Chapter 162: No connection to the Shen family

Following Lin Fu's order: "Do it!"

The voice spread out in front of the Zhu Fu gate.

"Yes!"

Dozens of Zhu Fu guards moved immediately, each of them wearing a fierce expression, raising the clubs in their hands.

They struck fiercely at the Shen family servants and Shen Rong in front of them.

"Oh my."

"Ah..."

In an instant, a chorus of painful cries from the Shen family servants rang out across the street.

The surrounding commoners watched the spectacle, discussing it incessantly.

"Shen Yuer!"

Under this sudden attack, Shen Rong panicked, his entire person becoming disheveled and miserable.

While fleeing in a sorry state, he flushed red and cursed with extreme humiliation: "You ungrateful, treacherous woman! You will regret this!"

This angry appearance was as if he wanted to tear Shen Yuer apart alive.

Clearly.

This encounter had pushed Shen Rong's anger to its peak, almost completely devouring his reason.

He had forgotten all the instructions Shen Wansan gave him before he came.

"Beat these guys to death."

"Beat them."

The Zhu Fu guards did not hold back at all; they gripped their clubs and mercilessly beat the Shen family members one after another.

Soon.

Under such a formation.

The Shen family members who had originally gathered in front of the Zhu Fu gate were beaten until they had no power to fight back, and they dared not retaliate, only able to flee in a sorry state. Within a moment, they had all vanished without a trace like stray dogs.

"Young Lady,"

Lin Fu turned around, a gratified smile appearing on his face, carrying even more approval for Shen Yuer, and then he said slowly: "You did the right thing. From top to bottom, the Shen family are all profit-seeking, unscrupulous scoundrels!"

Hearing this.

"The Shen family."

"They are single-mindedly seeking our lives; if I were still soft-hearted toward them, that would be failing my husband."

"I have no more connection to the Shen family!"

Shen Yuer's gaze was filled with coldness, and her face revealed determination.

Back when they were in Daning, when the Shen family sent people to kill her, all affection had ceased to exist.

Furthermore.

Since childhood, she had never felt any affection in the Shen family.

The Shen family.

"Father."

"That treacherous woman Shen Yuer beat us back with clubs."

"Look at my injuries; this treacherous girl, we really should have beaten her to death before."

As soon as Shen Rong returned, he covered his face and said to Shen Wansan with an angry expression.

Seeing this.

Even if Shen Rong did not explicitly state it, Shen Wansan understood: Shen Yuer was not accepting the Shen family's overtures and would no longer accept his Shen family.

"It seems."

"There can be no kindness with Zhu Ying from now on." Shen Wansan's eyes narrowed, carrying a hint of coldness.

Northern Frontier, Northern Yuan.

The Northern Yuan royal pasture was vast and boundless; looking out, it seemed to connect with the horizon, with no end in sight.

"Report!"

"Reporting to the Grand General! Traces of the Ming army have been discovered ten miles away, and they are heading in the direction of our army!"

The scout galloped over, horse hooves kicking up clouds of dust. The next moment, he pulled hard on the reins in front of General Guili Chi, and after stopping, the scout immediately reported loudly.

"Report! The Ming army is now less than five miles from our army!"

Another scout arrived quickly, also reporting the military situation to General Guili Chi.

At the location of the Yuan cavalry's main camp, scouts shuttled across the pasture, reporting with haste.

At this main camp.

Looking out, the entire land was covered with Northern Yuan cavalry.

Every Northern Yuan cavalryman was wearing heavy armor, and in each cavalryman's hand, long sabers and spears were gripped tightly, exuding a chilling, murderous aura.

This was the Northern Yuan's most elite army, the Northern Yuan Iron Cavalry!

From their momentum, one could see they were an elite force.

"The Ming army has finally come to deliver their own deaths."

General Guili Chi rode his warhorse, a cold sneer curling on his face, his smile carrying a kind of contempt for the Ming army and confidence in his own cavalry.

"Grand General,"

A Yuan general asked eagerly, his eyes flashing with excitement: "The Ming army is almost here; should we launch a full-scale attack and crush the Ming army in one blow?"

Not only him, but the Yuan generals around General Guili Chi were all rubbing their hands, eager to try.

This battle.

These Yuan generals' eyes were filled with confidence in winning this battle, as if as long as they engaged the Ming army, victory would be as simple as reaching into a bag to retrieve an object.

After the one hundred thousand iron cavalry were assembled, General Guili Chi immediately memorialized the Yuan Emperor, advocating for using the power of the cavalry to take the initiative and completely crush the Ming army.

