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

Chapter 162 Huang Taiji: It seems Chongzhen is determined to fight me to the death!
If he had just come into this world, Zhu Cilang would definitely hate Wu Sangui to the core, and might even kill him directly.

but now.
Not anymore!
Because his mentality has changed long ago, he will not punish or blame anyone for things that have not happened.

Moreover, whether from the original history or from Hong Chengchou's battle report, Wu Sangui is now a fierce general!
According to last year's battle report, on May 18, the 13th year of Chongzhen, the Ming army encountered the Jiannu led by Dorgon in the Jiama Mountain area near Xingshan, and a fierce battle broke out.

Wu Sangui demonstrated extraordinary fighting skills in this battle. He fought bravely and engaged in a desperate struggle with the Jiannu led by Dorgon.

In the end, both sides suffered casualties.

In July, Wu Sangui repelled the Jiannu several times in the Songshan and Xingshan areas.

In addition, Wu Sangui led death-defying soldiers many times to break through the encirclement of the Jiannu and transport food and grass to Jinzhou, making him a truly fierce general.

For this reason, Zhu Cilang has made Wu Sangui a key focus!
During the subsequent meeting, Chongzhen only said words of praise and encouragement.

He praised the generals for their bravery and fighting skills, and for their great contributions to defending the Ming Dynasty's borders.

He also praised the civil servants for their diligence and good governance.

In a nutshell:

You are all heroes of the Ming Dynasty!
All of this was specifically instructed by Zhu Cilang beforehand.

Because he knew that the local civil officials and military generals in Liaodong had some problems to a greater or lesser extent, but at the critical moment when the war was about to begin, these minor problems could be temporarily ignored.

After all, the upcoming war is the most important thing at the moment!

Even if something really happens, we can wait until after the war to deal with it.

After meeting and comforting everyone here, Zhu Cilang immediately started a new operation.

He personally led a team of personal soldiers and quickly climbed the Ningyuan city wall with a hot air balloon.

At this time, the Ningyuan city wall, having gone through the baptism of time and war, appears thick and vicissitudes of life.

Zhu Cilang stood on the city wall, staring into the distance in a daze.

After a moment, he waved his hand.

"let's start!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several bodyguards began to assemble the hot air balloon.

After the assembly was completed, someone climbed into the bamboo basket, fixed the rope, and lit the kerosene.

As the sphere began to grow gradually, the hot air balloon finally slowly rose into the air.

After determining the height, further reinforce the ropes below, and the hot air balloon is completely completed!

The hot air balloons brought this time are all specially made, and the spheres are bright yellow. This color is as dazzling as a golden flame under the reflection of the sunlight.

It is carefully painted with a giant green dragon that is dozens of meters long. The dragon is lifelike, with its body winding and circling, and its scales seem to be shining with metallic luster. Every detail shows the wonder of craftsmanship.

As the hot air balloon slowly rose into the sky, the giant dragon seemed to break free from its restraints and soared freely in the air with extraordinary momentum!
At the same time as the hot air balloon was rising here, an identical hot air balloon was also slowly rising on the city wall on the other side!
Two hot air balloons echoing each other!
It turned out that Zhu Cilang brought dozens of hot air balloons with him when he came to Liaodong this time.

Moreover, when he passed through Shanhaiguan earlier, he left behind two hot air balloons and arranged a group of people who were proficient in hot air balloon operation.

According to his original plan, hot air balloons should be deployed at every important checkpoint in Liaodong, including several garrisons along the way!
Today, from Shanhaiguan to Ningyuan, a unique air defense line has taken shape.

Zhu Cilang also planned to further promote this matter by deploying hot air balloons at several strategic locations such as Songshan, Tashan, and Xingshan to build a more rigorous defense system.

However, up to now, the Jiannu troops have been active in these places, and the situation is complicated.

In desperation, he had to put the plan on hold for the time being.

But it doesn’t matter. It’s not too late to make arrangements after defeating the Jiannu!

Looking at the two green dragons in the sky, Zhu Cilang couldn't help but smile.

Because if he guessed correctly, Jiannu must have seen the hot air balloon by now.

I guess they must be stunned, right?

Zhu Cilang had no idea whether the Jiannu were stunned or not.

But as the hot air balloon rose, everyone inside and outside Ningyuan City was deeply shocked.

It was noon at this time, the sun was high in the sky, and the bright yellow hot air balloon was almost transparent under the strong sunlight, as if it had merged with the sky.

Only the giant dragon, tens of meters long, was dancing nimbly in the air, like a dream.

This scene was like a myth descending upon the earth, instantly plunging the soldiers and civilians present into extreme shock.

Many people stared with their eyes wide open, unable to believe what they saw, as if time had frozen at that moment.

