Chapter 77: Kill First

Zhu Yong brushed the dust off himself and said to Wang Baobao, "Elder Brother, we must speed up; in this weather, the longer we delay, the worse."

"Yes, we set out at first light tomorrow and push as far as possible," Wang Baobao nodded and replied.

That night, Zhu Yong lay in his tent, listening to the howling wind outside, and could not fall asleep for a long time.

He thought of Yingtian Prefecture, of his parents, of his elder brother, of Guanyin Nu…

Before the expedition, Guanyin Nu's reluctant gaze was etched clearly in his memory.

"After the battle, we'll return," Zhu Yong thought, and closed his eyes.

On the second day, before dawn, the army broke camp and set out.

In the following days, the weather swung between good and bad.

Sometimes the sky was clear for miles, and the distant, continuous snow‑capped mountains could be seen.

Other times fierce winds rose, and sand and dust blotted out the sky and sun.

The farther north they went, the harsher the environment became.

The grassland grew sparse, revealing vast stretches of sand.

Water sources dwindled; sometimes a whole day passed without finding a single river.

The soldiers began to show ailments.

Some had chapped lips, some had facial wounds scraped by wind‑blown sand, and others suffered diarrhea from the unfamiliar water and soil.

Zhu Yong ordered the carried medicines to be distributed and instructed the army medic to accelerate treatment.

"We can't keep going like this; we haven't even reached the destination and the troops are falling ill en masse," Wang Baobao said anxiously.

"Then what shall we do?" Lan Yu asked.

Wang Baobao thought for a moment and said, "Fifty li ahead there's an oasis called Karakorum; I've been there before, it has water, and we can rest for two days."

Zhu Yong nodded, "Alright, we'll rest there."

Two days later, the army arrived at Karakorum.

It was a modest oasis, with a lake at its center and some poplars and red willows around its rim.

Though desolate, at least there was water.

The soldiers cheered and rushed forward; some plunged themselves against the water's edge to drink greedily, others stripped and jumped into the lake to bathe.

Zhu Yong ordered a three‑day rest here.

During those three days, the sick soldiers received treatment, and the horses were replenished with fodder and water.

Wang Baobao sent men to scout the surroundings and confirmed no trace of the Northern Yuan Army.

On the evening of the third day, Zhu Yong was watching the soldiers train by the lake when the scout cavalry returned.

"Prince, we have spotted a Northern Yuan supply convoy of about five hundred, coming from the east; it appears to be heading toward the Toghus Temur Military Camp."

Wang Baobao's eyes lit up, "Supply convoy? How many escorts?"

"About two hundred cavalry, the rest are laborers and wagons," the scout replied.

"Do we attack?" Lan Yu looked at Zhu Yong.

Zhu Yong thought and said, "Yes, but quickly; strike and withdraw, we cannot linger."

Wang Baobao added, "Better to disguise ourselves as Yesuder's men, so they think it's a Yesuder raid."

"How do we disguise?" Lan Yu asked.

Wang Baobao laughed, "The various Northern Yuan tribes have slightly different attire; I'm familiar. We'll don their clothes, use their weapons, and display a few Yesuder flags."

"Good idea!" Lan Yu clapped.

Zhu Yong nodded, "Then that's the plan."

That night, the army slipped away from the oasis and marched eastward.

Wang Baobao chose a canyon as the ambush site, a necessary passage for the supply convoy.

On the next morning, the supply convoy indeed appeared.

A force of over five hundred, with a long wagon train, and escort cavalry spread front and rear.

Once the convoy fully entered the canyon, Zhu Yong gave a single command, and the Ming troops surged out from both sides.

They wore Northern Yuan garb, brandished curved sabers, and shouted in Mongolian.

The convoy's guards were caught off guard and instantly scattered.

The fight lasted less than half an hour.

Of the two hundred escort cavalry, more than half were killed or wounded, the rest fled.

Most of the laborers knelt and surrendered.

Zhu Yong ordered all the supply wagons burned, taking only some Dry Rations and horses.

Before departing, Wang Baobao deliberately planted several Yesuder flags on the battlefield.

