In the Ming Dynasty, I became invincible simply by extracting memories!

Yu Dayou had remained silent, watching the popular drama unfold, until this moment when he slowly raised one hand. Upon seeing Yu Dayou's gesture, everyone swallowed back the curses they were about to utter.

"Shen Lian, put away the musket. Don't be rude." Yu Dayou stepped forward and helped He Tang and Wang Riqiu up. "Prefect He, Commander Wang, please don't be alarmed. General Deng is quick-tempered, and I apologize for any offense he may have caused."

He Tang quickly replied, "No, no, General Deng is right..."

Shen Lian reluctantly put away his musket, understanding Yu Dayou's meaning. Deng Cheng had already cursed him, but if he, Yu Dayou, also kicked him while he was down, word would spread that he was "an arrogant military general," and the officials in the court would be looking for a reason to impeach him.

Yu Dayou ignored his polite formalities and continued, "In this battle, the troops defending the city fought fiercely for six days and nights, suffering over 420 dead and countless wounded. Are you two aware of these events?"

"Yes, yes," He Tang nodded repeatedly, "After receiving the battle report, this subordinate immediately prepared a batch of provisions..."

"And the heads on this official road," Yu Dayou interrupted him, his voice turning somber, "have you two seen them?"

The air suddenly froze.

He Tang lowered his head and trembled, not daring to look Yu Dayou in the eye again.

Wang Riqiu suddenly knelt down with a thud and kowtowed heavily: "General Yu! This humble general is incompetent, this humble general deserves to die!"

"Commander Wang, how many years have you been stationed at Dacheng Police Station?" Yu Dayou asked, looking at him.

"Reporting to Commander Yu, three years." Wang Riqiu's forehead was pressed against the ground, not daring to lift it.

"Three years. Do you know which part of the city wall of Dacheng is most vulnerable to breaching? Which section of the wall has been eroded by the sea? Which watchtower has half of its tiles broken?"

Wang Riqiu couldn't answer.

Yu Dayou then asked, "Do you know Gu Cheng?"

Wang Riqiu was startled and suddenly looked up at Yu Dayou.

On the official documents of the court officials, the commander of the Great City Garrison was Wang Riqiu, a nominal commander who never showed his face. Gu Cheng, the timid man known as "Commander Gu," had been in this city for more than a decade, longer than any other commander. He was truly familiar with every brick on the city wall, every reef in the harbor, and every undercurrent of water.

Yu Dayou's voice was as deep and cold as iron as he slowly recounted: "Deng Cheng and Shen Lian have already received military orders to lead a surprise attack on the Japanese pirate camp overnight. Gu Cheng didn't need to go to this dangerous place, but he knew the surrounding terrain very well and insisted on volunteering to go with the army."

"Furthermore, in order to protect Shen Lian and the others and successfully burn the Japanese pirates' supplies, he was caught in the artillery fire and ultimately died tragically under Wu Ping's artillery fire. On his deathbed, he kept thinking about Lord Wang's kindness and entrustment."

Huang Riqiu knelt on the ground, his body trembling violently.

Yu Dayou looked down at him, his words heavy, each sentence striking a chord in his heart:

"Those who guarded this place, sacrificing their lives, were Gu Cheng, Zhang San, Er Niu, Liu Shitou, Zhao Xiaoqi, and more than 420 soldiers who died here in battle!"

"You just said you deserved to die, but I will not allow you to die today. I want you to live well, to remember forever the lives of these brothers, and to remember the blood they shed for this country!"

Wang Riqiu was in tears, kneeling on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably. Grief and guilt almost overwhelmed him.

He Tang's face turned pale and then flushed. He sighed deeply and bowed, saying, "General Yu, I am ashamed. In recent years, the Japanese pirates have been rampant, and the local defenses have been stretched thin. The funds allocated by the higher authorities have been reduced at every level, and the soldiers conscripted are mostly old and weak. But I dare not use this as an excuse. After this battle, I am willing to guarantee with my position as prefect that Chaozhou Prefecture will fight the Japanese pirates to the end and will never back down an inch."

Yu Dayou glanced at him and nodded slightly.

"Thank you for your trouble, Prefect He."

Shen Lian stood aside, observing the whole commotion with a cold eye.

He observed everyone's expressions: Deng Cheng's uncontrollable rage, Tang Kekuan's restraint and forbearance, He Tang's initial arrogance followed by obsequiousness, Wang Riqiu's fear and trepidation, and Yu Dayou's unwavering composure. Could it be that in this era, good people die quickly, while mediocre people weep and feign cuteness—how pathetic?

