enjoyebooks Chapter 1469 Make it as soon as possible
Chapter 1469 Make it as soon as possible
Zhu Qiwu was overjoyed. Gunpowder was a valuable commodity; in this era of cold weapons, its presence would greatly enhance combat effectiveness. He quickly put away the gunpowder formula and manufacturing tools, then went to find Zhu Yuanzhang.
"Fourth Brother, I have something good to give you," Zhu Qiwu said mysteriously.
Zhu Yuanzhang was discussing battle details with several generals when he heard Zhu Qiwu's words and asked curiously, "Oh? What's so mysterious?"
Zhu Qiwu took out the gunpowder formula and manufacturing tools, and said, "Fourth Brother, this is the gunpowder formula and manufacturing tools. With this gunpowder, we will have a greater advantage on the battlefield."
Zhu Yuanzhang took the formula and examined it carefully. Although there were some parts he didn't quite understand, he knew that Zhu Qiwu wouldn't speak without reason, so he asked, "Is this gunpowder really that powerful?"
Zhu Qiwu laughed and said, "Fourth Brother, this gunpowder is extremely powerful. If it is made properly, its use on the battlefield will surely terrify the Yuan army. However, we must be careful in the manufacturing process and not make any mistakes."
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Good, I'll arrange for people to make gunpowder according to this formula right away. Qi Wu, you're truly a lucky star for our rebel army!"
Zhu Qiwu waved his hand: "Fourth Brother, this is what I should do. With us brothers working together, what great things can't we accomplish!"
Soon, the manpower for gunpowder production was arranged. Zhu Qiwu personally guided them in gunpowder production, strictly controlling every step from the selection of raw materials to the mastery of the proportions. After several days of hard work, the first batch of gunpowder was finally completed.
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the dark gunpowder, his eyes full of anticipation: "Seventh Five, how should this gunpowder be used?"
Zhu Qiwu picked up some gunpowder and said, "Fourth Brother, this gunpowder can be made into bombs that can be thrown on the battlefield and explode with tremendous power to kill the enemy. It can also be made into gunpowder arrows that can set fire to the enemy's camps and supplies."
Zhu Yuanzhang said excitedly, "Great! Gunpowder is truly a divine weapon! Qiwu, quickly arrange for people to make bombs and gunpowder arrows. We must give the Yuan army a severe blow in this battle."
Just as the rebels were busily preparing gunpowder weapons, the Yuan army also noticed their unusual movements. Yuan general Toqto'a Temur summoned his generals to discuss countermeasures.
"Gentlemen," said Toqto'a Temur, "Zhu Yuanzhang's rebel army has been very active lately, seemingly plotting something big. We cannot let our guard down and must strengthen our defenses."
One of the generals said, "General, I think they are just bluffing. Our Yuan army is strong and well-defended; they wouldn't dare to attack easily."
Another general chimed in, "Yes, General. We just need to hold the city and wait until they are exhausted before launching a counterattack. We will surely annihilate them in one fell swoop."
Toqto'a Timur shook his head: "We must not be careless. Zhu Yuanzhang is resourceful and his younger brother Zhu Qiwu is also a formidable opponent. We still need to be fully prepared."
Just then, a scout rushed in to report: "General, something bad has happened! We have discovered that the rebels are making a mysterious weapon. We don't know what it is, but it looks extremely powerful."
Toqto'a Timur frowned: "A mysterious weapon? Go and find out what it is right now!"
The scout replied, "Yes!" and hurriedly left.
Toqto'a Timur looked at his generals and said, "No matter what kind of weapon it is, we cannot let them succeed. From now on, strengthen the defense of the city and increase the number of patrols. If you find any signs of an attack by the rebels, report it immediately."
The generals replied in unison, "Yes!"
As time passed, the rebel army finally completed the production of their gunpowder weapons. Looking at the mountains of bombs and gunpowder arrows, Zhu Yuanzhang was filled with confidence.
"Seventh Five, this battle depends entirely on these gunpowder weapons. You must command Arughtai's raiding force well, and make them make full use of the advantages of these gunpowder weapons to deliver a fatal blow to the Yuan army," Zhu Yuanzhang said to Zhu Seventh Five.
Zhu Qiwu nodded and said, "Fourth Brother, don't worry, I will definitely not let you down. Brother Arutai is brave and skilled in battle, and with these gunpowder weapons, we will surely be able to successfully launch a surprise attack on the Yuan army."
Zhu Yuanzhang then said to Xu Da and Tang He, "While you two are feigning an attack from the front, you must also be careful. Once Arughtai's raiding force succeeds, you must immediately launch a full-scale attack and capture the city in one fell swoop."
