Zhu Yuanzhang had many generals under his command, so Geng Zaicheng had struggled to secure this assignment. He had been fully confident of achieving a great merit, never expecting to end up severely wounded instead—and right on his buttocks! Where could he possibly show his face after this?
Zhu Wenzheng laughed until his stomach hurt. “Uncle Geng is still outside his home making pointed remarks, and when Zhang Tianyou hears about it, he’ll be furious enough to turn into a turtle.”
Ma Xiuying watched the two children laughing riotously but shook her head and did not disturb them. Zhang Tianyou was Commander Guo’s brother-in-law, making him their elder. Fortunately, the children understood propriety and only whispered such things at home; outside, they wouldn’t utter a single improper word.
By rights, she ought to caution the children to watch their words, but Zhang Tianyou had recently gone too far. He believed he was the one who had captured Hezhou, so when their Zhongba was promoted to Hezhou Commander-in-chief, Zhang grew resentful and began spreading malicious rumors in the army against him—truly insufferable.
While Zhang had indeed driven Yesun Temur away, it was their Zhongba who had defended Hezhou. If Zhang had any shame, he wouldn’t claim the credit for himself.
Why had Zhang been able to repel Yesun Temur? Because Yesun Temur’s troops had marched sixty or seventy li in haste to return, while Zhang’s soldiers were well-fed, rested, and lying in wait!
Hezhou’s strategic importance meant government troops would inevitably counterattack. With external threats unresolved, Zhang still stirred trouble within the city. Only their Zhongba’s tolerant nature prevented worse—if their sworn father were in Zhongba’s position, he’d have long lost patience and cut that scoundrel down.
Mu Qing and Zhu Wenzheng laughed heartily until they noticed their mother’s reaction and realized they’d been too loud. They scurried to the doorway, squatting on the threshold to continue their muffled laughter.
Zhang Tianyou bore a grudge against their father’s achievements and had been undermining him since arriving in Hezhou. Their father was no pushover, though only their mother thought him mild-tempered.
With Hezhou lost, government forces wouldn’t accept defeat quietly—they’d surely attempt to recapture the city.
After taking Hezhou, Zhu Yuanzhang needed to reinforce the city walls. However, with Zhang Tianyou sowing discord, many generals resisted his authority. Thus, Zhu divided the wall reinforcement tasks into sections, assigning each general a segment with the goal of completing all work within three days. Naturally, he took on a section himself.
At that time, Tang He was still nominally under Commander Guo’s command. Old Zhu assigned the task to Xu Da. When the three-day deadline arrived, Xu Da was the only general who had completed his section on time.
This presented a perfect opportunity to establish authority.
Through a combination of rewards and punishments, Zhu Yuanzhang successfully brought Hezhou’s generals under his command. Only with internal stability could they resist external attacks.
Hezhou was very close to Jiqing. After losing Hezhou, Yesun Temur quickly regrouped and returned with a hundred thousand troops, surrounding Hezhou completely. When attacks on the west gate failed, they shifted to the north gate. Old Zhu personally led the defense at the north gate but was overpowered. Not only was he defeated, but his retreat was cut off by the moat, forcing him to circle along the city walls.
If ancient times had the King of Qin circling pillars, now there was Yesun circling the city walls.
Just as in the Trojan War when Achilles chased Hector around Troy three times before slaying him in single combat, Yesun Temur was pursued by Old Zhu around Hezhou’s walls for several laps until he had no choice but to leap into the river to escape.
Mu Qing was deeply frustrated that he couldn’t witness the legendary scene unfolding outside due to his young age preventing him from climbing the city walls. It wasn’t crucial for him to fight personally—having capable fighters around him sufficed. Old Zhu was holding his own against 100,000 Yuan troops with just 10,000 Red Turban soldiers in the city, yet Mu Qing couldn’t even cheer them on, which felt like such a pity.
Yesun Temur, unable to breach the city through direct assault, seized the grain supply routes outside Hezhou, determined to starve the Red Turban Army inside.
Old Zhu only played the meek subordinate before Commander Guo; against external enemies, he proved a resourceful and formidable opponent. While Yesun Temur occupied the grain routes, Old Zhu dispatched guerrilla forces daily. The Yuan army struggled with daytime siege attempts and nighttime harassment, their morale crumbling under the strain.
