Ming Dynasty: I, Zhu Yunwen, started by resurrecting my grandmother.

After listening to Zhao Ling'er's analysis, Zhu Yunwen thought that Zhao Ling'er made sense.

Zhu Yunwen, holding the document, said, "How about this? We'll split into three groups. The first group, led by my maternal grandfather with 3000 troops, will head to Yangzhou to investigate the true intentions of Chen Zuyi's pirates."

If they are indeed attacking Yangzhou, my grandfather will send us a message by carrier pigeon.

We will send more troops over.

The second route, led by my second uncle and me, consisted of 3000 soldiers who rushed to Zhengding to guard against any unforeseen circumstances.

Ling'er and her third uncle were stationed in Suzhou to continue their training.

Chang Yuchun nodded in agreement.

After Chang Yuchun arrived in Yangzhou, he planted many flags and banners to make a show of force.

When Chen Zuyi heard that Chang Yuchun had arrived, knowing his prowess, he dared not launch an attack rashly.

However, it doesn't recede.

The two sides remained deadlocked.

night.

Zhen Ding City.

General's Mansion.

Li Jinglong, drunk and with blurred vision, was enjoying the song and dance performance.

A dozen or so young girls danced gracefully in the center of the hall.

They were as beautiful as flowers, and their dance was so graceful that Li Jinglong was dazzled by their beauty.

Since arriving in Zhengding, he has become even more unrestrained.

Previously in the capital, under the Emperor's very nose, he didn't dare to be too presumptuous.

Because he knew that the Embroidered Uniform Guards were everywhere.

If he goes too far, Ji Gang will speak ill of him to Zhu Yunwen, which will be a real problem for him.

However, now that we've arrived in Zhending, the mountains are high and the emperor is far away.

He was then free to do whatever he wanted.

He had a woman in his arms.

The woman was extremely alluring, with a hot figure, curvaceous and shapely; it was none other than Hongyu.

Hongyu was originally the most sought-after courtesan at Heming Tower on the banks of the Qinhuai River. Zhu Di redeemed her and gave her to Zhang Xin.

Hongyu was once coveted by Zhu Gaoxu, and because of this, Zhu Gaoxu was angry for a long time.

For some unknown reason, Hongyu returned to Heming Tower on the banks of the Qinhuai River.

This time, she was brought to Zhending by Li Jinglong's men again.

Li Jinglong was handsome and talented, and was highly regarded by the emperor.

He has soldiers and generals at his disposal, and plenty of money.

Hongyu happily came to Li Jinglong's side.

Hongyu, her eyes alluring, picked up a cup of wine and held it to Li Jinglong's lips: "General, have another cup."

Li Jinglong held Hongyu in his arms, his hands restless, his left hand resting on Hongyu's shoulder.

Then, he gradually moved down, caressing Hongyu's waist.

Hongyu's waist was as slender as a willow branch, just the right size to be grasped in one hand.

Li Jinglong's hand then moved down.

He discovered that Hongyu's buttocks were large, round, and elastic.

Hongyu knew perfectly well that Li Jinglong's hands were very restless.

She pretended not to care.

She blushed deeply, her face beaming with a smile.

Li Jinglong kissed her on the cheek: "Hongyu, with you in this life, even my death would be worthwhile."

Hongyu smiled and said, "General, what makes you say that?"

General, your future is bright; this is just the beginning.

Li Jinglong was overjoyed.

He drank the wine: "Good, well said! What a bright future! If I achieve fame and success in the future, I will never forget you."

I heard that you once went to Beiping to serve Zhang Xin, is that true?

Li Jinglong still felt a bit jealous.

Upon hearing this, Hongyu burst into tears: "General, my life is miserable. I am just a weak woman, powerless to even kill a chicken. Prince Yan, Zhu Di, kidnapped me and forcibly handed me over to Zhang Xin. Do you think I could resist?"

However, when I arrived at Zhang Xin's residence, Zhang Xin tried to get close to me, but I refused to comply even at the cost of my life.

Finally, I found an opportunity and escaped back.

Seeing her tear-streaked face, Li Jinglong felt even more radiant and captivating.

"I never expected you to be such a virtuous and chaste woman."

