Chen Biao didn't know whether Zhu Yuanzhang had really come. But he was certain that Chen Youliang absolutely believed that Zhu Yuanzhang would arrive in the next few days, and guessed that the defenders in the city had already received news of the impending reinforcements.
He didn't need to figure out why Chen Youliang made such a judgment, he just needed to take advantage of this matter.
Chen Biao calmly used fierce firepower to defeat the main force of Chen Han under the city, and then lit the beacon fire.
The beacon fires slowly rose, the city gates slowly rose, and the battle flags of the Zhu family army fluttered in the wind.
The leading general lowered his body, squeezed his legs against the horse's belly, and without any orders, the horse galloped away, and the soldiers behind him followed, rushing out of the city gate like sharp swords.
Chen Biao had war drums carried up from the city wall. Some lame wounded soldiers, Chen family servants, wives of generals, and young and strong women who used to be singing girls but are now ordinary people, all came to the new city gate where the fighting was most intense, holding all the musical instruments they could find in the city.
The war drums were the first to sound, followed by the sound of horns, pipa, zither, and erhu.
Even the sound of stringed instruments can depict the golden swords and iron horses on the battlefield.
Come, play music to help the general break the formation!
There were no more soldiers on the city wall. Only the remaining civilians took the city's musical instruments and sat densely on the high city wall to play music.
Chen Biao originally intended to prepare these things to support Zhu Yuanzhang's army and boost morale.
Now, he has the military band on stage ahead of time.
Chen Youliang went to the battlefield in person. When he heard the drumbeats that could not drown out the sounds of fighting, he could not help but stop his horse, stand and look, with a look of surprise and uncertainty.
"What are they doing?! What are they going to do?!!"
Chen Youliang had asked once when he saw the city gate wide open, and he asked again.
Why is the music playing again?!
The general behind him said, "All four city gates are open. They're shouting reinforcements are coming and charging at us like crazy! Your Majesty, has Zhu Yuanzhang arrived?"
Chen Youliang didn't say anything.
Even though the continuous failures made Chen Youliang a little crazy, his excellent general qualities and long-term habitual caution still allowed him to remain sane.
He looked at the scattered formation on the battlefield and suddenly realized that Zhu Yuanzhang might really come.
Then... withdraw the troops?
Chen Youliang felt a little confused.
This is the second time.
The first time, he concentrated his superior forces to launch a surprise attack on Yingtian, hoping to achieve a great victory to consolidate the new Chen Han regime. However, he was discovered and defeated by Zhu Yuanzhang, causing him to lose half of the Chen Han regime.
The second time, he concentrated a more powerful force and took advantage of the fierce battle between Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhang Shicheng, just to capture the city of Hongdu. Would he fail again?
If he failed again, would he still have any prestige in Chen Han? Would those generals who had already disobeyed him immediately turn against him? Would someone else, like him, do the same thing, cut off his head and declare themselves king?
He was able to kill and replace Xu Shouhui because he won battles one after another and his reputation continued to rise; while Xu Shouhui made many strategic decision-making mistakes and his reputation among his generals plummeted.
Therefore, Chen Youliang needed more victories and higher reputation to consolidate his seized position.
In the Battle of Hongdu, he had such a huge advantage, but he chose to retreat again. Will he still be able to command the army next?
But if you don't withdraw...
While Chen Youliang was hesitating, Chen Biao quietly poked his head out from the concave part of the parapet above the city wall.
The gates of Hongdu City were wide open, and the guards of the three city gates drove Chen Han's army towards the new city gate. Now the guards of the three city gates have joined forces, and the other three city gates have been closed, leaving only the new city gate open.
The defenders of Hongdu City drove Chen Han's army to a place near the river to fight, leaving a large area outside the new city gate, so Chen Biao didn't have to worry about being killed by long-range weapons.
Of course, as cautious as he was, even though he assumed it was safe, he still wore a small helmet just in case.
When Chen Biao took out a telescope and observed the fighting on the front line of the battlefield, he happened to see Chen Youliang, who was protected by Chen Han's generals and riding on a tall horse looking at his side.
Chen Biao didn't know Chen Youliang, but the battlefield was so tightly protected that there could be no other general standing there motionless wearing the best armor except Chen Youliang.
