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  Zhu Yuanzhang went to Anfeng, Chen Youliang was well aware of his actions, but what is puzzling is that he did not take any action!

  Why he didn't cherish this opportunity is an unsolvable mystery.

  Later military analysts often explained it as his slow reaction and wrong judgment, but the fact may not be so.

  As a loyal ally of Chen Youliang, Zhang Shicheng's attack on Anfeng at this time already carried the implication of threatening to respond to heaven. In the subsequent war process, he will also design a trap for Zhu Yuanzhang, a big trap.

  In the first month of the 23rd year of Zhizheng (1363), Zhu Yuanzhang set out to rescue Anfeng, and the outcome of this campaign may have been

  1. An Feng successfully lifted the siege, Han Lin'er and Liu Fu Tong were rescued, he would gain great prestige, Han Lin'er became his puppet from then on.

  2. Anfeng was lost, Han Lin'er and Liu Futong died, and he would no longer be subject to anyone's control.

  On March 13, Zhu Yuanzhang arrived at Anfeng and obtained his final victory.

  Anfeng fell, Liu Futong died in battle, but Han Lin'er was rescued by him amidst the chaos.

  This is a result that made Zhu Yuanzhang cry and laugh at the same time. Not only did he fail to guard the gate, but he also gained an extra burden.

  But he didn't know that a bigger net had already been cast for him.

  Chen Youliang was watching Zhu Yuanzhang's performance with great interest and preparing his next move.

  Yes, Anfeng is still far from enough, very far from enough. This is not an ideal location. We must find a place to exhaust Zhu Yuanzhang's entire strength and then have a final battle with him.

  Hongdou betrayed me, but I didn't attack Hongdou. It's not that I don't want to, it's just that the time hasn't come yet. Before that, I can only endure. When you are trapped in that spider web, that's when I will strike.

  Zhu Yuanzhang, I've changed my mind! I won't drive you away, I'll kill you instead!

  Dare to be my enemy and refuse to obey me, there is only one way to perish!

  Zhu Yuanzhang walked away with a disappointed mood, looking at Han Lin'er beside him, not knowing what to do.

  At the same time, Zhang Shicheng's army did not give up. On Zhu Yuanzhang's retreat route, they formed small armed forces to harass Zhu Yuanzhang's tens of thousands of troops without stopping. This annoying private salt merchant! This guerrilla tactic of neither fighting nor fleeing made Zhu Yuanzhang very angry, and he made the most wrong decision in his military career.

  Attack Lu State!

  Zhu Yuanzhang finally fell into the trap.

  Luzhou is today's Hefei, Anhui. This city was extremely solid and heavily guarded by Zhang Shicheng's troops. Zhu Yuanzhang's plan was very clear: if he could take Luzhou, he would open up the road to Zhang Shicheng's lair in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. This could also be considered a consolation for his futile efforts so far.

  But Xu Da firmly opposed his proposal

  In Zhu Yuanzhang's camp, Xu Da repeatedly stated his argument that rescuing Anfeng was already a mistake, and now attacking Luzhou would be difficult to capture under the strong city. If Chen Youliang sends troops at this time, there will be unpredictable disasters.

  Zhu Yuanzhang did not think so, he led the army to Anfeng, Chen Youliang was calm and quiet, this person's vision is only so, what is there to fear?

  Xu Da still insisted on his own point of view.

  Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly let out a loud shout, interrupting Xu Da. His eyes were burning with anger. This trip had not only achieved nothing, but also brought him an unclear and ambiguous leadership. So embarrassing, how could he face Liu Ji when he returned? He made up his mind:

  "You don't need to say any more, I have made up my mind and will definitely take Lu State!"

  Set out!

  At the same time, Chen Youliang, who was considered by Zhu Yuanzhang to be completely lacking in vision, was making his final inspection of his palace in his traveling palace, with all the high-ranking generals of the Han army standing behind him.