Yesun Temur refused to accept that his 100,000-strong force could be thwarted by mere 10,000 rebels. Convinced he couldn’t defeat Zhu Yuanzhang directly, he thought bypassing him would guarantee victory.
Then Li Shanchang proceeded to thrash them soundly.
Mu Qing rubbed his cheeks to suppress an overly gleeful smile. None of the six founding dukes of the Ming Dynasty were to be trifled with, and Li Shanchang, foremost among them, was certainly no ordinary scholar.
The Yuan troops, likely unable to endure repeated defeats, finally abandoned their heartbreaking stand at Hezhou and crossed the river to retreat toward Jiqing.
With the daily taunts of the Yuan army gone, the residents of Hezhou—young and old—breathed easier. After all, the imperial forces vastly outnumbered them, and prolonged stalemate was unsustainable.
Zhu Wenzheng first mocked Geng Zaicheng, then Zhang Tianyou, and finally the retreating Yuan troops. After his round of ridicule, he shared news heard upon returning: “Wenqing, remember Sun Deyan? That fellow was driven to Xuyi by Zhao Junyong. After the New Year, famine struck Xuyi, leaving Sun Deyan desperate. He’s come to Hezhou seeking refuge with our father.”
Mu Qing’s eyes widened. “He’s in Hezhou?”
Thinking his brother feared the name, Zhu Wenzheng ruffled his hair. “Don’t worry, with Father here, it’s nothing.”
Zhu Wenzheng was always loose-tongued, and Wenzhong and Wenying were no better—they brought back every rumor they heard, ensuring the child learned of outside intrigues without stepping foot outdoors. Adults minded eavesdroppers, but the boys had no such reservations, especially Wenzhong and Wenying, who could dismiss anything as “children’s thoughtless chatter.”
Besides, speaking behind closed doors at home prevented outsiders from overhearing.
Thanks to his chatterbox brothers, Mu Qing never worried about accidentally revealing knowledge he shouldn’t have—whatever he said, his brothers would take the blame. “Brother, has Sun Deyan entered the city?”
“Let him in? No way!” Zhu Wenzheng exclaimed, tousling his brother’s hair while thinking the naive lad needed wiser perspective. “Our father serves Commander Guo, and Sun Deyan is Commander Guo’s enemy. Allowing him to camp outside the city is generous enough—entering is absolutely impossible.”
Mu Qing nodded with exaggerated seriousness. “Father is the best!”
If he remembered correctly, after Old Zhu captured Hezhou, Sun Deyan did indeed seek refuge here. However, their stay in Hezhou was brief—after taking Jiqing, they renamed it Yingtian Prefecture as their new base. Thus, Mu Qing knew little about Hezhou’s specific events during these months, only vaguely recalling that Commander Guo Zixing would pass away around this time.
Historical records cannot possibly document every minute detail. The information available to later generations can be both abundant and scarce. Sometimes the same event is recorded differently by different people, creating a complex web of historical sources where no one can be certain which version is true.
The two brothers were whispering at the doorway when suddenly a soldier came rushing over with a message.
Zhu Wenzheng stood up and approached him. After hearing just a sentence or two, his expression changed dramatically. He first gestured to the child squatting by the door, then pulled the soldier aside to speak privately.
Mu Qing tilted his head and watched for a while, but they were too far away for him to hear anything. Eventually, he gave up and went back inside to sit down.
Ma Xiuying was not one to stay idle. Though too far along in her pregnancy to move about freely, she busied herself at home making clothes for the children. Adult clothing was too labor-intensive, so aside from the unborn baby, Mu Qing was the only child fortunate enough to receive garments personally sewn by her.
As the weather warmed, in just two months the children would be able to run about in summer clothes. Being the only child in the household with new clothes handmade by his mother, he would have every reason to show off to everyone.
Ma Xiuying set down her needlework and poked the little boy crouched beside her sewing basket. “Why aren’t you playing outside? Where’s your brother Wenzheng?”
“Brother Wenzheng is outside talking with someone. I came to keep you company,” Mu Qing replied, looking up with a beaming, eye-crinkling smile that radiated pure joy.
His plan to pretend being mute had been forcibly abandoned under Old Zhu’s threats. The ominous videos that had haunted him never reappeared either. After remaining vigilant for some time without noticing any changes to his daily life, he gradually let his guard down.
Zhu Yuanzhang was usually busy leading troops in battle, with Zhu Wenzheng constantly accompanying him as his assistant. Zhu Wenzhong and Mu Ying had also begun training at the military camp, leaving Mu Qing as the only child regularly staying home.
