Chapter 157: Receive the Imperial Edict, Receive the Chest, Learn That Shen Yuer Has Gone to Yingtian

At the Northern Yuan court!

As the words of the Barbarian fell.

A large group of court ministers stepped forward to oppose, most of them military officers.

Clearly.

None of them wished for the Yuan Emperor to return to the northern frontier ancestral lands.

It would inevitably affect their own interests.

After all, among the northern frontier tribes, if they did not pay tribute to the Yuan court, each ruled their own territory, with their own pastures, their own tribes, their own subjects.

Once the Yuan Emperor departed.

The northern frontier would inevitably face great upheaval.

“I know what every one of you is thinking, but I won’t spell it out.”

“Now the Great Yuan is in dire straits—can you not set aside your personal interests and disregard the court’s welfare, the Emperor’s welfare?”

Seeing the ministers’ fierce opposition, the Barbarian pointed angrily and shouted.

“Enough.”

Seated high above, the Yuan Emperor raised his hand and rebuked the commotion.

“Your Majesty, please calm yourself.”

The court ministers all bowed deeply.

It was clear.

The atmosphere in this court under Liu Bilie’s descendants had become thoroughly Hanized—even the court rituals were identical.

“Grand Commander worries too much.”

“Besides the hundred thousand iron cavalry under General Guili Chi, I have over three hundred thousand troops stationed around the new capital—our entire military force has been mobilized.”

“The Ming army may be formidable, but this time we are fresh and waiting, with such overwhelming numbers.”

“Why should I fear the Ming?”

The Yuan Emperor sneered, utterly unafraid of the Ming army.

At first, when troops had not yet been mobilized, he had indeed been concerned—but now, with forces assembled and grain stores full, he was truly unafraid.

And he had great confidence in General Guili Chi’s hundred thousand cavalry.

These were his true elite, the very foundation for intimidating the northern frontier tribes!

With over three hundred thousand infantry guarding the new capital.

Unless the Ming army held absolute numerical superiority, the Yuan Emperor did not believe any defeat was possible.

Of course.

The Yuan Emperor still valued his own life deeply—if true defeat and the fall of the capital loomed, he would flee without waiting for the Barbarian to speak.

The reason he did not retreat now was simply his unwillingness to abandon the luxury of the new capital, and the fully Hanized splendor of Han wealth and glory.

If he truly went to the northern frontier, though his power remained, the bitter cold would be unbearable for his “golden body,” long pampered in comfort.

So unless it was the final step, the Yuan Emperor would never leave the capital.

“Your Majesty…”

The Barbarian looked pained and helpless, still trying to persuade.

Others had not seen through it—he saw it all.

If the Great Yuan’s iron cavalry crushed the Ming army, fine—but if they failed, if the troops mobilized to the new capital turned into fleeing mobs, and then retreated to the northern frontier, chaos would erupt everywhere, and the court might collapse entirely.

This was the long-term vision the Barbarian saw.

Yet.

At court, every kind of obstruction arose—even the Yuan Emperor showed no concern.

“Sigh.”

“The Great Yuan has truly reached a point of no return.”

“The Emperor is foolish.”

“The ministers are all thinking for themselves.”

“Will the Great Yuan truly be driven back to the grasslands by the Ming? Will the Great Yuan truly cease to exist?”

“If Grand Commander Naha Chu were still alive, if Liaodong still held, if we had sent troops to aid Liaodong when the Ming attacked, we would not be in this situation today.”

“Sigh.”

The Barbarian’s heart was filled with bitter sorrow.

As a minister who saw clearly, watching the Great Yuan steadily decline toward ruin and extinction, his heart ached with despair.

“By the way.”

“How are the Jian Nu and the Goryeo Kingdom faring?”

“I’ve sent orders to the Jian Nu for over two months—have they moved their troops?” the Yuan Emperor asked Shilie Men.

“Your Majesty,”

“The new chieftain of the Jian Nu has led his forces to harass the Ming’s Danning border, but since Danning Prefecture and Liaodong Prefecture still hold large Ming garrisons, they’ve achieved little.”

“As for Goryeo,”

“Li Chenggui has rebelled; the Goryeo king now has little strength left and even begs Your Majesty to send troops to relieve his crisis.”

Shilie Men bowed respectfully and reported.

Hearing this!

The Yuan Emperor nodded and said: “The Jian Nu chieftain is commendable—he knows how to serve me. Once we repel the Ming, I shall reward him handsomely.”

“As for Goryeo, forget it. Let it perish.”

