Novellv Chapter 1472 Let these Tartars know how powerful we are!
Chapter 1472 Let these Tartars know how powerful we are!
Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly stood up, knocking over the candlestick on the table. Flames leaped onto the map, instantly engulfing the words "Zhenjiang". Xu Da reacted the fastest, grabbing a teacup and smashing it at the flames, while Tang He and Zhou Dexing rushed forward, using their robes to extinguish them.
"That Zhang Shicheng!" Zhu Yuanzhang kicked over the burning map, his eyes gleaming. "He's putting on a ruse for me!" He suddenly turned to Zhu Qiwu, "Seventh Brother, what do you think his next move will be?"
Zhu Qiwu bent down and picked up half of the charred map. A new notification popped up on the system interface: [Unlocked "Psychological Game" skill]. He stared at the blurred characters "Changzhou" on the tattered map: "Zhang Shicheng's grain ships have been attacked; he will surely send envoys to Yingtian for help." He traced the Yangtze River waterway with his fingertips, "But the real killing move is at the mouth of the Yangtze."
"The estuary?" Xu Da frowned. "The waters there are shallow and there are many reefs; large ships simply cannot pass through."
“So he needs to use small boats.” Zhu Qiwu spread the remaining map on the table. “The Yuan army’s Shenji cannons are small; if they are disassembled into parts and transported by small boats…” He suddenly looked up. “Fourth Brother, we must immediately send the navy to blockade the mouth of the Yangtze River!”
Zhu Yuanzhang's breathing became heavy. He walked to the tent entrance, gazing at the faintly visible sails on the distant river: "Xu Da, change course. Forget Poyang Lake first, head straight for the Yangtze River estuary!"
"But Poyang Lake!" Xu Da exclaimed anxiously, "Chen Youliang's 600,000-strong army!"
"Send Chang Yuchun." Zhu Yuanzhang turned around, his eyes gleaming like a wolf. "Doesn't he always boast that his cavalry is invincible? Let him go and test Chen Youliang's navy!"
As Zhu Qiwu followed Xu Da out of the central command tent, a system notification rang in his ears: [Historical deviation reduced to 12%] [Main quest progress: 65%]. He looked up at the sky, where thick clouds had gathered, like a giant lead plate pressing down on Yingtian Prefecture, which had been clear in the morning.
Three days later, at the mouth of the Yangtze River.
Zhu Qiwu stood at the bow of the flagship, the sea breeze making his robes flutter. On the system interface, the [Firearms Specialization] skill was flashing wildly, and countless pieces of knowledge about cannon manufacturing flooded his mind. He squinted, gazing at the faint black dots on the distant horizon—those were Zhang Shicheng's fleet.
"Seventh Master, look over there!" Zhou Dexing suddenly pointed to the sea on the right. More than twenty small boats were fanning out from the right, with Yuan army's cannons mounted on their bows.
"Lan Yu!" Zhu Qiwu shouted, "Is your gunpowder pack ready?"
"It's all ready!" Lan Yu rushed out of the cabin, carrying a wooden box. "Each packet of gunpowder is mixed with iron filings and shards of porcelain, ensuring those Mongol Tartars can't fire a second shot!"
Xu Da raised his command flag: "All troops, listen up! When the enemy ships are within three hundred paces, first fire muskets to disrupt their formation, then throw gunpowder charges!" He turned to Zhu Qiwu, "Seventh Master, you stay in the cabin."
“I’m going to the deck.” Zhu Qiwu tightened his grip on his soft sword. “The system says these cannons aren’t accurate enough; I need to watch them being adjusted myself.” Ignoring Xu Da’s attempts to stop him, he strode toward the ship’s side. Suddenly, a holographic projection popped up on the system interface, precisely marking the enemy ship’s position and speed.
"Three hundred paces!" the lookout shouted.
"Fire!" Xu Da waved his command flag. A hundred muskets fired simultaneously, the lead bullets whistling as they sliced through the air. The enemy ships' formation was thrown into chaos, but the cannons continued their frenzied firing, several shells grazing the flagship's mast and exploding into high columns of water on the sea.
