King Luhuang of the Ming Dynasty: My father, Ming Taizu

As he walked out of the palace, the contempt on Zhu Tan’s face became even stronger.

The guard beside him opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't dare to speak, so he could only follow awkwardly.

"Your Highness," a deep voice sounded behind Zhu Tan, "I'm afraid the King of Ryukyu is not truly willing to surrender."

Huang Quan was worried.

Zhu Tan stopped and sneered:
"He dares? This tiny country of Ryukyu can be crushed to pieces with just one finger of my hand!"

Huang Quan smiled slightly and couldn't help but said:

"Your Highness's divine power is naturally not something that a coward like you can fathom. But I am worried that if Shang Sishao is acting one way on the surface and another behind the scenes, and is secretly colluding with the Japanese pirates, then wouldn't that be..."

"Humph, he dares!"

Zhu Tan's eyes flashed with a cold light, "I have ordered people to secretly monitor his every move. If he really dares to have any other intentions, I will make sure to separate his body and head!"

After saying that, Zhu Tan no longer paid attention to Shang Sishao and walked out of the city with big strides.

The purpose of his trip was not only to conquer the small Ryukyu Islands, his sights had already been set on a more distant place - Japan!
Horse riding on cherry blossoms is the dream!
After leaving the city gate, I saw a huge fleet anchored not far away. Hundreds of warships covered the sky and stretched for miles. The masts were like a forest, and the flags were fluttering. It was a spectacular sight.

"Your Highness, General Lan is here."

Huang Quan said in a low voice.

Zhu Tan nodded and walked straight to the dock.

On a huge ship, a general wearing silver armor and a sword hanging from his waist was standing at the bow. From a distance, he looked as majestic as a god of war.

"Your Highness, Lan Yu, pays respect to His Majesty the Prince of Lu!"

When Lan Yu saw Zhu Tan, he bowed quickly.

"General Lan, there's no need to be so polite."

Zhu Tan walked forward with a smile and patted Lan Yu on the shoulder. "This time, the battle of Ryukyu was so smooth thanks to the general's planning."

"Your Highness, thank you for the compliment. This is what I should do," Lan Yu said modestly.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two entered the cabin to discuss their next plan.

"Although Ryukyu has been pacified, as long as the Japanese pirates in Japan are not eliminated, the southeast coast will never have peace." Zhu Tan said in a deep voice, "This time, I came here to discuss with the general how to wipe out the Japanese pirates in one fell swoop and eliminate the trouble forever!"

Lan Yu's eyes flashed with a gleam of light: "Your Highness is right! I have long wanted to go to Japan and kill those pirates without a single piece of armor left!"

"Good!" Zhu Tan laughed, "I knew it. General Lan and I have the same idea! Come, let's discuss how to attack Japan..."

The two discussed for a long time in the cabin and finally decided on a plan.

Lan Yu led the main force of the navy to feint at Nagasaki to attract the main force of the Japanese pirates, while Zhu Tan led an elite force to bypass Kyushu Island and go straight to the Japanese pirates' lair - Kyoto!
"Your Highness, this plan is good, but it is extremely risky."

Huang Quan said worriedly:
"The terrain in Japan is complex and the people are tough. Our army is unfamiliar with the place. If we are ambushed by the Japanese pirates, the consequences will be disastrous!"

"This king knows."

Zhu Tan's eyes flashed with determination:
"But there is no such thing as a foolproof plan in this world. Rather than sit and wait for death, it is better to take the initiative! As long as we can destroy the Japanese pirates, what does a little risk matter?!"

"Your Highness is wise!" Lan Yu and Zhao Hu were both infected by Zhu Tan's aura and said in unison.

Zhu Tan nodded, turned his head and looked out the window with a deep gaze, as if he had already seen the direction of Japan.

"Pass the order down, the entire army will rest for three days, and after three days, we will march to Japan!"

"Yes!"

……

Three days later, the Ming fleet left Ryukyu in a mighty manner and headed towards Japan.

Shang Sishao stood on the wall of the palace, looking at the fleet going away, with a complicated look on his face.

On the vast sea, the Ming fleet was like a giant steel dragon, cutting through the waves.

After days of sailing, the sea breeze was blowing gently, although the hustle and bustle of land was missing.

But for the soldiers who have been on the battlefield for a long time, it is undoubtedly another kind of torment.

"Report——"

A loud shout broke the silence on the sea. A scout quickly boarded Zhu Tan's ship, knelt on one knee, clasped his fists and reported:

"Your Highness, Japanese pirate ships have been spotted ahead!"

"Oh?" Zhu Tan raised his eyebrows, a hint of sharpness flashed in his eyes, "How many ships are there? Can you find out the truth?"

