Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

Chapter 1439 Imperial Aura

At Zhu Qiwu's command, Xu Da, Tang He, and Zhou Dexing led their respective ambush troops out from both sides of the city and the city gate, launching a fierce attack on Zhang Shicheng's army.

Zhang Shicheng's army was suddenly surrounded and cut off from Zhu Qiwu's forces, unable to mount any effective resistance. Soldiers abandoned their armor and weapons and fled in all directions.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Zhang Shicheng was both shocked and furious. He shouted, "Retreat! Retreat quickly!" However, his retreat route had been cut off by Zhu Qiwu's army, making it impossible for him to escape.

Just as Zhang Shicheng was feeling desperate, a general suddenly appeared beside him. This general was named Li Bosheng, one of Zhang Shicheng's trusted generals. He looked at Zhang Shicheng and said, "Your Majesty, things have come to this, we have no choice but to fight to the death! I will lead a troop to fight our way out for you, and you can take the opportunity to break through!"

Zhang Shicheng looked at Li Bosheng gratefully and nodded, saying, "Alright! General Li, I'm entrusting everything to you!"

Li Bosheng led a squad of elite soldiers and charged towards Zhu Qiwu's army. Wielding a long spear, he fought with unparalleled ferocity, cutting his way through numerous encirclements. Although Zhu Qiwu's soldiers resisted valiantly, they were all repelled one by one by Li Bosheng.

Standing on the city wall, Zhu Qiwu watched Li Bosheng's valiant performance and secretly admired him. He said to Xu Da beside him, "General Xu, this Li Bosheng is a fierce general. We can't let him break through easily. Take a troop of men and stop him!"

Xu Da cupped his hands and said, "Yes, sir!" Then he led a group of men to meet Li Bosheng.

Xu Da and Li Bosheng met and immediately engaged in a fierce battle. Xu Da was highly skilled in martial arts, and Li Bosheng was not to be outdone. The two fought back and forth, their battle evenly matched.

Zhu Qiwu watched the two fight, his heart filled with anxiety. He knew that if Li Bosheng wasn't dealt with quickly, Zhang Shicheng might be able to break through the encirclement. He decided to personally intervene and help Xu Da defeat Li Bosheng.

Zhu Qiwu activated the "Imperial Aura" skill, and instantly, a powerful aura emanated from him. He leaped off the city wall and charged towards Li Bosheng.

Li Bosheng was engaged in fierce combat with Xu Da when he suddenly felt an immense pressure bearing down on him. He looked up and saw Zhu Qiwu charging towards him like a god descending from heaven. Li Bosheng was startled; he hadn't expected Zhu Qiwu to possess such a powerful aura.

Zhu Qiwu rushed up to Li Bosheng and shouted, "Give me your life!" With that, he brandished his sword and slashed at Li Bosheng. Li Bosheng quickly raised his spear to defend himself, and with a loud clang, their weapons clashed, sending sparks flying.

Li Bosheng felt a tingling sensation in his arm, and he was secretly surprised: "This Zhu Qiwu is so young, yet he has such great strength!" He dared not be careless and quickly concentrated his mind to engage in a thrilling battle with Zhu Qiwu.

Seeing Zhu Qiwu personally taking action, Xu Da fought even more bravely. He and Zhu Qiwu cooperated to force Li Bosheng into a series of retreats.

Although Li Bosheng was brave, he was ultimately outnumbered. Under the combined attack of Zhu Qiwu and Xu Da, he gradually became exhausted and suffered multiple injuries.

Just as Li Bosheng was feeling desperate, he suddenly heard Zhang Shicheng's voice: "General Li, don't worry about me! You must break through the encirclement!"

Li Bosheng looked up and saw that Zhang Shicheng was surrounded by a group of soldiers, and the situation was extremely critical. He felt a pang of pain in his heart, knowing that Zhang Shicheng had deliberately said this to help him break through the encirclement.

Li Bosheng gritted his teeth and secretly swore in his heart: "Your Majesty, I, Li Bosheng, am your man in life and in death! Today I will never abandon you and escape alone!" After saying this, he mustered his last bit of strength and rushed towards Zhang Shicheng's direction.

Seeing Li Bosheng's loyalty and righteousness, Zhu Qiwu and Xu Da couldn't help but secretly admire him. However, they knew they couldn't let Li Bosheng rescue Zhang Shicheng, otherwise, there would be endless trouble. Therefore, they attacked Li Bosheng even more fiercely, trying to stop his actions.

Ignoring his wounds, Li Bosheng fought his way through the enemy lines and finally reached Zhang Shicheng's side. He shouted, "Your Majesty, come with me!"