Chen Youliang looked at the city wall. Although he could not see the small dot on the wall that represented Chen Biao's little head, when Chen Biao observed him through the telescope, his eyes seemed to be looking at Chen Biao.
The telescope's magnification was not high enough, so Chen Biao could not observe the details of Chen Youliang's expression. However, he could infer from Chen Youliang's standing still that Chen Youliang was in a dilemma.
The defenders of Hongdu City who were fighting with Chen Han's army also heard the sound of war drums and musical instruments when they just left the city gate.
The passionate music seemed to urge them to charge. Their bodies surged with a surge of heat and an unimaginable energy, their strength was much greater than usual, and their energy was much more focused than usual.
It was as if the people on the city wall were transmitting their strength through the sound of music and drums.
Some of the more superstitious soldiers even thought that since the young military advisor was omnipotent, it seemed natural for him to cast a spell to make people more powerful?
When they drove Chen Han's army to the riverside, the sound of drums and music should have been drowned out by the screams of Chen Han's army and the gurgling sound of the river.
But for some reason, the music and drums still echoed in their minds, as if there was a band in their heads, composing the soundtrack for their fight.
Maybe it’s because they have been listening to too much storytelling and watching too much shadow puppetry with background music recently?
Not to mention, with the exciting background music, their skills and courage are much better than usual!
Chen Youliang kept retreating in Chen Biao's sight, little by little, to the riverside and in front of his tall ship.
The Hongdu defenders had no large ships, so he could escape immediately by getting on a ship.
Even if they fled to the military camp on the other side of the river, the defenders of Hongdu could only sigh at the sight of the river.
So do you want to withdraw? Do you want to withdraw again this time?
When Chen Youliang was in a dilemma, Zhu Wenzhen led an army to quietly cross the river and sneak into Chen Youliang's base.
While the defenders of the other three gates attacked together and drove Chen Han's army to the new city gate like sheep, Zhu Wenzhen acted alone with his mobile support forces.
Chen Biao only ordered the defenders to take the initiative to attack and give Chen Youliang a severe blow.
Zhu Wenzhen was even crazier. He actually wanted to take less than 3,000 people to rob Chen Youliang's camp!
The Hongdu well-field system followed Zhu Yuanzhang's consistent orders and was combined with the militia system.
Due to insufficient weapons and training, some young and strong militiamen stayed in the city to support logistics, while some militiamen escorted the people away and hid in the mountains, waiting for a counterattack.
The militiamen were all very worried. Would there really be a day of counterattack? Unexpectedly, Zhu Wenzheng actually contacted them.
Zhu Wenzheng circled the nearby mountains and his army increased to 5,000 people.
Among these five thousand people, only the less than three thousand led by Zhu Wenzhen were able to fight, and the rest served as laborers, helping Zhu Wenzhen and others to drive the boat and move things.
"You wait here, we will come and notify you to move your things when we succeed." Zhu Wenzhen said.
The militia captain said, "We can also join the battle!"
Zhu Wenzheng said disdainfully, "I'm afraid that if you go to the battlefield, you'll be weak before you kill many people. Stay here. I asked you to help, not to die."
After saying that, Zhu Wenzhen rode away on his horse, whipping the horse.
More than two thousand civilians helped, and Zhu Wenzhen and his men even brought the horses over.
Looking at Zhu Wenzhen's receding back, the militiamen left behind couldn't tell what they felt in their hearts, they just felt a little sour.
"I'm afraid we can't fight. Can we build a few more rafts for the generals to transport their supplies?"
"Let's hide the ship first. If the generals fail, we can run away with them."
"Leave a few men to guard the boat, some to build the raft, and the rest to stay closer to that side so the general can find the right people."
The militiamen discussed the matter, divided the work, and worked enthusiastically.
Although Chen Youliang placed most of his belongings on the ship, it was impossible for all the soldiers to eat, drink and have lunch on the ship. There was still a camp on the other side of the river, and a lot of food and fodder was stored.
Chen Han attacked the city with all his might this time, leaving only about 30,000 people guarding the camp, of which about 10,000 were civilian laborers.
