Ming Dynasty: He was ordered to give lectures in prison, but Lao Zhu eavesdropped and made people nu

Chapter 690 Reclaiming the Silver Mine
The Nanjing Imperial Palace, the morning light is just breaking.

Zhu Yuanzhang, wearing a plain dragon robe, stood in front of the hall, with deep worry between his brows. He tightly held the hand of his fourth son Zhu Di, and his calloused hands conveyed heavy expectations.

"My son, take care of yourself!" Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was low and powerful, and his eyes were as sharp as torches, as if he wanted to engrave all his instructions into Zhu Di's heart.

Zhu Di knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and said solemnly: "Father, rest assured, I will take the overall situation into consideration and not bring disgrace to the Ming family!"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly, patted his shoulder, and said: "This time the Japanese pirates are rampant and plundered our Ming silver mines. If we don't punish them severely, they will think that our Ming is weak and can be bullied. You must wipe out the Japanese pirates and take back the silver mines to boost the prestige of our country!"

"Your son obeys your command!" Zhu Di responded solemnly.

On that day, Zhu Di led 3,000 elite troops, assisted by General Sun Da, left Nanjing and headed towards the southeast coast.

The team was marching on a rugged mountain road, with steep mountains and shrouded in clouds and mist. The soldiers carried bags on their backs, held spears in their hands, and walked with firm steps. Sun Da rode on his horse with sharp eyes, and looked back from time to time to check on the team's situation.

"Your Highness, the mountain road ahead is narrow, so you need to be careful." Sun Da reminded.

Zhu Di nodded and said in a deep voice: "Pass the order down, the whole army should be on alert and guard against ambushes."

The team crossed the steep mountains and passed through the dense forests, occasionally hearing the roar of wild beasts. At night, they camped in the forest, and the campfire reflected the determined faces.

Sun Da sat next to Zhu Di and whispered, "Your Highness, the Japanese pirates may have made preparations to occupy the silver mine this time. We need to act with caution."

Zhu Di looked deep in his eyes and said, "The Japanese pirates have always been cunning, but this time they dared to touch the silver mines of our Ming Dynasty, and they are seeking their own death!"

Sun Da nodded and said, "The court has ordered all coastal garrisons to cooperate with our actions. As long as we find the Japanese pirates' stronghold, we can wipe them out in one fell swoop."

Zhu Di sneered: "How dare the Japanese bandits invade the territory of the Ming Dynasty? This time, I will make sure they never return!"

On the third day, the team entered a swampy area. The muddy ground made it difficult for people and horses to move, and if they were not careful, they would fall into the quagmire.

"Watch your step!" Sun Da warned loudly.

A soldier accidentally stepped into deep mud and sank up to his knees in an instant. His companions beside him hurriedly grabbed him and it took a lot of effort to pull him out.

Zhu Di frowned and said, "If we continue like this, the marching speed will be too slow."

Sun Da thought for a moment and said, "Your Highness, why don't we send scouts to explore the way and find a safe path."

Zhu Di nodded: "Okay, arrange it immediately."

Soon, the scouts reported that they had found a more solid path, and the team was able to continue moving forward.

As night fell, the swamp was filled with fog and it was eerily quiet. Suddenly, there was a rustling sound in the distance.

"Be on guard!" Sun Da shouted in a low voice, and the soldiers immediately tightened their weapons.

In the darkness, several black shadows flashed by, and then several arrows flew through the air!

"Enemy attack!" Zhu Di shouted and quickly drew his sword to block.

"Protect His Highness!" Sun Da roared, and the soldiers immediately formed a defensive formation.

After the rain of arrows, dozens of black-clad warriors rushed out of the mist, holding Japanese swords, and pounced fiercely on the Ming army!

"Japanese pirates!" Zhu Di's eyes flashed coldly and he swung his sword to meet the enemy.

Zhu Di and Sun Da fought back to back with the Japanese pirates. The Japanese pirates were agile and had sharp swordsmanship, but the Ming army was well-trained and coordinated, and soon gained the upper hand.

