Chapter 204: Zhu Ying: Brothers, we

Seal the Wolf Mountain!

For any Han military general, this is the highest aspiration.

Even so.

Before the feat of sealing the Wolf Mountain, the Duke title sought by Great Ming generals is utterly insignificant.

The Duke title is power and wealth for a single reign.

But sealing the Wolf Mountain is a merit for ten thousand generations, a name for ten thousand generations, etched forever in history.

Now.

Zhu Ying, following in the footsteps of the former Marquis of Guan, Huo Qubing, has become the second Han general to achieve the feat of sealing the Wolf Mountain; his prestige, his title, upon returning to Great Ming, will inevitably cause a sensation.

“How is this possible?”

“How did he accomplish this?”

“Smashed the Yuan army? And captured the Yuan Emperor?”

“He had only fifty thousand troops!”

“The Yuan court knew the exact troop numbers; even if they were fools, they could have mobilized hundreds of thousands to surround and ambush him.”

“How could they be so foolish as to let Zhu Ying succeed?”

“Smashed the Yuan army, breached the imperial court, captured the Yuan Emperor, sealed the Wolf Mountain!”

“This… what kind of monumental achievement is this?”

Zhu Di was now stunned, utterly dumbfounded.

Even he.

Could never have imagined Zhu Ying would actually return victorious.

Even he.

After Zhu Ying plunged deep into the northern frontier, he had assumed the Northern Yuan would annihilate Zhu Ying and his army; even if any survived, it would be mere lucky few.

But now, Zhu Ying has returned in triumph!

And not just triumphed—he crushed the Northern Yuan and captured the Yuan Emperor in triumph.

He became the second Han general in history to seal the Wolf Mountain.

This honor.

Will establish Zhu Ying’s invincible reputation, rendering any other general in the Great Ming dynasty incapable of matching his prestige.

Moreover.

This surpasses even Zhu Ying’s former glory of breaching the Yuan capital, surpasses even the glory of his Marquis title.

The four characters “Seal the Wolf Mountain” are not merely glory—they are a general’s ultimate protective talisman.

No matter which emperor sits the throne.

As long as Zhu Ying does not rebel or plot treason, no emperor dares kill him.

For if he kills him,

He will bear the same disgrace as the foolish monarch who falsely accused and executed Yue Fei, cursed for ten thousand generations.

Furthermore,

For Zhu Di,

He already knows Zhu Ying’s true identity, and understands clearly that once this identity is revealed to the world, Zhu Ying’s position will be as solid as a mountain.

“Lost.”

“Completely lost.”

“No one can kill him now.”

“In the future, perhaps I must abandon thoughts I shouldn’t have.”

“Unless I wait until Father’s death, until Brother’s fate runs out—then, if Zhu Ying’s identity remains undiscovered, perhaps there will be a sliver of opportunity.” Zhu Di thought silently.

At this moment,

He already harbored thoughts of retreat.

At least for now, he would have no chance to act.

Beside him, Zhu Quan, face alight with excitement, shouted: “The feat of sealing the Wolf Mountain!”

“Our Ning Commandant, Zhu Ying, the Marquis of Guan!”

“The feat of sealing the Wolf Mountain!”

“Wonderful!”

Zhu Quan cried out in excitement.

His emotions were intensely stirred.

“Where is the Marquis of Guan now?” Guo Ying suppressed his excitement and hurriedly asked Liu Lei.

“Reporting to Grand General.”

“The Marquis of Guan is merely miles from the Great Wall.”

“I came ahead to deliver the news,” Liu Lei replied at once with a smile.

“Good, good, good!”

“The northern campaign has truly succeeded.”

“The foremost merit belongs to the Marquis of Guan,” Guo Ying’s aged face beamed with excitement as he nodded repeatedly.

Though he did not personally join this deep incursion into the northern frontier, as the overall commander of this campaign, his name would be recorded in history; for Guo Ying, this was of immense importance.

Moreover, after this campaign,

He too would be granted the title of Duke.

For a man who longed for promotion to Duke, this needed no explanation.

“Issue my order.”

“Have the soldiers on the Great Wall descend and prepare to welcome our returning victorious army.”

“Also, have the cooks start fires and prepare wine.”

“Today, the Marquis of Guan returns in triumph; our Great Ming has achieved a great victory over the Yuan.”

“The alcohol ban is lifted.”

“I shall personally reward these returning heroes.”

“Hurry!”

