novelRona Chapter 1456 Notifying Zhou Dexing!
Chapter 1456 Notifying Zhou Dexing!
"You—" Zhu Yuanzhang's voice suddenly became hoarse, "You knew all along that you were different from others?" Zhu Qi nodded, and the system notification sounded at the opportune moment: "Favorability rating restored to 80%, new function unlocked—Historical Figures' Memories Peeping."
“Fourth Brother.” Zhu Qiwu stepped forward. “I dreamt of the future.” He pointed to the city walls of Yingtian Prefecture outside the window. “Ten years from now, this place will become the capital of the Ming Dynasty.” Zhu Yuanzhang’s pupils suddenly contracted, and the military report in his hand fluttered to the ground.
"You—" He suddenly grabbed Zhu Qiwu's wrist, the force almost crushing his bones, "What else did you dream about?" Zhu Qiwu gritted his teeth, the "Historical Trajectory Correction Value" on the system panel jumping wildly: "I dreamed you ascended the throne and became emperor, I dreamed..."
"Your Highness!" Xu Da suddenly burst in, his armor still covered in morning dew. "Chen Youliang has sent an envoy to sue for peace!" Zhu Yuanzhang abruptly released his grip, and Zhu Qiwu staggered backward, his back slamming against the carved window frame.
"Seek peace?" Zhu Yuanzhang sneered, his fingertips tracing the cold barrel of the three-barreled cannon. "Bring him in." When the envoy was brought in, Zhu Qiwu noticed the jade pendant at his waist engraved with the character "Han"—Chen Youliang's personal token.
"My lord wishes to forge an eternal alliance with the King of Wu," the envoy said, kneeling and kowtowing, "and presents ten thousand taels of gold and a hundred beautiful women."
"Bang!" Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly slammed the three-barreled gun in front of the envoy. "Go back and tell Chen Youliang, if you want to fight, then fight; if you want to surrender, then surrender!" Sparks flew as the gun barrel struck the blue brick floor, and the envoy trembled like a leaf.
Zhu Qiwu bent down to pick up the three-barreled gun, suddenly noticing a corner of parchment peeking out from the envoy's sleeve. His finger twitched slightly, and a system panel popped up a notification: "Use memory spying function? Consumes 500 points."
“Use it.” Zhu Qiwu murmured to himself. In an instant, memories flooded back—Chen Youliang pacing back and forth in the flagship’s secret chamber, a map of Yingtian Prefecture hanging on the wall, and fragments of gunpowder formulas on the table.
"Fourth Brother!" Zhu Qiwu suddenly spoke up, "Chen Youliang is secretly developing firearms!" He pulled the parchment from the envoy's sleeve, "This is the list of secret envoys he sent to Goryeo!" Zhu Yuanzhang took the paper, his face so gloomy it could drip water.
"Xu Da!" He suddenly turned around. "Gather the troops, and we'll set off immediately!" Xu Da accepted the order and left. Zhu Yuanzhang then looked at Zhu Qiwu: "You will come with me."
Three days later, at the Longjiang ferry crossing. Zhu Qiwu stood at the bow of his flagship, gazing at the endless camps stretching across the river. Chen Youliang's warships were arrayed in an impenetrable formation on the river, their banners obscuring the sky.
"Your Highness!" Liao Yongzhong rushed over. "A scout reports that Chen Youliang has planted gunpowder in the camp!" Zhu Qiwu's heart skipped a beat. A system notification suddenly sounded: "A deadly crisis detected. Emergency mission triggered—Gunpowder Crisis. Completing the mission will unlock anti-explosion technology."
"Fourth Brother!" Zhu Qiwu burst into the central command tent. "Chen Youliang is going to detonate gunpowder in the camp!" Zhu Yuanzhang, who was discussing matters with his generals, suddenly stood up upon hearing this: "Are you sure?"
“Absolutely true!” Zhu Qiwu spread out the camp layout map displayed by the system on the table. “The location where he buried the gunpowder is…” Before he finished speaking, a deafening explosion suddenly came from the opposite bank of the river.
