Recaps

Zhu Ying reunited with Zhu Yunteng, Zhu Bai, and Zhu Quan, then assigned Zhu Bai to learn the Royal Bank and Zhu Quan to oversee military weapons production. He sent Zhu Yunteng to train for two years as an ordinary border soldier so he could prove himself worthy of marrying Yun Yu, then summoned several ministers to discuss an unstated matter.

• Zhu Ying reassured Zhu Yunteng that he had returned and asked Zhu Bai, Zhu Quan, and Zhu Yunteng to help him expand the Ming Dynasty.
• Zhu Ying appointed Zhu Bai as deputy manager of the Royal Bank under Zhao Mian, and Zhu Bai accepted the decree.
• Zhu Ying appointed Zhu Quan to oversee a military workshop producing weapons, and Zhu Quan accepted the responsibility.
• Zhu Yunteng asked Zhu Ying to help him marry Yun Yu, and Zhu Ying required him to serve under an assumed name in the Daning Border Army for two years.
• Zhu Ying sent Zhu Yunteng to the Wang Wei camp for five days of body-tempering training before his departure for the Northern Frontier.
• Liu Lei reported that the Minister of Revenue, the Minister of Works, and two officials connected to salt had arrived, and Zhu Ying invited them into the hall.

Zhu Ying ordered Fine Salt to be distributed affordably and consolidated the weapon bureaus into a new Armaments Workshop. At the Imperial Guard Camp, he demonstrated several advanced weapons, then prepared to test the Red-Clad Cannon and Explosive Shells.

• Zhu Ying set Fine Salt's price at twice that of Coarse Salt and ordered the salt-making craftsmen to help the Salt Bureau distribute it throughout the realm.
• Zhu Ying merged the Baoyuan Bureau and Ordnance Bureau into the Armaments Workshop, placing it under Prince Ning's management and direct imperial oversight.
• Zhu Ying brought Qin Da and others to the Imperial Guard Camp to inspect his new weapons, where Luo Chao's Composite Bow proved powerful yet easy to draw.
• Zhu Ying demonstrated Flintlock Muskets, which fired without match cords, and Fire Chariots, which launched volleys of giant crossbow bolts with gunpowder.
• Zhu Ying announced the final test of the Red-Clad Cannon and Explosive Shells, weapons he expected to transform artillery and siege warfare.

Zhu Ying demonstrated the new Red-Clad Cannons and Explosive Shells, stunning the generals with their range and destructive power, then placed weapons production under Zhu Quan and imposed strict security on the craftsmen. Guo Zhen reported the test to Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao and brought them a Flintlock Musket and Composite Bow to inspect.

• Zhu Ying ordered two Red-Clad Cannons to fire Explosive Shells, which traveled nearly two hundred zhang and blasted enormous craters into the testing ground.
• Zhu Ying warned the craftsmen to protect the weapons’ secrets, promised them wealth and status, and forbade them and their descendants from leaving Yingtian.
• Zhu Ying assigned Zhu Quan to establish the Armaments Workshop and mass-produce weapons, while telling Qin Da he would entrust him with matters concerning the people’s livelihood.
• Zhu Yuanzhang summoned Guo Zhen, who explained the new smokeless gunpowder, the Red-Clad Cannons’ range, and the Explosive Shells’ power.
• Guo Zhen presented Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao with a Flintlock Musket and a Composite Bow, leaving Zhu Yuanzhang surprised by their appearance.

Zhu Yuanzhang approved Zhu Ying’s weapons and policies after learning about the Flintlock Musket, Composite Bow, fine salt, and government appointments, while the Imperial Guard uncovered Lu Ben’s plot to spread smallpox. At the Grandson’s Mansion, Huai West generals asked about equipping the army with new weapons, and Xu Huizu questioned whether Zhu Ying planned to reform the military.

