Chapter 168: Zhu Yuanzhang: The Marquis of Champion, the Pinnacle of the Young Generation

In the Fengtian Hall, as always, solemn and dignified, a sense of majesty enveloped the entire hall.

The imperial guards standing inside and outside the hall were all clad in armor, weapons in hand, adding further gravity.

The civil and military officials wore Great Ming official robes, arranged in orderly rows on either side of the hall, standing straight, expressions reverent, submitting their reports in sequence.

Every matter presented in court was of national importance.

The voices of the ministers echoed through the hall—some passionately declaiming, others calmly analyzing—each word tied to the governance of the Great Ming; since the northern campaign began, most court sessions focused heavily on matters of the northern expedition.

At this very moment!

A rapid footstep echoed from outside the hall, shattering the court’s rhythm.

Guo Zhen, commander of the imperial guards, clad in gleaming armor, entered the hall with hurried yet steady steps.

Upon entering the hall.

Guo Zhen’s face bore unmistakable excitement; he bowed respectfully toward Zhu Yuanzhang on the dragon throne and announced loudly: “Your Majesty!”

“General Guo Ying has sent an urgent report: a great victory in the northern campaign.”

“The courier is waiting outside the hall.”

Guo Zhen’s joy stemmed naturally from the fact that the general leading this northern expedition was his father.

As his words fell.

All civil and military officials, previously absorbed in court proceedings, turned their gazes toward Guo Zhen.

For a moment.

Time itself seemed to halt within the hall; everyone was captivated by this sudden news.

“A great victory?”

Even Zhu Yuanzhang, seated on the dragon throne, showed a ripple of emotion on his usually composed and stern face.

He leaned forward slightly, his expression filled with anticipation.

The civil and military officials in the court ranks, too, each wore expressions of curiosity and expectation.

Undoubtedly!

The two characters “great victory.”

Were enough to stir waves, to stir hearts.

“Summon him! Bring him in at once!”

Zhu Yuanzhang shouted immediately, his voice carrying an urgency rarely heard.

A smile of anticipation quickly spread across his aged face, dispelling the hall’s solemn atmosphere.

Zhu Biao on the steps was likewise drawn in by the news.

Only a decisive triumph in the northern campaign could justify the term “great victory.”

“By imperial decree.”

Yun Qi, standing nearby in elaborate eunuch robes, raised his voice sharply and clearly: “Summon the courier to enter and present himself!”

In response.

Outside the hall!

Three couriers, dressed in light, practical attire, looked weary yet thrilled at the prospect of facing the emperor.

They entered in formation—one ahead, two behind—moving swiftly and in perfect unison.

In this solemn hall, their footsteps rang out with startling clarity.

“Your servant bows before Your Majesty.”

Upon entering, the three couriers moved in perfect unison, kneeling and bowing in salute.

Simultaneously.

Each raised high the urgent report in their hands, presenting it upward.

“Rise and stand.”

Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand urgently, his tone impatient.

He then asked directly: “What great victory has the northern campaign achieved?”

“Your Majesty,”

The lead courier immediately raised his bamboo tube report high, his voice resounding: “This is General Guo Ying’s personal report of victory. Please Your Majesty read it.”

Before Zhu Yuanzhang could speak, Yun Qi stepped forward swiftly, took the report, turned, and carefully placed it on the table before Zhu Yuanzhang.

“Let’s see what great victory the northern army has brought us this time.”

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed heartily, his voice bright.

His hand swiftly unrolled the report, his aged eyes narrowing as he fixed them on the text.

At that moment, every civil and military official’s gaze fixed upon Zhu Yuanzhang.

Each eye held curiosity and anticipation.

Under their watch, Zhu Yuanzhang’s expression shifted from a smile to astonishment; his eyes widened gradually, as if witnessing the most unbelievable thing in the world.

Finally,

Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes were fully open, disbelief etched upon his face.

After a long while, as if he had read every word without omission,

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly lowered the report, his aged face now bearing an emotion never seen before.

Even when Nara Chu was slain and Liaodong restored, Zhu Yuanzhang had remained calm.

But today, this visible emotion seemed truly beyond his control.

Before the gaze of all civil and military officials,

“Good! Good! Good!”

Zhu Yuanzhang burst into unrestrained laughter, no longer holding back.

His laughter echoed through the hall, filled with joy and pride.

“I never imagined.”

Zhu Yuanzhang continued laughing: “The northern campaign could bring us such astonishing news.”

“Heaven blesses the Great Ming. Heaven blesses Huaxia.”

This only deepened the ministers’ curiosity.

“Father.”

Zhu Biao asked with a smile, his face filled with concern and curiosity: “What great victory has the northern campaign achieved?”

All civil and military officials leaned forward, their eyes fixed entirely on Zhu Yuanzhang.

