Chapter 13: Zhu Ying
“These barbarians may be uncivilized, but their weapons are no weaker than those of our Great Ming.”
“Their ironware and leather armor are both exquisitely crafted.”
“We of the Great Ming can no longer view them through the lens of how we once saw barbarians.”
Chen Heng said with a serious expression.
If we speak of the past,
the barbarians were uncivilized, their weapons inferior to those of Han dynasties.
But since the Yuan court established itself in the heartland of Shenzhou, everything naturally changed.
The iron-smelting and forging techniques once belonging to the Han heartland spread to the northern frontier, bringing a kind of arms revolution to the formerly barbaric tribes there.
“Indeed!”
“No barbarian tribe, no matter how small, should be underestimated.”
“This battle serves as a warning,” Liu Zhen also nodded.
At that moment!
“The Prefect has arrived.”
A shout echoed outside the tent.
At the announcement,
all the officers inside the tent rose to their feet.
“Your Excellency.”
All officers bowed deeply.
Bu Wan was Prefect, but acting as Regional Military Commissioner—they dared not be disrespectful.
“General Chen, General Liu.”
“How did the battle go?” Bu Wan smiled, walking straight to the main seat and asking the two generals with concern.
He had received direct orders from the Crown Prince to resolve the bandit threat swiftly, so he was deeply invested in this matter.
“Your Excellency,”
“Our army engaged the barbarian forces and achieved a decisive victory.”
“Our battle report is ready.”
Chen Heng immediately lifted a battle report and respectfully offered it to Bu Wan.
“Read it aloud.”
“I want to hear just how fierce our Ming soldiers are,” Bu Wan said with a smile, his eyes filled with anticipation.
“Yes.” Chen Heng replied, opened the report, and shouted: “In this battle, our Assistant Commandant’s camp clashed with the barbarian army, killing over five thousand eight hundred, capturing more than three thousand. Our own losses: three thousand seven hundred eighty dead, two thousand five hundred wounded. We emerged victorious.”
“Excellent.”
Hearing the report, Bu Wan’s face broke into a smile: “Well fought. A mere Jianzhou barbarian tribe dared defy the Great Ming—this is the price they paid. This battle has been hard on you two generals; I shall personally petition the Crown Prince and the Emperor to recommend rewards for you and all meritorious soldiers.”
“This battle truly proclaims the might of the Great Ming.”
Before the battle,
Bu Wan had harbored some concern—but now he was completely at ease.
A great victory.
One battle shattered the barbarians.
“Also,”
“There is another matter requiring your personal judgment, Your Excellency.”
Chen Heng pulled another battle report from his robe.
“What is it?” Bu Wan asked with a smile.
“One soldier of our Assistant Commandant’s camp fought with extraordinary bravery and achieved great merit. The specific reward must be decided by you personally.”
Chen Heng’s expression was solemn as he presented the report with both hands to Bu Wan.
Seeing Chen Heng’s gravity, Bu Wan took the report without delay.
He opened it.
His calm expression suddenly changed—shock, astonishment.
“This… this report is real?”
Bu Wan stared at Chen Heng in disbelief.
“Absolutely true. I witnessed him slay the barbarian commander myself. Without him, I might have died under the barbarians’ encirclement,” Chen Heng said at once.
Seeing Bu Wan’s stunned reaction,
the officers in the tent all wore puzzled expressions.
Clearly,
Zhu Ying’s feat of slaying the commander and seizing the banner had not yet spread widely.
After all, today’s battle had only just ended, and wounded soldiers still needed care.
“Your Excellency, what achievement could possibly shock you so?” Liu Zhen asked curiously.
“Read it.”
Bu Wan suppressed his excitement and handed the report to a nearby personal guard.
The guard took it and read aloud: “In our Assistant Commandant’s First Battalion, Squad Leader Zhu Ying, in battle against the barbarians, killed one hundred and three barbarians: forty-five with arrows, fifty-eight by sword. Amidst the chaos, he slew the barbarian commander Jin Guda and seized the barbarian battle standard—great merit.”
As soon as he finished,
every officer except the military inspector who had compiled the report stared wide-eyed at the guard.
“One man killed one hundred and three barbarians?”
“Is this even human?”
“Even Lü Bu of old could not have achieved such a feat!”
“What kind of strength is this?”
“Even the late Prince of Kaiping, famed for his valor, never achieved such results.”
“This man is truly formidable.”
“Not only did he kill so many barbarian soldiers, but he also slew their commander and seized their banner—this merit is immense.”
“No wonder the barbarian army collapsed when we encircled them—it was because of Zhu Ying’s slaying of their commander and banner.”
“This merit is enormous—it could earn him three promotions, at least.”
…
The officers in the tent began murmuring in astonishment.
Even Liu Zhen, another Assistant Commandant, stared at Chen Heng in disbelief.
“Your Excellency,”
“This is the report I wished to submit.”
“How should such merit be rewarded?” Chen Heng asked again.
After Zhu Ying saved him, Chen Heng had sent men to investigate Zhu Ying’s background—after all, this was a life-saving debt, and having such a fierce soldier under his command, how could an Assistant Commandant not take notice?
Precisely because of this,
the military inspector had compiled the battle merits and immediately submitted Zhu Ying’s report separately to Chen Heng.
After all, the report was too shocking.
“When the Great Ming was first founded, the Emperor decreed: our army must be free of corruption; merit must be rewarded, and no killing of the enemy shall go unrewarded.”
“Zhu Ying has achieved such great merit—he must be rewarded according to our Great Ming’s military merit system.”
“General Chen, under our Great Ming’s reward system, how many ranks should he be promoted?” Bu Wan smiled and asked.
For Bu Wan,
all officers were present in the tent, the merit had been publicly read, and verified by the military inspector—no fraud possible.
No one dared tamper with military merit.
After all, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was everywhere.
Moreover,
Zhu Ying’s extraordinary merit was good for Bu Wan too. Though he was only temporarily serving as Regional Military Commissioner, crushing the Jianzhou barbarians was real—and by submitting Zhu Ying’s dazzling achievement to the capital, he would shine even brighter.
Or rather, this was true for every officer in the tent.
Crushing a minor barbarian frontier tribe was a modest achievement, far from shaking the court—but adding Zhu Ying’s single-handed killing of over a hundred enemies, slaying their commander, and seizing their banner? That would shake the court.
These officers would benefit too, for they might finally catch the Emperor’s and Crown Prince’s eye.
Why not seize such an opportunity?
…
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[96] (End of Chapter)
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