"Your Highness, there are about twenty Japanese pirate ships. Judging from the flags, they should be a fleet from the Nagasaki area. They are not large in scale and seem to be just patrolling the nearby waters." The scout answered truthfully.

"Humph, these pirates are quite alert."

Lan Yu snorted coldly and said in a muffled voice, "Your Highness, I will lead my men to kill them right away and wipe them out without leaving a single piece of armor behind!"

"Not urgent."

Zhu Tan waved his hand, a playful smile on his lips.

"Since they have come to us on their own initiative, we cannot neglect them. Pass the order and prepare for battle! Remember, we must capture a few alive. I want to see what tricks these Japanese pirates are up to."

"Yes!"

With Zhu Tan's order, the originally calm Ming fleet instantly woke up.

The war drums thundered and the flags fluttered, like a sleeping lion revealing its sharp fangs.

In comparison, the Japanese pirates' fleet seemed a bit shabby, not only with a small number of ships.

Moreover, the ships were much smaller and looked like a few small boats in front of the Ming army's huge fleet.

You may be swallowed by the waves at any time.

The battle was imminent, but the outcome was no surprise.

The cannons on the Ming army's warships made a deafening roar, and shells poured down like raindrops.

The Japanese pirates' ships were blown to pieces.

The Japanese pirates obviously did not expect to encounter the main force of the Ming army. In the hasty battle, they were quickly defeated.

In less than an hour, the battle was declared over. The sea was filled with broken planks and the bodies of Japanese pirates, and the blood dyed the sea water a shocking red.

According to Zhu Tan's instructions, the Ming army captured several Japanese pirates alive and brought them back to the ship.

Zhu Tan sat on the armchair, staring grimly at several Japanese pirate captives kneeling on the deck.

These Japanese pirates were all pale and thin, with ragged clothes, and it was obvious that they suffered a lot in their daily lives.

"Tell me, who are you? Why do you appear in this sea area?" Zhu Tan asked in a cold tone.

Several Japanese pirates trembled in fear. One of them said in stiff Ming official language: "Reply... reply to your words, we are fishermen from Nagasaki. We are just out fishing and... have no intention of offending the Celestial Empire. Please spare our lives!"

"Fishermen?" Zhu Tan sneered, "Fishermen dressed like this? And carrying swords? Do you think I'm a fool?"

The Japanese pirate was so frightened that he trembled all over and kowtowed to beg for mercy:
"Master, please spare my life! We are not fishermen, but soldiers of the Nagasaki garrison. We have been ordered to patrol here and gather information..."

"To get information?" Zhu Tan's eyes flashed with a gleam of light, "What information?"

"Reply... reply to your words, we heard that the Ming navy was going to attack Nagasaki, so... so the general sent us out to get information..."

"Humph, it seems like you guys are well-informed."

Zhu Tan sneered, "Tell me, what is the current situation in Nagasaki? Is the Japanese pirate leader Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the city?"

The Japanese pirate did not dare to hide anything and quickly told everything he knew. It turned out that Toyotomi Hideyoshi was not in Nagasaki at the time, but was in Kyoto, commanding the Japanese pirates to resist the attack of the Ming army. There were only 5,000 defenders in Nagasaki, led by a general named Konishi Yukinaga.

"Konishi Yukinaga..." Zhu Tan repeated the name in a low voice, with a cold light flashing in his eyes.

"I have heard of this man a little bit. He is said to be a fierce general among the Japanese pirates. General Lan, what do you think?"

Lan Yu stepped forward, clasped his fists and said:

"Your Highness, these Japanese pirates are very cunning. They deliberately spread false news to lure us to attack Nagasaki. Maybe they want to lure us to Nagasaki and then concentrate their forces to encircle and annihilate our army!"

"Well, General Lan's words make sense." Zhu Tan nodded, "Then according to the general's opinion, how should we deal with it?"

"In my opinion, we should take advantage of the situation and continue to attack Nagasaki as planned." Lan Yu's eyes flashed with ruthlessness, "I don't believe that with the powerful strength of the Ming Navy, we can't do anything to a mere Nagasaki!"

"Yeah, that makes sense."

Zhu Tan pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Pass the order, the entire army continues to march towards Nagasaki! Also, send an elite team to secretly sneak into Kyushu Island and explore the route to Kyoto. After we capture Nagasaki, we will go straight to Huanglong and capture Toyotomi Hideyoshi alive!"

"Yes!"

Inside the ship, all the generals responded in unison, their eyes sparkling with excitement.

Half a day later.

"Your Highness, Nagasaki is just ahead."

Lan Yu walked up to Zhu Tan, pointed at the vaguely visible coastline in the distance and said:

"I have already sent people to investigate. The Japanese pirates have set up heavy defenses in the port. It seems that they are well prepared."

Zhu Tan smiled slightly and said nonchalantly: "Humph, so what if you are prepared? They are just a bunch of clowns. This time, I came here to catch them all in one fell swoop!"