Immediately afterwards, a feeling of awe for the unknown power arose spontaneously!

Many people in the crowd involuntarily knelt on the ground with a plop, kowtowed devoutly to the two giant dragons in the sky, and muttered to themselves, as if praying for the protection of the dragons.

Some even directly linked these two dragons to Chongzhen and Zhu Cilang, father and son.

After all, they had just learned that the emperor and the prince had led the army in person.

As soon as the emperor and the prince arrived, two giant dragons appeared in the sky. Doesn’t this mean that the emperor and the prince are both divine dragons descended to the earth?

At the same time, Hong Chengchou and other local officials were stunned by the sudden scene.

Because they were close to the hot air balloon, they could see it clearly and knew that it was not the legendary dragon appearing, but a huge sphere flying in the air.

It is only because of the dragon pattern on the sphere and the special sunlight that the fantasy scene of a dragon flying in the sky is created.

But even though they understood the reason, this scene still brought them unparalleled shock.

Because they had never thought that such a huge thing could fly into the sky.

And under this sphere, there was actually a person sitting in a bamboo basket, who seemed to be holding something and observing everything around him.

This discovery made Hong Chengchou and others realize instantly that this seemingly strange thing actually has huge military uses. It can be used to scout the enemy situation, and its reconnaissance range is beyond imagination!
This will undoubtedly bring immeasurable changes to the situation on the battlefield!

At least in the future when they fight with the enemy, they can use this thing to grasp the enemy's every move!
When they thought of this, the eyes of Hong Chengchou and others instantly became eager.

At the same time, the Jiannu army, which was dozens of kilometers away from Ningyuan City, soon noticed the presence of the hot air balloon.

Although the distance was far, from their perspective, two giant dragons were hovering in the sky above Ningyuan City!

These two giant dragons are flying majestically in the air. Looking from afar, it is simply shocking to the extreme!
This unprecedented strange sight caused great visual impact and psychological shock to the Jiannu people.

They looked at each other, their eyes filled with fear and confusion, not understanding what was going on.

But soon, someone reacted and turned their horses around and headed towards Huang Taiji.

Although we still don’t understand what is going on, we must let Huang Taiji know what is happening here as soon as possible!
Not long after, Huang Taiji, who had just finished drinking the medicine and was resting with his eyes closed, heard the news.

"What did you say? Two giant dragons appeared in the sky above Ningyuan City?"

When Huang Taiji heard this, his originally calm face instantly twisted, and a hint of anger and suspicion flashed in his eyes.

He immediately wanted to give an order to kill the soldier who came to report!

In his opinion, such remarks were simply misleading and could easily cause chaos in the army!

After all, dragons only exist in legends. How could they appear out of thin air above Ningyuan City?

Isn't this just treating him like a fool?
But at this moment, Daishan walked into the tent in a panic and shouted:

"Your Majesty, something bad has happened! Spies have reported that two giant dragons appeared above Ningyuan City!"

Huang Taiji was speechless!
Not
Are you fucking serious?

But soon, Huang Taiji realized that something was wrong!
Because Daishan has always been steady and never speaks nonsense, but to say that this is true is really hard to believe.

After all, the dragon is just a fictional totem. Although the Qing Dynasty also has a dragon flag, everyone knows that it is just symbolic.

How could a fictional thing suddenly appear above Ningyuan?

Huang Taiji's heart was filled with doubts and anxieties, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

Right at this moment, Yue Tuo suddenly walked into the tent with a serious face, followed by a nervous-looking man.

Huang Taiji saw this and asked in a slightly irritated tone without waiting for Yuetuo to speak:

"Are you also going to tell me that two giant dragons appeared above Ningyuan City?"

Yue Tuo's expression darkened, and he did not respond to this topic. Instead, he said in a heavy tone:
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened! Emperor Chongzhen of the Ming Dynasty has arrived and is in Ningyuan right now!"

what?
what?
what?
Upon hearing this, the other people in the tent were instantly shocked and stood still, as if they were under a spell.

Huang Taiji was so shocked that he stood up from his seat, his eyes wide open, his face full of disbelief, as if he had heard a fairy tale!
No matter how much he planned, he never expected that Chongzhen would actually come to Liaodong!
Upon seeing this, Yue Tuo looked directly at the person behind him and said:
"Tell your majesty what you saw before!"

The man hurriedly stood up in fear and trepidation, and knelt before Huang Taiji with a plop. He first introduced himself tremblingly:

"Your Majesty, I am a lieutenant general under Lord Beile, and I am a Han Chinese."

Huang Taiji's mind was full of Chongzhen's arrival in Liaodong at the moment. He was extremely anxious and interrupted him impatiently before he could finish his words:

"Tell the important point!"