“For hundreds of years,”

Zhu Yuanzhang gripped the report tightly, raised it high, his aged face glowing with indescribable excitement.

“Mongol cavalry ruled the world, swept across the eight directions; where their iron hooves passed, mountains of corpses and rivers of blood followed—no force could stand, no army could resist.”

“In days past, Mongol iron cavalry trampled Central Plains, toppled the Song, and swept through Huaxia.”

“They enslaved our Huaxia Central Plains for a century.”

“But now, all has changed.”

Zhu Yuanzhang’s voice suddenly grew fierce: “Biao.”

“One hundred thousand Mongol iron cavalry—our northern army has crushed them.”

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed, his voice thundering through the court, brimming with exhilaration and excitement.

“One hundred thousand Mongol iron cavalry crushed?”

The civil and military officials were stunned.

Especially Minister of War Tang Duo, whose eyes widened in disbelief: “One hundred thousand Mongol iron cavalry? Even after many ministers in the Ministry of War discussed, we had no solution—only plans to reinforce troops and artillery. And now they’ve been crushed?”

Before Tang Duo could think further,

Then,

Zhu Yuanzhang handed the report to Yun Qi beside him, his expression turning solemn: “Read it aloud.”

Restored to his imperial dignity, his tone left no room for doubt.

“Your servant obeys.”

Yun Qi took the report with both hands, his movements solemn.

Slowly unrolling it, he faced the court and read aloud: “Your servant Guo Ying submits this report of northern campaign victory to Your Majesty!”

His voice rang clearly through the hall.

“After our two northern armies breached ten border cities of the Northern Yuan, shattered their frontier defenses, the Northern Yuan mobilized heavy forces to defend their capital.”

“Additionally,

“The Northern Yuan deployed one hundred thousand iron cavalry from their northern frontier, stationing them at the imperial pasture to block us, intending to crush our northern army in open battle.”

“Faced with one hundred thousand Northern Yuan cavalry, I could not respond—their combat power is unmatched in the world!”

“Our northern army’s total cavalry strength does not exceed sixty thousand, mostly infantry—we could not possibly confront the Northern Yuan cavalry.”

“And the battlefield they chose was a vast, endless plain—I pondered endlessly, unable to find a way to fight or break them.”

“At the critical moment,”

Yun Qi’s voice suddenly rose: “The commander of the Second Northern Army’s Danning Garrison, the Marquis of Champion, Zhu Ying, proposed a strategy to defeat them.”

“He deployed the ancient Tang Dynasty formation specifically designed to counter cavalry charges—the Dragon Gate Formation.”

“Seeing the Marquis of Champion’s confidence in this strategy, I entrusted him with command of the Second Army and ordered him to deploy the formation for battle.”

“On the day the formation was completed and battle commenced,”

"The Marquis of Champion trapped and slaughtered over forty thousand Northern Yuan cavalry with the Dragon Gate Formation, severely weakening the Northern Yuan cavalry's combat power."

"Thereafter, the Marquis of Champion personally led forty thousand cavalry, already prepared and awaiting battle, to confront the remaining nearly sixty thousand iron cavalry—and emerged victorious."

Yun Qi’s voice grew even more exalted: "The Marquis of Champion personally slew the Northern Yuan Grand General Guili Chi, directly cutting down nearly twenty thousand Northern Yuan cavalry. Our Great Ming cavalry achieved a great victory."

"In cavalry alone, our Great Ming had only forty thousand!"

"Although over forty thousand Northern Yuan cavalry were trapped in the formation, nearly sixty thousand still remained!"

"For hundreds of years, since the Mongols rose, since the Yuan endured—their cavalry was unmatched under heaven, sweeping all before them, invincible!"

"Now!"

Yun Qi’s voice reached its peak, as if about to burst through the palace ceiling: "Our Great Ming’s Marquis of Champion bears his title without shame—against inferior cavalry, he shattered the elite Northern Yuan cavalry head-on, achieving a great victory!"

"From this day forth, our Great Ming cavalry shall be the finest under heaven, unmatched!"

Yun Qi loudly proclaimed, his hoarse voice echoing throughout the imperial court.

Even though he was a eunuch, even though he was a mutilated man, at this moment of reading the victory report, Yun Qi’s voice rang high and moved deeply.

His face was also filled with excitement and pride.

And in the imperial court, all civil and military officials stared in shock.

Had this merely been the capture of a city, Zhu Ying had already achieved such merit during the first campaign of the northern expedition, and the victory report had already reached Yingtian.

At that time, though ministers were astonished by Zhu Ying’s new achievement, given his performance in the Liaodong campaign, the entire court had grown accustomed to it—and many even found it unsurprising that Zhu Ying won battles.

After all,

Zhu Ying’s name had been mentioned too often in court during the Liaodong campaign, and he had earned the favor of both the current Emperor and the Crown Prince.

