Chapter 154: The Imperial Edict Arrives! A Noble Title Bestowed! Shen Yuer Is Stunned!

“Slain the Northern Yuan’s Second Prince [Dibao Nu], obtained 200 points of all attributes, acquired 500 days of lifespan, rewarded two Tier-One Treasure Chests.” The system prompt chimed in at the right moment.

“Done.”

“Son of the Yuan Emperor.” Zhu Ying’s heart leapt with joy.

Battle merits, battle results, and treasure chests!

All secured.

The surrounding Yuan soldiers, who had been fighting desperately, now watched in horror as their Second Prince was flung from his horse and crashed heavily into the dust and blood.

One by one, the Yuan soldiers’ faces turned pale with despair and terror, drained of all color.

“The Second Prince is dead!”

A Yuan officer shouted, his voice trembling with boundless fear and despair, echoing across the chaotic battlefield.

That cry.

Sounded like the death knell for this entire Yuan force.

The next instant.

The morale and fighting spirit of the Yuan troops inside and outside the city collapsed instantly.

“We’re finished—we’re all finished!”

“The Second Prince is dead.”

“We’re done…”

“Surrender! If you don’t, you’ll die!”

“I surrender…!”

A chorus of wails and cries for surrender rose and fell, sounding the final dirge for this Yuan army.

“We’re completely surrounded by Ming troops—there’s no escape!”

“I surrender! Please spare my life!”

As the cries for surrender grew louder, more and more Yuan soldiers threw down their weapons and knelt to surrender.

Dibao Nu’s death!

The death of the Northern Yuan’s Second Prince was the death of their commanding general.

It shattered the last remnants of the Yuan army’s will to resist.

Even their courage to break out was swallowed by terror; vast swathes of Yuan soldiers fell like rippling wheat before the wind, surrendering on sight.

Zhu Ying pressed forward relentlessly, fighting his way step by step to the city gate.

Seeing the countless Yuan soldiers abandoning their weapons and surrendering inside and outside the city, Zhu Ying drew a deep breath, channeling his powerful inner qi, then roared: “Surrenderers live! Those who refuse—die!”

His roar carried boundless authority and killing intent, rolling like thunder across the battlefield, echoing for a long time.

This single command decided the fate of countless Yuan soldiers.

The Ming soldiers fighting throughout the city heard their general’s roar and raised their weapons in unison, shouting: “By the General’s order!”

“Surrendering Yuan troops shall be spared.”

“Those who refuse—executed without mercy.”

The synchronized roar of tens of thousands of Ming soldiers shook the earth.

It completely engulfed the entire city gate, saturated with overwhelming authority and lethal intent.

“I surrender.”

“I give up.”

“My lord, spare my life!”

“General, spare me…”

Countless Yuan soldiers, terrified and trembling, dropped their weapons.

One man’s surrender moved ten, ten moved a hundred.

In an instant.

More and more Yuan soldiers lost all will to resist, abandoning their weapons and kneeling to beg for mercy.

“How can our Yuan warriors surrender to barbarians?”

“Fight these Han to the death!”

“Kill them…”

Yet a few desperate Yuan soldiers still fought on, their final, futile struggle fueled by madness; they swung their weapons wildly, charging at the Ming troops.

But their resistance was nothing more than the last, powerless thrashing of the dying.

With Dibao Nu dead,

this fierce battle neared its end; all that remained was to clear the last remnants of enemies within the city—then the battle would be over.

The main gate of Zhentangcheng!

The city gate had long been firmly under Ming control; outside, supply troops moved busily.

In groups of several, they carried stretchers, carefully transporting wounded soldiers; others meticulously gathered corpses. The heavy footsteps and moans of the injured intertwined, forming a grim and heroic scene.

Under tight guard by their personal guards, Guo Ying, Zhu Di, and Li Jinglong arrived before the main gate.

Before their eyes lay a scene too horrific to behold.

Corpses littered the ground.

Blood flowed like a river.

Yet.

As high-ranking officers, they remained utterly calm.

And now,

all three of their gazes were fixed on the city gate before them.

Shattered fragments of the gate lay scattered everywhere, bricks still stained with blood and charred marks.

Several sections of the wall lay in disarray; once tall and sturdy, the seven walls now stood only as jagged, crumbling edges, ready to collapse at any moment.

Yet seeing this,

one could clearly imagine the heart-stopping battle Zhu Ying had waged to breach the city.

Guo Ying’s eyes were filled with shock and disbelief; he pointed a finger at the gate and asked his personal guard, voice trembling: “Could this… really have been breached by one man with a single blade?”

