Chapter 97: Open the Chest! Great Harvest! [Zhuge Mechanism Art]!

Clearly!

This is complete delegation of authority to Zhu Ying.

The Danning Border Army, including logistics troops, numbered over fifty thousand soldiers.

This figure naturally came after countless casualties in the Danning Border Army; at the war’s outset, the Danning Border Army had received imperial orders to strike north against the Jian Nu , ostensibly to quell banditry in Danning and end its chaos, but in secret, it was the imperial court’s plan to draw the Yuan remnants’ attention.

And this strategy had succeeded.

During the great battle, the Danning Border Army’s casualties were naturally heavy.

Bu Wan.

The Prefect of Danning and Regional Military Commissioner, he oversaw not only civil affairs but also commanded over fifty thousand border troops.

Now Zhu Ying will issue military orders and command the Danning Border Army.

This means that on the surface, Bu Wan is the commander, but in matters of military leadership, even Bu Wan follows Zhu Ying.

“My lord, this cannot be done,” Zhu Ying said immediately.

Bu Wan raised his hand and smiled: “Since the northern frontier until now, General Zhu’s command abilities have been evident to all—this is something a civil official like me could never match.”

“Don’t you see how these Huaixi generals exclude and resent our Danning Border Army?”

“To be frank with you.”

“Since I led twenty thousand troops under their command, I’ve never once been given the chance to fight or kill an enemy—I’ve only handled logistics.”

“Our Danning Border Army soldiers have long resented this, deeply dissatisfied: why can’t we take the field and kill? They say our Danning is not part of the imperial court’s core, yet we are still Ming soldiers, guarding the border for years, constantly clashing with foreign tribes—why can’t we fight?”

“I am utterly helpless regarding these grievances.”

“Every time we hold a military council, the Huaixi generals dominate the discussion and never give us a chance to request battle,” Bu Wan sighed, filled with helplessness.

Chen Heng and Liu Zhen’s faces also bore expressions of suppressed anger.

“These Huaixi generals not only act arrogantly, but also delight in excluding those outside their circle.”

“In their eyes, only they, the Huaixi, deserve credit for victories; if you don’t follow their will, they target you.”

“Grain, supplies, weapons, and equipment are all under their control.”

“And.”

“They don’t even respect General Feng Sheng—when Bu my lord meets with the General to raise the issue, those Huaixi generals still treat it as nothing,” Chen Heng said coldly.

“These Huaixi toughs really do take arrogance to the extreme,” Zhu Ying couldn’t help but remark.

When under Fu Youde’s command,

Zhu Ying had also seen the arrogance of Zhao Yong and other Huaixi toughs, but compared to Lan Yu and others, they seemed somewhat less extreme.

“Indeed, they are arrogant and overbearing.”

“But…”

Bu Wan smiled, a hint of satisfaction appearing on his face: “But now it’s different—you’ve broken Kaiyuan City, dealing Lan Yu and the others a major blow.”

“You don’t know how furious they looked when they heard you’d taken Jincheng.”

“So when they attacked Kaiyuan later, Lan Yu spared no effort, determined to claim the honor of capturing the city, lest his Huaixi generals appear too incompetent and lose the Emperor’s favor.”

“But you broke Kaiyuan outright and killed Haralachang.”

“That made Lan Yu and the others lose face and suffer a heavy defeat.”

“Watching their expressions was truly satisfying.”

Bu Wan laughed heartily.

Clearly,

after being sidelined by Lan Yu and the others for so long, Bu Wan had finally gotten his revenge.

“Excellent.”

“This time, they truly suffered a crushing defeat.”

“And we’ve finally had our revenge.”

Chen Heng and Liu Zhen laughed, clearly delighted.

“Since returning from the northern frontier to the Ming, I’ve felt the Huaixi generals’ exclusion.”

“Zhao Yong, Wang Bi.”

“They also excluded me fiercely.”

“The reason I was allowed to lead troops against Jincheng and capture it was because those two wanted to see me humiliated—but the outcome was far from what they expected.”

“Huaixi.”

“Hmph,” Zhu Ying sneered—he had grown thoroughly displeased with these Huaixi toughs through days of interaction.