  He didn't idle for a moment, in the dozens of days and nights here, he had mobilized all the potential of this most powerful war machine, formed an army of 600,000, and would launch a final attack on Zhu Yuanzhang with invincible warships!

  No more endurance is needed, Zhu Yuanzhang, your doomsday has arrived!

  He raised his wine cup and spoke his final words to his generals:

  "This time we set out, our army will attack with no intention of returning, it's the meaning of breaking the cauldron and sinking the boat! This battle has only advance and no retreat, only life and no death! To defeat Zhu's rebellion, it's just one battle, the world will surely belong to our great Han!"

  He drained his cup and smashed it on the ground.

  Set out!

  Two armies set out from different starting points and marched towards different objectives, but they will eventually arrive at the destined battlefield to engage in the final showdown!

  In April 1363, Chen Youliang led his army on their final campaign.

  It was just before this that a man had arrived in Hongdu, who was sent by Zhu Yuanzhang to garrison the place.

  His name is Zhu Wen Zheng.

  He was the nephew of Zhu Yuanzhang, and since the location of Hongdu was very important, it could not be lost, many people did not think that Zhu Yuanzhang would give such an important task to this guy who still had no hair on his upper lip.

  He is just a spoiled son of a rich family. This was people's evaluation of Zhu Wen Zheng before he took office.

  It seems this evaluation is not wrong after all.

  Zhu Wenjing arrived in Hongdu and lingered in the place of smoke and flowers, drinking and having fun every day, composing songs, and letting the maids perform day and night. As for important military deployments and other tasks, he handed them over to his subordinates to handle, without taking care of them himself.

  His behavior is very consistent with the typical characteristics of a playboy, prodigal son, and dissolute young master.

  Every time he sees Zhu Wen Zheng drunk and unconscious, Manager Li Ji Xian can only shake his head and sigh, this is a big master, nothing can be expected of him. The Hong Dynasty is in danger.

  Chen Youliang's first target of attack was indeed Hongdu.

  Later generations have been puzzled by Chen Youliang's decision, why not directly attack Ying Tian, so that Zhu Yuanzhang would be attacked from both front and back and could not withstand a single blow. Why did Chen Youliang not take the ready-made advantage?

  This seems like a difficult question to answer, but I believe that in Chen Yongzhen's case, this question is easy to answer.

  Chen Youliang's personality weakness doomed him to attack Hongdu.

  He is a ruthless and cunning man who has always lived in betrayal and deception, so these things are not unfamiliar to him. Hongdou's defection should not be an unexpected event for him.

  But from a psychological point of view, people like him are most afraid of being betrayed by others. For a person, what he hates the most is often what he is best at.

  Something that belongs to me must be taken back!

  Capture Hongdu, and I can teach a lesson to those who betrayed me, let them understand that they must be absolutely loyal to Chen Youliang!

  It is allowed for me to owe the world, but it is not allowed for the world to owe me. This is a common disease of this kind of person.

  Of course, taking Hongdu has many benefits. This place can serve as a base for attacking Ying Tian. It can be attacked and defended, and if the attack is unfavorable, it can also control downstream and plan to fight again.

  The various anecdotes about Zhu Wen's son naturally also reached Chen Youliang's ears, which was another great encouragement for him.

  Capture Hongdu, as easy as turning over one's palm!

  But he seems to have overlooked one thing.

  With Zhu Yuanzhang's astuteness, it is impossible that he did not know about Zhu Wen Zheng's words and deeds. How could he give such an important position to someone like him?

  On the very day when Chen Youliang marched towards Hongdu, Zhu Wen received this news and put away his wine-drinking and pleasure-seeking attire, revealing his ferocious face to Chen Youliang.

  The Fifth Name Under Heaven

  In people's traditional concept, whether a person is good or bad is often measured by whether he is enthusiastic about eating, drinking and gambling. If this standard is followed, Comrade Zhu Wenrong would certainly be a bad person.

