Chapter 105: Open the Chest! [Imperial Seal of the Realm]!

Just then!

Outside the tent.

“Reporting to General.”

“Outside the main camp.”

“Personal guard of Zhu Ying of the Danning Border Army requests an audience, stating urgent military intelligence.”

Chang Mao’s personal guard respectfully reported.

Upon hearing this.

Chang Mao’s face twisted into a peculiar expression.

“Hahahaha.”

“Generals, did I hear correctly?”

“Zhu Ying sent someone to request an audience, claiming urgent military intelligence?”

Chang Mao said with a tone of mockery.

Clearly.

Chang Mao naturally had no trust in Zhu Ying.

“General.”

“Let’s see him first.”

“If General Zhu truly has urgent intelligence to report, we must not delay military opportunity,” Zhang Yu spoke up.

Seeing Zhang Yu speak.

Chang Mao nodded and immediately said: “Let Zhu Ying’s personal guard enter the camp.”

Not long after.

Cao De, platoon leader of Zhu Ying’s personal guard, strode into the tent.

“Greetings, General Chang.”

“Your subordinate, under orders from General Zhu, has come to deliver urgent military intelligence.”

Cao De bowed deeply, offering the bamboo tube in his hands to Chang Mao.

“What urgent intelligence does your Danning Border Army have?” Chang Mao asked, showing little concern.

“Our general led us in an advance against Liaodong’s cities and noticed the Yuan forces were understrength, their elite troops depleted, replaced by raw conscripts guarding the frontlines. Thus, our general deduces the Yuan intend to set an ambush at Tieling City against us.”

“Our general sent me to warn you to be cautious.”

“This is a letter written in our general’s own hand.”

Cao De extended the bamboo tube toward Chang Mao.

Chang Mao glanced at it, waved his hand, and his personal guard commander stepped forward to take the letter.

After receiving the letter.

Chang Mao immediately opened it.

“Yuan forces may ambush at Tieling. Proceed with caution.”

The letter contained only this one sentence.

After reading it, Chang Mao’s face curled into a cold sneer.

“Return and tell General Zhu.”

“I have received his warning.”

“Yet this time, the great merit of capturing Tieling—the key to Liaodong—I intend to claim for myself.”

“He need not concern himself further,” Chang Mao said with mockery.

Then he waved his hand.

Directly ordered the man dismissed.

Seeing this.

Cao De inside the tent said nothing more.

“Your subordinate takes leave.”

Cao De bowed, turned, and left immediately.

Before coming, Liu Lei had already warned him: deliver the letter, convey your general’s message, and let Lan Yu and the others decide whether to believe it—that was none of their concern.

As always.

Do your duty, leave the rest to fate.

Zhu Ying had done what he needed to do.

Whether Lan Yu and Chang Mao believed him was none of Zhu Ying’s concern.

“Heh.”

“Ambush at Tieling? Be cautious.”

“I thought Zhu Ying acted with integrity, but now I see he resorts to such underhanded tricks.”

“Our army is less than ten li from Tieling—we’re already at the doorstep. With Tieling’s defenses, we can breach it in a single day.”

“He cannot claim the merit of taking Tieling, so now he tries to frighten us with false warnings.”

“Ambush at Tieling?”

“Given the Yuan forces’ current state?”

Chang Mao coldly spoke, then tore up Zhu Ying’s handwritten letter in his hand.

“General’s words are most wise.”

“Tieling is within arm’s reach of our main camp. Tomorrow, once our forces unite, we will crush Tieling, sever Liaodong’s lifeline, and isolate all Yuan troops across the region. This merit is ours for the taking.”

“Zhu Ying must have seen we’ve seized the initiative and can no longer claim Tieling’s glory, so he resorts to this tactic to hinder our advance.”

“Zhu Ying’s move is rather laughable…”

The other generals all laughed, clearly dismissing Zhu Ying’s warning.

Yet one man alone.

Zhang Yu, commander of the Beiping Army, now wore a thoughtful expression.

After a moment’s thought.

“General Chang.”

“I suggest dispatching scouts to infiltrate Tieling and investigate,” Zhang Yu said.