• Guo Zhen demonstrated the Composite Bow and Flintlock Musket to Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao, who praised Zhu Ying’s abilities and discussed the weapons’ military potential.
• Yu Xin and Qin Da reported Zhu Ying’s plans for affordable fine salt, a new Military Workshop overseen by Prince Ning, and Prince Xiang’s appointment as Lord Zhao’s deputy; Zhu Yuanzhang approved the policies and told the ministers to follow Zhu Ying’s direction.
• Jiang Yan reported that Lu Ben’s former steward and deathsworn agents had planned to spread smallpox, and Zhu Yuanzhang ordered their execution and rewarded the Imperial Guards who arrested them.
• Lan Yu, Chang Mao, Xu Huizu, Li Jinglong, and other generals visited Zhu Ying and asked when the new weapons would reach the army; Zhu Ying said Explosive Shells could be distributed before the Red-Clad Cannon was mass-produced.
• Xu Huizu asked Zhu Ying whether he intended to begin reforming the army.

Zhu Ying revealed plans to reorganize the Ming military into three great camps and travel north to establish a capital, while reforms in Ying Tian brought new goods, affordable fine salt, and concrete roads. After learning that the Northern Yuan had fallen and its successor tribes had settled, Zhu Ying prepared to build a lasting foothold in the Northern Frontier and eventually lead an army north.

• Zhu Ying presented a 500,000-strong military reorganization plan built around the Divine Machine Battalion, Cavalry Battle Camp, and Offense and Defense Camp, and the assembled generals agreed to accompany him north.
• Zhu Ying’s Royal Industry products spread through Ying Tian, and salt shops began selling affordable fine salt to ordinary people instead of Coarse Salt.
• Qin Da reported that cement and concrete had been successfully developed, and Zhu Ying ordered road construction to begin in Ying Tian Prefecture under a division of responsibilities among the Ministry of Works, treasury, and local offices.
• Zhu Yuanzhang told Zhu Ying that Xu Miaojin, Mu Ya, and Li Qingchen had given birth, then shared news that the Northern Yuan had been destroyed and the Tatars, Oirats, and Uriankhai had settled into power.
• Zhu Ying explained that he would build fortresses and small cities across the Northern Frontier, use the Northern Yuan Emperor to command the feudal lords, and take officials, generals, and Royal Industry teams north with him.

Zhu Ying arrived in Beiping to begin preparations for making it a secondary capital and eventually relocating the Ming court north. At the border, Zhu Yunteng heard veteran Chen Songning recount his service under Zhu Ying, strengthening his resolve to become a soldier worthy of his elder brother.

• Zhu Ying told Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao that he would move the southern government’s institutions and industries north and begin building a new capital in Beiping.
• Zhu Yunteng patrolled the Daning frontier with his unit, where Commander Chen Songning urged the recruits to defend the Ming Dynasty and told them about the danger of past raids.
• Chen Songning revealed that he had lost his left forearm fighting beside Zhu Ying, had refused retirement and promotion, and had chosen to remain in the Daning Border Army.
• Zhu Yunteng reflected on the veterans’ trust in Zhu Ying and vowed to follow his elder brother’s example as a Ming soldier.
• Zhu Ying entered Beiping, announced plans to establish it as a secondary capital, and said the city would be replanned with compensation for residents who suffered losses.
• Zhu Ying’s party, including officials, military officers, Royal Industry personnel, and Royal Bank personnel, proceeded into Beiping to begin duplicating the southern administration and building the capital’s institutions.

Zhu Ying began preparing to make Beiping the Ming Dynasty’s future capital while reorganizing its northern armies, as Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao secured the success of Tanding Rumou and announced two further tax reforms. The chapter left Zhu Yuanzhang wondering how Zhu Ying was faring in the north, where the new banks, industries, and military reforms were already advancing.

• Zhu Ying ordered the dismissal of the former Prince of Yan’s Manor servants, reassured Zhang Yu that his position was safe, and asked Guo Zi to help establish Beiping as the future capital.
• Zhu Ying told Guo Zi and Zhang Yu that he would reorganize troops from several northern regions and rebuild the army.
• Yu Xin reported that the first harvest under Tanding Rumou had produced tax revenue six or seven times higher than usual, and Zhu Yuanzhang permanently established the policy.
• Zhu Biao announced Zhu Ying’s Fire Loss to Public and Commercial Tax Reform policies, and Zhu Yuanzhang ordered their implementation.
• Zhu Biao told Zhu Yuanzhang that banks and Royal Industry had spread through the north and more than a hundred thousand troops had been reorganized.
• Zhu Biao told Zhu Yuanzhang that Yun Yu was more than five months pregnant, and Zhu Yuanzhang said Yu'er had arranged for her to receive care.