Guo Ying turned to his personal guard commander and barked the order.

“Your servant obeys!”

The guard commander, equally excited, responded and immediately turned to make preparations.

Soon after,

Soldiers atop the Great Wall descended en masse, forming ranks at the gate, awaiting the return of the victorious army.

When the news arrived,

The soldiers who had participated in the northern campaign shared in the glory.

These victories belonged to them as well.

Or rather, every one of the three hundred thousand soldiers who marched out shared in this triumph.

Time passed.

North of the Great Wall,

The earth began to tremble violently.

Even the Great Wall itself shook slightly.

In the distance,

Countless Great Ming battle flags fluttered in the wind, appearing on the horizon.

Gradually,

Beneath the banners, more and more cavalry charged forward.

Leading the charge, a general

Rode a black Xuehema steed, clad in red armor, wielding a tiger-head great blade, radiating boundless might.

Behind him, every soldier exuded a lethal aura, radiating an invisible, chilling martial spirit; even as they charged alone from the north, their killing intent and martial might surged like a tide across the land.

This army,

After this northern campaign, after the feat of sealing the Wolf Mountain, could unquestionably be called the strongest army of Great Ming.

And no one could dispute it.

“They’ve arrived.”

Zhu Quan stared at the horizon, his face filled with anticipation.

The great hero Zhu Ying, the army that sealed the Wolf Mountain, was returning.

Not just him.

The soldiers lined up within the Great Wall now also waited with immense anticipation.

Zhu Ying!

Undisputed hero, hero of Great Ming, hero of Huaxia.

“Zhu Ying.”

Zhu Di gazed at the distant horizon, his eyes complex; within him stirred a bitter, helpless frustration he dared not express.

Because once it appears, it will be utter ruin.

Finally.

As the sound of hooves grew louder.

Zhu Ying arrived first before the Great Wall’s gate.

When he was less than a few dozen steps from the Great Wall’s gate, Zhu Ying pulled his reins to a halt, raised his battle blade, and the soldiers behind him likewise stopped, bringing their mounts to a stand, swords held horizontally, horses poised.

Merely standing still, an invisible killing intent swept across both sides of the Great Wall.

Power without limit, killing intent without limit.

Yet they were not enemies—they were the army of Great Ming, the army of Huaxia.

“Truly, this is Great Ming’s invincible army, its strongest force!”

Guo Ying, watching this army that had endured the cruelest months of battle on the northern frontier, felt a surge of emotion.

From Zhu Ying himself, and from the countless soldiers behind him, Guo Ying could see the hardship and brutality of this northern campaign.

On Zhu Ying’s body, his armor and robes were entirely coated in bloodstains, even his face.

Before Zhu Ying departed for the northern frontier, his beard had been sparse; now it was wild and unkempt.

Not just Zhu Ying.

Every soldier behind him was the same—covered in bloodstains; even from dozens of steps away, the acrid stench of blood and decay could be smelled.

Nearly three months!

Riding across the northern frontier, they had not even had the chance to bathe—imagine the suffering these soldiers endured.

“Great Ming has finally returned.”

Looking at the repaired Great Wall before him, and the Great Ming banners flying atop it, Zhu Ying felt an indescribable sense of familiarity.

After so long in a foreign land.

He, at last, had come home.

And moreover.

He had returned with over eight-tenths of his brothers.

This, above all, was what Zhu Ying could be proud of.

Fifty thousand brothers fought for nearly three months on the northern frontier; over eight-tenths survived—imagine what kind of victory this was.

“Brothers.”

“I, Zhu Ying, have brought you home.”

Zhu Ying turned his head, raised his battle blade, and with all his strength, roared out.

At this moment.

That cry.

Zhu Ying felt he had fulfilled his duty, honored the promise he made to his soldiers before departing.

He, Zhu Ying.

Would do everything in his power to bring his brothers home.

Zhu Ying had done it.

Upon hearing their general’s words, every soldier behind him raised his weapon high and shouted with all his might.

“We’re home.”

“Home.”

“Great Ming eternal, Huaxia eternal.”

“Brothers, we’re home.”

“Finally back.”

“Hahahaha.”

“We stormed deep into the northern frontier, captured the Yuan Emperor, shattered the Yuan army—our general led us to an unprecedented triumph, and we live to come home.”