The man was so frightened that he trembled all over and said hurriedly:

"I was ordered to carry out a reconnaissance mission not far from Ningyuan before, so I saw it clearly. It was not a giant dragon at all, but a flying sphere!"

"Two giant dragons are painted on the sphere, so from a distance, it looks like two dragons dancing in the sky!" "And the dragon pattern is very similar to the one on the dragon banner!"

"According to regulations, only the emperor is qualified to use this pattern. Even Hong Chengchou would never dare to overstep his bounds."

"Therefore, I can almost conclude that it must be the emperor of the Ming Dynasty who has arrived."

When he said this, the Han man felt a little scared.

Because he never expected that Chongzhen would come to Liaodong in person, this sudden change made him feel frightened.

However, since he had surrendered to the Qing army, he could only continue to serve the Qing army.

Therefore, when he saw the hot air balloon with dragon patterns, he realized with his keen intuition that Chongzhen had come to Liaodong, and hurriedly reported the matter to Yuetuo.

When Yue Tuo learned about this, he was also shocked to the extreme.

He knew that this matter was of great importance and did not dare to slack off in the slightest, so he hurried to inform Huang Taiji.

After all, the one coming is the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, and the emperor will definitely not travel alone. He may bring tens of thousands of elite soldiers with him!
This is undoubtedly a huge threat to them!

Huang Taiji finally came to his senses at this time, and his brows were tightly furrowed into the shape of a "川" character.

As an emperor himself, he knew very well that Chongzhen's arrival would completely change the current battlefield situation, making the already complicated situation even more confusing and full of variables!

Then, Huang Taiji looked around at everyone and asked solemnly:

"What should we do next? Everyone, tell me what you think. Even if you are wrong, I won't blame you!"

Daishan knew that the current situation was extremely critical, like a matter of life and death. Combined with the two previous experiences of dividing troops, he keenly realized that all this was most likely a conspiracy carefully planned by the Ming Dynasty.

The purpose was to force them to divide their troops and thus weaken their strength in Liaodong.

Now, there are not many troops left in Liaodong, and the emperor of the Ming army suddenly led the army here in person, which undoubtedly means that the Ming army must have at least tens of thousands more troops!
And without exception, they are all elite!

As one side gains strength while the other loses, this battle becomes increasingly difficult to fight.

Daishan thought that retreat might be the safest option at the moment.

But when the words were on the tip of his tongue, he looked at Huang Taiji's gloomy face and didn't dare to say it out loud.

Yue Tuo was also nervous and did not dare to speak easily because he was well aware of the complexity of the situation.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the tent was so oppressive that it made people breathless.

Huang Taiji saw that no one spoke, and a sneer appeared on his face. He said:
"It seems Chongzhen is determined to fight me to the death! If so, let's give it a try! Let's see who will have the last laugh!"

Huang Taiji knew that Chongzhen came with the determination to fight to the death. He also knew that from a military point of view, retreating at this time might be a wise choice.

In this way, we can preserve our strength and avoid unnecessary losses.

But he can't retreat!

Because once he chooses to retreat, he, the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty, will become a laughing stock of the world!

Chongzhen was the emperor, and he was also the emperor. How could he lose to the other in momentum?

He retreated as soon as Chongzhen came. Doesn't this mean that he is not as good as Chongzhen?
If this were to happen, the prestige that the Qing Dynasty had worked so hard to establish would be lost!
So in the end, Huang Taiji made up his mind that he had to fight this battle no matter what!

Isn’t it just a difference in military strength?

What does this matter to the brave and fearless warriors of the Qing Dynasty?
They have always been known for their bravery and fighting skills. How could they be afraid of the mere Ming army?
After hearing what Huang Taiji said, Daishan and Yuetuo looked at each other. They saw helplessness in each other's eyes, but they didn't dare to say anything more.

Immediately afterwards, Huang Taiji decisively ordered the entire army to prepare for defense!
Relying on his years of military experience and his judgment of the situation, he concluded that Chongzhen would definitely take the initiative to attack!

After all, if he were Chongzhen, when he had a certain advantage, he would also choose to take the initiative to attack in order to achieve a quick victory and break the current deadlock!

In this way, as the military order was passed down, the Jiannu army began to gather and retreat quickly to meet the attack that the Ming army might launch at any time.

The scene returns to Ningyuan City.

That afternoon, Hong Chengchou spread the news that the emperor was going to distribute reward silver to every military camp in Liaodong as quickly as possible.

When the soldiers heard the news, it was as if a huge rock was thrown into a calm lake, and it suddenly exploded.

Cheers and shouts of joy rang out one after another.

They were all in high spirits and their excitement was beyond words.

