Cursed Mountains and Seas

Chapter 341 Ruyi Zhai, Zhang Taiyue (Seeking monthly votes)
As this imperial edict from a top-ranking Confucian scholar of the Mind School resounded, it became a powerful decree for aspiring scholars to rise to prominence in the literary world.

The crimson tide that was about to engulf the fleet and even the port suddenly stopped, and then involuntarily converged towards the center.

One, two, a hundred, a thousand—they rapidly coalesced into a massive and powerful entity.

Its size far exceeds that of any man-made warship, resembling a mountain ridge lying across the sea, where even the slightest movement would stir up huge waves.

However, although it appears to have increased strength on the surface, it has come into the attack range of all shipborne artillery because it has consolidated its forces.

Moreover, the fleet and coastal defense artillery of the Mountain and Sea Association have clearly been blessed by the principle of "a trickle of water becomes the ocean, and a single basket of earth becomes a mountain," with yang energy rising from the furnace.

"Fire!"

The coastal defense positions that had not yet been affected were the first to fire.

Heavy artillery roared, and streaks of crimson fire pierced the giant leech's body, blasting out charred, bloody holes.

Even though it quickly recovered by wriggling, the medicinal power of its flesh and blood and the "inferior red medicine" in its body was indeed consumed.

Wang Cheng's perspective had already begun to shift again, and he just happened to pass by the Old Port Pacification Commissioner's fleet and the 32-bearer sedan chair that looked like a small house at the front.

First, they saw Princess Zhu Suzhen of Jiashan standing at the bow of the ship, carrying a flying sword on her back, her red dress as fiery as fire. After not seeing her for many days, she had actually advanced to the fifth rank [Qingping Taoist].

Someone in the sedan chair seemed to sense his gaze, turned their head to look at him, saw nothing, and then looked away.

Wang Cheng, however, saw through the true nature of the sedan chair.

[Rare Goods: Ruyi Zhai, a treasure of the county.]

It requires officials and soldiers to lift it, and it takes 32 officials and soldiers to lift it. Not one of them can be missing. On the surface it is only 50 square meters, but in reality the interior space is 500 square meters.

It features a bedroom, a reception room, a toilet, a viewing corridor, and a team of servants to take care of the master's daily needs.

It could stop when told to stop and go when told to go, and was even more luxurious than the emperor's ceremonial carriage.

Owner: Zhang Taiyue, a living ghost and deity!

Wang Cheng's eyes widened suddenly, and he abruptly turned his head:

"Zhang Taiyue, who has been missing for several years? He actually came to Southeast Asia and even joined the Old Port Pacification Commission of the Zhu family?!"

What does he mean by that? Is he not going back to implement reforms and prolong the life of the Great Zhao Dynasty?

Immediately, a sudden surge of heat rose in his heart, like an old lecher seeing a solitary, peerless beauty, almost causing him to stumble upon her and blurt out:

"Old Zhang, are you interested in working with me?"

But then the doors of Ruyi Zhai, which had been rapidly entering the battlefield, were wide open, and a lean scholar of about thirty years old stepped out.

Wang Cheng could only see a straight, sword-like back.

He held a worn-out pine-wood brush, and wielded it in mid-air, splashing ink:
"Beacon fires illuminate the western capital, my heart is filled with indignation. I depart from the imperial palace with my sword, my iron cavalry encircling the dragon city."

The Daoist Qi surged down from the heavens, resonating and surging within him a surge of azure blood and crimson energy.

As the saying goes: "Since ancient times, no one has ever escaped death; let us leave behind a loyal heart to shine in history."

"The blood and blood of heroes" refers to the blood and loyalty shed for the sake of righteousness in one's heart.

All those who can cultivate this kind of Dao Qi are heroes of their time who are sincere to themselves and sincere to the Dao.

For the sake of morality and ideals, they would never hesitate to risk their lives.

It is true: Skilled in governing the country, but inept at protecting oneself!

Xi Shiliang, the prefect of Meizhou, whose entire family almost perished in the battle, was one of them. He and Zhang Taiyue, who came to Southeast Asia at some unknown time, were both Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) in the 26th year of the Shaozhi reign.

