Chapter 41: The Prelude to the Counterattack-The Last Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty(A few words, full of meaning.)

"My Lord... If you want to kill me or slice me, just give the word..." Liu Zeqing said in a hoarse voice.

Hearing this, Zhu Youlang merely replied, "I know that some pains in the mortal world are hard for others to comprehend, let alone withstand. That is the chasm of disparity! A wealthy man who loses a thousand pieces of gold must endure poverty. A powerful man, accustomed to commanding all around him with absolute obedience, becomes like a stray dog after losing his power, entirely at the mercy of others. I imagine Military Commissioner Liu has experienced both of these agonies quite profoundly."

"So... is this why the Army Inspector wants me, Liu Zeqing, to suffer this torment, just to vent the hatred in your heart?" Liu Zeqing said numbly, unable to tell whether his tone was one of resentment or self-mockery.

"What is the hatred in my heart worth? But countless soldiers in my army died because of you. To simply execute you with a single stroke would be far too easy!" Hearing this, Zhu Youlang let out a cold snuff.

Instantly, Liu Zeqing shuddered all over as he felt the killing intent radiating from Zhu Youlang.

The Zhu Youlang of today was no longer the Zhu Youlang who once had to rely on ambushing enemies with quicklime to take lives with his own hands.

The Zhu Youlang of the present commanded thousands of brave warriors; with a single word of command, even an enemy host of ten thousand strong could be routed and destroyed.

Faced with the killing intent of such a man, how could Liu Zeqing not feel fear?

Reading between the lines, however, Liu Zeqing began to think frantically amidst his terror. Then, with a sudden flash of inspiration, he began to kowtow violently. "Army Inspector! Your humble servant has hidden wealth in Linqing, Shandong, and Jining. Much of it is buried deep underground, impossible for government bailiffs to unearth even if they search. All told, it amounts to at least one hundred thousand taels! And... and... your humble servant... your humble servant can do anything, as long as you spare my life!"

"It seems you believe I will not kill you," Zhu Youlang said softly, a trace of mockery in his tone.

Paying no heed to the mockery, Liu Zeqing panted heavily and said, "Your humble servant has always understood that for a person like me, so-called integrity and honor are never matters of concern. Living in turbulent times, human life is as worthless as grass. When I served as the Regional Commander of Shandong, commanding elite troops and fierce generals, to the great men of the realm, I possessed the utility of a regional commander, and so I held the majesty of a regional commander. But if one day I lost my troops, I would lose my value, and my wealth—along with everything else—could no longer be preserved. Therefore, as long as I still have value, as long as there is some place where the Army Inspector can make use of me, my life can be spared. My Lord, it is not because I begged for mercy that you spare my life, but because I still have some worth that makes me useful to you, and thus I... I can manage to survive..."

"Very well!" Despite Liu Zeqing's chaotic logic and disjointed rambling, Zhu Youlang smiled and began to applaud. "Very well. It seems you, Liu Zeqing, are indeed not entirely a brute. Indeed, if I were to kill you, Liu Zeqing, it would comfort the spirits of the wrongfully dead soldiers in heaven. That would be entirely justified!"

As Zhu Youlang finished speaking, Liu Zeqing instantly held his breath, his eyes wide open, as if awaiting the verdict of life and death.

Zhu Youlang stared at Liu Zeqing, remaining silent for a long time—so long that Liu Zeqing felt nearly suffocated.

At last, Zhu Youlang let out a soft sigh and said, "But you are fortunate. Because of this prince, you, Liu Zeqing, still retain some usefulness and may live to atone for the wrongfully slain soldiers."

At the Liuyuan Mouth Ferry.

When the fourth wave of rebel levies was beaten back, Zhang Yong, breathing heavily, grabbed a messenger and ordered, "Quickly go and tell the Thousand-Man Commander that our unit has accomplished its combat objective!"

"Old Brother Xu, the next battle falls to your unit," Liu Sheng said with a smile, his expression relaxed. "My soldiers are already preparing to withdraw. The business of troop drilling is done for today."