Xu Da and Tang He replied in unison, "Yes, sir!"
With everything prepared, the battle finally began. Xu Da and Tang He led a thousand men, arrayed themselves in the front, and launched an attack on the Yuan army with loud shouts. Upon seeing this, the Yuan army immediately concentrated their forces for defense, and arrows rained down like rain, the shouts of battle deafening.
Arughtai led two hundred elite troops, taking advantage of the Yuan army's focus on the main battlefield, and stealthily made their way towards the weakest point in the defenses. As they approached the Yuan army's line of defenses, Zhu Qiwu shouted loudly, "Deploy bombs!"
The soldiers immediately lit the bombs and hurled them at the Yuan army. Several loud booms followed as the bombs exploded among the Yuan troops, flames shooting into the sky and smoke billowing everywhere. The Yuan soldiers, terrified by the sudden explosions, panicked and fled in all directions.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Arughtai shouted, "Brothers, charge!" Two hundred elite soldiers charged towards the Yuan army's defenses like tigers descending a mountain. Wielding sharp blades, they slashed left and right, quickly breaking through the Yuan army's lines.
Seeing that Arughtai's raiding force had successfully broken through the defenses, Zhu Qiwu was overjoyed and shouted to the soldiers around him, "Fire the gunpowder arrows!"
The soldiers immediately lit their gunpowder arrows and fired them at the Yuan army's tents and supplies. In an instant, the Yuan army's tents burst into flames, and countless supplies were destroyed. The Yuan army was thrown into chaos.
Hearing the explosions and shouts of battle outside, Toqto'a Timur knew something was wrong and quickly went out of his tent to investigate. When he saw that the rebel army had broken through the defenses and the tents were burned down, he flew into a rage: "What happened? What kind of weapon is that, and why is it so powerful?"
A general rushed over in a panic, saying, "General, something terrible has happened! The rebels have used a mysterious weapon, and we can't stop them at all!"
Toqto'a Timur gritted his teeth and said, "Gather troops for me, and we must drive the rebels out!"
However, the Yuan army was in complete disarray and unable to mount an effective counterattack. Arughtai led his raiding force, rampaging through the Yuan army as if it were empty.
Seeing that Arughtai's raiding force had succeeded, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately ordered: "Xu Da, Tang He, launch a full-scale attack!"
Upon receiving the order, Xu Da and Tang He immediately led a thousand men in a full-scale attack on the Yuan army. The rebels' morale soared, and their battle cries shook the heavens and the earth. The Yuan army, unable to withstand the rebels' fierce assault, retreated in disarray. After a fierce battle, the rebels finally captured the city. Seeing that all was lost, Toqto'a Timur had no choice but to flee in panic with his remaining troops.
Standing atop the city wall, Zhu Yuanzhang watched the victory flag flutter in the wind, his heart filled with joy. He said to Zhu Qiwu beside him, "Qiwu, you deserve immense credit for this battle! If you hadn't come up with this feint attack and invented this gunpowder weapon, we wouldn't have been able to capture this city so easily."
Zhu Qiwu laughed and said, "Fourth Brother, you flatter me. This is all thanks to everyone's concerted efforts. If we brothers work together, how can we not overthrow the Yuan Dynasty and restore the Han Dynasty!"
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily: "Well said! When we brothers are of one mind, our strength can break metal! Let's go into the city and have a good celebration!"
The crowd followed Zhu Yuanzhang into the city. Seeing the rebel army victoriously enter, the city's inhabitants rushed out of their homes, cheering with joy. They knew their good days were about to begin.
Looking at the enthusiastic people, Zhu Yuanzhang was filled with emotion. He said to Zhu Qiwu, "Qiwu, our uprising was to enable the people to live a better life. Now that we have captured this city, we must govern it well and let the people live in peace and prosperity."
Zhu Qiwu nodded and said, "Fourth Brother, don't worry, I will definitely help you govern this city well. We can open the granaries first to distribute grain to relieve the poor people, and then organize them to resume production and rebuild their homes."
Zhu Yuanzhang said with satisfaction, "Good, we'll do it your way. Qi Wu, you're truly my capable assistant!"
Just then, Xu Da hurried over and said, "Fourth Brother, we have discovered a secret warehouse of the Yuan army in the city, which contains a large amount of gold, silver and other treasures and supplies."
Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up: "Oh? Such a good thing? Let's go take a look."