  But people often overlook the fact that there are useful bad people and useless good people in this world.

  Zhu Wen Zheng is an out-and-out bad guy, which also led to his later tragedy, but without a doubt, he was a useful person.

  Under Zhu Yuanzhang, there were many talented generals whose military talents and achievements were not inferior to those of any famous general in history. Among these many generals, Zhu Wen was a dazzling one.

  According to military talent and merit, Zhu Wen is roughly ranked fifth among the generals. This is not because he was not excellent enough, but because the four people in front of him were insurmountable. The stories of these few will be told later.

  Another person who guarded Hongdu with Zhu Wen Zheng was Deng Yu, also a key figure. If ranked, he should be sixth because he later became one of the six dukes.

  Zhu Wen is displaying his ability under the pressure of a great enemy. Hong is a solid city, but it has one weakness - too many gates. I unified them and there are eight gates: Fuzhou, Gongbu, Tubu, Qiaobu, Zhangjiang, Xincheng, Liuli, Dantai, in addition to the water gate.

  Many gates are a symbol of prosperity in big cities, but when the city faces an army of 600,000, this prosperity becomes a nightmare. Due to the large number of people, the attacking troops can attack each gate simultaneously, while the defenders will be unable to defend all gates at once.

  But Zhu Wen was indeed a military genius, the soldiers available in the city were barely enough to defend, but he could arrange them in an orderly manner.

  He should feel lucky that all the generals stationed in the city are seasoned veterans, and he made arrangements based on their characteristics.

  The most important Fuzhou Gate was guarded by Deng Yu

  Zhao De Sheng defended three gates: Gong Bu, Tu Bu and Qiao Bu (this was more tiring, the task was the heaviest)

  Xue Xian (Meng Ren) guarded Zhangjiang and New City gates

  Niu Hailong and Zhao Guowang guarded the Liuli and Handai gates.

  Zhu Wen-zheng might have been an accountant by trade, for after arranging the defensive troops, he still had two thousand men left over (how did he squeeze them out?) to provide support at any of the gates at a moment's notice.

  Everything is ready, only waiting for Chen Youliang.

  The Battle of Hongdu will become Chen Youliang's nightmare.

  Chen Youliang led his army to advance on Hongdu, and there has been debate about the actual number of his troops. Based on the scale of his warships, I estimated a rough figure. His warships were divided into two types: large ones could hold 3,000 people, and small ones could hold 2,000 people. He had more than 200 warships this time, so the number of people was approximately between 400,000 to 600,000. It was a truly powerful army. "Throwing a whip to cut off the river" is not an exaggeration.

  In the twenty-third year of Zhizheng (1363), on April 23, Chen Youliang's army arrived at Hongdu. Zhu Wen and his generals saw the most terrifying sight: hundreds of thousands of people surrounded the city like a flood, the river surface was filled with giant warships, the armor and weapons of the soldiers shone brighter than the sunlight, and the fluttering flags stretched for tens of miles, covering Hongdu like a huge cloak.

  Dark clouds press down on the city, the city is about to collapse

  Zhu Wen is holding the last full military meeting at the governor's mansion, he reversed his usual playful and arrogant attitude, standing solemnly and sternly, which surprised the generals who had previously discussed behind his back that he was not a martial general. His stern expression and severe tone made people breathless, they all lowered their heads to listen to his speech.

  "I know you don't like me, and you gossip about me behind my back. That's fine, I don't like you either. But now Chen Youliang's army of 600,000 is already at the city gate. If you want to surrender, you can leave immediately, I won't stop you. But if you don't leave, then we'll have to take the same path together - fight until the city falls and everyone dies, only then will it be over!"

  He looked at the generals in front of him, and suddenly a huge sense of sadness surged up in his heart. How many people can survive this war? Will he still be able to see them? What about himself?

  He ended this speech with possibly the most gentle tone in his life.

