enjoyebooks Chapter 1468 Fulfilling the Mission
Chapter 1468 Fulfilling the Mission
"I won't appoint you as a commander of a thousand," Chaghan Timur said, his gaze fixed intently on Zhu Yuanzhang. "I want you to be my deputy commander. Together we'll conquer this land, and then we'll divide it equally!"
Silence fell once more within the tent. Xu Da's sword was already three inches from its sheath, and Zhu Qiwu's system alarm was blaring in his mind—Danger! Extreme danger!
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed. He reached out and patted Chaghan Temur on the shoulder: "My lord, do you know why the Red Turban Army grew stronger with each battle?" He continued without waiting for an answer, "Because we have fire in our hearts, we have hope. But you—" He shook his head, "You only have power and calculation in your heart."
Chaghan Temur's face twisted into a ferocious grimace: "You're courting death!"
"boom!"
A gunshot suddenly rang out. Chaghan Timur looked down at the bloody hole in his chest, his eyes filled with disbelief. Zhu Qiwu held up a flintlock pistol, smoke still rising from the muzzle: "A system reward, supposedly called a handgun?"
Hearing the gunfire, the Yuan soldiers outside the tent rushed in. Xu Da shouted, his blade flashing like snow, instantly felling three men. Zhu Yuanzhang snatched Chaghan Temur's sword, its blade tracing a graceful arc as he slit the throats of two centurions.
"Seven-five! Lead the men to break through!" Zhu Yuanzhang shouted as he fought. "Xu Da, open the camp gates!"
Zhu Qiwu pulled Arutai backward, shouting, "System, sign in! Sign in now!"
[Ding! Sign-in successful! Rewards: 3x Divine Speed Talisman (allows you to travel 800 li per day), 1x Gunpowder Recipe, 1x Yuan Army Deployment Map]
"Great!" Zhu Qiwu shoved the Divine Traveler Talisman into the hands of Zhu Yuanzhang and Xu Da. "Fourth Brother, use this! Let's go back to Haozhou City!"
The three fought their way out of the camp. Yuan cavalry surged forward like a tide. Zhu Qiwu pulled out a gunpowder formula and threw it at the nearest torch. The powder ignited instantly upon contact with the fire, exploding and sending the leading cavalrymen flying.
"Go!" Zhu Yuanzhang pulled Zhu Qiwu onto his horse, Xu Da brought up the rear, and the Yuan soldiers scattered wherever their blades flashed. Arughtai followed behind on a saddleless warhorse, crying out, "Wait for me!"
On the city wall of Haozhou, Tang He saw the signal and immediately ordered: "Fire arrows! Cover Fourth Brother!"
Arrows rained down on the Yuan army like locusts, buying precious time for Zhu Yuanzhang and his men. When they reached the city walls, the drawbridge was lowered with a "bang," and Zhou Dexing led his personal guards out to meet them.
"Get into the city quickly!" Tang He shouted, "The Yuan army is coming!"
Zhu Yuanzhang, however, reined in his horse: "Wait! Where is Arughtai?"
The boy rode out of the dust on horseback: "Here!"
"Mount up!" Zhu Yuanzhang reached out and pulled him onto his warhorse. "Let's go!"
The city gates slammed shut behind them, followed by the clanging of the Yuan army's weapons. Zhu Yuanzhang tossed Arutai to his personal guards: "Take him to get bandaged." He turned to Zhu Qiwu, "Does the system have any other good stuff?"
Zhu Qiwu wiped the blood from his face: "I have a gunpowder recipe, but it requires sulfur, saltpeter, and charcoal."
"Sulfur and saltpeter?" Xu Da's eyes lit up. "They're in the old mines west of the city!"
"Good!" Zhu Yuanzhang slammed his hand on the table and stood up. "Tang He, take men to dig! Zhou Dexing, prepare kerosene! Xu Da, gather all the three-barreled guns at the North Gate—Chaghan Timur is dead, his son will surely come for revenge!"
