Chapter 179: Break the Yuan capital

Zhu Ying walked slowly into the hall and threw the tiger-head battle saber in his hand directly to Liu Lei, who immediately caught it.

"Surrender, or coexist with Yuan?"

Following closely.

Zhu Ying scanned the Yuan generals in the hall, his voice low and cold as he asked.

At this moment.

Zhu Ying did not ask for the identities of these Yuan generals; at this moment, identity was already irrelevant; he needed a crisp and neat answer.

Surrender or not!

In reality, Zhu Ying did not hope for them to surrender in his heart.

Surrendering might allow them to live, but for a military general, this was humiliation.

If these Yuan generals in front of him were unyielding to death, Zhu Ying would think even more highly of them.

Of course.

Zhu Ying could also obtain a few more treasure chests.

"Which military general of the Ming country are you?"

Manzi stood up slowly, staring fixedly at Zhu Ying, his voice squeezed from the depths of his throat, carrying a bit of hoarseness.

"Great Ming Marquis of Champions and Daning Regional Military Commissioner, Zhu Ying."

Zhu Ying's expression was calm, his tone calm as he said.

"You are Zhu Ying?"

Hearing this, Manzi could not help but raise his head, his eyes widening even more, full of indescribable astonishment.

He even wanted to say something, but was speechless for a moment.

Not only Manzi, but the Yuan generals beside him were also full of shock, their gazes all falling on Zhu Ying.

Each one had shock, doubt, and even more so, disbelief in their eyes.

During the Liaodong battle in the past, Zhu Ying had already entered the vision of Northern Yuan; from that time on, he was regarded as a great enemy by Northern Yuan, and his name was like thunder in the ears of the Northern Yuan army.

The assassins sent by Northern Yuan even listed Zhu Ying as a key assassination target.

With Great Ming starting the Northern Expedition, Zhu Ying's name frequently appeared in the Northern Yuan court; every time it appeared, it was accompanied by bad news—either Northern Yuan lost a city, or they suffered losses in troops and generals.

Even!

Compared to the Northern Expedition Grand General Guo Ying this time, Northern Yuan's hatred for Zhu Ying was even deeper.

It was precisely Zhu Ying who first broke through the Northern Yuan border city, and it only took one day to make Northern Yuan's years of painstaking layout vanish into thin air.

Furthermore, his one hundred thousand Northern Yuan iron cavalry, known as invincible in the world, were also routed by Zhu Ying, making the myth of the Northern Yuan iron cavalry completely shattered, and Northern Yuan suffered heavy damage.

"I didn't expect..."

Manzi let out a long sigh, his voice carrying endless emotion: "You are actually so young."

"My Great Yuan, did not lose unjustly."

Although there was still hatred in his eyes, he could not help but reveal a bit of respect for Zhu Ying.

On the battlefield, strength was the only standard to win respect; the excellent military talent Zhu Ying displayed, brave and invincible, made Manzi have to submit.

"On the battlefield, we see the truth with our skills."

"Talking nonsense is useless."

Zhu Ying's tone was flat, but every word was like a knife.

As soon as the words fell.

Zhu Ying's right hand moved lightly, and with a "shing" sound, the Qinghong Sword was unsheathed.

The blade flashed with cold light, revealing murderous intent.

Zhu Ying gripped the Qinghong Sword tightly, his gaze cold, staring at the Yuan generals with murderous intent.

"You, should be the Northern Yuan Grand Marshal Manzi!"

"Now, I only ask once, fight, or surrender?"

With this shout, Manzi's eyes narrowed slightly, determination flashing in his eyes.

He gripped his battle saber tightly with both hands, staring fixedly at Zhu Ying.

"In the past, Grand Marshal Nahachu died for the country; I received heavy grace from the Emperor and was endowed with the position of Grand Marshal; how can I surrender?"

"Zhu Ying, do you dare to fight with this Grand Marshal?"

Manzi roared, the roar resounding through the hall.

