Chapter 98: War Resumes

The second event of the Grand Capital Camp Competition is a thousand-man battle.

In the center of Yan Wu Chang, four zones were marked, and each guard sent a thousand-man team to fight with wooden swords and spears wrapped in cloth.

Jinwu Guard versus Yulin Guard, Tiger Vanguard Guard versus Valiant Cavalry Guard, and so on…

The combat was fierce, but chaotic.

As the fighting went on it turned into a melee; the officers' orders could not get through, and the soldiers fought on their own.

When it was Longxiang Army's turn, the opponent was the Divine Strategy Guard.

Both sides formed a formation, a Hundred Steps apart.

Zhu Yong did not take the field, standing at the side to command.

Thousand Household Chang Mao of the Longxiang Army stood at the front of the formation, raising the Command Flag.

"Sharp Arrow Formation… advance!"

The thousand-man team instantly changed formation: shield‑bearers in the front rank, long‑spear men in the middle, and sword‑axe men in the rear.

The entire formation pushed forward like an arrow.

The Thousand Household officer of the Divine Strategy Guard saw this and also ordered a charge.

The two armies met.

Longxiang Army's formation held; shield‑bearers absorbed the impact, long‑spear men thrust through the gaps, and sword‑axe men protected the two wings.

Advances and retreats were orderly, attack and defense measured.

In contrast, the Divine Strategy Guard broke formation as soon as combat began, its soldiers crowding into a mass.

In less than a quarter of an hour, the Divine Strategy Guard was routed.

"Stop!" the referee struck the gong.

Longxiang Army immediately regrouped, re‑formed, as if the previous battle had never occurred.

On the spectator platform, Zhu Yuanzhang clapped his hands and praised, "Good, obey orders, formation intact—that's the kind of soldier fit for war!"

Xu Da also remarked, "The troops trained by King Wu, once on the battlefield, one thousand can stand against three thousand."

Chang Yuchun added proudly, "That's because it's the team my son leads!"

In the next several bouts, Longxiang Army fought continuously and won each time.

No matter who the opponent was, no matter the formation, Longxiang Army always kept its formation intact and command smooth.

In the final match, Longxiang Army faced the Yulin Guard's elite troops, who also had an unbeaten record.

The man leading the Yulin Guard was named Zhao Hu, a Strongman.

The two armies faced each other, the atmosphere heavy.

"Change formation… Square Formation!" Chang Mao waved the Command Flag.

Longxiang Army quickly changed formation: shields on the outer ring, long spears in the inner circle, and bows and crossbows at the center.

The whole formation was like an iron bucket.

Zhao Hu saw this, sneered, and said, "Cone formation, break it for me!"

The Yulin Guard surged forward like a cone toward Longxiang Army's formation.

"Hold!" Chang Mao shouted.

Shield‑bearers absorbed the impact, and long‑spear men thrust through the gaps between shields.

The Yulin Guard charged three times in a row, but could not break the formation.

Zhao Hu grew impatient and led his own charge.

At that moment, Chang Mao waved the Command Flag again: "Change… Crane Wing Formation!"

Longxiang Army's formation suddenly shifted, the center falling back while the two wings thrust forward, like a celestial crane spreading its wings, enveloping the Yulin Guard.

The Yulin Guard was surrounded, its formation thrown into chaos.

"Stop!" the referee struck the gong.

Zhao Hu's face turned iron‑blue; he had lost, utterly and completely.

On the spectator platform, Zhu Yuanzhang laughed loudly, "Good! Yong Er's troops, mastery of formations, steady command, should be the best!"

In the thousand-man battle, Longxiang Army won all matches.

The third event of the Grand Capital Camp Competition: single combat.

Ten arenas were set up on Yan Wu Chang, each guard selecting its best fighter for one‑on‑one contests.

On Longxiang Army's side, Chang Mao was the first to step onto the arena.

In the past few months he had trained hard under Zhu Yong, not only honing formation tactics but also keeping his personal martial skills sharp.

Zhu Yong personally instructed his martial arts; although he could not acquire Zhu Yong's Divine Strength, his technique improved greatly.

Chang Mao fought continuously and won, defeating seven opponents in a row.

In the final bout, he faced Hundred Household Officer Jiang Huan, formerly of the Brocade Guard.

Jiang Huan is now the top expert of the Guard Command, wielding a two‑handed sword with a fierce style.

The two clashed on the arena for more than thirty exchanges; Chang Mao struck a hammer blow that sent Jiang Huan's sword flying, securing victory.

"First in single combat, Longxiang Army's Chang Mao!" the referee announced loudly.

Chang Mao stood on the arena, looking toward the spectator platform, looking at Zhu Yong.

Zhu Yong gave him a nod.

Chang Mao's eyes reddened; a few months ago he was a frivolous aristocrat who looked down on everyone, and now he had become first in the Grand Capital Camp Competition.

All of this was taught by King Wu.

When the Grand Capital Camp Competition ended, Zhu Yuanzhang was about to announce the rewards when a swift horseman galloped in from outside Yan Wu Chang.

The rider was covered in dust, with three Red Flags stuck into his back.

Eight Hundred Li Urgent! Eight Hundred Li Urgent!

The knight rushed to the foot of the viewing platform, rolled his saddle, fell from his horse, knelt and shouted, "His Majesty, urgent report from the Northern Frontier!"

The whole venue fell silent.

Zhu Yuanzhang said in a deep voice, "Speak!"

"King Wang Zhuan of Goryeo colluded with the fierce brother Tie Mu Er, the leader of the Jianzhou Southern Barbarians, mustered fifty thousand troops, and invaded our Great Ming's Guangning Town and Kaoyuan! The defending commander of Guangning fell in battle, Kaoyuan is besieged, and the situation is dire!"