Zhu Wenzhen was a man of great skill and courage. Without even knowing the situation in the camp, he rode his horse straight into the camp through the main gate and knocked a soldier who was guarding the camp without even a weapon to death on the spot.
"I am Chang Yuchun, a general under Zhu Yuanzhang! My lord has come to take Chen Youliang's life! Chen Youliang has been defeated! You will all die quickly!"
Zhu Wenzhen wielded his spear with great force, and every time he swung it, he could pierce and lift up a corpse.
Zhu Wenzhen was covered in armor and wore a semi-enclosed helmet, so his appearance could not be seen at all.
The soldiers stationed in Chenhan saw that Zhu Wenzhen was extremely brave, and thinking of the rumors about Chang Yuchun, they felt uneasy. Could it be that Zhu Yuanzhang really came to kill him?
Seeing this, the commander of the guarding camp did not even have time to put on his armor. He immediately mounted his horse, gripped his long sword, and rushed towards Zhu Wenzhen.
A trace of contempt flashed in Zhu Wenzhen's eyes.
The battle was going on fiercely at the front line, but the generals guarding the camp were not wearing armor or keeping their weapons at hand. When the camp was attacked, they didn't even have time to put on armor. The military discipline of Chen Han was really too lax.
I don’t know whether they were too confident in their navy or too dismissive of the Hongdu defenders.
Zhu Wenzhen relied on his armor to first use his spear to block the opponent's long sword, reducing the opponent's strength, then used his breastplate to block the sword, and the spear in his hand pierced the opponent's throat.
He shook his arm violently, and the spear dragged the general off his horse. When the general fell off his horse and Zhu Wen was retracting his spear, the general 's neck was already half broken, and his head drooped on the other side of his neck, looking particularly terrifying.
Zhu Wenzheng laughed heartily: "Who can resist the spear of Chang Yuchun?"
It doesn’t matter whether Chang Yuchun used a spear or not.
It really doesn't matter.
Because reality is different from storytelling and novels, most military generals cannot have a favorite weapon. Due to the level of metal smelting in that era, weapons may need to be changed several times in a fierce battle.
Zhu Wenzheng used spears and sabers on horseback, and a broadsword on foot, occasionally using a spear. Chang Yuchun was similar.
When Chen Han and his men saw how ferocious Zhu Wenzhen was and how the general guarding the camp was defeated in just a few moves, they immediately believed that this was the real Chang Yuchun.
Everyone knew that Chang Yuchun was fighting with Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhang Shicheng. Now Chang Yuchun came to raid the camp, and Zhu Yuanzhang's army had already arrived?
At this moment, a man covered in wet mud, as if he had just come out of the river, screamed: "Your Majesty is defeated! Defeated! It's all over! The fleet has left, we have been abandoned! We are finished!"
Upon hearing this, the civilians immediately began to flee in all directions.
During this month, they witnessed with their own eyes how Chen Youliang cruelly drove the civilians to their deaths.
Chen Youliang cherished his elite troops very much, and any work that would lead to death was done by civilians and new recruits. Now that they heard that Chen Youliang had abandoned them and fled, how could the civilians not believe it?
Just then, "Chang Yuchun" came to raid the camp, and Chen Han's soldiers had no time to pay attention to them. If they didn't escape now, when would they escape?
If Chen Han's elite soldiers fought Zhu Wenzhen seriously, even if Zhu Wenzhen won, it would be a miserable victory.
But when these 20,000 elite soldiers mixed in with the 10,000 panic-stricken civilians, their emotions were immediately swept away by the civilians, and they followed them in running around without thinking.
The generals tried to call out to the soldiers, but the voices of a few people were so small among tens of thousands of people. Moreover, their commander was knocked off his horse by "Chang Yuchun" at the first encounter, so they were also very panicked.
While there was a panic in Chen Han’s camp, someone kept shouting news from the front line.
Some people even shouted that Zhu Yuanzhang had entered Hongdu City, and some said that Xu Da and Chen Youliang had fought fiercely in Poyang Lake... What's more, some even shouted that Chen Youliang was dead.
Some of these shouting people were arranged by Zhu Wenzhen, and some were civilians and soldiers who were too frightened and shouting.
Seeing that chaos had begun, Zhu Wenzhen immediately ordered people to find the accompanying militia to come and help.
