Chapter 247: Those Who Draw Near Zhu Turn Red

At the third quarter of the Hai Hour, the flames inside the inner city of the Seventh Pass began to fade.

The Imperial Troops brandished torches, moving in and out of the stockade walls, tallying loot, registering prisoners, and collecting bodies.

The air was thick with the smell of blood and gunpowder, and occasional moans from the wounded drifted through.

Zhu Yong was still seated on the stone steps of the inner city, with the eight‑hundred‑jin 'Distant‑Holding Grand General' cannon at his feet.

The barrel remained warm; after the continuous barrage it was scorching hot, but his thick skin felt nothing.

His three younger brothers gathered nearby, their excitement still unabated.

"Second Prince, that shot you just fired blew right through the stockade wall; I was standing behind it and saw it clearly! Such a thick wall, and one cannon made a huge hole!" Zhu Shuang gestured wildly.

Zhu Gang leaned in and added, "And those final blows on the gate—when you swung the barrel at the door, I was behind you and my legs went weak; the iron‑clad gate was hammered in by you!"

Zhu Di remained silent, but his eyes stayed fixed on the cannon, as if pondering something.

Zhu Yong smiled faintly, saying nothing.

He looked up at the sky; the moon had risen to the zenith, and it was the Kuzi Hour.

"Fifth Prince, how is the accounting of the prisoners going?" he asked.

Zhu Di snapped back, saying, "Zhang Wu just reported: we have captured over 3,200 people, including more than 800 wounded, and have already assigned people to treat them.

The garrison commander Wang Shuduer is being held alone, awaiting Second Prince's decision."

Zhu Yong nodded and asked, "What about our casualties?"

"Seventy‑three brothers fell, and over two hundred were wounded," Zhu Di said, his voice lowered.

Zhu Yong fell silent for a moment.

Over seventy lives, gone just like that.

Although deaths are normal on the battlefield, each time he hears that number his heart remains uneasy.

"Record the names; the compensation back home must be doubled," Zhu Yong said in a low voice.

"Understood," Zhu Di replied.

At that moment, a middle‑aged civil official in a blue robe hurried forward, followed by several clerks.

He was a staff officer from the Ministry of Revenue, surnamed Chen, in charge of post‑war pacification.

"Prince, the three Princes, I have preliminarily surveyed: the Seventh Pass has amassed a substantial amount of Grain and Fodder, enough to feed ten thousand troops for three months.

There are also weapons, armor, and a number of horses, currently being catalogued," Chen the staff officer bowed and said.

Zhu Yong stood and said, "Lord Chen, thank you for your hard work; you handle these matters, I don't understand them."

Chen the staff officer hurriedly replied, "Prince, you speak heavily; the Na Lin Qi Zhan has just been pacified, and how to deal with it still requires your instruction."

Zhu Yong thought for a moment, looked at his three brothers and asked, "What do you think?"

Zhu Shuang jumped in, "If you ask me, we should behead those leaders, then distribute the rest to the various garrisons to prevent further trouble."

Zhu Gang nodded, "Third Brother is right; these rebels are fickle, keeping them is a disaster."

Zhu Di shook his head, "That's improper. Over three thousand prisoners, killing them all would offend Heaven, and distributing them to the garrisons is hard to manage. Better to select those willing to surrender, form a local militia, and station them at Na Lin Qi Zhan.

That way, we need not send imperial troops, yet we can pacify the region."

Zhu Yong glanced at Zhu Di and silently nodded.

Fifth Prince is only twenty this year, yet his thinking is already more thorough than his two older brothers'.

"Fifth Prince is right, but we must add one clause: relocate the families of those leaders to Yingtian Fu, feed and clothe them well. If they contemplate rebellion, they must first think of their families," he said.

Chen the staff officer's eyes lit up, "Prince, brilliant! This is a strategy of cutting the firewood beneath the cauldron."

Zhu Yong laughed, "I don't understand these tactics, I just think everyone has attachments."

He paused, then added, "By the way, Wang Shuduer, don't kill him yet; ask how much he knows, whether anyone is directing things behind Na Lin Qi Zhan.

After questioning, bring him back to Yingtian and hand him over to Imperial Father for judgment."

"Understood," Zhu Di replied.

Just then, Royal Guard Captain Zhang Wu strode forward, cupping his fists, "Prince, a few local chieftains have sent envoys, saying they wish to surrender."

Zhu Yong raised an eyebrow, "They came quickly indeed."

"Let them in," Zhu Di said.

Soon, three middle‑aged men in local attire were brought before Zhu Yong.