"Two hundred paces!"
"Throw the gunpowder!" Zhu Qiwu personally picked up a wooden crate. The system projection suddenly turned red, showing a war chariot equipped with a large divine cannon in the center of the enemy ship. His pupils contracted sharply, and he shouted, "Avoid the middle ship!"
Before the words were even finished, the tank suddenly fired. The shell flew in with a strange spiral trajectory, exploding on the flagship's deck. Zhu Qiwu was thrown off balance by the blast wave, his head slamming heavily against the ship's side. The system interface flashed frantically: [Health points decreased by 30%] [Protection mechanism triggered: Automatically use healing potion].
"Seventh Master!" Xu Da rushed over to help him up. Zhu Qiwu wiped the blood from his face and saw the enemy ship's weaknesses being marked one by one on the system projection: "Never mind me! Look at the cooldown times of those cannons—they need to stop for fifteen minutes after every three shots!"
A ruthless glint flashed in Xu Da's eyes: "Lan Yu! Take men and approach in small boats! Target those cannons that have ceased fire!"
"Understood!" Lan Yu led twenty personal guards onto small boats, each piled high with gunpowder packets. They darted among the enemy ships like a school of fish, precisely throwing the gunpowder packets into the cooling barrels of the Shenji cannons.
Explosions echoed continuously. Zhu Qiwu leaned against the ship's railing, watching the [Historical Deviation] indicator on the system interface fluctuate like a rollercoaster. When the last enemy ship sank to the bottom of the sea, the number finally stabilized at 9%.
"Seventh Master!" Zhou Dexing ran over, holding up a bronze plaque. "Found it in the wreckage of the tank!"
Zhu Qiwu took the bronze token, and the system immediately popped up a notification: [Key item detected: Yuan Dynasty Secret Guard Token]. He ran his fingertips over the twisted wolf head pattern on the token and suddenly remembered that ten years ago at Huangjue Temple, the Yuan army commander who was shot to death by a hail of arrows also had a similar bronze token hanging from his waist.
“Secret Guard,” Zhu Qiwu muttered to himself, “the Yuan Dynasty’s intelligence agency.” He suddenly looked up, “Brother Xu, immediately send someone to Yingtian! Investigate all merchants who have had contact with the Yuan army, especially…”
Before the words were even finished, another black dot appeared on the distant horizon. This time it was the real Yuan navy, with a blood-red wolf-head flag flying from its mast.
"Perfect timing." Xu Da wiped the blood from his sword. "I was just worried about where to test the new cannons!" He turned to Zhu Qiwu, "Seventh Master, you..."
"I'm fine." Zhu Qiwu straightened up, and a new notification popped up on the system interface: [Unlocked "Chain Cannon" blueprint]. He watched the approaching Yuan warships, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Have Lan Yu bring up all the gunpowder packs. We'll prepare a big gift for the Tartars!"
Yingtian Prefecture, the Imperial City.
Zhu Yuanzhang stood atop the city wall, gazing at the thick smoke rising from the river in the distance. The system interface flashed in his field of vision: [Historical Deviation: 8%] [Main Quest Progress: 80%]. He gripped the blue bricks on the battlements tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force.
"Your Majesty!" A personal guard rushed in, "General Xu's urgent report!"
Zhu Yuanzhang took the letter tube and pulled out the blood-stained letter. Xu Da's handwriting was bold and elegant: "Seventh Master saw through the Yuan army's trickery and inflicted a great defeat on the enemy at the mouth of the Yangtze River. He captured twenty divine cannons and three secret guard tokens. Furthermore, Seventh Master designed a new type of chain-reaction cannon with immense power."
Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly burst into laughter, startling the crows on the city wall. He turned and walked towards the inner palace, the hem of his black robe fluttering in the wind like crow feathers. Inside, Empress Ma was sewing winter clothes for the young prince Zhu Biao. Seeing him enter, she looked up and smiled: "Is there good news from the front?"