Zhang Taiyue was clearly far more accomplished than Xi Shiliang.

As he wielded the brush, he activated his Thunder Department divine power, [Loyal Heart and Crimson Blood]:
"As long as you do the right thing for the country and the people, you will be blessed by history. You don't even need any talismans or protective objects; you can use your own Confucian knowledge to check and balance the ruler of the country. Even if there are thousands of people against me, I will go!"

The verses in mid-air are like tinkling jade pendants, their literary style like a celestial army arrayed.

"Neigh—!"

With a loud neighing of a horse, all the words he wrote came to life, and countless heavenly soldiers and generals clad in dragon horses charged toward the Queen Leech and the War Bishop.

The army's morale was high, their battle cries shook the heavens, and the battle line was pushed forward like a whirlwind to the front of the war bishop, before collapsing with a deafening roar.

Zhang Taiyue interfered like this.

However, a moment later, Bishop Thomas, who had been hanging in mid-air for a long time, finally turned pale and his eyes widened as he stuck out his tongue and breathed his last.

A pile of filth fell out of his crotch; his death was extremely gruesome.

The War Bishop, seeing the unexpected reinforcements arrive and even causing the deaths of his fellow believers, could only bitterly withdraw his troops.

"retreat!"

Then, along with the extremely resilient leeches and his fleet, he quickly retreated to the open sea.

Aside from the bloody massacre, the great battle ultimately failed to breach the two major state-owned factories supported by the Malacca Kingdom and the Old Port Pacification Commission, thus failing to achieve the initial strategic objectives.

The aftermath of the battle was to be handled by Princess Jiashan and the other members of the Jiugang Pacification Commissioner's Office.

Zhang Taiyue returned to Ruyi Zhai and silently recorded this blood debt.

"Autumn of the fortieth year of the Shaozhi reign."
In Manila, Luzon, the Francois used cannons to level the settlement of Zhao merchants called "Jian Nei," killing and wounding 500 Zhao merchants, and then killing more than 1500 civilians.

"The Franco army commander, in a frenzy, ordered his soldiers:"
"Don't let anyone escape; kill them on sight." "Whether on the road or elsewhere, kill without hesitation, and slaughter as many as possible."

“The overseas Chinese were starving in Dalun Mountain and could not get food. They risked their lives to attack the city. The barbarians ambushed them and fired their copper guns, killing more than 10,000 overseas Chinese.”

The overseas Chinese either fled or were scattered, dying in the valleys, their bodies piled up one on top of the other. A total of 25,000 people were lost, with only 300 surviving.

The property damage is incalculable.

He wrote down every detail, page after page.

Clearly the same as Wang Cheng.

Their entire ethnic group has a character that is different from all other ethnic groups in the world.

Others often record their victories and glories, but are ashamed to mention their failures. There is even a Mahayana Buddhist philosophy that says that failure is a victory and a draw is a great victory.

But they were different; their records of victory were mostly brief, and many enemies didn't even have names. All that remained in the history books were the three words "annihilated in a flash."

However, they write extensively about failures; one could say that the history books of China are all small notebooks recorded by generations of ancestors.

Remember Loulan, Loulan is gone; remember the Turks, the Turks are gone; remember the Xiongnu, the Xiongnu are gone too.
This is not a history book, but a nation's life-or-death record!

They boast: "We will avenge every wrong and repay every kindness! We have an extremely strong desire for revenge, a very long revenge period, and immense retaliatory power!"

Those who write this down will ultimately face death.

Compared to him, all the surrounding small countries are like ephemeral creatures, existing only for a short time; he has always been there.

The Roman Empire of the West has long since perished, but the Roman Empire of the East has always existed.

Wang Cheng could only see the battlefield temporarily over in the distance before he had to follow the route of his circumnavigation to the opposite direction from the Strait of Malacca.

They stumbled into a fragmented world comprised of 17000 islands, numerous independent kingdoms, sultans, tribes, and city-states.

He felt that the answer to the Francois's unusual riot would be found there.

(End of this chapter)