Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

At this moment, our Prince Niu Han, Zhu Gaoxu, from the Great Ming Society, jumped out again.

He cleared his throat and said loudly, "Don't just stand there! Let me introduce you. This is my fourth brother, Prince Rui, Zhu Gaoxi! A disciple of the Daoist Ancestor. We owe our presence here largely to him. See that door we just saw? That was built by my fourth brother!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Fu and the others were startled once again.

They had seen that magnificent golden gate before, and now the Prince of Han was saying that the gate was built by this Prince Rui. What kind of supernatural power is that?

"Greetings, Your Highness Prince Rui." Zhang Fu and the others quickly knelt down.

"General Zhang, you're too kind. We're old acquaintances." Zhu Gaoxi gently raised his hand, and an invisible spiritual force lifted Zhang Fu and the others up from a distance.

After all, it felt like elder abuse to have this young man in his twenties kneel before this man in his seventies.

Zhang Fu and the others were kneeling when they suddenly felt a gentle yet irresistible force coming from their arms, and they involuntarily stood up.

They all looked shocked, but their hearts were in turmoil.

Sure enough, Emperor Taizong and his family truly became immortals.

Zhu Gaoxi looked at Zhang Fu, whose hair was now completely white, and felt a pang of sadness.

In his memory, Zhang Fu, who had fought alongside him in Annam, was in his prime; he had never looked so old and frail.

He raised his right hand, and the light of time shone in his palm.

A soft white light shot out from his palm and landed steadily on Zhang Fu.

As the white light swirled, Zhang Fu's gray hair visibly turned jet black, and the deep wrinkles on his face seemed to be smoothed out by the spring breeze, fading away layer by layer.

His hunched back straightened again, his shoulders broadened, and his waist regained its strength.

The dry skin on my hands, like parched land receiving rain after a long drought, gradually became plump, firm, and strong.

Those age spots have also faded away quietly, and the whole person exudes a long-lost vitality from the inside out.

"That looks much more comfortable now." Zhu Gaoxi nodded in satisfaction.

In just a few breaths, the seventy-something-year-old man with a weathered face disappeared, replaced by a robust young general in his thirties with an upright posture.

The weariness between his brows had vanished, his eyes were bright, and standing there, he exuded the imposing presence of a fierce general on the battlefield. This was the Zhang Fu that Zhu Gaoxi knew best.

"General Zhang! You...you..." Fan Zhong pointed at Zhang Fu, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.

"This...this...this...it's magic!!" Zhang Yi took two steps back, his mouth agape.

"General Zhang! Your face! Your hair! You..." Minister of War Kuang Ye pointed at Zhang Fu, his tongue almost tied in knots.

"Rejuvenation! This is rejuvenation!" Wang Zuo, the Minister of Revenue, exclaimed excitedly, his voice trembling. He leaned close to Zhang Fu and examined him closely.

Zhang Fu himself touched his face in disbelief. His skin was firm, his wrinkles were gone, and a youthful warmth was emanating from his very bones.

He felt much lighter, as if he had unloaded a burden he had carried for decades, and his whole body felt refreshed.

He looked down at his large hands, their knuckles distinct, their skin smooth, and the age spots that had been there for years had completely disappeared.

He understood, and suddenly knelt down before Zhu Gaoxi with a thud, his voice choked with sobs: "Your subject... Your subject thanks Your Highness Prince Rui for your life-saving grace!"

His kneeling brought all the civil and military officials in the tent back to their senses from the shock.

A collective gasp filled the tent, and when they looked at Zhu Gaoxi, their eyes were filled with awe.

Rejuvenation—this is a magical technique only found in folk tales. To see it happening right before our eyes today—who could remain calm?

Zhu Gaoxi smiled and said, "There's no need for that. General, you've dedicated your life to the Ming Dynasty; this is what you deserve. Get up, General Zhang. You still have to fight the Oirats with us! You're feeling much better now!"

Zhang Fu kowtowed three times before getting up.

He turned to look at the civil and military officials in the tent, and saw that they all stared with eyes as big as copper bells, their faces full of envy.

He clenched his fist, feeling the long-lost strength, and grinned. Youth is truly wonderful.

Before Zhang Fu could recover from the joy of regaining his youth, everyone's eyes in the tent turned to Zhu Bajie.

