The spectating squad hadn’t even reached the military field when they sensed the lively atmosphere. The path ahead was completely blocked, likely because every idle soldier had come to watch the excitement.
Perched high with a clear view, Mu Qing spotted a less crowded area and directed his brother to push through. With some left and right maneuvering, they quickly squeezed into the optimal viewing spot.
The surrounding soldiers had spontaneously cleared a large open space, cheering and shouting as they watched the two young men fighting evenly matched in the center.
Zhu Wenzhong and Mu Ying simultaneously took a step back, reluctant to admit the fellow in the middle was their brother.
What they had imagined for the duel:
The handsome and upright Brother Wenzheng standing tall at one corner, while the robust and athletic Deng Yu stood gleaming-eyed at the other. Amid roaring cheers, someone would make the first move, and the two would swiftly engage in intense combat—blades flashing, sparks flying—remaining evenly matched even after three hundred rounds.
What they actually witnessed:
Two young men tangled together, rolling around without any technique, purely relying on brute strength. Wherever they rolled, cheers erupted, making it seem as though spectators were watching some magnificent fight.
Mu Qing rubbed his arms and whispered, “Brother, is this how you usually duel with others?”
Both older brothers shook their heads in unison. “Of course not! Only Brother Wenzheng fights like this!”
When they fought others, it was always with majestic momentum and overwhelming force—absolutely, absolutely, absolutely never rolling on the ground.
The little brother didn’t believe them, but to preserve his brothers’ precarious dignity, he pretended to buy their story.
In the central clearing, Zhu Wenzheng and Deng Yu remained locked in a stalemate, neither able to gain the upper hand. Seeing no point in continuing, they reluctantly declared the match a draw.
Once they reached this agreement, the two got up from the ground, dusted themselves off as if nothing had happened, acting as though they hadn’t just been rolling all over the place.
As the saying goes, no discord, no concord. Neither was petty-minded, and after the fight, both recognized the other’s capability. The initial resentment from their first meeting had mostly faded away.
Deng Yu, being new, had been appointed General Manager of the Army right away. Zhu Wenzheng wasn’t the only one in the army who disapproved, but Deng Yu didn’t care whether the troops respected him or not. With frequent battles occurring, he had plenty of opportunities to prove his worth.
The proof of the pudding is in the eating. The fact that he and his ten-thousand-strong unit had survived this long wasn’t just due to luck.
The golden crow sank in the west as dusk swept in. The soldiers, having enjoyed the spectacle, dispersed to their duties.
Zhu Wenzheng rubbed the bruises on his face, wincing in pain but not wanting to lose face in front of his younger brothers. He turned away to compose himself before rejoining the three spectators. “Why aren’t you all heading home? What are you doing here?”
Mu Qing grinned until his eyes were mere slits. “We came to see Brother Wenzheng display his divine powers.”
“More like you came to watch me make a fool of myself,” Zhu Wenzheng retorted with a laugh, then called Deng Yu over to introduce him to his younger brothers.
Aside from the youngest who had to stay home, the other two would eventually join the battlefield. Since Deng Yu had just been appointed General Manager of the Army, these two might end up under his command. Getting acquainted now couldn’t hurt.
Zhu Wenzheng’s face was bruised and swollen, and Deng Yu didn’t look much better. Their duel had no rule against hitting the face—wherever it hurt, that’s where they aimed.
Mu Qing looked at one, then the other, unable to suppress a shiver, feeling his own face start to ache as well. “Brother Wenzheng, are you going home to apply medicine?”
From now on, he was determined to be a quiet child, firmly refusing to fight with his peers.
“You go ahead, I need to hurry back too. I have important matters to attend to tomorrow. We can spar again next time we’re free.” Deng Yu stretched his shoulders, waved goodbye to them, and casually arranged to have another fight when they had time.
He had been on the battlefield since he was sixteen, fighting the Yuan Army as if it were child’s play. This time was just an accident; next time, he definitely wouldn’t end up in a draw with this guy who had never seriously been on the battlefield.
