Chapter 44: The Danning Garrison
Huaixi is skilled in battle, but poor at concealment.
“Too conspicuous,” Lu Ben sneered.
“Father means the Emperor intends to promote generals outside Huaixi to weaken Huaixi’s influence within the military,” Lu Hao also understood.
Lu Ben nodded: “Exactly.”
“The Emperor holds imperial power and governs the Great Ming; naturally, he will not allow any single faction to monopolize authority. Huaixi generals dominate the military, with their cliques spread everywhere.”
“The Emperor has long been disgusted by it.”
“Promoting young, rising generals has always been the Emperor’s intent, but over these years no outstanding commanders have emerged. Though the Great Ming has secured the Central Plains, the northern frontier, southern borders, and Liaodong still surround us with powerful enemies—Huaixi generals remain indispensable.”
“This Zhu Ying is young and bold, hence he has caught the Emperor’s and Crown Prince’s attention.”
“Perhaps in the future he may become one of the military’s great generals,” Lu Ben said with deep emotion.
Where one stands determines what one sees.
“That Huaixi clique, especially Lan Yu, shows no respect to my sister.”
“They also look down on Yunwen, constantly referring to him as a bastard in front of their subordinates.”
“If the Emperor is displeased with Huaixi, that’s good for us,” Lu Hao said with a smile.
“Let’s wait and see.”
“The court’s situation is no longer what it once was; everything must be done with caution and restraint. How much power did Hu Weiyong hold? How many allies did he have? Yet in the end, it all came to nothing.”
“Your sister now holds the upper hand, and Yunwen is the Crown Prince’s eldest son; that throne will surely be his.”
“As long as we follow the Emperor’s will, the Lu family will surely flourish,” Lu Ben said slowly.
“Father is wise,” Lu Hao smiled, offering a flattery.
…
Huizhoucheng!
Before the city walls lay many corpses yet to be removed.
On the city ramparts, besides scattered arrows, were numerous indentations from cannon fire.
Clearly, the Yuan forces had attacked with extreme ferocity.
Firearms, cannons.
They had gradually risen in prominence in this era.
And they had already been deployed on the battlefield, especially in siege warfare.
Zhu Yuanzhang understood the power of firearms and placed great emphasis on cannons, ordering the Ministry of Works to devote full resources to their development.
This move was entirely correct.
“Grand General.”
“The Yuan army launched five consecutive assaults with fifty thousand troops. Our soldiers defended the city bravely; the Yuan failed to take it. When our Great Ming main force arrived, the Yuan learned of it and swiftly retreated,” Bu Wan respectfully reported to Feng Sheng.
“All soldiers of the Danning border garrison who defended Huizhoucheng have earned merit.”
“Issue my order: record their merit and reward them accordingly,” Feng Sheng said.
This remark.
Recording merit naturally meant increased pay.
“Your servant obeys,” Bu Wan immediately replied.
“Grand General.”
“Now that our entire army has assembled, isn’t it time to march?”
A middle-aged general in battle armor asked Feng Sheng, his face brimming with fierce combat intent.
He was Lan Yu, the most arrogant and fierce general among the Huaixi clique, Marquis of Yongchang.
“We should have marched long ago.”
“Now that the Yuan know our main force has arrived, they fear us like tigers. We must strike while the iron is hot and charge out directly,” Zhengguo Gong Chang Mao spoke up immediately, appearing reckless to outsiders.
Feng Sheng glanced at the two, then said: “Has the army been reorganized?”
“Yes, Grand General. It has been reorganized.”
“Our twenty thousand troops are divided into two wings. Your servant and Marquis Lan Yu each command one,” Yingguo Gong Fu Youde immediately bowed and replied.
“Issue my order.”
“The Yuan army retreated to Liaodong in haste.”
“Send ten thousand cavalry ahead to pursue, scout along the way, avoid prolonged engagements if encountering enemies—focus on reconnaissance.”
“Also, Marquis Lan Yu shall lead your troops toward Liaodong,” Feng Sheng thought for a moment, then issued the command.
“Your servant obeys,” Lan Yu’s eyes lit up immediately.
“As for General Fu, I order you to lead your ten thousand troops along the flank.”
“Na Ha Chu controls Liaodong with nearly two hundred thousand armored troops and at least a hundred cannons. Do not underestimate him,” Feng Sheng added.
“Your servant obeys,” Fu Youde also accepted the order gladly.
“Go.”
Feng Sheng waved his hand.
Lan Yu and Fu Youde withdrew from the city in turn.
“Na Ha Chu occupies Liaodong and has built multiple fortresses to defend Liaodong City.”
“Though our Great Ming is well-prepared, this battle will surely be fierce,” Feng Sheng said slowly.
“With the bravery of our Great Ming soldiers, we can surely exterminate Na Ha Chu.”
“Besides, Grand General, didn’t you bring three hundred cannons with the army? With so many cannons, I don’t believe the Yuan can withstand them,” Bu Wan said with a smile.
Feng Sheng nodded: “First scout the Yuan’s strength, then plan our strategy before moving.”
“In my view,”
“Having failed to take Danning, the Yuan must have retreated into Kaiyuan City.”
Bu Wan nodded: “Grand General is wise.”
“Yet, Governor Bu.”
“Danning held out this long because Zhu Ying’s efforts were indispensable, allowing our imperial main force to arrive.”
“Had he not held back the Jianzhou Tartars with only a few thousand cavalry, preventing them from joining forces with the Yuan, the Danning border troops could never have held out for nearly a month,” Feng Sheng said slowly, his tone filled with praise for Zhu Ying.
“Your servant fully understands the Grand General’s intent.”
“But Zhu Ying remains in the north. When we ordered him to stay in the northern frontier to hold back the Tartars, we told him his mission was complete once our imperial main force arrived—and if he could no longer hold on, he could withdraw at any time.”
“We don’t know his current situation,” Bu Wan said helplessly.
“All we can do now is wait and see what Zhu Ying plans.”
“The northern frontier is vast; sending men to find him is like searching for a needle in a sea,” Feng Sheng also looked helpless.
As for Zhu Ying,
he regarded him with great importance.
As a military commander and a founding meritocrat of the Great Ming, seeing such a young talent, he naturally wished to cultivate him.
At this moment!
“Report!”
“Grand General, urgent message from the capital!”
A personal guard arrived before Feng Sheng.
“Bring it.”
Feng Sheng raised his hand.
The guard commander immediately handed the urgent message to Feng Sheng.
Feng Sheng took it, glanced at it, and immediately showed a look of surprise.
“Zhu Ying has caught the Emperor’s and Crown Prince’s favor.”
“The Emperor has issued an edict granting Zhu Ying the hereditary title of County Nan.”
Feng Sheng smiled and said to the surrounding generals.
As soon as these words were spoken,
Bu Wan’s expression stiffened—he was stunned by the news.
“Hereditary County Nan?”
“That’s a noble title!”
“The Emperor has shown such great favor,” Bu Wan’s heart trembled in shock.
“Grand General,”
“The urgent message states that the imperial envoy is already on the way,” the guard commander added immediately.
"Urgent report: the imperial envoy is already on the way," the Personal Guard Commander immediately reported.
Feng Sheng nodded, a faint smile on his face: “At only sixteen, he has been granted a noble title—this is unprecedented in the Great Ming.”
Feng Sheng nodded, a faint smile appearing: "At only sixteen, he has been granted a noble title—this is the first such case in the Great Ming."
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