But this time,

It was different from before!

Northern Yuan cavalry!

That term had become synonymous with the former Mongols and the Yuan dynasty.

Even though the Great Ming had driven the Northern Yuan off the Central Plains, their cavalry’s strength still endured.

But this time,

The Northern Yuan cavalry, whose prestige had lasted for centuries, had been defeated!

And defeated by our Great Ming cavalry!

This meaning needed no explanation!

This would be a great victory recorded in the annals!

How could this not move and shock us!

"No wonder Guo Ying placed such importance on it, rushing to send word of a great victory. So this is the result he achieved," one minister muttered, filled with awe.

"The Northern Yuan cavalry, whose name carried infinite prestige, unmatched under heaven—defeated by our Great Ming cavalry? This... this is truly a great victory, unprecedented!"

"This will be eternally recorded in history. No wonder His Majesty was so delighted—henceforth, the Northern Yuan cavalry shall no longer be number one under heaven; our Great Ming cavalry shall be."

"The prestige of the Northern Yuan cavalry is gone."

"Our Great Ming drove the Northern Yuan out of the Central Plains, restored Huaxia under Great Ming, reclaimed Liaodong, fully reshaping our Huaxia territory—and now, by shattering the Northern Yuan cavalry head-on, we have utterly washed away the blood debt of the Mongol cavalry’s invasion and slaughter of Huaxia."

"From this day forth, Mongol cavalry, Northern Yuan cavalry—they are but dust of history! Our Great Ming cavalry is supreme!"

"Indeed."

"This great victory—magnificent!"

"Our Great Ming cavalry shall be number one under heaven."

"Indeed..."

After hearing the victory report, many ministers in court could not help but whisper among themselves, and some eventually broke into loud cheers, unable to conceal their excitement.

Compared to seizing territory, this head-on shattering of the once-unbeatable Northern Yuan cavalry was the true victory to stir the heart!

The humiliation of Huaxia over hundreds of years had been washed away!

In an instant!

As Yun Qi paused for a breath, the entire court erupted in silent fervor.

On the ministers’ faces: excitement, pride, and anticipation for the success of the northern expedition.

"Zhu Ying," Zhu Biao now wore a smile, his face filled with satisfaction and astonishment.

"I was right not to misjudge you."

"You have performed so brilliantly—leading our Great Ming cavalry to shatter the Northern Yuan cavalry head-on."

Zhu Biao secretly thought to himself, growing ever more appreciative of Zhu Ying.

And at this moment!

Yun Qi continued reading: "This campaign—our Great Ming’s battle against the Northern Yuan’s hundred thousand iron cavalry—is now concluded! I and the generals have compiled the battle results!"

His voice once again broke through the court’s clamor.

"Of the Northern Yuan’s hundred thousand iron cavalry, fewer than twenty thousand escaped!"

"Our forces captured over thirty thousand Northern Yuan cavalry and killed more than forty thousand."

"Our own casualties were under ten thousand. A great victory."

"This battle not only succeeded in shattering the Northern Yuan’s elite cavalry, but also seized countless horses and supplies. I shall submit the detailed figures to the Ministry of War through the Chief of the Capital Garrison, and present them to His Majesty."

"Additionally," Yun Qi paused slightly, "the Northern Yuan’s hundred thousand iron cavalry have been shattered—our path ahead is now clear! I shall lead the northern expeditionary army to swiftly capture the Yuan capital, destroy the Yuan court, and never fail His Majesty’s expectations."

With this reading,

The victory report was complete.

One could say,

In reading this report,

Guo Ying did not seek credit for himself, nor did he seek credit for Li Jinglong.

He faithfully and thoroughly reported the entire sequence of events—the battle at the Northern Yuan imperial pasture, its causes and consequences, and the final shattering of the Northern Yuan cavalry—leaving not a single detail of Zhu Ying’s merit unmentioned.

One could say,

This report, while announcing the shattering of the Northern Yuan cavalry and the forging of Great Ming cavalry’s prestige, was also Guo Ying personally petitioning for Zhu Ying’s merit.

This battle was fought brilliantly.

Guo Ying knew full well that without Zhu Ying’s Dragon Gate Formation, designed to counter the Northern Yuan cavalry, he could not have altered the tide of battle.

After all, at the start of the campaign, though the Great Ming had captured city after city, they had still underestimated the Northern Yuan’s strength and manpower.

Three hundred thousand troops were simply insufficient.

But this crisis was reversed by Zhu Ying.

"My lords,"

Zhu Yuanzhang slowly rose from the dragon throne; though aged, he still radiated an aura of authority that pressed upon the court.

Then,

Zhu Yuanzhang, wearing an excited smile, looked down upon the court and asked loudly: "How do you feel?"

"A great victory in the northern expedition—our forces shattered the Northern Yuan cavalry! Your son humbly offers his congratulations to Your Majesty."