As soon as the people sent by Zhu Wenzhen walked out of the camp gate, they saw the militiamen peeking around.
They said they were closer to the military camp, but in the end they all reached the edge of Chen Han's military camp.
Zhu Wenzheng's soldiers laughed loudly: "You've arrived just in time. Let's quickly get out the formation we used during training and go in to claim the credit!"
The militiamen were overjoyed, picking up weapons dropped by the Chen and Han soldiers as they rushed in. By the time they reached the center of the camp, each of them had a large sword in their hands, looking quite capable.
"Charge! Kill!"
The militiamen chased after Chen Han's scattered soldiers, making a lot of noise but their steps were a little weak.
But how could the panicked Chen Han soldiers observe so carefully? They only knew that many more of Zhu Yuanzhang's soldiers were rushing towards them and they were about to be finished!
Run away! Run away!
So a group of militiamen who had seen blood but perhaps had never killed anyone chased Chen Han's soldiers and forced them all to escape from Chen Han's camp.
Zhu Wenzhen leisurely began to move things and light the fire.
If the horses can be driven, drive them; if the food and fodder can be moved, move them; if they cannot be moved, burn them together with the tents.
What made Zhu Wenzhen even more excited was that there were two unattended ships parked in front of the camp.
So Zhu Wenzheng loaded all the supplies onto the tower ship and told the militia to hurry back and not to chase them anymore. They drove two tower ships, followed by dozens of small boats carrying food and horses, and headed towards the other side of the river.
Zhu Wenzheng dragged a chair onto the deck, crossed his legs, and gave orders: "Where are Chen Han's inferior artillery? And what about the powerful crossbows and small catapults? Bomb them! Bomb their tower ships!"
The soldiers of the Zhu family army smiled and displayed their weapons, attacking the completely unprepared Chen Han fleet.
The militiamen carefully avoided the battlefield and transported food and horses to Hongdu City.
When Chen Biao learned what Zhu Wenzhen had done, the militiamen had already transported the things to the new city gate. They described with great excitement how Zhu Wenzhen pretended to be Chang Yuchun and defeated tens of thousands of people with only a few thousand people.
Many pitiful little question marks appeared on Chen Biao's tired little head.
He thought he was crazy enough, but compared to his cousin... Chen Biao covered his chest with his hands and fell to the ground.
"Is the young military advisor okay?!" Everyone was anxious.
Chen Biao waved his hand weakly and said, "It's okay. Do you have any contact information for the people who are taking refuge outside Hongdu City? Tell them to come back. The siege of Hongdu City has been lifted. Although the battle is not over yet, we must quickly repair the city walls and replant and harvest the grain."
Chen Biao wiped his face and forced a smile. "Chen Han's stuff hasn't been shipped out yet, right? Sending more people to deliver it a few times might help us survive until the second half of the year. We still have hope for a good harvest this year, so that everyone can have a good New Year. Now that the war is over, it's time to think about how to survive."
Chen Biao sat on the ground and kept giving orders to the people around him.
Whether it was the Zhu family army soldiers who protected Chen Biao, the civilians who came downstairs with musical instruments to assist in the garrison, or the militiamen who had just returned from fleeing, after listening to Chen Biao's somewhat hoarse voice, the fanatical or nervous expressions on their faces gradually faded and turned into faint smiles.
"The little military advisor is right, let's do it quickly!"
"I'll contact them now!"
"Damn Chen Youliang! He burned all our fields! We need to replant quickly!"
"There's so much to do, hurry up!"
"They definitely won't dare come again. We'll definitely have a good year this year without going hungry!"
The people left happily, the soldiers of Zhu's army surrounded Chen Biao, and the leading general picked up Chen Biao.
"Little Military Advisor, you should take a break."
Chen Biao yawned, but shook his head: "My cousin... Brother Zheng, this guy, ah. I can't let the risk he took go to waste."
Chen Biao patted the person holding him and said, "Help me deliver the letter!"
…
Two hours later, Zhu Yuanzhang received a letter from Chen Biao, which he sent at full speed, and was a little confused.
Not only was Zhu Yuanzhang confused, even Zhang Ziming, who delivered the letter, was confused.
