Chapter 132

True sorrow is perhaps something only Zhu Yuanzhang and his son can deeply understand.

Whenever the end of the year approaches and every household is immersed in the joy of family reunion, this sorrow becomes even more intense!

"Alright." Zhu Yuanzhang sighed long, and in that sigh, it seemed to carry endless vicissitudes and sadness, then he raised his head slightly, looking at the Kunninggong before him.

"Let's enter the palace to pay respects."

Having said that!

Zhu Yuanzhang walked with slightly heavy steps toward the direction of Kunninggong; Zhu Biao followed quietly behind Zhu Yuanzhang, looking at his father's slightly hunched back, his heart also filled with mixed feelings, a flash of sorrow in his eyes, and then he nodded lightly.

Inside Kunninggong!

Since Empress Ma passed away, all the furnishings and decorations seemed to have been sealed by time, without the slightest change.

The tables and chairs in the room were still in the same state as when Empress Ma was alive, and the calligraphy and paintings on the walls hung quietly, witnessing the past years.

Perhaps this was Zhu Yuanzhang's deliberate doing; he wanted to use this to hold onto the beautiful memories he shared with Empress Ma, even if it was just a little bit.

Inside the palace, three spirit tablets were placed quietly!

For many years!

The incense here had never been extinguished; everything was as Zhu Yuanzhang had ordered.

"Wife."

Zhu Yuanzhang walked slowly to the spirit tablet, his gaze gentle and affectionate, looking at his wife's spirit tablet.

"Daughter-in-law."

Zhu Yuanzhang paused, a flash of tears in his eyes: "Grandson."

Every form of address was filled with Zhu Yuanzhang's deep longing for his loved ones.

"I have come to see you."

The corners of Zhu Yuanzhang's mouth trembled slightly, and he raised his hand to touch the spirit tablet gently, as if touching the faces of his loved ones.

Subsequently, he turned around and picked up the incense candles from the table on the side.

His movements were slow and solemn; his hands trembled slightly as he lit the incense candles, then carefully inserted the lit incense candles into the incense burner before the spirit tablet, and picked up the offerings, placing them one by one before the spirit tablet, his movements gentle, as if afraid of disturbing the sleeping loved ones.

"Mother."

"Sister Chang."

"Xiongying."

"Father and I have come to see you."

Zhu Biao stood behind his father, his expression solemn, bowing slightly to the three spirit tablets, his movements steady and pious, while his eyes were full of sorrow.

Between his words, his face was filled with the bits and pieces of his time with his mother, wife, and son.

And then.

The father and son stood quietly before the spirit tablets.

At this time, silence was better than sound; the longing and pain in their hearts did not need words, and they could deeply feel each other.

Inside the Donggong main hall!

The so-called family banquet had already begun.

The layout of the hall revealed royal luxury.

Zhu Biao's several concubines, as well as a group of children, were all gathered here.

Among them, the most favored Lv clan sat on the left in the position that originally belonged to the Crown Princess, her eyes also carrying a bit of unspoken pride.

She had given birth to three sons, and Zhu Yunwen, as the eldest son, sat beside her.

The other two sons sat on her right.

Zhu Yuntong also sat not far away, but his expression appeared very dejected; he lowered his head slightly, his eyes looking at the ground, his hands unconsciously fiddling with the corners of his clothes, as if he had been forgotten by this lively atmosphere.

As for his two sisters, they were also silent.

There were also three of Zhu Biao's children whose names were not left in the long river of history.

After all, after the cruel Campaign of Defending the South, in order to consolidate imperial power, Zhu Di's methods were extremely ruthless, almost wiping out Zhu Biao's descendants.

In this seemingly glamorous royal family, family affection was often fragile and vulnerable in the face of power.

Once it touched the supreme power of the world, the so-called blood family affection would be ruthlessly abandoned, leaving only the endless pursuit of power.

Compared to the family banquet in the Imperial Palace, the atmosphere in the Donggong main hall revealed a strange calmness.

Four concubines sat in their respective positions, some surrounded by their own biological children, their eyes full of kindness, others leading the children of the former Crown Princess, their expressions appearing slightly awkward.

Beside the Lv clan, the three Zhu Yunwen brothers chatted in low voices from time to time; although the sound was small, it appeared exceptionally clear in this silent main hall.

Zhu Yuntong sat on the side, occasionally raising his head, a flash of loneliness in his eyes, and then lowered his head again.

Although everyone was using chopsticks to eat, in the entire main hall, except for the sound of tableware colliding, no one spoke; the silent atmosphere seemed to make people feel as if they were in an ice cellar, with bursts of chill.