A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Lan Yu's eyes, and he nodded:
"Your Highness is right! I will make arrangements right away and make sure these pirates never return!"

In order to find out the strength of Nagasaki Port, Lan Yu selected several of the fastest warships from the fleet, formed a vanguard fleet, and arrived outside Nagasaki Port first.

He stood at the bow, raised his telescope, and carefully observed the movements in the harbor.

There were indeed many Japanese pirate warships anchored in the harbor, with masts standing tall and flags flying, looking like they were heavily defended.

Lan Yu spat and said to the deputy general beside him:

"Take a few people with you and sneak in under the cover of night to see how many troops they have and where they are deployed!"

"Yes!"

The deputy general took the order, gathered several soldiers who were familiar with water, took weapons and equipment, and sneaked into Nagasaki Port under the cover of night.

A few hours later, the reconnaissance team returned to the vanguard fleet and reported what they had discovered to Lan Yu.

"General, the Japanese pirates have deployed at least hundreds of warships in the port, and they are all equipped with artillery. It seems that they are well prepared."

The deputy general whispered:
"I also discovered that there are artillery batteries on the hills surrounding the port, which can block the entire port. It may not be easy to force your way in."

After hearing this, Lan Yu frowned and fell into deep thought.

He knew that although the Japanese pirates were not very strong in combat, they were always cunning and liked to play tricks, so they had to be guarded against.

If we attack rashly, we will most likely fall into their ambush.

In order to further understand the enemy situation, Lan Yu decided to send out another small team.

Secret landing near Nagasaki.

Catch a few "tongues" and interrogate them.

"All of you, be smart! Find a secluded place to go ashore, and bring back a few alive. I'll reward you handsomely! If you come back empty-handed, I'll show you how I'll deal with you!"

Late at night, Lan Yu stood on a small boat and gave stern orders to several fully armed soldiers.

"Yes!"

Several soldiers responded in unison, then jumped onto another small boat and, under the cover of night, quietly rowed towards the shore.

The next morning, the small team escorted several Japanese pirates who were tied up and returned to Lan Yu's warship.

"General, these people are all civilians from nearby villages. I have interrogated them. They said that there are not many troops in Nagasaki. Most of them are old, weak, sick and disabled. There are not many soldiers who can really fight well."

A soldier stepped forward and reported.

When Lan Yu heard this, he was immediately delighted.

He had the Japanese pirates untied, and then asked with a smile:
"Do you know the defense situation of Nagasaki Port?"

These Japanese pirates were still somewhat frightened.

But seeing Lan Yu's friendly look, he became a little bolder.

He nodded and said:
"I know! We often hang out near the port and know the situation there very well!"

"Oh? Then tell me, how many Japanese pirates are there in Nagasaki Port? What are their weapons and equipment?"

Lan Yu asked with interest.

"Reply... Replying to the general, there are about 5,000 Japanese pirates stationed in Nagasaki Harbor, but most of them are old, weak, sick and disabled, and there are probably only 2,000 to 3,000 of them who can really fight. Their weapons and equipment are also very poor. Apart from a few cannons looted from the Ming Dynasty, they only have some swords, guns, sticks and clubs left."

A Japanese pirate said tremblingly.

"Humph, a bunch of rabble!" Lan Yu snorted disdainfully:
"So, this Nagasaki Castle is simply an undefended empty city?"

"General, you are wise!" Several Japanese pirates nodded and flattered him. "With your bravery, it will be easy to capture Nagasaki!"

Lan Yu laughed loudly, already having a plan in mind.

He decided to catch the Japanese pirates off guard!
……

"General, it's getting late. Are you planning a night attack?"

A personal soldier came to Lan Yu and asked in a low voice.

Lan Yu looked at the gradually dimming Nagasaki Port in the distance, a sneer appearing on the corner of his mouth.

On the ship were fully armed Ming army soldiers.

They all had solemn expressions and sharp eyes.

In order to avoid alerting the enemy, Lan Yu did not order an attack on the Japanese pirate warships in the port.

Instead, they chose to land at a remote beach and then head straight for Nagasaki City.

According to the information provided by those Japanese pirates.

There were not many defenders in Nagasaki Castle, and most of them were old, weak, sick and disabled and could not withstand a single blow.

As long as we can quickly break through the city gate and capture Nagasaki General Toyotomi Hideyoshi alive, this battle can be easily won!

Thinking of this, Lan Yu couldn't help feeling a little proud.

He seemed to have seen himself leading the army into Nagasaki Castle.

Kill all the Japanese pirates without leaving a single one alive.

The scene of asking for credit in front of His Majesty.

"kill!"

With a roar, the Ming army soldiers rushed ashore like a tide and ran towards Nagasaki Castle. (End of this chapter)