  "Farewell, everyone, I look forward to meeting you again in better circumstances."

  The generals heard this and lifted their heads. They were surprised to find that Zhu Wen's eyes seemed to be filled with tears.

  There's no need to say anything more, for these people living on the edge of their seats, they are well aware of the current situation. They don't like Zhu Wen Zheng, nor do they like his unbridled nature, but they understand that now, they are truly comrades in arms.

  They went their separate ways to the city gates they were guarding, for many of them, that was where life ended.

  Comrades in arms are partners who share life and death together.

  On April 24, Chen Youliang launched an attack and the Battle of Hongdu began.

  The Legend of Miyue: Zhu Yuanzhang Chapter 12

  Chapter word count: 4448 Updated time: July 2nd, 2022 15:47

  A test of wills

  Chen Youliang's army first chose to attack the Fuzhou Gate, which was guarded by Deng Yu. This gate was open on all sides and very suitable for an attack, so Chen Youliang decided to enter the city from here!

  At dawn, the Han army launched an attack on the gate of Fuzhou, and the battle was extremely fierce. The soldiers inside the city kept throwing prepared large stones and logs at the soldiers under the city wall. Chen Youding's soldiers used bamboo shields, which apparently had no resistance to the big guys falling from the sky, resulting in heavy casualties.

  This situation lasted for three days, with the bodies of Han soldiers piling up like a mountain in front of Fuzhou Gate, yet they were unable to advance any further.

  Chen Youliang only then felt that things were not as simple as he had thought.

  He strictly ordered his soldiers that if they could not take down the gate of Fuzhou, they would be punished by military law!

  On the twenty-seventh day, the most violent attack on the gate of Fuzhou began.

  Chen Youliang's soldiers, under the threat of being beheaded if they retreated, launched a charge at the Fuzhou Gate. Due to the intense arrows and rocks from the city tower, the siege engines could not be used, so the soldiers went mad, using their weapons to fiercely chop at the city wall, and surprisingly, they managed to break through a section of the wall over ten zhang wide (a tofu dregs project). Normally, at this point, the commander of the city gate would order a retreat and engage in street fighting, but General Deng Yu showed us how the city walls were tempered.

  Deng Yü's trump card

  Deng Yu learned that the city wall had been breached and was not surprised. He had expected this and had prepared a change of clothes.

  When Chen Youliang's soldiers crossed the breach in the city wall and prepared to enter the city, they found that the soldiers inside the city were aiming at them with a strange thing.

  Gunfire erupted

  Cannons? Yes, Deng Yu's later work was the fire lance, and the fire guns of the Yuan dynasty had undergone improvements during the Song and Yuan dynasties, becoming very advanced and capable of large-scale use. However, due to the complexity of operation, many people (such as Chen Youliang) were unwilling to equip them, although they occasionally used them. Only Zhu Yuanzhang truly used firearms as a separate branch of troops, and later the Divine Machine Camp in the Ming army's three major camps was a firearms camp.

  This fire gun caused great psychological shock to Chen Youding's soldiers, and for a time they did not dare to attack. Deng Yu was indeed a famous general, he knew that the Han army would soon return, and instead of rigidly repairing the city wall, he quickly built a temporary wooden fence with wood.

  This kind of random adaptability is the most reflective of a commander's level.

  As expected, the Han army came again soon after, and fought with Deng Yu's army for control of the wooden palisade. The defending troops used bows, arrows, and firearms to counterattack, but due to the large number of enemy soldiers, they gradually became unable to hold their ground. At this time, Niu Hailong and Zhao Guowang, who were idle and had nothing to do, led soldiers from the Liu Li and Dan Tai gates to come and assist in the battle. Zhu Wenrong correctly analyzed the situation on the battlefield at this time, and led the main force to personally rush over to reinforce it. The morale of the defending troops was greatly boosted, and they fought a desperate battle with the Han army. Zhu Wenrong considered that if the city wall was not repaired well, it would be unable to withstand the enemy's attack sooner or later, so he ordered his troops to fight on one side while repairing the city wall on the other.

