Chapter 357: Zhu Di Deploys Troops

April 15, at daybreak, the river crossing began.

The first batch of rafts went into the water, carrying three hundred Longxiang Army elite, rowing toward the opposite bank.

The river was not wide—less than two hundred zhàng—and the current was not swift, but the Ottoman on the far bank clearly did not intend to let them cross easily.

Just as the raft reached the river's middle, a volley of Arrow Rain was shot from the city wall.

The three hundred Longxiang Army raised their shields, a clanging sound rang out, the Arrows were deflected by the iron armor, and no one was injured.

The raft docked, the three hundred men leapt ashore and formed a formation on the sandbank.

Flintlock Guns fired in unison, and a dozen or so archers on the wall fell instantly.

The Ottomans panicked, more rushed onto the wall, arrows fell like rain, but could not pierce the iron armor.

The second raft, the third raft, batch after batch of Longxiang Army crossed the river, gathering on the sandbank.

In less than an hour, three thousand men had crossed the river.

Zhu Yong was in the last batch to cross.

He stood on the raft, Double Hammers at his feet, gazing at the small town on the opposite bank.

On the wall, the Ottoman garrison's expressions had already changed.

They had never seen such a force, clad in iron armor, unafraid of Arrows, whose weapons could kill from several hundred steps away.

Zhu Yong stepped ashore, lifted the Double Hammers, and strode toward the city gate.

Three thousand Longxiang Army followed behind, Flintlock Guns loaded, bayonets drawn.

On the wall, the garrison commander was a Turkic man in his early forties; seeing the man bearing Double Hammers draw nearer, his legs trembled.

He had fought for twenty years and had never seen anyone like this—two hammers larger than a human head, carried as if a toy.

"Fire arrows, fire quickly!" he shouted hoarsely.

Arrows fell like rain; Zhu Yong didn't even try to dodge, the Arrows struck his body, clanged off, not even breaking his skin.

He reached the city gate, raised the hammer in his right hand, and smashed down.

"Boom!"

The gate shuddered, wood splinters flew.

Second hammer.

"Boom!"

The latch snapped.

Third hammer.

"Boom!"

The city gate collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Zhu Yong stood at the breach, looking at the Ottoman soldiers inside whose faces were the color of earth, and said calmly, "Surrender, or die."

After a pause of Three Breaths, then, unknown who first dropped a weapon, it rang "clang!"

Then the second, the third… the sounds of weapons hitting the ground rose into a clamor.

The garrison commander knelt on the ground, trembling all over, "We surrender, we surrender…"

Zhu Yong nodded, slung the hammer back onto his horse, turned toward the army behind him and shouted, "Send the order, enter the city."

Zahu City had been taken.

The news reached Mosul, and Ba Yejide smashed a cup.

He hadn't expected the Ming forces to cross the river so swiftly, to assault the city so quickly.

Although Zahu City was not large, its walls were thick and the garrison numbered two thousand; how could they not hold out for even half a day?

"That Prince Wu, who exactly is he?" he asked the generals beside him.

No one could answer him.

Everyone bowed their heads, their faces grim.

Ba Yejide paced in the tent, like a trapped beast.

He had fought his whole life and had never been defeated so miserably. A force of one hundred fifty thousand was shattered in a single battle, and now even Zahu City was lost.

"Send the order, the whole army retreat west, fall back two hundred li west of Mosul," he said through gritted teeth.

The commanders exchanged glances. Someone whispered, "Sultan, if we retreat further, the Two Rivers Basin will be completely lost…"

Ba Yejide glared at him and said, "Not losing face, but losing lives? That Prince Wu is not a man, he's a monster; who among you can stop him?"

No one uttered a word.

Ba Yejide sighed, waved his hand and said, "Retreat, fall back to the Anatolia Plateau, where our cavalry and our archers are.

We can't win on the plain, but we can always fight in the mountains."

April 18, the Ottoman army withdrew from Mosul, retreating westward to the Anatolia Plateau.

The news reached Zahu City, and Zhang Wu, excited, slapped the table and said, "Prince, the Ottomans have fled!"

Zhu Yong did not smile. He stood before the map, studying the terrain of the Anatolia Plateau.

There the mountains were high and forests dense, the terrain treacherous; cavalry could not maneuver, and artillery fared poorly.

Ba Yejide's retreat there was intended to use the mountains to hold him.

"Send the order, the main army will rest in Mosul for three days, and will move once Grain and Fodder arrive," he said calmly.

Zhang Wu was startled and asked, "Prince, no longer pursue?"

"We must pursue, but not hastily; the Ottomans withdrew into the mountains to lure us into a chase and then ambush us. We will not rush, let them wait."

Zhu Yong turned and continued, "First we secure the Two Rivers Basin, capture the cities, pacify the populace, wait for Grain and Fodder, wait for reinforcements, then head west."

Zhang Wu nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, in the Western Regions, Hami.

Zhu Di was reading an urgent letter that had just been sent from Tie Mu Er's residence.

The letter was written by Zhang Wu, stating that a three‑sided coalition of the Ottoman, Mamluk, and Jin Banner remnants, numbering 150,000, was advancing; Prince Wu had led his troops to meet them, won the initial battle, and was now pursuing westward.

After finishing the letter, Zhu Di sprang to his feet, his eyes shining terrifyingly.

"Come, you! Deliver the order: the whole army must assemble!"