"Mother Concubine." Beside the Lv clan, Zhu Yunwen's younger brother Zhu Yunxian raised his head, looking at the Lv clan innocently, his eyes full of doubt: "When will Father return from the palace?"

His voice was crisp, breaking this long silence.

"Why can't we go to the palace for the banquet?" Zhu Yunxian continued to ask, his face full of confusion.

Hearing this, a gentle smile appeared on the Lv clan's face; she reached out gently and stroked Zhu Yunxian's head.

"There are too many rules for the banquet in the palace," the Lv clan said softly, explaining slowly: "So we don't go, and there are many fewer rules in your Father's palace."

"Oh." Zhu Yunxian nodded as if he understood, the doubt on his face gradually dissipating, replaced by an innocent smile.

But Zhu Yunwen on the side was thoughtful; he frowned slightly, a trace of longing revealed in his eyes, and he raised his head slightly, looking toward the gate of the palace, as if expecting Zhu Biao's return, or as if longing for the unknown banquet in the palace, or rather, longing for being the legitimate son and heir.

After comforting her son, the Lv clan's peripheral vision inadvertently swept over Zhu Yuntong on the left, and then looked at Zhu Yuntong's two sisters; deep in her eyes, a trace of imperceptible disgust flashed.

"Distinction between legitimate and illegitimate!" The Lv clan gritted her teeth in her heart: "Damn distinction between legitimate and illegitimate."

"If it weren't for this distinction between legitimate and illegitimate, I could have entered the palace with the Crown Prince to attend the family banquet; if it weren't for this damn distinction between legitimate and illegitimate, I might have already become the Crown Princess, and Yunwen would have already become the heir."

The Lv clan gripped her hands tightly, trying her best to calm the unwillingness and dissatisfaction in her heart: "One day, I must become the Crown Princess and let Yunwen become the legitimate heir in a dignified manner."

At this time, the Lv clan still appeared calm on the surface, with a gentle smile on her face, but her heart was like a surging wave, unable to calm down for a long time.

Perhaps the speaker had no intention, but the listener had.

Hearing the question from the Lv clan's second son, the other concubines in the hall did not dare to breathe loudly; they lowered their heads slightly, their eyes revealing a trace of fear.

The Lv clan already held great power in the Donggong, and no one dared to defy her will.

They could only sit silently in their positions, using their chopsticks carefully, for fear that one carelessness would anger the Lv clan.

Time passed quietly!

Daning Prefecture, Huizhoucheng!

Fifty thousand reorganized Yuan surrendered troops had already moved into the military camp within the territory of Huizhoucheng.

Around the military camp, high walls stood tall, with the Great Ming military flag inserted on them, fluttering in the wind.

Under the walls, the patrolling soldiers walked neatly, their eyes vigilant.

On the drill ground, fifty thousand surrendered troops wearing Great Ming military uniforms were lined up neatly; although their uniforms were brand new, they were not equipped with armor or weapons.

Among them, all positions above the rank of Squad Leader were transferred from the Great Ming border army. All military officers were soldiers of the Daning border army.

Originally, the imperial court's order was for positions above Platoon Leader to be transferred from the border army, but after Zhu Ying's careful consideration, he submitted a memorial to the Ministry of War, stating earnestly that the Squad Leader, as the grassroots military officer in the army, was crucial and should be completely mastered by the Great Ming.

Zhu Ying wrote this memorial with clear logic and sufficient arguments.

After Zhu Ying submitted it, it was personally reviewed by Crown Prince Zhu Biao and approved for implementation.

From the rank of Squad Leader and above, all military officers of the fifty thousand surrendered troops were held by meritorious soldiers from the Daning border army.

Now, this reorganized army had been personally trained by Zhu Ying for eight months.

In these eight months, Zhu Ying came to the drill ground early every day to train with the soldiers.

After eight months of arduous training, this surrendered army had initially formed combat effectiveness and had also completed the integration of the Great Ming military system.

On the command platform, Zhu Ying wore a Great Ming military uniform, not wearing armor, with his long hair tied behind his head, appearing exceptionally spirited.

After Zhu Ying glanced at the army on the drill ground, he suddenly waved his hand and shouted loudly: "Drill!"

The voice was like a thunderclap, echoing throughout the drill ground.

"General's order."

The many personal guards behind Zhu Ying shouted in unison, their voices uniform: "Drill."

The next moment!

"Kill, kill, kill!"

Fifty thousand troops issued a deafening shout of killing at the same time.

That sound gathered together like a monstrous thunder, resounding through the sky.

Subsequently, the army began to run around the drill ground in an extremely regular and tight posture.

