Chapter 1062: The Torch of Light Needs Firewood

Zhu Yijun learned two names.

One was Cornelis de Houtman, the founder of the Dutch East India Company. At this moment, the prototype of the East India Company had already been formed. The other was John Hawkins, the founder of the English East India Company and also the pioneer of the English triangular trade.

Through Huo Chengxin's introduction, Zhu Yijun understood the life of this John and also understood the general situation of the English triangular trade.

John Hawkins's triangular trade was a national act of England from the beginning, because his father-in-law was Benjamin Gonson, who was the treasurer of the British Royal Navy and also a member of the English House of Lords.

With his father-in-law's funding, he began adventuring in the Atlantic very early.

In the forty-first year of Jiajing, with the help of several London merchants, John Hawkins led a fleet of galleons headed by the *Salomon* to set sail. This ship was very small, according to the Great Ming's calculation, roughly equivalent to a Great Ming four-hundred-liao warship.

The fleet had a total of three ships, and the navigator was a Spaniard.

The fleet arrived at the coast of Guinea, captured three hundred Kunlun slaves, brought them to Haiti Island, exchanged them for enough goods, and returned to England.

To this day, this trade route had lasted for a full thirty-two years, and countless black barbarians had been brought to North and South America.

The troublemakers were always like this, doing things without considering the consequences. In order to accumulate wealth faster, the uncastrated black barbarians completely broke the tacit trading rules, stirring the Atlantic triangular trade into a cesspool.

"Felipe's idea of an expedition to England was right. His only problem was that he fought an expedition war without sufficient preparation, forcing himself into this situation step by step." Zhu Yijun was slightly emotional.

As the hegemon of the empire on which the sun never sets, the empire was Spain's core interest. When Atlantic trade became a cesspool and the maritime trade environment became extremely bad, as the maritime hegemon, he indeed had to wipe out the pirates' lair and let the sea frontiers return to peace.

He underestimated the power of the Atlantic storm and turned the expedition into a mess.

The fundamental purpose of England engaging in triangular trade and privateering licenses, allowing piracy to become legalized, was to fish in troubled waters. This explained why England would rather not trade with the Great Ming than maintain the existence of privateering licenses.

"Ma Liujia City is a concentration place for Kunlun slaves. Blocking uncastrated black barbarians in Ma Liujia City is the top priority." Huo Chengxin put forward his own suggestions. He had been to Ma Liujia City six times, and the management of Ma Liujia City was relatively chaotic and loose.

"I will certainly keep in mind what you have advised, my minister." Zhu Yijun sat up straight and said seriously, he would handle this as a matter.

The price of taking it lightly was extremely expensive. If the Great Ming imperial court did not handle this as a matter, the Great Ming's backyard, Nanyang, would become like the Atlantic and become a cesspool.

"I also wish you a smooth journey, my minister." Zhu Yijun expressed his sincere blessings, hoping that Huo Chengxin would not have any accidents on his first time leading the team.

Huo Chengxin bowed solemnly and said respectfully, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your great favor."

In addition to seeing off Huo Chengxin, Zhu Yijun also had to send off an old friend this time, Legazpi.

Legazpi was summoned by the Emperor, walked into the Guanchao Tower, climbed up to the fifth floor step by step, performed a grand ceremony of five bows and three kowtows, and said submissively, "Your subject Legazpi has received imperial favor for twenty years and bathed in the king's transformation. Now I am old and frail. Today, I beg Your Majesty to grant me permission to return to my hometown."

"Exempt from the ceremony." Zhu Yijun shook his head and said, "I thought you would stay in the Great Ming forever, but I didn't expect you to learn blood and integrity and want to be a fire-stealer. But have you ever thought about whether the Westerners really want the Great Ming wisdom you stole?"

"Marion turned serfs into free people, but these free people lost Marion forever, and they never thanked her before."

"You know very well what the West is like. It is still not too late to regret it now."

This was the second time the Great Ming Emperor tried to persuade him to stay. The first time was when Legazpi had been in the celestial prison for a month and ate bread mixed with sawdust for a month, and the regional military commissioner Zhao Mengyou asked him. The second time was Zhu Yijun asking him face to face. It was really not too late for him to regret it now.

Moreover, the Grand Minister of Rites Shen Li was preparing to promote Legazpi to the fourth rank. In this way, he would be the only barbarian fourth-rank official since the Wanli Reform. At least during festivals and grand banquets, he would have a seat, instead of standing like other barbarians, and having to turn his back to people.

