Chapter 98

Time slowed.

Liaoyang City!

The capital of Liaodong, a city long cultivated by Naha Chu.

If Jincheng and Kaiyuan served as Naha Chu’s shield protecting Liaodong, then Liaoyang City was the most prosperous place in the entire region.

Of course.

But this prosperity was merely superficial.

Though the people of Liaodong were mostly Mongols and steppe tribes, the majority of commoners were Han, and under the Northern Yuan’s policies, Han were considered inferior.

They only exploited the Han.

One could say.

Liaodong was the last remaining piece of Han territory held by the Northern Yuan.

It was a wound in the hearts of countless Great Ming subjects, and especially Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang’s deepest anguish.

Inside the governor’s hall of Liaoyang City!

Naha Chu sat grimly on the main seat, while many Northern Yuan generals below him all wore expressions of restless unease.

In just over a month,

the tide of war had reversed.

What had once seemed an overwhelming advantage was now gone.

To Naha Chu, this situation was utterly unacceptable.

“Jincheng has fallen.”

“Of seventy thousand troops, fewer than thirty thousand returned.”

“Kaiyuan has fallen.”

“Of sixty thousand troops, fewer than twenty thousand returned.”

“Tell me, my Grand Commander,”

“Our Liaodong defense is as solid as a mountain!”

“Is this what you call ‘solid as a mountain’?”

Naha Chu spoke, his face dark.

His voice carried coldness and menace.

“Grand Commander, please calm yourself.”

The Northern Yuan generals in the hall all bowed, daring not to argue.

Naha Chu,

after the former Yuan chancellor Wang Baobao, was hailed as another pillar of the Northern Yuan, deeply trusted by the emperor, and in Liaodong, an uncrowned king.

The Northern Yuan emperor had entrusted him with full authority over all military and civil affairs in Liaodong—evidencing his immense power.

“The Emperor trusts me.”

“He has placed Liaodong in my hands, urging me to one day launch a counteroffensive against the Central Plains and restore our Great Yuan’s glory.”

“Now the Ming army strikes fiercely, and every defense you claimed was solid has collapsed.” Naha Chu’s voice was low, icy.

“Grand Commander, please calm yourself.”

“Our Great Yuan still holds the advantage in Liaodong.”

“Though Jincheng and Kaiyuan have fallen, our lines still stand. We still have nearly one hundred fifty thousand elite troops. The Ming cannot touch us.”

A Northern Yuan warlord stepped forward, speaking with great confidence.

He was Azhashili.

Naha Chu’s second-in-command, assisting him in governing Liaodong’s military and civil affairs.

His status in the Northern Yuan was even higher than that of Manjier, whom Zhu Ying had slain—he was a true Mongol royal, a descendant of Genghis Khan, the Prince of Liao.

“The Prince of Liao speaks wisely.”

“Grand Commander, no need to worry.”

“Our Great Yuan warriors will fight the Ming to the death.”

“The troops withdrawn from the two cities have been reorganized. I volunteer to lead them personally and launch a counterattack against the Ming.”

“I also volunteer.”

Two more Yuan generals stepped forward to request command.

“What of the Jianzhou and Goryeo?”

Naha Chu did not rush to deploy troops; instead, he turned his gaze to Azhashili.

“Grand Commander,”

“The Goryeo king has agreed to send reinforcements to our Liaodong. As for the Jianzhou, they no longer have the strength to mobilize.”

“Here is a personal letter from the Jianzhou’s new chieftain, Shijianu. Please, Grand Commander, read it.” Azhashili replied respectfully, then presented a sheet of paper.

Naha Chu’s gaze shifted to the paper in Azhashili’s hands.

It was not black ink on white paper—it was blood on white paper.

Each character seemed a pearl, each stroke a sob.

“Read it.”

Naha Chu said, voice heavy.

“Yes.”

Azhashili immediately read: “Your humble servant, the newly appointed chieftain of the Jianzhou Jurchens, pays homage to Your Excellency, Grand Commander of the Great Yuan! Our clan has long served the Great Yuan, obedient to your commands, our loyalty unwavering. This time, we aided the Great Yuan against the Ming. But the Ming army is cruel, brutal—they slaughtered our people, killed our elders, and left our clan in ruin.”