They immediately knelt and kowtowed, pounding their heads as if crushing garlic.

"Spare us, King Wu! We were forced by Wang Shuduer, not truly rebelling!"

"We beg King Wu for mercy; we are willing to offer five hundred shi of Grain and Fodder, and a hundred oxen and horses!"

"We also have tribute!"

Zhu Yong looked at them without speaking.

The three trembled in terror, their foreheads pressed to the ground, unwilling to lift them.

After a while, Zhu Yong finally said, "Stand up, all of you."

The three rose shakily, heads bowed.

Zhu Yong asked, "Are you truly surrendering?"

"Sincere! Sincere!" the three replied in unison.

"Then, go back and tell the other chieftains: those willing to surrender will be pardoned, but there is one condition—henceforth, each year they must pay tribute to the court and obey imperial dispatches.

Anyone who dares collude with rebels will meet the fate of Wang Shuduer," Zhu Yong said.

The three nodded repeatedly.

Zhu Yong added, "Also, your children should be sent to Yingtian Fu to study, rotating every three years; after they graduate, they may return."

The three exchanged puzzled looks; this was clearly taking their sons as hostages.

The three stared at each other, this is clearly taking their son as a hostage.

But at this moment, who dares to say no?

"Yes, yes, I'll go back and handle it."

Zhu Yong waved his hand and said, "Go ahead!"

The three of them, as if granted a great pardon, scrambled and crawled away.

When they were far enough, Zhu Gang couldn't help but ask, "Second Prince, if we let them send their sons to the capital, will they agree?"

"Even if they refuse, they must appear to agree; not sending their sons means they're not sincere in surrender. What's the point of keeping those who aren't sincere?" Zhu Yong said coolly.

Zhu Gang was stunned for a moment, then nodded.

Zhu Shuang muttered beside him, "Second Prince's words are sounding more and more like Imperial Father's now."

Zhu Yong gave him a glance but said nothing.

He, of course, wasn't like Zhu Yuanzhang; he just knew how to deal with these people.

In the history books he read in his past life, those frontier tribal leaders were fickle precisely because the court governed too loosely.

Now, with their sons clenched in his hand, see if they still dare to cause trouble.

"Fifth Prince, this matter is yours; Third Brother and Fourth Brother, come with me outside for a walk," Zhu Yong stood and said.

Zhu Shuang and Zhu Gang exchanged a glance and followed Zhu Yong outward.

The three left the inner city and walked slowly along the stockade wall.

Under Moonlight, the stockade wall shattered by cannon fire lay in ruins.

Broken bricks and stones littered the ground, and in some places Arrow still stuck.

The rebel corpses had been cleared away, but black pools of blood remained on the ground.

Zhu Shuang looked at the ruins, recalled Zhu Yong's scene of shouldering the cannon to bombard the city, and couldn't help admiring, "Second Prince, we always heard you broke several city gates with two hammers in hand; the younger brothers never saw it, and now we finally witness your greatness.

If only I had such strength too."

Zhu Yong smiled and said, "It's innate; you can just keep envying."

Zhu Gang leaned in, "Second Prince, I didn't expect your heart to be so wicked; have you been with Eldest Brother too long, the near Zhu gets red..."

Zhu Yong, hearing that, looked at Zhu Gang, a wicked smile curling his mouth, and said, "Fourth Brother, you're finished, you're finished... you dare... your elder brother; when we get back to Yingtian I'll tell your elder brother to go..."

Zhu Gang, hearing that, instantly replied anxiously, "Second Prince, you must not do this; this way you're no longer the dear Second Prince we know."

Zhu Yong shook his head and said, "Disgusting... Get lost."

Zhu Shuang and Zhu Di, standing aside, couldn't help opening their mouths in shock; their Second Prince could still act like this...

"Alright!" Zhu Gang quickly shut his mouth.

Zhu Yong looked at their expressions and let out a chuckle, "Enough, stop joking, let's go! The smell here is a bit strong."

The three, hearing that, hurried to follow their Second Prince and kept moving forward.

Moonlight spilled into the valley; the distant mountains were pitch black, like crouching giants.

Zhu Shuang suddenly asked, "Second Prince, after we capture these Nalín Seven Stations, what's next?"

"We return," Zhu Yong said.

"Return now? That's it? No more battles elsewhere?" Zhu Shuang said, somewhat surprised.

It was their first time fighting alongside their Second Prince, and they hadn't had enough yet!

"With the Nalín Seven Stations pacified, this area is stable; the rest will be taken over by court officials. We're fighters, not administrators."