Zhu Yuanzhang was puzzled: "Biao'er... Biao'er knew I was coming? How did he know?"
Zhang Ziming came to his senses and said, "My lord, I didn't know you were so close. I only asked you to deliver a message to the cities along the coast occupied by Zhu's army, asking the garrison commanders to allocate a few thousand men to join the battle. The Chen Han army has been defeated, and the barracks have been burned down by General Zhu... General Zhu. We can't give them the chance to regroup now."
Zhu Yuanzhang murmured, "Ah? Little Military Advisor? Chen Han was defeated? The military camps were burned down? Wait, let me take a moment..."
Zhang Ziming said anxiously, "My Lord, since you are here, please send troops immediately! This opportunity is fleeting and will never come back again!"
Liu Ji couldn't help but interrupt: "You speak very culturedly. Are you a scholar? A clerk?"
Although Zhang Ziming didn't know Liu Ji, seeing that Liu Ji was standing next to Zhu Yuanzhang, he knew that Liu Ji was a high-ranking official and immediately said, "No, I am a captain. As for culture... maybe the young military advisor taught us to read when we were defending the city. I heard a lot and learned a few sentences."
Liu Ji was surprised: "Biao'er also teaches you to read?"
Zhang Ziming's temper was a bit irritable. He couldn't help but kowtow twice and said, "Please send the troops first! I will inform the lord of what happened in the city later!"
Zhu Yuanzhang came back to his senses: "Oh, yes! Liao Yongzhong!"
Liao Yongzhong knelt down and said, "I am here!"
Zhu Yuanzhang said: "You lead the navy to block all waterways at the mouth of Poyang Lake and cut off Chen Han's retreat!"
Liao Yongzhong was surprised and said, "My lord, we need to divide the troops into more than ten groups!"
Zhu Yuanzhang said calmly: "Divide! This battle must be decided! If I lose, I don't have to go back; if Chen Youliang loses, he must be left here!"
Liao Yongzhong bowed his head: "I obey your command!"
Zhu Yuanzhang continued to give orders.
He didn't know whether Chen Han was really defeated, but even if Chen Han still had the strength, he would do the same thing.
In history, after Zhu Yuanzhang arrived at the mouth of Poyang Lake, he immediately divided his troops to cut off Chen Youliang's retreat route, regardless of the fact that his troops were smaller than Chen Youliang's, and then fought a decisive battle with Chen Youliang.
Zhu Yuanzhang had such courage and foresight at that time. Now when he heard that all the defenders of Hongdu City were out chasing after Chen Han and chopping him up, he became even braver.
Coincidentally, Chen Youliang thought Zhu Yuanzhang was about to arrive, and Chen Biao guessed that Chen Youliang was sure that Zhu Yuanzhang was about to arrive. In fact, Zhu Yuanzhang was really about to arrive.
He was almost at the mouth of Poyang Lake. Even if the navy sailed upstream, he would reach Hongdu City by tomorrow evening at the latest.
In order to meet the rescue deadline of one month, Zhu Yuanzhang risked his life.
The soldier sent by Chen Youliang to gather information had also received the news that Zhu Yuanzhang's army was approaching. However, when he was returning to deliver the message, he discovered that his own army had been defeated. Now he was searching for Chen Youliang among the fleeing army and informing Chen Youliang of the news that Zhu Yuanzhang's army was approaching.
Zhu Yuanzhang gave orders to the generals and set off all night long. He kept Zhang Ziming by his side and asked him about the affairs of Hongdu in detail.
While on the journey, the generals and think tanks gathered on Zhu Yuanzhang's boat to listen to Zhang Ziming tell the story of Hongdu.
Zhang Ziming wanted to go back to deliver the letter, but Zhu Yuanzhang did not allow it. He asked his adopted son Hua Wenxun to temporarily act as the messenger and lead a team of light cavalry to deliver the letter and protect Biaoer.
Zhang Ziming had no choice but to use his excellent eloquence to vividly tell Zhu Yuanzhang and others what happened after Chen Biao came to Hongdu City.
"Knocking on the wall revealed which section was fake?!"
"How did he determine that Chen Youliang would attack Hongdu? I didn't understand what you said. Could you explain it more clearly?"
