Chapter 792
The Final Battle and the Entrustment of the Orphan
Chen Jie's voice reached Zhu Chongba's ears, who was on the watchtower. Zhu Chongba frowned as he looked at Chen Jie standing on the 'Victory' ship.
Looking at his troops huddled in the Xieshan camp, he realized that things had come to this point and he was already at a disadvantage. If he continued to drag it out, he would become like Xiang Yu, the King of Chu, who was surrounded by his own troops at Gaixia. If Chen Jiu Si were to give him another surprise attack from all sides, he couldn't take it!
What? You don't know what "Four-Sided Flower Drum" means? Do you understand "Surrounded by Chu Songs"? Xiang Yu was from the State of Chu, so he sang Chu songs, while Zhu Chongba was from Fengyang, Anhui, so naturally he would sing Fengyang Flower Drum!
Most of the generals in this army came out with him, and they had a group of names: the Twenty-Four Generals of Huaixi.
The situation remains the same today. It's difficult to salvage this situation with just the strategist. The only option now is to win by force. If we can defeat Chen Jiu Si in tomorrow's battle, his army will be leaderless. Then, I can lead my army to charge and surely turn defeat into victory!
Thinking this, Zhu Chongba took a deep breath and shouted across the river, "Chen Jiu Si, I promise you, tomorrow we will settle our score, and it will be a matter of life and death!"
"Alright, tomorrow at noon, at Luoxingdun, see you there!"
Chen Jie glanced at Zhu Chongba, then turned and left. The entire fleet followed Chen Jie and returned to their respective camps.
At this moment, Xu Da led his men to Zhu Chongba and knelt down, saying, "Your Majesty, the defeat in this battle is entirely my fault. Please punish me severely!"
Upon hearing this, Yu Tonghai and Liao Yongzhong, both covered in wounds, knelt down and said, "Your Excellency, we deserve death for our crimes in this battle. Please punish us!"
Looking at Xu Da and the others kneeling on the ground, Zhu Chongba raised his hand and said, "Get up, all of you. Today's defeat is a defeat of the times, and the blame does not lie with anyone."
“You have all done your best, there’s no need for this.”
"This is destiny."
Xu Da lowered his head upon hearing this, his thoughts a complex mix. At that moment, Zhu Chongba looked at Xu Da and asked, "How many men are left in the entire army?"
Xu Da said, "There are still 160,000 people."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Chongba sighed: "Of the 300,000 troops, nearly half were lost in one battle. This is all my fault, Zhu Chongba!"
Upon hearing this, the generals tried to dissuade him, but Zhu Chongba waved his hand and said, "Alright, you don't need to persuade me anymore. This battle started with me, and it will end with me. Tomorrow I will fight Chen Jiu Si to the death at Luoxingdun."
"If I win this battle, then we will still have a chance to turn defeat into victory, and then it will be our turn to rule the world."
"If we are defeated, Xu Da, I hope you will not resist stubbornly and cause even greater bloodshed. Surrender to Chen Jiu Si; he should be able to be a good emperor!"
"Ascend!"
Upon hearing this, Xu Da immediately shouted loudly, and Chang Yuchun roared even more angrily: "Sir, if you die in battle, I, Old Chang, will fight that Chen fellow to the death, and I will never live a life of dishonor!"
"Hehe, Fourth Brother, I appreciate your kindness, but after this battle, if I win, that goes without saying, but if I lose, I don't want the entire Jiangnan region to suffer because of me."
"Let these 160,000 people continue to perish here. Listen to me, surrender. Those who are willing to serve Chen Jiu Si can do so. Those who are not, I think Chen Jiu Si can give you a way out."
"Ascend!"
The generals spoke.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Chongba looked at them and said, "My conflict with Chen Jiusi is not a racial conflict, but a conflict of spirits. In fact, our goals are the same, so we have no hatred. We are both Han Chinese, and our goal is to expel the Tartars and restore China!"
"You don't need to persuade me anymore, let's just leave it at that!"
"Of course, I don't think I will lose. I am the successor of the Yellow Emperor, while Chen Jiu Si is just a descendant of Shennong. In the Battle of Banquan, the Yellow Emperor defeated Shennong. Tomorrow, on Poyang Lake, I, Zhu Chong Ba, will surely defeat Chen Jiu Si!"
As Zhu Chongba spoke, his eyes gleamed with triumph. Seeing this, Chang Yuchun immediately chimed in, "That's right, the one who takes the throne will surely succeed."
"Those who rise to power will surely prevail."
Victory is certain!
Zhu Chongba gave some instructions, then called Xu Da aside and said, "Tiande!"
"Ascend!"
Xu Da responded.
"Don't call me 'superior,' call me 'big brother.'"
"Big brother!"
Xu Da responded.