"I must go back. Antonio is the king. Even if Your Majesty gave him the position of Grand Patriarch, his concern for Portugal is greater than his enthusiasm for the Great Brightness Sect." After solemn consideration, Legazpi still did not regret it.

He had to go back to eat bread mixed with dirt instead of eating mountain delicacies in the Great Ming.

This time, the Portuguese envoy only sent Marion's remains back to the Great Ming for burial, fulfilling Marion's last wish to return to the Great Ming. However, the holy relic, the final linen cloth, remained in Lisbon, in the Great Brightness Hall.

Antonio's decision was for Portugal, not for the Great Brightness Sect, and not to use thunder to judge evil and bring light to the world.

This was very reasonable. Antonio had received the support of the common people from the beginning. He endured humiliation under Felipe, bore the Great Ming Emperor's super-high war interest, and then returned to Portugal to fight Felipe to the death, just to be worthy of this support.

As king, he naturally valued Portugal's future more than the Great Brightness Sect.

"Legazpi, I ask you, how much certainty do you think you have to do this?" Zhu Yijun asked solemnly. What is the probability of success in judging evil with thunder and bringing light?

"Zero, a situation of inevitable defeat." Legazpi answered this question calmly.

He went to the West to complete Marion's unfinished business. As for whether it could be done, Legazpi felt it could not. This was not something that could be done by human effort.

"Your Majesty, the torch that brings light needs firewood." Legazpi said sincerely, "This cause can only be achieved by those who follow in the footsteps."

"The Great Ming can have today's brilliance because of those who follow in the footsteps, generation after generation of resistance, time after time of punishing the unrighteous, following in the footsteps."

Legazpi had lived in the Great Ming for twenty years and had his own insights into why the Great Ming was the Celestial Empire. In addition to punishing the unrighteous, it was the passing of the torch.

These two basic consensuses created the brilliance of the Great Ming for two hundred years. Neither could be missing. Even if one was missing, it would be impossible to complete even one correction.

"Fine, then go." Zhu Yijun chose to let him go. Legazpi's intention to leave was already decided, and he could not be kept.

Zhu Yijun had already read Legazpi's *On China* many times. He had a few places he did not quite understand and asked Legazpi, receiving some unclear answers.

"Your Majesty asked about the matter, but I only have a half-understanding." Legazpi frowned and said, "If Your Majesty asks for the bottom of it, I can only use the example of Duke Wencheng and Wang Qian."

"Your Majesty, Duke Wencheng has merit to the state. Under the mighty trend of the Wanli Reform, he combined the Hongwu military colonies and guards with the Yongle official factories and formulated the official factory system."

"But Duke Wencheng did not pass the official factories to his son Wang Qian, but returned them to the imperial court."

"Actually, many people said at the time that Duke Wencheng would suppress the general managers and master craftsmen of the official factories before he passed away, showing his violent anger, and then after he passed away, Wang Qian, as his son, could bestow favor on these general managers and master craftsmen, thereby winning people's hearts."

"But Duke Wencheng did not. He did not stage the drama of the son inheriting the father's business, but returned it to the imperial court. After the reform of the equity system, the official factories were not only the imperial court's but also the craftsmen's, completing the construction of the official factory system."

"I am a barbarian. In my view, this is another reason why the Great Ming is the Celestial Empire. The Great Ming people respect order. This kind of respect allows the Great Ming people to enjoy order and stability for more than two hundred years."

Legazpi did not think this was a matter of Wang Chonggu's personal integrity, but the result of the universal culture and consensus of respecting order.

In addition to Wang Chonggu not staging the son inheriting the father's business, there was also Sun Kehong recommending Chen Jingyi as the new merchant leader, instead of handing it over to his son.

When the old king died, he always deliberately suppressed the old ministers. When the new king ascended the throne, the new king would show favor to the old ministers to win people's hearts. This was a way to win people's hearts that everyone knew.

This kind of trick was known to everyone, but this trick was repeatedly staged on this land.

Since everyone knew it, why could it still successfully win people's hearts? The answer lay in the four words "respecting order."

The old ministers were suppressed and then shown favor. In this process, the old ministers followed order, and the new king did not worry about the old ministers rebelling against him, because what the old ministers rebelled against was not only himself but also the order of the world.

This was also the root cause of Sima Yi being criticized. Sima Yi did not respect order.