On patrol at the Daning border, Zhu Yunteng spotted hidden Tartars, and Commander Chen led the soldiers in defeating them. A captive revealed that several thousand Tartars had infiltrated the frontier, leaving Commander Chen to warn Zhu Yunteng that mercy on the battlefield could be fatal.

• Commander Chen told the patrol that the Daning Border Army's pay would more than double and that martial competitions would bring additional rewards.
• Zhu Yunteng spotted movement in the northern grass, and Commander Chen led the soldiers forward in formation to investigate.
• The soldiers discovered dozens of concealed Tartars and killed them without suffering casualties; Zhu Yunteng killed three enemies in his first battle.
• Commander Chen executed two captives who refused to speak, then questioned the last one, who revealed that several thousand Tartars had infiltrated the Northern Frontier.
• Commander Chen allowed the surviving Tatar to flee, then had soldiers kill him with crossbows and warned Zhu Yunteng not to show mercy on the battlefield.

Zhu Ying learned that the Tatars and three Jianzhou Tatar tribes planned to invade the Ming Dynasty, and he ordered a Northern Expedition to defeat them and establish fortified supply lines across the grasslands. He prepared to lead the new army north, with the campaign’s success depending on swift support from Yingtian.

• Zhu Ying ordered An Tong to recruit more craftsmen and accelerate construction of Beiping’s new capital and its four military camps.
• Liu Lei brought Zhu Ying urgent news from Daning that the Tatars had allied with three Jianzhou Tatar tribes and were preparing to invade.
• Zhu Ying gathered Lan Yu, Xu Huizu, Chang Mao, Li Jinglong, and the other generals, who agreed to use the newly organized army to test its strength against the enemy.
• Zhu Ying ordered the army to target the Jianzhou Tatars first and directed Li Jinglong to build cement-and-concrete strongholds along the grasslands’ supply routes.
• Zhu Ying ordered the Cavalry Battle Camp to advance ahead of the Divine Machine Battalion and Infantry Battalion, declared that he would lead the troops, and sent an urgent request to Yingtian for grain, fodder, cannon shells, and weapons.

The Jianzhou chieftain Shijianu persuaded the Haixi and Donghai tribes to join the Tatar tribe in a campaign against the Ming, while Zhu Yuanzhang mobilized supplies and weapons after receiving news of the threat. At Daning, Zhu Ying assembled a 200,000-strong army and prepared to march into the Northern Frontier.

• Shijianu’s infiltration plan failed after Ming border patrols discovered his men, and he urged his generals to unite with the Tatar tribe against the Ming.
• Shijianu persuaded some Haixi and Donghai leaders with promises of Liaodong and other conquered lands, then pledged 100,000 Jianzhou warriors to the campaign.
• A messenger reported the Tatar threat to Zhu Yuanzhang, who ordered provisions, cement, and weapons prepared for war.
• Zhu Ying reunited with Zhang Wu, Chen Heng, and other Northern Frontier generals at Daning and reviewed their reorganized troops.
• Zhu Ying declared that his forces totaled 200,000 and ordered them to prepare to march into the Northern Frontier.

Zhu Ying prepared Daning’s defenses as a massive Tatar army and its Jurchen allies advanced against the Ming Dynasty. As the enemy arrived outside the city, he readied his forces to defend the border and crush them in battle.