"Tiande, tomorrow's battle is unpredictable. I don't know if I can win. If I win, everything will be fine. If I lose, Tiande, please do me a favor."
"You, sir, speak."
“Your sister-in-law, the person I worry about the most is your sister-in-law. She has a strong personality, and I’m afraid that if she finds out something happened to me, she might do something drastic, and so will my little Biao.”
"If anything happens to me, you must take good care of them, please."
Zhu Chongba bowed to Xu Da, who was so startled that he repeatedly said, "Brother, why did you go to such lengths!"
Zhu Chongba said, "If we consider failure beforehand, it might not happen, but even if it does, we won't be caught off guard."
Upon hearing this, Xu Da's eyes reddened, and he said to Zhu Chongba, "Leave this matter to others. I... I'll follow my elder brother's lead..."
"I don't trust anyone else with this, Tiande, you must promise me, promise me!"
Looking at Zhu Chongba's resolute eyes, Xu Da was momentarily speechless. He simply lowered his head and said, "Alright, I promise you, brother. As long as I, Xu Tiande, am here, my sister-in-law and Biao'er will be fine. I swear to God."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Chongba nodded and said, "Then I can rest assured and fight Chen Jiu Si. This battle is destiny and my own will!"
Zhu Chongba's eyes gleamed with fighting spirit as he looked into the distance, towards Chen Jiu Si's water fortress.
At this moment, in Chen Jie's water fortress.
The generals were celebrating their victory; today's battle was a resounding success for them and deserved to be celebrated.
However, no one drank alcohol at the banquet; only pots of cooked mutton were served.
Chen Jiu Si then sat in the main seat and said, "Gentlemen, you have worked hard today. This battle was well fought, and it demonstrated the might of our Han army."
"Especially Zhang Dingbian, his command is so decisive, he truly deserves to be called the greatest general in the world, hahaha..."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the arena shouted, "Congratulations to the Commander-in-Chief for defeating Xu Da and becoming the number one general! The number one general!"
Zhang Dingbian then stood up and quickly said, "Alright, stop making a fuss. What number one general? My title of number one general is not based on any brilliant strategies, but on the bravery of all the generals. This title of number one general does not belong to me alone, but to everyone. Everyone is the number one general!"
Hearing this, the generals felt a warm glow in their hearts. Chen Jie said, "Dingbian is right. We are a collective; we share the same fate, and we share the same glory!" "I heard that Dingbian's victory today is primarily due to Jin Yanzi! Our General Jin is truly awe-inspiring! He single-handedly withstood the enemy's right-wing attack, providing ample opportunity for the left wing and delaying the right-wing reinforcements. This is a great achievement!"
"A great achievement, a great achievement!"
Everyone immediately agreed, and Chen Jie continued, "Also, we should give special praise to General Ding Pulang. General Ding Pulang did a great job! He charged bravely and fought valiantly. Although he was covered in wounds, his courage is commendable. He deserves a great commendation!"
Upon hearing this, Ding Pulang clasped his hands in thanks and said, "Thank you, my lord, I..."
Chen Jie said, "There's no need to mention the past. Today, you have also made a great contribution!"
"A great achievement, a great achievement!"
The soldiers cheered and shouted, and Chen Jie said, "We have a big battle tomorrow, so we won't drink alcohol today, but there will be plenty of meat. Everyone can eat as much as you want. Tomorrow, after I and Zhu Chongba have decided who is the victor, we will celebrate with everyone!"
"Our battle is over!"
As Chen explained, the soldiers immediately shouted, "Long live the Emperor!"
Only Zhang Dingbian frowned slightly and came to Chen Jie's side, saying, "My lord, do you really want to fight Zhu Chongba to the death tomorrow?"
Chen Jie looked at Zhang Dingbian and said, "Hmm!"
Zhang Dingbian replied, "My lord, now that our army has won a great victory, we can simply overwhelm Zhu Chongba with sheer numbers. Why must we risk our lives in a desperate battle? If something were to happen to you, my lord, what would become of our Han dynasty's foundation?"
Chen Jie looked at Zhang Dingbian after hearing this and asked, "So what do you mean?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Dingbian said, "My lord, what I mean is to fight him with military strength and eventually wear Zhu Chongba down."
"How many people will die?"
Chen Jie looked at Zhang Dingbian, who was speechless for a moment. After a long while, he finally said, "No matter how many people there are, it's better than you, my lord, going up and fighting Zhu Chongba to the death!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Jie looked at Zhang Dingbian and said, "Zhu Chongba and I are both Han Chinese. We have no conflict with each other; in fact, we are more like friends."
"What we are fighting for is a sense of pride, the position of the world's ruler. If we lose all the Han people's elite troops because of us, we will be unable to complete the historical mission of expelling the Tartars and restoring China."
