Chapter 55: Mobilization

In the camp they set up a big cauldron and lit a bonfire.

The wild boar was skinned, cut into pieces, and thrown into the cauldron to stew with wild vegetables.

Deer meat was sliced into strips, rubbed with salt, and skewered over the fire to roast.

The aroma spread throughout the camp.

Zhu Yong squatted beside the largest cauldron, eyes eagerly watching the meat chunks bubbling inside.

Guanyin Nu sat beside him, looking at his greedy expression, and couldn't help but laugh, "Prince, are you hungry?"

"Hmm, I ate two biscuits at noon, so I'm already hungry," Zhu Yong said honestly.

Wang Gui carried a bowl of freshly stewed meat over and said, "Prince, have a taste first."

Zhu Yong took it, unafraid of the heat, blew twice and ate.

"Delicious! You try it too," he mumbled, and pinched another piece for Guanyin Nu.

Guanyin Nu took it and ate in small bites.

Indeed fragrant.

On the grassland, meat is usually grilled, but this stewed method has a distinct flavor.

Night fell, and the bonfire blazed brightly.

The soldiers gathered around the fire, eating meat and drinking wine; Xu Da granted permission to have a bowl today.

Zhu Yong lifted a large bowl brimming with meat, eating until his mouth was slick with oil.

"Let me have a taste too..." Xu Da took a bowl of meat and began to devour it heartily.

Suddenly seeming to recall something, Xu Da turned his head to look.

He saw Kuokuo sitting alone with a few Northern Yuan Surrendered Generals, silently eating meat.

If they eat, it's a sign they are less resistant to Great Ming.

Over there, Zhu Yong had finished a large bowl of meat and went to ladle another.

Guanyin Nu looked at him and softly said, "Prince, you have quite an appetite."

"I've been able to eat a lot since I was a child; back in the village, my father always said raising me was like raising three people," Zhu Yong said with a simple grin.

"Prince... do you miss your foster father?"

Zhu Yong hesitated, then nodded: "I do. My father was good to me; though our family was poor, he never withheld my food. I can eat my fill now, but my father..."

He lowered his head and shoved a large piece of meat into his mouth.

Guanyin Nu fell silent.

She thought of her parents, of her relatives on the grassland.

Now having submitted to Ming, she would be a Great Ming subject; the grassland... she could never return to.

"Princess, don't be sad. My mother said that from now on Yingtian Prefecture will be your home, and my elder brother also said he will treat you and your siblings well," Zhu Yong suddenly said.

Guanyin Nu looked up, seeing his simple, earnest face illuminated by the firelight.

"Hmm, thank you, Prince."

Night grew deep, and the bonfire gradually faded.

Zhu Yong, full and satisfied, lay in his tent, listening to the insects chirping outside.

He recalled today's hunt and the days he once climbed mountains with his foster father.

Back then, father and son carried crude bows and arrows, wandering the mountains all day; catching even a single hare was considered lucky.

His foster father always gave him the meatier portions, while he gnawed on the bones.

"Father, I can finally eat my fill now..." Zhu Yong muttered to himself, turned over, and fell into a deep sleep.

In the neighboring tent, Guanyin Nu could not sleep.

She lay on the marching cot, staring at the tent ceiling.

During today's hunt, she saw Zhu Yong's bravery in smashing a wild boar with a single hammer, and also his childlike greed for meat.

This Great Ming Wu King was truly incomprehensible.

His valor was like a celestial deity, his honesty like that of an infant.

When her elder brother submitted to Ming, she expected endless humiliation, but did not anticipate meeting someone like this.

Perhaps... perhaps, as he said, things will get better later.

Guanyin Nu closed her eyes, and the sound of wind on the grassland seemed to rise again in her ears.

The next day, the army continued eastward.

After passing Liupan Mountain, the terrain gradually flattened, entering the Guanzhong Plain.

Along the way, villages and fields appeared; the common folk, seeing the army pass, stopped to watch.

Zhu Yong rode his horse, gazing at the verdant crops, and suddenly said, "Xu Shu, this land is planted with wheat, right?"

Xu Da glanced and replied, "It's wheat; in two months it should be ready for harvest."

"I used to be in Fengyang; the village also grew wheat, but the harvest was poor. It would be great if we could plant higher‑yield crops," Zhu Yong said.

Xu Da laughed, "Prince, you also understand farming?"

"I don't understand; I just feel the peasants can't get enough to eat, it's pitiful," Zhu Yong said honestly.

Xu Da fell silent.

This Prince Wu, though simple‑hearted, was kind‑minded.

