Chapter 94: Drinking Horses to the Yangtze River))
"Superior, Sun Deya is dead!"
The cavalry came on flying horses to report the victory to Zhu Yuanzhang.
Lao Zhu didn't seem to hear clearly, "You, say it again."
The soldier raised his head and said in an excited voice: "Come on, Hu Dahai and Wu Qianhu have killed Sun Deya!"
"Ah! It really is so!"
Lao Zhu actually didn't believe it at all and couldn't accept it.
Who is Sun Deya?
He was the second-ranking figure in Haozhou City who joined the army with Guo Zixing.
When he was making waves, Lao Zhu had not yet married Ma, and was an out-and-out soldier. At that time, Marshal Sun not only needed him to look up to him, but he also had to kneel down and look up at him!
The gap is so big that it is simply impossible to calculate!
But today, Sun Deya died easily.
The three troops and horses prepared, as well as the two thousand households in his hand, were all useless. A great commander was just gone? Are we really that powerful?
Lao Zhu glanced at Zhang Ximeng subconsciously, as if he was still unsure.
But Zhang Ximeng didn't doubt it at all.
Who is Sun Deya, who deserves to be compared with the ruthless men under Lao Zhu?
Don't tell others, Hu Dahai's bravery is enough to compete with Chang Yuchun. Chang Yuchun can kill Chen Youliang with one arrow, Hu Dahai can kill Sun Deya, not to mention Wu Zhen is here, he is also a fierce general!
"My lord, when tigers and wolves come out of the mountains, they deserve to see blood! Sun Deya has done many evil things and harmed the people. It is most appropriate to use his head as a memorial to the three armies."
Zhu Yuanzhang squinted his eyes.
Indeed, it was indeed a good thing that I had spent more than half a year recuperating my strength in Chuzhou, focusing on training my troops, and now I went on my first official expedition and cut down the Sun Deya sacrificial flag.
I really didn’t expect that our subordinates would be so powerful!
Lao Zhu couldn't help but grin, but before he could smile for a while, Zhu Yuanzhang felt something was wrong.
"There are still so many soldiers and horses in Sun Deya. If they break up and become rogues, the people of Hezhou will suffer." After saying this, Lao Zhu immediately urged his horse, and the soldiers behind him hurriedly followed.
Tang He, Xu Da and others also mobilized the troops of three thousand households and came over to kill them.
They formed a huge net, and Sun Deya's men became the fish in the net.
Some people tried to escape, but they couldn't outrun Wu Zhen's cavalry.
Some people wanted to break out of the encirclement, but they were surrounded by Lao Zhu's troops on three sides.
Xu Da, Tang He, and Hua Yun kept pressing forward, blocking all ways of survival.
"Put down your weapons, Haozhou people will not kill Haozhou people!"
"Quickly put down your weapon and squat on the ground!"
“Haozhou people don’t kill Haozhou people!”
As soon as this slogan came out, as if it had some magic power, one after another the prisoners knelt on the ground, trembling.
Of the 3,000 people Sun Deya brought, more than 200 died in battle, less than 100 escaped, and the rest were all made prisoners.
Among this group of prisoners, three people stood out the most.
Even though they tried hard to hide in the crowd, Xu Da still caught them out.
Nothing else, looks familiar!
"Yu, Pan, Lu, three marshals, please come and be safe!"
They pulled these three people out from the crowd and pushed them to the front of the crowd. In full view of the crowd, the three of them just wanted to explode on the spot.
A few months ago, they came out of Chuzhou and took refuge in Sun Deya.
Before he could do anything, he was captured. If he had known today, why would he have left Chuzhou in the first place?
Oh my God, is there any regret medicine?
No matter how much it is, we will buy it!
It’s okay to go bankrupt!
But in fact, everyone knows that even if they are given another chance, these three things will join Sun Deya. After all, they are essentially the same people.
If they can't rob, what's the point of being a commander?
"We asked you to go to Huaiyuan to accompany Marshal Guo, but you didn't listen to us!"
Zhu Yuanzhang was on horseback, looking down at the three people.
The three former commanders were now trembling and kneeling in front of the former ninth captain.
"Spare my life, beg the governor to spare my life!"
They kept kowtowing until their foreheads bled.
Zhu Yuanzhang was full of disgust, what the hell!
"Everyone, please raise your heads, don't let Haozhou Red Scarf get in the face!"
Several people quickly controlled their emotions and knelt on the ground, as submissive as sheep.
Lao Zhu said rudely: "We know that you can't stand the military regulations, and you don't want to farm honestly. Once people like you gain power, just like Sun Deya, you will only harm the people. You are a group of disasters!"
This scolding frightened all three of them to death.
It's over, this life is saved.
Marshal Lu immediately pulled over. Although Marshal Yu and Marshal Pan could barely hold on, they were sweating profusely, trembling like a sieve, and even lost the courage to speak.
It's over, maybe the Ghost Head Sword will come down in the next second!
This fate has been sealed.
But what is unexpected is that Lao Zhu did not immediately order the killing.
"How many remnants of Sun Deya's army are there?"
"There are still 10,000 people left," Marshal Yu reluctantly replied.
"How many of them can be beaten? Tell the truth!"
"Yes, there are less than five thousand!"
Lao Zhu thought for a while and said, "I'm giving you an order to surrender those people. Can you do it?"
"Yes!" The two commanders, Yu and Pan, nodded together in surprise.
They are still needed, but there is still a glimmer of hope. "Thank you... Thank you, superior, for not killing me. Thank you, superior!"