"Although I work at Heming Tower, I only sell my art, not my body."

Li Jinglong glanced at Hongyu's full, white breasts and said, "I like women like you. So, would you be willing to serve me?"

"It is my honor to serve the general," Hongyu said, gently stroking her temples. "To be honest, Zhu Gaochi visited me not long ago."

He wanted me to serve him.

"What? Zhu Gaoxu?" Li Jinglong felt jealous upon hearing this.

"Yes, he didn't dare to see me with his real face. Instead, he wore a mask and pretended to be an old man. In fact, I knew he was Zhu Gaoxu."

"Really? How old is that kid? He's already starting to misbehave."

"Even if he had that idea, I didn't agree to it. He's still too inexperienced and not my type." Hongyu poured Li Jinglong another cup.

"Oh, so what kind of man do you like?"

Hongyu looked at Li Jinglong with her beautiful eyes and gently stroked his chest with one hand: "I like men like you, General, a peerless hero."

Li Jinglong was even happier and embraced her, showering her with kisses.

At this moment, Xu Huizu strode in from outside, holding two letters in his hands.

He shouted, "General, stop drinking!"

When Li Jinglong saw that it was Xu Huizu who had arrived, he frowned.

Li Jinglong thought to himself, "Can't you see I'm busy?"

Is it too late to talk about it tomorrow?

However, out of consideration for his feelings, he endured it again and again.

He waved his hand, and Hongyu and the dozen or so women left.

"Yun Gong, didn't I tell you to stay outside the city? Why did you come into the city? Is there something you need?"

"Oh dear, General, you mustn't do that! It's very dangerous!"

Here are two letters; please take a look.

Li Jinglong took the two letters and opened them to read.

The first letter was written to him by Zhu Yunwen. The gist of the letter was: General Li, do not let me bear the infamy of killing my uncle.

Li Jinglong handed the letter to Xu Huizu: "Yun Gong, what do you think His Majesty means by this?"

Xu Huizu frowned upon seeing it, feeling that the emperor's decree was highly inappropriate.

Zhu Di has already rebelled. Now you're saying we shouldn't let him bear the infamy of killing his uncle? How are these generals supposed to proceed?

"Your Majesty means that if there is an opportunity to capture Zhu Di, he should not be killed."

Li Jinglong sighed: "Did you see? His Majesty doesn't want to kill Zhu Di."

Why are we going to waste so much effort?

If Zhu Di were to be injured, we would both be in deep trouble in the end.

Li Jinglong opened the second letter, which turned out to be a reply from Zhu Di.

Zhu Di's letter was very sincere. He praised Li Jinglong as an unparalleled general in history, wise and brave, and with the same style as his father.

Zhu Di then said, "How dare I be an enemy of the general? I hope the general can spare my life in consideration of my many years of merit in resisting the Northern Yuan."

I was framed by those villains Qi Tai and Huang Zicheng, and was forced to send troops to attack Zhengding. Now I deeply regret it.

After reading the letter, Li Jinglong burst into laughter and said to Xu Huizu, "You see, Zhu Di is so scared of his own death when he heard that I have come to Zhengding. He's practically begging to kowtow to me."

Xu Huizu reminded him again: "General, Zhu Di is no ordinary person. He is proficient in both civil and military affairs. Moreover, he has Yao Guangxiao as his strategist and generals such as Zhang Yu, Zhu Neng, Qiu Fu, Tan Yuan and Zhu Gaoxu as his generals."

Any one of these people would be difficult to deal with.

How can the general still enjoy such singing and dancing every day?

General, please pull yourself together quickly, or disaster will befall you.

"Xu Huizu, don't forget your place. Are you reprimanding this general?"

Li Jinglong's face darkened.

Xu Huizu was surprised that Li Jinglong and he were putting on airs as generals, so he quickly said, "General, this humble servant dares not."

Li Jinglong dismissed it: "Not long ago, Zhu Di was almost drowned by us. Would he dare to come now?"

If he really wants to retaliate, he'll probably have to wait until he's recovered his strength. Otherwise, wouldn't he just be asking for trouble?