“When Li Chenggui takes the throne, let him continue paying tribute to the Great Yuan.”

The Yuan Emperor held little regard for this small Goryeo kingdom.

For the Goryeo king to expect the Yuan court to save him was pure fantasy.

“Issue my decree.”

“Command General Guili Chi to lead his troops with diligence—should he crush the Ming army and leave not a single armor or helmet behind, I shall fulfill my promise and enfeoff him as a king.”

“As for the other generals commanding troops and guarding posts, I shall not neglect them either,” the Yuan Emperor declared loudly.

…

Within the northern frontier, less than a hundred miles from the Yuan’s new capital, the vast grasslands stretched endlessly.

Here,

lay over a thousand corpses of Yuan soldiers, with horses scattered everywhere.

Clearly,

this was a minor skirmish.

The opposing force was a garrison battalion under Zhu Ying’s command.

“Garrison Commander,”

“All cleared.”

Many Danning cavalrymen approached the commander to report.

“Clear the battlefield.”

“Ensure no survivors remain; take all the horses back.”

“The Northern Yuan truly holds the natural pasture of the grasslands—its horses are inherently superior to those bred by the Great Ming. With this reinforcement, our Danning frontier troops can now form another battalion of cavalry.”

The commanding garrison commander spoke with great excitement, clearly a greedy man.

“Hahaha.”

“The Garrison Commander is right.”

“The Northern Yuan has many cavalry.”

“Once we crush the Northern Yuan, if our Danning frontier troops become entirely cavalry, it’ll be incredible.”

…

The surrounding Danning soldiers laughed heartily.

These soldiers who spoke so freely to their commander included Battalion Commanders and ordinary troops alike.

In the Great Ming, the military had the strictest hierarchy; common soldiers naturally feared their superiors, dared not approach them, let alone joke with them.

Yet here, among this Danning frontier unit, even ordinary soldiers dared to joke with their commander, casual and unreserved, with no barrier between them.

This!

Clearly was Zhu Ying’s invisible achievement in training troops.

Officers and soldiers, united as one!

“Enough.”

“Our garrison battalion has cleared the twenty-li stretch assigned to us.”

“Messenger, order the following troops to advance and set up camp,” the commander ordered immediately.

“Your servant obeys.”

Instantly,

several messengers broke from the ranks and raced toward the main army behind.

At dusk,

the Danning frontier troops’ encampment.

“My Lord.”

“I just received news from Daning.”

“The Black Guard reported it in secret.”

“I’m not sure whether this is good or bad.”

Inside the tent, Liu Lei looked at Zhu Ying with a worried expression.

“Speak.”

Hearing “Daning,” Zhu Ying’s expression changed slightly, and he asked at once.

The Black Guard has now grown stronger, and grows stronger every day. Under Zhu Ying’s orders, many Black Guards have secretly hidden themselves in his household, protecting his wife and children, while also relaying information—any matter involving his household is immediately brought to Zhu Ying’s attention.

“An imperial edict has arrived.”

“The Crown Prince has issued a decree, granting Lady Shen the title of fourth-rank noblewoman, with the corresponding stipend,” Liu Lei said.

“Noblewoman title granted.”

“This is good news.”

Hearing this, Zhu Ying’s lips curled into a faint smile.

For a woman, a noblewoman title is unquestionable honor.

That Shen Yuer had earned this title through her own battlefield merits filled Zhu Ying with deep satisfaction.

“Lady Shen being granted the noblewoman title is indeed good news.”

“But Lady Shen and the Young Master have been summoned to Yingtian.”

“They have already set out.”

“Master Lin has gone with them.”

“Lady Shen being summoned to Yingtian sounds like good fortune, but I can’t help feeling uneasy,” Liu Lei said, his face still troubled.

After all, he was Zhu Ying’s most trusted man.

Liu Lei knew full well about the Black Guard and the hidden treasures.

He feared the Embroidered Uniform Guard had discovered something, and had summoned Zhu Ying’s wife and child to Yingtian as leverage.

Perhaps it was simply because he knew too much, and thought too much.

After all, Zhu Ying had trained death soldiers on such a massive scale—if discovered, it would mean extermination of the entire clan.

“Summoned to Yingtian?”

Hearing this, Zhu Ying frowned slightly, his expression thoughtful.

Clearly, he was weighing the pros and cons.

After a moment of silence,

Zhu Ying spoke slowly: “A general stationed far from court must be balanced by imperial authority—it is normal. Previously, I was alone; my promotion to Regional Military Commissioner of Daning was already an exception. Now I have a wife and child, ties that bind—and with the northern campaign at a critical juncture, no mistake can be made. That is why they summoned them to Yingtian.”