"What!" The platform erupted in a clamor.

Zhu Yuanzhang's face turned ashen; he slapped the table and said, "What a Goryeo king, what a Nüzhen bandit! We haven't even gone after them, and they've already knocked on our door!"

Zhu Biao rose and said, "Imperial Father, we must dispatch reinforcements at once!"

Xu Da, Chang Yuchun and the other generals also rose, "We are willing to go!"

Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze swept the audience and fell on Zhu Yong, "Yong Er, are your troops ready? Do you dare to go into battle?"

Zhu Yong stepped forward, knelt on one knee and said, "Father, Longxiang Army will be the Vanguard, flatten Goryeo and sweep away the Nüzhen!"

Behind him, ten thousand Longxiang Army soldiers shouted in unison, "Flatten Goryeo! Sweep away the Nüzhen!"

The shout rang across the four directions.

A look of satisfaction flashed in Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, but he immediately said, "This battle is of great consequence; we must not underestimate the enemy, Xu Da!"

"I am here!" Xu Da stepped forward.

"I appoint you Grand General Zhenglu, to command one‑hundred‑and‑fifty thousand troops for the Northern Expedition against Goryeo and the Nüzhen," Zhu Yuanzhang said.

"I obey the decree!"

"Chang Yuchun, Deng Yu as Vice General."

"Obeyed!"

"Zhu Yong as Vanguard, leading the Longxiang Army forward."

"Obeyed!"

Zhu Yuanzhang turned to Zhu Biao and said, "Biao Er, you are in charge of Grain and Fodder Dispatch; there must be no mistake."

"Your servant obeys the command," Zhu Biao bowed.

After the arrangements were complete, Zhu Yuanzhang said to a knight, "Ride quickly to the Northern Frontier, tell the garrison that reinforcements are imminent, and have them hold out ten more days!"

"Yes!" the knight vaulted onto his horse and galloped away.

The atmosphere on Yan Wu Chang was grim and martial.

The celebratory mood of the earlier grand competition was swept away, replaced by the solemn gravity before battle.

Zhu Yong returned to the front of the Longxiang Army formation, looking at the ten thousand soldiers.

"Brothers, we have trained for a thousand days, but now we wield our troops in a single moment. In today's grand competition you displayed the might of the Longxiang Army. Yet the real test lies on the battlefield.

Goryeo and the Nüzhen have violated our borders, slain our soldiers, and besieged our cities. What do you say we should do?"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" the ten thousand shouted in unison.

Zhu Yong nodded, "Very well! We set out tomorrow, and let those barbarians see what the Great Ming Longxiang Army truly is!"

"Great Ming ten‑thousand victories, Longxiang ten‑thousand victories!"

On the viewing platform, Zhu Yuanzhang watched the scene, a complex expression flashing across his eyes.

Empress Ma whispered, "Zhong Ba, Yong Er is only sixteen…"

"What does being sixteen matter? When we were sixteen, cough… Yong Er is our son, the Wu King of Great Ming; the burdens that belong to him must be shouldered by him." Zhu Yuanzhang grasped her hand and said.

Zhu Biao also said, "Mother, rest assured; second brother knows his limits, and with Xu Shu and Chang Shu looking after him, nothing will go wrong."

Empress Ma sighed and fell silent.

She knew her son belonged on the battlefield, yet the previous incident had kept her awake for many nights, but what could be done about it.

The grand competition ended hastily, and each guard returned to camp to prepare for war.

Zhu Yong did not return to Wu Wang Fu, but went straight to the Longxiang Army's Military Camp.

Inside the Central Command Tent, Chang Mao, Zhang Wu, Chen Heng and other generals gathered.

"General, are we really going to fight Goryeo?" Chang Mao asked excitedly.

"Hmm! Goryeo comes from the east, the Nüzhen from the north, a two‑sided encirclement; our mission is to break the siege of Yuan, then link up with Xu Shu's main army and strike straight at the Goryeo royal capital."

"What about the Nüzhen?" Zhang Wu asked.

"The Nüzhen… we'll just wipe them out along the way," Zhu Yong said with a simple grin after finishing.

The generals' spirits were lifted.

This is just as the Wu King had said.

"Send the order down: the whole army must inspect its gear and set out at dawn tomorrow; tell the brothers that if we win this battle, everyone will be rewarded.

If we fail… I'll be the first to refuse," Zhu Yong said.

"Yes!" the generals commanded and departed.

Only Zhu Yong remained inside the tent.

He stepped outside the tent, watching the busy soldiers in the camp and the countless young faces.

These troops, he had trained for months, from being unable to stand steady to now obeying orders.

Now, they were about to go onto the battlefield.

The real battlefield is not a drill, not wooden swords and spears, but real blades and real guns, life and death.

But he was not worried.

He knew his troops.

"Second brother," Zhu Biao's voice called from behind.

Zhu Yong turned and said, "Elder brother."

Zhu Biao walked to his side, stood shoulder‑to‑shoulder looking at the camp and said, "On this trip, be extra careful."

"Mm, I know." Zhu Yong nodded.

"Goryeo King Wang Zhuan isn't a simple figure. Nüzhen Mengge Tiemuer is even more daring and battle‑savvy; he must not be taken lightly." Zhu Biao said.

"I won't underestimate them, but I won't fear them either." Zhu Yong chuckled.

Zhu Biao smiled, patted his younger brother's shoulder and said, "Good, that's the Zhu Biao I know as my brother. When you return victorious, the elder brother will hold a feast at Yingtian to celebrate you."

"Then I'll have to have a good feast." Zhu Yong laughed.

The two brothers looked at each other and smiled.

The setting sun sank in the west, stretching their shadows long.

Tomorrow, the Longxiang Army will set out on campaign.

And this war will open a new chapter on Great Ming's northeastern frontier.