This was the officialdom of the Ming Dynasty. Victory and defeat, merit and demerit, right and wrong, were always entangled by layers of personal relationships, laws, and interests. Did He Tang truly regret his actions? Perhaps. But more likely, he feared that Yu Dayou would impeach him in the victory report for "failing to rescue someone in distress." At that point, losing his official position would be the least of his worries. Was Wang Riqiu's kowtow and confession genuine remorse? Perhaps. But ultimately, it was because Yu Dayou was standing there; if it had been Tang Kekuan, he might not have knelt so readily.

Yi Dong quietly walked to Shen Lian's side and whispered, "Young Master, this Prefect He speaks so shrewdly. He was making excuses just now, but in the blink of an eye, he's all high-spirited and passionate."

"The prefect," Shen Lian said calmly, "anyone who can reach this position is a shrewd shrew. His words just now, on the surface, were an admission of wrongdoing, but in reality, he was negotiating with Commander Yu, saying, 'I will devote all my efforts to fighting the Japanese pirates from now on, so please don't impeach me.' Commander Yu understood, which is why he gave him a way out."

Xia asked softly, "Then why doesn't Commander Yu just impeach him?"

Watching Yu Dayou's retreating figure, Shen Lian said resentfully, "Because it's useless to impeach him. He Tang is a civil official, while Commander Yu is a military general. According to the rules of the Ming Dynasty, civil officials control military generals. If Commander Yu really wants to impeach him, who knows how the cabinet will approve the memorial? If He Tang has connections in the court, they might turn the tables on him. Commander Yu has fought a lifetime of war; he understands this better than anyone else."

He continued, "Moreover, the most important thing right now is not to deal with He Tang, but to stabilize Chaozhou Prefecture. Dacheng Fortress has just finished a battle, and it relies on Chaozhou Prefecture for supplies of food and ammunition. If Commander Yu were to turn against He Tang at this time, it would not benefit anyone."

"So we just have to endure it?" Yi Dong frowned.

"Endure." Shen Lian nodded. "A great general must not only be good at fighting, but also at enduring. Endure the filth of officialdom, endure the obstruction of colleagues, and endure the suspicion of the court."

Shen Lian was filled with anger. He thought of Qi Jiguang, the famous general who fought against the Japanese pirates, whose life was filled with glorious military achievements, but who was impeached and dismissed from office, ending up in a miserable old age. Yu Dayou was the same, rising and falling three times, being imprisoned several times, and almost being beheaded. The Ming Dynasty never lacked generals who could fight, but it lacked a court that could tolerate its generals.

This crumbling Ming Dynasty cannot collapse like this. Only Shen Lian, who has traveled through time, can straighten this crumbling empire inch by inch.

For the sake of all the people under heaven, for the sake of countless common folk.

Thinking this through, Shen Lian felt a surge of heroic spirit and secretly resolved: I must do this.

Yi Dong tilted her head and looked at Shen Lian, then suddenly blurted out, "Young Master, you look remarkably like someone."

"Who?"

"In traditional operas, Zhuge Liang frowns, and a plan comes to mind. But while Zhuge Liang waves his fan, you, young master, clench your fist." Yi Dong said, laughing to himself, "Does the young master intend to hold the Ming Dynasty firmly in his grasp, to mold it however he pleases?"

Shen Lian was taken aback by her words, realizing that the girl had a point. Whether it was straightening things out or shaping them, the goal was to push the dynasty in the direction he desired—that was called "hardcore fate-changing," especially since he had a best friend who majored in chemical engineering.

"I didn't intend to mold things, I just wanted to set things right." Shen Lian came to his senses. "However, the Ming Dynasty wasn't all that dirty stuff. The general is still here, the war is still going on. There's still Lord Zhu Xixiao, and there are people like Shen Lian who are here to change the world."

"Young master, what a spirit you have!" Xia chimed in.

Yi Dong looked at him and smiled gently: "Does the young master mean there are still good people?"

"The idea of ​​dividing people into good and bad is too naive. All we can say is that the Ming Dynasty still possesses its imperial aura. Loyal ministers and capable generals still exist. There are also those among the civil officials who are fearless, and among the military officials who are unafraid of death."

