[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-starting-from-the-battlefield-gathering-attribut":3,"chapter-starting-from-the-battlefield-gathering-attribut-starting-from-the-battlefield-gathering-attribut-chapter-203":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Starting from the Battlefield: Gathering Attributes to Build the All-Heavens Ming Dynasty",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2342010,4577,"Chapter 203: Northern Yuan Victory Report Returns!","starting-from-the-battlefield-gathering-attribut-chapter-203",203,"\u003Cp>Looking at Lu Ben like this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lu clan could no longer suppress her fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She too felt that her actions today had been truly foolish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to Lu Ben’s words, Lu Shi now felt a deep sense of dread.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What should we do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will His Majesty and the Crown Prince be displeased with me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will they strip me of my authority over the Eastern Palace’s internal affairs?” Lu Shi asked, her face filled with worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If it were only this matter, it might anger His Majesty and the others, but since you are deeply favored by the Crown Prince, they may simply see you as a short-sighted woman who doesn’t understand much, and thus not be moved to anger.” Lu Ben carefully analyzed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But if His Majesty remembers this, it will not be good for my daughter or for Yunwen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Today, I truly made a mistake,” Lu Shi said, her face filled with regret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Continue. Did anything else happen before His Majesty today?” Lu Ben asked, his expression grave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Shi thought for a moment, then her face twisted with revulsion: “Father, something nearly happened in the imperial hall today.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That vile brat Zhu Yuntong was up to no good—he tried to speak to His Majesty and the Crown Prince about his conditions in the Eastern Palace. I had to threaten him with his maid, or he would have spoken out.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though I can control others in the Eastern Palace so they won’t tell the Crown Prince the truth, if it draws His Majesty’s attention, that won’t be good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ben’s expression did not improve—it grew even darker. He stared fixedly at Lu Shi, his face heavy with profound disappointment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Foolish! How could you be so foolish today?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your father… I don’t even know what to say to you anymore.” Lu Ben let out a heavy sigh, gazing at her with utter helplessness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, he felt more helpless than when he’d heard Lu Shi had asked the Marquis of Champion to be Yunwen’s martial instructor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“W-what’s wrong?” Lu Shi looked at Lu Ben, confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you really think His Majesty is that easy to fool?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You threatened Zhu Yuntong right in the hall, so deliberately—do you think His Majesty and the Crown Prince are fools who wouldn’t notice?” Lu Ben said in a low voice, utterly exasperated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Shi recalled the scene.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had coughed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she had brought out Xiujuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed casual, but it happened precisely as Zhu Yuntong was answering His Majesty’s question.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Zhu Yuanzhang, seated on the main throne, hadn’t noticed such deliberate manipulation, it would have been strange.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Father, what should we do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I… I really didn’t think that far.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When His Majesty questioned that vile brat Zhu Yuntong, if I hadn’t threatened him, he might have revealed something harmful to us.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I had no choice.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Shi hurriedly said, her face pale with terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since Chang Shi’s death, she had barely gained control over the Eastern Palace’s inner court. Though not the Crown Princess, she wielded the authority of the Crown Princess—and had a chance to place her son on the throne. She had been cautious at every step, yet still slipped up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Shi feared that all her past schemes might now come to nothing because of this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“With my years in court, His Majesty will surely become wary of you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And he will definitely order the Crown Prince to investigate how Zhu Yuntong has been treated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After all, His Majesty treats the Crown Prince as a true family member. The reason there are no Embroidered Uniform Guards in the Eastern Palace is precisely because the Crown Prince dislikes them—so His Majesty never provoked him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Thus, even if His Majesty suspects something, he will have the Crown Prince investigate, not send the Embroidered Uniform Guards.” Lu Ben frowned, analyzing carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then what should I do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If the Crown Prince investigates, he will surely uncover something. If he finds out it’s me, I’ll lose his favor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Though Zhu Yuntong is not favored by the Crown Prince, he is still the legitimate son, and behind him stand the Huaixi generals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If they find out it’s me, those Huaixi warlords will surely seize the chance to stir up trouble.” Lu Shi looked at her father in terror.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Shi was completely panicked, having lost all sense of direction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing this situation,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ben did not panic entirely—he frowned, thinking of a solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a moment of thought,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Ben said: “We must find a scapegoat.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Whoever manages Zhu Yuntong’s stipend and his eunuch attendants—blame everything on him.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This matter must be cleaned up completely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And it must be arranged tonight, ensuring no mishaps.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“And that eunuch supervisor must take full blame—only then can the Crown Prince not trace it back to you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Upon hearing this!