Zhang Shicheng looked at Li Bosheng, his eyes glistening with tears of emotion: "General Li, you shouldn't have come back!"

Li Bosheng didn't speak. He grabbed Zhang Shicheng and rushed out of the city. Zhu Qiwu's soldiers surrounded them, trying to stop their breakout. But Li Bosheng and Zhang Shicheng fought desperately and managed to break through the encirclement.

Seeing Zhang Shicheng and Li Bosheng attempting to break out, Zhu Qiwu became extremely anxious. He shouted, "Don't let them escape! Chase them!"

Upon hearing Zhu Qiwu's order, Xu Da, Tang He, Zhou Dexing, and others immediately led their soldiers in pursuit. However, Zhang Shicheng and Li Bosheng were riding fast horses and disappeared from sight in the blink of an eye.

Zhu Qiwu watched Zhang Shicheng and Li Bosheng's departing figures, feeling somewhat annoyed. But he knew this was not the time for regret; he had more important things to do.

He turned to Xu Da, Tang He, Zhou Dexing, and the others and said, "Although Zhang Shicheng escaped this time, we have won a great victory. You should immediately organize the soldiers to clean up the battlefield and appease the people. At the same time, strengthen the defense of the city to prevent Zhang Shicheng from attacking again."

Xu Da, Tang He, Zhou Dexing, and the others cupped their hands and said, "Yes, sir!" After saying that, they all left to carry out Zhu Qiwu's orders.

Zhu Qiwu returned to his study and checked the system rewards again. He discovered that after this victory, the system had given him a new reward—the "Swift Boots." These boots allowed the wearer to travel a thousand miles a day at incredible speed. Zhu Qiwu was overjoyed; he knew these boots would play a crucial role in future battles.

Just as Zhu Qiwu was immersed in joy, suddenly, a soldier rushed over and reported, "General Qiwu, General Zhu Yuanzhang has returned!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Qiwu was overjoyed. He quickly left his study to greet Zhu Yuanzhang.

A short while later, Zhu Yuanzhang rode up to the study. After dismounting, he looked at Zhu Qiwu with a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes: "Qiwu, I heard that you successfully repelled the enemy this time using the Empty City Stratagem and won a great victory. That's truly remarkable!"

Zhu Qiwu smiled modestly and said, "Fourth Brother, you flatter me. This is all thanks to everyone. I only offered some ideas."

Zhu Yuanzhang patted Zhu Qiwu on the shoulder and said, "Qiwu, don't be modest. I've seen your wisdom and courage. Having a brother like you is a blessing for me, Zhu Yuanzhang!" Zhu Qiwu was moved and said, "Fourth brother, rest assured, I will do everything in my power to help you overthrow the Yuan Dynasty and restore the Han dynasty!"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "Good! I'm relieved to hear that. Although we have achieved some victories, the Yuan Dynasty's power is still formidable, and we cannot afford to be complacent. Next, we must continue to recruit soldiers and expand our strength to prepare for the final victory."

Zhu Qiwu agreed, saying, "Fourth Brother is absolutely right. I already have some plans. We can use the system's rewards and modern knowledge to develop our military and economic strength. For example, we can manufacture some advanced weapons to improve the soldiers' combat effectiveness; we can also develop agriculture and commerce to increase our wealth."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes flashed with delight: "Seventh Five, you truly have foresight. Let's do as you say. I believe that with our joint efforts, we will definitely achieve our goal!"

The two brothers smiled at each other, their hearts filled with confidence and anticipation for the future. They knew that the road ahead was still full of challenges and difficulties, but they also firmly believed that as long as they united as one and forged ahead bravely, they would surely be able to defeat all enemies and usher in a new era.

In the days that followed, Zhu Qiwu and Zhu Yuanzhang began intensive preparations according to plan. Zhu Qiwu utilized system rewards and modern knowledge to manufacture advanced weapons such as cannons and crossbows, greatly improving the soldiers' combat effectiveness. At the same time, he encouraged the people to reclaim wasteland, develop agriculture, construct irrigation projects, and increase grain production. In commerce, he formulated a series of policies to encourage trade and promote economic prosperity.

Meanwhile, Zhu Yuanzhang recruited soldiers and expanded his army. He treated scholars with respect and recruited talented individuals, attracting many ambitious people to join his ranks. Under his leadership, the rebel army grew larger and stronger.

However, their actions also attracted the attention of the Yuan Dynasty government. The Yuan government dispatched a large army to suppress Zhu Yuanzhang's rebellion. A fierce battle is about to break out. Will Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Qiwu be able to defeat their enemies once again and continue their cause? Let us wait and see.

As the Yuan army approached, Zhu Qiwu and Zhu Yuanzhang summoned their generals and held an emergency military meeting in the military camp.