Boom! Amidst the towering flames, a mushroom cloud rose from Chen Youliang's camp. Zhu Qiwu was thrown back by the blast wave, his system panel flashing wildly: "Emergency mission completed! Reward: Explosion-proof Technology (Basic). Historical trajectory severely deviated."
"Protect His Highness!" Xu Da's roar pierced through the explosion. Zhu Qiwu wiped the blood from his face and saw Zhu Yuanzhang's Chixiao sword stuck in the ground beside him, its blade reflecting his distorted face.
"Report—!" The lookout's voice trembled with tears, "Chen Youliang's warships have begun to move!" Zhu Qiwu struggled to his feet, the system notification exploding in his mind: "Historical trajectory correction value zeroed! Activate backup plan—manual intervention."
"Liao Yongzhong!" Zhu Qiwu grabbed the flagship's gunwale. "Order all warships to load them with sand and gravel and ram them into the enemy ships!" Liao Yongzhong's eyes widened: "Your Highness, what will happen?"
"Do as instructed!" Zhu Qiwu ripped off his cloak and threw it into the river. "Chain the warships together in a line and charge straight into the enemy lines!" He turned to Zhu Yuanzhang, "Fourth Brother, give me three hundred elite soldiers!"
Zhu Yuanzhang's right hand trembled, but his eyes were as firm as a rock: "Xu Da!" He grabbed the command arrow on the table, "You take three hundred personal guards and charge with Qi Wu!" As the arrow pierced the air, Zhu Qi Wu saw a glint of tears in his brother's eyes.
"If we win this battle..." Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly choked up, "Fourth brother will give you the best house in Yingtian Prefecture!" Zhu Qiwu laughed loudly, and as he mounted his horse, the system notification sounded again: "Detected deep brotherly affection, unlocking achievement—Dragon and Tiger Brothers. Reward: Physical Enhancement (Permanent)."
As the smoke from the river gradually dissipated, Zhu Qiwu stood at the bow of the ship, watching Chen Youliang's flagship sink in the sea of fire. On the system panel, the historical trajectory correction value was slowly recovering, and the explosion-proof technology blueprints were burning hot in his arms.
"Your Highness!" Liao Yongzhong ran over excitedly, "Chen Youliang has been shot by an arrow and fallen into the water!" Zhu Qiwu turned his head and looked towards Yingtian Prefecture. In the morning light, Zhu Yuanzhang's Chixiao sword gleamed coldly on the city wall.
"Send the order!" he shouted. "The entire army crosses the river! Capture Chen Youliang alive!" Amidst the sound of war drums, the system notification rang out for the last time: "Main Quest Update—Establish the Ming Dynasty. Completion Time Limit: Ten Years."
Outside Chuzhou City at the end of the Yuan Dynasty, a fierce wind whipped up yellow sand that lashed against the mottled city walls. Zhu Qiwu crouched behind an earthen slope, his fingers unconsciously stroking the fine steel dagger he had received as a system reward at his waist. The sound of rapid hoofbeats came from afar, and he squinted, seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's black battle robe fluttering in the wind.
"Seventy-five!" Xu Da's voice was filled with anxiety. "The Yuan army's vanguard of three hundred cavalry is no more than five li away!"
Tang He wiped the blood from his face; half a broken arrow still clung to his armor. "Fourth Brother said to defend the city gate to the death, but we only have two hundred men at most..."
“We can’t hold it.” Zhu Qiwu suddenly spoke, startling Zhou Dexing so much he almost dropped his spear. He pointed to the dense reeds west of the city, “The Yuan cavalry are good at fighting on plains. We’ll ambush our main force in the reeds, and leave twenty men disguised as civilians at the city gate to pretend to be fleeing.”
Zhu Yuanzhang reined in the horses, his gaze fixed intently on his younger brother, who always seemed to have a knack for unconventional tactics: "Can you guarantee you can annihilate them all?"
"Fourth Brother, do you remember Dingyuan three months ago?" Zhu Qiwu pulled out a bronze telescope, a new reward from the system, from his pocket. "Back then, I used twenty cartloads of hay to lure away the Yuan army. Didn't you say I was crazy?"
Xu Da suddenly burst into laughter, making the copper bells on his armor jingle: "Fourth Brother, let Seventh Five give it a try! That kid has more tricks up his sleeve than all of us combined!"
Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent for a moment, then suddenly dismounted and slammed his sword heavily onto Zhu Qiwu's shoulder: "If we lose, I'll cut off your head and offer it as a sacrifice to the flag!"
In the reed marshes, Zhou Dexing used his spear to part the dense reeds, revealing thirty improved repeating crossbows hidden beneath. These crossbows were made by Zhu Qiwu using the refined steel blueprints awarded by the system, and he and his craftsmen worked through three sleepless nights to complete them.
“Remember,” Zhu Qiwu squatted down and drew a simple map on the ground with a twig, “when the Yuan army comes within range, shoot the horses in the belly first. The horses will be startled and run wildly, rendering the cavalry useless.”
Tang He stroked the smooth wooden handle of the repeating crossbow, a look of delight flashing in his eyes: "This is much lighter than the powerful crossbows used in the army, yet its range is at least fifty paces greater!"
"The high-quality steel springs are a system reward," Zhu Qiwu explained quietly, "You'll find out soon enough."
The sound of horses' hooves came from afar, and Zhu Qiwu suddenly raised his palm. Twenty "commoners" were slowly walking towards the city gate carrying loads when the old man at the head suddenly slipped, and the straw at both ends of the carrying pole spilled all over the ground.
"The Han people are stupid!" The Yuan army centurion pointed his whip at the mess of hay on the ground. "Go, see if they're faking it!"
Three cavalrymen charged toward the city gate, when suddenly, dozens of burning oil barrels rolled down the city wall. Amidst the raging flames, Zhu Yuanzhang led fifty elite warriors out from both sides of the city gate, their blades flashing in the firelight, making them look like demons from hell.
"Fire!" Zhu Qiwu's roar pierced through the battle cries. Thirty repeating crossbows fired simultaneously, the crisp sound of steel arrows piercing horses' bellies echoing throughout the air. Startled warhorses reared up, throwing their riders to the ground. Xu Da led his ambush soldiers out of the reeds, their long spears forming a forest, instantly dividing and encircling the chaotic Yuan army.
"Leave them alive!" Zhu Yuanzhang held his sword to the centurion's neck. "Tell me, where is your commander?"
The centurion spat out a mouthful of blood, then suddenly revealed a sinister smile: "You... thought..."
Zhu Qiwu's heart tightened as he suddenly heard a rumbling sound like muffled thunder coming from the southeast. He grabbed his binoculars and looked out, only to see the main force of the Yuan army, a dark mass, surging towards them like a tide on the official road three miles away, their banners obscuring the sky.
"Fourth Brother!" Zhu Qiwu tugged at Zhu Yuanzhang's battle robe. "The main force of the Yuan army has arrived! We must retreat immediately!"
Zhu Yuanzhang wiped the blood from his face, his gaze sweeping over the corpses of Yuan soldiers scattered on the ground: "Retreat? Where to retreat to? Chuzhou City isn't that big; how many people can it hide?"
"Go to Lion Mountain!" Zhu Qiwu pointed to the steep mountain peak in the distance. "There's an abandoned Dragon King Temple on the mountain, easy to defend and difficult to attack. Moreover..." He lowered his voice, "I had the craftsmen dig a tunnel inside the temple, leading directly to the back of the mountain."
Xu Da's eyes lit up: "Great idea! The Yuan army is all cavalry; they can't get up the mountain!"
Zhu Yuanzhang was silent for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Good! We'll listen to Qi Wu! Dexing, you take fifty men to cover our retreat; Tang He, go and inform the people in the city to bring their provisions and come with us; Xu Da, take some men and move the repeating crossbows up the mountain!"
At the foot of Lion Mountain, the Yuan vanguard had already caught up. Looking at the steep mountain path, Commander Arutai sneered, "The Han people are cowards. Do they think they're safe just because they've hidden in the mountains?"
"My lord," the lieutenant said, pointing to the temple faintly visible atop the mountain, "should we send archers to fire a few rounds first?"
Arutai shook his head: "No need to waste arrows. Send the order: the entire army up the mountain! Whoever captures Zhu Chongba will be rewarded with a thousand gold pieces and a fiefdom of ten thousand households!"