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Shi immediately nodded: “I’ll handle it myself right away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Crown Prince still trusts you deeply. Only by finding a convincing reason and eliminating the ‘chief culprit’ will he let go of this matter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Besides that,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You must be even more cautious with Zhu Yuntong from now on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His maid is his weakness—you must hold it tightly. And never again be so deliberately clever before His Majesty and the Crown Prince.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“His Majesty rose from humble origins. How clever was Hu Weiyong? He still fell into His Majesty’s hands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Crown Prince has been trained by His Majesty for years—you can imagine his sharpness. His indifference toward Zhu Yuntong stems from Chang Shi’s death in childbirth, and his trust in you—otherwise he would have intervened.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In your current position, you have no choice but to be cautious—unless you no longer wish to secure that position for Yunwen,” Lu Ben said solemnly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Daughter understands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“From now on, I will be careful and cautious,” Lu Shi nodded firmly, her heart gradually calming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this incident, she would become even more prudent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this struggle between legitimate and illegitimate heirs, she had no retreat left. If Zhu Yuntong ever became Crown Prince or even Emperor, she—and all her sons—would be finished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Northern Frontier!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Along the Great Wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After several months,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having first created the impression that the main army was advancing northward, they successfully forced the Northern Yuan tribes to retreat further north. Afterwards, Guo Ying did not push the infantry deeper, but withdrew them back behind the Great Wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During this period,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A portion of the troops escorted the slaves and surrendered soldiers taken from the Northern Yuan campaign toward the heartland of the Great Ming, handing them over to the Ministry of War, who would then pass them to the Ministry of Revenue or other imperial departments handling slave registries.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In addition,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another portion of troops was repairing the Great Wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Northern Yuan seized control of this northern frontier, they had torn down and extensively damaged the Great Wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For them, the Great Wall was merely a barrier blocking their advance into the north—they had no use for it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that the Great Ming had reclaimed it, they could not seize the northern lands without fortified cities to hold them, so repairing the Great Wall was critical.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Ying ordered one hundred thousand troops to repair the Great Wall. The wall was no longer the ruin it had been months ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through military labor, the wall had already been partially restored; with time and further coordination from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of War, it would eventually be fully repaired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The scenery of the northern frontier is truly magnificent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No wonder it’s the grandeur of the northern lands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When winter arrives and snow blankets the northern frontier, it will be the most beautiful northern landscape,” Zhu Di said, wrapped in a cloak, standing beside Guo Ying and Zhu Quan as they gazed far to the north.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Indeed.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The grandeur of the northern lands.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This year, the Northern Yuan will have a hard time,” Guo Ying said, praising the northern scenery while sneering at the Northern Yuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After this campaign,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Northern Yuan was completely driven out of the ancestral lands of Huaxia, with no more cities to rely upon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were pushed back into nomadism once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And after this battle, the Northern Yuan suffered heavy losses. Previously, they had used these territories in Huaxia as granaries; now, those granaries were gone. In the future, they would return to their old state as northern nomads—winter would become their most dangerous season, with countless freezing to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the Great Ming’s generals, this was cause for celebration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let them die—it was better than letting Great Ming’s people die.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And ultimately,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ancestral lands reclaimed from the Northern Yuan were vast, and many Northern Yuan people had been relocated. Over time, they would surely feel the difference between the northern frontier and the Great Ming.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I wonder how the Marquis of Champion is faring.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’ve been fighting deep in the northern frontier for over two months.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No news has come back yet. Winter is coming soon—if they don’t return before the snow falls, they’ll be in danger,” Zhu Quan said, his face filled with concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing these words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Ying’s face also showed a trace of concern: “Indeed! The northern frontier is vast; one misstep and you’re lost. Though our Great Ming has sent ten thousand cavalry, we are still deep in foreign land. The Northern Yuan may be defeated, but its strength remains—we don’t know what state they’re in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Di’s eyes flickered with a hint of coldness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet it vanished quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Marquis of Champion and the Marquis of Yongchang are both skilled generals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m certain they will lead our army back in triumph,” Zhu Di added at the right moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For now, we can only wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Messages from the northern frontier are hard to transmit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“There’s nothing else we can do,” Guo Ying said gravely, raising his head to gaze toward the northern frontier, eagerly awaiting news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And just then!