Chapter 76: Pressing On

Hongwu Year Four, March 17.

Deep in the Monan Grassland, a cavalry unit was marching north.

The force numbered about five thousand, men on horses with hooves clattering; apart from the rustle of hooves on the grass and occasional horse whinnies, almost no other sounds were heard.

Zhu Yong rode a Wuzhui Horse, leading the front of the column.

He wore iron armor beneath a leather robe, and a cloth veil over his face to shield the wind and sand.

The Double Hammers on his back were wrapped in thick cloth, exposing only the handles.

Wang Baobao urged his horse forward on the left, and Lan Yu on the right.

"Elder Brother, how much longer until we reach Buyuerhai?" Zhu Yong asked.

Wang Baobao looked up at the sky, then surveyed the surrounding terrain, and replied, "At this pace, we still need at least twenty days."

Beyond the hills ahead lies the true Mobei, where it is colder and the wind stronger."

Lan Yu spat, "This cursed place, it's March and still this cold; the wind makes my face ache."

Indeed, spring arrives late in Mobei.

Although it is mid‑March, the snow on the grassland has not fully melted, and temperatures still dip below zero at dawn and dusk.

A cold wind blows from the north, carrying sand and ice shards, striking the face like a knife.

The army has been marching for more than half a month.

When they set out from Yingtian Fu, Jiangnan was already in full spring bloom.

The farther north they went, the colder the weather and the more desolate the scenery.

After entering Monan, the view was all withered yellow grassland, with occasional crooked‑necked trees trembling in the wind.

"This is only the beginning; once we reach Buyuerhai, the wind will be stronger, sometimes even blowing horses down," Wang Baobao said.

Zhu Yong nodded, saying nothing.

In his past‑life memories, he knew little of this history, only recalling that Lan Yu dealt a great blow to Northern Yuan at Buyuerhai, though the details were vague.

With Wang Baobao guiding this life, it should go more smoothly.

The army continued onward.

At noon, Zhu Yong ordered a rest.

The soldiers dismounted, retrieved Dry Rations and Water Bags from their saddles, and sat down in a wind‑sheltered spot to eat.

The Dry Rations consisted of Stir‑fried Flour and jerky, hard and needing to be chewed slowly with water.

Zhu Yong also dismounted and sat together with Wang Baobao and Lan Yu.

"Elder Brother, what is the current state of the conflict between Toghus Temur and Yesuder?" Zhu Yong asked while chewing jerky.

Wang Baobao took a sip of water and said, "The last report I received before leaving Yingtian was that the two are confronting each other around Onon River, each with over ten thousand troops."

Toghus Temur is slightly weaker but holds the terrain advantage; Yesuder has more soldiers, but his supply lines are long."

"Then who shall we strike first?" Lan Yu asked.

"According to the original plan, we should attack Toghus Temur; his forces are few, easy to defeat, and he is in the east, closer to the Great Ming border, making retreat convenient after the strike."

Wang Baobao said.

Zhu Yong thought for a moment and said, "Attack and then flee?"

"Yes, attack and then flee, so they cannot discern our intent; ideally we provoke greater discord among them, making them fight more fiercely," Wang Baobao nodded.

Lan Yu laughed, "That's a shady move, but I like it."

Just then, a rapid clatter of hooves sounded from afar.

A scout rider galloped from the north, flipped off his horse as he approached and shouted, "Report! Prince Wu, a band of Northern Yuan raiding cavalry, about two hundred strong, was spotted thirty li ahead, moving south!"

Zhu Yong rose and asked, "How far are they from us?"

"At their speed, they'll reach this area in two more hours," the scout replied.

Wang Baobao frowned, "It's a scout sent by Toghus Temur to gather intelligence."

"Eat them?" Lan Yu's eyes lit up.

Zhu Yong shook his head, "No, if we kill them, Toghus Temur will know we've arrived; let them pass and we will go around."

Wang Baobao agreed, "Your Highness is right; we must not stir up the grass and startle the snakes now."

Lan Yu felt a bit regretful but said nothing.

Zhu Yong told the scout, "Continue monitoring and report any movement immediately."

"Yes!" the scout shouted, mounting his horse and riding off.

The army rested for an hour before setting out again.

This time Zhu Yong ordered a change of course, veering ten li east to avoid the raiding cavalry's path.

The grassland offered a wide view, and ten li provided sufficient concealment.

Sure enough, around Shen Hour in the afternoon, the scout reported that the raiding cavalry passed ten li to the west without spotting the Ming forces.

"Let them pass, and we continue onward," Zhu Yong said.

As night fell, the army set up camp in a wind‑sheltered mountain hollow.

The soldiers erected simple tents and lit a bonfire.

Nights on the grassland are cold; without fire one cannot endure.

Zhu Yong sat inside his own tent, studying the map.

Wang Baobao pointed out, "Your Highness, we are here now; five more days northward will bring us to Kerulen River, and beyond that lies Toghus Temur's territory."

"Where is his Military Camp?" Zhu Yong asked.

"One hundred li northeast of Buyuerhai, at a place called Bayan Nur, there is a freshwater lake with abundant aquatic plants, suitable for garrisoning troops."

Wang Baobao said, pointing to a spot on the map.

Lan Yu came over and said, "Shall we go straight to attack his Military Camp?"

"No, attacking the Military Camp is too risky; we have few people and can't fight head‑on. It's better to hit his supply convoy or a small detachment, then retreat."

Wang Baobao shook his head and said.

Zhu Yong nodded, "I'll listen to Elder Brother."

As they were discussing, a commotion suddenly came from outside.

"What's happening?" Zhu Yong stepped out of the tent.

A soldier ran over and said, "Prince, the wind has risen, a huge wind!"

Zhu Yong looked up at the sky.

He saw the northern sky dark and heavy, low‑hanging clouds, and a gale whipping sand straight at them.

"Sandstorm! Quickly, have everyone hold onto the tents and tie the horses!" Wang Baobao's face changed as he said.

As soon as the words fell, the gale howled in.

Sand was lifted, and Heaven and Earth were bathed in a dim yellow.

Visibility dropped instantly to less than ten meters.

The soldiers hurried to reinforce the tents and led the horses to the leeward side.

The wind grew stronger, the tents flapped loudly, and several were even uprooted.

Zhu Yong stood in the wind, squinting.

The wind was indeed strong, making it hard to stand steady.

But for him, it was nothing.

"Prince, get into the tent!" Wang Baobao shouted.

Zhu Yong shook his head, "I'm going to check the horses."

He braved the wind and walked to where the horses were tied.

The Wuzhui Horse and the other warhorses were tied together; sand blasted them, making them whinny continuously and kick restlessly.

Zhu Yong patted the Wuzhui Horse's neck and whispered, "Don't be afraid, it'll be over soon."

The Wuzhui Horse seemed to understand him and gradually calmed down.

The other horses, seeing this, also slowly settled.

The wind lasted for almost an hour before it gradually eased.

After the sand cleared, the camp was a mess.

Several tents had collapsed, and supplies were scattered everywhere.

Fortunately, no one was injured and the horses were all fine.

The soldiers began to clean up the aftermath.

Lan Yu cursed as she squeezed out of the tent, sand covering her head and face, "Damn it, this cursed place!"

Wang Baobao gave a wry smile, "This is just the beginning; the sandstorms in Mobei are even worse."

This is only a small sandstorm; if it were larger…