in a steady and powerful voice:
"Raise the dragon banner!"

Upon hearing this, a hint of excitement flashed in Li Hu's eyes.

Then he shouted loudly to the fully equipped and ready guard battalion behind him:

"His Highness the Crown Prince has ordered the dragon banner to be erected!"

This roar, like a resounding bell, echoed across the battlefield, instantly shattering the almost frozen air.

The next moment, a group of soldiers behind them, averaging over 1.8 meters tall and as strong as oxen, began to work like a well-trained swarm of bees.

They quickly split into several groups, some responsible for moving the huge wooden poles, while others were busy unfurling the enormous dragon flag. The dragon patterns on the flag were so lifelike that they seemed to take flight and soar into the heavens under the sunlight!
Before long, with everyone's concerted efforts, the huge wooden pole stood firmly upright, piercing the sky.

And on the wooden pole, a huge dragon flag was prominently displayed!
The dragon flag fluttered wildly in the wind, making a "whooshing" sound, as if proclaiming the majesty of imperial power to the world!
Because the dragon banner was tall enough, and the rebel army was also using old-fashioned telescopes, a sharp-eyed peasant army general spotted the dragon banner in an instant!

The next second, someone in the crowd exclaimed:

"Chuang Wang, that...that looks like the dragon banner!"

The exclamation was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly causing a huge uproar in the rebel army camp.

Upon hearing this, Li Zicheng's expression immediately froze, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on the reins.

He had previously been a minor official in the Ming Dynasty, so of course he knew what the dragon banner was—it was the flag used by the emperor when he personally led an expedition!

It represents the supreme imperial power and is also a symbol of the imperial court's most elite army going to war!
In an instant, a variety of thoughts flashed through his mind, and a hint of panic appeared in his eyes.

The next second, Li Zicheng picked up the binoculars in his hand and examined them carefully with an incredulous look on his face.

Immediately afterwards, his face turned even paler, because he could see very clearly that what was standing tall was indeed the dragon banner!
The dragon pattern on the dragon flag, its unique colors and design, were exactly the same as the imperial dragon banner in his memory!
What exactly is going on?

Why is there a dragon banner here?

Could it be that Emperor Chongzhen has personally come to Hanzhong to fight me to the death?

(End of this chapter)