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  Chen Youliang's Wrath

  Chen Youliang was truly enraged, for since he had joined the army, no one dared to bully him again, and in front of him they were always timid and fearful. Who did Chang Yuchun think he was, daring to provoke himself?!

  He finally took action, this time it's no longer a small disturbance, fighting to the sky, and driving Zhu Yuanzhang back to farming!

  This was certainly not what Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to see.

  This time Chang Yu Chun really did summon the wolf.

  In the 20th year of Zhizheng, Chen Youliang led his strongest fleet in all of China to advance on Ying Tian. The names of his warships were quite intimidating and are worth mentioning in detail: they included the Hun Jiang Long, Sai Duan Jiang, Zhuo Dao Shan, Jiang Hai Bie, and just fell short of being named Jing Po Tian.

  The name of the ship is Wei Feng, and what about the warship? It should be said that the warship is also very powerful. These warships are mostly three stories high and equipped with various artillery. Using such a ship to fight against Zhu Yuanzhang's fishing boat would not require an attack, just a collision would suffice.

  Chen Youliang informed Zhang Shicheng of his plan before the attack, asking him to launch a pincer movement against Zhu Yuanzhang. He then ordered his invincible fleet to set off for Ying Tian with lightning speed.

  Chen Youliang had a major characteristic in commanding battles, which was that he never seemed to carefully study battle plans, but instead acted on impulse, fighting as the situation dictated. This characteristic often led him to be looked down upon by military experts, but objectively speaking, this was actually his combat style and the essence of his command art.

  Even he himself didn't know where to attack, how could the enemy know? When encountering someone who doesn't play by conventional rules, who can withstand it? Zhu Yuanzhang suffered at his hands.

  When Zhu Yuanzhang learned that Chen Youliang was leading a large army to attack, Chen's fleet had already captured the strategic location of Caishi. The speed was so fast that it made Zhu Yuanzhang tongue-tied. The most important barrier in front of Ying Tian, Taiping, now stood alone in front of Chen Youliang's 100,000-strong army. Because he did not expect Chen's Han army to attack so quickly, there were only three thousand soldiers in the city, with Hua Yun as the commander-in-chief. Chen Youliang fully demonstrated his fleet's terrible strength in the battle of attacking Taiping.

  He didn't let the soldiers attack the city, but instead had them sail their ships to the wall of Taiping City by the river and said that this way they could break into the city. The soldiers thought he was joking, when their giant ships arrived at the walls of Taiping City and climbed up onto the city walls with short ladders, only then did they believe it was real. In this battle, three thousand defending soldiers were annihilated, when Chen Youding's Han army climbed down from the city walls, many defending soldiers still hadn't reacted, staring blankly at the Han army, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't understand, such a high wall, and the Yangtze River natural barrier, could it be that these people flew over?!!

  Taiping was breached, and Jingnan was like a naked child exposed to Chen Youliang's sharp sword. Chen Youliang had already killed Xu Shouhui and become the emperor, now his target was only Zhu Yuanzhang, with just 10,000 water troops, seemingly unable to withstand a blow.

  The world is already in my hands!

  It seems that heaven wants to abandon Zhu Yuanchang, no matter from which angle, he has no hope of winning. Every time when he arrives at the Xuanwu Lake and sees those dilapidated fishing boats, he always has an impulse to burn these trash with fire.

  But things always have a turning point, just before Chen Youliang's army marched south, heaven sent him a big gift, this gift was a person.

  In the fourth month of Zhizheng 20 (1360), Hu Dahu, a subordinate of Zhu Yuanzhang, captured Chuzhou. Hu was a commander who cherished talent and had heard that there were several recluses in the vicinity with great abilities, so he sent someone to invite them. These recluses referred to people who seemed promising at first but ultimately lacked substance, like those who still washed their faces after others had finished lunch. Whether or not they truly had any ability, it was always good to recruit one more person.

  The names of these hermits are Ye Chen, Zhang Yi and Liu Ji.

  The first two people received the invitation and came immediately, but this Liu Ji was asked to come but didn't.

  Hu Dahai felt that this person's pretensions were too great and didn't want to go invite him again, but someone told him that whether Ye Chen and Zhang Wei were invited or not was unimportant, this Liu Ji definitely had to be invited, because this person understood astronomy.