Arutai suddenly knelt down: "General Zhu, I...I want to stay."
Zhu Yuanzhang raised an eyebrow: "Why? You're a Yuan soldier."
“I…I hate Wang Baobao!” Arutai raised his head, his eyes filled with hatred. “He killed my whole family, just because my father was Han Chinese!”
Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Qiwu exchanged a glance. Zhu Qiwu squatted down: "Arutai, do you know what staying means?"
The boy nodded: "It means I'll fight the Tartars with you and avenge my family!"
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed loudly, "Good! From today onwards, you are my brother, Zhu Chongba!" He turned to the crowd, "Send down the order: the entire city is on high alert! In this battle, we will show the Yuan army—the Han people have much stronger bones than they imagine!"
Three days later, at the Yuan army camp.
Wang Baobao stared at his father's corpse, his face so dark it seemed to drip water. He kicked over the brazier beside him, sparks flying everywhere: "Zhu Chongba! I'll tear you to pieces!"
"General!" the lieutenant asked cautiously, "Shall we attack the city now?"
“No,” Wang Baobao sneered. “Doesn’t Zhu Chongba like firearms? I’ll let him taste what it’s like to be blasted by firearms!” He turned to the messenger, “Go, bring all the trebuchets and catapults here! I’m going to blow Haozhou City to smithereens!”
Inside Haozhou City, Zhu Qiwu was teaching blacksmiths how to make hand grenades. He filled a ceramic jar with gunpowder, inserted the fuse, and said, "Remember, after lighting it, throw it far away, or you'll blow yourself up."
Old Wang wiped his sweat: "Young master, this is even more dangerous than a three-barreled gun."
“That’s why we need to be careful.” Zhu Qiwu patted him on the shoulder. “Once we’ve driven back the Yuan army, I’ll teach you how to build something even safer.”
"Seventy-five!" Xu Da rushed into the blacksmith's shop. "The Yuan army has set up hundreds of catapults outside the city!"
Zhu Qiwu's hand trembled, scattering gunpowder across the ground: "What? Where did they get so much?"
"They were transferred from a nearby city." Xu Da pulled him outside. "Fourth Brother wants you to go to the city wall immediately!"
On the city wall, Zhu Yuanzhang observed the Yuan army's formation through binoculars. Wang Baobao's command flag fluttered high in the center, surrounded by a dense array of shield bearers and archers.
"Fourth Brother!" Zhu Qiwu ran up, "What about the catapults? Our city walls can't withstand more than a few rounds of bombardment!"
Zhu Yuanzhang put down his binoculars: "What new rewards does the system offer?"
Zhu Qiwu closed his eyes to examine it: "There's something called 'Thunderclap Grenade,' ten times more powerful than a hand grenade, but it needs an iron casing."
"Iron shell?" Zhu Yuanzhang turned to Xu Da, "Go, melt down all the iron pots and iron doors! Make thunderbolts for the Seventh Prince!"
"Fourth Brother!" Zhu Qiwu exclaimed, "What do the people use to cook?"
"Is life more important or food?" Zhu Yuanzhang glared at him. "Hurry up! Wang Baobao won't give us much time!"
The following morning, the Yuan army began their assault on the city. The first volley of catapults launched not stones, but burning oil canisters. Instantly, flames engulfed the walls of Haozhou, forcing the defenders to retreat.
"Loose the arrows!" Tang He shouted from the watchtower, "Suppress their catapults!"
Arrows rained down, but the Yuan army, protected by shield bearers, suffered minimal losses. Wang Baobao stood at a distance, watching the Zhu army bustling on the city walls, a cold smile playing on his lips: "Zhu Chongba, this is just the beginning!"
"General!" the lieutenant pointed to the city wall, "They look like they're moving something!"