Hearing this.

Chang Mao gave him a strange look and said dismissively: “General Zhang, do you actually believe Zhu Ying’s alarmist nonsense?”

“Our advance has been overwhelming. The Yuan forces have been crushed, unable to resist. In recent days, we’ve captured over ten thousand Yuan deserters. Even if they recruit more troops, how could they possibly stand against us?”

“Believing Zhu Ying’s alarmist claims would only waste precious battle opportunity.”

Chang Mao waved his hand carelessly.

“I believe,”

“General Zhu would not make such a claim without reason. A scout probe is still advisable,” Zhang Yu insisted.

Seeing Zhang Yu’s seriousness.

Chang Mao stared for a moment.

In the end, he did not refuse.

“Since General Zhang insists, you may dispatch scouts to investigate.”

“But tomorrow, when our forces unite, the offensive will proceed as planned,” Chang Mao said firmly.

“Your subordinate accepts the order,” Zhang Yu nodded.

…

Beneath the night sky!

The Danning Border Army’s encampment.

“General.”

“The letter has been delivered to Chang Mao.”

“But from his reaction, he does not seem to believe it.”

After returning, Cao De reported to Zhu Ying.

“Let him believe or not.”

“I have done my duty,” Zhu Ying nodded.

“Yes.”

“Your subordinate takes leave.”

Cao De bowed and exited the tent.

“Could the Yuan forces truly be setting an ambush at Tieling?”

“Given the Yuan’s current state, with our Great Ming splitting into two armies, could Naha Chu possibly gather a strong force?”

On the main seat, Bu Wan said in surprise.

“The situation in Liaodong is now clear.”

“If they continue only to defend, the Yuan will surely lose.”

“How could a man like Naha Chu not know this?”

“The only way to alter the Yuan’s dire situation in Liaodong is to strike back—crush or cripple one of our Great Ming armies—only then can they preserve their chance of victory in Liaodong.”

"The good warrior hides his troops and wields them well."

"It seems Naha Chu has not only drawn troops from Gaizhou, but also from Tieling, and even shifted considerable forces from Liaoyang."

"I am certain Tieling is almost certainly ambushed."

"Moreover, Naha Chu must have planned this for months, with thorough preparations. To change this battle situation, we must advance steadily—best to bypass Tieling and strike elsewhere, cutting off the Yuan army’s ambush strategy," Zhu Ying said solemnly.

"Blue Jade’s main force is now nearing Tieling; it’s nearly impossible to make them abandon the attack."

"And this is merely your speculation—they won’t believe it at all; instead, they’ll think you’re trying to seize credit and delaying their opportunity."

"Let them believe it or not."

"But our Da Ning frontier troops’ mobilization cannot be delayed," Zhu Ying said with a faint smile.

His gaze then fell upon Zhang Wu: "General Zhang, how is the cavalry deployment?"

"Reporting to the General."

"Twenty thousand cavalry have been fully deployed."

"Tonight, we’ve had the logistics troops rush to feed the horses and ensured the soldiers are well-fed and hydrated," Zhang Wu replied immediately.

"Tomorrow’s battle hinges on the cavalry."

"We must prepare for Blue Jade’s forces being ambushed. Once they are, our cavalry will launch a full assault and break the Yuan army," Zhu Ying said solemnly.

"I vow to follow the General to death," Zhang Wu said at once.

Zhu Ying’s gaze then turned to Chen Heng and Liu Zhen.

"Twenty thousand infantry have also been fully deployed and await the General’s orders," Chen Heng and Liu Zhen said in unison.

With Bu Wan relinquishing command authority to Zhu Ying, Zhu Ying, though not the Regional Military Commissioner, now held full command over Da Ning’s fifty thousand frontier troops—all forces now answered to his orders, concentrating the entire strength of Da Ning’s army under his control.

"Good."

"Tomorrow’s battle."

"Will decide the fate of Liaodong."

"All generals, return to your quarters and rest tonight. We mobilize tomorrow," Zhu Ying rose to his feet.

"We obey."

The generals replied in unison.

"Bu Da Ren."

"You rest well too."