  Today, people's interest in astronomy is limited, but at that time, it was a remarkable skill that not everyone could learn. It belonged to the emperor's learning, and the kings on earth felt that the vast land could no longer satisfy their desires and vanity, so they linked their fate with the stars in the sky. When they were born, it was the heavenly star descending (generally accompanied by wind and rain), when they ascended to the throne, it was the purple star shining brightly, when they were usurped, it was the strange star seizing the palace, and when they died, it was the shooting star falling to the ground.

  In short, it's all about the stars, and those who understand this subject are not just talented people, but geniuses.

  Hu Dahan then reported to Zhu Yuanzhang, who was very interested and sent a man named Sun Yan to summon Liu Ji. However, Liu Ji refused to give him face, and when pressed, he returned a precious sword to Sun Yan as a gift, which was an unfriendly move. Seeing that his mission could not be accomplished, Sun Yan also became anxious, tore off the mask of warmth, and said a meaningful sentence to Liu Ji: This sword should be dedicated to the Son of Heaven, who uses it to execute those who do not obey (the sword should be presented to the Son of Heaven, to execute those who do not follow orders).

  Liu Ji understood that he couldn't afford to lose face in front of him, so he obediently went under Zhu Yuanzhang's command. However, at the time, Zhu Yuanzhang did not understand his true abilities and regarded him as a fortune teller or something similar.

  The golden child will shine!

  The Legend of Miyue: Zhu Yuanzhang Chapter 9

  Chapter word count: 3355 Updated time: July 2nd, 2022 15:46

  When the news of Taiping's fall reached Ying Tian, Zhu Yuanzhang convened his strategists to discuss countermeasures. Different opinions emerged during the meeting. Most advocated fleeing, while another faction suggested retreating to Purple Gold Mountain. However, both groups agreed on one thing: abandoning Ying Tian.

  These strategists, who were self-proclaimed geniuses in peacetime, revealed their true nature at this time. Apart from scolding Chang Yuchun, they only boasted about the strength of the Han army and how Tai Ping was lost, and how poor their own troops were.

  In short, in a word, we cannot fight, and if we do, we will surely perish.

  Zhu Yuanzhang looked at these people with disappointment, believing that most of them had already packed their bags and prepared vehicles for their wives and children to escape, ready to surrender to a new boss, and then trample on him when he fell. Taking advantage of someone's misfortune and robbing the burning house were always their specialties.

  At this time, he saw Liu Ji's face changing color, as if he had something to say. He opened his mouth and asked: "Liu Ji, do you have anything to say? Speak up."

  Liu Ji's colleagues stopped discussing and looked at Liu Ji. Since this person became an advisor under Zhu Yuanzhang, he has been silent and taciturn, and hasn't come up with any good ideas. Everyone doesn't think much of him, but because he has a very good temper and never gets angry, his relationships are not bad.

  Liu Ji stood up, the long wait and listening had worn out all his patience, he revealed his true face, no longer a good Mr., but Liu Bowen who knew the heavens and the earth, planned in secret, and won victories thousands of miles away!

  He looked down on these so-called geniuses who had always held themselves in high esteem with a scornful gaze, and said loudly in an almost hysterical tone:

  Those who say they want to surrender and run away should be killed immediately! Are you so timid?! Now the enemy is strong, but arrogant. As long as we lure them in deep and use ambushes to attack, it's easy to defeat Chen Youliang! Those who only think of running away, do they have the face to call themselves subjects?!

  He rebuked those who were weak and analyzed the situation in detail, telling everyone that Chen Youliang was not invincible, and the people around him were stunned, staring at him blankly.

  If we lose our integrity, where can we go? Although I am weak, I can fight to the death! If you want to leave, you can leave, but I will never leave!

  I will go nowhere and swear to live and die with the heavens!

  His voice was like a raging storm, sweeping through every corner of the great hall.

  Zhu Yuanzhang was filled with emotions as he looked at the many so-called followers who only thought of themselves, while this newcomer who had just started working under him could say with his own courage that he would share the fate of the city. He wasn't without fear, he knew very well that if Chen Youliang took down Ying Tian, the fruits of his years of struggle would be destroyed in an instant, and he would become a stepping stone for Chen Youliang's throne, just like Xu Shouhui. There was no possibility of becoming a monk or a farmer, only death awaited him.