At this moment.

His face was full of unyielding determination, that expression as if saying that even if he died in battle, he would defend the dignity of Northern Yuan, and it was also the last dignity of him as a military general.

Zhu Ying did not speak, a flash of appreciation in his eyes, followed by a cold sneer.

He walked forward steadily, lifted the Qinghong Sword, and jumped toward Manzi.

Clearly, he was letting Manzi make the first move.

"Great Yuan, will not be defeated!"

"One day, my Great Yuan will definitely make a comeback and trample your Ming country's gates."

Manzi roared, his voice almost lifting the roof of the hall.

He held his battle saber high with both hands, the blade flashing with cold light, and then rushed toward Zhu Ying fiercely.

When he approached Zhu Ying, he used all his strength to slash the battle saber in his hand toward Zhu Ying; this slash carried an invincible momentum, as if to split Zhu Ying in two.

Perhaps.

What he thought in his heart was to behead Zhu Ying and solve the great enemy for his Northern Yuan.

However.

Manzi's killing move was like child's play in front of Zhu Ying.

Zhu Ying was very calm, without the slightest intention of dodging.

The moment Manzi's battle saber was about to slash onto him, the Qinghong Sword in Zhu Ying's hand moved suddenly.

Only a flash of cold light was seen, so fast that one could hardly see the trajectory of the sword; the sword light was like a lightning bolt, instantly piercing through Manzi's battle armor and reaching his heart.

"You said Northern Yuan will make a comeback?"

"I can tell you, as long as I, Zhu Ying, am here for one day, your Northern Yuan will not have any chance; even if Great Ming ceases to exist, this Central Plains land will not give you foreign tribes any opportunity."

Zhu Ying said coldly, his voice low and firm, and even more so carrying an arrogant confidence.

After saying this!

Zhu Ying pulled his wrist back, and the Qinghong Sword was instantly pulled out from Manzi's chest.

Manzi spat out a large mouthful of blood, his eyes full of ash, gradually blurring, and his body fell powerlessly to the ground, making a dull sound.

"Killed Northern Yuan Grand Marshal Manzi, picked up 100 points of full attributes, picked up 100 days of lifespan, rewarded with one First Rank treasure chest."

The moment he killed him.

The panel prompt sounded.

After all, Manzi was the Northern Yuan Grand Marshal; being killed by Zhu Ying naturally brought rich rewards.

"You, fight or surrender?"

Having solved Manzi, Zhu Ying cast his gaze slowly toward the remaining Yuan generals.

These Yuan generals were each at least at the level of a Ten Thousand Commander; if he could kill them, he thought it would also bring him many attribute bonuses, and perhaps even treasure chest rewards.

For Zhu Ying, killing them was equivalent to earning.

"Swear to follow the Grand Marshal to the death! For Great Yuan, kill!"

The remaining nine Yuan generals did not hesitate at all, they roared in unison, their voices resounding through the hall.

Their eyes burned with anger and the unyielding spirit of coexisting with the country.

All of them gripped their battle sabers tightly, and immediately after, they rushed toward Zhu Ying like nine enraged beasts.

If it were an ordinary military general facing this situation, the personal guards would definitely take action immediately, swarming up to behead these Yuan generals to protect the safety of the main general.

But Zhu Ying did not give the order, and the personal guards in the hall stood like statues, without any action, just watching Zhu Ying focusedly, because they all knew how powerful their master was.

The next moment.

Zhu Ying moved.

His figure was like a black residual shadow, instantly disappearing before the eyes of the Yuan generals.

The Yuan generals had not yet had time to come to their senses when they only felt a burst of icy touch on their necks.

Zhu Ying shuttled between the nine Yuan generals in an instant with a speed that was almost terrifying.

The Qinghong Sword in his hand was like a nimble light, flashing constantly.