"Tomorrow, I shall secure victory," Zhu Ying added to Bu Wan.

"Hahahaha."

"With you leading, I am naturally at ease."

"Take bold command of the military."

"I will support you fully," Bu Wan said with a smile.

…

Inside Zhu Ying’s tent!

"Three first-rank treasure chests, four ordinary treasure chests."

"It’s time to open them."

Zhu Ying lay on his bed, a look of anticipation on his face.

He had never opened these treasure chests before.

Two were awarded when he was enfeoffed as a marquis with his title.

One was for killing over four thousand enemies.

The other four came from two imperial edicts and the killing of two Yuan officers equivalent in rank to Regional Military Commissioners.

"Open all treasure chests."

Zhu Ying issued the command.

"Open four ordinary treasure chests."

"Obtained: [Diarrhea Powder] ten packets."

"Obtained: [Five Snow Lotus Flowers] from Tianshan."

"Obtained: [Fine Steel Swords] ten blades."

"Obtained: [Fine Steel Armor-Piercing Arrows] one hundred."

"Open three first-rank treasure chests."

"Obtained: [5,000 gold]."

"Obtained: [Map to the Imperial Seal]."

"Obtained: [Complete Blueprints for the Steam Engine]."

The interface prompted.

"[Map to the Imperial Seal]!!"

One glance.

Zhu Ying’s eyes locked onto the second reward from the first-rank chest.

His face showed shock, and beneath it, an unspoken yearning.

The Imperial Seal!

Since Qin Shi Huang unified Shenzhou, the existence of the Imperial Seal was known to all.

He who possessed the Imperial Seal was the true emperor, blessed with the destiny of Shenzhou.

It was perhaps the ultimate declaration of legitimate imperial authority.

But after the Five Barbarians’ rebellion, the Imperial Seal vanished into history, lost to time.

Countless emperors after him had craved it desperately.

"Blessed by Heaven, long life and eternal prosperity."

"This is meant for me to find the Imperial Seal."

Looking at this reward, Zhu Ying could not help but be stirred.

Though he now served the Great Ming, he had already gained the chance at immortality—his future world was his to shape.

Found a state, proclaim himself emperor!

To say Zhu Ying had no such ambition would be false.

The Great Ming is stable now; he cannot act within it—but beyond its borders lie countless opportunities.

Moreover, the Great Ming will not remain strong forever.

First comes the Jingnan Rebellion, then the Tumu Crisis.

If the Tumu Crisis truly comes, Zhu Ying could never stand idly by as countless Han sons are slaughtered by that fool’s incompetence.

"This chest’s reward is invaluable."

"The Imperial Seal."

"I must find it. With this seal, one day I shall be the true heir of Han."

Zhu Ying thought, heart pounding.

He then extracted the map to the Imperial Seal.

The next moment.

An ancient map appeared in Zhu Ying’s hands.

"The location on this map seems to be in the northern frontier, deep within Northern Yuan territory."

"That makes sense."

"During the Five Barbarians’ rebellion, all of central Shenzhou was in chaos; it’s entirely possible the Imperial Seal was carried north by foreign tribes."

"We’ll take it one step at a time."

"If I truly reach that place, I’ll have already sealed my glory at Langjuxu."

Zhu Ying glanced at the map, barely grasping its location—but he was not in a hurry.

The Imperial Seal wouldn’t run away.

Regaining his composure,

Zhu Ying tucked the map away, then turned his gaze to the other rewards.

"[Diarrhea Powder]."

"I gave the last batch to the barbarians."

"It worked well—I may need it again."

"[Five Snow Lotus Flowers from Tianshan]—keep them. They’re rare medicinal herbs."

"[Fine Steel Swords]—distribute them later to my elite guards who fight bravely and earn merit."

"[Fine Steel Armor-Piercing Arrows]—far superior to ordinary arrows; perhaps they can channel true qi, making them even deadlier. A hidden trump card."

"Five thousand gold—not bad."

"As for the Steam Engine…"

"I already have blueprints for flintlock rifles, Divine Martial Cannons, and premium gunpowder. Now I have the Steam Engine."

"It seems I may one day build a modern nation under my own hand."