"Now that's enough to give Toghus Temur a headache," Lan Yu laughed.

The army withdrew swiftly, looping westward to avoid any pursuing enemy forces.

Two days later, they returned to the Karakorum oasis.

After a night of rest, they continued north.

This time, their target was straight for Buyuerhai.

In the spring of Hongwu Year Four, on the northern desert grassland, a grand spectacle was just beginning.

Far away in the palace of Yingtian Prefecture, Zhu Yuanzhang was reading the military report from the north, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.

"Yong Er, that kid, is getting better at warfare," he said to Zhu Biao beside him.

Zhu Biao also smiled, "Second brother may be simple, but he has a talent for war and Wang Baobao's support; it should be fine."

Empress Ma, however, worried, "The north is so cold; will Yong Er freeze? Did he bring enough clothing?"

"Mother, don't worry; before my second brother left, I had someone make three leather cloaks for him, so he won't freeze," Zhu Biao said reassuringly.

Zhu Yuanzhang folded away the military report and looked out the window.

The Northern Region, a faraway place.

His son is there, fighting bloody battles for Great Ming's frontier.

"When Yong Er returns, we'll give him a proper reward," Zhu Yuanzhang said.

Outside the window, spring wind blew, and willow branches sprouted new buds.

In Yingtian Prefecture in Hongwu Year Four, spring had already arrived.

But the spring in Mobei was still on its way.

Hongwu Year Four, the third day of the fourth month.

In Mobei, night fell especially early; just after the hour of You, the sky went completely dark.

The temperature dropped sharply, and the cold wind cut like a knife.

Zhu Yong's army set up camp on the south bank of the Kerulen River; this was a wind‑sheltered river valley, with sparse poplar groves on both sides providing cover.

Even so, the night wind was still bone‑chilling.

The soldiers crowded into the tents, gathering around the fire pit for warmth.

On the fire pit sat an iron pot, cooking a porridge of dried meat mixed with Stir‑fried Flour; this was the most common food during marches in Mobei.

Zhu Yong did not enter the tent.

He sat on a large stone at the edge of the camp, gazing at the pitch‑black night sky of the Northern Region.

He wore only a thin shirt, yet felt no hint of cold.

Wang Baobao carried two bowls of hot porridge over, handed him one, and said, "Prince, have something to eat."

Zhu Yong took the bowl, drank it in a few sips, passed the bowl back and said, "Elder Brother, how long until we reach Buyuerhai?"

"At the current pace, at most ten days, but the farther north we go the harder it gets; ahead lies a swamp that is just beginning to freeze this season, and the mud is very thick."

Wang Baobao sat down beside him and said.

"Can we go around it?" Zhu Yong asked.

"If we go around, it adds five days and we'd have to climb mountains, which is more exhausting; going straight through takes just one day, though the riders and horses will get covered in mud," Wang Baobao shook his head.

Zhu Yong thought for a moment and said, "Go straight through, it saves time."

"That's what I meant," Wang Baobao nodded.

The two were speaking when Lan Yu stepped out of the camp, holding a half‑piece of hard dried meat, chewing as he walked.

"Damn it, this dried meat is getting harder; my teeth are about to break, Prince, the scout cavalry just reported that fifty li north they spotted Northern Yuan raiders, not many, twenty‑or‑thirty men," he said, sitting down on the other side of Zhu Yong.

"Are they from Toghus Temur's forces?" Zhu Yong asked.

"Their attire suggests so, but they're too far; we didn't dare get close to confirm," Lan Yu replied.

Wang Baobao frowned and said, "They're probably patrols; Toghus Temur's large camp at Bayan Nur is less than three hundred li from here, so sending out raiding cavalry for scouting is normal."

"Then might we be discovered?" Lan Yu asked.

"Hard to say, Prince. I mean, tomorrow we should speed up, cross the swamp as quickly as possible; once we reach the North Bank we'll be safer, that side's terrain is complex and easy to conceal," Wang Baobao said, looking at Zhu Yong.

Zhu Yong nodded, "Alright, we set out at first light tomorrow."