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

In an instant, Li Zicheng was filled with fear. He knew that the army that came with the dragon banner was not an ordinary army, but the most elite troops of the Ming Dynasty.

These troops were well-trained and well-equipped, unlike any Ming army he had encountered before.

At the same time, Zhang Xianzhong also saw this scene clearly.

He sat on his horse, leaning slightly forward, his eyes fixed on the dragon banner, his expression turning extremely ugly.

Because he knew that the dragon banner was not something that could be erected casually. Unless the emperor himself was present, no one would dare to erect it!

In other words, Emperor Chongzhen really did come to Hanzhong!

And right now, right in front of them, we are going to fight them to the death!

Thinking of this, Zhang Xianzhong felt his legs go weak and he almost fell off his horse.

His eyes were filled with fear, a fear that overwhelmed him like a tidal wave.

Immediately afterwards, the other soldiers also began to whisper among themselves.

They huddled together, whispering amongst themselves, their words filled with fear.

A peasant soldier said in a trembling voice:
"What are we going to do? The emperor has come; we're definitely no match for him!"

Some said with terrified expressions:
"We're doomed! We're all going to die this time!"

Seeing that morale was about to crumble, Li Zicheng roared:
"Shut up, everyone!"

The roar was like a thunderclap, and everyone fell silent upon hearing it.

The very next second, Li Zicheng suddenly burst into laughter.

Hahahaha!

The laughter sounded particularly abrupt in the otherwise silent battlefield, leaving everyone momentarily at a loss, with some even suspecting that Li Zicheng had been scared out of his wits.

But at that moment, Li Zicheng's voice rang out again!

"It's true that after searching for a long time, I finally found it without any effort!"

"We originally thought that we could only take Chongzhen's head after we stormed the capital, but we never expected that Chongzhen would actually deliver himself to our doorstep!"

As he spoke, Li Zicheng suddenly drew his sword from his waist and pointed it directly at the dragon banner that was raised high!

"Look, as long as we can defeat the army in front of us and take Chongzhen's head, then we will have completely destroyed the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty's territory will belong to us!"

"And you will all be my founding heroes, and I will bestow upon you titles of kings and prime ministers!"

This sudden remark left everyone momentarily stunned.

A hint of doubt and surprise gradually appeared on their faces, which were originally shrouded in fear. Then, everyone felt their blood boiling.

Although at the beginning, they followed Li Zicheng in rebellion simply so that they could have a full meal.

But everyone has ambition, and over time, this mindset begins to change, eventually leading to being appointed as a king or prime minister!
And now, isn't this future right before our eyes?
Besides, they had fought against the Ming army before, so didn't they know what the Ming army was like?

Even if Emperor Chongzhen came, so what?

As for the previous crushing defeat at Tongguan, that was because the two sides did not engage in battle.

If Sun Chuanting had dared to fight them back then, he would have been defeated long ago!

Thinking of this, some of the peasant soldiers couldn't help but cheer:

"The rebel leader is right! As long as we eliminate these troops and Emperor Chongzhen, the Ming Dynasty will be completely ours! Then we might not even need to go to Sichuan; we can just change our route and go straight to the capital!"

"When the rebel leader becomes emperor, we can become marquises or dukes or something!"

"Hahahahaha!"

In an instant, the peasant army burst into laughter, the sound of which shook the earth slightly, and for a moment they no longer took the Ming army in front of them seriously.

Only Zhang Xianzhong remained solemn, because he knew that if the enemy was indeed Emperor Chongzhen, they would definitely be equipped with the same firearms that Zuo Liangyu's troops had previously used.

Those firearms were incredibly powerful, had a long range, and were highly accurate, making them extremely effective on the battlefield.

Moreover, it's probably not just a few thousand or tens of thousands of people who have been equipped; it's more likely that the entire army has been equipped!

If that's the case, the peasant army would probably be routed in a single encounter.

Thinking of this, Zhang Xianzhong suddenly looked at Li Zicheng, wanting to tell him his inner thoughts.

He opened his mouth as if to speak, but then gave up the next second.

At this very moment, the group of people in front of them were laughing hysterically, their faces beaming with excitement and arrogance, as if they could already see themselves replacing the Ming Dynasty and becoming founding heroes of the new dynasty.

Upon witnessing this scene, Zhang Xianzhong sighed silently, feeling as if his heart had sunk into an endless abyss.

