Zhu Yuanzhang: My second son is invincible!

February 12th, the eleventh year of Hongwu, at the beginning of the hour of Mao (5-7 AM).

Twelve enormous flying boats hovered above Yingtian Prefecture.

These flying boats are fifty zhang long and twenty zhang wide, and are made entirely of ironwood from the South China Sea. The hulls are engraved with Taoist runes, and the bottoms are inlaid with thirty-six wind-avoiding beads.

The sails were not made of cloth, but were made of silk woven from silkworm silk. They moved without wind and shimmered with a faint golden halo in the morning light.

The largest flying boat hovered above the Forbidden City, its bow adorned with a ferocious dragon head, its mouth wide open, revealing a psionic cannon weighing tens of thousands of kilograms.

This is the result of three years of hard work by the Ministry of Works and the Taoist Research Institute of the Ming Dynasty. It is a divine-powered flying warship, and only twelve of them were built in the entire Ming Dynasty.

These flying boats are usually hidden deep in the mountains and caves, but today they have all been brought out.

Today, King Zhu Li of Wu is going to take a flying boat to fight the Japanese.

In the palace square, Zhu Yuanzhang stood with his hands on his hips, looking up and clicking his tongue, saying, "Good heavens, this thing is taller than the city wall!"

"Biao'er, how much will this cost?"

Zhu Biao stood beside his father and said softly, "Three million taels for one ship, and thirty-six million taels for twelve ships."

Zhu Yuanzhang's eyelids twitched, and he said, "So expensive?!"

"But it's worth it, Father. With these, from Yingtian to Honshu in Japan, it will only take a day for the army to descend from the sky. Japan's earthen walls and magic arrays will be no match for them."

Zhu Biao pointed to the flying boat and said.

Zhu Yuanzhang stroked his chin and suddenly laughed: "Worth it, absolutely worth it! After we defeat the Japanese and empty the silver mountains, what is this little bit of money!"

As they were talking, Zhu Hui led Guanyin Nu out of Kunning Palace.

Zhu Hui was not wearing the prince's python robe today, but rather a light black armor, with a bit of the axe and shield tattoo on his left arm showing through the armor seam.

Guanyin's slave also changed his attire, wearing grassland-style leather armor, carrying a horn bow, and with thirty armor-piercing arrows in his quiver.

Empress Ma followed behind, her eyes red-rimmed, carrying a bundle in her hand.

"Li'er, remember to eat the food in this bag on the way. I heard the food in Japan isn't good..." Empress Ma nagged on and on.

Zhu Hui took the bundle and said innocently, "Mother, I'm going to fight a war, not to go sightseeing."

"Even in war, we need to eat! Child, take good care of yourself and don't be reckless." Empress Ma glared at him, then pulled Guanyin Nu aside and said.

Guanyin Nu nodded and said, "Mother, don't worry..."

Zhu Yuanzhang walked over and patted Zhu Di's shoulder heavily: "Second son, remember your father's words. Those Japanese dwarfs are all bad! Cut off all the men who are taller than a cartwheel, and send those shorter than a cartwheel to mine!"

"Bring back any women who are reasonably attractive, and distribute them among the soldiers as wives!"

He spoke with a menacing air.

Zhu Hui scratched his head and said, "Wheels? How big are the wheels?"

Zhu Yuanzhang was taken aback, then gestured casually, saying, "That's about the size! Like a carriage wheel!"

"Oh, I understand." Zhu Li nodded.

Zhu Biao added from the side, "Second brother, Cousin Li Wenzhong will be with you. He's a ruthless man and knows what to do. You just need to break down the gates and breach the city walls, and leave the rest to him."

Just then, Li Wenzhong strode over.

This famous general looks like a scholar-general, truly as handsome as Pan An, but his eyes are as fierce as a wolf.

He followed Xu Da on the Northern Expedition, pursuing and killing the remnants of the Northern Yuan in the Gobi Desert. He ordered the massacre of seventeen tribes, leaving no one alive, men, women, or children. He was nicknamed "Li the Head-Shaver".

"This humble general, Li Wenzhong, pays his respects to Your Majesty, Your Highness the Crown Prince, and Your Highness the Prince of Wu!" Li Wenzhong clasped his hands in greeting, his voice like a broken gong.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded in satisfaction and said, "Wenzhong, this time you go with the Second Prince and give us a good thrashing! Show the might of the Ming Dynasty!"

"Your Majesty, I will obey your orders. Rest assured, I guarantee that none of those short Japanese will be spared!" Li Wenzhong grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

His words even made Guanyin Nu, who was standing next to him, frown.