Wang Baobao squinted. He saw Zhu Jun carrying several dark iron canisters up the city wall, each canister attached to a long fuse. "Those are..." Wang Baobao's expression suddenly changed drastically. "Quick! Stop the catapults!"
"boom!"
The first explosion rang out in the Yuan army's ranks. An iron can landed between the shield bearers, exploding instantly, scattering metal fragments everywhere, and more than ten people around it screamed and fell to the ground.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
One explosion after another rang out, throwing the Yuan army's formation into chaos. Catapult operators were blown to pieces, shield bearers dropped their shields and fled in panic, and archers were too terrified to show their faces.
Wang Baobao, mounted on his horse, trembled uncontrollably: "What...what is this thing?"
"General!" the lieutenant cried, pulling on his reins. "Let's retreat! This battle is lost!"
Wang Baobao gritted his teeth: "No! I cannot lose to Zhu Chongba!" He drew his sword. "Give the order: all troops, charge! Whoever captures Haozhou City will be rewarded with a thousand gold pieces!"
The Yuan army surged forward like a tide, ladders were erected on the city walls, and siege engines slowly approached. Zhu Yuanzhang stood atop the city tower, watching the enemy draw ever closer, and suddenly laughed: "Seven-five, what other good stuff does the system have up its sleeve?"
Zhu Qiwu wiped the sweat from his brow: "There is one called 'Enemy of Ten Thousand Men,' but we need time to prepare."
"It's too late." Zhu Yuanzhang took off his cloak. "Xu Da, take men to the North Gate—I heard Wang Baobao's provisions are all there."
"Fourth Brother!" Zhu Qiwu grabbed his arm. "What are you doing?"
Zhu Yuanzhang patted his hand: "Remember when we were kids, stealing the landlord's dog? I'll distract the guard dog, and you go steal the meat." He turned to his personal guard, "Bring me my knife!"
"Fourth Brother!" Zhu Qiwu's eyes reddened with anxiety. "This is too dangerous!"
"Danger?" Zhu Yuanzhang laughed. "When have I, Zhu Chongba, ever been afraid of danger?" He took the long sword handed to him by his personal guard. "Remember, guard the city gate! Wait for my return!"
Zhu Yuanzhang led two hundred personal guards out of the south gate, charging straight at the Yuan army's central camp. Wang Baobao, seeing Zhu Yuanzhang personally lead the attack, was both surprised and delighted: "Zhu Chongba! You've finally come out!"
"Wang Baobao!" Zhu Yuanzhang raised his long sword high. "Do you dare to fight me?"
"Why wouldn't I dare!" Wang Baobao spurred his horse forward, and the two long swords clashed in mid-air, sparks flying.
Zhu Qiwu stood atop the city wall, watching his fourth brother's fierce battle with Wang Baobao, his heart pounding in his chest. Suddenly, he remembered he hadn't used a system reward: "System! Use the Swift Traveler Talisman!"
[Ding! Successful use! Time remaining: 23 hours and 59 minutes]
Zhu Qiwu suddenly felt his body become lighter. He grabbed two thunderbolts and shouted, "Zhou Dexing! Bring your men and come with me!"
They slipped out through a secret gate in the city wall and circled around to the rear of the Yuan army. Zhu Qiwu saw the mountains of grain and fodder, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes: "This is it! Throw the thunderbolts!"
"Boom! Boom!"
The grain pile instantly burst into flames, which quickly spread. The Yuan army, discovering the fire in their rear, became even more disorganized. Distracted, Wang Baobao was struck in the shoulder by Zhu Yuanzhang, crying out in pain as he retreated.
"Retreat! Retreat now!" Wang Baobao shouted, clutching his wound. "Zhu Chongba is a madman!"
The Yuan army retreated like a receding tide, and Zhu Yuanzhang stood on the battlefield strewn with corpses, his long sword dripping blood. He looked up at the city wall and saw Zhu Qiwu waving at him with a bright smile on his face.
