I was to be executed by Zhu Yuanzhang, and Empress Ma smashed Zhu Yuanzhang's jade seal.

The last vestiges of fatherly affection in his heart were utterly crushed in the face of his absolute desire to consolidate imperial power.

He cannot leave this scourge unresolved.

Absolutely not!

However, he could not publicly refute Li Shanchang's proposal.

This proposal is currently the only way to allow him to step down gracefully.

That being the case...

A cold and cruel smile slowly curved the corners of Zhu Yuanzhang's mouth.

Let's play along then.

On the surface, he could agree to this solution, demonstrating his "magnanimity".

But secretly...

The journey from Nanjing to the northern frontier is thousands of miles long.

Isn't it normal for a deposed commoner to encounter a bandit on the road, or to "accidentally" contract a serious disease and die suddenly?

When the time comes, the person will die, and that will be the end of it all.

Who would bother with the emperor over a dead man?

Thinking of this, all the frustration and resentment in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart vanished.

Instead, there is a thrill of being in control of everything.

He slowly rose from the dragon throne, his gaze sweeping over the kneeling crowd below, and spoke in a dignified and sorrowful tone.

"Li Shanchang's report is reasonable and justified."

"I am not an emperor who cannot tolerate meritorious officials. Nor am I a father who would even exterminate his own son."

His voice carried a perfectly measured touch of sorrow.

"Zhu Muying, you have made contributions to the country, and we acknowledge that. Your northern expedition to the desert expanded the territory of our Ming Dynasty, and no one can erase that achievement."

"However! Merit is merit, and fault is fault! Merit and fault cannot offset each other!"

"As a prince, you have secretly possessed military equipment, disrespected your emperor and father, and stirred up trouble in the court. Each and every one of these acts constitutes a grave crime!"

"If we don't punish them severely today, where is the law? How can we face our ancestors and the people of the world?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's performance was nothing short of perfect.

He first acknowledged Zhu Muying's contributions, demonstrating his "fairness".

Then he denounced his crimes and expressed his stance of "sacrificing family for the greater good".

His words were passionate and stirring, and he was moved to tears.

Those who don't know the details would only think of him as a great father who loves his son dearly but has to sacrifice family ties for the sake of the law.

Zhu Biao and the others felt ashamed upon hearing this, realizing that they had put their father in such a difficult position.

Only Zhu Muying listened quietly.

Looking at the man on the high platform who was giving a passionate speech, he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.

He understood.

He understood everything.

He understood every word his father spoke, every expression he made, and every pause he made.

The moment Zhu Yuanzhang agreed to Li Shanchang's proposal, Zhu Muying knew that his true death was imminent.

Execution at the Meridian Gate is a brutal execution with the executioner's blade laid bare. Although dangerous, there is still room for maneuver.

This time, however, it was poison hidden beneath a smiling face.

He will not die in Nanjing, nor will he die in front of everyone.

He will die on his way to the northern frontier.

He died silently and without a trace, and his death was "reasonable and justifiable".

This is the art of imperial strategy!

This is the most real, and also the cruelest, side of his father, who fought his way up from beggar to emperor!

"That's enough!"

Zhu Yuanzhang abruptly waved his sleeve, making his final decision, his face showing endless exhaustion and pain.

"We shall do as Li Shanchang has suggested!"

"Relay our decree!"

A eunuch immediately stepped forward, holding the imperial edict, his steps trembling.

Without even glancing at it, Zhu Yuanzhang pointed his jade thumb ring-adorned hand at Zhu Muying in the prince's court and, with all his might, roared out his final judgment.

"You unfilial son, Zhu Muying! Strip him of his princely title and demote him to a commoner! Immediately depart and exile him to the northern frontier! He shall never again be allowed to enter the capital!"

"So be it!"

The last two words, like thunderbolts from the heavens, crashed down with a deafening roar.

The verdict is final and cannot be changed.

Zhu Muying's fate was completely sealed at this moment.

A deadly situation that he knew, but no one else did.

Chapter 8: The winds rise in the northern border, and 100,000 iron cavalrymen move in response to the news from the northern frontier.

The former Yuan capital, now the northern gateway to the Ming Dynasty.

It was late autumn, and the cold wind swirled with withered leaves, sweeping across the tall and mottled city walls with a howling sound, adding to the desolate atmosphere.

Outside the city, a massive military fortress stretches endlessly, and a colossal steel beast lies prostrate at the foot of the Yanshan Mountains.

This is the main camp of the Ming Dynasty's most elite Northern Expeditionary Army.

However, further north of this massive military city, in a secluded basin surrounded by mountains, lies another camp, even larger and more menacing.

Here, there are no Ming Dynasty flags, only black bird flags fluttering in the wind.

Inside the camp, all was quiet except for the sound of the cold wind whistling through the metal of the armor.

Rows of knights clad in heavy black armor stood silently on the training ground, both men and horses like statues cast in steel, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.

Their armor was more refined and thicker than the standard armor of the Ming Dynasty, covering every corner of their bodies.