“Report, Grand General!” The commander of the personal guard bowed deeply, his expression solemn, voice thick with reverence: “Tens of thousands of soldiers witnessed it—General Zhu broke through the city gate with unmatched ferocity.”

“All of this was accomplished by General Zhu alone.”

“The troops call him a divine being, say he was born with godlike strength, like Xiang Yu reborn—General Zhu’s might is unmatched by ten thousand men!”

Hearing this,

“Such strength—truly god-given!”

Guo Ying stared at the shattered ruins before him, his face etched with disbelief, murmuring: “General Zhu may indeed be a prodigy.”

“But this… it’s beyond human capability!”

Not just Guo Ying.

Zhu Di was also deeply shaken; his eyes locked on the broken gate, flickering with unusual light—amazement at Zhu Ying’s strength, yet tinged with unease.

“Such a valiant general—if he served me, he alone could stand against a thousand armies.” Zhu Di thought bitterly to himself; he knew the Yuan defenses inside the city had been tighter than before, yet Zhu Ying had still smashed through—this divine strength filled him with awe, and with greater dread.

“Night is falling—the fighting inside the city should be nearly over.”

“Let us enter the city first; let the supply troops continue clearing the battlefield,” Li Jinglong suggested, breaking the silence.

Guo Ying nodded slightly in agreement: “Naturally.”

At that moment,

a battle officer from Huizhouwei hurried over, his steps urgent.

When he reached Guo Ying, he bowed deeply, clasped his fists, and respectfully reported: “Grand General, General Zhu Ying has fully captured this city—the main commander defending it, the Yuan Emperor’s second son Dibao Nu, has been slain by General Zhu Ying himself!”

“Our forces have won a great victory!”

As soon as he spoke,

“The Yuan Emperor’s second son? The Northern Yuan’s Second Prince? He’s dead—just like that?”

Guo Ying exclaimed, his face frozen in disbelief.

Zhu Di was even more stunned; his brows knitted tightly as he whispered: “A member of the imperial clan—killed by Zhu Ying?”

As royalty, he knew the special status of imperial blood; they were entitled to surrender.

But Zhu Ying had executed Dibao Nu outright—this made him think of his own position, stirring a thread of unease.

“In battle, swords have no eyes—it’s unavoidable. Could we just let Dibao Nu escape?”

Li Jinglong spoke calmly, waving his hand lightly, showing no disapproval of Zhu Ying’s actions.

Guo Ying chuckled in agreement, a hint of disdain on his face: “That’s true. As long as we take the city and defeat the enemy, it doesn’t matter if General Zhu kills this prince—even if he killed the Northern Yuan Emperor himself!”

Hearing their words, Zhu Di fell silent; he unconsciously clenched his fist, then slowly released it.

He understood—in battle, such things were unavoidable.

Swords did not recognize rank or status.

But perhaps Zhu Di was thinking of Dibao Nu’s status—and his own.

If Dibao Nu, a royal, could be killed like an ordinary Yuan soldier, what if one day he himself committed treason—would Zhu Ying treat him the same way?

Perhaps this was what they called guilt.

A guilty conscience!

“Grand General, our forces slew countless enemies and took many captives.”

General Zhu Ying had already planned the complete annihilation of the Yuan forces within the city during the assault.

First, infantry advanced and breached the city walls; then, the Danning cavalry circled around to cut off the Yuan army’s retreat, forming a complete encirclement.

The battle objectives have been fully achieved—total victory!

The full battle tally has not yet been compiled, but the spoils will be immense; the number of captured Yuan soldiers is countless.

The Huizhouwei officers reported excitedly, their faces glowing with exhilaration.

He had originally served in the Danning Army but now held the post of Assistant Commandant in Huizhouwei; yet with this great victory, he too had earned merit, and thus was especially elated.

Of course.

This battle.

Though they were not the vanguard and did not get the meat, they still drank a sip of the broth by following the Danning frontier troops into campaign.

The merit of breaching the city walls. The merit of slaying the enemy.

Immense spoils!

Guo Ying snapped back to attention and immediately shouted: “General Li!”

Li Jinglong bowed deeply, his movements crisp and efficient: “Your servant is present!”

“With the battle within the city now settled, the follow-up cleanup must not be delayed.”

“You personally oversee the deployment of the logistics troops to clear the battlefield and treat the surrendered soldiers.”