  To be honest, I still can't imagine what the scene was like. The soldiers in front were fighting with knives, while the people behind them were building walls with cement knives.

  Chen Youliang also recognized that the Fuzhou Gate wall was a great opportunity to break through, and he personally supervised the battle, determined to capture it.

  Chen Youliang and Zhu Wenlian were just a short distance away, gazing at each other. When he saw the bravery of the defending army, he felt that he might have misjudged Zhu Wenlian's abilities.

  This fierce battle, from morning to night, neither side seemed to have the desire to go back and rest. To boost morale, both sides' leaders personally took to the field. Li Jiyuan, the general manager of Hongdu, Cow Hailong, who came to help, and Zhao Guowang all died in battle. The fighting continued until the next morning when Zhu Wen Zheng's construction team had repaired the city wall. The Han army saw that attacking the city was hopeless and finally retreated.

  This battle was the most arduous one since the war began, both sides staked their lives, and the final victory belonged to Zhu Wen Zheng, but his losses were also extremely heavy, and he himself was injured.

  When I go back, I will definitely take down that guy who undertook the Fuzhou city wall project.

  I believe this is what Zhu Wenjing wants to do most.

  The ferocity of the battle also left Chen Youliang with a lingering fear, and in the following days he did not launch a large-scale attack, but instead divided his troops to occupy Ji'an as a rear guard. The soldiers inside the city gradually grew and adapted to the war after experiencing the cruel test of battle, and it was proven that Chen Youliang's relaxation at this time was a huge mistake, and soon he would face an even more stubborn defense.

  After a week of small-scale attacks, Chen Youliang launched a large-scale attack again.

  On May 7th, Chen Youliang decided to attack Xincheng Gate after inspecting the city defenses on site.

  This is not a good choice, because the guardian of the new city gate is Xue Xian.

  Xue Xian is a fugitive. He is notorious for his ferocity and lawlessness, and in Hongdu City, he is a tyrant that no one dares to provoke. Chen Youliang will soon suffer at his hands.

  On May 8th, Chen Youliang ordered his troops to attack Xincheng Gate, and a new round of attacks began.

  However, when Chen Youliang's soldiers, wearing armor and holding bamboo shields, cautiously approached the city gate, they unexpectedly found that the arrows and stones on the city wall were not fierce, and they were overjoyed. Chen Youliang immediately decided to use the Lü Gong Che!

  Lü Gong's chariot is a giant siege engine, but due to its complexity in disassembly and difficulty in movement, it was rarely used in intense battles. If not used now, when will it be?

  Xue Xian in the city has been waiting for this moment.

  At this time, he opened the city gate, and the Han army soldiers were suddenly excited. The city gate that they could not enter was actually opened.

  What came out was Xue Xian and his cavalry.

  The soldiers who were preparing the siege engines did not expect that the people inside the city would be so bold, and they even dared to rush out and cause chaos. Xue Xian led the cavalry in a magnificent charge, but then retreated back.

  Afterwards, the Han army did not dare to launch a fierce attack on Xincheng Gate again.

  I'm a hooligan, who am I afraid of!

  From May to June, Chen Youliang was always sighing in Wangcheng, could it be that Hongwu's army couldn't attack and take down the city?

  He decided to attack by water route.

  On June 14, he unexpectedly attacked the Water Gate of Hongdu, but was met with a long spear team that had been waiting there. As soon as the Han army approached the Water Gate, the defenders used specially made long spears to attack them through the iron fence, killing and injuring countless soldiers. The Han army desperately grabbed the protruding long spears with their hands, temporarily stabilizing the situation. At this time, the defenders' long spear attacks stopped, and the Han army was overjoyed, thinking that the defenders had escaped. However, after a while, the defenders began to use long spears to attack again from inside. The Han army took it for granted and continued to grab with their hands, but as soon as they grabbed, they cried out in pain. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered that the defenders had heated the long spears and iron hooks over fire before using them to attack the Han army.

