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

Chang Yuchun laughed heartily, "Brother Qiwu, don't just talk the talk, walk the walk! When we get back, we'll have to hear all about your amazing new gadgets!"

Zhu Yuanzhang patted Zhu Qiwu on the shoulder, his eyes full of trust: "Qiwu, this battle concerns the life and death of our army. You must do your best to assist Xu Da and the others."

Zhu Qiwu nodded solemnly: "Fourth Brother, rest assured, I will certainly not fail in my mission!"

With Zhu Yuanzhang's order, generals such as Xu Da and Chang Yuchun led their army on a grand march. Zhu Qiwu watched the departing troops, secretly pondering his next plan.

Back in Yingtian Prefecture, Zhu Qiwu was about to go back to his room to study the system rewards when suddenly a guard rushed in to report: "Master Qiwu, someone claiming to be an old acquaintance of yours requests an audience."

Zhu Qiwu was slightly taken aback. An old acquaintance? He had transmigrated here, so where would he find an old acquaintance in the late Yuan Dynasty? He was filled with doubt, but still said, "Bring him in."

A moment later, a thin man dressed in coarse linen clothes entered. Upon seeing Zhu Qiwu, a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, and he quickly stepped forward to bow, saying, "Young Master Zhu, we've finally found you!"

Zhu Qiwu looked the man up and down, but couldn't recall where he had seen him before, so he asked, "Who are you? What do you want with me?"

The man hurriedly said, "Young Master Zhu, don't you remember me? I'm Zhang San. You saved my life back in Haozhou City!"

Zhu Qiwu tried hard to recall. Haozhou City? That was a long time ago. When he first transmigrated, he did save some people in Haozhou City, but he couldn't remember who they were. However, seeing that this person's expression was sincere and didn't seem to be lying, Zhu Qiwu said, "So it's Brother Zhang. May I ask what brings you here?"

Zhang San looked around and lowered his voice, saying, "Young Master Zhu, I have learned an important piece of information. The Yuan army is about to transport a large amount of grain to the front lines. I have already scouted the route. If we can intercept this grain, it will be a huge help to General Xu Da and his men!"

Zhu Qiwu's eyes lit up; this was indeed a good opportunity! Intercepting the Yuan army's supplies would not only weaken their strength but also boost their own morale. However, he quickly calmed down and asked, "Brother Zhang, is this information reliable? And how did you find out?"

Zhang San quickly replied, "Young Master Zhu, rest assured, this news is absolutely reliable! I have a distant relative in the Yuan army who works in the grain transport team, and he secretly told me about it. As soon as I heard about it, I came to you immediately, wanting to do my part for Young Master Zhu and the rebel army!"

Zhu Qiwu still had some doubts. After all, this matter was of utmost importance. If the information was wrong, not only would they fail to intercept the supplies, but they might also fall into an ambush by the Yuan army. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Brother Zhang, this matter is of great importance. I still need to discuss it with my fourth brother. You wait here for now."

Having said that, Zhu Qiwu hurriedly went to Zhu Yuanzhang's study. Zhu Yuanzhang was discussing military matters with Tang He, Zhou Dexing, and others. Seeing Zhu Qiwu enter, he asked, "Qiwu, what brings you in such a hurry?"

Zhu Qiwu relayed the news brought by Zhang San to Zhu Yuanzhang and the others in detail. After listening, Zhu Yuanzhang frowned and pondered for a long time before saying, "This news is tempting, but the risk is also extremely high. The Yuan army has always been cunning; this may be a trap they have set."

Tang He also nodded and said, "What you say is absolutely right, elder brother. We cannot easily believe this news. If we fall into the Yuan army's trap, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Zhou Dexing scratched his head and said, "But if this news is true, it would be a real pity to miss this opportunity!"

Zhu Qiwu looked at everyone and said, "Fourth Brother, brothers, I think we can send someone to investigate first and confirm the authenticity of the news before making a decision. If the news is true, we can then send troops to intercept the supplies; if the news is false, we won't lose anything."

After hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly: "What you said makes sense. Then let's do as you say and send someone to investigate first."

Zhu Qiwu volunteered, "Fourth Brother, let me go! I'm quite familiar with this area, and with some tools from the system rewards, it will be easier to investigate."

Zhu Yuanzhang hesitated for a moment, still somewhat worried: "Seventh Five, this journey is fraught with danger, you must be careful."

Zhu Qiwu laughed and said, "Don't worry, Fourth Brother, I'll take good care of myself. Besides, I still have the treasures I got as a system reward!"