"Mud can turn into stone just by mixing it? Is there such a magical thing?!"
"Guorui Cannon and Little Guorui Cannon, uh..." Liu Ji and Li Shanchang looked at each other and remembered the name "Chen Biao Explosives" that Zhu Yuanzhang once wanted to name but was stopped by them.
These father and son are truly a loving couple!
Zhu Yuanzhang scratched his long-unshaved beard and said, "Well, not bad, not bad..."
Zhang Ziming continued to brag about Chen Biao and added some of his own subjective colors.
He said that Chen Biao was a master of calculation, anticipating the enemy's moves, and even able to call the wind and rain. Under Chen Biao's leadership, a group of soldiers worked together to defeat Chen Han's 600,000-strong army with only 20,000 to 30,000 men. This was a miracle among miracles!
Little Military Advisor! Our God!
"The young military advisor said that all his strategies were taught by his father, General Chen Guorui! He also followed General Chen Guorui's teachings in his predictions about Chen Youliang!" Zhang Ziming's face was filled with longing. "I wonder what a great man General Chen Guorui is!"
Zhu Yuanzhang scratched his long-unshaved beard and said, "Well, he is indeed a great man."
Xu Da and Chang Yuchun, who were acting as (crossed out) door gods (crossed out) guards on the left and right of Zhu Yuanzhang, glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang out of the corner of their eyes at the same time.
My lord, isn't it embarrassing for you to brag like this?
Liu Ji's mouth twitched slightly and he turned his face away.
Li Shanchang asked curiously, "Since you are a captain, why don't you go to the battlefield and come here to deliver a letter?"
If the situation in Hongdu City was urgent, it would be understandable for Biaoer to send a trusted general to deliver the letter. But now everyone is vying for credit, and a Qianhu is considered a high-ranking official. Why doesn't he go and make meritorious contributions and become a messenger?
Zhu Yuanzhang's garrison system was adapted from the Yuan and Tang dynasties. The highest official in a garrison was the commander-in-chief, who had served before Yan Qian. Below the commander-in-chief were the thousand-household officers, then the hundred-household officers, the general flag officers, and the small flag officers.
Zhang Ziming was a thousand-householder, the highest rank a common soldier could achieve. Above that, one would become a high-ranking official.
Zhang Ziming hesitated for a moment and said, "The young military advisor expected someone to ask this question and asked me to tell the truth. But I... don't think it's easy to say."
Zhu Yuanzhang urged, "Biao'er asked you to tell the truth, so just tell it! Didn't you say you would listen to the little military advisor in everything?"
Zhang Ziming said: "Yes! Uh, well, the young military advisor said that I was being ostracized and suppressed."
Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes widened. "What?! There's such a thing?! Who did it?! I'll take care of it for you!"
Zhang Ziming immediately said, "No, no, my lord. My suppression isn't really suppression, it's just... uh, a bit of a joke."
Zhang Ziming explained the whole story.
After Chen Biao began teaching the soldiers, Zhang Ziming, with his quick mind and excellent memory, not only learned the fastest himself but also taught his classmates, achieving first place on every exam. Zhao Desheng and Niu Hailong, even joining forces, were unable to transform their beloved storytelling into shadow puppetry.
So when Zhao Desheng and Niu Hailong were about to leave the city to fight, they "excluded" Zhang Ziming and asked Zhang Ziming to stay behind to protect Chen Biao.
"You're learning so quickly, you'll definitely be a civil servant in the future. What merits are you asking for? Go away, get out of here!" Zhao Desheng said sarcastically, "Once this battle is over, I'll give you to Biao'er. Forget about becoming a captain! I don't want you anymore!"
Zhang Ziming shrugged. "General Zhao treats his subordinates very well and enforces strict military discipline, but he's a bit stingy with acquaintances sometimes."
Zhu Yuanzhang held his forehead and said, "This guy... is he joking in the middle of a war?!"
Everyone else couldn't help laughing.
After listening to Zhang Ziming's explanation of the cause and effect, they understood that Zhao Desheng was not really excluding Zhang Ziming.
Zhang Ziming is intelligent and may have a better future. Furthermore, Zhang Ziming has already made many contributions, so he has no shortage of this. Therefore, Zhao Desheng asked Zhang Ziming to protect Chen Biao, which also shows his trust in Zhang Ziming.