“Shijianu wishes to avenge his father, answering your call to invade the Ming. Yet our entire clan has been ravaged by Ming cavalry, countless dead, our father slain by a Ming general! Our losses are catastrophic; we cannot recover in the short term. Thus, we must temporarily endure this blood-deep grudge!”

“Shijianu pledges to Your Excellency and to the Emperor of the Great Yuan: once our clan recovers, we will immediately answer your call and fight the Ming to the death!”

“We swear this by our blood—our enmity with the Ming is eternal.”

“Newly appointed chieftain of the Jianzhou Jurchens, Shijianu, bows.”

Upon hearing this,

the Northern Yuan generals in the hall showed little reaction.

Though the Jianzhou were used as tools, to them they were merely a minor tribe—whether their chieftain died, their strength shattered, or even their clan wiped out, they cared little.

“Jianzhou.”

“Shijianu.”

Naha Chu murmured softly, his face thoughtful.

As Grand Commander of the Yuan court, and one who commanded the respect of so many Northern Yuan generals, he was no fool.

The Jianzhou’s claim of being too weakened to send aid now made him suspect they sought to break free from his control.

“Send orders to the Goryeo king.”

“Have him mobilize his troops and rush to reinforce Liaodong.”

“As for the Jianzhou, I give them five months. After five months, they must send troops.”

“If Liaodong falls, I will personally petition the Emperor to punish the Jianzhou first.” Naha Chu thought a moment, then declared.

“Your servant understands.”

“I will immediately dispatch messengers to Goryeo and the Jianzhou to deliver your orders, Grand Commander.” Azhashili replied respectfully.

“Jincheng. Kaiyuan.”

Naha Chu frowned tightly: “Have you determined why these two cities fell?”

“Grand Commander,”

“We have uncovered the cause.”

A general under Naha Chu’s command stepped forward—his name was Guantong.

“Speak.” Naha Chu fixed him with a piercing gaze.

He himself had personally strengthened the defenses of Jincheng and Kaiyuan, stocking them with every possible defensive weapon.

Each city held seventy to eighty thousand troops, not counting the Han conscript laborers forcibly pressed into service.

With such defenses,

even a Ming army of one hundred thousand could not breach them.

Even if their numbers doubled, they could still be held.

Yet despite this, the cities had fallen.

Naha Chu naturally demanded to know why.

“Grand Commander,”

“We have determined the cause of Jincheng and Kaiyuan’s fall.”

“It was all due to a Ming general from the Danning border army.”

“His name is Zhu Ying.”

“Incidentally,”

“it was this same Ming general who slaughtered the Jianzhou and killed their chieftain.” Guantong replied respectfully, his expression grave.

“The Jian slaves were slaughtered, and their chieftain killed—this was done by that Ming general,” Guan Tong replied respectfully, his expression also grave.

Naha Chu’s expression shifted slightly.

With the Northern Yuan’s intelligence network, how could he not know Zhu Ying?

With his intelligence network from the Northern Yuan, how could he not know Zhu Ying?

Though they have long been fighting the Great Ming, the Nara and surrounding tribes have gathered extremely detailed intelligence on them.

Regarding Zhu Ying.

While he rampaged and slaughtered across Nara territory, he was already known to Nara Chu.

“Could this boy truly be so formidable?”

“Could he really be behind the fall of Jincheng and Kaiyuan?” Nara Chu exclaimed.

“Reporting to the Grand Marshal.”

“Your servant has thoroughly investigated.”

“Here is the detailed intelligence on Zhu Ying.”

“Please, Grand Marshal, review it.”

Guan Tong stepped forward and handed over a dossier.

The personal guard standing by immediately descended to receive it and presented it to Nara Chu.

The latter took it and looked.

He saw the information concerning “Ming General Zhu Ying.”

Nara Chu frowned deeply, his face heavy with solemnity.

After staring for a long while,

Nara Chu crushed the intelligence in his hand, his expression dark.

“The Ming.”

“How could they have such a general?” Nara Chu’s voice carried an unprecedented gravity.

“Grand Marshal.”

“He’s just one Ming general—why are you so concerned?” a Yuan general asked, puzzled.

“Do you know how old Zhu Ying is? Do you know how long he’s been in the Ming army?” Nara Chu scanned the generals in the hall.

“Reporting to the Grand Marshal.”

“We’ve never heard of Zhu Ying before.”

“Could he be a general from the Ming central court?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve never heard of him either.”

“...”

The Yuan generals all spoke up.