Seeing that Zhu Qiwu was full of confidence, Zhu Yuanzhang agreed: "Alright, then take a few skilled brothers with you and go together. Be sure to be careful, and retreat immediately if there is any danger."

After receiving the order, Zhu Qiwu selected several strong guards and set off with Zhang San. They proceeded cautiously along the route Zhang San had described.

Along the way, Zhu Qiwu used the telescope awarded by the system to observe the surroundings from a distance. Whenever he encountered something suspicious, he would have everyone stop and investigate carefully.

That day, they arrived at a valley. Zhang San pointed to the valley and said, "Young Master Zhu, according to my relative, the Yuan army's supply convoy will pass through this valley."

Zhu Qiwu raised his binoculars and carefully observed the terrain of the valley. He saw that the mountains on both sides of the valley were steep and the road in the valley was narrow. If an ambush were set up here, it would indeed be a place where one man could hold off ten thousand.

Zhu Qiwu was secretly on guard. He said to the others, "Everyone be careful. This valley has a dangerous terrain and there may be Yuan troops lying in ambush. Let's hide outside the valley and observe the situation."

The group followed instructions and hid in a secluded spot outside the valley. Time passed slowly, but the Yuan army's supply convoy never appeared.

The guard, Wang Wu, grew impatient and whispered, "Seventh Master, could this news be false, and the Yuan army might not be passing through here at all?"

Zhu Qiwu shook his head and said softly, "Wait a little longer. Brother Zhang's information should be correct. Perhaps the Yuan army has been delayed for some reason."

A while later, a commotion suddenly arose in the valley. Zhu Qiwu quickly raised his binoculars and looked out, only to see a long supply convoy slowly entering the valley. The convoy was escorted by hundreds of Yuan soldiers, and the carts were piled high with grain and supplies.

Zhu Qiwu was overjoyed, but quickly calmed down. He carefully observed the movements of the Yuan army and found that they had not set up an ambush in the valley, but were advancing cautiously.

Zhu Qiwu said to everyone, "It seems the news is true; the Yuan army is indeed going to pass through here. But we can't act rashly. We'll wait until they enter the depths of the valley, then we'll flank them from both sides and catch them off guard!"

Everyone nodded in agreement. They waited quietly, their eyes fixed on the Yuan army in the valley.

Once the Yuan army's supply convoy had entered the depths of the valley, Zhu Qiwu gave the order: "Move out!" The men charged down the slopes on either side like arrows released from a bow. Zhu Qiwu, wielding the pistol awarded by the system, fired and shouted, "Charge! Intercept the Yuan army's supplies!"

Caught off guard by this sudden attack, the Yuan army was thrown into chaos. They picked up their weapons and tried to fight back, but under the fierce assault of Zhu Qiwu and his men, they were unable to mount any effective resistance.

Taking advantage of the situation, Zhu Qiwu led his men to rush towards the grain carts, overturning the grain and supplies on them. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the Yuan soldiers abandoned their weapons and fled in all directions.

The battle proceeded very smoothly, and Zhu Qiwu and his men quickly brought the situation under control. They inventoried the spoils and found they had captured a large amount of grain and supplies, enough to sustain Xu Da's army for some time.

Wang Wu exclaimed excitedly, "Seventh Master, you're amazing! That battle was truly exhilarating!"

Zhu Qiwu laughed and said, "This is just a small victory. The real challenge is yet to come! Let's hurry up and transport these grains and supplies back to Yingtianfu and hand them over to Fourth Brother."

With everyone working together, they loaded the grain and supplies onto the carts, preparing to return to Yingtian Prefecture. However, just as they were about to set off, a deafening sound of horses' hooves suddenly echoed through the valley.

Zhu Qiwu was startled and quickly raised his binoculars to look. He saw a huge Yuan cavalry force rushing towards them. Judging from the size of the formation, there were at least a thousand of them.

Wang Wu's expression changed drastically, and he said, "Seventh Master, something bad has happened! It's Yuan reinforcements! We're surrounded!"

Zhu Qiwu frowned, his mind racing as he considered countermeasures. He knew that with their current numbers and equipment, they were no match for this Yuan cavalry force. A direct confrontation would only lead to their demise.

Just then, Zhang San suddenly said, "Young Master Zhu, I know a small path that can bypass this Yuan army and return to Yingtian Prefecture. However, this path is rugged and difficult to travel, and carriages may not be able to pass through it."