Xu Huizu shook his head: "A general cannot have any wishful thinking. We must first make ourselves invincible, and then wait for the enemy to become vulnerable."

We must always remain invincible.

What should we do if the Yan army suddenly besieges the city tomorrow morning?

Li Jinglong patiently asked, "Then, in your opinion, what should we do?"

Xu Huizu straightened his clothes: "What I mean is..."

First, we need to strengthen the city's defenses. We need to dig a moat and make the city walls higher and thicker.

The city should prepare plenty of food and water.

Last time, wasn't it because Geng Bingwen and Guo Ying lacked water and food in the city?

If Zhu Yunwen hadn't found a way to transport some food and water to him, it might have already sparked a mutiny.

Secondly, we must send people to guard the Hutuo River to prevent the Yan army from doing anything underhanded;

Secondly, we need to contact other friendly forces; it is not enough for our army to defend this isolated city alone.

For example, Zhu Yunwen of Suzhou,

Tie Xuan and others from Jinan.

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong stood up unsteadily and waved his hand, saying, "No, no, no, Zhu Yuntong is too young. I don't think much of him."

Upon hearing this, Xu Huizu thought to himself, "You look down on others? You don't even know what kind of person you are."

However, since he is the commander-in-chief, we should at least show him some leniency.

"General, you are mistaken. Although Zhu Yunwen is young, he is the most outstanding among all the imperial grandsons and a rising star."

Putting everything else aside, he was able to fight against Chen Zuyi's tens of thousands of pirates with just over 1000 men, support Zhengding with just over 3000 men, and repel Zhu Di's 20-strong army. Could an ordinary person have done that?

Li Jinglong drank another glass of wine: "In my opinion, it's just that he was lucky."

If he were to actually fight Zhu Di with swords and spears, that would probably be impossible.

"General, there's also Tie Xuan from Jinan, who is a famous general. In any case, let's make a prior arrangement with them and build good relations so that they can come to our aid if we are truly in dire need."

"No need. That Tie Xuan is like a rock in a latrine, smelly and hard. He thinks he's read a little bit of books and looks down on this and that. I look down on him too!"

He's just a grain transport officer now, what's so great about that?

"General, you are wrong again. Tie Xuan is a hero of our time."

Zhu Di clashed with him several times but never gained the upper hand. Although he was stripped of his position as Shandong Provincial Councilor and reduced to a mere grain official, his close relationship with Sheng Yong meant that Sheng Yong still had to listen to him.

"That's not necessary. Zhu Di is already terrified!"

This general is preparing to launch an attack on them on a chosen day!

If we ask Zhu Yunwen and Tie Xuan to help, wouldn't that mean they'd take all the credit?

Xu Huizu thought to himself, "You're dreaming. Do you think Zhu Di is so easy to defeat?"

He quickly stopped him: "General, you are wrong. General Geng Bingwen gave clear instructions before he left: to fortify the defenses and maintain a calm and composed stance."

How can we launch an attack so easily?

What if something goes wrong?

Only by persevering can we succeed!

Li Jinglong sneered: "Geng Bingwen is old and has lost his drive. He's just a general who excels at defense; he doesn't know anything about offense."

Actually, the best defense is offense.

Last time, if I had been in Zhengding, I would have pressed my advantage, taken Beiping, and completely eliminated Zhu Di.

If that were the case, how could all these troubles have arisen later?

Xu Huizu's eyes dimmed: "Times have changed. Back then, if we had pressed our advantage, we might have been able to expand our gains, but the risks would have been enormous."

Now, there's no chance at all.

It is said that Zhu Di sent Zhu Su to contact the Prince of Xiang, and Zhu Bai has agreed to join forces with Zhu Di to fight against the court.

Zhu Di's strength has greatly increased; how can we underestimate him?

"Zhu Su? Wasn't he already deposed and exiled? How come he's in Beiping?"

"Oh, General, that's just a facade. Zhu Su is extremely cunning; he found someone who looks very much like him to replace him."

In reality, he had pledged allegiance to the Prince of Yan and was secretly making connections with various regional princes on his behalf.

Zhu Bai had a good relationship with Zhu Di and took Zhu Di as his role model.