  He certainly wanted to annihilate Chen Youliang in one battle, making this hateful person disappear from the world. However, Chen Youliang was too powerful, so powerful that it seemed impossible to defeat him. Those huge warships were like terrifying monsters, which would swallow him and his weak navy whole.

  Then hide, but where can you hide? Xuchang? Bozhou? Being chased around like a dog and finally being killed like a dog?

  Liu Ji's words gave him courage, a weak and timid scholar still has such determination, what am I afraid of! I was originally penniless, after going through countless hardships and dangers to get to where I am today, can't I just take a chance?!

  He stood up, scanning everyone with a stern gaze, and spat out four words: We will fight to the death here!

  After determining the strategic direction, he gathered his advisors to discuss how to deal with the enemy. At this time, the dog-headed military strategists would come up with a bunch of suggestions, both good and bad. It depends on whether the decision-maker can tell the difference. This is a win-win job. If the suggestion is correct and used, one will become a great contributor. If not used, it can also be proven that one had foresight afterwards. If a bad idea is proposed, it doesn't matter either. A wife is hard to find, but a boss is easy to find; just switch to another one.

  There was an advisor who said they should first capture Taiping and then use Taiping as a shield to engage in a decisive battle with Chen Youliang.

  Another strategist said that we should take advantage of Chen Youliang's unstable foothold and launch a surprise attack to engage in a decisive battle with him. By striking the enemy when they are halfway across, we can achieve complete victory.

  Objectively speaking, both ideas seem good and the people who proposed them are also very insightful, but can they really work?

  Zhu Yuanzhang once again demonstrated his military genius, a talent that would continue to serve him well in the future.

  He analyzed that attacking Taiping first was not feasible, because the city of Taiping was solid and could not guarantee a successful attack. Even if it were taken, it would be impossible to hold it for a short time, and Chen Youliang would take advantage of the momentum to capture Taiping and then attack Ying Tian. At that time, the main force had already been extremely exhausted and could not defend Ying Tian. Taking the initiative to launch a decisive battle was also unacceptable, because abandoning the strong city and not defending it, recklessly launching an attack, if unable to engage in a decisive battle with the enemy or defeated, the entire situation would fall into passivity.

  Finally, he spoke out his own opinion and pointed with his hand towards Longwan outside the city of Yingtian.

  "It's right here!"

  Zhu Yuanzhang's plan was to lure Chen Youliang ashore, lead him into a predetermined location and ambush him. He analyzed the direction of Chen Youliang's naval attack and believed that his fleet would definitely pass through the Yangtze River, enter the Qinhuai River and reach directly under the city wall of Nanjing. On this waterway, the only obstacle to the warship was a wooden bridge on the Sanjiao River from the Yangtze River to the west city wall of Nanjing, called Jiangdong Bridge.

  If Chen Youliang takes this route, Zhu Yuanzhang's army will directly face the terrifying fleet of the Han army, so Chen Youliang cannot be allowed to take this route.

  Zhu Yuanzhang designated Longwan as the burial site for Chen Youliang's Han army. Longwan has a large open area, where the Han army could only land on shore, while his own troops could use the local limestone hills as cover and launch a surprise attack from behind at any time. This was the best place for an ambush.

  Zhu Yuanzhang summoned his senior generals, who had followed him from Huai'an to overthrow the Yuan dynasty, and were all seasoned veterans. Zhu fully trusted them, and in their presence, he cast aside his previous hesitation and announced his plan with a confident expression.

  He first ordered Shao Rong, who was garrisoning the city directly to the north, to abandon his position, because he was guarding precisely that key place - Longwan.

  Secondly, he ordered Yang Jing, Zhao De Sheng, Chang Yu Chun and Xu Da to lead their troops to ambush at Longwan and Nancheng, and attack as soon as the Han army entered the ambush circle.

  He himself led a reserve force stationed on Lion's Hill in the northwest as the last battle force.

  "This time, I will be the commander-in-chief. When I wave the red flag, it means the enemy has arrived. When I wave the yellow flag, you must launch a full-scale attack and fight to the end!"