Zhu Wenzheng grinned. “Alright, we’ll spar again next time we’re free.”
Their eyes met, instantly sparking with tension, looking very much like they still wanted another fight.
Fortunately, there was no time for them to continue sparring today. Deng Yu left with his trusted aides waiting nearby, while Zhu Wenzheng took his younger brothers home. “Isn’t Wenqing studying at the Academy? What’s he doing at the Military Field?”
Mu Qing pouted. “Brother, I finished school a long time ago.”
Mu Ying picked up his younger brother’s schoolbag and said, “He happened to see me and Brother Wenzhong on his way home from school. Since there wasn’t much to do in the evening, I brought him along.”
Zhu Wenzheng poked the little kid who couldn’t even be bothered to walk. “Didn’t the teacher make you practice calligraphy?”
The little brother straightened his back. “I finished it!”
A proactive kid like him would never leave homework for after school. He finished his assignments in the classroom, so after school, it was all playtime.
Zhu Wenzhong shook his head with an air of seriousness. “Brother Wenzheng, you better not ask. You have no idea how pitiful Wenqing’s calligraphy is. If Father weren’t so busy these days and hardly ever home, the teachers at the Academy would have gone to talk to him about it.”
Mu Ying sighed along. “It’s unbearable to look at, truly unbearable.”
The smile on Mu Qing’s face gradually faded, and he humphed, ignoring them.
What’s the point of writing so beautifully? As long as it’s legible, that’s enough.
He was still young, after all, and still in the practice phase. It wasn’t like their handwriting was anything great either.
Mu Ying slowly added, “When the teacher taught me, he did say my handwriting was quite good.”
Zhu Wenzhong lifted his chin, shaking his head proudly. “My brain is sharp—I understand the classics, compose poetry, and sing well. Handwriting is nothing to me.”
Zhu Wenzheng: ???
What, was he the only one whose academic skills were lacking?
Mu Qing burst into merciless laughter. “Hahahahahahahahaha!”
The brothers chatted and joked as they walked back, and as luck would have it, they ran into their father rushing by. Heading out at this hour, who knew who he was going to meet.
Mu Qing wasn’t too clear about what was happening outside, so he instinctively looked to Zhu Wenzheng, who was the most well-informed. “Brother Wenzheng, where is Father going?”
Zhu Wenzheng shook his head. “I don’t know. We can ask Mother when we get back.”
Mu Qing patted Zhu Wenzhong’s forehead, wriggled left and right, and slid down from his shoulders. Once his feet touched the ground, his short legs churned rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone.
Zhu Wenzhong rubbed his head. “When Wenqing grows up, we should make him a messenger. He’d definitely run faster than any other messenger.”
Fortunately, their little brother didn’t hear this, or he would have thrown a tantrum.
Zhu Yuanzhang went out in the evening for no other reason—the navy he had been longing for was finally within reach.
It seemed even Heaven couldn’t bear to watch his previous hardships, for fortune had finally turned his way – a naval force descended from the skies to aid him.
Indeed, this naval force wasn’t recruited by him, but came voluntarily to pledge allegiance.
This was none other than the Chaohu Naval Force mentioned by the heavenly voice.
Anyone noted by the heavenly voice couldn’t be ordinary, though he couldn’t see what made the Chaohu naval forces particularly remarkable at present. Still, since the heavenly voice had mentioned them, it wouldn’t hurt to pay attention.
The leader of the naval forces occupying the Chaohu region was Zhao Pusheng, a disciple of Peng Heshang (Peng Yingyu). Under his command were fierce generals like Yu Tingyu and his sons, Liao Yong’an and his brothers. These men used Chaohu as their stronghold to expand their power, reportedly commanding over a thousand warships.
Back in the twelfth year of Zheng, Zhao Pusheng and others had coordinated with Xu Shouhui to capture places like Taiping. Later, when Xu Shouhui and Peng Heshang were scattered by imperial troops, Zhao Pusheng’s forces retreated to Chaohu to establish defensive strongholds. Their naval base now likely housed twenty to thirty thousand men.
