Chapter 33: Old Zhu's Delight! Raise the Little Horn!

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At the capital garrison, the vast parade ground lay shrouded in solemn grandeur.

The sky was as blue as a sapphire, and sunlight poured down without restraint. A mighty army stood ready for battle. Rows of spears and armor gleamed beneath the sun with a cold, dazzling brilliance, while banners snapped fiercely in the wind, blotting out the heavens and stretching for more than twenty miles from the edge of the parade ground. Their brilliant colors were as splendid as brocade, forming what seemed to be a surging ocean made entirely of flags.

Of course, that was merely how people spoke. In reality, there were nowhere near a million men—only twenty or thirty thousand elite soldiers.

The Great Ming had mobilized a total of three hundred thousand troops for this campaign, while the thirty thousand elite soldiers before them had all been drawn from the capital army.

“Drunk, I raise a lamp to gaze upon my sword; in dreams, I return to the bugles sounding through the encampments.

“Eight hundred miles away, roasted meat is distributed among the soldiers; fifty strings play the music of the frontier. On the battlefield, autumn comes as the troops are reviewed.”

Every soldier stood tall and spirited, determination and fearlessness shining in his eyes. They had long since made all their preparations. All they awaited was a single order from the emperor before setting off for the battlefield in Yunnan.

Just as Old Zhu drew a deep breath and prepared to issue the command to march, an incongruous voice suddenly came from behind him.

“Grandfather, is your voice really that loud?” Zhu Gaochi poked his head out like a rattling drum, asking as he leaned forward, “Can you really shout loud enough for every soldier on the parade ground to hear you?”

Everyone froze on the spot. They looked at one another, astonishment written across their faces. A moment later, dark lines seemed to crawl silently across their foreheads.

Guo Ying glared fiercely at his wayward disciple, his eyes seeming to say, What on earth is wrong with this child? Why does he keep saying such nonsensical things?

Then he patiently explained, “How could any man’s voice possibly carry that far? Naturally, soldiers with powerful voices are stationed along both sides of the formation, passing His Majesty’s words along one after another!”

“Huh? How can that do?” The little chubby boy immediately perked up. “The soldiers are about to march onto the battlefield and carve out new territory for Great Ming. If they could personally hear the emperor’s earnest words with their own ears, wouldn’t their blood boil? Wouldn’t they spiral straight into the heavens, gain boundless power, explode right where they stood, and feel so good they wouldn’t know what to do with themselves…”

Before he could finish, Old Zhu slapped him across the forehead.

“You insolent brat! What kind of nonsense are you spouting?”

What did he mean by exploding on the spot? What did he mean by spiraling into the heavens? What did he mean by possessing boundless power? What kind of ridiculous phrases were those?

Guo Ying’s eyes lit up. He hurriedly said, “Your Majesty, perhaps Gaochi means that he has a way to amplify Your Majesty’s voice so that every soldier can hear your imperial words!”

At those words, even Old Zhu could not help being tempted.

Having someone relay his words and having the soldiers hear Zhu Yuanzhang speak directly were two entirely different things!

Without a doubt, if every soldier in the three armies could hear the voice of the Son of Heaven of Great Ming, it would be an extraordinarily powerful stimulant for their morale and fighting spirit, instantly driving the army’s determination to its peak.

With that thought, Old Zhu pulled the little chubby boy before him. His face instantly filled with smiles, his eyes narrowing into slits as he asked warmly, “Good grandson, do you truly have a way?”

Without the slightest hesitation, Zhu Gaochi extended five fingers. A crafty smile spread across his face.

“Five thousand taels, thank you very much. No bargaining!”

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Old Zhu: “?”

The assembled generals: “?”

What the hell?

He really had the nerve to ask!

Did he have a death wish, demanding money from the emperor of Great Ming?

The smile on Old Zhu’s face froze on the spot. He clenched his teeth and forced out the words through the gaps between them.

“You little brat, don’t push your luck. I just gave you fifty thousand taels!”

“Tch, that wasn’t for me.” Zhu Gaochi shook his head, looking utterly unconcerned as he explained, “That was capital for purchasing the spyglasses. What does that have to do with me? Grandfather, hurry up and pay. It’s getting late, and I still have to build the device!”

