Chapter 66

Zhu Youjian looked at his third uncle standing before him.

His heart was inevitably filled with a hundred conflicting emotions.

It was because of this third uncle that his own father had studied into his twenties, yet could only use a desk less than half a meter long, sitting on a stool to listen to the Grand Secretaries lecture.

If the matter of the national heir had been contested for two more years back then, his eldest brother could have made a desk for his father.

The quality would likely have been better than those bought from the palace.

Zhu Yijun took a deep breath, and his gaze gradually grew firm.

He stared fixedly at Zhu Changxun and the several feudal kings behind him, shouting loudly,

"I request all royal uncles to return to camp!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Changxun shuddered, and was immediately forcibly dragged down from the Huanqiu mound by the eunuchs behind him.

After the last few feudal kings were "escorted" away.

Zhu Youjian walked down from the Huanqiu mound himself, looking at Grand General Lan Yu before him and asking,

"Duke of Liang, I entrust the remaining matters entirely to you."

Lan Yu bowed slightly, clasping his hands and saying,

"Your Majesty need not worry; these imperial scions are merely spoiled in their daily lives."

"I am confident that within a month I can train them, at least to the point where they can fight!"

Zhu Youjian remained silent.

As a member of the Zhu family,

Zhu Youjian hoped they would all return without exception.

But as Emperor,

Zhu Youjian hoped none of them would return...

Yet in Lan Yu's heart, standing aside, there was infinite regret.

This was not due to any "duty between ruler and subject."

These members of the imperial clan, though they mostly had the faults of prodigals,

were each broad-shouldered and muscular, with robust physiques.

Merely this physique was something ordinary commoners could only gaze at from afar, never attain.

Especially in such chaotic times.

From any perspective,

they were absolutely "soldier seeds" that could be encountered but not sought.

If properly trained,

within five years,

this would undoubtedly be a force worthy of being recorded in history.

Thinking that his mission was "only allowed to lose, not allowed to win,"

Lan Yu's heart could not help but feel some regret.

However, what Lan Yu could not imagine was that such a unit,

would likely keep any emperor in history awake at night.

A troop seasoned in countless battles,

each one killing without blinking an eye.

Moreover, every soldier nominally possessed the right to inherit the throne.

Whoever became Emperor would be the one unable to sleep!

63, the entire Liaodong region trembled!

In the following days,

these Great Ming imperial clan members truly experienced what it meant to go from heaven to hell.

This unit was nominally called the Yulin Guard.

Composed of imperial clan members.

But in reality, aside from eating one extra meal a day compared to the Jingcheng garrison,

it differed little from ordinary troops.

Especially that enigmatic and unfathomable Grand General "Lan Liang."

When he got his hands on things, he was truly ruthless.

On the first day of roll call, he beheaded three Commandery Princes who were late.

What made these feudal kings even more despairing was that

Prince Jin Zhu Shenxuan and Prince Fu Zhu Changxun were secretly trying to slip some silver to Zhang Zhiji, the Duke of Ying, who was accompanying the training.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Zhiji didn't even lift his eyelids.

He forced the two princes to train an extra lap.

Where was the promised rampant corruption?

How had these Jingcheng officials all become incorruptible?

After Lan Yu's training,

these imperial clan members, who had grown up in silk and fine food, finally accepted reality.

Just as these imperial clan members outside Jingcheng were "living worse than death,"

Outside Shanhai Pass, thirteen hundred thousand Ming troops gathered from all corners of the land were now advancing toward Songshan.

On the Chongzhen side, the weather had already turned to autumn.

Unlike those "imperial nobles" who always packed several sets of winter clothes when going out.

These Great Ming soldiers and officers were all shivering slightly from the cold.

Viceroy of Jiliao, Hong Chengchou, frowned tightly as he stared at the soldiers before him.

He demanded in a harsh voice,

"Where are the winter clothes sent by the Ministry of War?"

"Great Marshal, it takes time to rush-make winter clothes! The Ministry of War replied that it will take at least ten more days before they can be shipped!"

Upon hearing this, Hong Hong Chengchou immediately burst into curses.

"In another half month, Liaodong will enter winter. Without winter clothes, how can we fight this war?!"

"Tell the prefectures and counties ahead to purchase winter clothes locally. If they cannot gather enough, this Marshal will lead you to raid the county magistrates' homes directly!"

Hearing Hong Hong Chengchou's words,

the Personal Guards beside him were stunned into silence.

Good heavens.

This appearance of loving his soldiers as his own children.

Is this really the Great Marshal Hong they know?

At this moment, Hong Hong Chengchou thought that if he simply pulled out any county magistrate, that official's family fortune would be far more substantial than his own.

His anger rose from within his heart.

The Later Jin Imperial Palace in Shengjing.

Such a massive move by Zhu Youjian could not possibly escape the ears and eyes of the Jurchens.

For these past few days, Huang Taiji had hardly slept day or night.

"Great Khan, urgent report from the scouts of the Bordered White Banner: Hong Hong Chengchou's army of over one hundred thousand has already crossed Shanhai Pass. The Han people this time are likely here to fight the Great Jin to the death."

Huang Taiji slowly raised his head, looking at Fan Wencheng beside him, and asked,

"What exactly is going on?"

"How did the Great Ming suddenly free its hands to raise an army and attack our Liaodong?!"

All the civil and military officials before him lowered their heads and remained silent.

Only Fan Wencheng sighed and said,

"Great Khan, the spies inside the Pass have already brought back the news."

"Starting last month, the Great Ming began providing relief to disaster victims across the land."

"As soon as the disaster-relief grain was distributed, tens of thousands of soldiers under Li Zicheng immediately scattered."