  However, Xu Da raised a question: if Chen Youliang's army did not occupy Longwan and directly attacked Ying Tian from the Qinhuai River, this plan would be impossible to execute.

  Yes, that makes sense. Chen Youliang led the naval forces and must have taken the water route. Why would he give up his own advantage to fight a land war with Zhu Yuanzhang?

  A sly smile appeared on Zhu Yuanzhang's face as he pointed to one of the generals and said, "It's up to you now."

  His name is Kang Mao Cai.

  This is a strategic conspiracy, Kong Maochai was originally a general under Chen Youliang, but later defected to Zhu Yuanzhang. However, he still maintained secret contact with Chen Youliang under Zhu's instructions. In modern terms, he was a double agent and a pawn planted by Zhu in Chen's camp.

  Kong Maochai had already sent a messenger to Chen Youliang, saying he would defect and suggesting that Chen Youliang attack by water route. He promised to meet Chen Youliang at the Jiangdong Bridge and remove the only bridge blocking the advance of the naval forces, allowing Chen Youliang's fleet to sail directly up the Qinhuai River to the walls of Nanjing. Chen Youliang was overjoyed and promised to heavily reward Kong Maochai after their victory. After receiving Chen Youliang's response, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered Li Shanchang to rebuild a stone bridge overnight.

  This stone bridge will give Chen Youliang the heaviest spiritual blow.

  Zhu Yuanzhang announced his entire battle plan, looking at his generals with a firm gaze: "Since we set out from Huizhou, we have gone through countless hardships and defeated countless enemies to gain the land we have today. Although Chen Youliang is stronger than us, as long as we dare to fight, victory will surely be ours!"

  I know I'm right!

  Zhu Yuanzhang was an extraordinary person

  On the road to the Gate of Victory, you will pick up many keys. Some are ancient and some shine with gold, but only one can open that door.

  When making decisions, there will be many people whispering their own opinions in your ear, handing you the keys they hold, and letting you choose, but the cruelest part of this game is

  You have one chance to try

  If you fail, you will lose everything.

  In the conduct of war there is a time for everything; and it is only the great geniuses, like Napoleon, who know how to seize the favorable moment.

  Zhu Yuanzhang, in that complex and complicated environment, among countless suggestions, insisted on his own views, firmly grasping the key to opening the door to victory.

  His success is not accidental, he deserves it.

  He is waiting for Chen Youliang's arrival

  Chen Youliang was now immersed in great joy, he had become the emperor, and all civil and military officials were bowing their heads before him, listening to his instructions. His fleet had already arrived at the city gate, and it would be conquered soon. Zhu Yuanzhang would disappear forever from the world, and the people of this land would become his subjects under his rule.

  I am not a descendant of fishermen, never have been!

  Good news one after another, Kang Maocai, who has infiltrated Zhu Yuanzhang's army, has become my inside line. He will open the way to Ying Tian for me tomorrow, and my fleet will conquer this rich place without any obstacles. Then it will be Zhang Shicheng's turn, but he is just a weak guy and won't be my opponent. I will be the final winner!

  The Legend of Miyue: Zhu Yuanzhang Chapter 10

  Chapter word count: 5342 Updated time: July 2nd, 2022 15:46

  On June 23, 1360, the seventh day after Xu Shouhui was killed, Chen Youliang led his fleet along the Qinhuai River and attacked all the way to Jiangdong Bridge. Chen Youliang couldn't hide his excitement, personally disembarked, and called out the liaison password in a low voice under the cover of night:

  Long time no see!

  No one answered

  The second voice

  Long time no see!

  Still no one answered

  Chen Youliang took advantage of the bright moonlight to carefully observe Jiangdong Bridge, and was surprised to find that it was not a wooden bridge as Kang Maocai had said, but a stone bridge!

  Chen Youliang felt his blood congeal, and he shouted out the famous phrase that countless people had shouted before him and would shout again after him:

  Got it!

  According to his estimate, it should be "torches everywhere, killing sounds all over the place, ambush troops rushing out"; however, after he panicked for a while, he found that nothing had happened. What's going on? The usually astute Chen Youyan is now at a loss, could it be that Kang Mao has something to do and can't come?