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the north.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, a battle standard appeared on the distant horizon—far off, unmistakably the red battle flag of the Great Ming, emblazoned with the character “Ming.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Immediately behind it came over a hundred red-armored cavalrymen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grand General, look!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s our Great Ming army!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are they returning in triumph?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Quan pointed northward, his voice trembling with excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For him,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>this campaign to observe the northern expedition had shown him the brutality of battle, the cruelty of the enemy—and as a descendant of Zhu Yuanzhang, he naturally felt the weight of responsibility to guard the northern frontier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I see it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s truly our Great Ming army—and they’re the Imperial Guard.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I just don’t know if they’re the Marquis of Champion’s personal troops or the Marquis of Yongchang’s,” Guo Ying said with a smile, his face brimming with anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhu Di also gazed northward, his brow slightly furrowed, his heart unsettled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cavalry was rapidly approaching the Great Wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>they reached the nearly repaired Great Wall below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Grand General.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s Liu Lei, commander of the Marquis of Champion’s personal guard,” Zhu Quan squinted and immediately recognized the man holding the battle standard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could it be the Marquis of Champion has triumphed, and sent his personal guard ahead to report?” Guo Ying asked, his face filled with hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Ying acted at once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Open the passage below!” Guo Ying shouted loudly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though the Great Wall was lined with fortified passes, it still had gateways—and directly below was one such pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could he really have succeeded?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Impossible.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Northern Yuan knew his exact troop strength and his target. If they set an ambush and prepared defenses, they could wipe him out completely.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He only had fifty thousand men—how could he possibly return?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is the Northern Yuan doing?” Zhu Di’s heart was truly racing now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Liu Lei, he already felt an unspoken unease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>only he knew what Yao Guangxiao had done, only he knew who Zhu Ying truly was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the pass gate opened,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Lei and his hundred personal guards swiftly passed through and entered the Great Wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Ying hurried down, Zhu Quan followed curiously, and Zhu Di did the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet among the three, one man’s thoughts were different.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your humble subordinate pays homage to Grand General.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your Highnesses, Prince Yan and Prince Ning.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once inside the Great Wall,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Lei dismounted at once and bowed deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Commander Liu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How is the northern frontier?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How is the Marquis of Champion?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Ying didn’t hesitate—he cut straight to the point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the key to the northern expedition, the chance to open the path to triumph, rested on this very day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your humble subordinate reports to Grand General.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“By the Marquis of Champion’s order, I have returned ahead to report the battle results.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The northern expedition has succeeded.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Marquis of Champion led our fifty thousand troops to the Northern Yuan’s royal court, shattered their main army at Langju Mountain, slaughtered countless enemies, and killed the Northern Yuan’s newly appointed Grand General, Ma Er Ke Er.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“After crushing their main force, we pursued them relentlessly, found their temporary royal court at Binyuer Sea, attacked and shattered it, killed countless enemies, and captured the Yuan Emperor along with over seventy percent of his civil and military officials.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We captured over ten thousand Northern Yuan nobles.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This battle,”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“is a decisive, overwhelming victory for our northern expedition.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Northern Yuan will no longer exist.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Lei spoke with great excitement, then pulled a sealed battle report written in Zhu Ying’s own hand from his robe and respectfully presented it to Guo Ying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Ying took the report, but his face was already too overcome with emotion to even open it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Lei’s verbal report had already conveyed the essential outcome—the written report would only add finer details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Marquis of Champion is truly our Great Ming’s greatest warrior.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He shattered the Northern Yuan’s main army, destroyed their royal court, and captured the Yuan Emperor.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“He has sealed his glory on Langju Mountain!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guo Ying gripped the report tightly, his voice trembling with excitement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>……\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2368,"2026-06-20T23:30:12.484Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1efb798dea686b30d4578b1f3b17a138d1587f599e9e787250df6e85ecf6ca58","starting-from-the-battlefield-gathering-attribut-chapter-204","starting-from-the-battlefield-gathering-attribut-chapter-202",204,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fstarting-from-the-battlefield-gathering-attribut-cover.jpg"]