However, Xu Shouhui’s Great Song Regime wasn’t faring well, having even lost its capital to imperial forces. Now wandering through mountains, they couldn’t assist Zhao Pusheng in his difficulties.
The Red Turban Army wasn’t a monolithic bloc. With so many disciples under Peng Heshang, the grievances and conflicts among them were enough to cause constant turmoil.
Zhao Pusheng wasn’t the only Red Turban leader around Chaohu – nearby was another force led by Zuo Junbi, who was also Peng Heshang’s disciple.
While Han Shantong and Liu Futong had ignited rebellion under the banner of “King of Light Reappearing,” Peng Yingyu had propagated “Maitreya Descending” to resist the court. Peng Heshang’s activism predated Han Shantong’s rebellion by many years, with his disciples already spread throughout Jianghuai before Han Shantong’s uprising.
Peng Yingyu’s early disciples all belonged to the “Pu” generation. It was said the four characters “Pu, Jue, Miao, Dao” were the “Naming Principles” personally established by White Lotus Society founder Mao Ziyuan for his followers. Believing his lineage represented the orthodox White Lotus tradition, Peng Yingyu had accepted nine disciples of the “Pu” generation.
Nine represented the ultimate number in the “Pu” generation sequence.
Zuo Junbi and Zhao Pusheng maintained extremely poor relations – one might say they saw each other as mortal enemies.
Zuo’s father had been a proper imperial Battalion Commander, an Imperial General holding a fifth-rank or higher position. When Zhao Pusheng first rebelled, Zuo and his father had jointly led troops to suppress him.
Later, Peng Yingyu personally sought Zuo out for patient “persuasion.” Seeing the empire in chaos with people suffering unbearably and the Yuan Dynasty beyond salvation, Zuo eventually gathered followers and joined Peng Yingyu’s Red Turban Army.
But Zhao Pusheng remained bitter about past events, and Zuo Junbi wasn’t one to be bullied. With Zhao Pusheng treating him coldly, Zuo naturally wouldn’t humble himself, so their relationship remained perpetually strained.
While Peng Yingyu lived, he could restrain his disciples, but after his death in battle, his followers openly turned against each other.
Zuo Junbi independently controlled Luzhou while Zhao Pusheng fortified himself in Chaohu, the two factions battling fiercely across north and south. Zhao Pusheng had been squeezed to the brink of survival by Zuo Junbi’s pressure.
Zhu Yuanzhang suspected the Chaohu forces’ initiative in contacting him might indicate a plea for help, but without meeting their envoy yet, he couldn’t be certain of the situation.
The reputation of the Chaohu Naval Force had endured through later generations – surely they couldn’t have been pressured to the point of being driven from Chaohu entirely?
Old Zhu felt somewhat uncertain, though overall this still represented favorable developments.
The Chaohu Naval Force had previously assisted Xu Shouhui in attacking Taiping a few years ago. Having prior experience, they would undoubtedly accomplish the task much faster than these completely inexperienced soldiers.
The Grand Commander’s Mansion was brightly lit, with Yu Tonghai, the envoy of Zhao Pusheng, anxiously shifting in his seat while bearing heavy responsibilities.
Truth be told, he had been secretly ordered to come to Hezhou, not daring to let anyone know his identity during the journey.
Although their legitimate leader Xu Shouhui had fallen on hard times, he was still alive. If word got out that they were defecting to the Huaixi Red Turban Army at this time, they would certainly earn no good reputation among their original faction.
Alas, if not for being relentlessly pressured by Zuo Junbi, they would have preferred to remain peacefully at Chaohu Lake waiting for their legitimate leader to stage a comeback. But Zuo Junbi had pushed them too far, leaving them no choice but to seek alternative arrangements for survival.