Zhu Biao glanced at Li Wenzhong and said calmly, "General Li, you may kill, but don't kill the innocent indiscriminately. Bring back the women and children if you can."

Li Wenzhong was taken aback and looked at Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said, "Listen to the Crown Prince. Our Great Ming Dynasty is a superior nation; we can't afford to fight too horribly."

"Yes!" Li Wenzhong replied, but a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.

Zhu Yuan didn't pay attention to any of that. He looked up at the flying boat and suddenly asked, "Brother, how high can this thing... fly?"

"A thousand feet..." Zhu Biao said.

"Won't I die if I jump down from there? I shouldn't die from the fall..." Zhu Li asked again.

Zhu Biao: "..."

Guanyin Nu tugged at his sleeve and said, "Husband, why are you asking this?"

"I was thinking, if the airship breaks down, can I jump out?" Zhu Li said honestly.

The entire room fell silent.

Li Wenzhong's lips twitched, thinking to himself that his cousin didn't seem to be stupid!

At exactly 7:00 AM, it was time to set off for the expedition.

The twelve flying boats slowly descended to a lower altitude, hovering three zhang above the ground.

The gangway was lowered, and five thousand of the most elite Imperial Guards began to board. These were specially selected by Zhu Biao; they were all veterans who had fought against Zhu Li and knew how to cooperate with this simple-minded prince.

Zhu Hui and Guanyin Nu boarded the flagship "Zhenguo".

The airship is spacious inside, with three levels: the top level is the command cabin, the middle level is the soldier cabin, and the bottom level is the supply cabin and the psionic power cabin.

The fifty cultivators sent by the Daoist sect are already in position in the power cabin, responsible for maintaining the airship's formation.

Li Wenzhong followed behind, and as soon as he entered the command cabin, he began issuing orders: "Check psionic energy reserves! Check the integrity of the runes. Take off in one incense stick's time!"

The monks got busy.

Zhu Hui leaned against the porthole and looked out. The palace below grew smaller and smaller, and the entire view of Yingtian Prefecture gradually unfolded.

The Qinhuai River is like a silver ribbon, and Zijin Mountain is like a small mound.

"Wife, look, our house has become so small." Zhu Li pointed it out to Guanyin Nu.

Guanyin Nu also lay down; there's no such perspective on the grasslands.

Outside the porthole, Zhu Yuanzhang, Empress Ma, and Zhu Biao were still waving with their heads up.

Zhu Li also waved, though those below might not see it.

"Husband, what do you think Japan is like?" Guanyinnu asked softly.

"I don't know, but it's definitely not as good as our Great Ming," Zhu Li said.

Li Wenzhong walked over and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, the flying boat is about to accelerate, please hold on tight."

As soon as he finished speaking, the boat shuddered slightly.

The scenery outside the porthole began to rush past—not rush past, but the airship was flying forward at breakneck speed.

Clouds swept past on both sides, and the wind howled outside the boat, but it was quiet inside, as the runes blocked out most of the noise.

In just half an incense stick's time, Yingtian Prefecture disappeared from sight.

Below are rolling mountains, and the Yangtze River looks like a winding earthworm.

"This speed..." Guanyinnu exclaimed in amazement.

"It's much faster than those flying boats," Zhu Liu nodded.

Li Wenzhong unfolded the nautical chart, pointed to the route on it, and said: "Your Highness, we will fly along the East China Sea. We will arrive at the capital of Goryeo at 9:00 AM, cross the Tsushima Strait at noon, and see Kyushu Island of Japan at 1:00 PM."

As per His Highness the Crown Prince's instructions, we will first land on Kyushu Island, rendezvous with General Xu Da's fleet, and then…

"No need for that," Zhu Liu interrupted him.

Li Wenzhong was taken aback and said, "Your Highness means..."

"Go straight to Kyoto, Japan. Didn't my brother say that the Japanese general is in Kyoto? I'll go find him, chop him down, and the war will be over."

Zhu Li pointed to the dot in the center of Honshu Island on the nautical chart and said.

Li Wenzhong opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything for a long time.

What kind of playing style is this?

This isn't how you capture the leader first!

"Your Highness, Kyoto is 300 miles from the coast. If our airship ventures deep into enemy territory, what if we are attacked..." Li Wenzhong tried to reason with them.

"They can't damage the flying boat. Even if they could, I'll protect it," Zhu Li said confidently.

Li Wenzhong looked at Guanyin Nu, hoping that the princess could persuade her.

Guanyin Nu nodded and said, "My husband is right. It's easier to attack the capital directly."

Li Wenzhong rubbed his forehead.

He finally understood why the Crown Prince had sent him—not to fight, but to clean up his cousin's mess!