“Moreover, this city is a storage depot for grain along the Northern Yuan’s border—immediately send men to inspect the granaries. If we can seize the Northern Yuan’s grain supplies, it will be a tremendous boon for our army.”

Guo Ying gave his orders with calm precision, his expression stern and commanding.

“Your servant accepts the order!” Li Jinglong replied with eagerness, a confident smile spreading across his face.

Though he was only mediocre at battlefield command and tactics, he had always excelled at managing logistics and administrative tasks.

“Your Highness, there are many surrendered soldiers within the city—they must be relocated outside for detention, then transported to Ming territory for imprisonment. Beiping Prefecture may serve as the detention site.”

“This matter requires your arrangement,” Guo Ying said, turning to Zhu Di.

“Your servant accepts the order,” Zhu Di replied, his face thoughtful, as if calculating how best to handle the surrendered troops.

“The battle here is concluded. The five Northern Yuan border cities targeted by the two-pronged advance will face little further resistance.”

“Next, we press forward with full force—directly toward the Northern Yuan’s new capital!”

Guo Ying’s eyes gleamed with anticipation.

This northern campaign had already yielded significant results—countless enemies slain—and the dream of a great northern victory seemed within reach.

“Grand General, we must hasten the tally of battle results and urgently report to Yingtian,” Li Jinglong reminded with a smile, his eyes flickering with urgency as his hands unconsciously rubbed together.

Guo Ying laughed: “You’re afraid your battle merits will be reported a moment too late!”

His words ended.

“Hahaha!” The two men burst into laughter, the atmosphere light and joyful.

“Once the battle results are compiled, I shall personally submit the report,” Guo Ying said, his tone brimming with grandeur.

“Grand General, your wisdom!” Li Jinglong immediately echoed, his face beaming, eyes narrowed to slits.

Danning Prefecture, Zhu Residence!

General Zhu Ying had been on campaign for over half a month.

Today, the gates of the Zhu residence were thronged with activity; crowds lined both sides of the street, whispering among themselves, their faces filled with curiosity and excitement.

Some stood on tiptoe, trying to peer into the compound; others whispered guesses about what grand event might unfold today.

The Fucheng garrison troops stood in orderly formation around the perimeter, their spears glinting in the sunlight, maintaining order.

Bu Wan, the Prefect of Danning Prefecture, had also come to the Zhu residence today.

Dressed in official robes, his expression solemn, his gaze fixed ahead, hands clasped behind his back, he paced occasionally, betraying a hint of nervous anticipation.

Zhu Ying’s wife, Shen Yuer, dressed in a plain long gown, held her infant son Zhu Xi in her arms, standing at the gate, her face tense yet hopeful.

The child gazed curiously around in his mother’s arms, occasionally waving his tiny hands, making soft cooing sounds.

The steward Lin Fu and the household servants stood neatly to one side, each with respectful expressions, eyes fixed intently ahead.

At this moment!

A rhythmic trampling sound approached.

After a short while.

Over a hundred Jinyuwei soldiers, clad in red cloaks, stood in perfect formation before the Zhu residence.

Their postures rigid as statues, their red cloaks fluttering in the breeze, radiating imperial majesty.

A Jinyuwei Company Commander stepped forward, holding a golden imperial edict, his steps steady and deliberate, his gaze focused and solemn—each footfall echoing the authority of the Crown Prince.

“Shen Yuer, wife of the Marquis Zhu Ying, receive the edict!”

The Jinyuwei Company Commander’s voice rang out, loud as a temple bell, silencing the crowd’s murmurs.

Shen Yuer’s heart tightened; instinctively, she clutched her son tighter. Sensing her tension, Zhu Xi stopped playing, his large eyes wide and bewildered.

“Your servant receives the edict.”

Shen Yuer slowly knelt.

Behind her, the servants and the gathered commoners all knelt as well.

Even Prefect Bu Wan dared not delay—he immediately knelt, head bowed low, his face filled with reverence.

In the Great Ming, an imperial edict was as sacred as the Emperor’s own presence; those without noble rank must bow when receiving it.

“By the Mandate of Heaven, the Crown Prince decrees!”

“Commander of Danning, Marquis Zhu Ying, having received the imperial order to lead the northern campaign, displayed fearless valor in the first battle—within a single day, he shattered a formidable Northern Yuan border city, earning great merit for the state, and thus deserves great reward.”

“Now,”

“We record Marquis Zhu Ying’s first merit in the northern campaign; upon completion of the campaign, he shall be summoned to the capital for formal commendation.”

“His wife, Shen Yuer, is virtuous, gentle, and worthy.”