“Zhu Ying.”

Otherwise,

Bu Wan’s expression turned serious.

“Please speak, my lord.”

Zhu Ying said at once.

“When you were granted your title, did you discern the Emperor’s true intent?” Bu Wan asked with grave seriousness.

“Before I met these arrogant Huaixi officers, I did not understand the Emperor’s intent.”

“But after meeting them, I understood.”

“The Emperor is deeply dissatisfied with these arrogant Huaixi officers,” Zhu Ying said solemnly.

Seeing Zhu Ying grasp the meaning, Bu Wan nodded with a smile: “Good that you understand.”

“Before our Great Ming’s founding, and even now after twenty years of rule, Huaixi has been the standard-bearer of our army, wielding immense influence within our military.”

“Precisely because of this, many Huaixi generals are arrogant, disregard laws, cling to their merits, and hold no one in regard.”

“The Emperor wishes to cultivate new-generation generals to weaken Huaixi’s influence, but for years no outstanding talent has emerged—except perhaps General Mu Ying, the Emperor’s adopted son, stationed in Yunnan.”

“But that is not enough,” Bu Wan said slowly.

“In the army, Huaixi dominates entirely; they forbid others from competing for battle honors—that’s why few new-generation generals ever rise,” Zhu Ying said, cutting to the core.

Huaixi is a circle—an interest circle.

Outsiders find it nearly impossible to join.

Of course,

Zhu Ying knew history.

In the future, these Huaixi toughs—or the entire Huaixi faction—would meet no good end.

If history remained unchanged,

they would perish with the downfall of Crown Prince Zhu Biao.

The Emperor’s thunderous wrath, the purge and slaughter—Huaixi would cease to exist.

Ultimately,

they were generals, but imperial power still controlled everything.

“Now that you’ve been granted a title, the Emperor and Crown Prince are paying you special attention—but Lan Yu and the others will surely target you even more. Taking Jincheng, breaking Kaiyuan—these are great achievements, and they believe you stole them from them. You must be extremely cautious; open spears are easy to dodge, but hidden arrows are hard to guard against,” Bu Wan warned earnestly.

The reason for this gathering today

was precisely for Bu Wan to emphasize caution to Zhu Ying.

“My lord,”

“Now that General Zhu has received such imperial favor, and the Emperor and Crown Prince hold him in such high regard, surely those Huaixi toughs won’t dare act recklessly?” Liu Zhen asked, surprised.

“Hmph.”

“You’ve only commanded in the border army—you don’t understand real court politics.”

“The words ‘interest’ and ‘power’!”

“They carry too much weight.”

“For the sake of interest, many will stop at nothing.”

“Your existence threatens the interests of these Huaixi generals. We’ve discerned the Emperor’s intent—do you think they haven’t?” Bu Wan sneered.

The emergence of a new-generation general,

the future standard-bearer of the army,

may seem like just a label, but its future significance is immense.

For example, when the Ming next campaigns against the Yuan remnants or foreign states, previously only Huaixi generals could be chosen—but if Zhu Ying does not disappoint the Emperor and becomes the true new-generation standard-bearer, then it will be Zhu Ying leading the armies, not the Huaixi.

Campaigning!

Means battle merit.

Means promotion and noble titles.

Means greater imperial rewards.

The implications are obvious.

If “interest” still doesn’t capture it, then they are political enemies.

“My lord, rest assured.”

“I’m not afraid of them,” Zhu Ying said confidently.

Open spears are easy to dodge, hidden arrows hard to guard against.

Zhu Ying wasn’t afraid of hidden arrows.

“Enough.”

“I’ve said all I needed to say today.”

I will personally oversee the reorganization of the troops.

I will also assign and replace the soldiers lost in your Qianshi Camp.

“You are now the standard-bearer of our Da Ning frontier army—your combat strength cannot be diminished,” Bu Wan said with a smile.

“Thank you, my lord,” Zhu Ying immediately bowed and thanked him.

“You’re exhausted from today’s battle—go rest well.”

“Strive to complete the army’s reorganization within these few days, then advance for the offensive.”

“Perhaps it’s because you’ve arrived that our Da Ning frontier army finally has a worthy offensive mission.”