  However, it's very dangerous here and we can't stay for long.

  At this time, he received news that his younger brother Chen Youren had led an army of 10,000 men to land at Longwan in the north of Xinhekou and defeated the garrison troops stationed there, waiting for the arrival of the main force.

  Then go ashore at Longwan Bay.

  Chen Youliang ordered the fleet to speed up and arrived at Longwan in the afternoon of that day. After that, he organized soldiers to land, everything went smoothly, but what he didn't know was that a pair of eyes were watching him from not far away on Lion Mountain.

  Those were Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes

  His guess was correct, and Chen Youliang indeed abandoned his intention to attack Jiangdong Bridge. He was a suspicious person and would naturally choose a safe method of attack.

  After ascertaining that all the soldiers had entered the ambush circle, Zhu Yuanzhang waved the red flag.

  At this time, the five armies hiding behind Shiguan Mountain, opposite Tiannan City and Dashengguan Pass, emerged from different places, but they did not wave flags or shout, instead quietly watching the Han army, as they had not received orders to attack.

  The Han soldiers finally found themselves falling into a big bag, the enemy was right in front of them, even their armor could be seen shining, and these enemies were motionless, staring at them with a strange gaze, that kind of gaze seemed like butchers looking at pigs and sheep during Chinese New Year.

  A terrible silence fell on the battlefield

  More terrifying than death

  It's a spine-tingling scene.

  They did not have to wait long in this dreadful silence, as Zhu Yuanzhang on Lion's Mountain waved the yellow flag.

  The five-route army, led by Xu Da, Chang Yuchun and Feng Sheng, launched a rolling attack on the Han army. The cavalry came and went freely, sweeping everything before them! The Han army, already in a state of panic, was unable to resist. They fled towards their ships, but it happened to be low tide at that time, so the ships were stranded. Most of the Han soldiers could only jump into the Yangtze River to escape. Chen Youliang squeezed onto a small boat that could move and escaped, fleeing all the way to Jiujiang, where his dream of victory was shattered.

  The Han army left 20,000 corpses on the battlefield and took 7,000 prisoners. Zhu Yuanzhang's forces suffered almost no casualties and captured over 100 large ships and hundreds of smaller boats, with which he prepared for the final battle to come.

  Chen Youliang was defeated and fled back to Jiangxi, while Zhang Shicheng, as Zhu Yuanzhang said, "had a small vessel" and watched Chen Youliang being beaten with his eyes wide open. He only sent a few thousand soldiers to march armed in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang border area with Zhu Yuanzhang, and then returned home. This person was indeed like what Chen Youliang said, he would not be anxious until the knife was placed on his neck.

  The day after the victory of Longwan, a pilgrim arrived at the temple on top of Zijin Mountain. At that time, Ying Tian was already under the jurisdiction of Zhu Yuanzhang, but the security situation was still not good, so the monks in the temple would close the temple gate tightly as soon as it got dark. On this evening, the pilgrim walked into the temple's main gate, saying that he couldn't travel at night and hoped to stay overnight. The little monk who guarded the door saw that the man looked ugly and very fierce, and didn't dare to stop him, letting him enter the inner temple.

  The abbot of the temple, upon hearing this, hastily came out to see. When he first saw this person, he couldn't help but be shocked. However, as someone who was used to big scenes, after taking a closer look, he suddenly felt that this person had an air of grandeur about him and was carrying a precious sword on his body. He secretly suspected that this person was likely a powerful bandit from outside, the kind of person you couldn't afford to offend. If he were to be enraged, he might burn down the temple in a fit of anger, so what would happen to himself, his wife, and children? Thus, he decided to let him stay for the night.

  This man was none other than Zhu Yuanzhang, the guardian of heaven. After his victory in Longwan, he became somewhat complacent and often went out on patrol in disguise, a habit that would last for decades to come. On this day, he arrived at the foot of Zijin Mountain and saw a Buddhist temple on the mountain. He recalled his own experiences as a monk years ago and decided to visit the temple.

  That night, the abbot couldn't sleep, thinking about it over and over again. He was afraid that the man with a strong suspicion of being a thief would cause trouble at night, but he couldn't say this directly. After careful consideration, he finally came up with a good idea. He decided to invite this person to give a lecture on Zen in the main hall.