"From this point, who knows—I might even get artificial intelligence someday."

Looking at these rewards, Zhu Ying couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

However.

Although these cannot yet be manifested, in the future Zhu Ying can manifest them one by one.

“Attribute Panel.”

Zhu Ying silently called out in his heart.

It appeared before his eyes.

Host: Zhu Ying

Age: 14 years

Internal Qi: 3468 points

Strength: 3645 points

Speed: 3522 points

Constitution: 3312 points

Endurance: 3423 points

Spirit: 3284 points

Lifespan: 271 years, 256 days

Storage Space: 39 cubic units

Cultivation Technique: Postnatal Mystery Art… Body Tempering Art

Martial Arts: Stored Power Slash [Advanced], Wild Dance Blade Technique [Advanced], Mountain-Shattering Fist [Beginner], Divine Arrow Rapid Fire [Intermediate], Tiger Roar Art [Beginner], Golden Bell Shield [Intermediate].

…

“If I can just have one more major battle, all attributes may break through four thousand.”

Looking at his attribute panel, Zhu Ying thought silently to himself.

Over the past three months,

though battles had been constant,

he had never encountered large numbers of Yuan troops, and the Yuan garrisons had all surrendered at the sight of him—he hadn’t gotten to fight with any real satisfaction.

But this time, the Battle of Tieling,

will be a major battle!

Though he had no concrete intelligence, Zhu Ying trusted his certainty: the Yuan forces would set an ambush at Tieling, using it as bait to strike the Ming army.

His gaze shifted!

In the General’s Mansion, Tieling City.

Alishili sat on the main seat, with officers lined up on either side.

“Report, General, all preparations are complete.”

“For the past month, no one has been allowed in or out except those transporting grain and supplies,” an officer reported to Alishili on the main seat.

“Hmm.”

Alishili nodded, his expression unusually grave.

“Gentlemen.”

“The Ming army is now less than ten li from Tieling; they will attack tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow’s battle concerns the very foundation of our Great Yuan’s control over Liaodong—and our own survival.”

“All of you who have come here to Tieling have proven your loyalty to the Grand Marshal.”

“Of course,”

“to ensure absolute certainty,”

“before you arrived, your families were already held in Liaoyang.”

“If this secret leaks, not only will my family die, but every one of your families will be executed.”

Alishili said this to all of them with a stern face.

At these words,

the faces of all the Northern Yuan officers changed.

Almost everyone felt unease, even anger.

“Gentlemen, you need not look at me like that.”

“Your families are held because the Grand Marshal ordered it, and the Emperor himself approved.”

“For the Great Yuan, it is all worth it,” Alishili said in a deep voice, his tone absolute, unmoved.

“May I ask, General,”

“are we ordered to defend Tieling to the death, not retreating a single step?”

“If we retreat, will all our families be killed?” asked a Northern Yuan warlord.

The eyes of other officers turned toward him.

“No.”

Alishili shook his head.

“This battle,”

“is not a city-defense battle,”

Alishili said gravely.

“Not a city-defense battle?” The officers were even more confused.

Their families were all held in Liaoyang; if Tieling fell, their families would die—yet now it seemed they were not being ordered to hold the city at all costs?

“The Grand Marshal detained your families—and mine—in Liaoyang not because he feared you would flee in battle, but because he feared the plan would leak.”

“This battle,”

“the Grand Marshal has already laid his trap: Tieling is the bait to annihilate the invading Ming army,” Alishili said gravely, his eyes brimming with killing intent.

“General,”

“even if we have nearly a hundred thousand troops in Tieling, the Ming army is also numerous—how can we annihilate them?”

“Since the fall of Jincheng and Kaiyuan, our soldiers’ morale has plummeted.”

“Defending might still be possible, but annihilating the Ming army is nearly impossible.”

“Indeed.”

“The Ming army now numbers two hundred thousand; in Gaizhou and Tieling, we can only defend…”

The Yuan officers spoke up.

They had no hope at all for Alishili’s plan to annihilate the Ming army.

The battlefield situation had changed drastically since the Ming first launched their offensive months ago.

