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

Chapter 403 Zuo Liangyu: Li Zicheng, you've finally arrived!
As Li Zicheng's army gradually moved away, the fighting on the scene gradually came to a halt.

Because those peasant soldiers who were left behind had absolutely no will to fight, apart from those who had been killed earlier, the remaining peasant soldiers all knelt on the ground and chose to surrender.

Lin Zhaoding naturally chose to accept the surrender of these people!
Therefore, when Zhu Cilang led his army to this place, he only saw countless corpses on the ground and peasant soldiers kneeling on the ground surrendering.

As darkness fell and the sun had long since set, torches were lit all around.

Under the firelight, the stench of blood and gunpowder in the air seemed even stronger, making one want to vomit.

As Zhu Cilang gazed at the scene before him by the firelight and listened to Lin Zhaoding's report, a complex mix of emotions welled up within him.

But in any case, the current situation is within the plan!
After the first and second rounds of fighting, the Ming army has already expended about 70,000 troops of the peasant army, leaving the peasant army with less than 100,000 men.

If Zuo Liangyu can stop them and wait for the main army to surround them, then everything can be over.

Thinking of this, Zhu Cilang immediately gave the order: aside from the 30,000 men left behind to treat the wounded and guard the surrendered peasant soldiers, the rest of the troops continued forward to prepare for the final battle!

The scene then returns to Li Zicheng's side.

After two escapes, the entire peasant army was now extremely weak.

Some of the peasant soldiers couldn't even move their legs. They looked at the road ahead, which seemed so far away, and their hearts were filled with despair and helplessness.

That wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that it had already gotten dark, and the surroundings were completely dark. The only way to see clearly was by the moonlight, which revealed the densely packed heads of people around us.

In addition, at least half of the peasant army were malnourished and suffered from night blindness. Therefore, at this time, they could not see anything and could only follow the peasant army in front of them to continue to advance!

This fear of the unknown is the most deadly!
Normally, the peasant army should have set up camp by this time, and any issues should be discussed during the day.

At this time, the Ming army was closely following behind, and there were unknown how many more ambushes were ahead, so Li Zicheng dared not order the camp to be set up!

Now all he wants is to escape back to the Qinling Mountains and find another way out!
Therefore, Li Zicheng did not hesitate at all and continued to lead his army forward.

But by this time, most people were too exhausted to walk, and even the warhorses were panting heavily, as if they were about to collapse at any moment.

The situation on the peasant army's side is clearly not optimistic!

At this point, some people might ask: Since there were pursuers behind and ambushes in front, why not break through to either side?

Surely there are no pursuers on either side?
In fact, Li Zicheng was certainly not stupid. The reason he did not do so was very simple: both sides of them were towering mountains.

On one side is the Qinling Mountains, and on the other side is the Daba Mountains.

These two mountains act like two natural barriers, tightly sandwiching them in the middle.

Moreover, unlike the route they took to get here, there were no viable mountain paths on either side; it was all pristine, untouched forest.

The area is filled with towering trees, dense thorns, and treacherous snakes and wild beasts. It's not easy for even a single person to climb the mountain, let alone a large army.

So at this moment, they can only move forward or backward; there is no other way!

Just then, another general rushed in to report:
"Chuang Wang, this is no good! The brothers are too tired to walk any further. Let's order a rest!"

Upon hearing this, Li Zicheng felt a surge of helplessness and anger.

But he knew he couldn't push them too hard at this point, or the soldiers would completely break down.

Therefore, Li Zicheng ultimately issued the following order:
"Let's take a break! Also, distribute all the remaining rations to the brothers, and we'll continue after they've eaten and drunk their fill."

Having reached this point, Li Zicheng could no longer afford to conserve food; after all, what use was food when his life was hanging by a thread?

How can we face the Ming army if we don't feed these people?
In an instant, the peasant soldiers began to gather together, chewing on their dry rations and drinking water, some staring blankly at the pitch-black night.

At this moment, their previous ambitions had been completely shattered, and they dared not think about being ennobled or becoming prime ministers, or about changing dynasties.