The royal pasture was closest to the Yuan capital, and the surrounding dozens of miles were flat plains, extremely suitable for cavalry warfare.

In General Guili Chi's view, no matter how strong the Ming army's combat power was, facing his one hundred thousand iron cavalry, they had absolutely no chance of winning and could only head toward destruction.

In his eyes, this plain was the burial ground for the Ming army.

Moreover.

General Guili Chi was not worried at all that the Ming army would bypass his iron cavalry and attack the Yuan capital directly.

Because in the cities surrounding the Yuan capital, there were more than three hundred thousand troops stationed.

Once the Ming army engaged these garrison troops, his cavalry could reinforce them at any time, attacking the Ming army from the front and back.

This battle.

He had already set a net for the Ming army, just waiting for the Ming army to throw themselves into it.

Under his design, unless the Ming army retreated, they would inevitably have to face his Great Yuan iron cavalry in a head-on confrontation.

"Since the Ming army has come, they are naturally prepared to engage our army head-on."

General Guili Chi still wore the confidence of a sure victory, saying slowly: "As long as they step into this pasture, they won't be able to escape; what's the rush!"

For General Guili Chi, this battle was a rare opportunity.

After all, the Yuan Emperor had already promised!

If he could win and successfully crush the Ming army, he could be granted a princely title.

In Northern Yuan, the status of a prince was no small matter; once titled a prince, his tribe could possess more power, could even be called a state within a state, and could expand outward.

And as a prince, he would only need to pay tribute to the Northern Yuan imperial court.

A prince!

General Guili Chi's heart had already outlined a magnificent blueprint; the growth of the tribe and the increase in power were within reach.

Even.

Deep in General Guili Chi's heart, his ambition was far more than just a princely title.

If his tribe's strength surpassed the imperial court in the future, would he still obediently pay tribute?

This thought flashed through his mind and was immediately buried deep in his heart.

At this moment, all his thoughts were focused on the upcoming battle; only by winning could he obtain the opportunity to achieve the princely title.

"The Grand General is right!"

"In this battle, the Ming army dares to engage our Great Yuan iron cavalry; they are simply seeking their own deaths!"

"When the Ming army arrives, this general is willing to be the vanguard and kill the Ming army until not a single piece of armor remains!"

"That's right! In this battle, let the Ming army see the power of our Great Yuan iron cavalry! Let's wipe them out completely!"

A group of Yuan generals echoed loudly, their tone filled with confidence.

In their eyes, as long as the Ming army stepped onto this vast plain, relying on the cavalry's advantage, the outcome of this battle was already decided.

For them, this battle was purely for reaping military merit!

How could they not look forward to it?

Just at this moment!

"Report!"

Another scout cavalryman galloped over, quickly arriving in front of General Guili Chi, and reported loudly: "The Ming army's vanguard cavalry is less than two miles from our army, but for some reason, they have suddenly stopped."

A trace of doubt appeared on the scout's face; clearly, he was puzzled by the Ming army's sudden move.

But as a scout, reporting was enough.

"How many troops does the Ming army have? Has it been investigated clearly?"

General Guili Chi frowned, a trace of vigilance flashing in his eyes, and asked in a deep voice.

"The Ming army's strength is no less than one hundred and fifty thousand,"

The scout did not dare to hesitate at all and replied quickly: "But most are infantry; the number of cavalry is not large."

"The Ming army's strongest assets are their infantry and their cannons."

General Guili Chi lowered his head and pondered for a moment, analyzing the battle situation in his mind, and said in a deep voice: "Today, this place is our Great Yuan's home field."

"They stopped, nothing more than wanting to test the combat power of our Great Yuan iron cavalry, wanting to use defense to lure our army into attacking."

While speaking.

The smile on General Guili Chi's face grew richer; clearly, he felt he had seen through the Ming army's tactics.

"Grand General." A Yuan general looked at General Guili Chi and asked cautiously: "The Ming army is only two miles from our army; should we attack, or continue to wait here?"

"This royal pasture is the graveyard I have chosen for the Ming army."

"Since they have already come, let our Great Yuan iron cavalry send them to their funeral!"

General Guili Chi sneered, a trace of determination flashing in his eyes; he had already made up his mind.

"Grand General."

Another Yuan general looked cautious and said slowly: "The Ming army suddenly stopped advancing; could there be a trick?"

Upon saying this, this Yuan general also carried a hint of worry, clearly full of doubts about the Ming army's actions.

Hearing this!

General Guili Chi looked up and laughed, his laughter filled with confidence: "I have one hundred thousand iron cavalry, and this place is a vast plain; even if the Ming army's cannons are powerful, how can they contend with my cavalry?"