“Now,”

“We bestow upon Shen Yuer, wife of Zhu Ying, the title of Fourth-Rank Honored Lady, granting her corresponding stipend and the privilege of not kneeling before the Emperor.”

“Additionally, we grant five hundred taels of gold, five hundred bolts of brocade, one chest of tribute fruits, and one hundred servants.”

“This is our decree!”

The Jinyuwei Company Commander proclaimed loudly, his voice echoing.

Shen Yuer froze upon hearing the edict.

Her eyes widened, filled with shock and disbelief; her lips parted, but no sound emerged.

In that moment, she was as if petrified.

Though born into a merchant family and lacking formal education, Shen Yuer understood the weight of the Honored Lady title.

In the Great Ming, for a woman, such a title was as precious as a man’s noble rank.

Back in the Shen household, she had heard countless times from her brothers’ wives how glorious it would be to earn such a title.

Yet the current Emperor despised merchants; for a merchant’s wife to receive such an honor was unthinkable.

Yet—

She never imagined that this title, coveted by countless women, had now been bestowed upon her.

“Lady Zhu, receive the edict,” the Jinyuwei Company Commander said gently, smiling with respect.

Clearly, this was respect for Zhu Ying.

But Shen Yuer remained stunned, unable to recover. Beside her, kneeling Bu Wan nudged her lightly and urgently whispered: “Yuer, receive the edict and thank His Majesty!”

Shen Yuer snapped back to herself, immediately kowtowing and crying out: “Your servant thanks His Majesty’s grace and the Crown Prince’s grace!”

The Jinyuwei Company Commander stepped forward with the edict, his tone respectful: “Lady Zhu, please rise.”

After all, Zhu Ying was now a celebrated hero in the Ming army, a model for all soldiers—his wife naturally commanded great respect.

Shen Yuer rose slowly; her maids rushed forward to support her.

Shen Yuer handed Zhu Xi to Lin Fu, who received the child with gentle care.

“Your servant receives the edict and thanks the grace.”

Shen Yuer accepted the edict with both hands, trembling slightly—this was her first time receiving an imperial decree.

“Bring in the Emperor’s and Crown Prince’s gifts!”

After handing over the edict, the Jinyuwei Company Commander immediately ordered his men.

“Yes!”

The Jinyuwei soldiers responded in unison, carrying the chests into the compound; the boxes scraped against the ground with dull thuds.

Meanwhile,

One hundred servants were led into the residence, heads bowed, silent, stepping lightly as if afraid to disturb the solemn atmosphere.

As bonded servants, their lives and deaths rested entirely in their master’s hands.

“Lady, here is the contract for the one hundred servants. Please take possession.”

The Jinyuwei Company Commander produced a box and offered it to Shen Yuer.

“Thank you,” Shen Yuer replied, accepting the box with both hands and carefully storing it away.

“Prefect Bu.”

The Jinyuwei Company Commander turned his gaze to Bu Wan.

“Yes.”

Bu Wan immediately bowed deeply, his heart fluttering with nervous anticipation.

“By the Crown Prince’s decree, Prefect, prepare accordingly—within the coming months, Prince Ning will arrive in Danning to take up his fief.”

"At that time, I ask the Prefect to fully cooperate with Prince Ning in overseeing the governance of Daining Prefecture; once assistance is complete, you may return to Yingtian to report for duty."

"The Crown Prince said that over these years, your governance of Daining Prefecture has been exemplary—pacifying the people and managing affairs with great diligence; the imperial court will not overlook your merits."

"Once you return to the capital, the Crown Prince will personally receive you."

Bu Wan heard these words, his face flushed red, eyes instantly moist, tears swirling in his lashes, his body trembling slightly.

For a minister, receiving recognition from his sovereign is the greatest honor.

For the current Crown Prince to personally dispatch the Jinwu Guard to deliver this message—what extraordinary favor!

"Please convey to the Crown Prince: I, Bu Wan, swear to serve the Great Ming with my life, never betraying the Emperor’s or the Crown Prince’s expectations."

As long as I serve one day in Daining Prefecture, I will fulfill my duties every day and never betray the imperial grace!

Bu Wan calmed his emotions, bowed deeply to the Jinwu Guard Company Commander, his motion solemn and reverent, as if declaring his loyalty to heaven and earth.

Master Bu, no need for such formality—I will faithfully convey your words to the Crown Prince.

The Jinwu Guard Company Commander replied with a smile.

"Yes." Bu Wan nodded firmly.

…

(End of Chapter)