Chapter 118

"If we do not break the enemy, we vow never to return!"

"If we do not break the enemy, we vow never to return!"

100, Zhu Di: Winning by unfair means? So be it, let it be unfair!

Esen, standing before the two armies, stared blankly at the Ming troops before him.

As if he had seen a ghost.

Meanwhile, the Divine Machine Battalion, long positioned on the surrounding hills, immediately began pouring ammunition wildly into the Oirat formations, using the mountain ranges as cover.

Violent explosions rose and fell continuously within the Oirat ranks.

The Three Thousand Battalion, composed of the Three Guards of Duoyan, had by now successfully severed the Oirat retreat, completing the encirclement of the Oirat cavalry.

Zhu Di wanted no such nonsense as "surround three sides and leave one open."

This was not a battle beneath city walls.

This was the steppe.

Even if the army formation was surrounded tight as an iron bucket, some would still escape.

Every Tatar who escaped was a seed.

No one knew in what form his descendants would return to kill again in ten or twenty years.

Therefore, Zhu Di would rather suffer more casualties among his officers and soldiers than let them go; he would keep them here to serve as fertilizer!

Heavenly timing, earthly advantage, and human harmony.

All belonged to the Great Ming.

In this battle, Zhu Di could find not a single reason for defeat!

As long as you, Esen, went all in, you had already lost!

This battle was the decisive engagement Zhu Di had dreamed of, one that could accomplish everything in a single stroke.

It was also the battle that, in original history, Zhu Di would rather die of illness at Yumu River than fail to fight!

Zhu Di stared fixedly at Esen in the distance, a killing intent suddenly manifesting upon his person.

"If we do not slaughter Esen today, no one is permitted to rest!"

"Yes!"

Zhu Di spurred his horse out of the formation, leading Zhang Fu and Fan Zhong as they charged directly toward Esen's position.

At this moment, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen, wielding a small bow of half a stone, roared at the Embroidered Uniform Guard behind him:

"Do not worry about Me; go protect My great-grandfather!"

"Hurry!"

On the battlefield, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen resembled a colt frolicking freely.

Looking at the Oirat cavalry retreating step by step before him, he shouted arrogantly:

"What were you barking about just now?!"

"What were you barking about just now, huh?!"

"Look Me in the eye, you bastard!"

"..."

In the chat group, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang watched silently as Zhu Di personally led the troops in the charge.

In a daze, he seemed to see his younger self.

By now, Zhu Di had also noticed Esen, whose composure had completely collapsed.

A cold sneer inadvertently appeared on his face.

"Esen, back then I could not find your grandfather; today I have come for you."

"Why are you running? Do not run!"

"Have you not always been thinking of restoring the Great Northern Northern Yuan and re-entering the Central Plains as rulers?"

"Kill us, grandfather and grandson, and the heartland of the Central Plains will be yours to plunder at will."

"..."

Esen, protected by only a few guards, suddenly became calm of expression.

Seeing Esen's calmness.

Zhu Di instead stopped his weapon with interest.

Standing alone on the spot, he carefully examined this steppe hero who was about the same age as Zhu Zhu Zhanji.

"Pity that my grandson died young; otherwise, I would never have interfered in this battle of yours."

The victor becomes king, the vanquished becomes bandit.

Esen clearly understood this reality at this moment.

Still mounted on his horse, he looked at Zhu Di and snorted coldly:

"I admire you, old emperor; to be defeated by your hand, I, Esen, am willing and content."

"But do you not feel that winning like this is somewhat unfair?"

If it had been determined from the start that Zhu Di was commanding this battle from the center army.

Esen would have died before daring to go all in upon seeing merely a Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen.

Hearing this, Zhu Di smiled helplessly.

"Unfair victory? Hmm, if it is unfair, then let it be unfair; so what?"

"I fight wars never merely to defeat you, but to forge a lasting peace for the descendants of My Great Ming."

"As for how this peace is achieved, I do not care."

This is precisely where the steppe people differ from the people of the Central Plains.

Yesen, seated on his horse, slowly closed his eyes.

Zhu Di snorted coldly.

Gazing at Yesen in the distance, he made no sound, but simply sheathed his saber and walked slowly toward the central army camp, leaving this heaven-shaking merit to Fan Zhong and Zhang Fu behind him.

Under the division by the Five Armies, the Oirat cavalry was split into three parts.

After three days and nights of fierce fighting, the number of Oirats still able to wield a blade was already negligible.

Inside the chat group.

Looking at Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang on the screen, Zhu Di couldn't help but smile and say,

"Father, I fought this battle quite well, didn't I?"

Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Yuanzhang, who usually maintained a stern expression, rarely showed a hint of a smile.

The father and son looked at each other in silence.

Meanwhile, Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Zhu Qizhen, gazing at the battlefield before him, had become much more composed.

Back at the camp, Zhu Di slowly dismounted.

Yet his heart was filled with mixed emotions.

"In the end, the eldest only reigned as Emperor for ten months?"

Standing aside, Fan Zhong recounted to Zhu Di the events of the past twenty years.

Upon hearing that Zhu Gaochi had died merely ten months after ascending the throne,

Zhu Di's heart tightened involuntarily.

A surge of guilt rose within his heart.

"It was I who exhausted the eldest to death."

Zhu Di launched five expeditions into Mobei.

Without Zhu Gaochi holding down the rear and managing logistics, even ten Great Mings would have been crushed by Zhu Di's campaigns.

Lowering his head, Fan Zhong sighed and said,

"What a pity for Emperor Xuanzong, alas."

"What exactly happened to that boy?"

Fan Zhong whispered,

"This humble servant does not know either; however, early in the year he was still fine, yet for some reason, by year's end Emperor Xuanzong suddenly deteriorated..."

Gnashing his teeth, Zhu Di asked in a low voice,

"Don't tell me that boy, the second son, has harbored wicked thoughts?"

Fan Zhong immediately replied,