Right now, all they want is to survive!
On the other side, Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong sat together eating dry rations. They chewed their food silently, and no one spoke.

Everyone had blank expressions and empty eyes, completely clueless about what to do next.

At this moment, even Li Zicheng's most loyal generals began to consider surrendering.

After all, they were no match for the Ming army, and continuing the fight would only result in their complete annihilation.

However, no one dared to say these words, because it would undoubtedly touch Li Zicheng's sore spot. Li Zicheng would never allow anyone to betray him!

Just then, Li Zicheng suddenly spoke:

"Alright, everyone, don't be so discouraged! It's not like we haven't lost before when we fought against the Ming army."

"Even if only a dozen or so people are left, can't we still make a comeback? As long as we can escape, we still have a chance!"

At this point, Li Zicheng paused suddenly, then continued:
"Besides, you are all my brothers, Li Zicheng, who have fought alongside me for many years, so I am not willing to force you. If you really want to surrender, you can leave now, and I will definitely not make things difficult for you."

As Li Zicheng spoke, he scanned the crowd by the dim firelight, seemingly trying to discern their thoughts.

However, faced with such a life-or-death question, who would dare to step forward and agree directly?
After all, if he were to stand up and say he wanted to surrender to the court at this time, it would undoubtedly be the greatest betrayal of Li Zicheng, and it would be strange if Li Zicheng didn't kill him!

This probing intent is all too obvious!
Moreover, at this time, Li Zicheng changed his way of addressing himself. He used to refer to himself as "this king," but now he has changed it to "I." This is enough to prove that Li Zicheng is extremely sensitive!

Therefore, upon hearing this, everyone immediately said:

"King Chuang, what are you saying! We are all loyal to you, and we will never surrender, even if we die in battle!"

"That's right! Only cowards surrender! We must fight the imperial court to the very end!"

Hearing these words from the crowd, Li Zicheng nodded in satisfaction, a relieved smile appearing on his face.

Then, as if remembering something, he turned to look at Zhang Xianzhong standing to the side.

However, by this time Zhang Xianzhong had completely lost hope of surviving. His expression was blank and his eyes were vacant, as if he had not understood what Li Zicheng had said earlier.

Upon seeing this, Li Zicheng was immediately enraged.

While it's true that the current situation arose because he didn't listen to Zhang Xianzhong, what's with Zhang Xianzhong's current demeanor? It's seriously affecting morale!

But at this moment, Li Zicheng had no time to argue with Zhang Xianzhong about these trivial matters, and he certainly couldn't just kill him!

Because some of the remaining peasant soldiers were Zhang Xianzhong's former subordinates, killing Zhang Xianzhong at this time would undoubtedly force them to rebel.

The peasant army nowadays simply cannot withstand this kind of turmoil!
About fifteen minutes later, Li Zicheng once again ordered the army to set off and continue forward!

After all, he didn't want to delay any longer; if he did, he would have no chance at all once the 200,000 Ming troops surrounded him.

Meanwhile, the peasant army lit torches and continued their advance by the faint light of the flames.

Even so, after traveling several miles, the army's speed gradually slowed down.

Many peasant soldiers felt weak in the legs and dizzy, unable to walk, and could only lie on the ground while other peasant soldiers trampled on them.

The result is that more and more people are falling ill, their fate unknown!
Faced with this situation, Li Zicheng had no choice but to abandon these people and lead the rest of his men forward.

Meanwhile, Zuo Liangyu, who was lying in ambush several miles away, was already impatiently waiting.

Since Li Zicheng's army left, Zuo Liangyu had been thinking about when Li Zicheng would escape back, and he kept sending scouts to the front to find out the situation and keep a close eye on Li Zicheng's movements.

And just now, he finally received good news!
That means Li Zicheng finally escaped back with his remaining troops! And their numbers were less than 100,000!

Upon receiving this news, Zuo Liangyu was overjoyed and immediately ordered his army to prepare for an attack!

After all, he had waited far too long for this day.

His high-ranking official position, generous salary, and noble titles all depend on this battle!