"Kill!" Zhu Di cut off the head of a Japanese pirate with a sword. The blood splattered on his face, adding a murderous aura.

Sun Da, holding a spear, swept through the army, and several Japanese pirates fell to the ground.

The battle lasted less than a quarter of an hour, and the Japanese pirates suffered heavy casualties. Seeing that the situation was not good, the remaining few turned around and fled into the depths of the swamp.

"Chase!" Zhu Di said coldly. Sun Da stopped him and said, "Your Highness, the swamp is dangerous and it is not advisable to chase. The most urgent task is to get to the silver mine as soon as possible!"

Zhu Di took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, nodded and said, "Okay, keep going!"

After marching for another two days, the team finally arrived at the silver mine occupied by Japanese pirates.

The scene before them made everyone feel depressed - the mine was in a mess, the mine tunnel had collapsed, the smelting furnace was destroyed, and the ground was littered with debris and blood discarded by the Japanese pirates.

"These beasts!" Sun Da gritted his teeth.

Zhu Di looked around with cold eyes and said, "The Japanese pirates just left. They took away a lot of silver. We must catch up with them!"

Sun Da nodded: "Your Highness, the Japanese pirates must have fled to the seaside and are preparing to leave by boat."

Zhu Di sneered: "Want to run? Not that easy!"

He turned around and ordered the entire army: "All troops listen up, chase them immediately, and never let the Japanese pirates escape back to the sea with our Ming silver!"

"Kill!" The soldiers roared in unison, their morale high.

The team chased all the way and finally found the traces of the Japanese pirates in a hidden bay at dusk.

More than ten Japanese ships were anchored at the shore, and the pirates were hurriedly carrying silver onto the ships.

"Kill!" Zhu Di gave an order, and the Ming army rushed towards the Japanese pirates like a tiger descending from the mountain!

The Japanese pirates were shocked and hastily responded to the attack. The two sides fought fiercely on the beach, with swords flashing and blood staining the beach.

Zhu Di personally charged forward, and wherever his sword pointed, the pirates fell to the ground one after another. Sun Da led the elite troops to capture the leader of the pirates.

"Baga!" The pirate leader roared and swung his sword to fight Sun Da.

The two fought fiercely for dozens of rounds, and finally, Sun Da pierced the chest of the Japanese pirate leader with a gun!
"Long live the Ming Dynasty!" Sun Da raised his spear high and the soldiers cheered in unison.

Seeing that their leader was dead, the remaining pirates completely collapsed and knelt down in surrender.

Zhu Di looked at the pirates coldly and said, "Take them all back to Nanjing and hand them over to the court for punishment!"

The sun sets and the sea breeze blows gently.

Zhu Di stood on the coast, looking at the silver that was taken back, feeling very proud.

Sun Da stepped forward, clasped his fists and said, "Your Highness, with this great victory, the Japanese pirates will never dare to easily invade our Ming Dynasty again!"

Zhu Di smiled and said, "This is just the beginning. If the Japanese pirates dare to come again, I will make sure they never return!"

Sun Da nodded, his eyes full of admiration.

A few days later, Zhu Di returned with his army in triumph, and the people of Nanjing lined the streets to welcome him. Zhu Yuanzhang personally went out of the city to greet him, looking at his son with satisfaction.

"Good! You are worthy of being a son of the Zhu family!" Zhu Yuanzhang patted Zhu Di on the shoulder and laughed.

Zhu Di clasped his fists and said solemnly: "Father, I have fulfilled your orders!"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with satisfaction: "You have made great contributions in destroying the Japanese pirates and taking back the silver mines. I am very pleased!"

Zhu Di's eyes were firm and he had made up his mind - in the future, he would expand the territory for the Ming Dynasty and make the world submit to him!
"General Sun Da, thank you for your hard work," Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Di said almost at the same time.

Sun Da bowed slightly and said respectfully: "Your Majesty, we are just doing our duty."

Zhu Yuanzhang was deeply moved and became more determined to inherit the throne. In this battle, he not only witnessed the bravery of the soldiers, but also experienced the cruelty of war firsthand.

(End of this chapter)