Almost at the same moment, the necks of the nine Yuan generals were slashed open by the Qinghong Sword, and blood sprayed out like a fountain. Their eyes widened, their faces full of shock and unwillingness, and then, nine heads fell down along with their bodies.

All beheaded!

"Killed Northern Yuan Ten Thousand Commander, picked up 30 points of full attributes, picked up 30 days of lifespan, rewarded with one ordinary treasure chest."

"Killed Northern Yuan Ten Thousand Commander, picked up full attributes..."

The panel's prompt sounds rang out one after another.

Easily.

Zhu Ying again successfully harvested six ordinary treasure chests; for him, this could be considered a good result.

"These nine heads will be given to General Chen Heng and the others; it can be considered their military merit."

Zhu Ying turned his head and said to Liu Lei.

His tone was flat, as if the bloody slaughter he had just experienced was just a trivial matter to him.

"Yes."

Liu Lei did not hesitate at all and immediately gave a wink to his subordinates.

Only to see a few personal guards step forward, skillfully picking up the nine heads, wrapping them in prepared cloth, and then carefully packing them up.

As for Manzi's head, Zhu Ying naturally had to take it himself; after all, he had beheaded another Northern Yuan Grand Marshal, which was no small military merit.

Watching the personal guards under Zhu Ying dispose of the heads so skillfully, it was clear that this kind of thing was not the first time they had done it.

Under Zhu Ying's command, there were many military generals; for Zhu Ying, killing these ordinary generals, or even enemy generals of the same rank as himself, did not have much of an enhancing effect, just icing on the cake.

But for the generals under his command, these military merits were solid, allowing them to be promoted and obtain opportunities for advancement.

Therefore, Zhu Ying would often secretly divide some of the beheading merits that were of little use to him among the old brothers who had followed him for a long time, such as Wei Quan, Zhang Wu, Luo Hua, etc., all of whom had benefited from this.

After solving these Yuan generals, Zhu Ying's gaze cast slowly toward the dragon throne high above in the hall.

That dragon throne stood high, emitting an aura of majesty.

This dragon throne symbolized supreme imperial power and represented the ruling power of the world.

Zhu Ying stared at the dragon throne, waves surging in his eyes.

In his eyes, there was a desire for power, a longing for the future, and even more so, a firm belief.

"One day, I will also possess my own dragon throne," Zhu Ying swore secretly in his heart, full of endless ambition.

Just at this moment!

A burst of hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

It seemed a group of people were rushing over.

"The Grand General has arrived!"

Outside the hall.

Xiao Han shouted loudly, immediately entering the hall.

Following that, the personal guards on duty outside the hall acted quickly, neatly scattering to both sides, making a passage.

Only to see Guo Ying, surrounded by a group of generals, walking with big strides toward the hall, one person in the lead, showing the majesty of a Grand General.

Zhu Di, Zhu Quan, and Lan Yu, Li Jinglong, and others were all among them; they followed Guo Ying, their faces carrying different expressions—some excited, some agitated, and some thoughtful.

These generals were different from Zhu Ying; they were mainly responsible for command and dispatch on the battlefield and would not personally take risks to rush into the enemy formation to kill.

At this moment.

They came to this court discussion hall that symbolized the power of Northern Yuan, and everyone's heart was agitated.

"Seen the Grand General."

Zhu Ying turned around and cupped his hands to salute Guo Ying.

"The Marquis of Champions is indeed brave and extraordinary."

"This time breaking the Yuan capital, it is again the Marquis of Champions who took the lead and broke in first!"

Guo Ying walked up with a full face of smiles, supporting Zhu Ying with both hands, full of appreciation and gratification.

"Thank you, Grand General, for the praise."

Zhu Ying responded with a humble smile.

"In this battle, the Marquis of Champions has again taken the first merit."

"We all keep the merit of breaking the Yuan capital in our hearts."

Li Jinglong walked over with a full face of smiles, his eyes carrying a trace of fawning.

Walking all the way here, he had long been conquered by Zhu Ying's strength and strategy.