"Even if the Ming army has many infantry, this general will grind them into meat paste."

General Guili Chi said coldly, revealing a cruel smile, as if he had already seen the scene of the Ming army being trampled into dust by his Great Yuan iron cavalry.

At this point!

General Guili Chi no longer hesitated, suddenly pulling out the curved saber at his waist, raising it high, and shouting with authority: "Where are Meng Ha and Na Li?"

The voice rang out and spread instantly.

"This general is here!"

Two burly Yuan generals with fierce faces immediately spurred their horses forward and responded loudly.

"My one hundred thousand iron cavalry will adopt a surrounding and flanking tactic this time to encircle and annihilate the Ming army!"

General Guili Chi's eyes revealed cruel murderous intent, looking at the two generals, and shouted loudly: "I order you two to each lead thirty thousand cavalry, flank from the left and right sides, and encircle the Ming army."

"After you launch the encirclement from the left and right, I will personally lead forty thousand iron cavalry to attack the Ming army's main formation from the front and crush the Ming army in one blow!"

"This general obeys the order!"

The two Yuan generals cupped their hands and replied loudly.

Afterward, they turned around and quickly spurred their horses back to their respective armies, preparing to lead the iron cavalry to attack.

"In today's battle, as long as we crush the Ming army, it will be a great merit!"

"The Emperor will surely reward us heavily!"

"Boys, kill!"

General Guili Chi waved the curved saber in his hand and roared loudly.

His voice was impassioned, instantly igniting the Yuan army's fighting spirit.

"Great Yuan boys, building merit and establishing a career is today!"

"Follow me to charge and kill the Ming army!"

Meng Ha and Na Li also raised their war sabers high and shouted hoarsely. Their faces were filled with excitement and fanaticism; for them, victory in this battle would be easy.

Subsequently, the two led thirty thousand iron cavalry each, like two black torrents, dividing into left and right routes, charging toward the direction of the Ming army.

Their warhorses neighed, and the sound of hooves was like thunder, as if they wanted to shatter the earth.

The one hundred thousand Northern Yuan cavalry, who had been waiting in place, moved instantly following this order.

Boom, boom, boom!

The iron cavalry galloped, the earth trembled violently, as if a small earthquake had occurred.

The movement caused by the sixty thousand Northern Yuan iron cavalry galloping was earth-shaking.

The dust on the grassland was kicked high, blocking the sky and sun, as if a huge black cloud was covering the earth.

And two miles away, this was not the entire Ming army, but just a Ming cavalry force of less than ten thousand.

"Report!"

A Ming scout cavalryman galloped over.

When he arrived in front of the Ming general Liu Zhen, he immediately reported loudly: "Reporting to General Liu, the Yuan cavalry has moved, and they are charging toward our army!"

"Good!"

Liu Zhen nodded heavily, his eyes fixed on the direction of the Yuan cavalry in the distance, a flash of excitement in his eyes, as if he were waiting for this moment to arrive.

"The Yuan army has taken the bait."

"Next, it is time for the General's Long Menzhen to show its power." Liu Zhen thought secretly in his heart.

After a moment.

The earth began to tremble violently.

Looking from afar, countless Yuan cavalry were galloping from the distance like a tide, the Yuan army's war flags fluttering in the wind, already clearly visible.

"Brothers, retreat!"

Liu Zhen did not hesitate, making a decisive decision, immediately turning his horse's head and shouting orders.

"Yes!"

The ten thousand Ming cavalry moved in unison, without the slightest hesitation, quickly turning their horses' heads and retreating rapidly toward the rear.

Clearly, they were just a lure to draw the enemy, the purpose being to get close to the Yuan army and lure the Yuan army into pursuing.

And not to engage the Yuan army head-on.

"The Ming army actually fled?"

"Cowardly barbarians!"

"Boys, the Ming army is right in front! Our Great Yuan iron cavalry is invincible; catch up to them and kill all these Han barbarians!"

"The lowly Han barbarians only deserve to be slaves!"

"Slaughter this Ming army that offended our Great Yuan, kill them, and our Great Yuan boys will charge into the Central Plains and seize the world again! Kill, boys..."

Watching the retreating Ming cavalry, the various Yuan generals became even more excited; they waved the weapons in their hands and shouted hoarsely.

The Great Yuan iron cavalry is the best in the world!

This concept had long been deeply imprinted in the heart of every Northern Yuan person.

This Ming cavalry retreat did not surprise them.

