Chapter 151: Resistance

In the seventh year of Hongwu, at the end of March, at Fenghou City.

The rain stopped, but the sky remained gloomy.

On the open ground outside the city, a massive capital tower was being erected.

It was the heads of Fenghou City's garrison, totaling more than 13,000.

Ming soldiers, expressionless, stacked the heads layer by layer, with Prince Huailiang's head placed on the topmost layer.

The Southern Court "Emperor" died with his eyes wide open in fury, his face still frozen with resentment.

Li Wenzhong stood before the capital tower, hands clasped behind his back, his expression calm.

Zhu Yong stood beside him, looking at the tower made of human heads, saying nothing.

From Kagoshima to Fenghou City, five capital towers had already been built along the way, with the total number of heads exceeding 30,000.

"Yong Er, do you think our killing is ruthless enough?" Li Wenzhong suddenly asked.

Zhu Yong thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Cousin, I don't understand that, but war is about killing people; if they resist, they must die."

Li Wenzhong laughed, patted Zhu Yong's shoulder and said, "You're right; resistance means death, but those who surrender can live."

He turned and looked at the surrendered commander kneeling beside him in Fenghou City, a man in his fifties named Juchi Wuguang, a trusted retainer of Prince Huailiang.

"Juchi Wuguang, your surrender was timely enough to save the lives of the city's civilians, but you warriors still must die."

Li Wenzhong said lightly.

Juchi Wuguang fell to the ground and bowed, his voice trembling, "I… understand…"

"Understanding is enough. Take him away for execution," Li Wenzhong waved his hand and said.

Imperial Troops stepped forward and dragged Juchi Wuguang away.

More than three hundred surrendered warriors of Fenghou City were also executed; they were taken to the riverbank, beheaded, and their heads thrown into the river.

Fresh blood again stained the river red.

The townspeople hid in their homes, trembling as they heard the cries of horror outside.

But they knew that compared with the garrison whose heads were built into capital towers, they were already far luckier.

At least they were still alive.

"Send the order: rest for three days, and after three days continue northward," Li Wenzhong commanded.

The Ming army rested in Fenghou City.

Three days later, on the second day of early April, the Ming army continued its northward advance.

The target: the border of the Northern Court, Chikuzen Country.

……

Meanwhile, in the Northern Court's capital, the Ashikaga Shogunate.

General Zuoli Yiman sat on the Main Seat, his face grim.

Below him sat the Northern Court's senior civil and military officials, each with a solemn expression.

"The Southern Court… has perished, Prince Huailiang committed suicide, Fenghou City was slaughtered, capital towers built…" Zuoli Yiman said slowly.

His voice echoed through the hall, carrying a barely perceptible tremor.

"Where is the Ming army now?" he asked again.

A warrior stepped forward, kneeling, and said, "Report, General, the Ming army left Fenghou City three days ago and is marching toward Chikuzen Country; the vanguard… the vanguard is less than a hundred li from Chikuzen's border."

A murmur spread through the hall.

"So quickly…"

"Don't they need to rest?"

"The Ming army intends to fight all the way to the capital!"

Zuoli Yiman raised his hand, and the hall fell silent.

"How many troops does the Ming army have?" he asked in a low voice.

"Around… twenty thousand, but… they are all elite, well‑equipped, and there is that Zhu Yong…" the warrior's voice trembled as he mentioned the name.

Zuoli Yiman took a deep breath.

Zhu Yong.

That name has now become a synonym for demon and deity throughout Wa Country.

One hammer shatters a city gate, one man defeats a thousand troops, invincible on the battlefield…

Even more terrifying are the Ming army's weapons: armor impervious to Sword and Spear, artillery with extreme range, and those rapid‑fire muskets…

"General, the Ming army's advance is fierce; what should we… what should we do?" an elderly minister asked tremblingly.

Zuoli Yiman remained silent.

He had originally thought that pledging allegiance to Great Ming would preserve the Northern Court.

He even secretly hoped the Ming army would eradicate the Southern Court, so he could unify Wa Country.

But he did not anticipate the Ming army's such brutality.

Kagoshima built capital towers, Satsuma slaughtered warriors, marching north, killing every city they encountered…

This is not assistance; it is clearly an attempt to annihilate the nation!

"General, perhaps… perhaps we should send another envoy to seek peace with the Ming army…" another minister suggested.

"Seek peace… how? Offer Gold and Silver, women, or land…" Zuoli Yiman sneered.

He stood, walked to the center of the hall, surveyed everyone and said, "You think the Ming army will stop after destroying the Southern Court? Wrong! They are coming for the whole of Wa Country!"

The hall fell deathly silent.

"Then… then resistance…" someone whispered.

"Resistance…" a struggle flashed across Zuoli Yiman's eyes.

Resist—can we win?

The Southern Court's forty‑thousand army was wiped out in one hour.

Satsuma, Osumi, Hyuga, Higo, Buzen… the five cities fell in succession, the samurai were all slaughtered.

How to resist…

But if we don't resist, are we just waiting for the Ming army to reach the capital?

Zu Li Yi Man clenched his fist.

He is the shogun of the Muromachi Shogunate, the de facto ruler of the Northern Court.

He cannot, like those Southern Court idiots, surrender so easily.

"Send word, gather all forces, fortify Chikuzen Province, and also dispatch an envoy to meet Ming army commander Li Wenzhong to probe his attitude."

Zu Li Yi Man gritted his teeth and said.

"Marshal, if the Ming army refuses the peace overture…" the senior minister said anxiously.

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Zu Li Yi Man's eyes as he said, "If they refuse… then we fight!"

……

The fifth day of the fourth month, Chikuzen Province border.

Ming army camp.

Li Wenzhong looked at the Northern Court envoy kneeling before him, a hint of mockery at the corner of his mouth.

"Peace… how to ask for it?" he repeated those two words.

The envoy fell to the ground and said, "Marshal, the Northern Court is willing to submit to Great Ming, offering tribute: ten thousand taels of gold, one hundred thousand taels of silver, a hundred hu of pearls, a hundred beauties…"

"Just that?" Li Wenzhong interrupted him.

The envoy was startled, looked up and said, "Marshal… what else do you want?"

Li Wenzhong laughed, his laugh sending a shiver through the envoy.

"The things we want, you cannot give. We want Wa Country's Gold and Silver mines, Wa Country's land, and Wa Country's people to mine."

Li Wenzhong said slowly.

The envoy's face turned ashen.

"Go back and tell Zu Li Yi Man to open Kaicheng and surrender, hand over all Gold and Silver mine maps, turn over all samurai, and we can spare his life."

"If you dare resist…" Li Wenzhong stood, looking down from his height at the envoy as he said.

He paused, his voice turning cold as he said, "Chikuzen Province is the next Buzen City."

The envoy trembled all over, crawling and rolling out of the camp.

"Cousin, will the Northern Court surrender?" Zhu Yong asked.

Li Wenzhong shook his head and said, "No, not at least now; they haven't been hurt enough yet."

He walked to the map, pointed at Chikuzen Province and said, "Chikuzen Province has twenty thousand garrison troops, the Northern Court's elite; Zu Li Yi Man will stake all his hopes here."

"This battle must be fought ruthlessly, to drive them into total despair."

Zhu Yong nodded and said, "Then I'll lead the vanguard."

"No rush; first bombard them, crush their morale, then you strike." Li Wenzhong said.