It’s just that General Zhao really...can’t afford to lose.
Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and said, "Do you want to leave General Zhao's army?"
Zhang Ziming said honestly, "I don't want to."
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "That's good. Niu Hailong should be able to stand on his own after this battle. I will send him to guard another place. You will serve as Zhao Desheng's deputy general. Work hard and study hard, and strive to stand on your own as soon as possible."
Zhang Ziming was surprised and said, "As you command! Uh, my lord, General Zhao will be very angry, right? He really dislikes me now."
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed: "Just to make him angry. Who made him so stingy? Now that he has the opportunity, he should study hard. You should take him to study together."
Zhang Ziming immediately said again: "I obey your orders!"
Zhu Yuanzhang said, "Come, let's talk about Biao'er again."
My label is so awesome!
Zhu Yuanzhang repeatedly asked about Chen Biao, but some generals disagreed.
Zhu Liangzu sneered, "My lord, how capable can a young boy be? Zhu Wenzheng, the garrison commander of Hongdu, happens to be a member of the Chen family. Who knows, he might be trying to improve Chen Biao's reputation."
Before Zhu Liangzu finished speaking, Zhang Ziming suddenly stood up from his chair.
Several Hongdu garrison soldiers who came with him also stood up and glared at Zhu Liangzu.
Zhu Liangzu was shocked by the scene.
Zhang Ziming clasped his fists and said, "General, whether the young military advisor's deeds are true or not, you can find out by asking anyone in Hongdu City. The young military advisor is Hongdu's benefactor. Without him, even if we could defend Hongdu City, we would have suffered heavy casualties. Please don't insult our benefactor."
The Hongdu defenders behind Zhang Ziming also saluted with their fists, but there was still a hint of anger on their faces.
Zhu Liangzu said awkwardly: "I just have reasonable doubts, not..."
Xu Da interrupted, "Rewards will be given according to merit after the battle. There's no need to argue about merit now."
Zhu Liangzu quickly shut up.
He was not submissive to anyone, but was a bit of a coward against Xu Da. Zhu Liangzu was once a general in the Yuan army. After being captured by Zhu Yuanzhang, he surrendered and then rebelled. The second time, he surrendered again after being defeated by Xu Da.
Chang Yuchun was a general under Xu Da at the time and was injured by Zhu Liangzu.
Apart from Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Liangzu only obeyed Xu Da. When Xu Da told him to shut up, he would shut up obediently.
Li Shanchang said slowly, "Just as Captain Zhang said, there are so many eyes watching in Hongdu. We can find out who has made contributions by asking them."
He smiled elegantly and continued, "Although the Chen family's contributions cannot be disclosed to outsiders, everyone knows that most of our food and wages are raised by the Chen family. Even if Biao'er does nothing, when the master becomes emperor, he can still be crowned as the crown prince and inherit the title of General Chen Guorui in the future. Why would Zhu Wenzheng lie so blatantly and take credit for Biao'er? Even if Zhu Wenzheng, Chen Ying, and Li Wenzhong are all Biao'er's brothers, Deng Yu, Zhao Desheng, Yan Qian and others have no relationship with the Chen family."
Zhu Liangzu's heart trembled, and he understood the implication of Li Shanchang's words.
Zhu Wenzheng, Chen Ying, and Li Wenzhong were Zhu Yuanzhang's three most trusted and valued adopted sons. Their contributions were no less than his, and their official positions were higher than his. His casual questioning now might offend these three close associates of Zhu Yuanzhang.
Zhu Liangzu immediately slapped his lips lightly and said in a simple and honest manner, "My mouth is really... My Lord, I just don't believe that a nine-year-old child can be so powerful. He is so powerful, I have grown up in vain for so many years. Alas, how can there be such a powerful person? I can't believe it!"
Zhu Yuanzhang smiled. "I'm surprised too, and I don't blame you. Okay, Captain Zhang, go and get some rest. We'll be able to reunite with Wen Zheng tomorrow, and then you'll have a chance to make a contribution."
Zhang Ziming and others said, "Yes! My Lord!"
Zhu Yuanzhang dismissed the others and kept only Xu Da.