Furthermore, Zhu Su stirred up trouble in his presence, so he joined Zhu Di in rebellion.

You have to understand, Jingzhou is no ordinary place.

Jingzhou is the heart of the empire, and it possesses a navy of tens of thousands and hundreds of warships.

If we go down the Hutuo River and reach Zhending, how should we proceed?

At this moment, Li Jinglong's mind calmed down considerably.

He also felt a bit of a headache.

He waved his hand: "You go back first. Let me think this over."

Xu Huizu saw that he had drunk too much and was not very sober at the moment, so there was no point in talking to him anymore.

So he left.

Li Jinglong then returned to Hongyu's room.

Hongyu had just finished bathing; her hair was still wet, and she was wearing a semi-transparent cicada-shaped garment.

The towering twin peaks were faintly visible beneath the cicada-like garment.

Between the two mountain peaks lies a deep ravine that winds its way down, its bottom unseen.

Li Jinglong saw this and was quite excited.

He suddenly pulled Hongyu into his arms and kissed her neck.

Hongyu gently pushed him away: "General, why are you in such a hurry? Why don't you take a bath first?"

"Yes, yes, I need to take a shower first. Well then, you can help me take a shower."

Hongyu smiled and then ordered someone to bring hot water, which was poured into a large wooden tub.

Li Jinglong took off his clothes and jumped into the wooden tub, where the water temperature was just right.

Hongyu took a hot towel and started rubbing his back.

Li Jinglong really has something special about him; he can make "noodles" with just a rub.

"No, how long has it been since you took a shower?" Hongyu frowned.

Li Jinglong blushed: "It hasn't been long, maybe just over a month."

"It seems you really can't manage without a woman by your side to take care of you."

Hongyu rolled her eyes at him.

"From now on, won't you be the one serving us?" Li Jinglong chuckled.

"General, what brings Xu Huizu to see you?"

With his eyes slightly closed and his head resting on the edge of the wooden tub, Li Jinglong recounted how Xu Huizu had met him.

Hongyu sneered: "What does the general think Xu Huizu meant?"

"I think he meant well; his goal was to protect Zhending."

Hearing this, Hongyu laughed. "General, I have a different opinion."

I think Xu Huizu is insulting you, implying that you're not smart enough, lack strategy, and are too inexperienced.

He was lecturing you in the tone and manner of an elder; didn't you realize that?

"Is there?"

"Of course there are."

In Zhen Ding City, you are the commander-in-chief and he is the deputy commander. He should speak to you with utmost respect, courtesy, and humility.

Look at how he acts in front of you; it's like he's the commander and you're his subordinate.

"Why do you act like a mouse seeing a cat when you see him?" Hongyu said irritably.

When Li Jinglong heard what Hongyu said, he felt that what she said made some sense, and it seemed that Li Jinglong had such a thought.

He thought it over again and felt more and more that Xu Huizu really meant it. He felt that Xu Huizu's attitude was arrogant and haughty from beginning to end, as if he didn't take him, the commander, seriously at all, and was scolding him like a child.

Thinking of this, Li Jinglong's eyes filled with resentment.

He clenched his fists, thinking that Xu Huizu dared to be so disrespectful to him. It was outrageous. Would he still have any authority in front of his soldiers in the future?

After wiping Li Jinglong's back, Hongyu began to massage his head.

Hongyu learned many skills at Heming Tower, and she was always able to serve men comfortably.

Li Jinglong felt extremely comfortable.

Hongyu reminded him, "You shouldn't have the heart to harm others, but you can't be without the heart to guard against them. Do you know what the relationship is between Xu Huizu and Zhu Di?"

"Xu Huizu's sister married Zhu Di."

"Yes, they are relatives. How can relatives not help each other?"

"You've entrusted the army to Xu Huizu. What if he secretly colludes with Zhu Di and lures the Yan army here? What will you do if they turn against you?"

"This—." Li Jinglong also felt that this matter was quite dangerous, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that Hongyu made sense.

"Therefore, you cannot allow Xu Huizu to control the military."

"I only gave him 10,000 troops to garrison outside the city."

"Ten thousand people, isn't that a small number?"

In my opinion, not even a common soldier should be given to him.