  Talking about Zen is roughly the same as the idle chatter of the Wei and Jin dynasties. A group of people eat their fill, sit together, and brag, anyway, bragging doesn't require paying taxes.

  Zhu Yuanzhang was woken up in the middle of the night, only to find out that he was being asked to give a lecture on Zen. He couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. As a shrewd person, he naturally understood the abbot's intention. Since he was still a guest in someone else's place, he followed the abbot to the grand hall out of courtesy.

  At this time, in the empty and spacious hall, there were only two people. After they sat down facing each other, the abbot began to carefully examine Zhu Yuanzhang. He found that this person was dressed simply, although his facial features looked fierce, but his demeanor still showed a hint of rusticity, instantly looking down on him greatly

  He's a robber who has reached this point, he doesn't even have a decent set of clothes, calling him a robber is an honor to him, at most he's just a country bumpkin.

  "But since we are talking about Zen, I still have to say something. So the abbot spoke up: 'Where is the donor from?'"

  Zhu Yuanzhang replied: "I dare to trouble the master to ask, I am from the south of the Huai River."

  "What business do you have here?"

  "Currently unemployed, just wandering around as a knight-errant."

  The abbot listened and felt that his judgment was correct, so he prepared to teach this country bumpkin a lesson.

  "I observe the donor's facial features, which seem to have a murderous aura. The world below is in great chaos. I hope the donor will choose a good profession early on, be content with his lot, and when he has time, study Buddhism without distractions, so as to understand the principles of human life."

  Zhu Yuanzhang asked calmly: "I don't know what is meant by 'the reason of human life'."

  The principle of life is in two words: "heart" and "environment". I give you, the donor, two true sayings to ponder over.

  "Would you kindly enlighten me?"

  "Our ancestors said: When the boundary is forgotten, the mind will naturally perish, and when the mind perishes, the boundary will not be invaded. Human life is nothing but an illusion; once you attain this state, you can enjoy peace and tranquility."

  Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the monk in front of him with a slight sneer on his face, remained silent for a long time, and suddenly burst out laughing!

  Laughter echoed in the empty and spacious hall, lingering for a long time.

  The abbot was shocked and turned pale. Zhu Yuanzhang stood up, walked slowly towards Yuanpu, suddenly drew out the precious sword from his waist, and placed it on the abbot's neck!

  The temple master could no longer conceal his true nature, and in a panic-stricken tone, he stammered: "What do you want? If it's money, I'll give it to you."

  Zhu Yuanzhang said in a stern voice: "The master's mental state is so good, why are you also afraid! Today's chaos is only because the people are struggling to survive, the soldiers and horses are in disarray, just watching from the other side of the river. If the world were at peace, who would want to be a wandering knight? You people eat well every day, marry and have children, but only talk about mental states, living in shame!!"

  Having finished speaking, Zhu Yuanzhang sheathed his sword and walked towards his own chamber.

  It wasn't until now that he realized the person in front of him, who was dressed so simply, was actually unfathomably profound.

  He shouted loudly at Zhu Yuanzhang's back: "This poor monk has eyes but fails to recognize Mount Tai, dare I ask the master's surname and great name?!"

  Zhu Yuanzhang's back figure did not stay, and went further and further away.

  Zhū chí guī fáng yī yè wèi mián, tā de zhí jué gào suǒ tā, zhè ge rén shì gè liǎo bù qǐ de rén wù, tā juédìng dì èr tiān yào wèn gè míng bái.

  English Translation:

  The abbot returned to his quarters and didn't sleep all night, his intuition told him that this person was an extraordinary figure, he decided to ask for clarification the next day.

  The next day, he got up and ran to Zhu Yuanzhang's Chan room, but it was already empty. On the wall of the main hall, however, there were a few lines of large characters written in cinnabar:

  Slaughtered all the hundred thousand troops of Jiangnan, the precious sword at his waist still stained with blood!

  The old monk didn't recognize the heroic Han, he just kept asking his name repeatedly.

