Chapter 195: Break Through the Royal Court! Capture the Yuan Emperor! A Monumental Triumph!

Fishing Lake!

As the largest lake within the Northern Yuan’s territory, it was naturally a vast natural pasture.

It was also the Northern Yuan’s largest pasture, rich in cattle and sheep.

Since the imperial court relocated here.

The Yuan Emperor naturally relaxed.

In his view,

With three hundred thousand troops surrounding the court to face the Ming army, even if the Ming were strong, they could not possibly catch up in such a short time.

So after the Yuan Emperor withdrew from the battlefield,

He began to indulge himself.

Inside the tent,

Music and dance flourished.

Many dancers displayed their graceful movements, their performances so intoxicating that the Northern Yuan ministers were utterly entranced, longing to pounce upon them like ravenous wolves.

“This is what true ease feels like.”

“Back in the capital, we lived in constant fear.”

“Now, at last, we have peace.”

The Yuan Emperor drank wine, smiling as he spoke to the ministers in the tent.

“Your Majesty speaks truly.”

“In past battles of defense and offense, our Great Yuan was inferior to Ming.”

“But now we are in the northern frontier, on our own ground—these barbarians cannot stir up trouble.”

“Soon, the Grand General will send word of victory, slaughtering every last one of these damned barbarians.”

“These barbarians truly have audacity—entering our northern frontier. If not for our steppe tribes, they’d surely be lost in the desert.”

“Pathetic.”

…

The ministers all lavished praise upon the Emperor, thoroughly enjoying themselves, as if they were certain the Ming army would be entirely annihilated on northern soil.

Of course,

For them, being able to safely enjoy themselves at Fishing Lake was itself a luxury after months of flight.

“Once we’ve wiped out these invading Ming troops,”

“Our Great Yuan will rest for a while, and I shall lead you all back to the Central Plains!” The Emperor, face flushed with wine, raised his wine bowl with great confidence.

“We swear to follow Your Majesty unto death!”

“One day, we shall invade the Central Plains and crush those lowly barbarians beneath our feet!”

“We swear to follow…”

The ministers in the tent, faces flushed, shouted with fervor.

This imperial and ministerial spirit, this boldness—

To an outsider, it would seem they had just won a great victory.

But in truth,

They were like rabid dogs, fleeing in all directions.

And just then—

“Report!”

“The Prince of Dai has returned!”

A guard commander stationed outside rushed into the tent, interrupting the Emperor and his ministers’ revelry.

“So soon? Has victory been won?”

“Hah!”

“The Prince of Dai returned in just one day!”

“My lords,”

“Zhu Ying’s head must already be in hand.”

Hearing the Prince of Dai had returned, the Emperor burst into loud laughter, exhilarated.

“We congratulate Your Majesty!”

The drunken ministers all shouted their congratulations.

Clearly,

In just one day,

They never believed the army could lose.

Even thirty thousand pigs—given the Ming’s numbers—they couldn’t slaughter in a day.

“Your Majesty,”

“You… you should see the Prince of Dai first,” the guard commander said, face strained.

At these words,

The Emperor raised his hand: “Summon him!”

“By the Emperor’s decree,”

“Summon the Prince of Dai to court!” the guard commander shouted.

In response,

Dalima entered the tent, his armor and robes askew, hair disheveled, utterly disheveled and battered.

Upon entering the tent,

Dalima collapsed to the ground, gazing at the Emperor in terror, crying out: “Your Majesty!”

“Ma’erkè’ér—he’s a scoundrel! He has doomed our Great Yuan!”

“Because of him,

Our Great Yuan has suffered a crushing defeat.”

This cry

Instantly drew every minister’s gaze. Seeing the Prince of Dai Dalima—so broken, and speaking of defeat—

Many ministers snapped awake from their drunken haze, eyes wide, staring fixedly at Dalima.

“Prince of Dai,”

“What nonsense are you spouting?”

“The Ming army has only fifty thousand troops—we know this for certain.”

“We have three hundred thousand of our finest warriors, surrounding these mere fifty thousand Ming soldiers. Even if we didn’t fight, their own spit would drown them.”

“How could we possibly suffer defeat?”

“Exactly.”

“Prince of Dai, come, drink a cup. Don’t joke.”

“….”

The drunken ministers laughed at Dalima, as if still lost in their wine.

Even the Emperor on his throne,

Was now dazed.

“Prince of Dai,”

“What nonsense are you speaking?” the Emperor glanced at him coldly.

“Your Majesty,”

“I am not speaking nonsense.”

“The Ming army never approached the court—they turned direction upon nearing it and attacked Ma’erkè’ér’s position on the eastern flank.”

