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

Today, he finally truly understood this old saying.

He glanced at the distraught emperor on the city wall and couldn't help but sigh.

Chongba, you won the world, but you lost the hearts of the people.

In the end, you are still not as good as your son.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Zhu Muying slowly mounted her horse.

He did not go to see the defecting troops, nor did he go to see the ecstatic nobles.

His gaze fell once again on the city wall.

It landed on his father, who was slumped on the dragon throne.

The balance of power between the ruler and his subjects was completely reversed at this moment.

Once upon a time, Zhu Yuanzhang was the high and mighty chess player, and Zhu Muying was the chess piece he could manipulate at will.

Now, Zhu Muying has become the new chess player.

The entire city of Jinling, and the entire Ming Dynasty, became his chessboard.

Zhu Yuanzhang, on the other hand, was about to lose even the right to be a pawn.

Zhu Muying looked at the dejected emperor on the city wall, her face showing no trace of pride or joy.

His eyes remained calm.

But deep within that tranquility lay a faint, indescribable sorrow.

He slowly raised the gleaming silver spear in his hand.

The spearhead no longer points to the sky, nor to any army.

Instead, it pointed towards the Chengtian Gate, a city gate that symbolized supreme imperial power.

"Father."

He spoke, his voice not loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire room.

"Now, do you feel that I am qualified to speak with you?"

"Now, do you feel that I am qualified to speak with you?"

Zhu Muying's voice was calm and even, yet it struck Zhu Yuanzhang's heart like an invisible hammer.

Want to talk?

What right does a prisoner, a loser about to be purged, have to talk to the victor?

Zhu Yuanzhang slumped on the dragon throne, his lips trembling, wanting to say something, but unable to utter a single word.

His once majestic face now showed only humiliation and pallor.

He looked down at his son, clad in white robes and wielding a silver spear, his imposing figure radiating an aura of power. His eyes were filled with resentment, bitterness, and something he himself was unwilling to admit…

fear.

He was afraid.

For the first time, the fearless Hongwu Emperor, who had fought his way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, felt fear.

What he feared was not Zhu Muying's military strength, nor the 500,000 defecting troops.

What he feared was Zhu Muying's all-knowing and all-controlling gaze.

Before those eyes, he felt that all his pretense and scheming had been stripped away, leaving him nowhere to hide.

He felt as if he were not facing a son, but someone of his own kind who was more cunning and terrifying than himself.

The civil and military officials on the city wall didn't dare to even breathe loudly.

They looked at the boy holding a long spear, pointing it at the city wall, as if they were looking at a god who held the power of life and death.

They knew that from this moment on, the world of the Ming Dynasty had completely changed.

The man sitting on the dragon throne is no longer the sole master of this land.

Zhu Muying did not press Zhu Yuanzhang for an answer.

He simply sat quietly on his horse, scrutinizing everyone on the city wall with his calm yet imposing gaze.

Finally, his gaze fell upon the heavy, tightly closed city gate of Chengtian Gate.

He slowly pointed the gleaming silver spear in his hand forward.

It's an action that couldn't be simpler.

Yet it contains an unquestionable will.

"Open the door."

He uttered two words.

The voice was still not loud, but it was like an imperial edict, clearly reaching the ears of the city gate guards.

Inside the city gate tower, the thousands of imperial guards responsible for guarding Chengtian Gate were all dumbfounded.

Open the door?

Who should I open the door for?

Open the gates for this traitor who led an army of 500,000 men to the city gates and forced the emperor to vomit blood.

This……

Is this a joke?

The general defending the city was a commander surnamed Wang, who was one of Zhu Yuanzhang's most trusted confidants.

Hearing Zhu Muying's command, he subconsciously tightened his grip on the sword at his waist.

"Nonsense! This is a traitorous minister; do not listen to his fallacies and mislead the public!"

Commander Wang, his voice stern yet betraying his fear, shouted to his men, "Anyone who dares to open the gate without His Majesty's decree will be killed without mercy!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than the four armies that had just surrendered outside the city began to move.

On the warships of the Longjiang Navy, countless dark cannons began to slowly adjust their angles, precisely locking onto the position of the city gate tower.

Within the ranks of the Tiger Guard and Eagle Guard, tens of thousands of archers simultaneously drew their bows and nocked their arrows. The dense clusters of arrows reflected a chilling glint in the sunlight.

A chilling, palpable killing intent instantly enveloped the entire Chengtian Gate.

Commander Wang and his men inside the city gate tower felt as if they were being stared at by countless venomous snakes, and the hairs on their bodies stood on end.

They had no doubt that if they dared to say "no," they would be blasted into dust and riddled with arrows the next second.

Commander Wang's legs began to tremble uncontrollably.

He turned around and glanced at the emperor on the city wall, who was now slumped on the dragon throne, looking utterly dejected.

He looked down again and glanced at the white-robed prince below the city wall, who seemed calm and composed, as if he had everything under control.

Loyal to His Majesty?

That would result in immediate and utter death.

Obey the King of England?

That would be betrayal, treason.

He felt like an ant being roasted on a fire; no matter which way he chose, he was doomed.

"Your Majesty... what... what should we do?"

A young soldier asked, his voice trembling with tears.

"Yes, sir... if you don't open the door soon, all the brothers will die here!"

"My lord! Please say something!"

His soldiers were on the verge of collapse.

Commander Wang's mind was in complete chaos.

He thought of his wife, children, and elderly parents, who were still in Nanjing.

He doesn't want to die.

He didn't want them to be implicated because of his "loyalty".

Just then, Zhu Muying's voice rang out again.

I'll only say it once.

"Open the door."

The voice remained calm, yet carried an undeniable authority.

At this moment, Commander Wang's psychological defenses completely collapsed.

He threw down his sword and, with all his might, roared towards the city gates, "Open...open the city gates!"

"Quickly! Open the city gates!"

His voice provided an outlet for these desperate soldiers.

"Open the city gates!"

"Open the city gates immediately!"

The soldiers rushed haphazardly toward the huge winch controlling the city gate.

Dozens of soldiers worked together to push the heavy winch.

"Crunch—crunch—"

A teeth-grinding scraping sound rang out.

The two heavy Chengtian Gates, symbols of the Ming Dynasty's imperial power, which had remained unopened for months, slowly, very slowly, opened inwards under everyone's watchful eyes.

A ray of golden sunlight shone through the crack in the city gate, dispelling the gloom and snow on the long street.

The sunlight fell directly on Zhu Muying, illuminating him and his white horse. Amidst the flames of war, Zhu Muying rode forward on horseback, sword at his side.

It was as if a god had descended.

On the city tower, Zhu Yuanzhang watched the city gate slowly open.

Zhu Muying's warhorse slowly and steadily broke through the city gate!

I once traversed the lonely river, the west wind galloping across the land~

Words from the heart

Let the moonlight be sent to her.

I dreamt I stepped across the lake—tears streamed down my face.

A carefree dream in my drunken stupor~ Waiting to pluck flowers when I wake up

Zhu Muying rode his warhorse, with beacon fires and smoke trailing behind him, his horse's hooves treading on the Zhu-character-command cavalry.

I once trampled red leaves and drank snow on the cliff.

Words from my heart ~ left at the tavern outside the woods

I dreamt of riding horses across the sky amidst swirling blossoms.

Let go of your longing, and when you wake up, pluck a flower.