Chapter 82: Northern Yuan Turmoil 2

The army moved swiftly.

Only the essential weapons and Dry Rations were taken; all other supplies were left behind, guarded by two hundred men.

Four thousand eight hundred cavalry mounted and galloped eastward, following Zhu Yong.

In the Grassland in April, the grass was only ankle‑high.

Hooves struck the ground, kicking up a spray of grass clippings and earth.

Zhu Yong charged at the front, his Wuzhui Horse's four hooves flashing like a black bolt.

Wang Baobao and Lan Yu took the left and right, the three forming an arrowhead that led the army.

The wind whistled at their ears.

They chased from morning to noon, stopping only once to let the horses drink.

The scouting riders rode back and forth, reporting Ba Tu's troop movements.

"Prince, Ba Tu is thirty Li ahead; they are moving slowly, as if waiting for someone."

"Waiting for whom?" Zhu Yong asked.

"Unclear, but they halted by a small river for a little less than a Wei Hour, then continued on."

Zhu Yong frowned.

What is Ba Tu waiting for? Reinforcements? Or…

He suddenly thought of something and said to Wang Baobao, "Elder Brother, is there another Northern Yuan tribe nearby?"

Wang Baobao thought for a moment, nodded, and said, "Yes, eighty Li east there is a tribe called Wuliangha, about two thousand people; Ba Tu may want to go there first to replenish horses and Grain and Fodder."

"Then we must not let him get there; accelerate!" Zhu Yong shouted, gripping his horse's belly.

The army quickened its pace again.

A thirty Li distance is, for cavalry, less than half a Wei Hour.

In the Wei Hour of the afternoon, silhouettes of Ba Tu's troops appeared on the horizon ahead.

They indeed moved slowly, their column stretched long, looking lax.

Zhu Yong raised his right hand, and the army slowed gradually.

"Rest for a quarter hour and let the horses catch their breath," Zhu Yong ordered.

The soldiers dismounted, fed water and rations to the horses, and seized the moment to bite a few pieces of Dry Rations themselves.

Zhu Yong climbed a small earthen mound to scout the enemy.

Ba Tu's force numbered about fifteen hundred, resting in a hollow.

They evidently hadn't noticed the pursuers, not even sending a warning post far.

"We underestimated them; they think we wouldn't dare chase this deep," Wang Baobao said as he also climbed up, low.

"Perfect, General Lan, you take a thousand men around to the east to block their route; Elder Brother, you take fifteen hundred men from the west to encircle.

I'll take the rest and charge from the front," Zhu Yong said as he descended the mound.

"Prince, a frontal charge is too risky; let me do it!" Lan Yu said.

Zhu Yong shook his head, "No, I will charge the front; only then can we disrupt their Formation fastest. You just encircle; don't let any escape."

Lan Yu was about to speak, but Wang Baobao pulled him back and said, "Follow the Prince's orders."

After a quarter hour, the army mounted again.

Zhu Yong stood in the center, Wang Baobao to the west, Lan Yu to the east, and the three detachments quietly spread out.

The afternoon sun was harsh, and the wind blew from the Northern Region, carrying the scent of fresh grass.

Zhu Yong drew the Long Sword at his waist; in a pursuit battle, a hammer is unwieldy, so he used a Standard Cavalry Saber.

The blade reflected the sunlight, its cold gleam sharp.

"Charge!" Zhu Yong shouted.

The Wuzhui Horse neighed and surged forward, with two thousand three hundred cavalry behind it flooding the hollow like a tide.

The sound of hooves thundered, shaking the earth.

The Northern Yuan soldiers in the hollow finally sensed something was wrong.

"Enemy attack!"

"Ming Cavalry is here!"

"Mount... quickly mount!"

"...."

Ba Tu leapt from his blanket, and upon seeing Ming Cavalry charging from the west, his face changed dramatically.

"How could this be... how did they manage to chase us here..."

But there was no time to think further.

He vaulted onto his horse, drew a curved saber and shouted, "Meet the enemy! Meet the enemy!"

The Northern Yuan soldiers hastily mounted, their Formation not yet formed, when the Ming Cavalry had already reached them.

Zhu Yong led the charge, his saber sweeping, a head flew off.

Another slash split a Northern Yuan soldier's chest.

Fresh blood splattered, staining his leather armor red.

The Ming Cavalry, like wolves and tigers, surged into the enemy ranks, instantly tearing the Northern Yuan soldiers into pieces.

Ba Tu tried to organize resistance, but it was too late; his troops were already exhausted from marching and unprepared, now utterly stunned.

"Retreat east! Retreat east!" Ba Tu shouted.

But to the east, Lan Yu's thousand cavalry had already blocked the way.

"Westward!" Ba Tu shouted again.

On the western side, Wang Baobao's fifteen hundred cavalry stood in strict formation awaiting.

Surrounded on three sides, only a gap remained on the northern side.

But the north was a swamp, and the horses could not run at all.

"It's over…" Ba Tu felt a chill in his heart.

The battle lasted less than half an hour.

Northern Yuan Soldiers who died died, those who surrendered surrendered, and Ba Tu himself was captured alive by Wang Baobao.

When Wang Baobao escorted him before Zhu Yong, the cousin of Toghus Temur already had a face ashen as death.

"If you want to kill me, then kill me," Ba Tu said, stiffening his neck.

Zhu Yong glanced at him, said nothing, and only told Wang Baobao, "Tie him up and bring him back."

"Understood."

Clean the battlefield and tally the spoils.

In this battle, eight hundred enemies were annihilated, five hundred were captured, and only a little over two hundred fled into the swamp amid the chaos, their fate unknown.

The Ming forces suffered fewer than a hundred casualties and achieved a complete victory.

Most importantly, more than six hundred warhorses were seized, a valuable supplement for cavalry that conducts long-range raids.

"Prince, what shall we do next—continue pursuing the other groups or return to the main force?" Lan Yu asked.

Zhu Yong looked at the sky, then at the map.

"Return to the main force, go to the Buyu'er Sea Main Camp."

"What are we going there for? Isn't that an empty camp?" Lan Yu asked, puzzled.

"The empty camp still houses over three thousand elderly, weak, and civilian laborers; keeping them, they could become new cavalry next year. Better to bring them back, settle them at the border passes, which both replenishes the population and eliminates future trouble," Zhu Yong said.

Wang Baobao nodded and said, "Prince, your consideration is thorough; the Grassland already has a sparse population, and removing these three thousand people will further weaken the Northern Yuan's strength."

"Also, the Military Camp should still have plenty of supplies; our provisions are low, so it's a good chance to replenish," Zhu Yong added.

Watching Zhu Yong's back, Lan Yu suddenly felt surprised; the Wu King was no longer so simple!

Rubbing his head, Lan Yu suddenly wondered if he had uncovered some great secret…

However, seeing that everyone had already left, he didn't think much and hurried to chase after them.

Meanwhile, the main army here began to turn, heading back toward the Buyuerhai direction.

Ba Tu was tied to a horse's back, head hanging low, silent.

The setting sun sank in the west, dyeing the Grassland a golden hue.

In the distance, several bald eagles circled in the sky, awaiting a feast.

In the spring of Hongwu Year Four, the backbone of the Northern Yuan was being broken inch by inch by Zhu Yong, the newly enfeoffed Wu King.