When Emperor Ming of Wei, Cao Rui, died, he specifically determined Sima Yi as the minister of the orphan. The other minister of the orphan was the clan member Cao Shuang.

Cao Fang, the Prince of Qi, succeeded to the throne and ascended as emperor. Cao Fang was extremely good to Sima Yi, first promoting Sima Yi to Grand Marshal, then promoting him to Grand Tutor, and bestowing grace, allowing him to enter the palace without hurrying, not being named when praised, and wearing a sword and shoes into the palace.

Cao Fang trusted Sima Yi extremely. The guards of the Sima Gate were Sima Yi's son, Sima Shi.

In the fourth year of Zheng Shi, Sima Yi went on an expedition to attack Zhuge Ke in Wancheng. Cao Fang drove out of the Jinyang Gate and personally saw Sima Yi off.

Sima Yi launched the Gaopingling Incident, killed the Grand General Cao Shuang and his family, and hollowed out Cao Fang, who had treated him with courtesy. It was unreasonable and a complete betrayal, a challenge to the order of the world.

So much so that at the beginning of the establishment of the Western Jin, they did not know how to beautify Sima Yi's raising of dead soldiers and launching a mutiny. They could not even tell the story of Emperor Cao Fang pressing step by step and wanting to put Sima Yi to death.

Because the key to launching the mutiny, the guard of the Sima Gate, was still Sima Yi's son, Sima Shi. Sima Yi could succeed because of Emperor Cao Fang's trust.

This was great trust, so he handed over his life to their Sima family, but Sima Yi failed this trust.

The Western Jin had no choice but to bring out Zhuge Liang. This was Sima Yi's enemy for life, but he became a typical character for the Western Jin to shape loyalty to the monarch.

The Great Ming people generally respected order. Correspondingly, order was not stingy, bestowing upon the Great Ming more than two hundred years of stability and peace.

After a long time in the Great Ming, it was easy to forget the cruelty of war and develop an unrealistic yearning for war, and even have some fantasies about the word "feudal," feeling that it could solve some central-local contradictions.

This kind of yearning and fantasy made Legazpi feel a lot. How he hoped that the Westerners could also live a stable and peaceful life.

For hundreds of years, generations of people enjoyed the benefits brought by order.

Legazpi sat up straight and said, "Your Majesty, please believe what Duke Wengong said. 'Barbarians have wolf faces and beast hearts, fearing power but not cherishing virtue.' This sentence is true. Westerners, or barbarians, do not respect order. They are accustomed to going back on their words, accustomed to being untrustworthy, and accustomed to being unreasonable."

Duke Wengong was Wan Shihe. This Minister of Rites talked about this sentence the most in the Ministry of Rites.

Never believe any promise or any word given by any barbarian.

"Even if it is me, once I leave the Great Ming, Your Majesty does not need to believe any word I say anymore. Once I leave the Great Ming, I am a barbarian." Legazpi was unbearable. He could endure black bread mixed with dirt, but he did not want to become a barbarian.

For a clear and rational person, becoming a barbarian was an extremely sad thing.

The environment could change a person. If he returned to the West, he would be a barbarian.

"Don't you understand this very well? You have to go." Zhu Yijun sighed. This Legazpi already looked like a scholar-official. He knew very well what this trip meant for him, but he still had to go.

This was the three elements of the Great Ming Celestial Empire mentioned in Legazpi's *On China*: punishing the unrighteous, following in the footsteps, and respecting order.

"Your subject takes his leave." Legazpi performed the grand ceremony again, stood up, walked down the ship step by step, did not look back, and headed toward the pier.

Zhu Yijun saw off the Great Ming global trade fleet at the Guanchao Tower. He watched as giant ships, under the tow of barges, sailed out of the port, hoisting sails like clouds on the sea, and the sails covering the ocean finally disappeared on the horizon where the sea and sky were the same color.

Until the sailing ship disappeared, Zhu Yijun still did not get up, but sat in the Guanchao Tower, watching the new port return to its former bustle.

Zhu Yijun could fully understand what Legazpi said. Respecting order, and then enjoying the gifts brought by order, this might also be one of the cores of Great Ming wisdom.

The Emperor remembered an old matter from the early Wanli years: Wang Chonggu killing a Capital Battalion company commander.

Qi Jiguang ambushed the Northern Barbarian Dong Huli at Xifengkou, made great military achievements, and returned to the capital to receive rewards. When he arrived at the North Camp to station, he was made difficult by a Capital Battalion company commander. Qi Jiguang did not want the contradiction between the Capital Battalions and the border troops to intensify, so he chose to forgive.