  It turned out that I just went to heat it up earlier.

  The flood is right in front of us, but we can't get in.

  Under desperate circumstances, he went to attack the Tufomen Gate defended by Zhao DeSheng. This battle did not yield any results, and the defending general Zhao DeSheng was shot dead by a stray arrow from the Han army, but someone immediately took over his command position and still firmly controlled the city gate.

  Chen Youliang fell into despair

  What kind of place is this! When can I get in!

  In fact, Zhu Wen Zheng in the city also has the same pain

  When can I go out?!

  Besieged, truly besieged!

  Iron Warrior Zhu Wen Zheng

  Zhu Wen-zheng had not slept well for over a month, he made deployments before Chen You-liang's army arrived, eight gates turned around, urging generals to prepare, when fighting, he always wore armor to sleep, as soon as there was danger, he would immediately get up and lead his few poor soldiers to reinforce, a true firefighter.

  It's really not easy being a leader!

  But he persisted and with his unyielding will resisted the attack of 600,000 strong army, blocking them under the city wall, completely unable to move.

  An unyielding will can conquer a powerful enemy, Zhu Wenjing proved this.

  Everyone may have also found a problem, why haven't the reinforcements arrived yet?

  Such a big battle, Zhu Yuanzhang must have received the news already, why hasn't he reinforced Zhu Wen Zheng yet?

  This cannot be blamed on Zhu Yuanzhang

  Because Zhu Wen Zheng never asked for his help!

  In a defensive battle where we are outnumbered, the defending general will usually ask for reinforcements from the commander-in-chief at the first opportunity, writing something like "If you don't come, everyone will be finished" and handing it over to the messenger, while also repeatedly instructing him: "Tell him to hurry up, or else I'll lose my life!"

  Zhu Wen Zheng is really a strange person

  He seemed to have taken Chen Youliang as a tourist camping in Hongdu.

  The Hongdu battle lasted for more than a month, Zhu WenZheng relied on the tofu dregs project's city wall and limited soldiers to repeatedly contend with Chen YouLiang's invincible fleet, relying on his military talent to hold on. He seemed to think that he still had the strength to confront Chen YouLiang, and made greater consumption of the opponent's strength, preparing for the decisive battle.

  But he also underestimated Chen Youliang, a commander who could command an army of 600,000. How could he be stopped by the small Hongdu?

  It's just a matter of time before Hongdu falls.

  In June, Chen Youliang launched a larger-scale attack. Zhu Wen's keen military sense told him that the resistance in Hongdu was nearing its limit. He could no longer delay and sent someone to find Zhu Yuanzhang.

  This is a man worth mentioning, his name is Zhang Ziming.

  Zhang Ziming set out from Hongdu to find Zhu Yuanzhang. To be on the safe side, he did not travel during the day but instead found a place to sleep and only set out at night when there were fewer people (a bit like traveling against the clock). This inefficient way of walking made him take half a month to arrive in Ying Tian and find Zhu Yuanzhang.

  At this time, Zhu Yuanzhang also sent Xu Da to attack Luzhou, where he received similar treatment to Chen Youliang and was unable to break through the city.

  Zhu Yuanzhang asked Zhang Ziming about Zhu Wen's situation. Zhang Ziming was a clever person, he didn't say that Zhu Wen couldn't hold on anymore, but said: Chen Youliang has brought many people, but the casualties are already very heavy, and the expedition has been going on for too long, food is almost gone, if you send troops, you will definitely be able to defeat him.

  Zhu Yuanzhang was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately sent someone to Lu State to order Xu Da to return (what's the hurry), preparing for a decisive battle!