“Faced with the sudden cavalry charge, Ma’erkè’ér’s troops were routed—they were no match.”

“And Ma’erkè’ér, coward that he is, ordered a retreat—straight toward my northern defenses.”

“I never even engaged the Ming. I was shattered by Ma’erkè’ér’s fleeing troops.”

“Our Great Yuan’s two hundred thousand troops have already collapsed.”

“The Ming seized the opportunity and attacked—our soldiers suffered catastrophic losses, casualties beyond count.”

“I didn’t even have time to tally the losses,” Dalima said, voice trembling.

During the retreat,

Dalima had witnessed countless Ming soldiers slaughtering his Yuan troops—massacring them without resistance.

The horror—

He would never forget.

“Prince of Dai,”

“What you say… is it true?”

At this moment,

The Emperor, seeing Dalima’s state, realized something was wrong. He leapt to his feet, staring intently.

“How could I dare speak falsehoods about such a grave matter?”

“Our Great Yuan… has suffered a catastrophic defeat,” Dalima said, head bowed, voice shaking.

He received an affirmative answer.

The Yuan Emperor lost his balance and collapsed onto the ground, his face flooded with fear and despair.

“How could this be?”

“Thirty thousand troops.”

“Defeated by fifty thousand Ming soldiers?”

“Am I truly unworthy to be emperor? Is my Great Yuan truly this weak?”

The Yuan Emperor sat slumped on the ground, muttering to himself.

At this moment.

He was truly beginning to doubt his own existence.

He had absolute advantage.

And it was on his own Great Yuan’s home ground.

Six times the enemy’s strength.

Even if the Ming army had cavalry superiority, couldn’t they trade six of their men for one?

“Ancestors.”

“Your descendant is powerless.”

The Yuan Emperor was truly broken now.

Inside the tent.

Aside from those completely drunk, the rest who were still sober were filled with terror.

“Your Majesty.”

“The imperial court is less than half a day’s ride from Burye Sea.”

“Our army has already collapsed—we must retreat immediately.”

Shiliemen spoke with grave seriousness.

“Retreat?”

But the Yuan Emperor’s face was blank, as if he had lost all will to fight: “If we abandon the imperial court and flee even to Burye Sea, where else can I run?”

“Your Majesty.”

“It’s still the barbarians’ saying: as long as the green hills remain, there will always be firewood.”

“As long as we preserve our lives and the Yuan imperial lineage, we can strike back someday,” Shiliemen said at once.

“Your Majesty.”

“But now, even fleeing may be impossible.”

“Outside, the troops are in full rout—the military structure has completely collapsed.”

“To reorganize the army would take at least ten days.”

“With only sixty thousand troops under Your Majesty, maintaining order is impossible,” DaliMa said bitterly.

“Where is Ma’erke’er’s elder brother?”

“Didn’t he still command a hundred thousand troops?”

“The eastern and northern armies were crushed by the Ming—Tuogusi Mengke should not have been affected,” Shiliemen asked urgently.

“This… this…”

DaliMa’s face twisted in distress, unsure how to answer.

“I’ve sent men to find him, but no word has come back.”

After a moment’s thought, DaliMa said.

“Your Majesty.”

“In the past, Guili Chi harbored disloyalty toward Great Yuan. Ma’erke’er is the same—Tuogusi Mengke likely is too.”

“I believe.”

“We must continue retreating north.”

“Winter arrives in less than a month. If we can hold out until then, the Ming army will surely withdraw,” Shiliemen said through gritted teeth.

Thinking that the Ming army might arrive at Burye Sea at any moment, Shiliemen felt an unbearable unease well up inside him.

“Retreat.”

“Keep retreating.”

“Issue orders—prepare to withdraw.”

“At first light, head north immediately.”

The Yuan Emperor finally snapped out of it and shouted loudly.

Though he had lost all will to fight, the instinct to survive remained.

At this moment!

All the Northern Yuan ministers who had been feasting and reveling were jolted awake by the news.

Without hesitation, they scrambled to pack their belongings.

But they did not know.

After nightfall.

At the dead of night, when the Ming army had ceased pursuit, they had begun moving again.

The next day!

At first light.

At Burye Sea.

At this temporary imperial court.

Many Northern Yuan troops were still dismantling camp, packing their gear.

But just then—

Thud.

Thud-thud-thud.

A thunderous pounding echoed across the temporary imperial court at Burye Sea.

Where the main imperial tent had been dismantled.

The Yuan Emperor had already boarded his carriage; his ministers were climbing aboard as well, preparing to flee.