The long spears in their hands gleamed with a cold, eerie blue light.

Their warhorses were taller and stronger than ordinary Mongolian horses, and their hooves were covered with iron armor.

They are the Great Snow Dragon Riders.

A full 100,000 Great Snow Dragon Riders!

This is the first and most elite ace unit that Zhu Muying has signed in with the system in the fifteen years since he transmigrated.

They are not human beings, but rather absolutely loyal and absolutely efficient war machines.

In their minds, there was no fear, no fatigue, only one belief.

That was their king, Zhu Muying, who was loyal to them.

At this moment, inside the central command tent of the Great Snow Dragon Riders, the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost palpable.

A man with a towering, imposing physique and a menacing scar on his face was kneeling on one knee.

He wasn't wearing his signature black heavy armor, but only a simple, close-fitting outfit. However, the aura of iron-blooded killing intent emanating from his body was more intense than anyone else's.

He is the commander of 100,000 Snow Dragon Riders, an absolutely loyal subject generated by the system, codenamed "Dragon Head".

In front of him, on a low table, lay a small piece of paper.

The note was sent from Nanjing through the most secretive channels, with utmost urgency.

Above, there are only eight words.

"The prince has been imprisoned, and his fate is unknown."

These eight characters were like eight red-hot iron nails, driven deep into the dragon's eyes.

He had remained in this position, kneeling for a full hour.

From the moment he received the note, he remained motionless, turning into a stone sculpture.

Inside the large tent, ten commanders of the rank of centurion stood on both sides, equally silent.

Their faces were expressionless, but a storm was brewing in their eyes.

Your Highness...

He's in jail?

How is that possible!

The prince has just led them to sweep away all obstacles and achieve a great victory, making an unparalleled contribution to the Ming Dynasty!

He should have been greeted with unparalleled glory and rewards!

How could it be a cold, desolate prison?!

who is it?

Who dares to touch their king?

Suppressed rage burned fiercely in the hearts of every Snow Dragon Rider general.

This rage is enough to burn the heavens!

Finally, the dragon's head, which was kneeling on the ground, slowly moved.

He reached out his large, calloused, and scarred hand, carefully picked up the note, and then slowly, bit by bit, tucked it into the closest place to his body.

After doing all this, he slowly stood up.

The moment he stood up, an indescribable, terrifying aura erupted from him!

The entire tent shook.

"Pass on my orders."

The dragon's voice was hoarse and deep, yet carried an undeniable majesty.

"yes!"

Ten commanders knelt down on one knee in unison.

"First!"

"All troops, prepare for battle! Within fifteen minutes, I want to see all the Great Snow Dragon Riders, fully armored and armed, as one with their horses!"

"second!"

"Open all armories! Distribute all the 'God-Slaying Crossbows' and 'Heaven-Shaking Thunderbolts' in stock! Three sets per person!"

The God-Breaking Crossbow, standard equipment of the Great Snow Dragon Riders, has an effective range of 800 paces and can easily penetrate three layers of heavy armor.

The Thunderclap Bomb is a specially made gunpowder weapon; a single bomb can level an area within a radius of ten feet.

Both of these items were obtained by Zhu Muying through system check-ins, and their power far exceeded the understanding of this era.

Once unleashed, it will destroy the world!

Upon hearing those two names, a bloodthirsty glint flashed in the eyes of the ten commanders.

"third!"

Long Shou paused for a moment, then walked to the entrance of the main tent, lifted the heavy curtain, and looked out at the dark, endless steel forest.

"Light the signal fire!"

"Send this message to all tribes in the northern frontier at the highest level!"

"The king is in trouble! Summon all the armies of the realm to come to his aid!"

"Yes, sir!"

The ten commanders responded with a resounding roar, their voices filled with barely suppressed excitement and killing intent.

They turned and strode out of the tent.

Soon, orders were quickly relayed.

The once silent, deathly military city instantly came to life.

There was no commotion, no shouting, only the uniform "whoosh" of countless clattering leaves.

Thousands upon thousands of knights, as if cut from the same mold, checked their equipment in perfect unison, donning the final armor for their warhorses.

Armory after armory, buried deep underground, was opened, and crates of crossbow bolts and thunderbolts, gleaming with a dangerous light, were transported out in a continuous stream.

The entire camp was like a sophisticated war machine that had been activated instantly, with every gear operating at terrifying efficiency.

A few minutes later, in the center of the camp, on the beacon tower that was a hundred feet high, a knight thrust a huge torch into a massive pit filled with black grease.

boom!

A thick, dragon-like plume of black smoke, carrying a pungent sulfurous smell, shot into the sky!

Black smoke billowed and tumbled under the gloomy sky, piercing straight into the clouds!

This is an order to support the emperor!

This is the highest-level summons between Zhu Muying and all his secret forces!

This decree signifies that the king has encountered a life-threatening danger!

Anyone who sees this signal fire, no matter where they are or what they are doing, must immediately drop everything and rush to the king's location!

It's a fight to the death!