"Seventh Prince has done another great service." Zhu Yuanzhang placed the letter on the table. "This lad is even more capable than I thought." He suddenly paused, staring at the bronze Buddha statue captured from the Yuan army camp on the table. "Xiuying, do you really believe in destiny?" Empress Ma put down her needlework and walked to his side. "Chongba, have you forgotten what Seventh Prince said at Huangjue Temple?" She gently stroked the surface of the bronze Buddha. "He said you would become emperor, and I said he was crazy. But now," she looked up and smiled, "this empire is in your hands, isn't it?"
Zhu Yuanzhang remained silent for a long time, then suddenly grabbed the imperial seal from the table: "Guards! Issue an edict! Appoint Zhu Qiwu as the Grand General Protector of the Nation, grant him a hereditary title and iron certificate! He paused, then added, "Find him a good marriage again. He's not young anymore; it's time for him to settle down."
A smile flickered in Empress Ma's eyes: "I met Liao Yongzhong's sister the other day; she is dignified and beautiful, a good match for the Seventh Prince."
"The Liao family?" Zhu Yuanzhang frowned. "Liao Yongzhong is a naval commander." He suddenly laughed, "Good! The Liao family it is! Issue an edict to the Ministry of Rites to choose an auspicious day."
Before the words were finished, hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the hall. A guard rushed in, flustered: "Your Majesty! Seventh Master! Seventh Master..."
Zhu Yuanzhang's expression changed drastically: "What happened to the seventh prince?"
"Seventh Master... he took Lan Yu and Zhou Dexing north!" the guard gasped. "He said... he said they were going to the grasslands to find some 'Secret Guard Headquarters'!"
Zhu Yuanzhang's jade seal slammed onto the table with a clang. Staring at the darkening sky outside, he suddenly ripped off the jade belt buckle from his dragon robe: "Prepare the horses! I'm going to personally chase after that rebellious son!"
Empress Ma grabbed him, saying, "Chongba! Are you crazy? The battle at the front has just ended, and you, as the emperor..."
"I don't care!" Zhu Yuanzhang shook off her hand. "That boy is injured and carrying firearms. If anything happens to him..." He suddenly choked up, his eyes bloodshot. "Xiuying, I can't lose Seventh Prince."
A clear laugh suddenly came from outside the hall: "Fourth Brother, if you're so reluctant to let me go, you shouldn't have let me leave back then outside Chuzhou City."
Zhu Yuanzhang turned around abruptly and saw Zhu Qiwu standing at the palace gate, the jade belt buckle at his waist gleaming warmly in the twilight. Behind him were Lan Yu and Zhou Dexing, both looking weary from their journey, but their eyes gleamed with excitement.
"You—" Zhu Yuanzhang rushed forward, raised his fist, then lowered it again, "you unfilial son! Do you know how worried I was?"
Zhu Qiwu laughed and dodged away, "Fourth Brother, I've found the headquarters of the Yuan Dynasty's secret guards." He pulled an oiled paper package from his robes. "Deep in the grasslands, there's a place called 'Wolf Mountain.' Hidden there are the Yuan army's last firearms blueprints, and..." He lowered his voice, "Genghis Khan's treasure."
Zhu Yuanzhang's pupils contracted sharply. He took the oiled paper package, and the system interface suddenly popped up: [Ultimate historical node detected: Wolf Mountain Treasure] [Main quest updated: Seize the Wolf Mountain Treasure and unify the Central Plains] [Reward: Time travel right].
"Alright," Zhu Yuanzhang gripped the oiled paper package tightly in his hand. "Seventh Brother, you..."
“Fourth Brother,” Zhu Qiwu interrupted him, “let me go. The system says this is the last chance to change history.” He pointed to the sky, “Look, the Purple Star has shifted.”