“He.”

“Has been in the Ming army for less than a year.”

“He is under seventeen years old.”

“Yet his rank has already reached Ming’s Assistant Commandant, holding the title of Ten-Thousand Commander, and he has been granted a Ming noble title.”

“In less than a year, he rose from a common soldier to a general.”

“Who in our Great Yuan could accomplish such a thing?”

Nara Chu said, his tone heavy.

“What?”

“Less than a year in the army?”

“Ten-Thousand Commander?”

“What is this man’s origin?”

“He bears the surname Zhu—could he be of the Ming imperial clan?”

“He must be of the imperial clan; otherwise, how could he rise so fast?”

“Yes, surely.”

“To rise from soldier to general in a year—only an imperial clan member could do it...”

The Yuan generals all said.

From initial shock, upon hearing such a rapid promotion, they naturally assumed he must be of the Zhu imperial family—this eased their minds slightly.

“If I told you,”

“that Zhu Ying is not of the Zhu imperial clan, but a commoner—what would you say?” Nara Chu said, his voice low.

This, too, was the true source of his deep concern.

As soon as he spoke,

the faces of the Yuan generals changed.

“Grand Marshal, he truly entered the army as a commoner?” Aza Shili’s voice turned serious.

“Though our Great Yuan no longer holds its former might, we still have spies embedded in the Ming court—these reports were all obtained by Guan Tong.”

“They are certainly true.”

“This Zhu Ying will surely become our Great Yuan’s greatest enemy!”

“Heaven is blind.”

“Why must such a general be born in the Ming? Is the Ming truly favored by Heaven?” Nara Chu sighed.

In Nara Chu’s hands, the intelligence detailed precisely how Zhu Ying rose and how he breached the cities.

This allowed Nara Chu to see the true strength of the Ming—the strictness of their military rewards and punishments.

A common soldier could rise to general and be granted a noble title solely through battlefield merit.

In our Great Yuan!

It was nearly impossible.

In our Great Yuan, even though I strive to uphold rewards and punishments, power remains in the hands of the nobility. Even when I sought to change the low status of Han people in Liaodong and appoint Han officers, my nobles paid no heed, clinging to their arrogance.

One is the fading of a former hegemon; the other, a newly born, growing empire—steadily growing stronger.

This reveals the might of the Great Ming!

How could Nara Chu not fear?

This was his true cause for dread!

And then,

Zhu Ying’s abilities.

To breach a city with cavalry—this was an unprecedented tactic!

Even Jincheng and Kaiyuan could not halt Zhao Feng’s advance—could any other city in Liaodong truly stand against him?

“We must take the offensive.”

“Defensive posture alone cannot resist the Ming.”

“Moreover,”

“we must request aid from His Majesty.”

Nara Chu thought silently.

Then he turned to the generals in the hall and said,

“Our two northern barriers have fallen—the Ming army will surely press forward.”

“Generals,”

“it is time to strike back.”

Nara Chu said, his voice steady.

“We swear to follow the Grand Marshal to death!”

The Yuan generals replied in unison.

Beiping Prefecture!

“Having breached Jincheng, he then took Kaiyuan.”

“A true valiant general.”

“Now appointed Assistant Commandant, ennobled as County Viscount.”

“At sixteen, holding such power without any noble lineage—he is the only one in our Great Ming.”

Zhu Di looked at the memorial in his hand and spoke with deep emotion.

Yet here,

one could hear a note of caution in Zhu Di’s tone.

“Your Highness is worried he might become your enemy one day?” Yao Guangxiao, holding his prayer beads, smiled.

“Such a genius—if he cannot serve Your Highness, he must become your enemy.”

“The Emperor and Crown Prince hold him in such high regard, shower him with such favor.”

“One day, he will be a pillar of the army.”

“You once said the Huaixi faction would surely fall, with few ending well.”

“But this general’s emergence may redeem Huaixi,” Zhu Di said slowly.

“Your Highness lacks confidence in yourself,” Yao Guangxiao said with a faint smile.

“The Emperor is still strong, and the Crown Prince is in his prime.”

“Yet your words, and what you think, are all treasonous.”

“To be honest.”

“I shouldn’t have let you stay in the princely mansion in the first place, nor should I have listened to your rebellious words—I should have cut you down then and there.”

“Otherwise, there would be no such thoughts, no such worries today,” Zhu Di said slowly, his eyes revealing inner turmoil.