Meanwhile, after learning from his mother who Old Zhu had gone to meet, Mu Qing began racking his brains on how to make Old Zhu understand that the current Chaohu Naval Force was nothing like the formidable Ming navy that would dominate the seas in history.
This wasn’t to say the current Chaohu Naval Force was incompetent – circumstances required specific analysis. The force under Zhao Pusheng’s command was indeed inferior compared to what it would become after being taken over by Old Zhu.
Father, you must not be fooled. Be careful not to stumble in a shallow ditch.
The Academy was closed the next day, and Mu Qing had originally planned to sleep until the sun was high in the sky. In these times, rest days didn’t follow the Saturday-Sunday pattern but operated on a ten-day cycle, with only one day off every ten days. Enjoying a day off was truly a rare luxury.
But to prevent Old Zhu from being deceived and suffering an unexpected setback, he forced himself to get up as early as usual.
Zhu Yuanzhang was quite surprised to see the little one up so early. This child loved sleeping in most on rest days – had the sun risen from the west today?
“Wenqing, come here.” Old Zhu called the unusually early riser over, examining him up and down but finding nothing amiss. “Are you going out to play today?”
“No.” The little one frowned with displeasure. Having been a child for many days now, he could interact with his family without revealing any flaws. “Brother Wenzhong and Brother Wenying said my handwriting is ugly. I need to get up early to practice calligraphy and show them what ‘a scholar who has been away three days must be looked at with new eyes’ means.”
Ah, forget about hiding flaws – he was a child anyway, and letting himself be free was super enjoyable!
“Well now, even knows ‘a scholar who has been away three days must be looked at with new eyes’. Our child is truly remarkable.” Zhu Yuanzhang raised an eyebrow, making no comment on the child’s lofty aspirations. “Wenqing, your father needs to travel far today and won’t be home for several days. You must take good care of your mother, understand?”
Ma Xiuying, with her prominent belly, rolled her eyes at him discreetly.
This instruction would have been suitable for Wenzheng, Wenzhong, or Wenying, but wasn’t it a bit much to say this to a child who could barely take care of himself?
Mu Qing clenched his fists and solemnly accepted the task, then looked at Old Zhu with nervous concern. “Father, where are you going these few days?”
Judging by his barely concealed cheerful expression, could he really be planning to go to Chaohu alone?
As it turned out, his memory served him well – at least in this matter, he wasn’t mistaken in the slightest.
Zhu Yuanzhang didn’t expect the little child to understand too much, so he skipped all the complexities and directly stated he was going to Chaohu. “Don’t worry, your father will return as soon as he finishes his business, definitely in time for the baby in your mother’s belly to arrive.”
Yu Tonghai had already explained the situation of the Chaohu Naval Force quite thoroughly. Currently, it was Zhao Pusheng begging him to take them in, not the other way around. By personally going to Chaohu, he was already showing Zhao Pusheng considerable face. He would meet with him briefly and return soon.
Mu Qing grabbed his father’s sleeve, speaking with grave seriousness, “Father, it’s dangerous out there. Remember to bring Uncle Xu, Uncle Tang, Uncle Da Geng, and Uncle Xiao Geng with you.”
Zhu Yuanzhang tugged at his sleeve but found he couldn’t free it after two attempts. “What? Isn’t your father capable of going alone?”
The little child argued earnestly, “Better safe than sorry. Bringing more people can’t hurt.”
He wasn’t being a pessimist—he was genuinely offering his father advice.
——An’an commanded the greenwood at seven, Zhou Yu led troops at nine. Gan Luo became prime minister at twelve, Xie Jin entered the imperial court at fourteen.
Even the young could accomplish great deeds!
Ma Xiuying was caught between laughter and tears. “Wenqing asked yesterday where you’d gone, so I told him about the situation at Chaohu. The child probably remembered that Zhao Pusheng only came seeking refuge because he had no other options, so he looks down on them.”
Zhu Yuanzhang chuckled heartily. “Zhao Pusheng has over a thousand ships under his command. If that’s not good enough, what would satisfy him?”