Xu Miaoyun stepped out of the inner chamber, and, startled by his appearance, exclaimed, "Prince, what's wrong?"

Zhu Di handed the letter to her, his voice trembling with excitement: "Second Prince is fighting at Tie Mu Er's residence; the 150,000 coalition was scattered by Second Prince in a single battle, and we are now in pursuit."

After reading the letter, Xu Miaoyun smiled and asked, "Prince, are you going to help?"

"Of course. Second Prince is at war; how could I not go? I will take 30,000 and leave the Western Regions side to you to watch over," Zhu Di said, striding outward.

Xu Miaoyun did not stop him, only reminding, "Be careful on the road, and when you get there, obey Second Prince's commands."

Zhu Di waved his hand without turning his head and said, "Understood."

An hour later, the 30,000 Yan troops were fully equipped and ready to depart.

Zhu Di rode his horse, clad in iron armor, a sword hanging at his waist, full of vigor.

He glanced back at Hami City, turned his horse, and with a grand gesture shouted, "Depart!"

The 30,000‑strong army marched westward in a grand procession.

Zhu Di rode at the forefront, his mind filled with images of Second Prince's heroic bearing on the battlefield.

He would never forget, for the rest of his life, the scene of that particular battle when he followed Second Prince into war.

This time at Tie Mu Er's residence, Second Prince's 50,000 against 150,000 was fought with exhilarating ease.

"Second Prince, I'm here!" Zhu Di muttered to himself on horseback, his mouth stretched into an uncontainable grin.

Late April, Yingtian Prefecture.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat in Qianqing Palace, holding a battle report that had just arrived from the Western Regions, his face revealing no expression.

Empress Ma sat beside him, stitching with needle and thread, occasionally looking up at him.

"Zhong Ba, what's wrong?" she asked, unable to hold back.

Zhu Yuanzhang handed her the report and said, "Yong Er's side is at war; the Ottoman, Mamluk, and Jin Banner remnants, a three‑sided coalition of 150,000, are attacking Tie Mu Er's residence."

Empress Ma's hand trembled, the needle pricking her finger, a bead of blood forming as she asked, "How is Yong Er?"

"Don't rush, look further down," Zhu Yuanzhang said, pointing to the lines beneath the report.

Empress Ma continued to read further, and as she read, her eyes reddened.

The report stated that Prince Wu led 50,000 Longxiang Army to meet the enemy, breaking through the enemy vanguard; he charged alone, slaying through a formation of 5,000 cavalry, causing the enemy to rout. Prince Wu is now pursuing with his forces and has already captured Zahu City; the Ottoman remnants have retreated to the Anatolia Plateau.

"That child... that child, just like in his youth, fights recklessly; how old is he now, yet still throws himself into battle," Empress Ma cried and laughed.

Zhu Yuanzhang hummed, a smile tugging at his mouth, "Our son could never be lacking, could he?"

He rose, took two steps in the hall, then stopped abruptly, "Has Biao Er learned?"

"He should have known."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, said no more, but the smile on his face could not be concealed.

Empress Ma, watching her husband's silhouette, suddenly asked, "Zhong Ba, how far do you think Yong Er can fight in this battle?"

Zhu Yuanzhang thought for a moment, "That kid, who knows? He might even fight all the way to Constantinople."

Empress Ma smiled, "Is that place far?"

"Far, far indeed—farther than Tie Mu Er's residence—but our son can get there," Zhu Yuanzhang said, hands behind his back as he walked to the window, gazing at the western sky.

Outside the window, the setting sun sank in the west, dyeing the entire Imperial City golden.

Beyond Yingtian Prefecture's city walls, workers were still feverishly laying railway tracks.

The railway from Yingtian to Lanzhou had already reached Luoyang.

At this pace, it would reach Lanzhou in another two years.

By then, traveling by train from Yingtian to Lanzhou would take only a few days.

Zhu Biao stood on the construction site, looking at the laid tracks, his mind thinking of his second younger brother far to the west.

That railway was being built for him.

From Yingtian Prefecture to Lanzhou, Lanzhou to the Western Regions, the Western Regions to Tie Mu Er's residence.

Someday, this railway will extend to Samarkhan, and to Constantinople.

When that day comes, the second younger brother's return will be swift.

He turned, said to the officials beside him, "Accelerate the progress; aim to reach Xi'an by next year."

The officials nodded in agreement.

Zhu Biao looked up at the sky, silently whispering, "Second younger brother, take care."

The sunset sank below the horizon, the final afterglow vanishing from the sky.

West of the Western Regions, west of Tie Mu Er's residence, Zhu Yong stood on Zahu City's wall, looking toward the western sky.

There lies the direction of the Ottoman Empire, the Anatolia Plateau, the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, and Constantinople.

He did not know how far this war could go, but he knew that as long as he kept marching west, someday the Great Ming banner would be planted on Constantinople's walls.

Footsteps sounded behind him.

Zhang Wu climbed onto the wall and said, "Prince, a letter has arrived from Prince Yan, he has already set out with 30,000 troops and is hurrying this way."

Zhu Yong smiled, "That kid really has arrived."

He turned, strode down the wall and said, "Deliver the order: the whole army rests, wait for Fifth Brother to arrive, then we head west."

"Where are we heading west to?"

Zhu Yong said without turning his head, "Until the Ottomans are subdued."