Chapter 127

Since this was a wager.

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

After confirming Zhu Qizhen's identity.

Esen, who was on horseback, could not help but be stunned.

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

First, Zhu Qizhen had run out on his own to play — in which case this was a grand gift package delivered by the heavens themselves.

There was no ambush behind Zhu Qizhen.

If he charged forward and took this Emperor, his name would go down in the annals of history.

And the second possibility.

There was an ambush behind him.

As the cold wind of the grassland blew.

Esen immediately could not help but shiver.

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

Just imagine — a Son of Heaven personally taking the risk, using himself as bait to lure one into taking the hook.

If such a Son of Heaven were allowed to return alive.

How could that be tolerated?

For Esen.

This was probably even more terrifying than Zhu Di having been faking his death for these past twenty-plus years!

Even if Zhu Di were alive to this day.

How many more years could he live?

And Zhu Qizhen this year was only twenty years old!

If Zhu Qizhen had the guts to set an ambush behind him, then use himself as bait to lure the enemy deep in — what sort of strategy would that be!

If Great Ming truly had such a Son of Heaven.

For the next forty years, would the grasslands ever know a single peaceful day?!

Thinking of this, Esen's entire body could not help but break out in a cold sweat of dread.

He immediately bellowed at the warriors behind him without a second thought,

"Even if the horses are ridden to death, we must take this little Emperor!"

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

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

A thousand gold pieces! A fief of ten Battalion Commander!

This bounty was no different from that of a khan of some small tribes on the grasslands!

This was directly ennobling one as a khan!

After hearing Esen's bounty.

The grassland cavalry behind him all seemed to go mad, frantically whipping their warhorses' hindquarters.

All sorts of strange cries mixed with Mongolian rose one after another.

The speed of the entire pursuing force immediately picked up.

Each one vied to be first, charging toward Zhu Qizhen.

And Zhu Qizhen in the distance, also crying at the top of his lungs,

"Great-grandfather, come save me quickly! I've brought Esen back! Waaah!"

Zhu Di, looking at Zhu Qizhen in this state in the chat group, could not help but scold,

"Can you have any ambition at all!"

"I've already sent people to pick you up, they'll be there right away!"

Just as Zhu Qizhen, snot and tears streaming down his face, was playing speed and passion on the grasslands.

Behind him, at the foot of the Great Wall, Hearing Fan Zhong of the Imperial Guard Battalion was also leading a cavalry force to meet Zhu Qizhen head-on.

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

"General Fan, save Us, save Us!"

Hearing Fan Zhong, gripping a great hammer, shouted sternly,

"Your Majesty, do not panic, your subject is here!"

Hearing Hearing Fan Zhong's voice, Zhu Qizhen's nearly collapsing heart finally calmed down a little.

He saw a golden-melon great hammer, like a toy, swinging left and blocking right, intercepting several feathered arrows.

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

"We must slaughter Esen! Waaah!"

Hearing Fan Zhong said in a low voice,

"Your Majesty, do not panic, your subject has brought three hundred elites of the Imperial Guard Battalion!"

Zhu Qizhen's crying stopped abruptly.

Looking around, these three hundred Ming troops were each in tattered clothes, looking as if they were deserters who had just come off the battlefield.

He immediately burst into tears once again.

"Did you bring me the cooks?!"

"Run! What are you standing there for!"

Hearing Fan Zhong gripped Zhu Qizhen tightly and said,

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

Zhu Qi, riding on horseback, spoke with tears streaming down his face.

"Great-Grandfather, this son knows his mistake and will never recklessly lead troops out again!"

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

Bayan Temur looked at Esen with some concern and said,

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

Esen's face turned gloomy; immediately, he gritted his teeth and ordered,

"Take men back to camp at once, then lead three thousand more over here! Today, under no circumstances can this little Emperor return alive!"

"Yes!"

Bayan Temur immediately sent men back to Esen's main camp of 520 on the grassland.

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

gradually regained his composure.

He slowly lifted the tea cup from the side.

This was the first time Zhu Yuanzhang had seen his own fourth son on the battlefield at such close range.

Just this single display of composure was something Zhu Yunwen could never learn in several lifetimes.

Zhu Youjian, somewhat worried, sent a message in the group.

Emperor Sizong Lie:

"Great-Grandfather, if we keep fighting like this, I fear trouble will arise."

Emperor Taizu Gao:

"What are you afraid of? Old Fourth is fishing. If you directly send tens of thousands over, can these dog Tatars continue the pursuit?"

"This is how one must fight on the battlefield."

"You must make your opponent believe they can win. The more they believe they can win, the greater your probability of victory!"

"Truly, he is a disciple trained by Xu Da."

At this moment, Zhu Di had also shifted all his attention to the images in the chat group.

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

Zhu Di suddenly noticed cavalry charging rapidly from the distant horizon.

He immediately issued an order:

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

"Ah? So it's still me giving the orders! You should have said so earlier!"