Xu Yanqi patted Liu Sheng's shoulder and said, "As for what comes next, leave it to me, Xu the Big Blade."

With that, Xu Yanqi shouted loudly, "Xia Chen, Yang Jiayi, Bao Guo! Lead your men, form ranks, array yourselves, and follow me!"

As Xu Yanqi's roar faded, three battle formations slowly materialized upon the battlefield.

"Xia Chen's musketeers will strike first. Once they have fired, Yang Jiayi's pikemen will advance to cover them. Bao Guo, keep your blade-and-shield troops by my side as the reserve force!"

With these words, Xu Yanqi hoisted the heavy, person-tall broadsword—one that drew side-long glances from the entire army—and strode onto the battlefield. The tip of the blade dragged through the soft soil, and coupled with the deep roll of the war drums, it made the soldiers of Xu Yanqi's unit feel as though their blood was beginning to burn.

"Raise the apricot-yellow signal mortar and request support," Xu Yanqi said in a deep voice.

Immediately, a messenger carrying colorful flags by Xu Yanqi's side walked to a high ground, struck a flint, and ignited a roaring signal petard.

Instantly, a flare bursting with apricot-yellow smoke shot into the air and exploded with a loud pop.

Aboard the ships, six heavy red-coat cannons in the newly expanded artillery battalion elevated their muzzles, and ten matchlock guns were ignited. A moment later, a deafening barrage of artillery fire roared to life, violently smashing into the dense mass of rebel troops swarming the shore.

Simultaneously, Liu Sheng shouted at the top of his lungs, "Pikemen, fall back behind the musketeers and form ranks! All musketeers, prepare—at the command, fire at will!"

Bang, bang, bang...

A billowing cloud of smoke rose as hundreds of lead bullets spat fire and rained down.

Without looking back, the hundreds of musketeers swiftly retreated toward the long ranks of pikemen behind them.

"All musketeers, about face! Quick march!"

"Musketeers go first, pikemen follow. Reserve force, follow me, cover the rear and engage the enemy!"

"About face, quick march! Keep your formations! Do not scatter! Whoever breaks formation will be scrubbing the latrines for the entire company!"

"Do not panic! Stay close to the battle array! All officers from squad leaders upward, remember: whoever disrupts the formation will face military law upon returning to camp!"

"Damn you, Wu Hun! If you can't keep your men in line, I'll strip you of your rank entirely!"

Liu Sheng roared at the top of his lungs, directing his infantry to make a slow, orderly retreat.

Meanwhile, in stark contrast to the clamor of Liu Sheng's command, Xu Yanqi's unit moved with disciplined precision.

"Xia Chen! Form ranks, advance, and cover the allied forces!" Xu Yanqi dragged his broadsword, gazing fixedly at the friendly troops retreating toward his rear formation.

"Understood! Musketeers, check your matchcords, form ranks, raise muskets!"

"Align to the left and right! Listen to the command—aim! No one fires without my order!"

"The friendly forces are falling back; now it's our turn to fight! Brothers, can we afford to lose to them?" Xia Chen gazed at the more than two hundred musketeers behind him and shouted loudly.

"No!" over two hundred men roared in unison.

"Good!" Wearing a beast-faced demon helmet, Xia Chen raised his treasured sword, stepped one pace ahead of everyone else, and shouted at the top of his lungs, "The enemy is within a hundred paces! On my command: fire!"

Bang, bang, bang...

"Yang Jiayi, pikemen! Form ranks, engage the enemy! Quick march, advance!"

Gunpowder ignited, blanketing the battlefield in thick smoke. In the distance, Mo Gao gritted his teeth and ordered, "All remaining rebel levies, commit yourselves entirely! No more splitting into thousand-man units—throw everyone in! Add three hundred men to the military execution squad, and execute on the spot anyone who dares to retreat!"

Watching the entire rebel force press forward, Xu Yanqi exhaled softly and said, "All forces prepare—the moment for a counterattack has... arrived!"

"Advance!"

Nearby, Liu Zhen watched as he gently nudged his horse's flanks, and five hundred cavalrymen slowly moved forward. (To be continued.)