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

Zhu Yuanzhang's order was like the coldest wind, sweeping over everyone in front of Chengtian Gate.

Kill them on the spot!

Leave no one alive!

Use the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers in the Beijing Garrison under Xu Da to force the Tiger Guard in the east of the city to choose sides!

How ruthless!

How heartless!

Upon hearing this, Empress Ma's vision blurred and she nearly fainted.

"Zhongba! Are you insane?!"

She cried out in anguish, "Those are the brothers who fought alongside you to conquer this world! How could you... how could you give such an order!"

Zhu Biao's face was also deathly pale. He supported his mother and looked at his father, who was now a complete stranger, on the city wall. His lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a single word.

He wanted to persuade him, but he knew it was useless.

The current emperor will not listen to anyone anymore.

"Wu Liang!"

"Did you hear my orders?!"

"Are you going to remain loyal to us, the emperor, or join them in a rebellion? Give us a straight answer!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice, amplified by his internal energy, traveled far and wide.

All eyes on the battlefield were focused on the Tiger Guard's formation in the east of the city.

Everyone knew that Wu Liang's answer would directly determine the outcome of today's battle, and even the future of the Ming Dynasty.

The Tiger Guard's formation was deathly silent.

In front of the central command tent, a burly, dark-skinned general rode atop a tall warhorse. He was none other than Wu Liang, the commander of the Tiger Guard.

He heard the emperor's order, and his honest face was filled with struggle and pain.

On one side, there is the emperor's boundless grace and the great righteousness between ruler and subject.

On the other side, there is the gratitude for being saved and the camaraderie among comrades.

What should he choose?

The tens of thousands of Tiger Guard soldiers behind him were also watching him.

Their eyes were equally complex.

Many of them had followed Zhu Muying in his campaigns across the country and had personally witnessed the prowess of that young war god.

They couldn't bring themselves to slaughter their fellow soldiers in the Beijing Garrison, who were also soldiers of the Ming Dynasty.

However, disobeying an imperial edict is treason!

Their families are still back home!

Time passed, second by second.

Zhu Yuanzhang, standing atop the city wall, felt his heart sink deeper and deeper.

The fact that Wu Liang did not immediately accept the order already speaks volumes.

A sense of regret, which he himself was unwilling to admit, began to arise in his heart.

Did he really push things to the extreme?

The command flag in his hand was still stuck on the edge of the battlement.

High above, yet teetering on the brink of collapse.

Just like his current imperial power in the Ming Dynasty.

He held the power of life and death in his hands, yet he found that he dared not use it lightly.

He felt like a person standing on the edge of a cliff; one step forward meant an abyss, and one step back meant utter humiliation.

dilemma.

This sense of powerlessness, this feeling of losing control of the situation, made this emperor, who was used to being in control of everything, feel unprecedented frustration and anger.

He would rather fight a real battle, even if it results in rivers of blood, than be roasted on the hot seat like this!

The civil and military officials on the city wall also noticed the emperor's predicament.

They were all silent, too terrified to even breathe.

Where had they ever seen an emperor like this?

In their minds, the emperor was always that ruthless and decisive ruler who never yielded to anyone's word.

But now, he has been forced into a dilemma by his own son.

This day, things are truly about to change.

In the midst of this suffocating silence, an old and steady voice broke the deadlock.

"Your Majesty, please calm your wrath and heed this old minister's words."

The speaker was Xu Da, the Duke of Wei.

Xu Da's voice broke the deathly silence inside and outside the city gate.

He stepped out of the queue, took off his helmet, revealing a full head of white hair.

Unlike other civil officials who knelt and begged for mercy, he simply bowed deeply to Zhu Yuanzhang.

"His Majesty."

Xu Da's voice was steady and powerful: "The Tiger Guard and the Capital Garrison are both the elite forces of our Great Ming Dynasty, the pillars of the nation. Any loss to either side would be an irreparable loss to our Great Ming Dynasty."

"Now that the Northern Yuan has not been destroyed, the Japanese pirates have not been pacified, the world has just been settled, and the people yearn for peace. If our Great Ming were to fight amongst ourselves at this time, it would only cause pain to our own people and joy to our enemies, giving those villains an opportunity to take advantage of us."

"I implore Your Majesty to prioritize the well-being of the nation and the people, to quell your anger, and to give each other room to maneuver."

Xu Da's words were neither humble nor arrogant, and were reasonable.

He did not criticize the emperor, nor did he defend Zhu Muying. He simply stated the advantages and disadvantages of starting the war from the perspective of an old general and a meritorious official.

Zhu Yuanzhang stared intently at Xu Da, his chest heaving violently.

He knew that Xu Da was right.

But as he listened, he felt as if every word was slapping him in the face!

What does it mean to give him room to maneuver?

As the mighty Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, he had to contend with his own son and his own ministers.

Isn't this telling everyone that Zhu Yuanzhang can no longer control the situation and has no choice but to compromise?

"Xu Da!"

