Took place in the fifteenth year of Yongli, on the seventh day of the second month, at Penghu.

"Prince of the Nation!"

With a clattering sound, a soldier in armor rushed into the cabin. The storm took advantage of the moment to shoot in torrents of rain like arrows, producing a booming impact noise.

The cabin door shut, and the sound of the violent rainstorm instantly became faintly audible.

"We've been deceived by He Bin! We've only found a little over a hundred stones of grain on Penghu, not even enough for one meal for the army!"

Inside the cabin, all the soldiers held their breath.

With a cold snort in his heart, Wu Hao clasped his fists and said to the person at the head, "Prince of the Nation, given the shortage of provisions and the ongoing storm at Penghu, I think... we should return to Xiamen to plan in detail."

He had repeatedly opposed the plan to reclaim Treasure Island from the start, and now that trouble had arisen before even landing on the island, he was not only untroubled but even smug, speaking with an air of superiority.

"We landed on the fourth day, and now it is the seventh, Treasure Island is right before our eyes, yet there are no signs of the storm abating!" another soldier spoke up.

The storm battered the bay windows, howling piercingly, and the thirty-meter-long "Da Qing Tou" warship swayed slightly, just like the current state of the Great Ming.

The generals remained silent, waiting for King Yanping to decide.

Zheng Chenggong appeared not to hear the words of the people and kept looking at the letter in his hands.

It was a letter from the Vice Minister of War, Zhang Huangyan.

"Those who share the desires of the masses will thrive; those who oppose the desires of the masses will fail."

Those who undertake great tasks, if they share one heart with the masses, will surely prosper; if they are divided, they will surely perish.

Sharing desires with the masses... opposing the desires of the masses... Zheng Chenggong pondered these phrases as he continued reading.

The letter was harsh and sarcastic, directly calling him a traitor, accusing him of abandoning the cause of restoring the Ming and establishing his own small court.

Suddenly, Zheng Chenggong loudly read out:

"In the past battles at the Yangtze River, though defeated, we held our honor; enough to be cherished through the ages. If we rise again, it would not just be Fen Yang or Linhuai to claim sole glory, even Qian Liu and Dou Rong would not compare! If we seek the traces of Xu Fu, ponder the old traces of Lu Ao, while it might provide temporary safety, it will surely bring eternal scorn!"

"Damn it! This Zhang Huangyan dares to say that the Prince of the Nation is following the likes of Xu Fu and Lu Ao!"

"Prince of the Nation, while Minister Zhang's words are harsh, he merely seeks to persuade your highness, perhaps without malice."

"To hell with whether he has malice! What position does this Zhang Huangyan hold to dare to insult the Prince of the Nation like this!"

The people below erupted into noisy discussion; having started as pirates and risen over the years, Zheng's followers included pirates, officials, and scholars alike.

Zheng Chenggong silently finished reading the letter.

He did not take Zhang Huangyan's words to heart, as he was more worried about the storm that showed no signs of abating.

After praying to the heavens, with Treasure Island right before him, was he to be thwarted by a storm at the doorstep?

Hmm?

He reread the line: "If we seek the traces of Xu Fu, ponder the old traces of Lu Ao."

Zheng Chenggong tapped his finger on the desk, lost in thought, remembering the many legends of the sea.

"Prince of the Nation!" Another soldier burst into the cabin, kneeling on one knee, "Lord Huang An, who was ordered to patrol the strait, has arrived!"

"What does he want?" Zheng Chenggong frowned, displeased, then became somewhat uneasy.

With Emperor Shunzhi's death, the Qing dynasty was busy with the transition of power, temporarily unable to focus on him, but he could not be too careful!

Zheng Chenggong's greatest concern in attacking Treasure Island was that the Qing army might take advantage of his advance to raid Kinmen and Xiamen.

If that were to happen, the army's retreat would be cut off, and he might very well be exterminated by the Qing forces and the Dutch in the sea.

To prevent this situation, he left a large number of men, led by his son Zheng Jing, to guard Kinmen and Xiamen, and ordered Huang An to lead six thousand men to patrol back and forth, allowing no ships to enter the Treasure Island Strait.

"Let him in." Zheng Chenggong put down the letter that still carried the scent of rain.

◇

"Boom!"

"Ah!!"

Amidst screams, Li Changzhou opened his eyes, bound and looking around, he found himself aboard a ship, wooden and technologically primitive.

Several others were bound just like him, tied between two masts.

"Dharma King! Save me, Dharma King!"

"Hahaha, Dharma King?" A soldier with a knife laughed, his fish-cutting knife quivering like a wave.

The surrounding soldiers also burst out laughing.

These men wore military uniforms, yet their demeanor was like that of bandits, no, as they were at sea, they should be called pirates.

"Boom!"

Whoosh!

Sea water swept onto the deck, flowing along the planks to form letters.

[Time: April 25, 1661, Spring]

[Location: Treasure Island Strait]

[Background: To break the Qing encirclement, Zheng Chenggong must contemplate a retreat and is preparing to attack Treasure Island as a base to restore the Ming dynasty.]

[Character: East Sea Dharma King (Fake · Penglai Immortal)]

[Main Mission: Help Zheng Chenggong recover Treasure Island]

[Hint: "Player" abilities have all been converted to "Mana"]

"Boom!" "Boom!"

Since a while ago, a continuous sound like drum beating had been heard, Li Changzhou raised his head to look toward the source of the noise.

A human head hung from the mast, swaying in the sea wind, hitting against the wood.

"Boom!"

"Head suspended from the beam, needle pricking the thigh, this time it seems necessary to exert extraordinary effort." Li Changzhou sighed, lightly tugging at his bonds and snapping the ropes as thick as his thumbs.

Clang!

All the soldiers on the ship instantly drew their swords, some pulling out muskets.

Bang! Flames burst from the muzzle!

Li Changzhou raised his hand, caught the bullet, and kneaded it like a peanut between his fingers, its power seemingly too weak to even penetrate a steel plate.

Li Changzhou turned to the soldier with the fish-cutting knife, "Do you know where Zheng Chenggong is?"

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