Zhu Biao immediately stepped forward, bowing deeply to Zhu Yuanzhang in tribute.

His face was filled with joy and pride—as if proud of his father, and proud of his nation.

"We humbly congratulate Your Majesty."

All civil and military officials likewise bowed to Zhu Yuanzhang. Their voices rang uniform and resonant, echoing through the hall.

The entire court resounded with congratulations.

"Hahaha!"

Seeing this scene, Zhu Yuanzhang burst into laughter—this great victory filled him with immense joy.

His laughter brimmed with satisfaction and pride.

The northern expedition!

Though not yet fully concluded,

Yet hearing that the Northern Yuan cavalry had been shattered head-on by the Great Ming,

At this moment,

Zhu Yuanzhang felt all his efforts and sacrifices had been repaid.

"My lords,"

Zhu Yuanzhang spread his arms, solemnly declaring: "From this day forth,"

"The Northern Yuan cavalry shall no longer be unmatched under heaven—our Great Ming cavalry shall be."

As his words fell,

"Great Ming cavalry—unmatched under heaven!"

"Your Majesty, ten thousand years! Great Ming, ten thousand years!"

All civil and military officials chorused in unison.

At this moment,

All ministers felt a shared sense of honor.

Though they had not taken the battlefield, nor participated in the northern expedition,

They had all contributed to its planning, its logistics, its supply lines—this great victory belonged to them too.

Their faces glowed with pride and glory!

"Father."

Zhu Biao turned around and solemnly petitioned Zhu Yuanzhang: “The Marquis of Champion is fearless in battle and unmatched in commanding troops.”

“This time, he led our Great Ming cavalry to crush the Northern Yuan’s iron cavalry outright—truly a display of our Great Ming’s might and the glory of Huaxia.”

“I again petition: reward the Marquis of Champion generously.”

Zhu Biao continued: “At the very least, his achievements must be known throughout the land, and all the people must learn of our Great Ming’s great victory over the Northern Yuan’s iron cavalry.”

With Zhu Biao’s words, former Grand General Fu Youde—who had once led campaigns in Liaodong—stepped forward and declared: “The Marquis of Champion is loyal and valiant, having rendered countless services to the state! I second the Crown Prince’s petition.”

Fu Youde’s voice was firm, brimming with approval and admiration for Zhu Ying.

“I second it.”

“The Marquis of Champion deserves great reward.”

“I second it...”

One minister after another rose to echo the sentiment.

As each minister stepped forward, the entire court echoed with unanimous agreement.

The ministers’ voices rose and fell, yet all shared the same goal: to reward Zhu Ying.

Not a single official in the court dared oppose.

Even those unwilling had no choice but to agree.

This proved one thing.

Zhu Ying had crushed all dissent with his battlefield achievements.

Moreover!

The court was traditionally the domain of civil officials—not generals, not the Huaixi faction.

The reason no one opposed was not merely because Zhu Biao had spoken.

The true key was that Zhu Ying belonged to neither the Huaixi faction nor any other faction in court.

Moreover, Zhu Ying had no background, a spotless lineage; no faction dared offend him lightly, for if he turned toward their rivals, it would be disastrous.

Thus, not offending him was the wisest choice.

Unless one had already crossed to the opposite side.

In the court!

This was far more complex than the battlefield; on the battlefield, killing meant blood and steel, but in court, killing was bloodless.

And now!

Watching the court’s chorus of agreement,

Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and declared with authority: “Reward him! Zhu Ying has served the state, brought glory to our nation, avenged Huaxia’s humiliation, and secured for our Great Ming cavalry the title of unmatched under heaven! He must be richly rewarded.”

“The Marquis of Champion is the brightest star among our younger generation!”

Zhu Yuanzhang’s words affirmed and praised Zhu Ying’s achievements in battle.

“However,”

Zhu Yuanzhang’s tone softened slightly: “The northern expedition is not yet complete.”

“Final rewards must wait until the northern campaign ends, when all battlefield merits are tallied, so we may grant promotions and rewards based on total merit.”

“Yet the Crown Prince’s request is that we reward him now.”

Saying this,

Zhu Yuanzhang looked helplessly at Zhu Biao.

After all, it was his own son who had spoken.

In Zhu Yuanzhang’s heart, all rewards for northern expedition commanders were to be granted only after the campaign ended.

Even Zhu Ying was no exception.

After all, Zhu Ying was no longer the junior officer he once was.

Yet having now agreed, Zhu Yuanzhang’s face darkened with thought, as if weighing how best to reward Zhu Ying.

“Biao’er.”

“Do you have any ideas on how to reward the Marquis of Champion?”

Zhu Yuanzhang turned his gaze back to Zhu Biao, querying.

Since Zhu Biao had raised it, let him think it through.

……

(End of Chapter)