Even if they felt the Ming army might have a trick, at this moment, relying on the absolute advantage of cavalry on the plain, they simply did not take these so-called tricks seriously.

They firmly believed that in the face of absolute strength, any conspiracy or trick would be vulnerable.

"Kill, kill, kill the Han barbarians!"

"Kill them all!"

Under the incitement of the various Yuan generals, the morale of the Yuan cavalry rose to the extreme; they crazily spurred their horses to pursue the Ming army. Their eyes held only slaughter and conquest, as if they wanted to wipe out the Ming army in front of them.

Sixty thousand cavalry galloped at full speed, the sound of hooves like thunder, rolling in.

Accompanied by endless murderous intent!

Several miles away from the Yuan army's pursuit, a large formation set up by one hundred thousand troops had already taken shape.

This huge military formation had magnificent momentum, as if it were one body, occupying most of the vast plain.

The soldiers in the formation were ready for battle, all gripping their weapons and shields tightly, every soldier having a firm expression, as if waiting for a life-and-death battle.

This large formation was in the shape of the Eight Trigrams and Eight Gates, but it was not an ordinary Eight Trigrams formation; it was the unpredictable Long Menzhen.

Once the enemy army entered the formation, they would be divided and surrounded, falling into endless slaughter.

Every corner of the Long Menzhen hid mysteries, as if it were a huge maze, making the enemy lose their way within it.

On the outermost perimeter of the Long Menzhen, the shield army was ready for battle.

Many shield soldiers were arranged closely, the shields in their hands spliced together, like an indestructible shield wall, and also like an unshakeable city gate.

And at the very center of the Long Menzhen, a towering high platform rose from the ground.

Zhu Ying was wearing battle armor, standing on the high platform, holding formation flags of various colors in his hands.

Below the high platform, a group of generals lined up neatly; they were all Command Commissioners, holding the power of ten thousand troops, waiting for Zhu Ying's orders.

"Luo Hua!"

Zhu Ying scanned with his gaze, raised his hand to throw a cyan formation flag forcefully toward a general below the high platform, and shouted loudly: "This general orders you to hold the Rest Gate, in charge of the power of life and death at the Rest Gate! Any enemy that enters the Rest Gate is to be killed without mercy!"

Zhu Ying's voice was like thunder, filled with majesty.

"This general obeys the order!"

Luo Hua received the formation flag steadily with both hands and responded with a loud voice.

Afterward, he nimbly flipped onto his horse and, with a group of personal guards, quickly galloped toward the Rest Gate.

"Zhuang Wei!"

Before Zhu Ying's voice had faded, he threw another formation flag down: "This general orders you to take charge of the Life Gate, in charge of the power of life and death at the Life Gate! Those who enter the Life Gate are to be killed without exception!"

"This general obeys the order!"

Zhuang Wei raised the formation flag high, flipped onto his horse, and also quickly headed toward the Life Gate he was in charge of.

Immediately following.

Zhu Ying bestowed formation flags to the remaining six generals one by one and issued orders.

Every time a formation flag fell, the movements were swift and decisive; at this moment, Zhu Ying was weaving an invisible formation net, with each general holding a small formation, and he himself controlling the large formation to prepare to defend against the enemy.

The Long Menzhen, with its eight gates each possessing mysteries, contained the Dao of the Qiankun Eight Trigrams, unpredictable.

The operation of the entire formation was controlled by Zhu Ying alone.

In today's battle!

After thousands of years, the Long Menzhen appeared in the world again.

Within this Long Menzhen, even though the Northern Yuan iron cavalry was good at charging on the plains, after the large formation was set up, every side was like a wall of bronze and iron, and every gate hid endless murderous intent.

Once they stepped into the formation, there was almost no chance of survival.

After all the generals reached the formation gates they controlled, Zhu Ying stood on the high platform, holding a formation flag in each hand, his gaze fixed on the north, quietly waiting.

"The large formation is set; just waiting for the Northern Yuan cavalry to enter."

"Long Menzhen."

"A formation of entrapment and slaughter."

"This is also the essence of the military formation belonging to our Huaxia Han family."

"This time, let me, Zhu Ying, reproduce the power of the Long Menzhen." Zhu Ying thought secretly in his heart, filled with murderous intent.

Behind the Long Menzhen, thirty thousand cavalry stood neatly and solemnly.

Added to the ten thousand cavalry under Liu Zhen who were luring the enemy, there were a total of forty thousand cavalry.

Among them, thirty thousand were Daning cavalry, and ten thousand were cavalry under the Beiping army.

