Great Ming Dynasty! I am Zhu Biao's invincible second brother!

Chapter 7 reminds Zhu Wenzheng

A ripple of emotion stirred within Zhu Mu's heart.

He thought, if history could be changed, could he also help his cousin, who fought alongside him and shared life and death, to change his fate?

"My cousin is too kind."

Zhu Mu spoke slowly, his voice calm.

"The victory in Hongdu was achieved by the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians in the city. How dare I, a single person, claim credit for it?"

He looked at Zhu Wenzheng, his gaze deepening:

"My cousin's bravery is something I've never seen before in my life. You and I are brothers, and after this battle, we've become sworn brothers."

Zhu Mu paused, his tone becoming serious:

"The road ahead is long. I only hope that my cousin will remember the kindness shown to him today. As long as you do not make mistakes, do not let down our father, and do not let down the people, as long as I, Zhu Mu, am alive, I will never let any meritorious official lose heart."

"This world needs someone to sweep away the Northern Yuan Tartars and establish merit. Don't limit your vision to gains and losses in a short time or place."

These words were quite profound, and Zhu Wenzheng did not fully grasp them at first.

But he could sense the sincerity in Zhu Mu's words and a maturity beyond his years.

He took it as Zhu Mu encouraging him, and his heart warmed, so he nodded heavily.

"Rest assured, young master! You saved Wenzheng's life! From now on, I will obey your every command!"

Zhu Mu smiled slightly and said nothing more.

After this battle, Zhu Wenzheng was completely convinced of his own abilities.

If I give him a little guidance in the future and help him get the credit he deserves, I might be able to soothe his resentment and lead his life onto a bright path that is completely different from the one in history.

(Historically, Zhu Wenzheng harbored resentment because he had not been rewarded for his merits, which led to a series of events, including his subsequent dismissal for making mistakes.)

……

After Zhu Mu swiftly integrated the city's logistics, Hongdu, this massive war machine, though still battered and bruised, began to operate with unprecedented efficiency.

This enabled the defending troops to face Chen Youliang's even fiercer attacks with greater resilience.

After a prolonged and unsuccessful siege, Chen Youliang, having exhausted his patience, dropped all pretense and committed all his forces to a fierce offensive, disregarding casualties.

The Battle of Hongdu thus entered its bloodiest and most brutal climax!

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A deafening roar came from the direction of Fuzhou Gate, and even the city towers several miles away trembled.

Chen Youliang deployed all the giant battering rams and trebuchets in his army, firmly pinning the main attack direction to Fuzhou Gate!

Deng Yu, the gatekeeper of Fuzhou, roared furiously, his eyes bloodshot:

"Musketeers! Aim and fire! Smash their turtle shells!"

On the city wall, the Ming army's muskets spewed out angry tongues of fire, and the thick smoke made it almost impossible for people to open their eyes.

Lead bullets whistled as they hurtled towards the siege beasts, which were covered in wet cowhide and slowly approaching.

However, Chen Jun's forces were simply too numerous. They used human lives to fill the road and forcefully pushed those behemoths under the city walls.

"boom--!!!"

With a deafening roar, a huge gap was blasted open in the middle of the city wall of Fuzhou Gate!

Bricks and stones flew everywhere, and dust filled the air. A terrifying gap, more than 30 zhang (nearly 100 meters) wide, was exposed to everyone like a huge scar.

"The city has fallen! Charge in!"

"Kill them! The first one to charge in will be rewarded with a thousand pieces of gold and a title of Marquis with ten thousand households!"

The Han army outside the city instantly erupted in jubilation, surging towards the breach like a flood bursting its banks.

"Hold on! We'll hold the city as long as we're here!"

Deng Yu drew his sword and led his personal guards to the forefront.

Behind him, countless Ming soldiers did not hesitate at all, using their own flesh and blood to engage in the most primitive and bloodiest hand-to-hand combat with the swarming enemy at the breach!

Slashes, thrusts, bites, punches!

There are no formations, no tactics, only the purest killing and being killed.

Every inch of land was instantly stained red with blood, and those who fell were immediately trampled underfoot by those behind them, turning into mud.

"Young Master! The gates of Fuzhou are under attack!"

The messenger's voice was choked with sobs.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Mu, who was directing operations at the north gate, sharpened his gaze:

"Cousin! General Reserve, follow me to reinforce Fuzhou Gate!"

When Zhu Mu and Zhu Wenzheng arrived with two thousand elite troops, the battle at the breach had already reached its most brutal point.

Deng Yu was covered in blood, but he was still fighting frantically, though the number of soldiers around him was dwindling.

"Armory Bureau, listen up! All timber and door panels, immediately move them to the breach! Erect the wooden fence as quickly as possible!"

Zhu Mu's voice was frighteningly calm, and it quickly spread throughout the city through the messengers.

With the support of Zhang Juzheng's model, his command was efficient and precise.

"Archers, move to the higher ground on both sides and fire indiscriminately to cover the gap!"

"Pikemen, form ranks! Behind the wooden fence, thrust forward! Pierce them!"

Instead of immediately engaging in hand-to-hand combat, Zhu Mu immediately ordered his troops to establish a second line of defense behind the breach.

Without a word, Zhu Wenzheng, wielding his long spear, roared and led his men into the fiercest battle, like a tiger, forcefully halting the enemy's advance.

Under Zhu Mu's command, countless civilians and laborers rushed forward carrying planks and stones.

A simple yet sturdy wooden fence was miraculously erected during the bloody battle.

After retreating to the palisade, the Ming army waited in ambush and used a dense array of long spears to inflict devastating damage on the charging enemy.

The situation at Fuzhou Gate was firmly stabilized before this defensive line built of flesh, blood, wood, and stone!

After suffering a setback at Fuzhou Gate, Chen Youliang immediately divided his forces and launched a fierce attack on the relatively weakly defended Zhangjiang Gate and Xincheng Gate.

The garrison commander, Xue Xian, was a fierce general no less capable than Zhu Wenzheng.

Seeing that the enemy's offensive was fierce, but their formation was somewhat loose due to the division of troops, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes.

"Pass on my order! Open the city gates! Follow me and charge into battle!"

Upon hearing this, the lieutenant was greatly alarmed:

"General, you mustn't! This is a risky move!"

Xue Xian laughed loudly:

"Staying here means certain death! Fight your way out with me, and we'll have a chance to survive!"

The city gates burst open, and Xue Xian took the lead, leading hundreds of elite cavalrymen like a sharp blade, fiercely piercing the flank of the Han army!

The Han army, which was besieging the city, never expected that the defending troops inside the city would dare to launch a surprise attack. They were caught off guard and their formation was thrown into chaos.

Xue Xian charged through the enemy lines, killing enemy generals and capturing flags, greatly demoralizing the enemy. He then led his troops back to the city unharmed and closed the city gates.

This unexpected counterattack demonstrated the might of the Hongdu garrison and also dampened Chen Youliang's arrogance.

That night, the temporary council chamber was brightly lit.

The hall was filled with the generals who had participated in the battle that day, including Deng Yu, Xue Xian, and Zhu Wenzheng...

Everyone was covered in wounds, but their faces were filled with the exhilaration of surviving a disaster.