Zhu Yuanzhang gritted his teeth and forced out two words, "Are you trying to teach me how to do things?"

"Your subject dares not!"

Xu Da bowed and said, "Your Majesty is merely stating the facts. If Your Majesty insists on going your own way and has to settle this matter here, then I have no choice but to risk my life to accompany you!"

As he spoke, he slowly drew the sword from his waist.

That sword was given to him by Zhu Yuanzhang himself, and the four characters "Kaiguo Fuyun" (meaning "to assist in the founding of the nation") were engraved on its blade.

At this moment, this sword, which symbolizes supreme glory, is pointing at its former master.

"You...you dare threaten us?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang was so angry that he felt dizzy.

"Your Majesty, I dare not threaten you. I merely wish to tell you that we, your humble servants, are willing to die on the battlefield for Your Majesty, our bodies wrapped in horsehide, but we will never raise our swords against our comrades!"

Xu Da's words were resounding and powerful.

"Well said!"

A loud shout rang out, and Changmao, the Prince of Zhongshan, whose hair and beard were also white, stepped forward, ripped off his royal crown, and threw it on the ground.

"We, the men of the Chang family, only kill Tartars, not Han Chinese! If Your Majesty insists on forcing us, then I, old Chang, will give you my life today!"

"And there's me, Lan Yu!"

"And I, Feng Sheng, am here too!"

"We, your humble servants, are willing to stand with the Duke of Wei through thick and thin!"

In an instant, all the military officers below the city wall, except for a few of Zhu Yuanzhang's direct subordinates, stood behind Xu Da!

One by one, they removed their official hats and drew their weapons. Although they did not speak, their resolute eyes made their attitude clear.

They will use the will of all the military generals to fight against the imperial power!

This completely stunned Zhu Yuanzhang.

He looked at the familiar faces below the city walls, his old brothers who had once drunk and eaten with him, and risked their lives together, but now they all stood on the opposite side of him.

Why?

Why is that?

Just for Zhu Muying?

What kind of spell did he cast on them?

A profound sense of sorrow and resentment welled up in Zhu Yuanzhang's heart.

He felt betrayed.

He was completely betrayed by his most trusted brother and by the group of meritorious officials he had built!

His fingernails dug deeply into his palms, and blood flowed out between his fingers.

The intense pain brought his reason, which was on the verge of being consumed by rage, back to its former clarity.

He knew he couldn't push him any further.

If we push them any further, it will really come to a lose-lose situation.

He couldn't let the entire military group rebel with Zhu Muying.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the murderous intent and resentment in his heart.

He slowly loosened his grip on the command flag, and his face, which had been contorted with anger, gradually returned to calm. However, his eyes became even colder and more profound than before.

"Okay, okay, okay..."

He said "good" three times in a row, but his voice was devoid of any emotion.

"Since you are all willing to vouch for Zhu Muying and believe he is a loyal subject, we will give you face today."

"We also want to see what Zhu Muying's trump card is!"

He turned his head away from Xu Da and the others, and instead turned his gaze back to the white-robed youth who had remained silent throughout.

"Zhu Muying, our patience is limited."

"We'll give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

"Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, prove to us what you're relying on."

"If it can't be proven..."

His voice paused, and a cruel glint flashed in his eyes.

"Then today, all of you will be buried with him!"

As he spoke, he gave a wink to the eunuch beside him.

The eunuch understood and quickly fetched an incense burner from the side and lit a stick of incense.

The wisps of smoke rising in the wind and snow looked particularly eerie.

Everyone's heart was in their throats, following that wisp of smoke.

They knew that this high-stakes gamble that would determine the fate of the Ming Dynasty had entered its final countdown.

All the bets were placed on the white-robed youth.

Zhu Muying looked at the wisps of smoke rising from the city tower, and a smile finally appeared on her face.

This is the time he wants.

He slowly raised the gleaming silver spear in his hand, its tip pointing towards the Tiger Guard formation in the east of the city.

Then, he did something that no one expected.

He tapped his saddle three times lightly with the butt of his gun.

"Thump, thump, thump."

The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly traveled throughout the entire battlefield.

What does this mean?

Everyone was stunned.

Even Xu Da and his men looked completely bewildered.

This……

What kind of code is this?

Just then, something unexpected happened!

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

With those three light taps, a deep, thunderous drumbeat suddenly resounded from the dark, imposing Tiger Guard formation in the east of the city!

"Thump—thump thump—thump—"

The drumbeats, powerful and deep, with an ancient and solemn rhythm, seemed to come from the depths of the earth, striking the heart of every person.

"This is... the Drum of Resurrection!"

Xu Da's expression changed drastically in an instant!

As the top military officer of the Ming Dynasty, he knew better than anyone what the drumbeats represented!

The Drum of Departure is the highest-level ceremony in the military and the most solemn oath!

The sound of the drum signifies that the person beating the drum has completely entrusted their life and fortune to the person receiving the gift!

Once this drum sounds, there is no turning back; only a fight to the death!

The Battle of Nanjing!

It's on the verge!