Their steps were uniform, and every time they fell, the entire drill ground shook.

Since Zhu Ying became the Daning Regional Military Commissioner and took charge of the army, he combined the original training methods of the Daning border army and incorporated the advanced training concepts he knew from later generations.

First, focus on training the soldiers' physical strength, through long-distance running, weight-bearing, and other training methods, so that the soldiers have strong physiques.

Second, strengthen the training of combat skills, teaching soldiers various close-quarters fighting moves, so that they can defeat the enemy on the battlefield.

Third, focus on cultivating military temperament, from standing posture, sitting posture to marching etiquette, every detail is strictly required, so that the soldiers exude the majesty of soldiers from the inside out.

Eight months of training, the results were significant.

The Daning border army under Zhu Ying's command was the first to implement Zhu Ying's training methods, followed by these reorganized surrendered troops.

With the popularization of Zhu Ying's new training methods in Daning, the temperament of the army under Zhu Ying's command had taken on a completely new look.

If it were said that some soldiers in the past still had the appearance of military ruffians, walking with hunched backs and no discipline, now everyone stood tall and straight, their eyes firm, and they looked like well-trained soldiers at a glance.

Looking at the soldiers running drills on the drill ground, Zhu Ying nodded slightly, a satisfied smile on his face, and his eyes were filled with comfort and pride.

This was all trained by Zhu Ying himself!

"General."

Liu Lei walked quickly to Zhu Ying's side, looking excited, his face brimming with excitement: "The Daning border army and this surrendered army have greatly increased their combat effectiveness under the General's training."

"Compared to the past, their combat effectiveness has improved I don't know how much."

"Sweat more in peacetime, bleed less in wartime."

Zhu Ying said with a serious expression, looking steadily at the drill ground, and said slowly: "The border army is the most likely to encounter war; although the training methods I have set are arduous, they have indeed improved their physical fitness."

"However..." Zhu Ying's voice paused.

"However what?" Liu Lei looked at Zhu Ying with a confused face.

"The imperial court said they would transfer the Huizhou Regional Military Commissioner, and it has been more than eight months, why haven't they transferred one yet?"

Zhu Ying shook his head helplessly.

Originally, Zhu Ying only needed to control the Daning border army under his command, and the training and military affairs of this surrendered army did not need his excessive attention.

But things went contrary to his wishes; less than a month after the end of the year, the fifty thousand reorganized surrendered troops had already migrated to Huizhou.

But the Regional Military Commissioner had not yet taken office, and some generals allocated by the imperial court had not arrived either.

Because of these reasons, Zhu Ying was forced to control this surrendered army, responsible for training and reorganizing combat effectiveness.

In the eight months, Zhu Ying submitted a memorial to the Ministry of War once every month, just to urge the transfer of the Regional Military Commissioner.

But every time the memorial was reviewed and returned, the Ministry of War's answer was that the current Emperor and the Crown Prince were still deliberating on who should be the Regional Military Commissioner, so it had been dragged until now.

"General." Liu Lei smiled: "You control an army of one hundred thousand with the rank of Guard Commander; this is the power of a Regional Military Commissioner. Others would beg for it, but the General is actually complaining."

"If it were said that this position of Regional Military Commissioner was there, then naturally there would be nothing to say." Zhu Ying shook his head slightly, saying helplessly: "But I am just a Guard Commander, and I have to put in twice the energy to train another Guard, which is really a waste of time."

"Perhaps." Liu Lei said thoughtfully, revealing a look of a bystander seeing clearly: "The Emperor and the Crown Prince want the General to temper himself by controlling an army of one hundred thousand; in the future, they will give the General a greater position of power."

Hearing this, Zhu Ying's heart moved, and a flash of thought appeared in his eyes. Thinking about it carefully, it seemed to be really the case.

"Forget it." Zhu Ying sighed lightly: "Let it be."

Just at this moment, Xiao Han climbed onto the command platform quickly.

"General." Xiao Han reported respectfully: "A group of people has arrived at the camp gate, holding the imperial court's edict and the Regional Military Commissioner's seal; the new Huizhou Regional Military Commissioner has arrived."

"Finally here." Zhu Ying heard this, revealing a happy smile; he was finally going to be liberated.

"Invite this new Regional Military Commissioner into the military camp."

Zhu Ying ordered immediately.

"Yes." Xiao Han turned around immediately and retreated quickly.

Before long, a group of generals wearing armor walked over under the protection of personal guards.

The leading general stood tall, and although young, he also had a majesty of having been through many battles.

When they arrived on the drill ground.

"Kill, kill, kill."