  For Chen Youliang, failure was unbearable. After all, he had always been a winner, but this time he lost thoroughly. He believed that the lesson of his previous defeat lay in not fully utilizing his navy, so he devoted more energy to training his fleet. It can be said that Chen Youliang made contributions to China's shipbuilding industry. The navigation technology and shipbuilding techniques used by the great Zheng He's fleet later were inherited from Chen Youliang, or rather, taken away from him.

  This time, he manufactured a secret weapon, which was a very formidable warship. This warship was several zhang high and had three layers up and down. Each layer could ride horses back and forth. The lower layer only rowed the boat, and the upper and lower layers were separated. This design was very scientific. The top was fighting fiercely, and the bottom could still maintain power. What's even more frightening is that each ship was wrapped in iron skin on the outside, which should be a true aircraft carrier at that time.

  Another design that reflects Chen Youliang's character is the excellent sound insulation between the upper and lower decks of this warship. Even with only a layer of wooden boards separating them, you can't hear people talking above. It seems that Chen Youliang was one of the pioneers of China's soundproofing technology. The biggest advantage of this design is that it can isolate people, even if the upper deck loses a battle, the lower deck will still fight to the death, and it can also prevent leaks. Anyway, follow me, Chen Youliang, all the way to the end.

  This kind of clever and resourceful person is really admirable.

  At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang downstream was not easy either. He knew that the last defeat was a loss for Chen Youliang, who was wealthy and arrogant, just a drop in the bucket. A big family with many daughters, when encountering disasters such as famine, didn't have to worry, they could get through it by tightening their belts. But he himself was still a genuine poor farmer, with only that little bit of equipment seized from Chen Youliang's hands. If something happened, who would he turn to for help?

  What's even more annoying is that Chen Youliang was upstream, and he was downstream, which made him very uncomfortable. This mentality is actually easy to understand, just like when you live at the foot of a mountain, and someone else lives on top of it, every time you have to look up at them, it's really unbearable.

  Chen Youliang washed his face in the river, and Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to drink the water he used to wash his face.

  Chen Youliang was washing his feet in the river, and Zhu Yuanzhang wanted to drink the water he used to wash his feet.

  Chen Youliang urinated in the river, Zhu Yuanzhang...

  This man who cannot be shaken off is like the sword of Damocles, always hanging over Zhu Yuanzhang's head, how can he have a good night's sleep.

  Must defeat him

  Chen Youliang had acquired new-style weapons and was overjoyed. From the first year of Zhizheng (1361) on, he constantly fought naval battles with Zhu Yuanzhang, winning more often than losing, and became even more superstitious about the power of his weapons.

  It should be said that Chen Youliang's failure was largely due to his failure to recognize what kind of weapon is the strongest, not the number of troops, not whether the weapons are advanced, nor a powerful fleet, but the hearts of men.

  Zhao Pu was an excellent general, every time he attacked, he always led the charge with a pair of swords in hand, never one to shout "Brothers, go up!" He had high prestige and also treated Chen Youliang well. Because he himself was uneducated, he admired Chen Youliang's literacy and called him Chen Xiucan, treating him like his own brother. However, Chen Youliang killed him in order to control the Tianwan Kingdom, and Zhao Pu even at death did not expect that the Chen Xiucan who had always smiled and welcomed him would kill him.

  Chen Youliang achieved his goal, but what he didn't know was that he had lost far more than he had gained. From the whispers and discussions of his soldiers, from the strange looks in the eyes of his subordinates, he seemed to have sensed something, but he didn't care, for he controlled the most powerful war machine, and he was the strongest person.

  The change was in people's hearts, this is a treacherous and unfaithful person, people's evaluation of Chen Youliang was roughly like this, from then on the soldiers of Tianwan no longer fought for the establishment of their ideal Tianwan country, they fought only to get paid and survive.

  An army without an ideal to fight for is a pitiful thing; it is but a mob of men who are looking for a master.

  Chen Youliang will soon taste the bitter fruit of his actions.

  When Chen Youliang's navy was winning victory after victory, his subordinates reported a piece of bad news to him: the general guarding Hongdu had defected and surrendered to Zhu Yuanzhang. This news stunned Chen Youliang.