After traveling several more days, they passed Tongguan and entered the Henan region.

They drew ever closer to Yingtian, and several armies converged.

After setting camp that day, Zhu Yong was polishing his hammer outside the tent when Xu Da sent someone to summon him.

At the Central Command Tent, Xu Da, Chang Yuchun, Li Wenzhong, Mu Ying, and Kuokuo were all present.

"Prince, please sit." Xu Da said.

Zhu Yong sat down, puzzled, "Xu Shu, what do you want from me?"

Xu Da said seriously, "In five or six days we'll reach Yingtian; there are some matters we need to tell the Prince about first."

"What matters?"

"Kuokuo General's surrender is a major event; the Emperor will definitely summon him. At the court meeting some civil officials may cause trouble, so Kuokuo General must be prepared." Xu Da said, looking at Kuokuo with a solemn expression.

Kuokuo said calmly, "The junior general understands."

Xu Da added to Zhu Yong, "Prince, you are the King of Wu and a meritorious officer of this battle; at the court meeting the Emperor may question you. You only need to speak truthfully, ignore those civil officials."

Zhu Yong scratched his head, "I can't speak, I'm afraid I'll say the wrong thing."

Chang Yuchun laughed heartily, "Prince, what are you afraid of? The Emperor is your own father, the Crown Prince is your own brother; even if you speak wrongly, no one dares to do anything!"

Li Wenzhong also laughed, "General Chang is right; Prince, relax."

Mu Ying said warmly, "Second Brother, when the time comes I'll stand beside you; if you don't know what to say, just watch my expression."

Zhu Yong nodded, "Alright, I'll follow Mu Ying."

The group discussed the arrangements after returning to the capital for a while, and only dispersed late at night.

Zhu Yong returned to his own tent, but saw Guanyin Nu standing outside.

"Princess, haven't you slept yet?"

"Can't sleep, Prince, after returning to the capital… my elder brother…" Guanyin Nu whispered.

"Don't worry, with me here, no one dares to bully you." Zhu Yong said, patting his chest.

Guanyin Nu looked at his serious demeanor and suddenly laughed.

"Hmm, I believe you, Prince."

Moonlight spread over the camp, quiet and peaceful.

Thousands of miles away in Yingtian Prefecture, the imperial palace was brightly lit.

Inside Wu Ying Hall, Zhu Yuanzhang was discussing the map with Zhu Biao.

"Biao, look, Xu Da and his men have already passed Luoyang; in three or four more days they can reach Guidu Prefecture, then follow the river south to Henan, and in seven or eight days they'll reach the capital," Zhu Yuanzhang said, pointing at the map.

Zhu Biao nodded, "Your son has already arranged the reception. The Ministry of Rites, Ministry of War, and Ministry of Works are all coordinated, and the Post Stations along the way are stocked with Grain and Fodder."

"Good, everything is in order, but… those civil officials will probably chatter about Kuokuo's surrender," Zhu Yuanzhang said satisfactorily, then frowned.

Zhu Biao smiled slightly, "Father, rest assured, your son is prepared. Kuokuo's surrender is a good deed that showcases Great Ming's majesty; I will have the Imperial Censor's office create momentum first, declaring this matter as the will of Heaven."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at his son, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.

That Crown Prince, benevolent yet not weak, is tougher than anyone when firmness is needed.

"What about Yong Er? That Northern Yuan Princess…" Zhu Yuanzhang asked.

Zhu Biao said, "Your son has inquired; that girl is Guanyin Nu, Chinese name Minmin, Kuokuo's younger sister, sixteen this year, well‑educated and sensible, and she can ride and shoot."

"Her mother has already said, once we return to the capital we'll meet her first; if suitable…"

He didn't finish, but the meaning was clear.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, "If your mother has seen her, we're relieved. By the way, that Yong Er fool, does he know he has to take a wife?"

Zhu Biao chuckled, "Second Brother doesn't understand these; he's probably still thinking about drinking wine and eating meat with General Chang after returning to the capital."

Zhu Yuanzhang also laughed, "That fool… fine, when he returns we'll tell him ourselves."

The father and son talked a while longer, then Zhu Biao took his leave.

Zhu Yuanzhang sat alone in the hall, looking at the huge map on the wall, which was the World Map presented by Zhu Yong.

His gaze moved from Yingtian to the Grassland, then further west.

"The world is so vast… Great Ming has only just begun," Zhu Yuanzhang murmured to himself.

Outside the window, the summer night in Yingtian Prefecture was muggy and long.

Yet this capital city is awaiting its hero's return.