Zhu Yuanzhang looked up and indeed saw that the position of the Big Dipper was different from usual. He remained silent for a long time, then suddenly laughed loudly: "Good! I'll trust you one more time!" He turned and walked towards the dragon throne. "Guards! Issue an imperial decree! Appoint Zhu Qiwu as the Grand General of the Northern Expedition, commanding the three armies, and order him to depart for the grasslands immediately!"
Zhu Qiwu knelt on one knee: "Thank you, Fourth Brother!" As he stood up, a countdown popped up on the system interface: [Distance to the final historical node: 30 days].
As dusk fell, on the city wall of Yingtian Prefecture, Zhu Yuanzhang watched Zhu Qiwu's departing figure and whispered to Empress Ma beside him, "Xiuying, do you think the Seventh Prince... will really come back?"
Empress Ma smiled: "Chongba, have you forgotten what he said? He said he would help you conquer the world, and he would also help you protect it." She pointed to the brightening stars on the horizon, "Look, next to the Ziwei star, there's a small star moving along with it."
Zhu Yuanzhang looked in the direction she was pointing and indeed saw a dim yet resolute star beside the Purple Star. A smile played on his lips, and a complex light flickered in his eyes: "Seventh Prince, I've been waiting for you to return."
Deep in the grasslands, at the foot of Wolf Mountain.
Zhu Qiwu stood atop the mountain, gazing at the flickering firelight in the Yuan army camp below. On the system interface, the [Historical Deviation] was stable at 5%, and the [Main Quest Progress] showed 95%. He touched the jade belt buckle at his waist, when suddenly he heard familiar footsteps behind him.
"Seventh Master, everything is ready." Lan Yu led a squad of personal guards up. "As you instructed, the gunpowder has been buried at the foot of the mountain."
Zhu Qiwu nodded: "Where is Brother Xu's navy?"
"News has just come in," Zhou Dexing said, holding up a signal tube, "we've reached the Yellow River estuary and should be able to reach the grasslands in three days."
Zhu Qiwu gazed into the distance, the system projection displaying the detailed layout of the Yuan army camp. He suddenly laughed: "Fourth Brother is right, I'm stronger than all of them combined." He turned and walked down the mountain path. "Let's go, let's show the Tartars what real firearms are!"
At the foot of the mountain, an explosion suddenly erupted from the Yuan army camp. Zhu Qiwu, riding his warhorse, led his personal guards into the inferno. The system interface flickered wildly, finally settling on: [Historical Deviation: 0%] [Main Quest Completion: 100%]
He looked up at the sky, where the Purple Star was shining brighter than ever before.
Zhu Qiwu, riding his warhorse and leading his personal guards, charged into the sea of fire like tigers descending a mountain. The Yuan army camp was instantly thrown into chaos, explosions erupting everywhere, and shouts of battle deafening. Zhu Qiwu, musket in hand, his eyes resolute and ruthless, pulled the trigger, and with each shot, a Yuan soldier fell. His personal guards, equally valiant, brandished their longswords, charging left and right through the enemy ranks, leaving a trail of blood in their wake.
The system projection flashed incessantly before Zhu Qiwu's eyes, various data and instructions flowing like water. While fighting, he rapidly analyzed the situation, adjusting his tactics based on the system's prompts. Although the Yuan army was numerous, it proved utterly ineffective against Zhu Qiwu's well-equipped and well-trained force. They were overwhelmed by the sudden attack and unable to mount any effective resistance.
"Brothers, give it your all! Let these Tartars know how powerful we are!" Zhu Qiwu shouted, his voice echoing across the battlefield. His personal guards, hearing his cry, were even more emboldened, and their attacks became even more ferocious. The Yuan army's defenses were gradually breached, and their camp was slowly brought under the control of Zhu Qiwu's forces.
In the midst of the fierce battle, Zhu Qiwu suddenly saw a Yuan general riding a tall horse, brandishing a long sword, charging towards him. The general was burly, with a full beard, and his eyes revealed ferocity and determination. Zhu Qiwu was fearless; he reined in his horse, turned it around, and charged towards the general. (End of Chapter)