“Then I, Chen Jiu Si, will be a sinner in history, someone who will be despised by thousands and criticized by future generations.”
"I cannot harm tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of lives for my own selfish reasons."
"Although we won a great victory in this battle, nearly 60,000 people died. Those are 60,000 families. As their king, how can I allow more people to suffer and more families to be torn apart?"
Chen Jie looked at Zhang Dingbian, who was momentarily at a loss for words.
Chen Jie was not a particularly brave person. He was born into a humble family and liked to hide his talents and live a life of ease. However, when he became the King of Han and the safety of millions of people was on his shoulders, he had no way out. He could only move forward bravely.
Moreover, it's no use for him to play it safe now. Don't be fooled by their great victory and the seemingly certain win.
However, this is on the premise that Zhu Chongba does not make a move. Zhu Chongba is a fifth-level Fusion God. If he makes a move, it will be like the sky and the earth collapsing. Because of my presence, Zhu Chongba is restrained.
Now that Zhu Chongba has suffered a major defeat, he has no way to retreat. He will inevitably have to go into battle next, and at that time, it will not be possible to build up a victory by simply throwing lives at the enemy.
At the fifth level of the Fusion God realm, wielding the Xuanyuan Sword, he was already close to being a terrestrial immortal. To say nothing of anything else, he could cleave a warship in two with a single swing of the Xuanyuan Sword.
His 1,800 warships could only trouble him a little; if there wasn't a ship of equal strength to restrain him, his destructive power would be astonishing.
Of course, even if there were beings of the same level, it wouldn't work. If Zhu Chongba was determined to cause destruction, no one could stop him. Of course, if Zhu Chongba was ruthless, Chen Jiu Si would also be ruthless.
That was a calamity for the Han people.
Therefore, both Chen Jiu Si and Zhu Chong Ba were very restrained. They had no blood feud; their conflict was a battle of wills and a struggle for the world. Whoever won would have their subordinates on the other side. Why should they be so cruel as to persecute their own people in the future?
Or rather, they all possessed great love in their hearts, a love for the world, which prevented them from harming the people.
Therefore, the final battle still needs to be fought by the two of them.
No one can replace them, and we cannot adopt Zhang Dingbian's suggestion to use a large number of people, because once you reach the fifth level of the Fusion God realm, the realm of a terrestrial immortal, you can no longer be dealt with by a human wave tactic.
Therefore, having more troops is meaningless to them.
Regarding this, Chen Jie could only say that Zhang Dingbian was completely unaware of absolute military force.
Chen Jie didn't explain much to Zhang Dingbian, only stating his attitude: every one of his soldiers was precious and should not be wasted here easily.
Seeing that he couldn't persuade Chen Jie, Zhang Dingbian could only sigh.
Chen Jie looked at the generals who were drinking and eating meat and were having a great time, and then called Zhang Dingbian over and said: "Dingbian, my battle with Zhu Chongba tomorrow is a life-or-death struggle, and the outcome is uncertain."
"If I win, needless to say, our Han army will take the opportunity to recover Jiangnan, and then we can launch a northern expedition!"
"But if I lose, you don't have to die for me. You are a fierce general. Today's battle has solidified your title as the best in the world. Zhu Chongba loves his generals. You can join him and you will surely have a bright future!"
"Lord!"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Dingbian suddenly looked at Chen Jiedao and said, "What kind of person do you take me for, Zhang Dingbian!"
"The seller seeks personal gain?"
Chen Jie said, "Dingbian surrendered to preserve the strength of the Han people, which is not considered betraying his master for personal gain. You don't need to do that."
Zhang Dingbian said, "My lord, you don't need to say it. I understand the reasoning. But a loyal minister does not serve two masters. I, Zhang Dingbian, will never serve another. If anything happens to you, my lord, I will leave and retire to the fields. I would rather be a farmer than serve Zhu Chongba!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Jie looked at Zhang Dingbian and said, "Isn't it a pity to waste all your skills?"
Zhang Dingbian said, "I have already sold my martial arts skills to the emperor. I have already sold my skills to my lord. There is no reason for me to sell them again. My mind is made up. My lord, please do not try to persuade me."
Upon hearing this, Chen Jie took a deep breath and said, "Sigh, you're really something, you can't be persuaded even by nine oxen."
"But when that time comes, you don't need to retire to the countryside. Go find Chen Xiaohu, and go with him and his wife to the South China Sea to find the Dragon King of the Sea. Then, help Chen Li become the ruler of the South China Sea."
"If Zhu Chongba attacks the South Seas, you can use the treasure ships I built to sail west. There is a large continent there, inhabited by a group of indigenous people called Indians. You can continue to build your country there."
"Building a nation at sea?"
Zhang Dingbian looked at Chen Jie in surprise. Could they really do that? (End of Chapter)