Therefore, he must go all out and cannot afford any mistakes!
Night fell like a huge black ribbon, heavily enveloping the vast plain.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, with only the occasional chirping of insects, which sounded particularly jarring in the silence, as if they were the only remaining signs of life in this dark world.

Suddenly, the silence was broken by the crisp and loud sound of horses' hooves. The sound came from afar, echoing in the dark night sky, and was galloping rapidly toward them.

Zuo Liangyu stared intently in the direction from which the sound of horses' hooves came, his expression remaining largely unchanged.

He knew without even looking that these were the scouts he had sent out to gather information who had returned.

After all, he had already carefully deployed a large number of troops around this area and set up layers of defenses. If it weren't for his own people, it would be impossible for them to break through the defenses and get here.

Sure enough, a short while later, a scout dressed in black and riding a black warhorse appeared before him like a ghost.

The scout was covered in dust, with fine beads of sweat on his forehead, clearly having galloped all the way here.

Before the other party could bow, Zuo Liangyu hurriedly said:

"Alright, no need for formalities, get straight to the point!"

The scout paused for a moment upon seeing this, but quickly recovered and hurriedly said:
"Reporting to the general, we have spotted traces of the rebels five miles ahead, and they are heading this way!"

finally come!

"Hahahaha"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liangyu immediately raised his head and let out a hearty and unrestrained laugh, which echoed in the silent night sky as if proclaiming the impending victory.

A moment later, Zuo Liangyu quickly suppressed his smile, his expression instantly becoming serious and cold. Then he abruptly turned his head and loudly addressed the soldiers beside him:

"Listen up, all of you! The moment the thieves show up, give them a good beating! Don't hold back your bullets!"

"This battle is the last one to wipe out the peasant army. If you don't achieve merit this time, you'll have no hope of ever achieving merit in your lives!"

"You all need to give it your all!"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers behind him immediately perked up, their eyes gleaming with excitement and anticipation, and hurriedly replied in unison:

"As ordered!"

Because Zuo Liangyu was the last line of defense in this battle, Zhu Cilang allocated 20,000 flintlock muskets to Zuo Liangyu's troops.

With the training over the past few days, Zuo Liangyu's men have become proficient in using the shrapnel gun.

Therefore, Zuo Liangyu believed that he would definitely catch Li Zicheng off guard this time and make him never return!
Upon hearing these words, the adjutant beside him frowned with worry. He hesitated for a moment, but finally mustered his courage and said:
"General, isn't this a bit inappropriate? Didn't His Highness the Crown Prince say before that the main approach this time would be to persuade them to surrender?"

"If we kill all the peasant soldiers, wouldn't we be going against His Highness the Crown Prince's orders? In that case, we might not only fail to achieve anything, but also be guilty!"

Upon hearing this, Zuo Liangyu immediately glared at the adjutant and said irritably:

"Are you stupid?! When did I, the general, say I was going to kill all the peasant soldiers?"

"This time, the main focus is still on persuasion to surrender, but even if we want to persuade them to surrender, we have to wait until we defeat them. Otherwise, if these 100,000 people come charging in the dark, do you think I'll be the one to persuade them to surrender? Are you stupid?"

Upon hearing this, the lieutenant scratched his head awkwardly, a look of embarrassment on his face.

Because he knew that Zuo Liangyu was right.

The darkness right now is perfect for an ambush. Trying to persuade them to surrender now would only make them more wary and might even affect our plans.

Furthermore, only those who are willing to surrender are the people of the Ming Dynasty. Those who resist stubbornly and refuse to surrender are all rebels. There is no need to be polite to rebels; they should be killed if they deserve to be killed!

Thus, Zuo Liangyu's army began to prepare for the upcoming war with utmost vigilance!
The soldiers at the forefront gripped their flintlock pistols tightly, their eyes fixed warily ahead, ready to strike at any moment!
Time ticked by, and a tense atmosphere filled the air, as if a storm was about to break.

Before long, torches appeared ahead, scattered like stars across the plain opposite.

As they drew closer, the torches became more numerous and brighter, clearly indicating that this was Li Zicheng's army!

(End of this chapter)