The soldiers who were running drills were divided into many military formations and running uniformly; every time they passed a section, they issued a deafening shout of killing, and this sound seemed to want to break through the clouds.

Seeing this scene, these generals who had just stepped onto the drill ground were all surprised and shocked.

"General Mu, these are the surrendered Yuan troops reorganized, right?" A general said with surprise, his voice carrying a trace of disbelief.

"This place is the Huizhou military camp, not the Daning border army station."

Another general analyzed: "And the military strength here is like this, it must be the reorganized surrendered troops forming an army."

"The surrendered troops have been reorganized for more than eight months, but this time is not long. To be able to train a surrendered army to this point in such time, this Champion Earl is truly worthy of his name; not only is he good at commanding troops, but he is even better at training troops." Another general sighed.

As soon as this was said, all the generals looked at the army on the drill ground with horror. As military generals, they knew how to judge the combat effectiveness of an army.

Unless it was deliberately hidden, it could be seen at a glance from their spirit.

This surrendered army clearly no longer had the decadent spirit of a surrendered army; eight months had passed, and it had taken on a completely new look.

"Champion Earl Zhu Ying." The leader among these generals looked at these troops, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes, as if he expressed recognition for Zhu Ying's training results.

Subsequently, he regained his composure, his steps did not stop, and he went toward the command platform.

Before long, Zhu Ying saw these few generals.

According to the reorganization order issued by the Ministry of War in the past, generals above the rank of Regional Military Commissioner would be directly dispatched by the Ministry of War, and generals below the rank of Regional Military Commissioner would be transferred by the border army.

Zhu Ying scanned with his eyes, and the moment they met, the leading general stepped forward, cupped his hands in a salute, and said with a sincere smile: "This must be the Daning Regional Military Commissioner, Champion Earl, General Zhu, right?"

"Exactly." Zhu Ying nodded, his gaze carrying a bit of curiosity, sizing up the few generals: "I wonder which General you are?"

The leading general immediately cupped his hands and replied: "This subordinate is Mu Sheng, having received the transfer order from the Ministry of War and the imperial edict, appointed as the Huizhou Guard Regional Military Commissioner."

Hearing the name Mu Sheng, Zhu Ying was slightly surprised.

Zhu Ying, who was familiar with history, naturally knew who this Mu Sheng was.

He was the second son of Mu Ying, the Marquis of Xiping, who had guarded Yunnan for generations and protected the southern border of the Great Ming.

Who was Mu Ying?

Among the subjects Zhu Yuanzhang trusted most, he was absolutely one of the most trusted.

He was not only a subject but also Zhu Yuanzhang's foster son, who was adopted by Zhu Yuanzhang when he started his uprising in the past.

Even Crown Prince Zhu Biao called him Elder Brother.

In the past, he was called Zhu Ying, but for the sake of the royal orthodoxy, Mu Ying changed his surname back to his original one.

"It seems that history really has a deviation; Mu Ying was actually dispatched to Daning Prefecture, and he was even leading a Guard alone!"

Zhu Ying thought secretly: "There was no such link in history. It seems this is also some kind of butterfly effect caused by my existence."

Regaining his composure.

Zhu Ying immediately cupped his hands in a return salute and smiled slightly: "I have long heard of the name of General Mu Ying; I didn't expect to see the son of General Mu Ying here today. This is Zhu Ying's good fortune."

Hearing this, Mu Sheng also smiled immediately and replied: "General Zhu is too polite! Although my father has some reputation, I, Mu Sheng, as his son, have not yet created any meritorious deeds. This time, being able to come to Daning as a general is also because I have long heard of General Zhu's fame in galloping and killing enemies on the northern frontier and building meritorious service for the country, so I specially requested the Ministry of War to come to the northern frontier to guard the border for the country."

"Seeing General Zhu today, I, Mu Sheng, have good fortune in three lives."

When Mu Sheng said these words, his expression was incomparably solemn, and his eyes were full of sincerity and excitement, clearly from the bottom of his heart.

Zhu Ying's meritorious service had already been recognized by many generals. And this Mu Sheng was naturally one of them.

In the Battle of Jianzhou and the Battle of Liaodong on the northern frontier, Zhu Ying led his troops to charge and break through the enemy lines, and the army under his command was even more powerful in combat, invincible wherever they went, and their performance could be said to be brilliant.

As the Battle of Liaodong came to an end, Zhu Ying's meritorious service spread rapidly among the powerful elite class of the Great Ming.

In the imperial court, many officials praised this emerging general endlessly.

Mu Ying, a great general who had long been famous in the army and deeply trusted by Zhu Yuanzhang, naturally heard of Zhu Ying's results.