“This is not bad.”

“With Yuer and her son in Yingtian,”

“my battlefield merits and future promotions will face no further obstacles.”

Zhu Ying understood well the politics of promotion and court affairs.

When he was promoted to Regional Military Commissioner of Daning, Zhu Yuanzhang had agreed—but only because Zhu Biao had pushed for it. At the court session, no one opposed it. Yet afterward, many censors and Ministry of War officials submitted memorials arguing that Zhu Ying had no family, was alone, and should be used with caution.

He knew this well.

Zhu Biao’s summons, bringing Shen Yuer and her son to Yingtian, now filled the gap in Zhu Ying’s future prospects.

A minister without family, no matter how capable, would always be sidelined—unless the emperor held some leverage over him.

It may sound absurd, but this is the way of emperors.

Though it sounds absurd, this is the way of emperors.

“If it were only this, it would certainly be good.”

“But if the Black Guard has been exposed, we are guilty of grave treason.”

“After all… the Embroidered Uniform Guard is everywhere,” Liu Lei said, still deeply uneasy.

“The Black Guard’s bases are hidden, and they have no direct link to me.”

“No matter how powerful the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they cannot uncover them.”

“Moreover…” Zhu Ying gave a faint smile, paused a moment, then said coldly: “Those Embroidered Uniform Guard agents hiding in my household may seem well concealed, but to the Black Guard, they are raw recruits. Everything they know, I let them know. Everything they don’t know, they never will.”

“Again…” Zhu Ying let out a faint smile, paused for a moment, then said coldly, “The Embroidered Uniform Guards hidden in the prefecture may seem well concealed, but before the Black Guards they’re nothing but raw recruits. Every piece of information they know, I let them know. As for what they don’t know, they’ll never know it.”

Zhu Ying let slip a hint of killing intent.

In his household,

Zhu Ying had long ordered the Black Guard to act.

If the Embroidered Uniform Guard dared to investigate the distillery or the recipe,

they were to be eliminated without hesitation.

Fortunately, they had no opportunity—only Zhu Ying’s trusted men could enter the distillery or handle the recipe, and the recipe itself was divided into several parts, never whole.

“I understand,” Liu Lei said, bowing respectfully.

Then he added: “One more thing—Master Lin, via the Black Guard, reported that our distillery has successfully coordinated with the Prince of Yan’s emissaries. The trade route is now open. Master Lin has selected several loyal managers to go to Beiping to prepare for opening wine houses.”

“It should already be underway.”

Zhu Ying nodded: “Since Master Lin has gone to Yingtian with Yuer and the others, he must have arranged everything.”

“My Lord, Beiping has a larger population than Daning, and is far wealthier.”

“Our wine will sell far better there—we’ll make much more profit,” Liu Lei said eagerly.

“Beiping has begun. Liaodong is also within my sphere of influence—I can cooperate with Mu Sheng, offer him benefits, and open outlets there as well,” Zhu Ying mused, thinking even further ahead.

Start from the northern frontier prefectures of Great Ming, gradually opening wine houses—not necessarily everywhere, but in every sizable city.

“Beiping Prefecture has already begun. Liaodong Prefecture is also within my sphere of influence—I can cooperate with Mu Sheng, offer him some benefits, and simultaneously establish operations in Liaodong.” Zhu Ying pondered, thinking even further ahead.

this step cannot be taken too quickly. One step at a time.

“My Lord’s grand vision—perhaps one day our wine houses will open in Yingtian,” Liu Lei said with a grin.

“Not ‘perhaps.’”

“If Your Lordship’s grand plans come to pass, perhaps our taverns will one day open in Yingtian,” Liu Lei said with a smile.

“Now that Master Lin has gone to Yingtian, I will have him prepare to open a distillery and wine house there. As the most prosperous region of Great Ming, the profits will be greater still,” Zhu Ying smiled.

Zhu Ying had no worry about selling his wine—it was always in insatiable demand.

In this age, entertainment was scarce, and indulgences rare—meat was beyond most people’s means—but wine was the ultimate luxury.

As for the liquor produced by his distillery, Zhu Ying had no worry about sales—it was always in insatiable demand the moment it came out.

In this era, there were few forms of entertainment and little indulgence in food or drink; meat was not something everyone could afford. But liquor—this was the greatest luxury of the age.

“Prince of Yan requests General Zhu to attend a meeting at the main camp.”