“I’m sure this news will uplift the troops,” Bu Wan said with a smile.

…

Inside the camp!

Inside Zhu Ying’s tent.

Zhu Ying had already removed his battle armor, washed up, and changed into a new uniform.

He now stared eagerly at his rewards.

“One first-rank treasure chest for every attribute exceeding three thousand.”

“One first-rank treasure chest for killing over three thousand enemies.”

“Killing Harla Zhang granted one first-rank treasure chest.”

“Plus two ordinary treasure chests from the imperial edict.”

Zhu Ying lay on his bed, hands behind his head, eagerly anticipating.

“By the way.”

“Rank and title advancement grants treasure chest rewards,” Zhu Ying snapped back to awareness.

“Claim treasure chest rewards,” Zhu Ying communicated with the interface.

“Host promoted to [Deputy Commandant], rewarded with one first-rank treasure chest.”

“Host promoted to [Non-hereditary County Marquis], rewarded with one ordinary treasure chest.”

“Host promoted to [Hereditary County Marquis], rewarded with one first-rank treasure chest,” the interface prompted.

“Five first-rank treasure chests, three ordinary treasure chests.”

“Eight treasure chests total.”

“Martial arts, divine weapons, all kinds of treasures—anything will do,” Zhu Ying said with anticipation.

Then,

“Open all treasure chests,” Zhu Ying ordered.

The moment of excitement arrived.

“Open three ordinary treasure chests.”

“Obtained [800 gold].”

“Obtained [Luminous Night Pearl].”

“Obtained [Premium Hemostatic Powder] twenty vials.”

“Open five first-rank treasure chests.”

“Obtained [Fire-Cart] complete blueprints.”

“Obtained Xuan-class low-grade martial art [Postnatal Mystery Art].”

“Obtained Huang-class upper-grade legacy [Zhuge Mechanism Art].”

“Obtained [Century-old Ginseng] ten roots.”

“Obtained Huang-class low-grade [Seven-Star Precious Blade],” the interface prompted.

“Gold—I have more gold than I can ever spend.”

“The Night Pearl—sounds decent; at least I won’t have to endure this dim candlelight anymore.”

“Premium Hemostatic Powder—fine enough.”

Seeing the results of the three ordinary treasure chests, Zhu Ying remained calm.

After all, ordinary treasure chests were the most basic—no high expectations, just luck. Still, there was always a chance of getting something good.

In Zhu Ying’s view, the most valuable item among the three was the Night Pearl.

Two lives lived.

He had once enjoyed the technology of the modern world; coming to this era had been torture, but after so many years, Zhu Ying had grown accustomed to it.

Every night, the candlelight was faint and dim.

“Let’s see this Night Pearl.”

Zhu Ying thought.

He directly summoned the Night Pearl.

A fist-sized Night Pearl appeared in his hand.

The moment it appeared, a moonlight-like glow spread, illuminating the entire tent far more clearly than candlelight.

“This thing is much brighter than an ordinary Night Pearl—sell it and it’s worth a fortune,” Zhu Ying remarked.

Still,

Zhu Ying didn’t dwell on it—he immediately stored it in his storage space.

He’d need it later.

“Fire-Cart.”

“This is a devastating weapon that won’t appear for another few decades.”

“Over a hundred crossbow cannons integrated into a single war cart, powered by gunpowder—immense destructive power.”

“Excellent.”

Looking at the first item from the first-rank treasure chests,

Zhu Ying knew well the weapon’s power: in battle, it far surpassed single crossbows—when enemy cavalry charged, its full destructive potential would be unleashed.

In the future, it would surely find its use.

“Xuan-class low-grade martial art.”

“[Postnatal Mystery Art],” Zhu Ying’s eyes immediately burned with heat.

Especially at the Xuan-class tier.

This was the second Xuan-class item he had ever obtained.

The first was the Heart-Protecting Pill—for survival.

Now came this martial art.

“The value of this Xuan-class martial art is certainly immense.”

“Extract.”

Zhu Ying eagerly extracted the martial art.

Then,

A surge stirred within his consciousness,

and the entire martial art was fully memorized by Zhu Ying.