Zhu Gang nodded, "Indeed, I heard Imperial Father say a garrison should be established here, with troops stationed."

Zhu Yong hummed in acknowledgement.

He actually knew that after the Nalín Seven Stations were pacified, the court would take a long time to assimilate this land.

Establishing prefectures, assigning officials, repairing roads, building Post Stations—each task consumes time and effort.

But he didn't have to worry about those.

His mission was simply to fight.

Finish fighting, return home.

"Let's go! Back to sleep," Zhu Yong turned and walked back.

The two younger brothers followed.

When they returned to the inner city, Zhu Di was still talking with Chen Canzan.

Seeing the three return, Zhu Di stepped forward, "Second Prince, the captives over there have some information."

"Speak."

"Wang Shudu'er was recruited; indeed someone behind him is directing him, the chieftains of several tribes from the Western Regions, plus remnants of a few old Mongol units."

They promised him money, food, and weapons, letting him cause trouble here to tie down court forces," Zhu Di said in a low voice.

Zhu Yong squinted, "Where are the people? Where are those chieftains?"

"Wang Shudu'er doesn't know either; they all sent messengers to coordinate. However, he said those people agreed that once he secures the Nalín Seven Stations, they'll send troops to support him," Zhu Di said.

Zhu Yong sneered, "Support? Dream on."

He thought for a moment and said, "Don't spread this outward for now. After returning, report to Imperial Father and have the Jinyiwei investigate."

Zhu Di nodded.

Zhu Yong looked up at the sky; the Moon was already shifting west.

"Alright, everyone go to sleep! At dawn tomorrow we break camp and return to Yingtian."

The three brothers answered in unison.

……

Early the next morning, as the sky was just dimly bright, the great army began packing up.

Three thousand iron cavalry plus a thousand auxiliaries came and went, bustling with activity.

Zhu Yong stood on the arrow tower of the inner city, watching the bustling camp below.

Wang Gui came up, handed him a hot pancake: "Prince, have something to eat."

Zhu Yong took it and took a bite.

The pancake was freshly baked, crisp on the outside and tender inside, with minced meat inside.

"Is everything arranged over at Wang Shudu'er?" he asked while eating.

"All set. We'll transport them in a prison cart, with twenty brothers assigned to guard them, and the tribute items the local tusi sent have also been loaded onto the cart," Wang Gui said.

Zhu Yong nodded.

Wang Gui hesitated briefly and asked, "Prince, this time when we return, you can rest for a while, right?"

"What, missing home?" Zhu Yong glanced at him.

Wang Gui chuckled, "My wife wrote that our son can walk now."

Zhu Yong laughed, "Then we'll have to go back and see. Once we're back at Yingtian, I'll give you a few days off, so you can go home and spend time with your wife and children."

"Thank you, Prince!" Wang Gui rejoiced.

Zhu Yong kept eating the pancake, his eyes fixed on the south.

Yingtian Prefecture lay more than two thousand li away.

He thought of Guanyin Nu, of his daughter Huan Huan, and of his son Qiong Jiong, who had just learned to walk.

It had been almost two months since they left, and he didn't know how they were doing.

"Prince, everything below is ready." Zhang Wu reported as he came up.

Zhu Yong shoved the last bite of pancake into his mouth, clapped his hands and said, "Let's go."

……

The army set out, marching back along the route they had come.

Zhu Shuang and Zhu Gang rode their horses behind Zhu Yong, while Zhu Di led the vanguard.

Three thousand iron cavalry thundered onward, raising a trail of dust.

After an hour's march, Zhu Shuang suddenly said, "Second Prince, look over there."

Zhu Yong followed his pointing direction and saw, on a distant hilltop, a few vague figures standing.

They were men sent by the local tusi, seeing off the army's departure.

"What are they watching?" Zhu Gang asked.

"They're watching whether we've left. Once we're far enough, they'll go back to report," Zhu Yong said.

Zhu Shuang hummed, "These tusi appear to submit on the surface, but we have no idea what they're thinking inside."

Zhu Yong replied calmly, "No matter what they think, as long as they don't dare act, it's fine."

He tightened his reins and glanced back toward the direction of Nalin Seventh Station.

The seventh pass's stockade wall still stood, though it had been blasted to ruins.

"Let's go."

He urged his horse forward, continuing south.

Behind him, the three thousand iron cavalry surged forward.

In the distance, in the direction of Yingtian Prefecture, lay his home and his family.

On the 11th day of the 7th month of the 12th year of Hongwu, the rebellion at Nalin Seventh Station was quelled.

Prince Wu Zhu Yong led the army in triumph.