Chapter 116

Since this is a gamble.

One must let the other party clearly see the chips and sincerity in one's hand.

After confirming Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen's identity.

Esen, sitting atop his horse, was suddenly stunned.

Clearly, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen appearing here could only mean one of two possibilities.

First, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen had wandered out on his own to play; in that case, this was a huge gift from Heaven to him.

There were no ambushes behind Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen.

If he charged forward and captured this Emperor, he would go down in history.

And the second possibility.

There was an ambush lying in wait behind.

A cold wind from the steppe blew.

Esen immediately shivered.

If there were no ambush ahead, it would actually be the most fortunate thing for the Oirat tribe!

Just imagine, a Son of Heaven actually risking his life, using himself as bait to lure him into a trap.

If such an Emperor were allowed to return alive.

Would that not be disastrous?

For Esen.

This was probably even more terrifying than the fact that Zhu Di had been faking his death for over twenty years!

Even if Zhu Di hadn't died by now.

How many more years could he possibly live?

But Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen was only twenty years old this year!

If Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen had the audacity to set an ambush behind him and then use himself as bait to lure the enemy deep, what kind of strategic brilliance would that be!

If the Great Ming truly had such a Son of Heaven.

Could the steppe expect any peace for the next forty years?!

Thinking of this, Esen was filled with horror.

He immediately shouted without hesitation to the tribesmen behind him.

"Even if the horses run themselves to death, we must capture this little Emperor!"

"Whoever captures the Son of Heaven of the Great Ming alive shall be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold and an fief of ten Battalion Commander!"

99, Zhu Di: Esen, why aren't you smiling anymore?

A thousand taels of gold! An fief of ten Battalion Commander!

This price tag was no different from that of a Khan of some small tribes on the steppe!

This was directly conferring the title of Khan!

Upon hearing Esen's bounty.

The steppe cavalrymen behind him all went mad, frantically whipping their horses' rumps.

Various strange cries mixed with Mongolian rose and fell one after another.

The speed of the entire pursuit team immediately picked up.

Everyone rushed forward one after another, charging toward Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen.

Meanwhile, in the distance, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen was also crying hoarsely.

"Great-Grandfather, please come save me quickly! I've brought Esen back! Boo hoo hoo!~"

Seeing Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen's state in the chat group, Zhu Di couldn't help but scold him.

"Can't you have some backbone!"

"I've already sent people to pick you up; they'll be there soon!"

Just as Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen, with snot and tears streaming down his face, was playing a game of speed and passion on the steppe.

At the foot of the Great Wall behind him, Fan Zhong of the Imperial Camp was also leading a cavalry unit heading straight toward Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen.

This was the first time Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen felt Fan Zhong's face was so affectionate.

"General Fan, save me, save me!"

Holding a large hammer, Fan Zhong shouted sternly.

"Your Majesty, do not panic; your subject has arrived!"

Hearing Fan Zhong's voice, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen's mind, which was on the verge of collapse, finally calmed down slightly.

He saw only a golden melon-shaped great hammer, as if it were a toy, slashing left and blocking right to intercept several arrows.

"General Fan, how many men did you bring this time!"

"I must kill Esen! Boo hoo hoo!"

Fan Zhong whispered.

"Your Majesty, do not panic; your subject has brought three hundred elite troops from the Imperial Camp!"

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen's crying stopped abruptly.

He looked around; the three hundred Ming soldiers surrounding him were all in tattered clothes, looking exactly like deserters who had just fled a battlefield.

He immediately burst into loud wailing again.

"Did you bring me the cooks I brought along?!"

"Run! What are you standing there for!"

Fan Zhong held tightly onto Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen, saying.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor has issued an edict: you cannot leave. You must wait for him to order your departure before you go!"

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen, mounted on his horse, spoke with tears streaming down his face.

"Great-Grandfather, your subject knows his mistake and will never again rashly lead troops out!"

At that moment, Esen, from a distance, also witnessed Fan Zhong and those three hundred cavalrymen.

Hearing Hearing Bayan Temür looked at Esen with some concern and said,

"Brother, what do we do? Is there an ambush ahead?"

Esen's expression turned gloomy; immediately gritting his teeth, he ordered,

"Take men back to camp at once and bring another three thousand! Today, under no circumstances can we let this little Emperor return alive!"

"Yes!"

Hearing Hearing Bayan Temür immediately dispatched men to return to Esen's main camp, number 520, on the grasslands.

Meanwhile, in the chat group, upon seeing Fan Zhong, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang

gradually regained his composure.

Slowly, he lifted the teacup beside him.

This was the first time Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang had seen his own fourth son's demeanor on the battlefield from such close quarters.

Just this single quality of composure was something Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yunwen could not learn even over several lifetimes.

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Youjian sent a message in the group with some concern.

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"Ancestral Grandfather, if we continue fighting like this, I fear disaster will strike."

Emperor Taizu Gao:

"What do you fear? Old Four is fishing. If you simply send tens of thousands over, could these dog Tartars still continue their pursuit?"

"Warfare on the battlefield must be conducted this way."

"You must make your opponent believe he can win; the more he believes he can win, the greater your probability of victory!"

"He is, after all, a disciple trained by Xu Da."

At this moment, Zhu Di had already focused all his attention entirely on the chat group's display.

Just as Fan Zhong and his men were engaged in fierce combat with Esen's Kheshig imperial guards,

Zhu Di suddenly noticed a vast host of cavalry galloping swiftly from the distant horizon.

Immediately, he issued an order:

"Stop crying! Tell Fan Zhong he can withdraw now!"

"Ah? So the order still comes from me! You should have said so earlier!"