Bonds are forged through time spent together. In Ma Xiuying’s eyes nowadays, even Old Zhu might not be as dear to her as their little boy.
While Mu Qing stayed indoors serving his mother tea, Zhu Wenzheng outside was pacing anxiously.
The reason was simple: Commander Guo was coming for blood.
Literally.
Their father had intended to placate Sun Deyan first before making further plans, but before he could devise those plans, news had already reached Guo Zixing’s ears.
The personal grudges between Commander Guo and Sun Deyan were too numerous to count. Furious upon learning that their father had given shelter to Sun Deyan, Guo immediately marched from Chuzhou to Hezhou, determined to execute Sun.
What terrible timing!
Even Zhu Wenzheng understood that his father was placating Sun Deyan for the bigger picture. With the imperial forces likely to attack again at any moment, and the rebel army being so small, internal strife would lead nowhere. Uniting all possible allies was the only sensible path.
If he could grasp this logic, why couldn’t Commander Guo see it?
Zhu Wenzheng cursed inwardly. Nothing good ever came from dealing with the Guo family. They had just managed to drive back the Yuan forces counterattacking Hezhou, and now Old Guo was stirring up trouble. Wouldn’t it be better for him to just stay peacefully in Chuzhou playing local warlord?
Their father held subordinate status before Guo Zixing, making it difficult for him to refute Guo’s demands. With Zhang Tianyou fanning the flames nearby, their father would inevitably suffer the consequences.
No, he had to go help.
Zhu Wenzheng sent the soldier to fetch Zhu Wenzhong from the military camp. While their mother needed someone with her, their father needed support even more. With him present, Guo Zixing wouldn’t be able to bully their father.
The sun dipped westward, and a chill began to creep into the air. Mu Qing added an extra layer of clothing before stepping outside, only to find Zhu Wenzheng still pacing restlessly by the gate. Perplexed, he asked, “Brother Wenzheng, what are you doing?”
Zhu Wenzheng took a deep breath, beckoned the younger boy closer, and crouching down, whispered, “Commander Guo has arrived in Hezhou. Stay alert, and whatever you do, don’t let Mother find out about this.”
Mu Qing immediately understood that Guo Zixing’s arrival spelled trouble. He nodded earnestly, “Don’t worry, Brother. I’ll make sure Mother doesn’t hear a word.”
Just then, Zhu Wenzhong rushed over in a flurry, “Brother Wenzheng, what’s the matter?”
Without time to explain, Zhu Wenzheng scooped up the younger boy and shoved him into Zhu Wenzhong’s arms before turning to leave. “Let Wenqing explain. I need to find Father right away.”
Mu Qing: ???
Are you people even civilized?
Struggling to slide back to the ground, Mu Qing wore a deeply troubled expression as he relayed the news of Guo Zixing’s arrival in Hezhou to Zhu Wenzhong. Soon enough, there was another person anxiously pacing in circles.
The younger boy took a step back, “Don’t even think about asking my brother to cover for you. He went out of the city with Uncle Xu and won’t be back today.”
Zhu Wenzhong flicked him lightly on the forehead, “Your brother, your brother, your brother—I’m your brother too, you know.”
Bickering all the while, the two made their way back inside, tactfully avoiding the earlier topic once they entered the house.
Yet misfortune never comes alone. The news of Commander Guo’s arrival in Hezhou was not something they could keep under wraps. That very night, trouble erupted outside.
Sun Deyan, aware that Guo Zixing had come to Hezhou and knowing Guo would not tolerate his presence, sought to leave quickly and avoid his enemy.
Zhu Yuanzhang, well-acquainted with Commander Guo’s temperament, believed it best for Sun Deyan’s main forces to depart as soon as possible to prevent conflict between the two armies.
Old Zhu had ties with many of Sun Deyan’s officers and, to show sincerity, personally escorted them out of the city. But just as he prepared to return, Guo Zixing captured Sun Deyan, who had been covering the rear.
Conflict between the two armies became inevitable. With Sun Deyan seized by Guo Zixing, Old Zhu didn’t fare any better—he was promptly taken hostage by Sun Deyan’s younger brother.
Mu Qing gazed at the brightly lit courtyard, propped his chin in his hands, and let out a long, heavy sigh.
Trading one for one in the most extreme way—they sure know how to play this game.