Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

During the exercise, Zhu Qiwu personally instructed the soldiers, correcting their mistakes and teaching them combat techniques. The soldiers were also very serious, working hard to learn new skills and improve their combat capabilities.

After a period of training, the soldiers became very proficient in using the new weapons, and their tactical coordination improved significantly. Zhu Qiwu felt the time was ripe and suggested to Zhu Yuanzhang that they launch another attack on Chen Youliang.

"Fourth Brother, our army is now much stronger and our soldiers are in high spirits. It's the perfect time to attack Chen Youliang. We can defeat him before he recovers his strength," Zhu Qiwu said.

After thinking for a moment, Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Seven Five, your idea makes a lot of sense. However, Chen Youliang is a cunning man, and we cannot underestimate him. Go and gather more intelligence about him and see what he has been up to lately."

Zhu Qiwu nodded: "Don't worry, Fourth Brother, I'll arrange for someone to investigate right away."

Soon, Tang He and Zhou Dexing brought back the latest intelligence about Chen Youliang.

"Fourth Brother, Seventy-Five, after Chen Youliang's defeat, he has been accumulating strength, attempting to fight us again. He has recently been secretly recruiting soldiers and expanding his army, and has also colluded with some Jianghu forces, attempting to use them to deal with us," Tang He said.

Zhou Dexing added, "Moreover, Chen Youliang is also strengthening the defenses of his navy, setting up a large number of traps and obstacles along the river, seemingly having learned from the previous experience."

After hearing this, Zhu Qiwu pondered a plan: "Fourth Brother, since Chen Youliang is prepared, we cannot attack in the conventional way. We can use a feint attack, first sending a part of the army to pretend to attack one of his strongholds to attract his attention, and then we will lead the main force to circle around to his rear and launch a surprise attack."

Xu Da nodded in agreement: "Qi Wu's plan is excellent, making it impossible for Chen Youliang to defend against. However, the troops we send to feign defeat must be realistic enough to deceive him."

Zhu Yuanzhang immediately decided: "Alright, let's do as Qi Wu said. Xu Da, you lead a part of the army to feign an attack on one of Chen Youliang's strongholds; Qi Wu, you and I will lead the main force to circle around to his rear. Tang He and Zhou Dexing, you are responsible for receiving and supporting him."

The group accepted the order and went off to begin their preparations.

Several days later, Xu Da led his feint troops to attack one of Chen Youliang's strongholds as planned. Upon receiving the news, Chen Youliang indeed fell into the trap. He thought that Zhu Yuanzhang's main force was there and immediately led his army to reinforce it.

Just after Chen Youliang's army left his stronghold, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Qiwu led their main force to quickly circle around to his rear. Taking advantage of the vulnerability of Chen Youliang's rear, they launched a surprise attack.

"Kill!" Zhu Yuanzhang gave the order, and the soldiers charged towards Chen Youliang's camp like tigers descending a mountain. Chen Youliang's soldiers were caught off guard and immediately fell into chaos.

Zhu Qiwu, wielding a long spear, charged at the forefront of the column. His marksmanship was fierce, and enemies fell wherever he went. Under his leadership, the soldiers' morale soared, and they advanced with unstoppable momentum.

When Chen Youliang learned that his rear had been attacked, he was shocked: "Zhu Yuanzhang, how cunning you are!" He hurriedly ordered his troops to return to the rescue, but it was too late.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Qiwu's armies had occupied most of Chen Youliang's camps, cutting off his retreat. Chen Youliang's army was in dire straits, and morale was low.

After a fierce battle, Chen Youliang's army finally succumbed and surrendered en masse. Seeing that all was lost, Chen Youliang attempted to break through the encirclement and escape with a few close followers.

Zhu Qiwu, with his sharp eyes, spotted Chen Youliang and shouted, "Chen Youliang, where do you think you're going!" With that, he mounted his horse and chased after Chen Youliang.

Chen Youliang fled desperately, but Zhu Qiwu's horse was faster and quickly caught up with him. The two engaged in a thrilling chase on horseback.

"Chen Youliang, you will not escape today!" Zhu Qiwu shouted.

Chen Youliang said through gritted teeth, "Zhu Qiwu, I have no grudge against you, why are you pressing me so hard!"

Zhu Qiwu sneered: "You have committed numerous evils, attempted to dominate the world, and harmed the people. Today, I will act on behalf of Heaven to bring about justice!"

As the two were talking, Zhu Qiwu seized the opportunity and thrust his spear at Chen Youliang. Chen Youliang was unable to dodge in time, was stabbed in the shoulder, and fell from his horse.