His majestic expression immediately collapsed, and his eyes turned red: "Xu Da... I, wuwuwu, my Biaoer... Biaoer..."
Xu Da wanted to persuade him, but as soon as he opened his mouth, tears came out.
He dragged a chair and sat in front of Zhu Yuanzhang, crying and saying, "Boss, you can actually hold it in. When I heard that Biao'er fainted from exhaustion on the first day, I went out and cried."
Zhu Yuanzhang beat his chest and stamped his feet, saying, "I can't cry in front of them, can I? My prince! What is that bastard Zhu Wenzheng doing?! Defending the city is his job! What is he doing with the prince!"
Xu Da wiped his nose and choked up, "I guess Biao'er took the initiative to help. Biao'er wanted to help, and Zhu Wenzheng and the others couldn't stop him. Hey, boss, have you thought about how to appear in front of Biao'er? You have to meet Biao'er as Zhu Yuanzhang this time, right?"
Zhu Yuanzhang cried and pointed at his beard: "I haven't shaved for more than half a month. I don't believe Biaoer can recognize it!"
Xu Da wiped his tears and asked seriously, "What if Biao'er and you are connected and recognize each other?"
Zhu Yuanzhang stopped crying and began to feel worried.
But he didn't have to worry at all because Chen Biao had already left Hongdu City.
After Hua Wensun brought the news that Zhu Yuanzhang's reinforcements had arrived, Chen Biao stared at the map for a while.
Poyang Lake mainly receives water from the five major rivers: Gan, Fu, Xin, Rao and Xiu, which then converge at the lake mouth and flow into the Yangtze River.
After a month of observation, Chen Biao concluded that the upper reaches of the Ganjiang River were in the flood season, while the water flows in the Fu, Xin, Rao and Xiu rivers were slow, and even slightly decreased in recent times, which might indicate a drought.
Then the only river that affects the water level of Poyang Lake is the Ganjiang River.
After some mental struggle, Chen Biao took the only two remaining high explosive packs for breaking out and just in case, and went to the upper reaches of the Ganjiang River where it flows into the lake with Zhu Wenzhen.
Chen Biao said self-deprecatingly, "No one understands better than me how small the Zhu family army's boats are. My father boasted to me for years, but he still couldn't get me a large ship capable of sailing. The right time, the right place, and the right people—the drought and the disorganized Chen Han army—have already given you two advantages. If I can lower the water level of Poyang Lake a bit, perhaps that will allow you to seize the last bit of geographical advantage."
Hua Wenxun said excitedly: "Can it really work?"
Chen Biao said, "Just give it a try."
Zhu Wenzhen held Chen Biao in his arms and rode away with a team of light cavalry.
The Battle of Poyang Lake was a great opportunity to gain merit. Chen Ying and Li Wenzhong were both overwhelmed by their achievements, but Zhu Wenzheng no longer cared about any merit. Therefore, Zhu Wenzheng was responsible for protecting Chen Biao and temporarily left the battlefield to plan for the possibility of a "geographical advantage".
When they arrived at the upper reaches of the Ganjiang River's mouth, Chen Biao spent a day investigating the river bank and nearby tributaries, and blew up the Ganjiang River's embankment.
Jiangxi has been plagued by endless wars, and now it has become a wilderness with no rooster crowing for thousands of miles.
The river water overflowed the river bank through the gap, rushed into the wilderness, and flooded the wasteland without causing any trouble to anyone.
Because of this chaotic world, there is not even a single person on the fertile plains by the river, which are most suitable for planting.
Chen Biao sat on a rock on top of a low hill, watching indifferently the muddy river water raging in the uninhabited wilderness, and hugged his knees tighter.
"Brother Zheng."
"Um?"
“Riverbanks are not meant to be blown up, they are meant to be reinforced.”
"Well?"
"Reinforcing riverbanks, dredging river channels, building canals and digging lakes to regulate water levels, preventing floods, and ensuring the safety and well-being of the people living on both sides of the river and downstream, is what normal people do." Chen Biao buried his face in his knees. "I really hate chaotic times."
Zhu Wenzhen was silent for a while, then picked up Chen Biao and held him in his arms.
"Who says it isn't?"