After all, such dazzling combat results had set off quite a stir in the Great Ming army, and it would be difficult not to be noticed.

Otherwise, with Mu Sheng's status, why would he travel thousands of miles and resolutely rush to this northern frontier land?

Clearly, it was for tempering.

"General Mu is too kind."

Zhu Ying smiled slightly, looking at Mu Sheng gently.

Then he turned his head slowly, looking at the army training on the drill ground.

"I have been waiting for General Mu for a long time."

Zhu Ying sighed slightly, his tone carrying a bit of relief: "Now that General Mu has finally arrived, I can finally hand over this Huizhou Guard to General Mu with peace of mind."

"General Zhu is truly amazing at training troops."

Mu Sheng looked at the drill ground with burning eyes, his eyes full of admiration, as if he was still marveling at the transformation of the army before him.

"The Huizhou Guard was reorganized from surrendered Yuan troops; at first, their morale was low and they were a scattered sand, which was extremely difficult to form into a formation, but in General Zhu's hands, they were able to be reborn and have such a majestic momentum."

Mu Sheng said, cupping his hands toward Zhu Ying and performing a solemn military salute: "This subordinate admires you!"

"General Mu and I are both Regional Military Commissioners, no need to call yourself this subordinate." Zhu Ying smiled and waved his hand, revealing friendliness.

"No, no, no." Mu Sheng shook his head vigorously upon hearing this, his expression incomparably serious: "When this subordinate came to take office, the Ministry of War specifically issued an order!"

"During the period when this subordinate controls the Huizhou Guard, I am directly under the command of General Zhu, but any important military situation or major military affairs must be decided by General Zhu."

Mu Sheng said, leaning forward slightly, his attitude extremely sincere: "Therefore, in this Daning Prefecture, my position is indeed below General Zhu."

"Of course,"

Mu Sheng paused, a flash of excitement in his eyes: "Being able to have the opportunity to be a general in Daning Prefecture under General Zhu's command and follow the General to conquer the battlefield is this subordinate's lifelong honor."

Seeing this situation!

A smile appeared on Zhu Ying's face again, and he nodded lightly, then said no more.

Subsequently.

Zhu Ying turned around and pointed to the drill ground: "The fifty thousand soldiers of the Huizhou Guard have completely completed their reorganization, and the daily training outline has also been formulated properly."

"After General Mu takes over the army, you can command the army according to this outline."

Zhu Ying said, his gaze turning to Mu Sheng: "If General Mu has any doubts about military affairs, you can send someone to Daning City to find me at any time."

"Thank you, General Zhu." Mu Sheng heard this, cupped his hands again, bowed deeply, his words full of gratitude.

Just at this moment, Xiao Han ran onto the command platform with hurried steps, but this time he revealed anxiety, panting heavily.

"General." Xiao Han endured his excitement, his voice trembling slightly as he reported: "News came from Daning that the Lady has had labor reactions, and I'm afraid she will give birth soon."

Hearing this, Zhu Ying's originally steady face changed instantly, his eyes full of surprise and anticipation, and his joy was beyond words.

"General Mu."

Zhu Ying turned to Mu Sheng quickly, his speed of speech unconsciously accelerating: "I entrust the Huizhou Guard entirely to you; my wife is about to give birth, and I need to go back to handle the affairs in the residence."

"If there is anything important in the future, you can send someone to Daning City to find me at any time."

Having said that.

He did not wait for a response.

Zhu Ying strode toward the edge of the command platform.

Seeing this, the personal guards immediately followed behind Zhu Ying and left the military camp quickly.

Before long.

A group of personal guards quickly rode away from the military camp and galloped toward the direction of Daning City.

Although Huizhou was not far from Daning City, they would certainly arrive within two hours.

Daning City, Zhu Fu.

Outside Shen Yuer's bedroom, the atmosphere was tense and full of anticipation.

A group of maids walked in a hurry.

Some steadily held steaming water basins, others carefully held soft towels, walking in a hurry through the house.

Lin Fu stood outside the bedroom, his brows tightly locked, pacing back and forth constantly. His eyes were full of anxiety.

Just at this time, a burst of hurried footsteps came from afar.

"How is it?"

As soon as Zhu Ying ran to Lin Fu, he couldn't wait to ask, his voice carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling.

"The midwife has been inside for two hours," Lin Fu saw Zhu Ying arrive and hurried forward, a comforting smile squeezed onto his face: "It is said that the first labor will take longer, Young Master, don't be anxious, set your heart at ease."

No sooner said than done.

The next moment, from inside the tightly closed bedroom door, came a crisp and loud "wa... wa..." sound of an infant crying.

(End of chapter)