At the same time,

his attributes appeared before him:

[Postnatal Mystery Art]: Cultivating one day increases 15 points of internal qi and 15 points of spirit. [Actual cultivation effects diminish as total attributes increase.]

“If the Iron Body Art trains the body and strength, then this Postnatal Mystery Art trains internal qi and spirit.”

“External vs. internal arts,” Zhu Ying thought silently.

As his total attributes increased, daily cultivation of the Iron Body Art still boosted strength, constitution, and endurance—but the gains were no longer as strong as before.

Still,

cultivating internal qi,

might yield unexpected results in the future.

Of course,

Zhu Ying’s body was data-driven—his strength grew with his total attributes, and cultivation merely added polish; killing enemies and gaining attributes remained the true path.

“Zhuge Mechanism Art.”

“Could this be the legacy of the former Han Chancellor Zhuge Liang?”

“Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse? Zhuge’s repeating crossbow?”

Seeing the Zhuge Mechanism Art, Zhu Ying immediately thought of Zhuge Liang.

Marshal Zhuge Liang.

Who in all of Han China didn’t know him?

Who didn’t revere his unwavering loyalty to the state, who didn’t honor his devotion until death?

His abilities, of course, needed no elaboration.

Still,

beyond his wisdom and strategy, there was his Mechanism Art.

In later generations, the Wooden Ox and Flowing Horse, Zhuge’s repeating crossbow—all had been lost to time.

But without doubt, the Mechanism Art within this legacy was extraordinary.

This time, the chest really exploded with loot.

Zhu Ying thought with great delight: “We’ve hit the jackpot.”

Then,

“Extract the Zhuge Mechanism Art inheritance.” Zhu Ying immediately extracted it.

The next moment,

a surge stirred within his consciousness.

A torrent of fundamental knowledge—indeed, the entire legacy of Zhuge Wuhou’s Mechanism Art—flooded directly into Zhu Ying’s consciousness.

Even though his mental strength now far surpassed that of an ordinary person, he still sank into the profundities of the Mechanism Art for a long while.

“Zhuge Wuhou—his reputation is well-deserved!”

“Such exquisite Mechanism Art, such ingenious devices—not only useful in war, but also in daily life.”

“Wuhou, rest assured.”

“Your humble descendant Zhu Ying will surely revive and spread your Mechanism Art to its full glory.”

Zhu Ying slowly opened his eyes, stunned by the Mechanism Art, yet also filled with a vision to unleash its full potential.

Without doubt,

among the five first-rank chests, the most valuable treasure was unquestionably the [Zhuge Mechanism Art].

For it contained Zhuge Wuhou’s lifetime mastery of Mechanism Art, holding boundless potential—surely granting Zhu Ying endless benefits in the future.

“Century-old ginseng—a rare item. Keep it.”

“Seven-Star Saber.”

“Could this be the same one from the Three Kingdoms era?”

Zhu Ying felt anticipation.

He extracted it immediately.

Any weapon of rank is no simple thing—it can slice through iron as if it were mud, truly a divine blade.

As the saber was extracted,

a battle blade nearly three feet long appeared, forged from what looked like chilled steel, radiating a biting cold so intense that even a hair falling upon its edge would snap.

This was no dagger or short blade—it was a standard battle saber, meant to be worn at the waist.

“Now I’m fully equipped.”

“The Tiger-Head Great Knife is Huang Jie mid-grade.”

“The Qinghong Sword is Huang Jie low-grade.”

“This Seven-Star Saber is also Huang Jie low-grade.”

“All of them are ranked.”

“From now on, I can use these for close combat—no need to draw the sword,” Zhu Ying thought with delight.

In today’s Great Ming, perhaps in this era,

the blade’s lethality far surpasses that of the sword; thus, in the Great Ming army, all soldiers carry sabers and long spears—not swords.

The sword!

A symbol of status, worn by commanders.

But now I’m fully equipped.

“This time, we really hit the jackpot.”

“Martial arts, weapons, Mechanism Art legacy.”

“I really owe thanks to Old Zhu and his son,” Zhu Ying thought contentedly.

My wings are not yet full—I still need to rely on the Great Ming to obtain what I desire.