  Then he told Zhang Ziming: You go back first, I'll get ready and leave for Hongdu soon.

  How long is soon?

  Zhu Yuanzhang continued: Let Zhu Wen Zheng hold on for another month, and I will arrive in a month!

  In a month? By then Zhu Wenjing's bones might have been taken out to make drumsticks!

  Although so, Zhang Ziming still set out on the road. This time in order to rush for time, he traveled day and night without rest. Unexpectedly when arriving at Lake Mouth, he was captured by Chen Youliang's soldiers. Chen Youliang personally met with Zhang Ziming.

  Zhang Ziming's first impression of Chen Youliang was that he looked stupid, standing there with his hands not knowing where to put them.

  This person is easy to deal with.

  Chen Youliang began to work on Zhang Ziming's ideology, starting from pulling family ties, to unifying the world and great national righteousness, etc. Zhang Ziming just kept nodding, until he was fed up and expressed his true thoughts.

  Collaborate with me, surrender Hong Dou, and you will live; refuse to collaborate, and you will die.

  Zhang Ziming hastily said, I'll cooperate, I'll cooperate.

  Then Chen Youliang sent someone to escort Zhang Ziming to the foot of Hongdu City and let him shout to the people inside the city, asking them to surrender.

  Zhang Ziming repeatedly agreed and walked to the foot of the city wall, shouting loudly:

  Everyone, hold on tight, our great army is arriving soon!

  Chen Youliang was stunned. He had not expected that this weak and bookish man would have such audacity. In a fit of rage, he killed Zhang Ziming with his knife.

  He finally understood that this scholar was not afraid of death, but his mission had not been completed and he could not die yet.

  He still remembered Zhang Ziming's mocking gaze before his death.

  What made him even more uneasy was that in the eyes of his generals, he saw admiration for this bookworm.

  How can these ruthless killers admire this person?

  No, things shouldn't be like this, should they? The person with the strongest power gets to decide everything, right?

  When I was weak, those who were stronger than me bullied me without restraint. Now that I possess the strongest army and power, everyone in this world should fear me, dread me, and respect me!

  So why isn't this insignificant bookworm afraid of death or me?

  Chen Youliang began to doubt his own behavior for the first time.

  There are many things in this world that cannot be solved by violence and authority, Chen Youliang does not understand this principle, just like Xu Shouhui does not understand Chen Youliang's way of survival.

  In the sixth month of the 23rd year of the Zhuyuan era, after determining to engage in a decisive battle with Chen Youliang, Zhu Yuanzhang recalled Xu Da's troops from Luzhou and assembled all his elite forces, including 200,000 soldiers and excellent generals such as Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, Feng Sheng, Guo Xing, etc. Even civil officials like Liu Ji joined the expedition. Like Chen Youliang, Zhu Yuanzhang also came with an empty country this time.

  This battle is inevitable, and hiding won't work, so let's fight it out.

  Chen Youliang and Zhu Yuanzhang were like two gamblers, one with 600,000 and the other with 200,000, engaging in a perilous game of chance. The chips they used were the lives of countless people, the stakes were their own lives, wealth, and everything they had.

  But what makes this gamble most enticing is that the winner will gain dominion over this land. The reward was too tempting, and no one could resist it.

  In July 6th of Zhizheng twenty-three years (1363), Zhu Yuanzhang set out from Ying Tian with all his bets to participate in this gamble.

  The Legend of Miyue: Zhu Yuanzhang Chapter 13

  Chapter word count: 3937 Updated time: July 2nd, 2022 15:47

  Zhu Yuanzhang would not really let Zhu Wen Zheng guard for a month, his army marched hastily towards Hongdu, day and night without stopping, advancing towards the battlefield of their fate.

  Zhu Yuanzhang was on his way to the military campaign. It was a sunny day, with occasional gusts of wind blowing over the river, making people feel quite warm and comfortable.