It seemed ambition and reason were clashing.

“Yet Your Highness still tolerated this monk.”

“In the end,”

“it is your own greed that has led to this.”

Yao Guangxiao met Zhu Di’s gaze squarely, unafraid.

“Yes!”

“Greed has driven this.”

“Born into the imperial clan, who wouldn’t desire that throne?”

Zhu Di murmured.

“Blood-stopping Powder.”

“Your Highness.”

“Zhu Ying submitted this to Yingtian—soon he may receive the Emperor’s favor again.”

“Such a miraculous medicine—though it cannot revive the dead or restore flesh to bone—it still possesses the power to save lives.”

“And yet this boy gave it away with no ulterior motive,” Yao Guangxiao added.

“Wanting nothing is the greatest motive of all.”

“If he had sought something, perhaps the Emperor would have looked down on him—but precisely because he seeks nothing, asks for nothing!”

“I understand my father.”

“Father will hold him in high regard—not only will he value him more, but he will reward him lavishly,” Zhu Di said with a tone of deep insight.

“The existence of this Blood-stopping Powder will reduce battlefield deaths among Ming troops—and it will become Zhu Ying’s lifeline.”

“As long as he never rebels, as long as he possesses this Blood-stopping Powder, he can always save his life,” Yao Guangxiao said slowly.

“Regarding this man,”

“we must observe him closely.”

“If only he could be brought into my service.”

Zhu Di’s eyes burned with intense hope.

…

Yingtian!

Upon the Fengtian Hall’s dais!

A court physician, wearing his official cap, held a vial of prepared medicine; before him stood a palace guard holding a white rabbit and a short blade.

All eyes in the court—civil and military—fixed upon the physician and the guard.

Even Zhu Yuanzhang on the dragon throne, and Zhu Biao standing on the steps, watched intently.

Their gazes were locked.

“Begin.”

The physician signaled to the guard.

The guard immediately raised the blade and slashed the rabbit.

Instantly!

A deep wound opened, blood gushing freely.

The physician swiftly uncorked the vial and poured the powder directly onto the bleeding wound.

The moment the powder touched the wound, it sank in—the bleeding slowed, then, after a dozen breaths, stopped entirely.

The wound crusted over with the powder, successfully halted.

“Your Majesty,”

“this is the result.”

“This Blood-stopping Powder is truly a miraculous blood-stopping medicine—confirmed by repeated trials in the Taiyi Academy.”

“It not only stops bleeding rapidly, but also accelerates wound healing and reduces pus formation.”

“If it replaces our current wound powder in the army, the survival rate of wounded soldiers will increase by at least forty percent.”

The physician in the hall spoke, his voice trembling with excitement.

“Grand Secretary Dai, is this truly so?”

“This Blood-stopping Powder surpasses the wound powder you personally formulated?” Zhu Yuanzhang’s eyes widened, his excitement impossible to conceal.

As an emperor risen from humble origins, Zhu Yuanzhang had fought countless battles, witnessed endless slaughter, and seen death after death.

He knew well.

Many soldiers did not die on the battlefield—they died in the infirmaries.

Pus.

Blood loss.

Wounds that refused to heal.

All these factors doomed wounded soldiers.

Yet now they claimed this Blood-stopping Powder could raise survival rates to over seventy percent—that was what kind of number? What kind of miracle medicine?

How could this not stir Zhu Yuanzhang’s heart?

“I stake my life on it,”

“this medicine far surpasses my own wound powder—it is the finest blood-stopping medicine of this age, the supreme remedy for external wounds.”

“This medicine must be listed as the Great Ming’s highest secret—no one may disclose it,” the physician declared.

Hearing his firm assurance,

Zhu Yuanzhang’s gaze shifted, his face alight with an indescribable excitement.

The ministers in the hall shared the same reaction—shocked, awed.

Clearly, they were stunned by the medicine’s power.

After all!

The physician standing here was no ordinary man—he was Dai Sigong, the Great Ming’s foremost physician, chief of the Taiyi Academy, deeply favored by Zhu Yuanzhang.

Though he held no political power,

not a single civil or military official dared offend him.

To gain his approval, his unequivocal endorsement,

proved this Blood-stopping Powder was truly powerful.

…

PS: Happy New Year, brothers! May you win big at cards! And may I win big too! Let’s all win together!



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(End of Chapter)