  What is referred to as Hongdu is today's Nanchang, Jiangxi. In Wang Bo's preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng, there is a mention of the new government office in Hongdu. This place was too important for Chen Youliang, because his Wu State capital was in Jiangzhou (now Jiujiang, Jiangxi), and these two places were very close. Friends who have been to Jiangxi should know that this is equivalent to having a nail installed under one's own eyelid. He would never allow such a situation to occur.

  But unexpectedly, Chen Youliang did not rush to attack this time. From his usual military style, he was the kind of person who thought and then acted, and then thought again after acting.

  But this time is different, he learned a lesson and wants to be fully prepared before going into battle. He's not a patient man, and with Zhu Yuanzhang, from the 21st to the 22nd year of Zhizheng, it was all just small skirmishes. He didn't have the heart to continue messing around with poor farmer Zhu Yuanzhang.

  He is waiting for an optimal moment, before that, just be patient, Zhu Yuanzhang, you will eventually reveal your weakness.

  He indeed waited for this opportunity

  In the second month of the 23rd year of Zhizheng (1363), Zhang Shicheng suddenly launched an attack on Han Liner and Liu Futong, his northern neighbors. He attacked Anfeng (now Anhui Shou County), a key stronghold of the Red Turban Army led by Han, and more fatally, both Han Liner and Liu Futong were in the city. If the city fell, they would be finished.

  The reason why Zhang Shicheng attacked Han Lin'er is simple. He had already surrendered to the Yuan Dynasty in the 17th year of Zhongyuan (AD 1357) and was now a regular army of the Yuan government. Compared with Chen Youliang, who did all the bad things and still dared to be complacent, he was a softie. What's more ironic is that not long after, he restored his own country name Wu, what a private salt merchant!

  Liu Futong is in despair, Xu Shouhui was from the Red Turban Army system, but he's gone, who can be relied on now? Having fought battles for a lifetime, it ends up like this.

  It can only rely on Zhu Yuanzhang, although he did not seal the position of Commander-in-Chief to him, but he still believes that he will be able to save me in the face of being a fellow Red Turban rebel.

  He sent a distress signal to Zhu Yuanzhang, who received it and consulted with Liu Ji about the matter. Liu Ji did not speak first, but asked for Zhu Yuanzhang's opinion. Zhu Yuanzhang believed that they must rescue him, for two reasons: firstly, he was also a Red Turban rebel, and Han Lin'er was still his emperor in name; secondly, and most importantly, Anfeng was the gateway to Nanjing, and if it fell, Nanjing would also be threatened, as the lips and teeth are closely related.

  This was another seemingly irrefutable reason, and it was made by Zhu Yuanzhang himself, but Liu Ji opposed.

  What reason can he use to oppose?

  Liu Ji and Zhu Yuanzhang were at odds with each other. Liu Ji made a point-by-point rebuttal to Zhu Yuanzhang's two arguments.

  Firstly, Han Lin'er has no more use value, going to rescue Han Lin'er is pointless, if she can't be rescued then it's fine, but if she is rescued, how will she be handled?

  Secondly, losing Anfeng is a minor matter; if Chen Youliang takes advantage of the situation and attacks, what should be done?

  It was really difficult to make a decision, Zhu Yuanzhang thought hard and decided to adopt his own opinion and send troops to Anfeng.

  Liu Ji firmly held his own opinion, he grabbed Zhu Yuanzhang's sleeve and wouldn't let him go, insisting that he abandon the plan to attack Anfeng.

  Zhu Yuanzhang was a very stubborn person. For a long time, his feelings had always been right, and this time he still believed in his own feelings.

  From this matter, looking at Liu Ji, it can be seen that this person is indeed a rare talent, not only understanding astronomy and geography, but also having a level of thick and dark learning that is in no way inferior to Chen Youliang. He understands that the best way to avoid the evil name of regicide is to let the monarch die himself.

  Liu Bowen's reputation is indeed not undeserved.

  But Zhu Yuanzhang was at that time obviously inferior to Liu Ji in this aspect.

  Zhu Yuanzhang finally led his great army out.

  A grave mistake was made here

  Just like three years ago when he stood on Lion's Hill watching Chen Youliang, now Chen Youliang was also in Jiangzhou watching him.

  A strong sense of joy struck him

  The opportunity has finally arrived!