But this sudden pounding—like a bolt from heaven—suddenly shattered the silence of Burye Sea.

Making the vast lake tremble.

“Report!”

“Your Majesty!”

“Disaster!”

“The… the Ming army is coming!”

Outside the court, a Northern Yuan general rushed forward in terror, shouting to the emperor inside the carriage.

As the words fell.

The Yuan Emperor’s face turned deathly pale.

Not just him.

All his civil and military ministers were the same.

In this era, the Yuan Emperor was much like the two Song emperors during the Jingkang Humiliation.

Having lived in luxury and comfort in the Central Plains for so long, he had fully adopted the habits of a corrupt ruler.

His ministers were no different.

“Retreat!”

“Quickly, protect me and flee!”

The Yuan Emperor shouted urgently.

Outside the court.

Zhu Ying, clad in bloodstained armor and robe, swung his battle saber; the forward outposts of the Northern Yuan troops frantically shot arrows to block the advance, but none could halt the Ming army’s momentum.

Zhu Ying merely raised his saber.

“Kill! Kill! Kill!”

Countless Ming soldiers roared, unleashing a storm of arrows toward the still-undismantled Northern Yuan camp tents ahead.

Under the barrage of arrows.

They slaughtered wildly.

“Brothers!”

“The final battle of the northern expedition is today.”

“Capture or kill the Yuan Emperor.”

“And we will destroy the Northern Yuan.”

“I, Zhu Ying, lead you to this unparalleled glory—to establish our name upon Mount Langju,” Zhu Ying roared.

Wu Feng charged forward with full force.

When they reached the gate of the imperial camp.

Zhu Ying swung his saber.

Zhu Ying’s razor-sharp blade, carrying his terrifying power, slashed down—the camp gate shattered instantly.

Inside the royal court, chaos reigned.

Mongol soldiers fled in panic; civilians fled in utter despair.

Only a few Mongol troops still had the will to resist the Great Ming army—their morale had collapsed.

“Kill!”

Zhu Ying roared, driving forward his Black Blade, swinging his battle axe without pause.

One Mongol soldier after another was swallowed by the blade.

“Follow the General!”

“Kill!”

“Kill!”

Behind Zhu Ying, his Personal Guard.

Tens of thousands of Great Ming soldiers screamed wildly, voices hoarse, yet every one brimming with unyielding battle fury.

The royal court’s gate was instantly breached by Great Ming cavalry, reduced to ruins.

And once they surged into the royal court.

The slaughter continued.

Great Ming soldiers swung their battle axes wildly, killing every Tartar they saw, cutting down every Tartar they found.

They washed the royal court in blood.

Zhu Ying led his Personal Guard straight into the heart of the court.

Nothing could stop him.

Wherever he passed, mountains of corpses and seas of blood followed.

“The Yuan Emperor.”

“Found him.”

As Zhu Ying looked ahead.

Hundreds of carts lay before him.

At the very front was the Yuan Emperor’s carriage.

But now they were all blocked by the chaos, unable to escape.

“Brothers!”

“Follow me—capture and kill the Yuan Emperor!”

“Not a single one of his officials shall escape.”

“All of them are battle merits.”

Zhu Ying bellowed loudly.

He spurred his horse hard—Black Blade shot forward like an arrow released from a bow.

Trampling over countless corpses, wading through seas of blood, he charged straight for the Yuan Emperor’s carriage.

“Kill, kill!”

Liu Lei led the Personal Guard in roaring charges, forming an encirclement, as more and more Great Ming soldiers surged in, surrounding the carts.

“Quickly! Protect me and get me out!”

“All of you—fight!”

The Yuan Emperor, hearing the thundering hooves drawing nearer, screamed in terror.

“Protect the Emperor!”

“Stand firm against the Ming troops—kill!”

The Royal Court’s Guard commander roared, leading his few thousand Royal Court Guards into battle.

But against Zhu Ying’s blade and the blood-crazed Great Ming soldiers, it was clear they could not hold.

Fierce combat raged around the carriage.

Corpses littered the ground.

Zhu Ying swung his battle axe, slaughtering mercilessly.

Their lives became his attribute power, strengthening him.

Soon.

Zhu Ying led the charge, closing the distance to the Yuan Emperor’s carriage to just a dozen steps.

Around the carriage,

hundreds of Mongol soldiers guarded it desperately, ready to die.

“It’s truly the Yuan Emperor’s carriage.”

“Hahahaha!”

Zhu Ying’s face lit up with wild joy.

He had already killed many of the Northern Yuan’s Grand Commanders and Generals.

But the Northern Yuan Emperor—

he had never killed one.

……

(End of Chapter)