Dong Renbu asked, "What is that young master's relationship with the Ming Dynasty? A loyal minister? A capable general? Or is he He Tang?"

Shen Lian was taken aback by her question.

Yi Xia gently tugged at her sister's sleeve, but Yi Dong ignored her, her bright eyes fixed on Shen Lian, waiting for his answer.

"Me?" Shen Lian smiled, revealing a set of teeth stained yellow from smoking. "I was just passing by. But since these things happened right under my nose, I couldn't just ignore them."

To put it bluntly, Shen Lian was still a radical youth at heart. This radicalism, ingrained centuries later, hadn't been cured even after he transmigrated to the Ming Dynasty. He wanted to intervene in injustices, help good people suffering, and destroy bad people who were doing well. This kind of mentality would likely lead to a short life in any era.

He looked at Yu Dayou. The old general, clutching his cloak, strode at the head of the column, followed by five hundred surviving soldiers. Their armor was tattered, their weapons broken, and bloodstains still stained the official road beneath their feet.

Yu Dayou fell ill. Before the army even reached Xuanzhong City, the old general was already swaying precariously on his horse, and was eventually forcibly helped off by his personal guards. Tang Kekuan quickly dispatched a mule cart, laid out thick straw and cotton quilts, and settled Yu Dayou inside. The old general lay in the cart, his forehead burning hot, his lips cracked, and he mumbled incoherently. A military doctor accompanied them, preparing medicine along the way, but Yu Dayou's condition showed no improvement.

The army arrived at Xuanzhong City two days later, at dusk. Xuanzhong City was built against the mountain, facing the sea. Its walls, over three zhang high, were entirely constructed of large bluestone blocks, the gaps filled with glutinous rice mortar, making them so sturdy they seemed to be one with the mountain. The walls were lined with crenellations, and every few dozen steps there was a watchtower, armed with muskets and cannons, their muzzles pointing menacingly at the sea. The city gate was covered in iron, studded with countless nails, and above the gate was a stone plaque inscribed with four large characters—"Key to Fujian and Guangdong."

When Shen Lian entered the city with the army, he noticed several obvious repair marks on the city wall. The wall at the southeast corner was newer in color than the rest, indicating that it had been rebuilt in recent years. There were several cracks at the base of the northern section of the city wall, which had been reinforced with iron hoops. The tiles on the city gate tower were neat, but there were still scorch marks on the beams and pillars. This city had clearly also experienced fierce battles.

The city's streets and alleys were orderly and well-organized, with barracks, warehouses, and artisan workshops lining the cobblestone paths. Occasionally, one could see a few women with headscarves squatting at their doorways, washing clothes and preparing vegetables. Similar to the larger cities, Xuanzhong City had a larger population, mostly families of the garrison commanders, as well as some fishermen and farmers who had fled from the coast. However, the streets were deserted, with few pedestrians, and those who did pass by hurried along, their expressions filled with anxiety.

"Did the Japanese pirates come here?" Shen Lian asked Deng Cheng beside him.

"I've been here." Deng Cheng's injuries had healed somewhat, but his face was still pale. "Last autumn, Wu Ping gathered more than three thousand men and besieged Xuanzhong City for seven days. At that time, Commander Yu was still in Zhejiang, and there were only eight hundred defenders in the city. The commander of the city, surnamed Zhao, held out for seven days. When a section of the city wall was breached, he led his men to block the gap and fight with bayonets. In the end, Wu Ping ran out of supplies and retreated. Commander Zhao was covered in wounds, with more than twenty knife wounds. He didn't last until Commander Yu returned before he died."

Deng Cheng pointed to the newer section of the city wall in the southeast corner: "That section of the wall was rebuilt after it was bombed down last year. Commander Zhao's blood seeped into the very foundation of this city wall."

Shen Lian gazed silently at that section of the city wall, where no trace of bloodshed could be seen. But he knew that every stone of that wall was soaked in human blood.

Brave warriors perished defending the city, while treacherous villains escaped to survive. How ironic that the world is so unjust.

When Yu Dayou was carried into the general's mansion, he was already in a semi-comatose state. The military doctor said that the old general's illness was three-tenths due to the exhaustion from days of overwork, and seven-tenths due to the damage to his heart meridian when he vomited blood. He was filled with grief and indignation, and utterly exhausted. Whether he could pull through was up to fate.

Tang Kekuan and Deng Cheng stayed by the sickbed, never leaving his side. Deng Cheng didn't even care about his own injuries, just sitting on the low stool by the bed, his tiger eyes red as if they were about to drip blood.