Zhu Qiwu jumped off his horse and walked up to Chen Youliang: "Chen Youliang, you are at your wit's end, why don't you surrender!"

Chen Youliang looked at Zhu Qiwu, his eyes filled with despair and resentment: "I never thought that I, Chen Youliang, who have dominated the world, would ultimately be defeated by a mere brat like you." With that, he drew his sword, preparing to commit suicide.

Zhu Qiwu reacted swiftly, kicking Chen Youliang's sword away: "You want to die? Not so easy! I'll make you live to see this world return to the hands of the Han!"

At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang also led his army to arrive. Looking at the captured Chen Youliang, he was filled with mixed emotions: "Chen Youliang, you've finally met your match. However, I will not kill you, but I will make you pay the price for your actions."

No sooner had Zhu Yuanzhang finished speaking than Chen Youliang burst into wild laughter: "Zhu Chongba, do you think you've won by capturing me? Although I, Chen Youliang, have been defeated, I still have many forces under my command, and they will surely avenge me!"

Zhu Qiwu sneered and stepped forward, saying, "Chen Youliang, stop dreaming. Your remaining forces are nothing but a disorganized mess. My fourth brother and I will eliminate them one by one."

Chen Youliang glared at Zhu Qiwu, gritting his teeth as he said, "You brat, you only rely on some strange tricks and gimmicks. If you really relied on your skills, how could you be my match!"

Zhu Qiwu crossed his arms and said disdainfully, "Strange skills and tricks? That's still a skill. If you had that skill, you wouldn't have ended up like this."

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, signaling Zhu Qiwu not to argue any further. He looked at Chen Youliang and said, "Chen Youliang, you have committed many evils and harmed countless people. You deserve to be in this state today. However, I, Zhu Yuanzhang, always keep my word. I will not kill you, but I will not let you have an easy time either."

After saying this, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered Chen Youliang to be taken away and placed under strict guard. At this moment, Xu Da stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Brother, now that Chen Youliang has been defeated, shouldn't we take advantage of the victory and completely wipe out his remaining forces?"

Tang He also quickly chimed in, "Yes, brother, now is the perfect time to expand our gains. If we don't seize this opportunity, things might change later."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and said, "Although Chen Youliang has been defeated, he has been building his power base for many years, and his influence is deeply entrenched. He should not be underestimated. If we attack rashly, we may find ourselves in trouble. This matter needs to be considered carefully."

Zhu Qiwu's eyes lit up, and he said, "Fourth Brother, I have an idea. We can first send people to secretly investigate the distribution of Chen Youliang's remaining forces, find out their strength, and then formulate a detailed battle plan. At the same time, we can spread the news that Chen Youliang is dead, to shake their morale." Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes flashed with approval after hearing this: "Qiwu, your idea is good. However, this matter needs to be handled by a capable person."

Xu Da volunteered, saying, "Brother, I am willing to go and investigate the situation of Chen Youliang's remaining forces."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Alright, Xu Da, I'm entrusting this matter to you. You must be careful and cautious, and absolutely must not alert the enemy."

Xu Da accepted the order and left. Zhu Yuanzhang then said to Tang He, "Tang He, lead a portion of your troops to garrison nearby, in case Chen Youliang's remaining forces launch a sudden counterattack."

Tang He replied, "Yes, elder brother." After saying that, he went to arrange the troop deployment.

Zhu Qiwu looked at Zhu Yuanzhang and smiled, "Fourth Brother, now that Chen Youliang has been defeated, we are one step closer to overthrowing the Yuan Dynasty and restoring the Han Dynasty. However, we will definitely encounter many difficulties in the process, so you must be prepared."

Zhu Yuanzhang patted Zhu Qiwu on the shoulder and said with emotion, "Qiwu, we have been fortunate to have your help along the way. Without your ingenious plans and the system rewards, we would not have made such a smooth journey. However, the road ahead is still very long, and we must proceed with caution step by step."

At this moment, Zhou Dexing rushed over and said, "Brother, there is a man outside the camp who claims to be a former subordinate of Chen Youliang and wants to see me. He says he has important intelligence to offer."

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Qiwu exchanged a glance, and Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Bring him in."

A short while later, a thin man with cunning eyes was brought into the tent. As soon as the man saw Zhu Yuanzhang, he knelt down with a thud and kowtowed, saying, "General Zhu, my name is Wang Er, and I am a former subordinate of Chen Youliang. Now that Chen Youliang has been defeated, I am willing to abandon the darkness and serve General Zhu."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at him coldly and asked, "You said you have important intelligence to offer, what intelligence is it?"