Mu Qing pouted. “What’s the use of having over a thousand ships if they’re still being bullied by someone nearby? If they were truly capable, they wouldn’t be oppressed.”
“Alright, alright. I’ll bring Uncle Xu and Uncle Xiao Geng, and have them select two thousand troops to provide support nearby. Will that do?” Zhu Yuanzhang didn’t overthink it, merely feeling that his child had a good sense of caution.
Though young, the child spoke sense. He had no prior dealings with the Chaohu Naval Force and didn’t know whether Zhao Pusheng was truly capable or not. Making extra preparations couldn’t hurt.
There was no direct water route between Chaohu and Hezhou. For Zhao Pusheng’s warships to reach Hezhou, they would have to enter the Yangtze River first. Zhu Yuanzhang wouldn’t lead troops to Chaohu either; instead, he had Xu Da take soldiers to the river entrance near Chaohu to provide support, lest Zhao Pusheng suspect ulterior motives.
With Yu Tonghai waiting outside, Zhu Yuanzhang didn’t delay at home. He first sent someone to notify Xu Da and Geng Zaicheng, then took a few personal guards and went with Yu Tonghai to Chaohu to meet Zhao Pusheng.
Whether the Chaohu Naval Force could be utilized wasn’t for Yu Tonghai to decide—he needed to negotiate with Zhao Pusheng personally.
Zhao Pusheng knew Zhu Yuanzhang lacked a usable naval force. Having taken the initiative to send envoys to Hezhou for negotiations, he wouldn’t play hard to get at this point.
With over a thousand warships, more than twenty thousand troops, and tens of thousands of dan of grain under his command, they would become one family as long as Commander Zhu was willing to accept them.
Zhu Yuanzhang was overjoyed. After searching far and wide, here was an effortless gain. He had been worrying about lacking a naval force to cross the river. With Zhao Pusheng’s warships, they could plan to attack Taiping Road upon returning.
The rebel forces had a naval force, and so did the imperial court. The naval commander near Chaohu was named Manzi Haiya. This man had long had his eye on the Chaohu Naval Force and was eager for an opportunity to crush those rebellious bandits who had built strongholds.
As soon as the warships in Chaohu Lake began to stir, Manzi Haiya received the news. There was only one waterway from Chaohu Lake into the Yangtze River. If he sent troops in advance to lay an ambush in the inner river, none of those rebels would escape.
…
Amid the torrential downpour, Commander Zhu Yuanzhang sat in the cabin of a ship advancing through the rain, questioning his life choices.
After meeting Zhao Pusheng, they had hit it off splendidly. He had also met the generals under Zhao Pusheng’s command—Liao Yongzhong and his brothers, Yu Tonghai and his brothers, Zhao Yong and his brothers, as well as Jin Chaoxing and others—all of them were impressive men.
The Huaixi Red Turban Army had no naval force, and Zhu Yuanzhang made no secret of his intentions: he wanted a navy to attack Taiping and Jiqing. His goal was not to settle for a small territory but to conquer the entire Jiangnan region.
Zhao Pusheng, Liao Yongzhong, and the others showed him great respect, immediately agreeing to bring their warships and troops to join him in Hezhou.
A true man aspires to achieve great things—how could they remain cooped up in Chaohu Lake forever?
Zhu Yuanzhang wiped his face, his expression still dazed.
He never expected that this Chaohu Naval Force, which had been mentioned by the heavenly voice, would be so incompetent. Forget crossing the river to attack Taiping—they couldn’t even break out of the inner river.
As the fleet approached the river entrance, they were ambushed by the Yuan Army. The government’s ships were massive, dwarfing their own vessels. Several attempts to break through ended in failure.
If he hadn’t sent Xu Da and Geng Zaicheng ahead with troops to provide support at the river entrance, they would all have been finished off by Manzi Haiya today.
Seriously? Is this the legendary prowess that would be celebrated for generations?