In his heart, he was full of luck; if it were not for Zhu Ying's existence, he, as the nominal commanding general of the second army, would definitely not have been so relaxed.

This nearly nine-month Northern Expedition journey, he almost "lay down and won" all the way.

Zhu Ying killed decisively on the battlefield and made repeated military merits; although these merits were not obtained by Li Jinglong himself, as the commander of the second army, he could also share a piece of the pie, and in the future, returning to Ying Tian, he would definitely receive the court's rewards.

It could be said that Zhu Ying's existence made Li Jinglong's Northern Expedition journey incomparably smooth, and also made the anxiety and unease he had when he first arrived disappear without a trace.

"General Li is too kind."

"In this battle, all the soldiers who broke into this Yuan capital city have great merit."

Zhu Ying responded with a smile, his voice steady.

He understood that occupying the merit alone would only invite resentment; with so many armies breaking into the city this time, if the military merit was all occupied by him alone, that would be a fool.

Taking the lead was enough!

Of course.

After learning that Zhu Ying broke the city first, Lan Yu's complexion became very ugly, his heart full of unhappiness.

Originally, the Huaixi generals all thought of seizing this merit of breaking the capital to add military merit to this Northern Expedition, so as to obtain a higher status and more rewards in the court.

But now, this final merit of breaking the capital was taken away by Zhu Ying, their plan failed, which made Lan Yu and others extremely unwilling in their hearts.

"Only knows how to say pretty words. So young, yet so slippery."

"Looks like he's not a good thing."

Chang Mao stood beside Lan Yu, muttering in an extremely low voice, his face full of disdain.

He thought his voice was very small and would not be heard by anyone, but he did not expect Zhu Ying's hearing to be extraordinary, hearing his words clearly.

Zhu Ying heard this, and his gaze shot toward Chang Mao like a sharp sword instantly.

Chang Mao only felt a chill rushing from the soles of his feet to his forehead, his heart startled, his face instantly turning pale.

"He wouldn't have heard it, right?" Chang Mao muttered to himself, a sense of ominous premonition surging in his heart.

He stood awkwardly in place, his eyes dodging, not daring to look at Zhu Ying.

Zhu Ying stared at Chang Mao for a moment, a trace of contempt flashing in his eyes, and then moved his gaze away slowly.

And in his heart, he thought secretly: "Is this guy really Chang Yuchun's son?"

"This way of conducting himself is both reckless and stupid; no wonder the Huaixi Group will be liquidated in the end; it's all their own doing."

Zhu Ying knew their original fate and was too lazy to argue with Chang Mao.

After all.

With the temper and character of these Huaixi people, developing according to the current situation, their fate was probably hard to change.

Zhu Ying knew deeply that these people naturally supported Zhu Yunxiao, but Zhu Yunxiao was cowardly and weak; although he had the status of a legitimate son, he was fundamentally incapable of great tasks and could not shoulder great responsibilities.

In the future struggle for the throne, the Huaixi Group and Zhu Yunxiao would probably not be able to escape disaster.

Guo Ying scanned the Yuan court discussion hall slowly, his gaze finally falling on the Yuan Emperor's dragon throne.

"Yuan capital broken, the last city of Northern Yuan, finally taken by our Great Ming."

"From now on, Northern Yuan will never have the name of a dynasty again."

Guo Ying was full of emotion, his voice carrying excitement, the joy of victory, all displayed.

"Yes."

"In the past, Northern Yuan made our Great Ming incomparably wary because they, like our Great Ming, built cities, learned our Han culture, made cannons, and even had the ambition to annex our Han Central Plains."

"At this moment, breaking the Yuan capital is also completely stripping them of the name of a dynasty, letting them return to the era of the past Mongols, and turning them back into nomads."

"Moreover, for Northern Yuan, the strength of the Northern Yuan royal family is not enough to completely suppress the many tribes of Northern Yuan."