Old Zhu suppressed the raging fire in his heart. In the end, the temptation of having the soldiers hear his voice directly overcame his anger. He nodded helplessly.

“Five thousand taels it is. Now hurry up and make it!”

Zhu Gaochi immediately departed with a beaming smile, directing the craftsmen to get to work.

The assembled generals were deeply astonished by the sight.

His Majesty seemed remarkably fond of the eldest legitimate son of the Prince of Yan!

Yet none of them dared say a word. They merely committed the matter silently to memory, and without realizing it, their wariness of the little chubby boy rose another level.

Before long, Zhu Gaochi had finished building the device. In truth, it was simply a large wooden megaphone. Calling it a megaphone was generous—it was merely the most basic sound amplifier, mounted on a wooden stand. It was nothing more than a child’s toy, but in this age, few people could have imagined how to create such a thing.

Afterward, Zhu Gaochi climbed onto the platform and tugged at Old Zhu’s imperial robe as he spoke.

“Grandfather, you can stand right here later. That will do. However, your appearance isn’t quite right. Since this is a military departure, you need to look imposing. You’re missing something in your hand. Where’s the imperial sword? Bring it over. Now that is what I call霸—”

“Also, there’s this. I just wrote you a speech. You must have one of those. You need to bring out your authority…”

Everyone stared in stunned silence at the scene before them. The old emperor allowed the little chubby boy to arrange him as he pleased, showing not the slightest sign of anger. On the contrary, he was smiling broadly.

What in the world was going on?

When the appointed hour arrived, Old Zhu made a magnificent entrance.

Under Zhu Gaochi’s careful design, the Son of Heaven of Great Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang, appeared in imposing imperial battle robes. With the gleaming imperial sword in hand, he steadily ascended the reviewing platform.

His upright figure resembled the blazing sun suspended high in the heavens. His entire body radiated boundless majesty, as though he were the master of all beneath the sky.

The soldiers saw the Son of Heaven standing before the enormous megaphone, a three-foot sword in his hand. His chest rose slightly as he drew a deep breath. Then, with passionate force, he shouted:

“I am the Son of Heaven of Great Ming—Zhu Yuanzhang!”

The moment they heard those words, the soldiers went wild. Their eyes widened, and they spontaneously roared at the tops of their lungs:

“Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor! Long live, long live, long live!”

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Around the parade ground, banners fluttered in the wind with a fierce, resounding snap. The thirty thousand soldiers raised their halberds and saluted in perfect unison, every movement vigorous and powerful. Together, they shouted “Long live!” with such force that the cry shook the heavens, as though it meant to make the entire world tremble.

It was no wonder the soldiers were so excited. Whenever the Son of Heaven had spoken in the past, several hundred soldiers with voices like thunder had been stationed among the ranks to repeat his words verbatim, one after another, so that those at the rear could hear.

But the voices that reached the soldiers’ ears had not come from the Son of Heaven himself!

Only today did the soldiers in the lower ranks finally hear the voice of their sovereign father.

A voice like rolling thunder shook heaven and earth; its force resembled a river overturning and a flood dragon surging through the waves!

This was the sovereign father of Great Ming.

This was the Son of Heaven of Great Ming!

No one had imagined that the mere appearance of a giant megaphone could drive the entire army into such a frenzy.

Zhu Yuanzhang, too, was infected by the earth-shaking roar. His excited face flushed crimson.

His eyes blazed with fierce determination.

He clenched both fists, his knuckles cracking, his entire face flushed red.

An indescribable excitement filled Zhu Yuanzhang’s heart, making him feel as though he had once again found the sensation of campaigning across the battlefields in his youth.

These were his fierce warriors of Great Ming!

These were his battle-hardened royal troops!

Zhu Yuanzhang raised both hands and savored the moment with a blissful expression.

Only now did he finally understand what it meant to stand supreme beneath heaven.

No wonder the little chubby boy had urged him so insistently to put on this spectacle!

So this was what it felt like. It was exquisite—so exquisite that it was intoxicating.

This was satisfying.

This time, it was truly, unbelievably satisfying!

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