This man was covered in golden armor and held a nine-toothed rake. The way he stood there exuded an indescribable majesty, and he didn't look like an ordinary person at all.

Zhang Fu and the others looked at each other, wanting to greet each other but unsure how to address each other.

Zhu Gaoxu jumped out again, stretched out his hand, and introduced with great enthusiasm: "This is Marshal Tianpeng, whom my fourth brother invited down from heaven, who commands 80,000 naval troops of the Milky Way. He is also my elder brother!"

Everyone was stunned at first, then they all gasped in surprise.

"What? Marshal Tianpeng? Commanding 80,000 naval troops?"

"This...this is truly a divine general from heaven..."

"That golden armor, that rake—they are indeed not of this world!"

Zhang Fu's mind was in turmoil, thinking about how well Emperor Taizong's family fared in heaven, that they had to be escorted by a general commanding 80,000 naval troops when they descended to earth!

I should have gone up with them!

As he thought about it, he quickly cupped his hands and led everyone in bowing, saying, "Greetings, Marshal Tianpeng!"

Pigsy slammed his rake on the ground, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and said with a smile, "No need for such formalities, everyone!"

Seeing that everyone had finally finished exchanging greetings, Zhu Di waved his hand and said, "Alright. Now that we've all gotten to know each other, let's get down to business. Zhang Fu, what's the military situation like right now?"

As soon as Zhang Fu walked to the table, he saw Zhu Qizhen still lying on the ground, his face bruised and swollen, his dragon robe tattered, like a dead dog.

Zhu Di frowned, raised his foot and gently kicked him. The man didn't move, only let out a faint groan.

"Call the army doctor and have him examined. Don't let him die here; it's bad luck." Zhu Di ordered his men to carry Zhu Qizhen aside. Although he was angry with his great-grandson, he was still a member of the Zhu family after all, and he couldn't let him die in the camp.

Besides, even if a punishment is to be imposed, it should be done back in the capital.

The army doctor trotted in carrying his medicine box. When he saw the emperor beaten to a pulp, he was so frightened that he almost dropped the box. Then, looking at the people standing in the tent, he recognized several of them too well, and his legs went weak.

He dared not ask any more questions, and simply lowered his head to clean Zhu Qizhen's wounds, apply medicine, and bandage them.

Zhang Fu composed himself and began to briefly describe the current predicament: the army had no water, the Oirat Mongols were surrounding them from all sides, and Esen had sent envoys to feign peace talks, but in reality, they could launch a general offensive at any time.

After listening, Zhu Di looked at Zhang Fu and the others: "What do you think?"

Zhang Fu bowed and said, "Your Majesty, Tumu Fortress is situated on high ground, offering no natural defenses and lacking water. This humble general believes that we should break out before the Oirat Mongols complete their encirclement."

"I request to be the vanguard, leading a force of elite cavalry to break through the southern crossing. Once the main army enters Huailai City and holds the city, the Oirats will be unable to do anything to us."

The civil officials, including Kuang Ye and Wang Zuo, echoed Zhang Fu's sentiments, agreeing that his words made sense.

The most urgent thing right now is water. The soldiers have been thirsty for a day. If this drags on any longer, they will collapse on their own without the Oirats even needing to attack.

Grand Secretary Zhang Yi hesitated for a moment before asking, "Your Majesty...I wonder if...it would be possible to borrow some celestial water? We saw that Your Majesty came with the Prince of Han and the Prince of Rui, so we assume you possess some magical abilities..."

"Great idea!!" Several officials nearby exclaimed, their eyes lighting up as they echoed the sentiment.

"As expected of a Grand Scholar, his thinking is quick." Fan Zhong praised in a low voice.

They all thought that since Emperor Taizong's whole family had become immortals, Emperor Taizong must have befriended the Dragon King and the Rain God, so bringing rain shouldn't be a problem.

Zhu Di chuckled, "You old fogies. I haven't become an immortal yet. Borrowing rain out of thin air? What do you take me for? The Dragon King? If you want to borrow water, you'll have to ask the Fourth Prince."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Di chuckled and said, "You old fogies. I haven't even become an immortal yet, how can I conjure water out of thin air for you? If you want rain, you'll have to ask the Fourth Prince."

He could clearly see that these people believed his whole family had become immortals.