Zhu Di nodded slightly and said slowly.

In this war, although he did not personally go to kill enemies, he had always moved with the army and analyzed the situation very thoroughly.

"Although the Northern Yuan capital was broken, stripping Northern Yuan of the name of a dynasty."

"But as long as the Yuan Emperor does not die, and the Northern Yuan royal family still exists, the vast land of the northern frontier is still the country of Northern Yuan, and their strength is still not weak."

Li Jinglong said with a serious expression.

Although his ability to lead troops in battle was not good, in this kind of situation analysis, he could still say a few words.

After all, he was well-versed in military books and had some insights into talking about soldiers on paper; this statement also conformed to his consistent persona.

"Regarding this matter, I believe the Emperor has his own wise judgment."

"Whether to continue the pursuit or consolidate the Yuan capital, we just need to follow the Emperor's decree."

Guo Ying's expression was solemn, his voice low.

Regarding the subsequent strategic decision, he also had some hesitation in his heart.

Deeply pursuing the Yuan Emperor into the northern frontier was full of dangers; a slight carelessness could lead to the total destruction of the army, but if they did not pursue and let the Yuan Emperor escape, Northern Yuan would likely make a comeback and become a threat to Great Ming again.

Hearing Guo Ying's words, the generals all fell into silence.

They all knew clearly that with the Yuan capital broken, this battle of conquest had achieved a phased victory.

But next, whether they chose to continue the pursuit or consolidate the Yuan capital, they faced huge risks and challenges.

Deeply pursuing into the northern frontier, the soldiers might lose their way in the vast grasslands, encounter attacks from Northern Yuan tribes, and eventually be completely destroyed.

Throughout the ages, only Huo Qubing sealed Mount Langju; that was because Huo Qubing truly killed his way into the northern frontier, killed the Xiongnu until they were in disarray, and fought out the prestige of the Han.

But such a battle record was not easy to talk about.

"Grand General, this subordinate, requests to pursue."

Zhu Ying did not hesitate at all, stepped forward, and requested loudly.

"Marquis of Champions, you don't need to be like this."

"In the past, the Emperor's decree was to break the Yuan capital and annihilate Northern Yuan."

"Now, our Northern Expedition army can be considered to have completed the imperial decree."

"As for pursuing north, this is too dangerous."

Guo Ying looked at Zhu Ying, smiled, and did not blame him for anything.

In his eyes, Zhu Ying was the pillar of Great Ming, and he did not want Zhu Ying to take risks.

Moreover, he knew deeply the danger of going deep into the northern frontier, and even if the army set off, he did not have full confidence that he could bring the soldiers back safely.

That vast and boundless grassland of the northern

The desert winds and sands raged, water sources were scarce and hard to find, and the complex terrain was like a labyrinth, making it extremely easy for a large army to lose its way.

Once deep inside, logistical supplies would face a huge challenge, and the slightest carelessness could lead to a desperate situation.

Thinking of this, Guo Ying was filled with worry.

Of course!

The most fundamental point was that Guo Ying also had his own selfish motives; he felt that with his own abilities, he really did not have absolute certainty that he could bring the army back safely.

If they were to encounter an accident and suffer a defeat, then even if they succeeded in capturing the Yuan Capital this time, recovering dozens of Northern Yuan cities, and gaining millions of people, the great merit of the Northern Expedition would likely vanish in an instant, and he might even be viewed by the imperial court as having faults that outweighed his merits.

When it came down to it.

Perhaps it was because Guo Ying was getting older, and that boldness and fearlessness of the past had quietly faded, replaced by more caution and fear in his heart.

He was getting old!

Therefore, he dared not give the order, and even less did he dare to gamble!

He also dared not directly agree to let Zhu Ying pursue.

"Grand General."

Zhu Ying took a step forward and said in a firm tone: "The Emperor's decree is to destroy the Northern Yuan."

"Its true intention is to completely dismantle the Northern Yuan so that it can no longer exist as a whole."

