Zhu Yuanzhang: My second son is invincible!

Zhu Hui seemed to understand, but nodded and said, "Alright! I'll use the cannon next time."

Xu Da breathed a sigh of relief.

Lan Yu leaned closer and whispered, "Your Highness, actually... it's not that you can't use an axe, it just depends on the situation. For example, when the enemy army is pressing in, or when there's a particularly tough nut to crack, then you should use it. Otherwise, let us practice our skills."

Zhu Hui said "Oh" and "Got it. I'll use cannons for the soldiers and axes for the big boss."

"Big...big what?" Lan Yu didn't understand.

"It's really impressive," Zhu Li explained, using a word from her past life's memories.

"Yes, yes, you're the best." Lan Yu nodded vigorously.

Guanyin Nu listened from the side and couldn't help but smile.

She knew that her husband was actually very easy to talk to; as long as she explained the reasons clearly, he would listen.

The exercise continued, but the atmosphere had changed.

Although Zhu Li's axe strike just now only sank a target ship, the psychological impact on the entire army was enormous.

When the soldiers looked at Zhu Hui again, their eyes held not just awe, but almost worship—a primal worship of absolute power.

The subsequent artillery barrage, fleet formation changes, and boarding action drills were still exciting, but something felt missing.

It's like when you're used to watching gods fight, watching mortals fight just doesn't feel exciting enough.

At noon, the exercise ended and the fleet returned to port.

On the way back to port, Xu Da invited Zhu Li to the command cabin and spread out the nautical chart.

"Your Highness, was your axe strike just now... controlled in terms of range?" Xu Da asked carefully.

"Sure, it can be big or small as you like. I just used... well, about 10% of my strength, just in case I damaged the sea," Zhu Li said, gesturing with his fingers.

Yichengli…

Xu Da's hand trembled, and he drew a crooked line on the drawing.

"Then... if you want to disable the enemy ship without sinking it, is that possible?" Xu Da asked again.

Zhu Hui thought for a moment: "How about we cut a slit in the seawater at the bottom of the boat, let half of the boat fall in, get it stuck, and then crush the boat when the seawater closes in... Would that work?"

Xu Da imagined the scene.

The enemy ship was sailing when suddenly the seawater under its hull disappeared, the bow half of the ship plunged into a deep ravine, while the stern half remained afloat. Then the seawater closed in, breaking the ship in half.

It seems even more cruel than simply sinking.

"Forget it, let's just sink it." Xu Da gave up on the idea.

He realized that discussing tactical details with Zhu Hui was futile, because the man's fighting style had gone beyond the scope of conventional tactics.

It's like discussing with someone who can punch a planet to make a punch hurt more—it's pointless, since it's all the same punch anyway.

"Your Highness, after the expedition begins, please proceed in your own way. I have only one request: try not to shatter the Japanese mainland. We are going to occupy territory, not to demolish homes," Xu Da finally said.

After all, His Majesty said he also wanted the gold and silver mines there!

"I understand, we still need to dig up the silver mountain!" Zhu Li nodded.

Xu Da smiled with satisfaction.

Fortunately, although His Highness's power is outrageous, he is clear-headed and knows that the main target is the silver mine.

This is enough.

……

In the afternoon, the warship returned to Dengzhou Port.

Zhu Hui and Guanyin Nu returned to their residence and smelled the aroma of food as soon as they entered.

It was specially prepared by Chen Xuan's chef; everything was freshly caught from the sea that day.

These are all seafood dishes I've eaten in the past few days, but there's one dish that Guanyin Nu has never seen before: cold jellyfish salad.

"What is this?" Guanyinnu pointed to the plate of transparent, shiny things cut into thin strips.

"Jellyfish, a kind of sea creature...it's edible, crunchy, Your Highness should try it," Chen Xuan introduced.

Zhu Li picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks, put it in her mouth, and chewed it.

"Hmm, crispy, a bit like shredded radish, but more bouncy," he commented.

Guanyin Nu carefully took a bite, her eyes lighting up: "Delicious!"