But Wang Chonggu still dealt with it according to military law and killed this company commander.

At that time, Wang Chonggu was the Viceroy of Military Affairs of the Capital Battalions.

At that time, Zhu Yijun was still young and didn't really understand why Zhang Juzheng didn't take the opportunity to make trouble, and the ministers in the court, including Qi Jiguang himself, didn't conduct an in-depth investigation into this matter.

Later, when Zhu Yijun had been emperor for a long time and had been observing and governing for a long time, he understood Wang Chonggu's choice and the silence of the ministers in the court.

Qi Jiguang was in Jizhou and other places, leading the three-town regional commander, with 100,000 soldiers under his command. On the surface, Qi Jiguang forgave this company commander. In fact, General Qi really didn't intend to make things difficult for this company commander at that time. For personal honor, General Qi had already seen through it. Being able to let him fight peacefully was a blessing from heaven.

As a capital official, Wang Chonggu could only cane this company commander to death. Once Qi Jiguang's heart became knotted, how much turmoil would these 100,000 people cause? You must know that at that time, Qi Jiguang had made great achievements, blocked the invasion of Tuman Khan, and returned to the capital to receive rewards, but was humiliated by a company commander.

In the first year of Longqing, Tuman Khan, on the grounds that the imperial court gave Altan Khan a title but not him, and demanded rewards, broke through Xifengkou and looted the capital area. Qi Jiguang repelled Tuman Khan's second invasion, causing Tuman Khan heavy losses.

Rewarding according to merit, coming to the capital to receive rewards, but being humiliated, this was the same as Li Jing finishing the Tuyuhun war, killing the Tuyuhun Khan, returning to Chang'an, but having to accept an inquiry and investigation for treason.

The company commander was a soldier of the Capital Battalions at that time, so he naturally had to be dealt with according to military law. Offending superiors and humiliating meritorious generals without repentance, Wang Chonggu dealt with this company commander according to military law, which could also be considered a choice of respecting order.

Of course, Wang Chonggu's main purpose was still to block Qi Jiguang from being enfeoffed as a count and entering the Capital Battalions as a regional commander. He himself did not deny that he was a treacherous official. He had never denied this main purpose.

But the ministers in the court and the censorate officials also remained silent about this matter because this company commander was challenging order.

Similarly, there was Zhu Yijun killing the lowly scholar Chen Youren with his own hands.

Chen Youren beautified the Japanese pirate ravages and smeared and slandered Qi Jiguang's eastern expedition to pacify the Japanese pirates. At that time, Wang Chonggu supplemented the Emperor with a carriage sticker, and even gave ten blank carriage stickers. In the end, these blank carriage stickers were all used to maintain Wang Chonggu's posthumous reputation.

And the ministers in the court also did not criticize the Emperor's practice of killing the lowly scholar on the street.

Because what Chen Youren destroyed was the order of "merit and reward, fault and punishment," which was fair and self-evident. Only by rewarding merit and punishing faults clearly could order be maintained.

"Return to the palace." Zhu Yijun stood up and returned to the Yanqing Palace. He got off the carriage and stood in front of the palace gate, looking at the plaque that had already been hung, and said with a smile, "Incompetent Yingtian Prefecture, they only know how to say no. Songjiang Prefecture just does things. How can Yingtian Prefecture win?"

The actions of Songjiang Viceroy Li Le and Songjiang Prefect Hu Jun-de were really fast. After the Emperor allowed the renaming, they immediately submitted a memorial, requesting the establishment of permanent offices of the Six Ministries in Songjiang Prefecture to facilitate state affairs. As a world trade center, economic center, and half a scientific center, this request from Songjiang Prefecture was very reasonable.

The offices at the level of viceroy and prefecture could no longer handle the many affairs of Songjiang Prefecture well.

Zhu Yijun did not approve this request. On one hand, it was to take care of the emotions of the Yingtian side, and on the other hand, it was unnecessary. He stayed in Songjiang Prefecture every year to handle some thorny problems. Although he was tired and running around, having three court teams for one Great Ming was a bit too much.

Having a backup in Yingtian Prefecture was completely enough for the current situation.

If it really didn't work, he would abolish the Yingtian Prefecture set and change it to Songjiang Prefecture.

