Chapter 27: Zhu Ying

After giving Li Tao his orders.

Zhu Ying directly led four thousand cavalry quietly toward the northern edge of this Tartar tribe.

Clearly.

This time, Zhu Ying intended to feint east and strike west.

To catch the Tartars off guard.

Time gradually passed!

Beneath the night sky.

Aside from insect chirps and an eerie wolf howl,

the night seemed utterly silent.

“Battalion Commander, after this strike, are we truly returning to Daning?”

The Deputy Battalion Commander looked at Li Tao, his face filled with hesitation.

“What? Do you want to die like Zhu Ying?” Li Tao glared at the deputy.

“This…”

Both deputy battalion commanders stared at Li Tao, mouths open but words unspoken.

“If Zhu Ying wants to throw himself and thousands of our brothers into death, let him go.”

“But I, Li Tao, will not lead my men to their deaths.”

“He has already issued orders: as long as we harass this Tartar tribe and draw them out, our mission is complete.”

“How much time has passed?” Li Tao asked in a low voice.

His tone still carried mockery toward Zhu Ying.

Attacking a Tartar tribe with tens of thousands of troops using only four thousand men was tantamount to suicide.

Li Tao’s own thoughts were naturally to preserve himself, not to die.

“Report, Battalion Commander.”

“One incense stick remains before the Garrison Commander’s one-hour deadline,” the deputy replied immediately.

“Good.”

Li Tao nodded, gazing at the distant barbarian tribe.

“At the hour, strike immediately.”

“Approach the Tartar tribe, harass them with arrows; once they react, retreat at once,” Li Tao ordered.

“Your orders are received,” both deputy battalion commanders replied at once.

…

Meanwhile!

North of the Tartar Blue Banner tribe.

“Garrison Commander.”

“Ahead should be the northern tribe of the Tartars,” Wei Quan said, pointing to the distant settlement with faint flickering lights.

“Is the hour nearly here?” Zhu Ying asked.

“One incense stick remains before the hour,” Zhang Wu replied.

Hearing this,

Zhu Ying nodded and turned to face the battalion commanders and the thousands of Ming soldiers behind him.

“Brothers.”

“On this foreign land, danger surrounds us.”

The Yuan court watches us with hungry eyes; the barbarians still dream of destroying the Great Ming and Huaxia.

“They wish to rule China as the Yuan once did, trampling our people like ants.”

“The Tartars have gathered their forces, ready to join the Yuan court and invade Great Ming, slaughtering our people.”

“We are soldiers of Great Ming, the shield of our homeland. If we do not hold these Tartars back, and they unite with the Yuan, our border civilians will be plunged into hell.”

“This battle is for our nation, for our people—we must fight!”

“Brothers, will you follow me to defend our homeland?” Zhu Ying turned to all the soldiers.

His voice was not loud, yet it carried authority, calmness, and unwavering resolve.

“We will follow the Garrison Commander to our deaths.”

The battalion commanders were stirred by Zhu Ying’s words; the four thousand soldiers said nothing, but all gazed at him with reverence—their meaning was clear.

“When I was a battalion commander, I said: on the battlefield, Zhu Ying will always charge ahead of my brothers. If I retreat, my brothers may kill me.”

“Today is no different.”

“Today’s battle is a raid and charge against the encampment.”

“I will lead. My personal guard will carry torches; all soldiers follow the torches as signals and charge with me to break through the camp.”

“This battle is extremely perilous. If we break the camp, the Tartars’ attention will be fully drawn to us, unable to reinforce the Northern Yuan. If we fail, Zhu Ying will die alongside all my brothers.”

“Brothers, are you ready?”

Zhu Ying spoke in a low voice, his right hand gripping his steel blade tightly.

“We will follow the Garrison Commander to our deaths.”

The battalion commanders and soldiers murmured in unison.

“Good.”

“Check your bows and arrows. Prepare for attack,” Zhu Ying ordered.

“Garrison Commander.”

“Aren’t we supposed to wait for Li Tao to strike first and draw the Tartars out?”

“Why are we attacking now?” Wei Quan asked, puzzled.

The other battalion commanders also looked on curiously.

“If you were the Tartars, knowing our main force is to the south, would you leave your tribe to meet us?” Zhu Ying smiled faintly.

That single question

instantly made Wei Quan and the other battalion commanders understand.

“If we attack, the barbarians will see it as mere harassment. But when Li Tao strikes from the south, they will believe it is our main force—and rush all their troops to defend the southern tribe.”

“For us, that is the opportunity.”

The battalion commanders instantly grasped it.

“Issue the order.”

“Once we charge the camp, there is no turning back. No soldier may fall behind. Charge forward relentlessly! After breaking into the enemy tribe, set fire and kill—men, women, all must die,” Zhu Ying ordered sternly.

“We obey the order.”

Several battalion commanders immediately responded and relayed the command to their deputy commanders, then to company commanders, down to every single soldier.

“Tartars.”

“Northern Yuan.”

“Today is the first battle.”

Zhu Ying stared at the Tartar tribe ahead.

After glancing at the moon above,

“Go.”

Zhu Ying gave a low command.

He guided his warhorse slowly toward the barbarian tribe.

Liu Lei led fifty personal guards following behind Zhu Ying.

Three battalion commanders,

one acting battalion commander,

eight deputy battalion commanders,

each leading their own troops, first spread out and followed Zhu Ying as they neared the northern Tartar tribe.

Beneath the night sky,

in the dim moonlight,

four thousand cavalry moved forward in silence.

While the Tartar tribe to the south remained on high alert, with night patrols circling outside their walls, the northern tribe was far too lax.

Dozens of watchtowers stood along the tribal palisade.

Many Tartar sentries on the towers were already asleep.

Only a few near the main gate stared listlessly.

“Er Lin, are you asleep?”

“The Ming army is not far from our tribe—how can I sleep?”

“Don’t worry about that.”

“Even if the Ming army attacks, they’ll strike the southern tribe. Why would they come here, to our north?”

“General Agunu has stationed most of our troops to defend the south. Our side is perfectly safe.”

“But what if the Ming army circles around…?”

Two neighboring Tartar sentries chatted quietly.

At this moment!

“Huh?”

A sentry stared at the front of the tribe, as if seeing something, then rubbed his eyes: “Do you see something out there?”

“Are you seeing ghosts?”

“What could possibly be out there?”

“Hah.”

Several Tartar sentries burst into laughter.

They looked toward the front.

Beneath the night sky.

It was indeed hard to see anything.

But just then!

“Kill!”

A low roar echoed at the main gate of the Tartar tribe.

Immediately after,

Shhh-shhh-shhh.

Several arrows whistled through the air.

One bowshot fired, yet the arrows struck separate watchtowers.

The Tartar sentries who had just been laughing had no time to react.

Pfft!

Instantly, arrows pierced their throats.

They dropped dead on the spot.

……

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(End of Chapter)