The video takes us to ancient times; Li Er transforms into the Tongtian Emperor of Shu Han.

"Old Zhu has quite a few capable people around him."

Li Er sighed.

Not only was Zhu Yuanzhang himself highly capable, but the strategists and generals around him were also top-notch.

Based on Liu Ji's ability to see Chen Youliang's weaknesses at a glance, Li Er could conclude that this man was a man of great talent.

"It is indeed not easy to see Chen Youliang's weakness at a glance."

Zhao Kuangyin nodded as well.

On paper alone, not to mention being attacked from both sides, Chen Youliang's own strength surpasses that of Zhu Yuanzhang.

If Zhu Yuanzhang were to merely defend passively and divide his forces to resist the attacks from both sides, the result would very likely be as Chen Youliang predicted: he would be divided and devoured by both sides!

Fortunately, the battlefield is not a game of war; a strong paper army does not guarantee victory.

"And this battle is crucial, both for Zhu Yuanzhang and for Chen Youliang."

Chen Youliang killed the emperor and established himself as emperor, but his army did not submit to his rule.

He desperately needs a resounding victory to win back popular support.

When Zhu Yuanzhang occupied Yingtian Prefecture, most people thought he was more than capable of protecting himself than of governing the country.

In many people's eyes, Zhu Yuanzhang was merely a powerful warlord who controlled a region.

He also needs a big win to prove his ability and ambition!

Liu Ji and Zhu Yuanzhang hit it off immediately, and the two set their hunting target as Chen Youliang.

Capitalizing on his eagerness for quick success, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered his general Kang Maocai to write a letter to lure the enemy deep into his territory.

When Chen Youliang led his navy to the outskirts of Yingtian, what awaited him was not Kang Maocai's inside-outside attack, but an ambush!

In the first battle, Chen Youliang's army was routed.

Zhu Yuanzhang seized the opportunity to recover Taiping, Xinzhou and other places, and then led his army straight to Jiangzhou, his old stronghold, forcing him to flee all the way.

But at this very moment, under the immense pressure from the Mongol Yuan dynasty, turmoil broke out within the Red Turban Army. Seeing that he could not gain any advantage in Yingtian Prefecture, Zhang Shicheng turned his attention to Han Lin'er, the Little Ming King.

Liu Futong sent someone to ask Zhu Yuanzhang for help. Logically, he still belonged to the Han-Song regime. In terms of interests, if he could save Han Lin'er, he could take Anfeng under his control.

However, just as he led his main force to rescue Han Lin'er, Chen Youliang seized the critical moment when his forces were depleted, personally leading an army of 600,000 to directly attack Hongdu, which was defended by only 20,000 troops!

"This Chen Youliang is truly extraordinary!"

Zhao Kuangyin exclaimed in amazement.

If Zhu Yuanzhang were to save Han Lin'er and then turn back, Chen Youliang would only face defeat after defeat until his Han Dynasty was destroyed.

"Even amidst successive defeats, they still had the courage to seize opportunities to launch a counterattack."

"Moreover, he seized this opportunity perfectly. As long as he captures Hongdu, he can then advance unimpeded and be forced into a corner, which will be Old Zhu."

Liu Bang nodded.

His control over the battle situation was equally precise.

Judging from the immortals' assessment and all the images displayed on the celestial screen, Chen Youliang's defeat should have been inevitable.

But Zhu De had to lead his troops to rescue Han Lin'er, and didn't have time to kill him completely.

Even a centipede with a hundred legs will not die easily. Once he seizes this opportunity, the outcome will be reversed in an instant!

"However, I don't quite understand. Since Chen Youliang has seized this opportunity, he must have used all the forces he can mobilize. Zhu's main force is not here, and there are only 20,000 troops defending Hongdu. He should be doomed to defeat."

Li Er frowned.

At this point, one defeat means there is no chance left.

Just like Chen Youliang, if it weren't for Zhu Yuanzhang giving him this opportunity, after his defeat outside Yingtian Prefecture, he would have been forced to swallow bitter pills and could no longer hold his head high in front of Zhu Yuanzhang's main force.

Now that Chen Youliang has captured Hongdu, his morale will surely be high. In addition, the strength under his command is already much stronger. At that time, it will be Zhu Yuanzhang who will be unable to raise his head!

How did Zhu Yuanzhang gain control of the country?

“Indeed, if we lose this battle, Hongdu will be lost, and my father will be unable to take care of both ends. Whether it is Zhang Shicheng or others, they will not mind taking a bite out of the fat meat.”

"But you didn't expect it, did you? Chen Youliang's 600,000-strong army failed to capture Hongdu!"

Zhu Di said with a smile.

"what?"

For most people, Zhu Di's words were nothing short of a fantasy.

This is an army of 600,000!

Six hundred thousand against twenty thousand, a thirty-fold troop advantage!

Even if Hongdu were an impregnable fortress, it should still be able to be broken through!

"The general who defended the city was my cousin, Zhu Wenzheng. He... it's such a pity."

Zhu Di sighed.

His cousin made outstanding contributions in the defense of Hongdu.

However, a slight deviation in his thinking directly led to the tragedy of his life.

"What a pity? If he had truly led 20,000 troops to defend against Chen Youliang's 600,000-strong army, then no reward would have been too much. Why is it a pity?"

Li Er couldn't help but ask.

"You'll see as you watch. That's how it should have been, but due to a few misunderstandings and the instigation of those around him, he made a mistake that led to endless regret."

As soon as Zhu Di finished speaking, the writing on the sky changed.

[Upon learning that Chen Youliang was leading an army of 600,000 to attack, and that Zhu Yuanzhang had ordered him to defend to the death.]

Zhu Wenzheng, who usually only knew how to indulge in pleasure in Hongdu, seemed to have become a different person.

After shouting the slogan "We will live as long as the city stands, or we will die if the city falls," he led his personal guards to the city walls every day to fight on the front line of defense.

If even the highest-ranking general in Hongdu City acted this way, his soldiers naturally had no reason to back down.

Thanks to Zhu Wenzheng's selfless and courageous defense, the 20,000 defenders managed to hold off Chen Youliang's 600,000-strong army for a full 85 days without breaching Hongdu!

Even with his resentment, Chen Youliang had no choice but to order his army to withdraw from Hongdu and meet the enemy at Poyang Lake when Zhu Yuanzhang led an army of 200,000 to reinforce the city.

"real or fake?"

"20,000 defending against 600,000? Thirty times the strength, and they managed to hold out?"

Liu Bang was dumbfounded.

He knew, of course, that the immortals' tally was definitely true, but such a result was truly unbelievable.

Although the defenders had a natural advantage in terrain, Chen Youliang was clearly well-equipped with siege weapons and had a significant advantage in troop strength.

In this situation, the defending side had almost no advantage whatsoever for Zhu Wenzheng.

Let alone Zhu Wenzheng, even Lao Zhu might not believe that he could hold on.

But ironically, despite everyone's skepticism, he held on!

"If Zhu De can defeat Chen Youliang in this battle, he should be credited with the greatest achievement!"

"The Battle of Hongdu played an indispensable role in the eventual unification of China!"

Li Er was even more unable to understand.

Since he has made such a great contribution, any old Zhu who is not out of his mind should know that he should be rewarded.

If such a fierce general were to receive sufficient rewards, how could he possibly make a single mistake that would lead to eternal regret?

"That's how it should be, but the problem is that my cousin once said something to my father."

"Perhaps he forgot later, but my father remembered."

"It was this small misunderstanding that directly led to the tragedy that followed..."