  Zhu Yuanzhang, however, was not in the mood to appreciate the scenery. His flagship was advancing towards Hongdu, and when he turned his head back, what he saw were his numerous warships, as well as the civil and military officials commanding them - a massive army of 200,000 men. Every time Zhu Yuanzhang thought about this, his heart couldn't help but be stirred with excitement.

  From a penniless cowherd to the commander of thousands of soldiers today, how did I get here? So many hardships and sufferings, sorrow and despair, I have all endured. Now I am going to fight for the world!

  Chen Youliang was so powerful, invincible warships, brave soldiers, he has always been stronger than me, always been

  It's no longer three years ago, and there's no more ambush to take advantage of. This time I'm facing his true strength, and the only way is a head-on collision!

  Zhu Yuanzhang's hands couldn't help but tremble, this trembling was fear, and also anticipation.

  When faced with a powerful enemy, people's first reaction is often to rush forward and fight, thinking that they can take it on. The mistake in this behavior lies in the fact that the calf is not fearless of tigers, but rather because it does not know the terror of tigers.

  When Zhu Yuanzhang was weak, he focused on expanding his own territory, occupying Chuzhou! Occupying Hezhou! What are Chen Youliang and Zhang Shicheng?

  However, as he grew stronger himself, he realized what a massive and formidable creature was in front of him, how terrifying and invincible it was. He finally began to fear.

  The closer you get to your opponent's level, the more you understand their strength, and the more you will fear. When his fear reaches its peak, that is when he can match up with his opponent!

  Zhu Yuanzhang kept pursuing Chen Youliang, constantly understanding the terror of Chen Youliang, and constantly strengthening his own strength, all for that final decisive battle, defeating him, and the world would be fearless again!

  With trembling body, with reverent heart challenge.

  Chen Youliang, I have already made preparations for a decisive battle with you. You have been besieging Hongdu for two months now, how much morale and food do you think is left? Although my troops are few in number, I am not afraid of you!

  As long as Chen Youliang is defeated, I will be the master of the world!

  At this time, a strong gust of wind suddenly blew up on the river, and Zhu Yuanzhang's boat shook violently. He also woke up abruptly from his contemplation. This was not the battlefield where the decisive battle would take place, and Chen Youliang was not so easy to defeat. To defeat him, there was still a long way to go.

  Horses cross the river, and the fragrance of clover fills the air; a piece of cloud, a sprinkle of rain, crossing the Xiao and Xiang rivers.

  The east wind awakens the hero's dream, it is not Xianyang but Luoyang.

  Victory is still far away, let's think about how to fight instead.

  Chen Youliang, I'm here!

  On July 16, Zhu Yuanzhang's army arrived at Lake Mouth. In order to achieve the goal of decisive battle with Chen Youliang, he divided his troops into two routes and occupied Jingjiangkou and Nanhu Kou respectively, while also blocking Wu Yangdu, the only place where Chen Youliang could retreat, cutting off Chen Youliang's retreat route.

  After repeated consideration, Zhu Yuanzhang correctly recognized that the only way to thoroughly defeat Chen Youliang was to completely destroy his navy. He made up his mind to decide the outcome with Chen Youliang on water.

  On July 19, Chen Youliang retreated from Hongdu to Lake Poyang to seek a decisive battle with Zhu Yuanzhang after learning that Zhu had come to his aid and blocked his retreat.

  He was thoroughly fed up with dealing with this man and didn't want to wait any longer. He did not seek a breakthrough, returning to Jiangzhou, although it would have been easy for him, the broken ships blocking the river mouth by Zhu Yuanzhang were nothing in his eyes.

  I've had enough of this, if you want a water fight then bring it on, let's settle this once and for all in the water!

  On July 20, Zhu Yuanzhang's navy and Chen Youliang's navy arrived at Poyang Lake respectively, meeting at Mount Kanglang. After countless twists and turns, the two armies finally reached the site of their final showdown.

  The great war will be tomorrow!