On the mountain path, Zhu Qiwu was directing his soldiers to block the road with boulders. Suddenly, a system notification sounded in his mind: "Host detected facing a major crisis. Sign in?"
"Ding! Sign-in successful! Rewards: Improved gunpowder recipe x1, fine steel longsword x10, system points 500."
Zhu Qiwu's eyes lit up—gunpowder! This was exactly what he needed! He immediately summoned Zhou Dexing: "Old Zhou, take some men to the back mountain and prepare the gunpowder according to this formula. Remember, be extremely careful; this stuff is very powerful!"
Zhou Dexing took the formula and was about to look at it when Zhu Qiwu suddenly snatched it away: "Don't look at it now! We'll talk about it when we get to a safe place!"
Inside the Dragon King Temple atop the mountain, Zhu Yuanzhang was inspecting weapons. Seeing Zhu Qiwu enter, he beckoned, "Qiwu, look at this terrain, how long can we hold out?"
Zhu Qiwu climbed to the top of the temple and observed the area below through binoculars: "The Yuan cavalry can't get up the mountain, so they can only send infantry. We have the high ground and repeating crossbows; we can hold out for three to five days without any problem."
"Three to five days?" Zhu Yuanzhang frowned. "And then?"
Zhu Qiwu smiled and said, "Fourth Brother, don't worry. I've already sent Tang He to contact Guo Zixing. He's the commander of the Red Turban Army in Haozhou, and we've had dealings with him before. As long as he's willing to send reinforcements, we can coordinate an attack from within and without, catching the Yuan army off guard!"
Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up: "A brilliant plan! But..." He suddenly lowered his voice, "Guo Zixing is a suspicious man by nature. Will he trust us?"
Zhu Qiwu pulled a token from his pocket: "This is the token of Guo Zixing's confidant, Sun Deyan. Three months ago, I saved his life, and he gave me this, saying I could contact him if I needed anything in the future."
Zhu Yuanzhang took the token and examined it carefully: "Good! Seventh Five, you've thought this through very thoroughly!"
Down the mountain, the Yuan army had already begun their assault. Arughtai brandished his long sword and roared, "Charge! Charge! Whoever reaches the summit first will be richly rewarded!"
The Yuan soldiers surged forward like a tide, but their path was blocked by huge boulders on the mountain path. They tried to move the boulders, but were forced back by arrows shot from the mountain.
"Release the logs!" Xu Da gave the order, and dozens of thick logs rolled down the mountain, smashing the Yuan soldiers and causing them to fall to their knees.
Arughtai was furious: "Archers! Shoot! Shoot those Han Chinese down!"
The Yuan archers lined up in three rows and took turns firing. Arrows rained down on the mountaintop like locusts, but were blocked by Zhu Yuanzhang's soldiers with their shields.
"Seven-five!" Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly shouted, "This can't go on! The Yuan army is numerous and powerful, and we have limited arrows!"
Zhu Qiwu looked down at the densely packed Yuan army below the mountain, and suddenly his eyes lit up: "Fourth Brother, do you still remember the gunpowder the system rewarded us with?"
Zhu Yuanzhang was taken aback: "You mean...?"
Zhu Qiwu nodded: "Have Zhou Dexing fill earthenware jars with gunpowder to make simple bombs. Throw them down when the Yuan army gets close!"
Zhu Yuanzhang was overjoyed: "Excellent idea! Xu Da, go and inform Zhou Dexing!"
Half an hour later, Zhou Dexing led several soldiers, carrying several large pottery jars, to the top of the mountain.
"75," Zhou Dexing wiped the sweat from his brow, "the gunpowder is ready. But... how do we use this stuff?"
Zhu Qiwu picked up a ceramic jar and pointed to the fuse on it: "See this? After lighting it, throw it out immediately and then get far away. Remember, you have to be quick!"
He turned to a few soldiers and said, "You lot, come with me. We're going to deliver a big gift to the Yuan army!"
Zhu Qiwu, leading a few soldiers, stealthily approached the mountain path. He lit the fuse of a ceramic pot and threw it forcefully towards the densest concentration of Yuan troops. (End of Chapter)