Because the amount of reward silver distributed this time is extremely considerable, it is equivalent to their military salary for several months!

Moreover, what is completely different from the past is that this time there are no more disgusting layers of deductions and exploitation. What is placed before them is real, pure silver!
After all, this time the distribution was supervised personally by the emperor and the crown prince. Who would dare to tamper with it in front of the emperor and the crown prince?
Isn't this asking for death?

Of course, the happiest people are probably the military households in Liaodong!
You should know that the military households in the Ming Dynasty never received military pay. They farmed in their spare time and served as soldiers during wartime. They lived on farming and some food supplies distributed every month.

Their lives were already hard, and with the restrictions imposed on them by the court and the exploitation by their superiors, they lived even more miserably than ordinary people.

For this reason, most of the local military households in Liaodong fled, and many of them directly defected to the Jiannu and became part of the Jiannu's Eight Banners.

There is no other way. Being a soldier means you don’t get paid but still risk your life. Who the hell would be willing to do that?
That is, Hong Chengchou had previously checked the local military fields, and then issued a notice to return the military fields to the military households, and stated that all previous debts would be written off, which attracted many military households to come back.

Who could have imagined the result?

I originally thought I was coming back to fight, but the emperor wanted to give money before the war even started!

And each military household still gets five taels of silver!

You know, they can't earn that much money in a year.

Who wouldn’t be excited?

Chongzhen's order really made the soldiers feel the care and attention of the court and the emperor.

A deep feeling of gratitude welled up in my heart!

You see, the court and the emperor still care about us.
Early the next morning, before it was completely light and a hint of paleness appeared in the sky, Zhu Cilang and Chongzhen arrived at the Ningyuan training ground early.

The training ground at this time was quiet and solemn, with hundreds of large boxes neatly arranged there, filled with silver.

Under the shining of the rising sun, the silver sparkled with dazzling light, as if countless bright stars were falling on the earth.

The silver will be distributed by the Jingjun Army, and Zhu Cilang and Chongzhen only need to sit on a high platform nearby to ensure that every soldier can clearly see them when receiving the silver.

As time passed and the sky gradually brightened, the first group of soldiers gathered towards the training ground from all directions.

They walked hurriedly, their eyes gleaming with excitement and anticipation.

When they saw the mountains of silver in front of them and the emperor and prince standing high above them, the excitement in their hearts was beyond words.

They are just ordinary soldiers who fight on the battlefield, living in the open air and unable to breathe. They may die at any time, and even after they die, no one may know their names.

As a result, the emperor and the prince actually personally distributed the reward money to them. This was something they had never dared to dream of, and it made them feel extremely honored and proud.

At this moment, Hong Chengchou suddenly walked up to Chongzhen and said with a bow:

"Your Majesty, the first batch of soldiers has arrived!"

Chongzhen nodded when he heard this, and then waved his hand.

"let's start!"

The next moment, names began to be called one by one.

"Wang San!"

"Li Fu!"

"Zhang Dayong!"

The soldiers whose names were called came forward in an orderly manner to receive their reward with excitement.

When they took the heavy silver from Jingjun's hands, it seemed as if all their fatigue and hardships disappeared, and their faces were filled with happy and satisfied smiles.

Then when they looked up, they saw the emperor and the prince who were high above them, smiling at them.

In an instant, the soldiers felt their emotions surging, and their hearts seemed to jump out of their chests with excitement!
Mother!

In this life, I can actually meet the emperor and the prince, and receive the reward from the emperor and the prince. My life is really worth it!

After receiving the reward, the soldiers were preparing to leave.

But at this moment, Jinyiwei stopped them and pointed in another direction and said:
"There's a sumptuous feast of wine and meat prepared for everyone nearby. You may want to eat before leaving."

After hearing this, the soldiers' eyes flashed with surprise and they couldn't wait to walk towards the designated location.

When I got there and took a look, wow!
There were dozens of huge iron pots on the ground, each filled with mutton, beef, white rice, and various stews. The rich aroma filled the air, making people salivate!
There are even jars of fine wine placed next to it!

All of this was specially prepared by Zhu Cilang.

As for the source of this meat, it certainly could not have been brought directly from the capital, but was purchased by Zhu Cilang in the system store.

The purpose is to allow every soldier to enjoy a sumptuous meal after receiving the reward!

You have to know that what these soldiers eat on weekdays is extremely poor. It is either porridge made of rice mixed with millet, some wild vegetables and salt, or dry rice with some pickles.

If they are short of food and fodder, they will still eat grass roots and tree bark.

When had they ever seen such a sumptuous feast?
At that moment, the soldiers rushed forward, eager to have a good meal.

(End of this chapter)