Outside the tent came the voice of Zhu Neng, Battalion Commander of the Prince of Yan’s household.

“Prince Yan requests General Zhu to join him at the main camp for a meeting.”

Zhu Ying gave Liu Lei a glance, signaling him to say no more, then rose and walked out of the tent, Liu Lei following closely behind.

Under Zhu Neng’s guidance,

they soon reached the central command tent.

With all northern Yuan border towns fallen,

the two armies’ three guard battalions had now converged and fully camped here.

Inside the main tent,

when Zhu Ying entered,

many officers were already waiting.

All familiar faces.

From Huizhouwei,

from Beipingwei.

As soon as Zhu Ying stepped in,

the Huizhouwei officers, led by Mu Sheng, rose and bowed deeply: “General Zhu.”

Each bore deep reverence for Zhu Ying.

In the army, strength commands respect—and Zhu Ying was unquestionably the strongest.

In just over two months, less than three, he had captured over a dozen interdependent northern Yuan border towns, all now Ming territory.

If there was a primary merit,

In just over two months, less than three, we captured more than a dozen interdependent cities along the Northern Yuan border and turned them all into Great Ming territory.

Even the Huaixi officers, who disliked him, had to admit: had Zhu Ying not broken through the walls so swiftly, disrupting the Yuan garrisons defending the other cities, they could never have taken five cities in just over a month.

Of course,

the Huizhouwei officers’ fervor had another key reason:

besides Mu Sheng and his two Deputy Commanders, all five Assistant Commanders were originally from Zhu Ying’s Daning forces, each holding him in high esteem.

One could say—

At this moment, the Huizhouwei officers were so agitated for another key reason.

Aside from Mu Sheng and his two subordinate Commandants, all five Deputy Commandants were from Danning under Zhu Ying’s command, each holding Zhu Ying in deep respect.

One could say.

Zhu Ying now enjoys immense prestige within the northern armies.

So as soon as he entered, he became the center of attention.

And at the main seat,

seeing Zhu Ying’s such high prestige, the Huizhouwei commanders and his own Beiping army officers all showed deep respect.

This made Zhu Di’s heart even more complicated and hard to express.

Even he himself had prestige only within the Beiping army, largely relying on his princely title, while Zhu Ying had earned his prestige entirely through battlefield merit, through personal courage and leading from the front.

“Your servant pays respects to Prince Yan.”

“Pays respects to General Li.”

Zhu Ying walked in slowly, followed by seven generals from the Danning frontier troops.

After entering the tent, he immediately bowed deeply.

“Hah!”

“Our great hero has arrived.”

“General Zhu, no need for such formalities—please be seated.”

Li Jinglong said with a laugh, casually.

“Take your seat.”

Zhu Di also smiled, showing no displeasure toward Li Jinglong.

After all, Li Jinglong was the one holding military command authority.

“Thank you, Prince Yan. Thank you, General Li.”

Zhu Ying replied.

He walked straight to his assigned seat.

The foremost position on the left.

Though the youngest among the three Regional Military Commissioners, Zhu Ying held the highest status.

Chen Heng, Zhang Wu, and the other officers also took their seats.

“General Zhu.”

“Since you’re here,”

“I’ll cut to the chase.”

“This is an imperial edict from the court, specifically for you.” Li Jinglong smiled and lifted a sealed edict from the table with both hands.

Zhu Ying immediately stood up, preparing to kneel in reverence.

“In the army, there’s no need for such formalities—just receive it with both hands.” Li Jinglong laughed and stopped Zhu Ying from bowing.

Hearing this,

Zhu Ying smiled and did not refuse—he stepped forward and received the edict with both hands.

“Received imperial edict: one. Reward: one ordinary treasure chest.” The interface prompted appropriately.

“General Zhu.”

“Congratulations.”

“Your wife has been granted a fourth-rank noble title by the Emperor and Crown Prince.”

Li Jinglong said with a smile.

At these words,

the officers in the tent all bowed to Zhu Ying in congratulations: “Congratulations, General Zhu.”

Each one genuinely rejoiced for Zhu Ying.

After all, this was a noble title!

For a woman to receive a noble title was the greatest honor.

“Gentlemen, you’re too kind.”

Zhu Ying glanced at the edict, then smiled and returned their bows.

“General Zhu’s battlefield merits are outstanding—your wife being granted a noble title is no surprise,” Zhang Yu said with a smile.

“Indeed.”

“When we return victorious from the northern campaign, General Zhu, you must treat us to a proper drink,” Mu Chen said with a grin.

…………

(End of Chapter)