Zhu Qiwu glanced at the cart full of grain and supplies, then at the rapidly approaching Yuan cavalry. After weighing the pros and cons, he said, "We can't worry about that now. Let's hide the grain and supplies first, and travel light. We'll take a side road back to Yingtian Prefecture and ask Fourth Brother for help!"

The group followed instructions and hid the grain and supplies in a secluded cave, then followed Zhang San onto the rugged path.

The path was narrow and steep, overgrown with thorns, making it extremely difficult for the group to walk. But in order to escape the pursuit of the Yuan army, they couldn't care less and hurried forward with all their might.

The Yuan cavalry pursued Zhu Qiwu and his men into the valley, only to find that they had vanished, leaving behind overturned grain carts and the cave where the grain had been stored. The Yuan general was furious and ordered his soldiers to search the surrounding area thoroughly.

Zhu Qiwu and his men ran wildly along the path, finally shaking off the pursuit before the Yuan army could find them. But they were exhausted and panting heavily.

Wang Wu plopped down on the ground and said, "Seventh Master, I really can't walk anymore, let's rest for a while."

Zhu Qiwu looked at everyone and saw that they were all exhausted, so he said, "Alright, everyone take a rest and recover your strength."

The group had barely sat down when suddenly, shouts of battle erupted from afar. Zhu Qiwu was startled and quickly raised his binoculars to look, only to see a group of bandits charging towards them.

It turned out that the bandits had learned of a group appearing in the vicinity and intended to rob them. They never expected to encounter Zhu Qiwu and his men.

Zhu Qiwu looked at the bandits and inwardly groaned. They were exhausted and powerless to fight them. But if they didn't resist, they would only be killed or captured by the bandits.

At this critical moment, Zhu Qiwu suddenly remembered that he had some smoke grenades among the system rewards. He quickly took out a smoke grenade from his pocket and threw it at the bandits.

After the smoke bomb exploded, thick smoke billowed out, obscuring the bandits' vision. Taking advantage of the situation, Zhu Qiwu led his men out of the smoke and ran desperately towards Yingtian Prefecture.

The bandits were disoriented by the sudden smoke, and by the time it cleared, Zhu Qiwu and his men were already far away. The bandit leader was furious and ordered his soldiers to continue the pursuit.

Zhu Qiwu and his men rushed all the way and finally arrived in Yingtian Prefecture at dusk. They went directly to Zhu Yuanzhang's study and told him everything that had happened.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's expression turned very grave. He said, "Seventh Five, although you have intercepted the Yuan army's supplies this time, you have also gotten yourself into big trouble. Neither the Yuan cavalry nor these bandits will let this go easily. We must prepare to deal with them as soon as possible."

Zhu Qiwu nodded and said, "Fourth Brother, don't worry, I already have a plan. We can first send a troop to transport the hidden grain and supplies back, and then strengthen the defense of Yingtian Prefecture to resist the attacks of the Yuan army and mountain bandits."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slightly: "This plan is feasible. Tang He and Zhou Dexing, you will immediately lead a troop to transport the grain and supplies back. I will also send someone to inform Xu Da and Chang Yuchun to speed up their march and return to Yingtianfu as soon as possible."

Tang He and Zhou Dexing accepted the order and left. Zhu Yuanzhang then said to Zhu Qiwu, "Qiwu, you've worked hard this time. Go back and rest for a while. The rest of the matters will be handled by me and the brothers."

Zhu Qiwu shook his head and said, "Fourth Brother, I'm not tired. I still want to discuss with you strategies for dealing with the Yuan army and the bandits."

Seeing Zhu Qiwu's insistence, Zhu Yuanzhang agreed: "Alright, then you can stay and discuss it with us."

The group gathered in the study to discuss countermeasures. Zhu Qiwu spoke first: "Fourth Brother, I think we can take advantage of Yingtian Prefecture's terrain to set up traps and obstacles to block the Yuan army and bandits' attacks. At the same time, we should strengthen the city walls and increase the number of defensive weapons."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded in agreement: "What Qi Wu said is absolutely right. Yingtian Prefecture has a strategic location, easy to defend and difficult to attack. As long as we make full use of the terrain advantage and strengthen our defenses, it will be very difficult for the Yuan army and the mountain bandits to break through."

Tang He said, "Brother, we can also recruit some able-bodied men in the city to form a militia to help us defend the city. In this way, our forces will be more abundant."

Zhou Dexing also said, "Brother, I think we can send some scouts to monitor the movements of the Yuan army and the bandits, and keep track of their intelligence so that we can make corresponding adjustments." (End of this chapter)