"Get rid of him; he's just getting in the way," Hongyu suggested directly.

"But His Majesty appointed me as the commander-in-chief and him as the deputy commander-in-chief. What reason could I have for sending him away?" Li Jinglong felt this matter was a bit tricky and was reluctant to speak.

Hongyu's eyes darted around: "What's so difficult about that? Didn't he say that Zhu Yuntong and Tiexuan are both very important and that we need to work on our relationships? Then just let him work on those relationships."

In that case, wouldn't all military power in Zhending be in your hands?

Li Jinglong slapped his thigh: "Hongyu, I didn't expect you to be such a strategist. You could be considered a military advisor."

"General, you must be joking. I'm just showing off my limited skills in front of you."

I'm just stating the facts; everything is for the general's sake.

"Now that I will be serving the general, I will naturally consider his needs." Hongyu said softly.

After taking a bath, Li Jinglong felt refreshed and asked, "Can we go to bed now?"

Hongyu declined, saying, "General, I'm so sorry, I'm on my period, so it's not convenient for me."

"After my period ends, I'll serve the general again, how about that? It won't take more than a few days."

Li Jinglong was very disappointed when he heard this, but he couldn't force the issue.

Sure enough, the next day, Li Jinglong summoned Xu Huizu to his presence and said, "I think you're right. We really need to cultivate good relations with Zhu Yunwen and Tie Xuan. Here's what we'll do: I'll send someone else to take over the 1 soldiers outside the city. You go and visit them, pay a visit to Zhu Yunwen and Tie Xuan. What do you think?"

"This—," Xu Huizu didn't expect Li Jinglong to make such a decision so suddenly, "General, it's not about anything else, but if I leave, are you confident you can defend Zhen Ding?"

Li Jinglong sneered, thinking to himself that Hongyu was right after all; Li Jinglong looked down on him at all.

"General Xu, you can rest assured. I am the commander-in-chief of Zhen Ding City, and you are the deputy commander. If the city is lost, I will take responsibility."

Upon hearing this, Xu Huizu felt it inappropriate to say anything more. If he continued to press the matter, it would make him appear as if he were greedy for military power.

"Alright, then please write me two letters, General, and I will take them with me to visit them."

"Can."

So Li Jinglong ordered Hongyu to bring out the writing materials, and she quickly wrote two letters and handed them to Xu Huizu.

Xu Huizu took the two letters and put them in his pocket. He looked at Hongyu, who smiled but said nothing.

Xu Huizu took his belongings, mounted his horse, left Zhen Ding City, and headed straight for Suzhou.

On the way, Xu Hui's group encountered Zhu Yunwen's army.

At this time, Zhu Yunwen was on his way to Zhending. The two were quite surprised when they met.

Zhu Yunwen dismounted: "General Xu, where are you going?"

Xu Huizu dismounted and recounted the events that had transpired.

Upon hearing this, Zhu Yunwen frowned: "What? You're saying Hongyu is in Zhen Ding City?"

"yes."

Zhu Yunwen pondered for a moment: "I feel the problem lies with Hongyu. That woman is no ordinary person."

Wasn't she in Beiping? Zhu Di had already given her to Zhang Xin, so how could she appear in Zhengding?

She skillfully navigated between Zhu Di and his son Zhu Gaochi, and also served Zhang Xin.

Now, it's strange that it suddenly appeared in Zhending.

How did she end up with Li Jinlong?

Xu Huizu said indignantly, "Li Jinglong was originally a spoiled brat."

Back when he was in the capital, he often strolled along the Qinhuai River.

Hongyu is the most beautiful courtesan at Heming Tower, how could he not know her?

"I have a bad feeling. Hongyu seems to be a spy sent by Zhu Di. Zhu Di's army could appear at any time under the walls of Zhengding City."

"Is it that serious?"

"Think about it, Zhu Di and Yao Guangxiao are very wary of you, so they used a divisive tactic."

By driving a wedge between you and Li Jinglong and excluding you, they have an opportunity to take advantage of the situation.

Xu Huizu thought about it and realized that it made sense.

His expression changed slightly, and he asked, "Could this really be their honey trap?"