The group arrived at the secret warehouse, where they found it filled with gold, silver, grain, and weapons. Looking at the wealth, Zhu Yuanzhang said, "These riches were all plundered from the people; now we must return them to them. Xu Da, arrange for these riches to be registered and distributed according to the needs of the people."
Xu Da replied, "Yes!"
Looking at the valuables, Zhu Qiwu suddenly thought, "System, sign in."
The system's voice sounded in my mind: "Sign-in successful. You have received a complete guide to agricultural planting techniques and a number of high-quality seeds."
Zhu Qiwu was overjoyed. This complete guide to agricultural planting techniques and high-quality seeds were invaluable. With them, he could help the people increase grain production and solve the problem of food and clothing.
He quickly said to Zhu Yuanzhang, "Fourth Brother, I have another good idea. We can distribute these high-quality seeds to the people and teach them advanced agricultural planting techniques. This way, they can grow more grain and won't have to worry about going hungry anymore."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up: "This plan is excellent! Seventh Five, you have truly considered everything thoroughly. You shall be responsible for teaching these agricultural planting techniques to the people."
Zhu Qiwu replied, "Yes, Fourth Brother. I'll go and make the arrangements right away."
So Zhu Qiwu gathered the people of the city, distributed high-quality seeds to them, and began to teach them agricultural planting techniques. The people listened to Zhu Qiwu's explanations, nodding in approval and filled with hope for the future.
Thanks to the efforts of Zhu Qiwu and the others, order was gradually restored in the city, and the lives of the people improved. Zhu Yuanzhang, watching all this, felt a great sense of accomplishment. He said to Zhu Qiwu, "Qiwu, our uprising is going more and more smoothly. Next, we must continue to expand our power, overthrow the Yuan Dynasty, and let all the people of the world live a good life."
Zhu Qi nodded and said, "Fourth Brother, don't worry, I will always be by your side and work hard with you for this goal."
However, just as the rebels were basking in the joy of victory, unexpected news arrived. It turned out that Toqto'a Timur, after fleeing, had not given up. He had gathered Yuan troops from several surrounding cities, preparing to launch a counterattack and retake the city.
Upon learning this news, Zhu Yuanzhang immediately summoned his generals to discuss countermeasures.
"Gentlemen," Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Toqto'a Timur has amassed a large number of Yuan troops and is preparing to attack us again. We cannot sit idly by and wait for our doom; we must devise a countermeasure."
Xu Da said, "Fourth Brother, our morale is high right now, why don't we take the initiative and catch them off guard?"
Tang He also chimed in, "Yes, Fourth Brother. We can't wait for them to attack us; we should strike first."
Zhu Qiwu shook his head: "Fourth Brother, I don't think we should launch an attack rashly. Since Tuotuo Timur dared to gather his forces to attack again, he must have come prepared. We should strengthen the defense of the city first, and when they attack, we can use our gunpowder weapons and the advantages of the city to deliver a fatal blow."
Zhu Yuanzhang pondered for a moment and nodded, saying, "Qiwu is right. We cannot attack blindly; we should first prepare for defense. Xu Da and Tang He, you two are responsible for strengthening the city's defenses and increasing patrols. If you discover any signs of an attack by the Yuan army, report it immediately."
Xu Da and Tang He replied in unison, "Yes!"
Zhu Qiwu then said, "Fourth Brother, I think we can use this time to make some more gunpowder weapons in case of emergency."
Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Alright, Qiwu, I'm entrusting the task of making gunpowder weapons to you. Make sure they are made as soon as possible."
So the rebel army began intensive preparations for defense and the manufacture of gunpowder weapons. Meanwhile, Toqto'a Timur was also actively preparing for an attack. Knowing that the rebel army possessed such mysterious gunpowder weapons, he dared not be careless and specially invited some generals and soldiers skilled in siege warfare from other places, preparing to capture the city in one fell swoop.
A few days later, Toqto'a Timur led his army to the city walls. Looking at the fortified city, he secretly vowed to avenge himself.
"Soldiers, Zhu Yuanzhang's rebel army has captured our city, and today we will take it back! Attack!" Toqto'a Timur shouted.
Upon receiving the order, the Yuan army immediately launched an attack on the city. They erected ladders and scaled the city walls. The rebels, standing atop the walls, retaliated with arrows and stones. A hail of arrows rained down, stones flew, and the shouts of battle shook the heavens and the earth.
Zhu Qiwu stood on the city wall, watching the Yuan army's attack, calmly considering his countermeasures. As the Yuan army approached the wall, he shouted, "Lower the bombs!" (End of Chapter)