Zhu Yuanzhang Returns from Modern Times

Chapter 216 Huh? Why are they actually killing people?!

The Goryeo general on Tamna Island was in a very good mood and breathed a sigh of relief.

They knew these people wouldn't dare to act recklessly, fearing the power and influence of Great Goryeo.

After all, before this, they had even killed Ming Dynasty envoys without hesitation.

His status was different from that of ordinary people; his surname was Cui, the Cui of the Cui family.

His cousin, Choi Young, was a member of the State Affairs Bureau and a pillar of Goryeo.

It is said that the envoy from the Ming Dynasty died of illness.

He knew some inside information.

These are merely superficial statements used to deceive others.

Where did they say he died of illness? They clearly let him die of illness right here.

And it was precisely because of this that when he learned that these people who had suddenly arrived were envoys from the Ming Dynasty, he had some instinctive worries, fearing that they had come to demand an explanation.

But when he saw that these people from the Ming Dynasty immediately obeyed his orders and obediently turned around after he spoke, without daring to do anything reckless, his mood immediately improved.

And they started to take it for granted.

Their Great Goryeo is not so easy to mess with.

More importantly, the Yuan emperor was still ruling the country.

Even though it lives on the grasslands, it is still very powerful and no one dares to provoke it.

Even Zhu Yuanzhang was unable to completely eliminate the Yuan rulers, which still gave him a headache.

Their Great Goryeo is a powerful force that no one can ignore.

Whether it was the Yuan Dynasty or the Ming Dynasty, they were competitors, so they could not ignore Goryeo.

Whichever side Goryeo leans towards, that side will gain a significant advantage.

Therefore, at this moment, as soon as he opened his mouth, these lowly Ming Dynasty people would obediently turn to him immediately, not daring to utter a single word.

He turned to his men behind him and said something. Many of the soldiers behind him laughed and chattered in agreement.

He seemed to agree with this.

The Ming people were just incompetent; they were so humble and lacked courage. Goryeo was invincible.

Some people here praised Cui Shu, saying that the chief steward was incredibly brave and loyal.

Cui Shu straightened his back, thoroughly enjoying the praise from these people, and accepted it all.

They also felt that he was incredibly brave and fearless. Facing so many hostile Ming Dynasty soldiers, who had even defeated the powerful Yuan Dynasty, he showed no fear and led his troops into battle.

A simple rebuke was enough to make the other party back down and flee in disarray.

How could this not be considered extraordinary and heroic?
In the future, I will definitely tell my elder brother about this great achievement, report it to the court, and have it praised by some scholars.

His reputation will inevitably soar.

From now on, no one should speak of him without utmost respect.

"What are these bastards babbling about?"

That's clearly not a nice thing to say!
"You don't think we're afraid of them, do you?"

Ping An noticed the other party's movements, but although they were far away and he couldn't hear them clearly, even if he could hear them, he wouldn't understand what they were saying.

However, some things are interconnected; just by looking at these people's expressions, you can basically guess most of what's going on.

Just as my godfather had said, these people were the most despicable and shameless, their actions were disgusting, and they had no sense of manners whatsoever.

The godfather called them "sticks," and he was absolutely right.

Isn't that just Korean?
Fortunately, their goal this time was to take over Tamna Island.

My godfather gave me clear instructions on this point from the very beginning.

Otherwise, wouldn't we be so angry at the things these bastards do that we'd get seriously ill?
As Ping An was thinking this, the warship they were sitting on, as well as some other warships, had all completed their turn.

The soldiers pulled back the gun covers on the ship, revealing cannons one after another.

And quickly loaded it with ammunition.

Ping An had high hopes and a strong interest in these artillery pieces.

After all, even his godfather praised it highly, saying that firearms were the future, and that mastering firearms and cannons meant mastering the truth.

As they left the Ming Dynasty, news also came back that Prince Yan had led the Ming navy to a scorched-earth victory at sea, utterly crushing the arrogant Chen Fang's two pirate groups.

Having heard what his adoptive father said, and with these solid and glorious achievements as evidence, he was able to overcome the doubts.

The effectiveness of artillery, especially the new artillery developed by his adoptive father, was immediately demonstrated to its fullest extent.

Not to mention him, even Wenying was itching to try it.

I've always wanted to personally test the power of this new type of artillery.

And now, these clueless Koreans have handed us the opportunity; they're really good people.

"Steward, something seems off. What are those Ming Dynasty people doing?"

Some people spotted the Ming soldiers, but the ships they were maneuvering turned sideways to face them, showing no intention of leaving.

Especially when he saw the row of dark, gaping cannon muzzles, he suddenly became uneasy.

Unable to resist looking at Cui Shu, she asked him a question, her voice tinged with unease.

Cui Shu naturally saw this scene as well, and his expression froze.

Unlike many people at the bottom of society, he was from the upper class of Goryeo and had heard of artillery. In fact, he had even seen artillery being fired in his earlier years.

"Don't be afraid, these things are not very powerful, far less powerful than foreign cannons."

They're so far away, there's no way they can fight them.

