Chapter 22: Battle Merit

The battle is over.

Of the two thousand Yuan troops, over 1,300 were killed, more than 400 captured, and over 200 fled. The Ming army suffered fewer than a hundred casualties.

The fight was fought beautifully.

Lan Yu ordered the tally of the spoils, then rode up to Shiniu, examined him from head to toe and asked, "Are you injured?"

Shiniu shook his head, "No."

"All this blood on you…"

"It's all the Tatars' doing."

Lan Yu nodded, then suddenly asked, "Shiniu, just now… how many did you kill?"

Shiniu thought for a moment and said, "I didn't count, maybe… a hundred or two hundred or so!"

The soldiers nearby inhaled a cold gasp.

In a single battle, one person killing over a hundred—that's no longer bravery, it's a killing machine.

Lan Yu gave Shiniu a deep look and said nothing more.

The army rested in place, tended to the wounded, and gathered the warhorses.

Shiniu sat on the grass, holding a cloth to wipe the blood from his hammer.

Wang Gui came over, handed him a Water Bag and said, "Have some."

Shiniu took it and gulped down more than half the bag.

He looked at the fourteen‑year‑old boy and suddenly felt that some people are born for the battlefield.

Chang Yuchun rode over, his complexion much rosier.

He leapt from his horse, walked to Shiniu, gave his shoulder a firm pat and said, "Good kid! In that battle just now, I saw from afar you alone broke through the Yuan army's front line!"

Shiniu grinned and said, "General Chang taught me well."

Chang Yuchun laughed loudly, "I never taught you how to fight; you just smashed the formation with brute force!"

He paused, then in a serious tone said, "But whether it's brute force or clever skill, winning is a true ability. Shiniu, you were born for war."

Shiniu scratched his head and said, "I'm just strong."

"Being strong is also a skill."

Chang Yuchun looked at him, admiration and emotion in his eyes, and said, "When we return to Kaiping, I will submit a memorial to His Majesty, request a merit for you; with your achievements, granting you a general title would be more than enough."

"General, can I become a general?" Shiniu blinked and asked involuntarily.

"Why not?"

Chang Yuchun laughed, "You saved my life—that's a great merit. You have repeatedly earned battle honors, stormed a city and slain a general; that's even greater. Adding all that up, granting you a general title is His Majesty's grace, and perhaps you could even be made a marquis."

Shiniu had no notion of a marquis, but hearing he could become a general made him a little pleased.

"If I become a general… will I still be fed?" he asked.

Chang Yuchun was startled, then laughed loudly, "Of course, you'll be fed. Eat as much as you want!"

Shiniu also laughed.

After the rest, the army set out again.

This skirmish was just a small interlude; no one took it to heart.

The Grassland already scattered remnants of the Northern Yuan; when they met, they fought, then moved on.

After three more days, the outline of Kaiping City appeared on the horizon.

The city walls remained towering, and the Ming Dragon Flag fluttered atop the towers.

Chang Yuchun gazed at the city, sighing, "Not long ago we set out from here to attack Helin; now we have returned."

Lan Yu said beside him, "Brother‑in‑law, when we go back, His Majesty will surely summon you to the capital for a report. As for Shiniu's matter… what do you plan to say?"

Chang Yuchun was silent for a moment, then whispered, "Speak the truth. Shiniu's merits cannot be omitted; his abilities and that life‑saving medicine must be reported to His Majesty."

"About that medicine…" Lan Yu hesitated.

"Just say Shiniu claimed it came from a deity in a dream; don't ask too much, don't elaborate, His Majesty will decide," Chang Yuchun said, glancing at him.

Lan Yu nodded.

The army slowly entered the city.

Kaiping City's garrison had long received the news; the gates were flung open, and the townsfolk lined the streets to welcome them.

Shiniu rode his horse, watching the cheering crowds on either side of the road, feeling a bit bewildered.