Zhu Yuanzhang's expression was solemn as he said, "The Yuan Dynasty has sent a large and well-equipped army this time, which should not be underestimated. Generals, what strategies do you have to defeat them?"

Xu Da was the first to step forward and said, "Your Majesty, I believe we can take advantage of the terrain to set up an ambush and catch the Yuan army off guard."

Tang He also chimed in, "General Xu is right. We can choose a strategic location, ambush our elite troops on the mountains on both sides, and then attack from both sides to annihilate the Yuan army once they enter the valley."

Zhou Dexing offered a different opinion: "While the two generals' plans are good, the Yuan army has come with great force this time and will surely be on guard. If we rashly set up an ambush, they might see through it. I think we can first send a small team to lure the enemy into our encirclement and then annihilate them in one fell swoop."

After listening, Zhu Qiwu pondered for a moment and said, "General Zhou's plan is good, but it needs further refinement. We can send a light cavalry unit to lure the enemy, have them feign defeat, and draw the Yuan army into pursuit. At the same time, we can set up an ambush on the Yuan army's inevitable route. Once the Yuan army enters the ambush, we can attack from all sides and surround them."

After listening, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and praised, "Qi Wu's plan is excellent. Let's do it this way! Xu Da, you are in charge of leading the light cavalry to lure the enemy; Tang He and Zhou Dexing, you each lead a team to ambush on the mountains on both sides; I will personally lead the main army to provide support from the rear."

The generals all accepted the order and went to make their preparations.

A few days later, Xu Da led a troop of light cavalry to lure the enemy. They traveled along a small path and soon encountered the vanguard of the Yuan army.

Xu Da shouted, "Charge! Kill these Yuan dogs!" With that, he led his light cavalry to charge towards the Yuan army.

Seeing this, the Yuan army's vanguard immediately engaged in battle. A fierce battle ensued, and although Xu Da's light cavalry were brave, they were outnumbered and gradually began to suffer losses.

Seeing that his goal had been achieved, Xu Da shouted, "Retreat! Retreat quickly!" With that, he led his light cavalry in a turn and fled.

Seeing Xu Da and his men flee, the Yuan vanguard assumed they were frightened and ordered a pursuit. They chased them relentlessly, unknowingly entering a valley.

Just as the Yuan army's vanguard entered the valley, a sudden shout of battle erupted from the mountains on both sides. Tang He and Zhou Dexing, each leading their respective ambush troops, charged out from both flanks and launched a fierce attack on the Yuan army's vanguard.

The Yuan vanguard was thrown into chaos. They were divided and surrounded by the armies of Tang He and Zhou Dexing, unable to mount an effective resistance. Soldiers abandoned their armor and weapons and fled in all directions.

Seeing the Yuan army's vanguard in disarray, Xu Da led his light cavalry back to attack. He, along with Tang He and Zhou Dexing, coordinated their efforts and annihilated the Yuan vanguard.

News of the annihilation of the Yuan army's vanguard quickly reached the ears of the Yuan commander-in-chief, Toqto'a Temur. Enraged, Toqto'a Temur ordered a full-scale attack to annihilate Zhu Yuanzhang's rebel army.

The Yuan army surged into the valley like a tidal wave. Seeing this, Zhu Yuanzhang knew the time had come. He shouted, "All troops, attack! Kill them!"

At Zhu Yuanzhang's command, the rebel army surged forth from all directions, launching a fierce attack on the Yuan army. Zhu Qiwu also activated his "Imperial Aura" skill, leading a squad of elite soldiers into the Yuan army's ranks. His appearance instilled fear in the Yuan soldiers, who involuntarily retreated.

The battle was fierce, with heavy casualties on both sides. However, the rebels were in high spirits and fought bravely, gradually gaining the upper hand.

Seeing that the situation was hopeless, Toqto'a Timur was both shocked and furious. He shouted, "Retreat! Retreat quickly!" With that, he led his remaining troops in a hasty and desperate escape.

Toqto'a Timur fled in disarray, and the routed remnants of the Yuan army, like stray dogs, scattered and fled through the valleys, abandoning their armor and weapons in utter chaos. Zhu Yuanzhang, standing on high ground, watched the fleeing Yuan army with a triumphant smile on his face. He shouted, "Brothers, this is a great victory, but we must not be complacent. We must press on and completely crush this Yuan army!"

Xu Da, spear in hand, excitedly replied, "Brother Zhu, rest assured, we will not fail in our mission!" With that, he brandished his spear and led a group of men charging forward. Tang He, Zhou Dexing, and the others followed suit, leading their respective groups close behind. (End of Chapter)