"Fourth Brother!" Zhu Qiwu ran down, "We won!"
Zhu Yuanzhang threw down his long sword and embraced his younger brother tightly: "Good! Good! My brother, Zhu Chongba, has indeed not disappointed me!"
As the sun set, Haozhou City was bathed in golden light. Zhu Qiwu leaned against the city wall, looking at the system interface:
Host: Zhu Qiwu
Identity: Zhu Yuanzhang's younger brother, garrison commander of Haozhou City
Number of check-ins: 15
Rewards: 50 Three-Eyed Guns, 100 Hand Grenades, 20 Thunderclap Bombs, 5 Unclaimed Warriors, 2 Swift Traveler Talismans (23 hours and 58 minutes remaining), 1 Gunpowder Recipe, 1 Yuan Army Deployment Map
He turned to look at Zhu Yuanzhang, who was comforting the people, a slight smile playing on his lips. This era, this family, this war... seemed even more fascinating than he had imagined.
"Seven-five!" Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly shouted, "Come here! I have something to discuss with you!"
Zhu Qiwu closed the system interface and strode over: "Here you are, Fourth Brother!"
In the distance, Xu Da, Tang He, Zhou Dexing, and others were gathered together, looking at Zhang Yuanjun's defense map. Arutai stood outside the crowd, his eyes fixed firmly on Zhu Qiwu's back.
A gentle breeze blew by, lifting the battle flags atop the city wall.
Zhu Qiwu strode to Zhu Yuanzhang's side, but before he could even stand still, Zhu Yuanzhang pulled him aside and lowered his voice, saying, "Qiwu, the Yuan army's defenses are now very tight. Although we have achieved a small victory, it will probably take a lot of effort to completely capture this city. You're quick-witted, do you have any good ideas?"
Zhu Qiwu pondered for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the defense map. An idea struck him, and he smiled, "Fourth Brother, in my opinion, although the Yuan army's defenses seem impenetrable, we can use a feint attack. First, send a small force to feign an attack on the front to attract their attention. Then, we can select an elite force to launch a surprise attack from the weakest point in their defenses and catch them off guard."
Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up, and he slapped his thigh, saying, "This plan is brilliant! However, have you identified the weak points in the defense?"
Zhu Qiwu pointed to a spot on the defense map and said, "Fourth Brother, look, the terrain here is quite complex. The Yuan army will definitely think that we won't attack from here, so their defenses will be relatively lax. Let's choose this spot and launch a surprise attack."
At this moment, Xu Da walked over, overheard their conversation, and nodded, saying, "Brother Qiwu's plan is feasible. However, the elite troops for this surprise attack must be carefully selected."
Tang He chimed in, "Yes, this raid is a tough mission, and we need brave and skilled fighters."
Zhu Qiwu looked at everyone, his gaze landing on Arutai, and said, "I think Brother Arutai is capable of this task. He is highly skilled in martial arts and extremely loyal to us, so he will certainly live up to our expectations."
Upon hearing Zhu Qiwu mention him, Arutai immediately knelt on one knee, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Young Master Zhu, rest assured, Arutai is willing to accept this mission and will fight to the death to open up a new situation for our rebel army!"
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Arutai and nodded in satisfaction: "Good! Arutai, I will entrust this important task of the surprise attack to you. You will lead two hundred elite troops and be sure to act with caution."
Arutai replied loudly, "Yes! Don't worry, Fourth Brother!"
Zhu Yuanzhang then turned to Xu Da and Tang He and said, "Xu Da and Tang He, each of you will lead a thousand men and feign an attack from the front. Make sure to create the appearance of a major offensive to draw the Yuan army's attention to you."
After arranging the tactics, everyone began their preparations. While everyone was busy, Zhu Qiwu quietly opened the system interface and silently said, "System, sign in."
The system's voice sounded in his mind: "Sign-in successful. You have received a gunpowder formula and a set of gunpowder-making tools." (End of Chapter)