“Home at last…”

Every soldier, gazing ahead at the Great Wall, at Great Ming’s territory beyond it, was overwhelmed with emotion—each shouted aloud, each brimming with boundless valor, each filled with love for Great Ming, for this land of Huaxia.

They had marched to war for their country, for Huaxia.

Now.

They had returned victorious.

Seeing this scene.

On the Great Wall, within the Great Wall.

Including Guo Ying.

Every face bore a complex expression.

They were profoundly proud these northern expedition soldiers had returned in triumph, yet their heart-rending cries made them feel the soldiers’ deep longing for Great Ming, for home.

This—

Only comrades-in-arms within the military could truly understand.

“Soldiers of Great Ming, guarding the Great Wall.”

“We welcome home our heroes of the northern expedition who shattered the Yuan.”

Guo Ying’s expression turned solemn; though aged, he roared out, his voice echoing far and wide.

As his voice fell.

On the Great Wall.

Within the Great Wall.

Every garrison soldier, with reverence for heroes and respect for brothers who had faced life and death together, shouted in unison: “Welcome home the heroes of the northern expedition!”

“Welcome home the heroes of the northern expedition…”

Tens of thousands of voices merged into one, like rolling thunder, echoing across the heavens and earth, at the northernmost edge of Huaxia, at the northernmost border of Great Ming.

At this moment.

Their voices made every returning soldier feel the yearning of homecoming.

“This is the military.”

“This is our Huaxia soldier.”

Feeling the roaring warmth from within the Great Wall, Zhu Ying’s heart was deeply moved.

Then.

Zhu Ying lowered his battle blade, reached behind his back, and took down a bundle, holding it with both hands, solemn and reverent.

“Brothers.”

“Let our fallen brothers go home first.” Zhu Ying cried out, voice heavy with sorrow, driven by the vow to bring his men home.

As Zhu Ying spoke.

Thousands of soldiers in the front ranks lowered their weapons, placed them behind their saddles, then solemnly took down cloth-wrapped bundles from their backs, holding them with utmost reverence.

These bundles!

Were nothing else.

Each bundle represented the bones of a brother who had fallen in battle for the nation, for Huaxia.

On the northern frontier.

Zhu Ying could not bring back their bodies intact—he could only burn them, reduce them to bones, and carry them back to Great Ming, to bring them home.

Each bundle held the remains of a fallen comrade, a hero who died in a foreign land.

Each bundle carried the spirits of these comrades.

Long ago.

Zhu Ying had promised every soldier: he would do everything to bring them home alive, and if they fell in a foreign land, he would carry their spirits home.

Even for himself.

He had told his men: if he died on the northern frontier, they must carry his bones home for burial.

Today.

Was the day Zhu Ying fulfilled his promise.

The living, return home.

The fallen, their spirits return.

“Spirits, return! Spirits, return!”

Zhu Ying shouted loudly, and beneath him, Wufeng slowly moved toward the gate within the Great Wall.

“Spirits, return.”

“Spirits, return…”

Behind Zhu Ying.

Every soldier used all their strength to shout aloud.

Thousands of soldiers holding the bundles of fallen heroes gently nudged their stirrups; their horses slowly advanced toward the Great Wall’s interior.

The heroes’ spirits go first.

The living soldiers follow behind.

“Heroes.”

Guo Ying stared at this scene, his heart stirred with unspoken emotion—but mostly, a deep sorrow.

Then.

Guo Ying stepped aside, not blocking Zhu Ying’s path, but cried out: “Welcome the heroic souls of our Great Ming home!”

“Spirits, return!”

“Spirits, return…”

Inside and outside the Great Wall.

Every soldier cried out: “Spirits, return!”

At this moment.

The joy of victory was slightly dimmed, replaced by an indescribable sorrow.

Zhu Ying’s eyes filled with tears.

Behind him, every soldier’s eyes filled with tears.

They had returned.

But some soldiers, some brothers-in-arms, would never return.

They remained forever in foreign lands.

“War.”

“The military.”

“Brothers-in-arms.”

“Perhaps… I understand.”

“Perhaps Father Emperor sent me to the northern frontier so I could truly see what it means to guard our homeland, what it means to be a man’s duty.”

Zhu Quan gazed at the soldiers slowly approaching the gate, and the ancestral bones they carried in their arms—this clearly struck him deeply.

At this moment.

He seemed to understand.

Even Zhu Di.

At this moment, he felt the same.

How could he not understand true military brotherhood?

But he had already done something unforgivable.

…

(End of Chapter)