Zhu Yuanzhang snorted coldly: "There is no need to ask us to come to power, and we don't want you three losers! Bring the troops and horses here, everything goes well, I allow you to live in Chuzhou, and you can live in peace. If you dare to cause trouble again in this life,
Either way, God will accept you!"
The two marshals Yu and Pan, including the "resurrected" marshal Lu, all kowtowed together, thanked them for sparing their lives, and planned to recruit the remaining troops of Sun Deya to surrender.
"Don't rush there yet, take this with you!"
Zhu Yuanzhang picked up a bloody human head and threw it to them.
The three people looked down and their faces turned green.
Old Sun!
You are considered dead!
The three people didn't know how to describe their feelings. Maybe their era had come to an end. Accompanied by Xu Da, the three people went to the military camp. There were nearly 10,000 troops. After witnessing Sun Deya's head, they chose
surrender……
Almost all the seven marshals of the year withered away, and the one who had the last laugh was a mere ninth captain!
Zhu Yuanzhang has gradually unified the Haozhou Red Turbans, and has completely reached a new level in terms of military strength and development momentum.
With two territories in Chuzhou and Hezhou, he has a place among the heroes!
"Sir, come with us!"
Zhu Yuanzhang did not enter Hezhou City, but rode south. Zhang Ximeng vaguely understood what Lao Zhu meant, and his heart suddenly moved. He quickly followed him. They ran for dozens of miles and finally stopped.
What suddenly appeared in front of us was a natural chasm, the water of the Yangtze River was rolling eastward, and the waves were blooming, full of heroic spirit.
Looking at the vast water, the sky, and the river breeze blowing in front of him, Zhu Yuanzhang's heart was surging. Suddenly, he stretched out his hand and pointed, "Sir, the opposite side is Taiping!"
Zhang Ximeng raised his eyes and looked into the distance, and all he could see was gray.
He and Zhu Yuanzhang had seen a map of the Yangtze River more than once, and it had long been engraved in their hearts.
Capture Jiqing to become an emperor!
Before Feng Guoyong proposed it, Zhang Ximeng told Zhu Yuanzhang a similar idea.
Now that Hezhou has been captured, we are finally a big step closer to this goal! It can even be said that it is within reach.
Although they have to plan a celebration, it is too difficult to attack Jinling City head-on.
The ancient capital of the Six Dynasties is not an empty talk after all.
Therefore, the emperor and his ministers gradually formed a consensus that they should cross the river from the upper reaches, and Taiping Road was the best choice.
Zhu Yuanzhang was high-spirited and waving his arms. Zhu Yuanzhang, who had always been deep and reserved, now turned red in the face, as if he was drunk, and his emotions were as unrestrained as the rolling river.
"Sir, what is the purpose of our painstaking planning and hard-working troops? Isn't it just to cross the river, occupy Jinling, and achieve imperial hegemony!" Zhu Yuanzhang said loudly.
Zhang Ximeng rode forward and looked at the river, his face also flushed.
It has been almost two years since I developed independently.
Hundreds of days and nights spent thinking and thinking hard.
Especially Zhu Yuanzhang, he had to deal with official affairs every day, train soldiers, study, summon people, and occasionally accompany his wife. All the time was full, from morning to night, without a moment's rest.
After paying so much, isn’t it for the great cause of the emperor?
Zhang Ximeng suppressed his excitement and said to Lao Zhu: "My lord, Jiqing is an ancient capital, a place of great beauty, a tiger and a dragon. As long as we win Jiqing, make bold moves, carry out reforms, eradicate bad policies, and win people's hearts. I dare you.
Guaranteed, after three to five years, my lord will be able to compete in the world!"
Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said: "Sir, he knows things like a god, so of course we know it. But we never thought that a beggar who begs everywhere, a little monk in the temple, could be where he is today! Is this God's will?"
"When I say it back to my lord, I think it's all my lord deserves!" Zhang Ximeng said with a smile.
Lao Zhu was stunned and couldn't help laughing: "Sir, is he so good at flattering you?"
"It's a slap on the dragon's fart!" Zhang Ximeng corrected.
Lao Zhu simply shook his head and said nothing... He solved Sun Deya and immediately rode over, intending to experience the feeling of drinking from the Yangtze River.
As for Zhang Ximeng, he is the only confidant who is lucky enough to share the joy. So far, the others are not qualified.
Lao Zhu took the horse again and walked along the river for a while before preparing to return.
But Lao Zhu's eyes were attracted by one place, and gradually, Zhu Yuanzhang's face became less beautiful.
It turned out that there were several huge Yuan Ting warships sailing across the river in the distance.
There was a fishing boat. I tried my best to avoid it, but a warship deliberately bumped into it.
Huge warships are like mountains, and small fishing boats are no better than duckweeds.
The two collided and the fishing boat was crushed directly.
An old fisherman, filled with grief and anger, struggled in the river and called for help.
But the Yuan Ting navy on the deck just laughed wildly and was extremely happy. They even took pleasure in ramming fishing boats and killing fishermen!
Zhu Yuanzhang was furious, but gradually, he felt a chill down his spine, and he actually shuddered.
"Sir, cross the river, cross the river! Can we really cross it?"
Although Yuan Ting's rule collapsed and its strength was not as good as before, the navy was still invincible and had dual advantages in quantity and quality.
So what if you drink from the Yangtze River?
Is it really possible to get by?
Zhu Yuanzhang looked at those behemoths and felt so helpless!
"Definitely!" Zhang Ximeng said firmly: "My lord, we may not be able to build such a big ship at the moment, but as long as we work hard on firearms, we should be able to sink these hateful ships!"