It's nothing more than a show of force against us.

Although I am angry that these despicable Ming people did not leave immediately, but instead dared to demonstrate against them.

However, he wasn't too panicked.

As he said, the cannon made a deafening sound when it was fired, and it also emitted smoke and flames, making it look very powerful.

But in reality, it was just so-so, not even comparable to foreign cannons.

At such a distance, artillery simply couldn't reach them.

These Ming people were just trying to scare them with this commotion and give them some kind of deterrent.

They dared not do anything to them.

Hearing Cui Shu's words, the somewhat uneasy Goryeo soldiers felt relieved.

However, after this incident, they no longer dared to laugh so recklessly as before.

They all fell silent, watching the Ming soldiers' actions with a hint of unease.

The next moment, with a series of earth-shattering roars, shells shot out and hurtled straight toward them.

Some of the shells were fired too high and flew behind them, creating huge waves in the water.

However, some of the shells hit the sampan they were on precisely where they were.

The person hit exploded into a cloud of blood mist, and even the sampan was smashed to pieces.

The key is that these terrifying shells are incredibly powerful; even after hitting a person, their force doesn't diminish.

They could also blow up that person and the people behind them.

It was truly a matter of life and death if you were just grazed or touched; there was no room for negotiation.

Extremely powerful and unreasonable.

One round of shelling reduced these more than a thousand people to almost a quarter!

Some people were killed instantly by the bombardment, but many more were hit by shells in their small boats and fell into the water.

This single round of artillery fire completely stunned Cui Shu and the numerous Goryeo soldiers.

This...this is what the steward meant when he said that these cannons aren't very powerful and that they won't hit them?
This is how people in the Ming Dynasty are. As an envoy, they dare not act recklessly; at most, they can only try to scare them.

Is it really necessary to scare people like that?
run! Run!

Driven by extreme fear, these terrified people all made the same instinctive reaction.

One by one, they stopped thinking about it and dared not stay any longer.
I only regret that my parents didn’t give me two more legs.

Choi Soo, the previously arrogant Goryeo general, also lost all his temper.

They no longer cared about saving face and, like the other Koreans, just fled desperately, not daring to linger for even a moment.

Scary, so scary!
How could the people of the Ming Dynasty be so domineering and so powerful?

How did they do that?!

This Hongwu cannon is so powerful!

As my godfather said, artillery is the truth, artillery is the future!
Not to mention these Koreans, who were completely disoriented by this round of Hongwu cannon fire, they were all terrified and could only flee.

Even Mu Ying and Ping An were shocked by the terrifying damage caused by this round of shelling, and they stared in disbelief.

This thing is truly terrifying; flesh and blood simply have no way to contend with it!

In the past, battles required real fighting with swords and spears.

Even the best weapons need to be used at close range.

Even the most powerful bows and crossbows have limited range.

But now, these cannons have completely rewritten their understanding!
Even the way we fight in the future will undergo tremendous changes.

Under the terrifying firepower, no matter how skilled or invincible you are, if you are hit by a shell, you will meet your maker.

Where was there any chance of survival? Especially for a fierce general like Ping An, the impact was even greater.

Fortunately, they hold this truth in their hands; otherwise, it would have been truly despairing, something unimaginable.

"Get in the small boat and give chase!"

Seeing that these people had been routed and fled in disarray after just one round of artillery fire, Mu Ying was greatly encouraged and immediately issued the corresponding orders.

At his command, the soldiers who were already prepared immediately launched the small boats.

Then they boarded a small boat and chased after the Koreans.

As for the large ship, it stopped on the spot.

After all, the water is shallow near the shore, while their boats are large and have a deep draft. If they were to approach the shore rashly, they could easily run aground.

That would be a real problem.

If they hadn't been through this baptism of fire, and instead directly engaged in battle with the enemy, these Koreans might have had some courage to resist them.

This could result in some casualties among our own soldiers.

But at this moment, a round of artillery fire terrified these Goryeo soldiers.

They were only concerned with escaping for their lives, and dared not put up even the slightest resistance.
This is why Mu Yingping and his team's landing operation on Tamna Island went exceptionally smoothly.

Following behind these Koreans who were like frightened rabbits, they killed them in one go and successfully landed on the island without breaking a sweat.

And they brought the situation under control very quickly.

Apart from the more than two hundred who were killed by cannon fire and by Ming soldiers during the pursuit, the remaining Goryeo soldiers, along with their generals, knelt down and surrendered without daring to put up any resistance.

Before engaging in combat with the Ming army, they believed that the Ming army was very powerful and that the Ming army was nothing special.

But now, after being thoroughly defeated by the Ming soldiers, they immediately realized the truth and dared not be arrogant and domineering anymore.

He's as honest as he can be.

What were you laughing about earlier?

Ping An kicked the Goryeo general kneeling in front of him with his toe.

Ping An clearly remembered the gesture this guy made after seeing their warship turn around.

That bastard is definitely up to no good.

The interpreter accompanying him immediately conveyed the words of peace to the Goryeo general.

Before he could even speak, the Goryeo general's voice rang out.