He knew that the peasant army was likely to be defeated here, and he himself would die here!

The scene shifts back to Zhu Cilang's side. As the two sides draw ever closer, the main army has halted its advance, and the Zhu family army at the front awaits orders to launch an attack.

Just as Zhu Silang was considering whether to send someone to persuade Zhu Cilang to surrender, Li Dingguo suddenly appeared beside him.

His face showed hesitation, as if he had something to say but dared not say it.

Although Zhu Cilang was closely monitoring the current situation, he still noticed Li Dingguo's unusual behavior.

He turned his head slightly, glanced at Li Dingguo, and then asked:

"What, do you want to personally go and persuade Zhang Xianzhong and Li Zicheng to surrender?"

Upon hearing this, Li Dingguo was somewhat surprised, a look of disbelief appearing on his face, as if he hadn't expected Zhu Cilang to see through his thoughts at a glance.

But after regaining his composure, he still forced himself to say:

"Your Highness is right, I do indeed have such a plan."

"I think that if the peasant army were truly willing to surrender directly, then this great battle could be avoided, and wouldn't it be better if no one died in battle?"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Cilang sighed helplessly.

Because Li Dingguo's idea was too naive. Both sides had already reached this point, how could they possibly stop fighting?
Does he think that if he said a few words, the peasant army would surrender?
Just kidding, do you really think fighting is child's play?
Even though Zhu Cilang thought of sending people to persuade them to surrender, it was just a formality. In Zhu Cilang's view, the real persuasion should come after the Zhu family army had finished this first battle!

By that time, the peasant army had already experienced the power of flintlock muskets, and with the pressure from an army of over 200,000, many of them would definitely choose to surrender!

Of course, Li Dingguo wasn't that naive; he simply didn't want any more people to die.

He had experienced too many wars and witnessed too much life and death, so deep down he hoped that this war could end at the lowest possible cost.

After hesitating for a moment, Zhu Cilang finally decided to agree to Li Dingguo's idea.

In this way, the prestige and benevolence of the imperial court can be demonstrated.

However, he immediately added, "Have you thought this through? Don't forget you were once a peasant soldier, so in Li Zicheng's eyes you're just a traitor. He might even kill you in a fit of rage!"

As he said this, a hint of worry appeared in his eyes. After all, he still valued Li Dingguo highly and didn't want to see him die here.

Li Dingguo said:

"If that's truly the case, then I accept my fate!"

His eyes revealed a hint of determination and resolve, as if he had already prepared for the worst.

Seeing this, Zhu Cilang stopped trying to persuade him and said:

"If that's the case, then let's go."

“Tell them that as long as they are willing to surrender, their previous crimes will be forgiven. Even Li Zicheng himself can be spared and allowed to live out his remaining years as a wealthy man.”

"Also tell them that they have 150,000 troops behind them, and if they don't surrender, they will all die!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Jiayin, the Sichuan General standing nearby, said with a worried expression:

"Your Highness, how can we inform the rebel leader of our army's deployment? What if he takes precautions in advance?"

Zhu Cilang smiled calmly.

"If you were Li Zicheng, would you have believed what Li Dingguo said?"

"If Li Zicheng believes it, his army will be thrown into chaos. If he doesn't believe it, when his army retreats, Lin Zhaoding and Zuo Liangyu will catch him off guard. It won't do us any harm!"

Liu Jiayin was taken aback at first, then said with heartfelt admiration:
"Your Highness is very thoughtful and meticulous; I admire you greatly!"

At the same time, Li Dingguo also hurriedly bowed and said:
"The minister obeys the order!"

Then Li Dingguo rode alone straight towards Li Zicheng's army.

Soon, the actions of the Ming army attracted Li Zicheng's attention.

Li Zicheng, mounted on his horse, squinted slightly, his heart filled with doubt as he watched the fast horse galloping towards him.

At that moment, Li Zicheng also ordered his army to stop.

Upon seeing this, Liu Zongmin frowned, a look of vigilance appearing on his face.

Then he looked at Li Zicheng beside him and asked:
"Chuang Wang, what should we do? Should we shoot this man?"

His voice was deep and powerful, filled with murderous intent.

Upon hearing this, Li Zicheng waved his hand and said:

"There's no need for that. As the saying goes, in war, one should not kill the messenger. Let's see what the Ming army has to say first."