She has eaten beef and mutton since she was a child. Vegetables are scarce on the grassland, so this crisp and refreshing taste is very fresh.

Seeing this, Chen Xuan smiled and said, "I'm glad the princess likes it. We may not have much else at sea, but we have plenty of seafood."

While they were eating, a message came from outside that Zhang Tianshi of Longhu Mountain was requesting an audience.

When Zhang Tianshi entered, his expression was somewhat solemn.

"Your Highness, General Xu, I have just observed the celestial phenomena and discovered unusual fluctuations in spiritual energy in the direction of the East China Sea," Zhang Tianshi said, getting straight to the point.

"What's wrong?" Xu Da put down his chopsticks.

"It seems like... a sign that a large-scale formation has been activated. The location is probably in the Kyushu area of ​​Japan, and the fluctuations are mixed with bloodthirsty energy, so it's probably not a righteous formation," Zhang Tianshi pondered.

Zhu Hui didn't understand anything about spiritual energy or bloodlust, so he asked directly, "Is it powerful?"

"If it's a complete grand formation, it can mobilize the power of a region of heaven and earth, and it shouldn't be underestimated," Zhang Tianshi said truthfully.

"Can it be split open?" Zhu Li asked again.

Master Zhang was taken aback, then smiled wryly: "Your Highness, the formation is invisible, so... I'm afraid it will be difficult to break through."

"The seawater is also formless, but I cleaved it open as well," Zhu Li said earnestly.

Zhang Tianshi was speechless.

He wanted to explain that formations are different from seawater; seawater is a physical entity, while formations are energy fields… but looking at Zhu Li’s honest face, he felt that explaining these things was pointless.

In any case, in this prince's eyes, there are only two kinds of things in the world: those that can be split open, and those that haven't been split open yet.

"If Your Highness encounters a formation, you can try to break through the formation's eye, which is the core of the formation," Zhang Tianshi said, offering a different perspective.

"Where is the core of the formation?" Zhu Hui asked.

"This...we have to see it in person, each formation is different," Zhang Tianshi said helplessly.

"Oh, then I'll try my hand at chopping things up around then." Zhu Li nodded.

Zhang Tianshi's lips twitched as he imagined Zhu Li wildly hacking and slashing through the Japanese army's formation...

Hopefully, Japan's formation is sturdy enough, otherwise the entire Kyushu island might be cleaved and sunk.

Xu Da remained calm and said, "Master, there's no need to worry. With His Highness here, any formation is just a piece of paper."

He spoke as if it were perfectly natural.

Zhang Tianshi thought about it and agreed, so he said no more and took his leave to check the runes on the bottom of the boat.

After the meal, Zhu Hui and Guanyin Nu took a walk on the beach to digest their food.

The setting sun cast long shadows of the two of them.

The two continued walking, the sea breeze brushing their faces, carrying a salty, fishy smell, but Guanyin Nu had already gotten used to this smell.

"Husband, after we finish fighting the Japanese, you said you'd come here to stay for a while, is that really true..." Guanyin Nu said happily.

"Of course, we'll build a house and eat seafood every day." Zhu Li grinned.

"I'll also bring my brother; he's definitely never seen the sea before," Guanyin Nu added.

"Alright, bring Wang Baobao along too, let him see that the sea is bigger than the grassland."

"Um."

As the sun completely sank below the horizon, the sky gradually changed from golden-red to deep blue, and the first star lit up.

In the distance, the outlines of warships in the harbor are faintly visible in the twilight, like lurking giant beasts.

A month later, these behemoths will carry the wrath of the Ming Dynasty across the sea to conquer the east.

The man standing on the shore will use the axe in his hand to bring an unprecedented storm to that island.

Guanyin Nu leaned on his shoulder and whispered, "Husband, wherever you go, I will follow you."

Zhu Hui hugged her tighter and smiled sheepishly, "Yes, stay with me, I'll protect you."

The sound of the tide rises, and the moon rises over the East China Sea.