Wang Gui said beside him, "Simpleton, they are welcoming us; we won a victory and brought them peace."

Shiniu nodded as if half‑understanding.

Back at the camp, Chang Yuchun immediately summoned the generals for a council.

Shiniu, as a Vanguard Officer, also took part.

In the main tent, Chang Yuchun sat on the Main Seat, his face solemn, and said, "Gentlemen, this Northern Expedition, we captured Helin, crushed the Northern Yuan main force—that is a great merit."

"But the Yuan Emperor fled; that is a regret. To His Majesty, I will report faithfully."

The generals were silent.

Chang Yuchun continued, "I have finished the Memorandum; tomorrow I will send a swift horse to deliver it back to the Imperial Capital. We will rest in Kaiping for ten days, awaiting His Majesty's decree."

He looked at Shiniu, "Shiniu, regarding your merits, I wrote a separate copy; you can't read much, so I will have someone read it to you."

A clerk stepped forward, unfolded a scroll, and began to read.

He read Shiniu's deeds: first breaching Kaiping City's gate, killing Yesu, rescuing Chang Yuchun, breaking through Helin City's gate, exterminating Yuan army remnants along the way…

Case by case, item by item.

By the end, the clerk's voice trembled slightly.

The main tent fell silent as a tomb.

All the generals looked at Shiniu, their gazes complicated.

There was respect, there was envy, and there was jealousy.

Shiniu sat there, listening naively, as if those achievements were not his.

After finishing, Chang Yuchun asked, "Shiniu, is there anything to add?"

Shiniu thought for a moment, shook his head and said, "Nothing."

He folded away his smile, spoke seriously: "Shiniu's merit is evident to all; when His Majesty's decree arrives, the rewards will be granted and the promotions made. Until then, no one may gossip behind anyone's back. Understand?"

"Understood!" the generals chorused.

When the meeting ended, the generals dispersed.

Shiniu stepped out of the big tent, and Wang Gui followed, whispering, "You fool, you're a celebrity now; those generals' looks just now… *tsk tsk*."

Shiniu scratched his head and said, "Celebrity… what is that?"

"It means you're famous; everyone knows you now," Wang Gui said.

"But you must be careful; fame brings more eyes on you—some want to curry favor, some want to harm you."

Shiniu, not quite understanding, asked, "Why would they harm me?"

"Because you blocked others' paths."

Wang Gui sighed and explained, "Forget it; you won't get it. Just remember: besides General Chang and General Lan, and me, don't eat whatever others give you indiscriminately, and don't believe everything others tell you."

"Mm, I'll remember that," Shiniu nodded in reply.

The two walked toward the Personal Guard Unit's tent.

On the way they met a few soldiers from other camps; seeing Shiniu, they halted and respectfully saluted, "Vanguard Shiniu!"

Shiniu nodded naively.

When they were farther away, their low murmurs could still be heard.

"That's Shiniu; he doesn't look fierce at all…"

"What do you know? On the battlefield he's ferocious; I heard a single charge killed a hundred or two hundred Daz!"

"My god…"

Shiniu listened, feeling nothing.

Killing is killing; the number doesn't matter.

Back in the tent, he went on polishing his hammer, eating, and sleeping as usual.

At night, he lay on his bed, feeling the invisible bottle compartment in his chest.

Nine pills were still there.

He recalled Chang Yuchun's unconscious state.

"Next time, we can't let General Chang end up like that; we must watch him, don't let him drink wine or catch a cold," he muttered softly.

Outside the tent, wind brushed the camp flags.

Farther away, a swift horse burst from Kaiping City, galloping toward Yingtian Prefecture.

The rider on the horse carried in his satchel a Memorandum that Chang Yuchun had written to Zhu Yuanzhang.

The Memorandum detailed the results of this Northern Expedition and the merit of a boy named Shiniu.

It also mentioned the life‑saving "immortal medicine."

The night was deep and heavy.