At the end of the seventh month, Zhu Yijun convened a special court discussion on the reform of military administration. In the end, Qi Jiguang's memorial passed the court discussion, and the construction of twenty-seven border infantry battalions on the border officially began to be promoted.

But there was no general consensus on setting up infantry battalions in the coastal areas from Liaodong to Guangzhou.

In the eyes of some ministers, it was still a bit too expensive. Local infantry battalions like the Zhejiang Nine Battalions and the Nanjing Zhenwu Battalion were appropriate.

The coastal areas of the Great Ming were very wealthy, and local finances could completely afford local infantry battalions similar to the Zhejiang Nine Battalions. There was no need to establish infantry battalions directly under the imperial court.

The elite navy plus local infantry battalions could completely ensure local tranquility and prevent the occurrence of maritime disasters.

Twenty-seven infantry battalions, with an annual military pay expenditure of more than 3.3 million silver, for the imperial court, the scale of military administration expenditure of nearly 20 million silver was still a bit too much.

This kind of terrifying military expenditure was unimaginable during the Jiajing years.

The ministers, who were mainly Jiajing scholars, expressed their incomprehension of the Emperor's extravagant approach. The current military strength was really completely enough. There were no such powerful enemies in the world that required such huge military expenditure.

Was the Emperor preparing for an expedition to the West?

"The ministers' concerns are for the sake of the state. During the Jiajing years, the Great Ming's annual revenue was 5 or 6 million silver. Today, in the Wanli Reform, with an annual revenue of over 60 million silver, the ministers have to worry. Can the Great Ming's annual revenue always maintain such a huge scale?"

"Once it cannot be maintained, it is easy to build battalion troops, but it is very difficult to abolish them." Zhu Yijun placed several opposing memorials in front of him.

A group of people headed by the Junior Minister of Works Hou Yuzhao, their opposition was not to confront imperial power, but to express worry.

The rise and fall of things had been staged repeatedly on this land many times. Today it is prosperous and can be afforded; tomorrow it will decline and cannot be afforded. If it has to be abolished, then violence will inevitably lose control.

The Nanjing Zhenwu Battalion mutiny and the Hangzhou Luomu Battalion mutiny were both caused by the gradual end of the war and the reduction of treatment, which caused mutiny.

The north needed battalion troops to garrison, and the twenty-seven infantry battalions that existed by relying on military colonies and guards, even if they were disbanded, would return to the guards and could still farm to survive.

But the battalion troops in the coastal areas did not have so many military colonies and guards to act as a bottom line. After two hundred years of annexation, in slightly wealthier places, the land of the military colonies and guards had long been annexed.

"Actually, there is another way that the ministers didn't say." Zhu Yijun said with a smile, "When we can't afford it, the battalion troops can just engage in equal land distribution under heaven."

Zhang Hong really didn't dare to take this sentence at all.

The evolution of contradictions had unpredictability. This was determined by the universal nature of contradictions, because there were too many small contradictions that made up a contradiction, and no one knew what it would develop into.

The process of equal land distribution for battalion troops under heaven would inevitably turn into warlord chaos with heroes rising together and deer chasing in the Central Plains. The final result would be the suffering of the people.

"The ministers are right." Zhu Yijun gave a vermilion approval to the joint memorial of Hou Yuzhao and others. First, do a good job with the twenty-seven battalions on the Nine Frontiers that had reached a consensus, summarize experience and lessons in practice, and then discuss the matter of coastal anti-Japanese infantry battalions.

Eat rice one mouthful at a time, walk the road one step at a time. Zhu Yijun was still very young, and he was not in a hurry at all.

"Report! Your Majesty, Annan report!" A scout ran into the Imperial Study of the Yanqing Palace in a hurry and presented the letter tube sealed with fire wax to the imperial presence.

Zhu Yijun checked the fire wax, opened the letter tube, checked the fire wax seal of the letter, and carefully looked at the report.

The report came from the Grand General of the Southern Expedition Chen Lin and the General of the Southern Expedition Luo Shangzhi.

Annan's Ping'an King and Regent Zheng Song mobilized a full 120,000 troops, claiming to be 300,000, and headed from Shenglong City toward Haiyang City and Guang'an City, attempting to take back Haiyang and Guang'an City in one fell swoop.

Luo Shangzhi was the vanguard. In the two places of Guang'an and Haiyang, he only had 3,000 people. He responded calmly, withdrew troops from Guang'an, and concentrated his strength to defend Haiyang.

