weaving

The rebel army.

Even Li Zicheng, the rebel leader.

And Niu Jinxing, the teacher and friend of the rebel leader.

Also included was Song Xianze, whom the rebel army and the rebel king regarded as a strategist.

They were all focused on the upcoming general offensive, hoping to crush the enemy in front of them in one fell swoop—the Brave and Resolute Army!

No one realized that a crisis was unfolding silently...

…………

The atmosphere in the rebel army camp was slightly tense.

Many leaders, both large and small, had already learned through their own channels that a general offensive against the government troops was to be launched the next day.

They were either huddled together whispering amongst themselves or secretly encouraging their brothers in the camp, hoping to fight bravely and achieve military merit in tomorrow's great battle.

The cooks were the busiest of all.

They were the first to receive military orders to improve the food for tonight, ensuring that all soldiers ate well, not only smelling the fishy aroma but also eating meat.

Although no one knew why this was happening, everyone had a vague feeling that a major battle was bound to take place tomorrow.

Most of Li Zicheng's 30,000 cavalry were resting in their camps, leaving only 10,000 cavalrymen stationed on the front lines. As the main force of the entire army, they naturally received the news before others.

"Hey Li Laogua, you cowardly bet, are you still keeping your word?"

Li Laogua was wiping the sweat from his warhorse. He threw the rag in his hand into the wooden bucket, glanced up at the burly man leaning against the stable pillar, and sneered, "How can it not count?"

The burly man remained leaning against the pillar, glancing sideways at Li Laogua, and chuckled, "We've reached an agreement: only the left ear, and it has to be fresh."

Li Laogua's lips curled up as he carried the wooden bucket out of the stable, turning back to say, "He Erhanzi, stop dawdling here. Go back to your tent and sharpen your big knife properly, or someone will complain tomorrow that it's dull and can't cut anything."

"Hahaha……"

Hearing the mockery in Li Laogua's laughter, He Erhanzi watched his departing figure, spat fiercely, and cursed angrily, "You Li Laogua, just wait until tomorrow I'll show you what's what, I'll make you spit out ten taels of silver!"

The entire rebel army camp was filled with a tense and busy atmosphere.

The cooks were busy lighting fires and preparing meals.

The foot soldiers were whispering nervously.

The cavalry were the most relaxed. They were organizing their equipment and weapons, tending to their warhorses, and exchanging jokes. Some of them were even making bets in secret.

No one could have imagined that the government troops on the other side, numbering less than 20,000, would take the initiative to attack their army of over 100,000.

…………

On the front lines, the rebel army continued to urge new waves of starving civilians to charge into battle.

Although the group of starving civilians had just been driven back by the government troops, they didn't notice anything amiss, since this had already happened nearly ten times today. "General, something feels off!" Xin Sizhong asked, shading his forehead with one hand as he gazed at the battlefield ahead.

Yuan Zongdi certainly saw the government troops take the initiative to attack, but this was not the first time such a scene had been staged even today, so he did not take it too seriously.

"This Zhang Cheng is very cunning; he knows how to force the starving prisoners to shout and persuade them to surrender." His focus is different from others; he is good at discovering new things.

“The starving people can’t be relied on after all. In my opinion, if we continue fighting like this, it won’t end well,” Liu Rukui said, shaking his head.

Liu Tichun smiled and said, "The Grand Marshal never expected the starving people to achieve any results; he only wanted to use them to exhaust the officers and soldiers."

He then looked at Yuan Zongdi and said, "Hanju, you know that these starving people have been hungry for many days. The soldiers only give them a little food. They would probably give up even their mothers."

"Dejie, you've met Zhang Cheng. What do you think of him?"

Faced with Yuan Zongdi's questioning, Liu Tichun blushed. How could he face Yuan Zongdi with such embarrassment in front of so many people?

However, Liu Tichun knew that he had no ulterior motives, so he blushed and replied, "Zhang Cheng is not like other government generals. He is open-minded, his generals are extremely loyal and obedient, and his soldiers are brave and fierce. I'm sure Han Ju has heard about these things."

"Ah."

Yuan Zongdi continued, "Just as Dejie said, if it were any other government troops, with only 20,000 men against our more than 100,000, they would have probably run away long ago."

He fixed his eyes on Liu Tichun and said, "This shows that Zhang Cheng is indeed not simple!"

"So what?" Ren Jirong seemed unconvinced: "The five of us are taking on one of him, what are we afraid of?"

“That’s right.” Li Michang chimed in, “Even if he were made of iron, how many nails could he drive in?”

"Damn it, if you ask me, we'll just rush over there. When have our three walls ever been any less formidable?" Ma Shiyao also seemed unconcerned.

Yuan Zongdi glared coldly at them and said in a deep voice, "What nonsense are you spreading? We just follow the Grand Marshal's orders. What right do you have to spout nonsense?"

Hearing Yuan Zongdi's words, which seemed to provoke anger, and seeing his unfriendly expression, the group stuck out their tongues and fell silent.

“You are all veterans who have served the Grand Marshal, and now you have all become leaders and generals. You should know the Grand Marshal’s temperament and the severity of the military regulations for our camp. How can you talk nonsense like this!”

Seeing that they had stopped talking nonsense, Yuan Zongdi returned to his original state and said in a deep voice: "Since our 'Chuang Camp' entered Henan, we have fought all the way and have never been defeated. Our reputation has spread far and wide. No one in the world does not know the name of our 'Chuang Camp' and no one does not respect our 'Chuang Camp'. People all fear the name of the Grand Marshal and come from all directions to submit. This is a sign of changing the world."

This battle is truly a crucial one for my "Breakthrough Camp". If we win this battle again, not to mention the mere Henan, it will be difficult to find a single government army in the entire Ming Dynasty that dares to block the advance of my "Breakthrough Camp". At that time, we will establish officials to govern the people, send troops out in all directions, and conquer the world..."

Finally, gazing northward at the battlefield shrouded in smoke and dust, he proclaimed in a loud voice: "When the Grand Marshal sits facing south and ascends the throne as Emperor, you will all be among the founding heroes. Being ennobled and appointed as generals will be a given, and you will be remembered in history, bringing glory to your ancestors and blessings to your descendants!"

Upon hearing his words, everyone was incredibly excited. They were itching to rush into the battlefield and defeat the opposing government troops.

"I told you, following the Grand Marshal is definitely the right thing to do," Xin Sizhong said happily.

Suddenly, Liu Tichun raised his arm sharply, pointing slightly tremblingly at the battlefield to the north, and asked in a trembling voice, "What's that?"

Seeing this, the others turned to look at the battlefield. The battlefield, which had been filled with billowing dust, was now thick with gunpowder smoke. Listening closely, they could faintly hear the sounds of explosions coming from the battlefield… (End of Chapter)