At this moment, the cavalry waited quietly; after the Long Menzhen eliminated most of the Northern Yuan cavalry, they would act as the final fresh force to carry out the finishing operations.

At this moment, they followed Zhu Ying's order, waiting for the best time to attack.

At the same time!

At the location where the rear army was stationed, a tall observation platform stood solemnly.

Guo Ying, Zhu Di, and Li Jinglong stood side by side on the high platform.

The three men's gazes converged, all falling on this large-scale Long Menzhen; this huge military formation was clearly reflected in their eyes.

"You say, can this Long Menzhen really contend head-on with the Northern Yuan iron cavalry?"

Guo Ying frowned, his gaze locked on the Long Menzhen, a hard-to-conceal anxiety flowing in his eyes.

After all.

This battle was of great importance, with the entire fifteen thousand troops of the two armies staked here.

If they engaged the Northern Yuan iron cavalry head-on, with the strength of these fifteen thousand troops, they were definitely not opponents.

Now, all hope was pinned on the Long Menzhen that Zhu Ying had meticulously set up.

If they lost.

Not to mention Zhu Ying being punished, he, the Grand General, would be no exception.

Now Guo Ying was also gambling!

Gambling that Zhu Ying could win!

Defeating the Northern Yuan cavalry head-on!

Guo Ying's expression was complex: "But besides counting on Zhu Ying, I really can't think of any other way to deal with the Northern Yuan iron cavalry."

"Grand General,"

Li Jinglong was very confident; at this moment, his eyes were fixed on the Long Menzhen, as if he were deeply attracted by it, his eyes full of shock.

"Although I don't understand the mysteries of this Long Menzhen, just looking at this formation, this layout, it is magnificent enough to be astonishing!"

"It is exactly the same as the power of the Long Menzhen recorded in the classics!"

Li Jinglong said, his tone revealing admiration.

Zhu Di, who was on the side, did not speak.

However.

The expression on Zhu Di's face was exactly the same as Li Jinglong's, his eyes full of shock.

As a military general, Zhu Di had studied various formations deeply.

But this Long Menzhen in front of him was like a drop in the ocean compared to the Long Snake formation, attack formations, etc., that he was familiar with.

It was not on the same level at all.

"Long Menzhen, the eight gates are the Dragon Gates, and the eight gates are all Death Gates; once you enter the formation, there is no life."

"This kind of large military formation that has been lost for thousands of years was actually mastered by Zhu Ying!"

Zhu Di exclaimed secretly in his heart, his heart having both admiration for the Long Menzhen and mixed with complex emotions.

"Looking at this formation, it is indeed unpredictable and vast."

Guo Ying let out a long sigh, his voice carrying a hint of worry: "I also really hope that General Zhu can rely on this formation to crush the Northern Yuan cavalry."

"Otherwise, we would really be at our wits' end in this Northern Expedition battle."

It could be heard.

Although he believed in Zhu Ying, Guo Ying was still worried.

"General Zhu will absolutely not let us down!"

Li Jinglong said decisively, filled with trust in Zhu Ying.

Zhu Di remained silent, not expressing his stance.

Deep in his heart, his thoughts were quite contradictory.

On one hand, he longed to crush the Northern Yuan, defend the Great Ming territory, and end the foreign enemy threat in the northern frontier.

But on the other hand, he did not want Zhu Ying to establish military merit again.

After all.

If he could really crush the Northern Yuan's one hundred thousand iron cavalry this time, this would undoubtedly be a monumental merit, and Zhu Ying would very likely be able to be promoted again based on this merit, his status rising to a higher level.

Thinking of this.

How could Zhu Di not be complex?

Finally.

After waiting for a period of time, a thunderous sound of trampling came from far to near, and countless cavalry swept over from the distance.

Seeing Liu Zhen take the lead, leading ten thousand cavalry toward the military formation.

Upon reaching the front of the Long Menzhen, the cavalry quickly dispersed, bypassing the large formation in an orderly manner and gathering toward the rear army direction.

"They are finally coming! The Yuan army!"

On the high platform in the center of the large formation, Zhu Ying stared at the north, using his high vantage point to overlook the entire land.

Looking from afar, the Yuan cavalry were divided into left and right routes, wrapped in endless murderous intent, charging fiercely toward the large formation.

The earth trembled violently under the trampling of the Yuan cavalry, and even the air was filled with a thick, murderous aura.

"Formation, activate!"

Zhu Ying shouted loudly, ringing through the clouds.

Holding the two formation flags tightly in his hands, he waved them suddenly, issuing the formation flag order.

Instantly!

…….

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 163 =====