"Now, the Yuan Emperor is fleeing in a panic, and many of the Northern Yuan's royal family and powerful nobles are scattering like birds and beasts."

"If the Yuan Emperor is allowed to retreat to his Mongol ancestral lands, relying on his prestige in the Northern Yuan, he will still have the opportunity to reconsolidate the Northern Yuan's forces and subsequently suppress the many tribes on the grasslands."

"This is definitely not a situation the Emperor wishes to see."

"To truly and thoroughly destroy the Northern Yuan, one must capture and kill the Yuan Emperor, cutting the weeds and eliminating the roots."

"Only then will the Northern Yuan fall into a state of fragmentation, and the threat to our Great Ming can be completely eliminated."

"The reason I requested the Grand General to grant the entire Daning force a cavalry organization was precisely to deal with this kind of situation, so that we could penetrate deep into the northern frontier at the critical moment, pursue the Yuan Emperor, and eliminate the hidden danger to our Great Ming's northern frontier."

Zhu Ying finished speaking in one breath, his expression solemn.

Hearing these words, Guo Ying's expression could not help but shake; his originally dim eyes instantly brightened, carrying a hint of being moved.

He raised his head and stared fixedly at Zhu Ying, as if he were seeing this young general before him for the first time.

Zhu Ying's argument was clear and hit the nail on the head, deeply touching Guo Ying's heart.

The generals on the side were also full of astonishment, never having expected Zhu Ying to be so serious and so bold.

He actually wanted to head north and pursue!

"Just as Yao Guangxiao thought."

Zhu Di thought to himself: "Zhu Ying will absolutely not give up the opportunity to penetrate deep into the northern frontier."

"This time, it has reached the critical moment where I must make a choice."

"Tonight, I must test him."

"If he can be won over, that would be for the best."

"If not..."

"Sigh... having reached this point, I have no choice but to choose."

A cold glint that was hard to detect flashed in Zhu Di's eyes.

Immediately.

Zhu Di took a deep breath, adjusted his emotions, put a gentle smile back on his face, and stepped out from the crowd.

He looked at Zhu Ying with a smile and said in a calm tone: "The Marquis of Champions need not be so anxious."

"The Yuan Capital has just been pacified, and the soldiers are already exhausted after days of bitter fighting and are in urgent need of rest."

"When our Northern Expedition army attacked the last two guard cities of the Northern Yuan, the battle report was already expedited to Ying Tian."

"According to my estimation, in a few days, the Emperor's decree will surely arrive here."

"For these few days, let the soldiers rest well and recover their strength."

"As for the matter of pursuing north, we will deliberate on it at length and then make a decision."

Upon hearing this!

The generals all nodded one after another.

Seeing this, Guo Ying also hurriedly nodded in agreement: "The Prince of Yan is absolutely right."

"The Daning soldiers have charged and fought, and their contributions are great; they truly need a good rest."

"The matter of pursuing north is of great consequence and cannot be acted upon rashly; let us wait until the Emperor's decree arrives before we discuss a strategy together."

As Guo Ying spoke, he signaled to Zhu Ying with his eyes, hoping he would understand the current situation.

Seeing this situation!

Although he could not pursue immediately.

But since Guo Ying had spoken to this extent, Zhu Ying also understood very clearly that Guo Ying was worried about letting him go north; if something went wrong, he dared not take the blame.

Simply put.

Zhu Ying nodded slightly and said in a deep voice: "I will respectfully follow the instructions of the Grand General and the Prince of Yan."

However, deep down, Zhu Ying knew very well that given the current situation, pursuing the Yuan Emperor north was an imperative matter.

With the character of Zhu Yuanzhang, who was far away in Ying Tian, he would definitely issue a decree to continue the pursuit.

From beginning to end, this had been Zhu Yuanzhang's goal.

To make the Northern Yuan cease to exist, to make it fall into fragmentation!

……

(End of chapter)