If he couldn't fight, he could leave by sea directly from the water gate. Guang'an needed to walk a section of the river before entering the sea.

"Is this guy named Du Hui really not a spy developed by the maritime defense inspector?!" Zhu Yijun looked at the battle report and always felt that everything Du Hui did was too much like a Great Ming spy!

When Luo Shangzhi attacked Guang'an, Du Hui did not move like a mountain;

When Guang'an was broken by the Great Ming army, Du Hui felt that he could not support it alone, turned and moved like the wind, and fled at the sight of the wind;

Zheng Song organized enough troops, using 120,000 to attack 3,000. No matter how you look at it, the superior side was Annan.

Luo Shangzhi also collected enough hydrogeography and made preparations for retreat, preparing to return to the main camp on Gusu Island, and wait until the Annan army was exhausted and their morale was gone before taking Guang'an and Haiyang.

At this time, an accident happened. Du Hui led 20,000 troops, greedy for merit and reckless, marching rapidly, and headed straight for Haiyang.

120,000 people were indeed too many. Luo Shangzhi's 3,000 people were definitely not opponents, but Du Hui only brought 20,000.

After the distant Marquis of the Watchtower transmitted the information, Luo Shangzhi thought there was fraud and ambush, and that it was Zheng Song inducing the 3,000 vanguard troops to leave the city to fight and wipe them out in one fell swoop.

But in the end, Luo Shangzhi determined that it was not an ambush. Du Hui was really far away from the rear army. The opportunity for battle was fleeting. Luo Shangzhi did not hesitate and decisively set an ambush at Yuzuitan on the only way, defeating Du Hui in one fell swoop.

This defeat triggered a total collapse. The rear army didn't know what happened in front, and encountered a large number of defeated soldiers. The Great Ming attacked. The already panicked army soon became a scene where whoever ran slowly was the one covering the rear.

"When General Qi talked to me about military affairs, he always said: the biggest problem when retreating is who covers the rear. A strong army is naturally covered by the elite, and a weak army is whoever runs slowly covers the rear. But these soldiers who run slowly are not stupid. They will raise their hands and surrender." Zhu Yijun remembered the content of Qi Jiguang's lecture on military administration.

The performance of this Annan army made Zhu Yijun hold his forehead.

"The Marquis of Shouli also felt it was a bit strange and specifically asked. Du Hui is not a spy developed by the maritime defense inspector. This Du Hui, his mother and Zheng Song's mother are sisters." Zhang Hong specifically understood it, it was really not a spy.

Zheng Song's mother came from the Ruan family in the south, which was the largest military leader in the south of Annan. Zheng Song's mother was named Ruan Yubao, and Du Hui's mother was named Ruan Yuli. They were sisters of the same father and mother.

Zheng Song was very grateful to his mother, because in the fire at the Anchang Camp, his mother died to protect him. After Zheng Song became the Zheng Lord, he did many things to commemorate his mother.

This Du Hui was like having a death-free gold medal, so he could still lead troops after fleeing the city.

Du Hui was greedy for merit and reckless, because he naturally felt that as long as the news of the 120,000-strong army reached Haiyang City, the Great Ming army that had grabbed enough wealth would naturally withdraw.

In this way, as long as Du Hui was fast enough, he could monopolize the merit of recovering the lost territory and make up for the crime of fleeing the city before.

Du Hui never expected that Luo Shangzhi and the 3,000 vanguard battalion troops not only did not flee, but also took the initiative to leave the city to fight, catching Du Hui off guard.

"How dare he look down on Luo Shangzhi like this? That is Lou Hu! He is a villain, so he naturally thinks that others are villains like him?" Zhu Yijun was a bit dumbfounded by the result of this battle.

Du Hui was greedy for merit and reckless, and also looked down on the Great Ming army. This defeat was really deserved!

Zheng Song led 120,000 troops and returned in failure. Chen Lin and Luo Shangzhi had inconsistent ideas about whether to pursue. Luo Shangzhi wanted to pursue the victory, while Chen Lin, as the Regional Commander, made the final decision to move step by step.

"They are all good sons of the Great Ming." Zhu Yijun gave a vermilion approval. Chen Lin did not allow pursuit, and Luo Shangzhi faced the sky-high military merit and obeyed the military order.

It was just that even a thorn like Li Rusong would not violate military orders when fighting. This was the root of the Great Ming's military appearance dazzling with heavenly might. Military discipline was strict. ===== CHAPTER 1063 =====