Of course,

I’ve lived two lives.

And now, with combat power beyond ordinary men, Zhu Ying could never remain a loyal subject forever—he has gained immortality, and his future is limitless!

“Attribute panel.”

Zhu Ying summoned his attribute panel.

His gaze fell upon it.

Host: Zhu Ying

Age: 14 years

Internal Qi: 3068 points

Strength: 3145 points

Speed: 3122 points

Constitution: 3112 points

Endurance: 3123 points

Mental: 3084 points

Lifespan: 112 years, 28,212 days

Storage Space: 39 cubic feet

Martial Art: Cross-Linking Art [Increases 5 points Strength, 5 points Constitution, 5 points Endurance per day of cultivation]

Postnatal Mystery Art…

Combat Techniques: Stored Power Slash [Mid-stage], Wild Dance Blade Art [Mid-stage], Mountain-Shattering Fist [Early-stage], Divine Arrow Rapid-Fire [Mid-stage], Tiger Roar Art [Early-stage], Golden Bell Shield [Early-stage].

…

“The gains this time are truly immense!”

“All attributes broke three thousand, and I gained so many chests.”

“We hit the jackpot.”

Looking at his current attribute panel, Zhu Ying was deeply satisfied.

After a moment of calm,

Zhu Ying’s spiritual sense turned to his storage space.

“Fine steel longsword, fine steel saber.”

“I’ll bestow them upon Liu Lei.”

“Though inferior to ranked weapons, they’re still considered divine blades within the army.”

Zhu Ying immediately summoned forth the two weapons he had used.

Then,

“Liu Lei.”

Zhu Ying called out toward the camp’s entrance.

“Your servant is here.”

Liu Lei strode in.

He bowed deeply before Zhu Ying.

“How is the Personal Guard Camp?” Zhu Ying asked with a smile.

“My lord,”

“New personal guards are being screened—all prioritized from among the veteran brothers, following the old rule: we await your review of the list before finalizing,” Liu Lei replied at once.

“Good.”

Zhu Ying nodded with a smile.

Then he pointed to the two weapons beside him.

Liu Lei followed Zhu Ying’s gaze.

“I bestow this longsword and short saber upon you,” Zhu Ying said.

“My lord,”

“Aren’t these your own blades?”

“Your servant dares not accept them,” Liu Lei bowed again.

“I now have better weapons. These two are yours—take them.”

Zhu Ying waved his hand.

Liu Lei glanced at the Tiger-Head Great Knife beside him and understood.

“Your servant thanks my lord for this great favor.”

Liu Lei bowed deeply.

“Take them and go.”

Zhu Ying smiled.

Liu Lei.

He was utterly loyal—this saber was given to the right man.

“Thank you, my lord!” Liu Lei’s face flushed with excitement; he held the saber with both hands and walked out of the tent, beaming.

Meanwhile,

Zhu Ying wore a thoughtful expression.

“Cross-Linking Art—this external cultivation art enhances strength and forges the body.”

"My personal guards are utterly loyal; perhaps I can find a suitable opportunity to teach them."

"If so, their strength will also improve, which is equivalent to my own strength improving," Zhu Ying thought silently.

At this moment.

He had already given it some thought.

Personal guards!

Without a doubt.

They are a crucial part of my power, and all of them are utterly loyal to me.

Now that I have been promoted to [Regional Military Commissioner], my personal guard force has grown to four hundred men.

The higher one’s rank in the military, the greater one’s status, and the more personal guards one receives—this is a grace bestowed by the Emperor.

His gaze shifted.

Liu Lei left the tent, carrying the battle blade.

Many of the personal guards turned their eyes toward him.

"Deputy Battalion Commander."

"What are you doing with the General’s battle blade?"

One of the personal guards asked with a chuckle.

Hearing this,

Liu Lei swept his eyes around with supreme arrogance and grinned: "The General gave me these two weapons—they’re mine now."

Upon hearing this,

Many of the personal guards wore expressions of envy.

"Where are Wei Garrison Commander and the others?"

"I’m going to find them," Liu Lei asked with a smile.

His desire to show off was completely evident.

…

(End of Chapter)