“Inside and outside Tieling,”

“we have one hundred fifty thousand of our Great Yuan’s finest.”

“Tieling City is filled with flammable materials, alcohol, and oil.”

Alishili spoke slowly.

His voice carried a chilling solemnity.

Paired with the personal guards standing watch outside the hall, it added a cold, deadly edge.

“General,”

“is the Grand Marshal planning to use Tieling as bait, lure the Ming army inside, and burn them all alive?” one Yuan officer exclaimed.

The expressions of the other Yuan officers changed.

If that were true,

perhaps they could indeed annihilate the Ming army.

“The Liaodong campaign is decided.”

“If we fail to annihilate the Ming army, Liaodong will be lost.”

“Therefore, the Grand Marshal has ordered this fire-burning strategy—to destroy the invading Ming army in one blow and turn the tide of war,” Alishili said with a cold smile.

“But General,”

“the Ming commander is Lan Yu—he is skilled in troop command; he won’t fall for this easily.”

“If our troops show any sign of retreat, if we withdraw too obviously, Lan Yu won’t be fooled,” said a Yuan officer gravely.

“One hundred fifty thousand troops,”

“fifty thousand of them conscripts—mostly Han Chinese.”

“I will use these fifty thousand to hold off Lan Yu’s assault at all costs, making them die inside the city.”

“Meanwhile, our ten thousand elite Yuan troops will wait for the moment—once Lan Yu leads his army into the city, we will set it ablaze.”

“Then we will strike directly at Lan Yu’s command center and annihilate him in one blow.”

“This battle,”

“the Grand Marshal has set the strategy—no deviation allowed. I will personally oversee the battle.”

“When tomorrow’s battle begins, anyone who leaks even a single detail will see their families in Liaoyang executed,” Alishili roared, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Under his piercing gaze,

all the Yuan officers in the hall rose to their feet: “We swear loyalty to the Great Yuan!”

“Gentlemen,”

“the moment of battle cannot be missed—this battle determines the survival of our Liaodong.”

"To prevent accidents."

"Each general’s personal guard will be integrated into the army; the safety of all generals will be personally assured by the Grand Commandant’s own guards."

"Once this battle ends in victory, neither the Grand Commandant nor His Majesty will forget the generals’ military merits."

Alishili shouted again.

He clapped his hands.

Before the general’s mansion, over a thousand personal guards had gathered—all Naha’s elite troops, utterly loyal to Naha.

This strategy of burning the city was Naha’s key to turning the tide of battle.

In terms of planning, Alishili had completed his arrangements.

But in terms of intelligence, Alishili must eliminate all leaks.

The presence of these guards ensured that no city commander could send word out.

Only thus.

Could the fire-burning plan succeed.

Once the generals had departed under the protection of Naha’s personal guards.

Inside the grand hall.

Only Alishili and his two deputy commanders remained.

"Everything is ready."

"Success or failure rests on tomorrow."

"Once accomplished, we will deal a crushing blow to the Ming army."

"Our forces can then counterattack and reclaim control of Liaodong," Alishili said grimly.

The next day!

Nearly one hundred thousand troops stood before Tie Ling City.

As the strategic hub of Liaodong,

outside Tie Ling City stretched a vast plain; even with one hundred thousand troops deployed, the ground remained open.

Beneath the Ming banners,

Lan Yu stood atop a war chariot, flanked by Chang Mao and Hu Hai.

"General."

"The troops are all ready."

"We await only your order to launch the full assault," Chang Mao said.

Chang Mao looked at Lan Yu with eager excitement.

"Have you reconnoitered the situation inside Tie Ling City?" Lan Yu asked grimly.

Clearly,

he had learned of Zhu Ying’s secret message.

Though he disliked Zhu Ying, Lan Yu, as a general, was exceedingly cautious.

"Rest assured, General."

"We have sent out five separate reconnaissance parties."

"The Yuan forces are all stationed within Tie Ling City; there are no ambushes outside," Chang Mao assured him, thumping his chest.

"Hmm."

Lan Yu nodded, his worries eased.

He gazed at the city ahead: "Break this city, and Liaodong is ours!"

…

(End of Chapter)