Upon hearing this, Liu Zongmin said no more, but his eyes remained fixed on the fast horse, ready to deal with any unexpected situation.

Meanwhile, Zhang Xianzhong was also using his binoculars to observe the approaching figure.

When Zhang Xianzhong saw what the other person looked like, he was immediately taken aback.

His body jolted violently, and he nearly dropped the binoculars in his hand.

Because he could see clearly that the person who came was not a general of the Ming Dynasty at all, but clearly his adopted son Li Dingguo!
The next second, Zhang Xianzhong couldn't help but shout loudly:

"Dingguo, is that you?"

His voice was filled with surprise and disbelief, as if he couldn't believe his eyes.

Upon hearing the name "Dingguo," Li Zicheng and his men were stunned.

Although they knew that Li Dingguo was Zhang Xianzhong's adopted son, they never expected that Zhang Xianzhong would choose this name for a Ming Dynasty general.

Wasn't Li Dingguo supposed to have died in Henan? How did he end up here, and even become a general of the Ming Dynasty?
Just then, Liu Zongmin, who was next to Zhang Xianzhong, couldn't help but speak up:

"Zhang Xianzhong, are you sure you haven't mistaken him for someone else? How could that person be your adopted son, Li Dingguo? Isn't he dead?"

Zhang Xianzhong did not speak, but looked anxiously at Li Zicheng and said:

"Your Majesty, this man seems to be my adopted son, Li Dingguo. Please, Your Majesty, do not harm him!"

His eyes revealed a hint of determination and certainty, as if he was already convinced of his judgment.

Now, even Li Zicheng couldn't help but become cautious, and then he looked again at the gradually clearer figure.

Although he knew Li Dingguo, he had only met him once, so he didn't have a deep impression of him.

On the contrary, a general next to him, who had seen Li Dingguo many times, looked at Li Zicheng through the binoculars and said:
“Chuang Wang, this man really does look like Li Dingguo. I fought alongside Li Dingguo before and I recognize his face.”

Upon hearing this, the scene fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone remained silent, filled with doubt and shock, wondering what was going on.

The fact that someone who should have died suddenly became a general in the Ming Dynasty is incredibly bizarre!

Immediately afterwards, Li Zicheng looked at Zhang Xianzhong beside him and said:
"Didn't you say that Li Dingguo died in Henan? How come he's in Hanzhong and even a military officer for the imperial court?"

His eyes revealed a hint of questioning and dissatisfaction, as if blaming Zhang Xianzhong for not explaining things clearly.

However, Zhang Xianzhong was also completely bewildered at this moment, because he had no idea what was going on!
When they were in Henan, the army was about to be scattered by the cavalry led by Zuo Liangyu. It was Li Dingguo who led his personal guards to fight Zuo Liangyu, and they were quickly surrounded by Zuo Liangyu's army.

Therefore, Zhang Xianzhong believed that Li Dingguo must have died in battle. However, to his surprise, Li Dingguo not only did not die, but actually appeared in Hanzhong, dressed as a Ming general!

He was more shocked than anyone else, so when Li Zicheng asked him a question, Zhang Xianzhong didn't know how to answer for a moment.

Seeing this, Li Zicheng stopped asking questions and stared intently at Li Dingguo in front of him, his eyes revealing a hint of vigilance and curiosity.

Meanwhile, after a series of searches to confirm that Li Dingguo was not carrying any weapons, he was brought before Li Zicheng.

Before Li Dingguo could speak, Zhang Xianzhong dismounted, strode over to Li Dingguo, and took his hands, saying:

"Dingguo, it really is you! You're not dead! You're not dead!"

His voice was filled with excitement and joy, as if he had found a long-lost relative.

Looking at his adoptive father, Li Dingguo was also somewhat excited. After all, Zhang Xianzhong had treated him well since taking him in as his adopted son, just like a biological father and son. Therefore, he also had feelings for Zhang Xianzhong.

Facing Zhang Xianzhong at this moment, Li Dingguo said with considerable excitement:

"Godfather, I'm not dead, I'm still alive."

“I was captured by Zuo Liangyu before, and then I was sent to the capital. Later I surrendered to the court.”

Upon hearing these words, Zhang Xianzhong was unsure whether to be angry or happy; his feelings were quite complex.

After all, his adopted son, who had once fought alongside him against the imperial court, had suddenly become a military general for the court; it was truly bitter for him. (End of Chapter)