Wang Er hurriedly said, "General Zhu, although Chen Youliang suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Poyang Lake, he still has a secret force hidden in Mount Lu. This force is well-equipped and well-trained, and is Chen Youliang's elite army. He originally planned to send this force out of the mountains to fight you to the death when the time was right."

Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and asked, "Is what you said true?"

Wang Er hurriedly swore, "Commander Zhu, if I have uttered even the slightest lie, may I be struck by lightning. I know the exact location and troop deployment of this army, and I am willing to lead the way for Commander Zhu to annihilate them in one fell swoop."

Zhu Qiwu looked Wang Er up and down, a hint of suspicion in his eyes. He asked, "Since you are a former subordinate of Chen Youliang, why did you betray him? Is there some kind of conspiracy?"

Wang Er said with a bitter face, "Young Master Zhu, I was forced into this situation. Chen Youliang is suspicious by nature and extremely harsh on his subordinates. Working under him, I was always on edge, afraid that I would lose my life at any moment. Now that he has been defeated, if I don't find another way out, I will only face death. Therefore, I decided to join General Zhu, just hoping to save my life."

After pondering for a moment, Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Wang Er, if what you say is true, I, Zhu Yuanzhang, will certainly not treat you unfairly. But if you dare to play any tricks, don't blame me for being impolite."

Wang Er quickly kowtowed and said, "General Zhu, rest assured, I would never dare to have any disloyal thoughts."

Zhu Yuanzhang turned to Zhu Qiwu and asked, "Qiwu, what do you think of this matter?"

Zhu Qiwu thought for a moment and said, "Fourth Brother, this matter is a bit strange. We can't easily trust this Wang Er. However, we can send a small team to Lushan with him to investigate. If the situation is true, it won't be too late to send troops to wipe him out."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Seven Five, you've thought this through. Zhou Dexing, select a team of elite men to accompany Wang Er to Lushan to investigate the situation. Remember, be extremely careful, and retreat immediately if anything seems amiss."

Zhou Dexing replied, "Yes, elder brother." After saying that, he went to select men and horses.

Seeing this, Wang Er felt a little uneasy, but he still tried to remain calm and said, "General Zhu, rest assured, I will cooperate fully."

After Zhou Dexing led a group of men and Wang Er off, Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Qiwu continued to discuss the next steps in the camp. Zhu Qiwu suddenly remembered the system check-in, so he said to Zhu Yuanzhang, "Fourth Brother, I'll go outside the camp to check in and see what rewards I can get."

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "Alright, go ahead. You might get some great reward this time, which will be helpful for our next operation."

Zhu Qiwu arrived outside the tent and silently signed in. A moment later, a system notification sounded: "Sign-in successful. You have received a cannon manufacturing blueprint."

Zhu Qiwu was overjoyed. These cannons were powerful weapons; if they could be manufactured, they would play a significant role in dealing with the Yuan army and the remnants of Chen Youliang's forces. He quickly returned to his tent and told Zhu Yuanzhang about it.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang was overjoyed: "Seventh Five, these cannon manufacturing blueprints are a valuable resource. With them, we can manufacture cannons and enhance our combat capabilities. However, manufacturing cannons is no easy task; it requires skilled craftsmen and materials."

Zhu Qiwu said confidently, "Fourth Brother, don't worry. Although I don't understand the specific technology of manufacturing cannons, I can guide the craftsmen to manufacture them based on the instructions on the blueprints. As for the materials, we can search everywhere and I believe we can gather them."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded: "Good, Qiwu, I'll leave this matter to you. Gather the craftsmen as soon as possible and start manufacturing cannons."

Zhu Qiwu accepted the order and left. He searched far and wide for craftsmen and finally found several experienced blacksmiths and carpenters in the army. Zhu Qiwu showed them the cannon manufacturing blueprints and explained the manufacturing methods and requirements in detail.

The craftsmen looked at the blueprints with expressions of surprise and doubt. One of the older craftsmen said, "Young Master Zhu, the structure of this cannon is so complex that we have never seen anything like it before. It will probably be very difficult to manufacture."

Zhu Qiwu encouraged them, "Master craftsmen, although this cannon is difficult to manufacture, I believe that with your skills and experience, you will definitely succeed. As long as we work together, we will surely be able to manufacture a powerful cannon."

Encouraged by Zhu Qiwu, the craftsmen began to manufacture cannons. They collected materials from all over and worked day and night. Zhu Qiwu also frequently visited the craftsmen's workplace to check on the progress and resolve any problems they encountered.

Meanwhile, Zhou Dexing and his men, along with Wang Er, had arrived at the foot of Mount Lu. Wang Er pointed to a small path ahead and said, "General Zhou, follow this path, and you'll find the hiding place of Chen Youliang's secret force." (End of Chapter)