Chapter 374: Fair and Plump Zhu Gaochi

Constantinople's dawn came especially early.

The sky hadn't fully brightened, yet the surface of the Marmara Sea already showed a pale fish‑belly white.

Zhu Yong stood on the city wall, hands behind his back, gazing west.

In the distance, Ottoman tents stretched for dozens of li, their campfires still burning, specks of light flickering in the morning mist.

Half a month had passed.

Counting from the skirmish on April 12, the allied forces of the Ottoman, Serbian, Hungarian and Wallachian states had been besieging Constantinople for a full fifteen days.

A hundred thousand troops, claimed to be two hundred thousand, encircled the millennial city so tightly that no water could flow.

But they dared not attack.

Zhu Yong's mouth twitched upward slightly.

These Europeans shouted ferociously, yet were terrified to death inside.

For the first three days, Ottoman cavalry swaggered beneath the city, waving the star‑and‑crescent flag back and forth, shouting that they would drive the Great Ming people out of Europe.

Then the Longxiang Army fired a cannon; blossom shells landed amid their ranks, blowing up a dozen men, and the rest turned and fled, never daring to come within five hundred steps of the wall again.

In the following days, the Serbians and Hungarians tried to creep over from the north side of Golden Horn Bay, hoping to launch a night raid.

Zhu Yong had already ordered a searchlight mounted on the wall; the device, a new invention of the Ministry of Works, generated power with a steam engine, and once lit, shone as bright as day.

Thousands of men crouched at the foot of the wall, illuminated clearly.

Zhu Qiong Jiong led a squad of Longxiang Army downwards, swinging the Wolf Fang Club in wide arcs, smashing those people so they cried out for their parents, leaving behind over a hundred corpses as they fled.

Later, they learned to be clever.

They stopped attacking, opting instead to encircle, hoping to starve the city's inhabitants to death.

Constantinople still stored plenty of grain, enough for more than half a year, so a siege of several months posed no fear.

But Zhu Yong did not wish to wait.

Yingtian Fu was still awaiting news, his parents still hoping for his return; lingering too long would be no good.

"Your Highness, they've raised the flag again over there," Zhang Wu walked over, pointing at the distant allied Military Camp.

Zhu Yong followed his gaze.

The Ottoman Marshal's flag rose again, a new moon embroidered in gold on black, fluttering in the morning breeze.

Under the Marshal's banner, a cluster of people could be seen gathered, pointing here and there.

"They're still deliberating," Zhu Yong said lightly.

"We've been deliberating for half a month, and still no result," Zhang Wu laughed.

Zhu Yong gave no reply.

These people don't lack the desire to fight; they simply lack the courage.

From Fan City, Ankara, Bursa, to Constantinople, they've fought their way here; they've long been scared out of their wits.

Especially the Serbians; last time he defeated them by the Danube, they fled, abandoning helmets and armor, Lazal knelt on the ground pounding his head like crushing garlic, and now they've returned with the Ottomans, but Zhu Yong knows their legs are weak.

At the other end of the wall, Zhu Qiong Jiong was leading a few veterans in cleaning their weapons.

A twelve‑year‑old boy wore a half‑worn iron armor, the Wolf Fang Club rested on the battlement, its head still stained with blood from a few days earlier.

The kid had been shouting every day for half a month to go out and fight; he was held back, and his frustration was palpable.

At this moment, while polishing his weapon and glancing west, his eyes were full of resentment.

"Father, aren't we fighting today?" he couldn't help but ask.

Zhu Yong glanced at his son and said, "Why the hurry?"

"Those people wander outside the city every day; just watching them makes me angry."

"Getting angry is exactly what they want. If you get impatient, they win."

Zhu Qiong Jiong pursed his lips, said nothing further, and continued cleaning his weapon.

Zhu Yong turned, his gaze sweeping over the garrison on the wall.

Longxiang Army soldiers sat or stood; some polished weapons, some gnawed Dry Rations, others leaned on the battlements dozing.

No one was nervous; no one was afraid.

Having fought under him for so many years, these men had long become accustomed.

A hundred thousand troops surrounded the city, which to them was no different from a hundred thousand ants.

Footsteps sounded behind him.

Zhu Yong turned back and saw Zhu Di stride up the wall, a half‑grown boy following behind.

The boy was white and plump, dressed in a half‑worn blue robe, walking at an easy pace, his face bearing a gentle smile—Zhu Gaochi, Zhu Di's eldest son, only nine years old this year.

"Second Prince." Zhu Di approached, clasping his fists and saying.

Zhu Yong nodded, his gaze settling on Zhu Gaochi.

He had met this child a year ago at Yingtian Fu; back then he was a chubby kid who hid behind his mother, too shy to speak.

Only a year had passed, and he had become much steadier.

"Gaochi has met Second Uncle," Zhu Gaochi said, bowing properly.

Zhu Yong waved his hand, signaling him to rise.

"Second Prince, I've brought this boy. In your letter you said you needed someone to help with state affairs. I thought it over; the matters in the Western Regions are being overseen by subordinates, and this boy is idle anyway, so I brought him here." Zhu Di said beside him.

Zhu Gaochi stood there, neither humble nor arrogant, a smile on his face.

Zhu Yong examined him for a moment, then asked, "What books have you read?"

"I've finished the Analects, Mencius, Great Learning and Doctrine of the Mean, and I'm now reading Zuo Zhuan and the Records of the Grand Historian," Zhu Gaochi said, his voice unhurried.

"Have you read any military treatises?"

"I've read The Art of War and Six Secret Teachings, but haven't fully grasped them."

Zhu Yong nodded and asked, "Your father said you're good at arithmetic; calculate how long the city's Grain and Fodder will last."

Zhu Gaochi thought for a moment and said, "Second Uncle, I reviewed the city's Grain and Fodder accounts last night. There are currently 30,200 shi of stored Grain, plus supplies brought from Tie Mu Er's residence. If we calculate for 80,000 garrison troops and the city's civilians, the daily consumption is about 400 shi, which can sustain us for eighty days."

"If we cut unnecessary expenses and use it sparingly, we can stretch it to one hundred days."

Zhu Yong glanced at Zhu Di. Zhu Di shrugged, indicating it wasn't his teaching.

Zhu Gaochi added, "Second Uncle, there's another discrepancy in the accounts: the gunpowder consumption reported by the armory doesn't match the actual dispatches; it's off by more than two hundred jin."

Zhu Yong raised an eyebrow and asked, "How did you notice that?"

"I discovered it while reconciling the accounts last night. The armory reported 3,600 jin, but the dispatch record shows 3,800 jin, a difference of two hundred jin."

"I sent someone to investigate; they said a entry was missed during registration, and it has now been corrected." Zhu Gaochi's voice remained calm and unhurried.

A hush fell over the city wall.

Zhang Wu, standing nearby, swallowed hard.

The nine‑year‑old child, having arrived only a night ago, had already mastered the city's Grain and Fodder accounts and could still spot errors.

Zhu Qiong Jiong also paused his gun‑cleaning, looking at the plump, pale cousin with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

Zhu Yong fell silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed, "Very well. From today onward, you will be in charge of the city's Grain and Fodder logistics, armament allocation, and civilian settlement."

"If manpower is insufficient, go ask your father for it."

Zhu Gaochi performed a proper bow and said, "Yes, Second Uncle."

Zhu Di watched from the side, his mouth turned up high, and said, "Second Prince, the boy is still young; don't burden him with too many responsibilities."

"Just show off then!" Zhu Yong rolled his eyes and said.

Zhu Di fell silent.

Zhu Gaochi got busy that very day.