Chapter 125

"When the Emperor leads the army in person, he must look the part! You must know that if it were not for me, you would already have been captured by Esen!"

Finally, Zhu Di stared fiercely at Zhu Qizhen and said in a low voice.

"Additionally, I must tell you something; you must remember it."

"There are only Zhu family members who die in battle, none who return in flight."

"The men of our Zhu family must have blood and spirit!"

A trace of ruthlessness suddenly appeared on Zhu Di's body.

Through these days of living together day and night, Zhu Di had also seen it.

On Zhu Qizhen's body, there were still traces of Zhu Zhanji's shadow.

It is just that for some reason, Zhu Zhanji passed away so early.

Zhu Qizhen, who grew up since childhood within the deep palace, had the mindset but had not yet cultivated the ability.

Scolded by Zhu Di, Zhu Qizhen's figure trembled slightly involuntarily.

Then he could only face this reality before his eyes.

Currently, the only buff Zhu Qizhen has is this chat group.

Watching Zhu Qizhen forcibly dragged onto a warhorse, Hearing Fan Zhong said with some worry.

"Your Majesty, the Emperor was raised since childhood in the deep palace; are these three people not a bit few?"

Hearing this, Zhu Di's brows inevitably lowered, and he said in a low voice.

"I never expected back then that that little rascal would not even live to forty years old."

"This child's foundation is actually quite good; it is just that he ascended the throne too early and had no time to toughen his bones and muscles."

"If this battle is won, I can cultivate another Emperor capable of guarding the Shouguo Sect for the myriad people of the world; why would I not do it?"

Hearing Fan Zhong looked at Zhu Di excitedly and said.

"Your Majesty, but, but what if we lose? If anything happens to the Emperor."

Hearing Hearing Fan Zhong's question, Zhu Di inevitably fell into deep thought.

Only after a long time did he painfully raise his head and look at Hearing Fan Zhong, asking.

"If we lose, I feel as though it would actually be of greater benefit to Great Ming?"

Hearing Fan Zhong: "..."

In Great Ming during the Zhengtong era, only Zhu Di dared to say this sentence.

But putting aside hierarchy and status.

Zhu Di's sentence.

Seems, to have some logic!

Several hours later.

The Son of Heaven of Great Ming, Zhu Qizhen, personally led three Jinyin Tiqi and suddenly appeared amidst the mountains.

Zhu Qizhen, on the warhorse, only until the moment he was blasted out of the military camp.

Realized that the battlefield was far less fun than he had imagined.

Zhu Qizhen rode his horse all the way to a section of the Great Wall beacon tower.

Inside the beacon tower, more than a dozen corpses lay higgledy-piggledy.

No one collected their bodies because the fortresses south of this place by more than ten li had all been eradicated one by one by the Oirat army.

Kings and generals throughout history have gathered all the Sky-high merit in history.

Yet these true soldiers guarding the border cannot be seen even a ripple in the historical records.

This is war!

There is absolutely no romantic war under heaven.

As long as it is war, it is absolutely cruel and bloody.

Only after climbing the beacon tower and gazing at the boundless grassland did Zhu Qizhen realize what a terrible decision he had made.

Tens of thousands of soldiers died on the battlefield due to his ignorance.

The Zhu Qizhen in history.

Perhaps had no achievements in military affairs.

But Zhu Qizhen could absolutely be counted as a good person.

Not only because Zhu Qizhen abolished the Ming Dynasty's system of concubines and consorts committing suicide upon the Emperor's death.

The Yangjiyuan established by Zhu Yuanzhang back then, where the court adopted widowers, widows, the orphaned, and the disabled, was also implemented and promoted by Zhu Qizhen.

Until the early Chenghua years, the Yangjiyuan of just Shuntian Prefecture alone, funded by the court, sheltered nearly ten thousand elderly widowers, widows, orphans, and the disabled, providing porridge and vegetables daily, meat once a month, with all expenses allocated by the court.

This was the limit a feudal empire based on small-peasant economy could support.

In contrast, the so-called "Kangqian Prosperous Era" of the Qing Dynasty, the Yangjiyuan of the entire Sichuan province sheltered only nine hundred and eighty widowers, widows, orphans, and the disabled.

One province not reaching one prefecture; the superiority and inferiority are immediately apparent.

Looking at the corpses on the Great Wall, Zhu Qizhen, whose mind was no different from a child's, received a significant shock deep within his heart.

Just as a fierce "struggle between Heaven and Man" was taking place deep within Zhu Qizhen's heart.

In the deep mountains far away.

Several Oirat scouts were also slapping their own faces in disbelief.

"Batu, is this the Son of Heaven of Great Ming?"

"Nonsense; this is Han land; could there be anyone crazy enough to wear dragon robes?"

"No, then what are we waiting for? There are only three people beside him; if we brothers go forward directly and tie up this Son of Heaven of Great Ming, would that not be Sky-high merit?!"

"Do you not want to live?!"

"Even if this young Emperor is useless, he is still the Emperor of Great Ming."

"Do not be fooled; though these three seem unable to bind a chicken, they must be Great Ming's elite palace experts. You and I may not be their match."

"..."

The Emperor's token is simply that valuable.

Even standing naked before ordinary people.

Commoners dare not harbor the slightest wicked thought.

One can always suspect that some master who turns the clouds with a flip of his hand is hiding in the shadows to protect him.

These guards dared not delay even a moment.

Immediately, they rushed back to Yesan's tent at top speed to report to Yesan.

Upon the vast grasslands.

At this moment, Yesan still had not recovered from the shock of that night.

A man who had been dead for over twenty years.

Had suddenly risen from the grave, nearly taking his own life.

Anyone would doubt life itself.

Could it be that for these twenty-plus years, Zhu Di had been faking his death?

That doesn't make sense.

Even if he faked his death, Zhu Di should be over ninety years old by now!

The person I saw that night looked nothing like a man over ninety.

He was exactly the same as the Yongle Emperor I saw in my youth!

Just as Yesan was still doubting life itself.

Yesan's brother, Bayan Temur, entered the tent with two scouts, their faces full of joy.

"Brother, great news!"

"What is it?"

"That young Emperor has made another foolish move; he is currently patrolling the border with three people!"

Hearing Bayan Temur's words, Yesan's body trembled involuntarily.

"Three people? Patrolling the border?!"

The two scouts behind him immediately stated with absolute certainty.

"We absolutely did not mistake what we saw; it was Great Ming's dragon robe, wandering all over the Great Wall."