Long Shou stood beneath the beacon tower, gazing up at the towering black plume of smoke. The hideous scar on his face twisted in the firelight, resembling a centipede ready to devour its prey.

He slowly raised his hand.

Behind them, 100,000 Snow Dragon Riders had already assembled.

The black torrent of steel stretched endlessly, silent as a mountain.

"Marching forward!"

The dragon's head suddenly swung down.

"Aiming for Nanjing!"

"Those who block my way, die!"

There was no pre-battle mobilization, no grand pronouncements, only the simplest and most direct orders.

Rumble!

The earth began to tremble.

One hundred thousand iron cavalrymen, urging their warhorses forward, formed an unstoppable black torrent, rushing southward!

The first snowflake of early winter drifted down from the leaden sky.

A cataclysmic blizzard, powerful enough to overturn the entire Ming Dynasty, is coming.

Deep within the Yanshan Mountains.

A majestic pass lies between two mountains, like an ancient behemoth, guarding the throat leading to the border.

This is a secret fortress, unknown to most, on the Great Wall defense line of the Ming Dynasty.

Inside the fortress, there were no ordinary Ming soldiers, only a group of fierce warriors dressed in ancient Qin and Han style black armor.

Each of them was eight feet tall, with broad shoulders and a powerful build, and their eyes carried an innate pride and fierceness.

They are soldiers from Jiangdong.

At the highest point of the fortress, inside a hall built of massive bluestone, a nine-foot-tall, burly figure, seemingly beyond human comprehension, was bare-chested, using his large, fan-like hands to lift a bronze cauldron weighing a thousand pounds, performing his daily training.

With each breath he took, it roared like a bellows, and his bulging muscles, like coiled dragons and crouching tigers, were full of explosive power.

He was none other than Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu!

The first person Zhu Muying checked in with was also the most unruly and legendary historical general.

Xiang Yu had no distinction between ruler and subject when it came to Zhu Muying; he only recognized Zhu Muying as the only lord he acknowledged in this era!

A general worthy of Xiang Yu's loyalty and willingness to fight for him!

"drink!"

With a roar, Xiang Yu hurled the massive cauldron, weighing a thousand catties, into the air, caught it steadily, and placed it heavily on the ground.

With a loud "boom," the entire hall shook.

"happy!"

He picked up a huge wine jar next to him, tilted his head back and gulped it down. The spicy wine flowed down the corner of his mouth, soaking the thick black hair on his chest.

Just then, a messenger rushed in from outside the hall, his face filled with panic.

"Report! Your Majesty! Black smoke signals have been raised in the northern direction!"

"Um?"

Xiang Yu paused in his drinking motion, a fierce glint flashing in his double pupils.

Black smoke?

Of course he knew what it was.

That was the highest warning signal set by his good brother, Zhu Muying!

This means he's in trouble!

"Bang!"

Xiang Yu slammed the wine jar in his hand onto the ground, shattering it into pieces.

He whirled around, grabbed the messenger by the collar, and hoisted him into the air, roaring in a booming voice, "Explain yourself! What exactly happened?!"

"Your Majesty...it's...it's the order to defend the king! It's the order to defend the king!"

The messenger was so frightened that he stammered.

Order to Resist the Emperor!

Xiang Yu's mind went blank for a moment.

What a hero his brother was!

With an army of 300,000, he launched a northern expedition into the Gobi Desert, defeating the Mongols so badly they cried out for their fathers and mothers.

In this world, who else could inspire him to issue a command to defend the king?

unless……

A terrible thought crossed Xiang Yu's mind.

There is only one person who could put his brother in such a desperate situation!

The emperor who sits on the dragon throne in Nanjing!

"Zhu Yuanzhang!"

These three words burst from Xiang Yu's mouth, each word carrying boundless killing intent!

"You bastard Zhu Chongba! I told your brother back then that you were a vicious and untrustworthy person! He wouldn't listen! And now, you've still gone after him!"

"You dare touch my brother, Xiang Yu!!"

"The general was renowned for his military exploits, yet his achievements overshadowed his lord, leading to his murder!!!"

A deafening roar erupted from the main hall!

The terrifying sound made the roof tiles of the palace tremble violently!

Xiang Yu threw away the messenger in his hand and strode to the center of the hall, where a giant halberd more than two zhang long stood!

Fangtian Halberd!

He grabbed the Overlord City-Breaking Spear, and the dormant aura of an overlord that had been dormant within him surged into the sky without reservation at this moment!

"Someone come here!"

"exist!"

Outside the hall, the generals of eight thousand Jiangdong soldiers entered upon hearing the commotion and knelt down in unison.

"General, you've been bullied in Jinling!"

Xiang Yu's voice was cold and brutal.

"What do you suggest we do?!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

Eight thousand soldiers roared in unison, their killing intent soaring to the heavens!

"good!"

Xiang Yu slammed his halberd heavily onto the ground, and the hard bluestone floor instantly cracked.

"All troops, listen to my command!"

"Set off immediately! Heading south!"

"Target: Nanjing!"