"Reporting to the Heavenly Kingdom envoy, I was overjoyed and couldn't contain my excitement upon seeing the Heavenly Kingdom envoy arrive."

Tell people to quickly prepare more supplies, and bring out the best things we have here to send to the envoys of the Kingdom of Heaven.

"It is our honor to meet the envoy of the Heavenly Kingdom and to present him with gifts; I am delighted for this."

The man spoke in fluent and clear Mandarin.

"Damn it, so you can speak Chinese. What were you babbling about in some gibberish before?"

Ping An was so angry that he kicked him, knocking him to the ground.

Even as Cui Shu was on the ground, he was all smiles, bowing and scraping as he helped her up, showing no sign of anger whatsoever.

This is a world of difference from his previous performance.

Barbarians fear power but not virtue; often, reasoning with them is less effective than beating them up.

Ping An involuntarily recalled the words of her adoptive father.

He wholeheartedly agreed with what his godfather said.

Godfather's insight is truly brilliant! These scoundrels are exactly like that!

"From this moment on, this place belongs to my Great Ming."

Mu Ying issued this order.

Upon hearing this, Cui Shu, who was kneeling on the ground, became somewhat anxious.

“Your Excellency, this place…this place belongs to Goryeo.”

"The inferior nation has always shown great respect to the superior nation. For the superior envoy to act in this way is highly unreasonable. Aren't you afraid of damaging the harmony?"

He mustered his courage to argue.

"What do you mean by 'Goryeo'? Stop spouting nonsense!"

The Yuan Tartars established a military and civilian administration here, which was the territory occupied by the Northern Yuan Tartars.

Our Great Ming Dynasty drove out the Tartars and restored China. This place naturally belongs to our Great Ming Dynasty!
This land has been part of China since ancient times!

Mu Yingyi spoke sternly and righteously, rebuking him.

These people, just as my godfather said, were very dishonest and resorted to sophistry.

Cui Shu wanted to argue his point and say something more.

But seeing the fierce-looking Ping An, he finally shut up.

I didn't say anything more about it.

He has done his best and done right by Goryeo.

After landing on the island, Mu Ying and his men also dispatched soldiers to gather all the people on Tamna Island at the original location of the Military and Civil Administration Office.

He announced the change of government to the people here.

Tell them that the illegal rule exercised here by both the Yuan Dynasty and Goryeo has ended.

From now on, this place belongs to the Ming Dynasty.

Those who are willing to submit will become subjects of the Ming Dynasty.

Those who refuse to submit are fine too; just kill them.

After saying this, he ordered his men to bring Cui Shu and some of the officials from Goryeo stationed on Tamna Island to the front and behead them, displaying their heads to the public.

"Don't kill me! Don't kill me! I'm willing to submit."

My elder brother is Cui Ying of the Political Affairs Hall. I am of great use to you, so you must not kill me!
If you kill me, my brother will certainly not stand idly by!

You're going to be in big trouble when you get to Korea!

He repeatedly begged for mercy, even bringing up his brother.

He wanted to use his brother's name to save his own life.

His words demonstrated his importance.

At the same time, it was also a threat, making these Ming people hesitant to go too far.

Cui Ying's identity as his brother had brought him countless benefits and endless glory in the past.

Who wouldn't think more highly of them because of this?
These Ming people were certainly no exception.

Moreover, since these people are envoys sent to Goryeo, they must have something to ask of Goryeo, and they certainly wouldn't dare to go too far.

Even at this point, he still felt that these people were largely intimidating him and trying to force him to submit.

They didn't dare to really kill him.

Little did he know that his reliance meant nothing to Mu Yingping, and they didn't care about him at all.

"Chopped."

After glancing at Mu Ying, and seeing that Wen Ying didn't say anything more, Ping An immediately gave the order.

"No! No! You can't treat me like this! You can't do this!"

He screamed in terror.

"What you're doing will anger Goryeo!"
You cannot afford the consequences!

Unfortunately, his words were of no use.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, at Ping An's command, the soldiers of the Ming Dynasty beheaded Cui Shu with a single stroke.

Then, they also beheaded Cui Shu's men.

The scene fell silent for a moment.

Until his death, Cui Shu carried a deep sense of resentment and disbelief.

These Ming people are so unruly, they actually killed him!
On Tamna Island, the survivors trembled with fear.

But at the same time, many people also felt relieved.

Under these circumstances, Mu Ying began to take further action.

The initial steps taken were merely the first tactic: to occupy Tamna Island with troops and kill key figures from Goryeo, such as Choi Soo.

To firmly grasp this area, we'll need other methods...

……

On the banks of the Yellow River, Xue Xiang, the Minister of Works, continued to work tirelessly day and night to manage the Yellow River.

At the same time, he couldn't help but wonder what the reaction would be from His Majesty and the court after his memorial was submitted.

Half a day later, His Majesty's decree arrived.

Upon receiving the news, he was initially overjoyed, but his heart sank to the bottom.

His Majesty has already replied so quickly.

It seems His Majesty does not agree with his proposal...

(End of this chapter)