Shen Lian went to see him twice, but each time he was turned away by the army doctor. Through the crack in the door, he saw Yu Dayou lying on the couch, his face sallow, his eyes sunken, a stark contrast to the composed old general who had commanded from the city wall just days before. This old general had led troops for twenty years, commanding countless soldiers, and countless others had died before his eyes. The actions of Zhao Wenbao and Li Gui had struck a nerve with Yu Dayou, and the three severed heads of Zhang Erniu, Liu Shitou, and Zhao Xiaoqi became the final straw. He was consumed by unvented grief and anger, his mind overwhelmed with a thousand thoughts and anxieties, all while facing a formidable enemy.

During the few days that Yu Dayou was recuperating, Tang Kekuan temporarily took over the daily affairs of the army. Tang Kekuan was a deputy commander-in-chief, with sufficient seniority and ability, but he had one shortcoming: he did not understand firearms.

Shen Lian made a new and unexpected discovery in the army.

It was during a routine drill. Shen Lian stood on the edge of the drill ground, watching a group of soldiers practice with the breech-loading cannon. This was a breech-loading cannon imported from Portugal, consisting of a main gun and a sub-gun. The sub-gun was pre-loaded with ammunition and was loaded into the main gun in turn during battle, making its rate of fire several times faster than that of traditional muzzle-loading cannons.

According to the "Collected Statutes of the Ming Dynasty," the breech-loading cannon was introduced to China in the early Jiajing period. After being imitated and improved, it became standard equipment for the southeastern navy and coastal garrisons. A standard breech-loading cannon was about five feet long and weighed about 300 catties (approximately 150 kg), equipped with four to nine smaller cannons. After the smaller cannons were loaded with gunpowder and projectiles, they were inserted into the breech of the main cannon like drawers and then ignited. After firing, the breech cover was opened, the empty smaller cannon was removed, a new smaller cannon was installed, and firing continued. Theoretically, a breech-loading cannon with four smaller cannons could fire twelve rounds within fifteen minutes, a firepower density far exceeding that of traditional muzzle-loading cannons.

However, Shen Lian noticed that the soldiers were flustered and disorganized during operation, taking almost half an incense stick's time to load a single cannon. Moreover, three cannons encountered problems during test firing. One cannon's cannon failed to load properly, causing propellant gases to leak out from the gaps during firing, nearly burning the gunner; another cannon's cannon's cannon got stuck inside the main gun, requiring several people to pull it out; and yet another cannon was even more absurd, with the cannon's caliber not matching the main gun's, making it impossible to insert the cannon at all.

The centurion in charge of the drill was drenched in sweat, kneeling on the ground, not daring to raise his head. Tang Kekuan's face was ashen, like the bottom of a pot.

"What's with these cannons?"

"Reporting to General Tang, these cannons were transferred from the Quanzhou treasury, and they arrived like this..."

"Was it like this when it arrived? Didn't you check it when you took over?"

The centurion dared not reply.

Shen Lian said to Tang Kekuan, "These cannons have a big problem."

Tang Kekuan sighed: "Of course I know there's a big problem. This is the kind of cannons the imperial court allocated. The good cannons have all been transferred to the nine border regions. What we in the southeast are using are the leftovers from the border towns."

Shen Lian crouched down and carefully examined the jammed breech-loading cannon. The main gun's cast iron barrel was rough, riddled with air holes and sand pits. The uneven flow of molten iron left clearly visible marks. Firing a few rounds might not cause any problems, but firing more would cause the barrel to overheat and leak gas, leading to a barrel explosion. The cannon cartridge was even worse, with sharp burrs on the edges, pitted inner walls, and the molding sand not being properly cleaned. When inserted into the main gun, the uneven friction made loading prone to jamming, and once fired, gunpowder gas would spray out from the gaps, causing injury. He then disassembled the gunpowder pack, finding the particles inside to be of varying sizes and grayish-brown in color, mixed with dirt, sawdust, and uncrushed sulfur chunks. It felt rough and sticky to the touch, clearly indicating it had been dried after being damp. With such poor quality gunpowder, the uneven combustion meant the thrust was entirely dependent on luck; only heaven knew how far the projectile would travel.

Shen Lian frowned. He knew where the problem lay, but to truly solve it, he couldn't do it alone. He needed someone who truly understood the field.

Fang Xuejian.