• Zhu Ying learned that the Tatars and the Three Jurchen Tribes of Jianzhou had divided their forces to attack Daning and Liaodong, and he ordered the Ming armies to meet them.
• Banyashili and Arutai led nearly four hundred thousand Tatar troops toward Daning, confident that their alliance could defeat the Ming and restore the Great Yuan.
• Zhu Ying ordered Daning’s gates closed and assigned the First Infantry Battalion to defend the walls while reserves and artillery awaited orders.
• Zhu Ying instructed Chen Heng to fire Daning’s stored shells without restraint and directed Li Jinglong to prepare roads and supplies for a campaign into the grasslands.
• As the Tatar army approached Daning, Zhu Ying and his generals watched from the walls and prepared for battle.

Zhu Ying rallied the Ming defenders as Banyashili and Arutai launched a Tatar assault on the border city. The Ming artillery, archers, and Zhu Ying’s divine archery devastated the attackers, forcing them to withdraw for the day as they prepared a fiercer attack for tomorrow.

• Zhu Ying rallied the soldiers and ordered Lan Yu, Xu Huizu, Chang Mao, and Li Jinglong to prepare their forces for battle.
• Arutai led the Tatar vanguard toward the city while Banyashili commanded from the rear.
• Chen Heng ordered the Ming artillery to fire, and cannon shells and arrows inflicted heavy losses on the advancing Yuan Army.
• Zhu Ying shot down Tatar officers and generals, and his attribute and lifespan notifications resumed after nearly three years away from battle.
• Arutai warned Banyashili that Zhu Ying was defending the city, and Banyashili ordered the Yuan Army to withdraw and attack again tomorrow.

Zhu Ying returned the Northern Yuan Emperor to the Tatar camp, forcing Banyashili and Arutai to accept him while they planned to control him and use his legitimacy. The Tatars launched a two-sided assault on Daning Prefecture’s border city, but Ming defenses held firm as Zhu Ying prepared his 80,000 cavalrymen to deploy.

• A Tatar scout report confirmed Zhu Ying was at the Ming border city, and Arutai and Banyashili planned a two-sided attack to capture him and obtain the Ming method for making cannons.
• Ming envoys left the Northern Yuan Emperor and several dozen former ministers at the Tatar camp, forcing Banyashili and Arutai to welcome the emperor rather than risk provoking the grassland tribes.
• Arutai advised Banyashili to keep the emperor under control and use his legitimacy to unite the grasslands, and Banyashili agreed to receive him as a potential asset.
• Zhu Ying told Chen Heng that the emperor’s return would sow conflict among the Tatars, then ordered preparations for the expected full-scale assault; he also instructed Liu Lei to ready the 80,000 cavalrymen.
• The next morning, Arutai divided the Tatar army between attacks on the city’s northern and southern sides, but Ming cannons and arrows held them back through hours of fighting.
• As the battered Tatar army still failed to breach the city, Lan Yu reported that the 80,000 Cavalry Battle Camp soldiers were standing by for deployment.

Zhu Ying led the Great Ming cavalry out of Daning’s border city as the Yuan Army withdrew, turning its retreat into a rout. As the Ming forces crushed the Yuan formations, Zhu Ying ordered the Golden Eagle to track Banyashili’s banner and continued pursuing a decisive victory.

• After suffering heavy casualties without capturing the city, Banyashili ordered the Yuan Army to withdraw from the attack.
• Zhu Ying rode out through the opened city gates with Liu Lei’s three thousand Wang Wei cavalry and Lan Yu’s eighty thousand Cavalry Battle Camp riders.
• Zhu Ying and the Ming cavalry struck the fleeing Yuan troops, killing many and shattering their retreat formation.
• Banyashili withdrew under the protection of his Royal Court guards while Arutai ordered the rear ranks to form up and counterattack.
• Zhu Ying commanded the Golden Eagle to track Banyashili’s King’s Banner and led the Ming soldiers onward in pursuit.

Zhu Ying led the Ming cavalry in breaking Arutai’s Yuan Army formation, forcing the surviving troops to surrender or retreat. He then pursued Banyashili to the Tatar camp and hurled a spear through the Great Khan’s chest, leaving his fate at the brink.

• Arutai ordered the Yuan archers to fire into the charging Ming cavalry, but Zhu Ying and Lan Yu’s forces broke through the formation and devastated the Yuan Army.
• Arutai ordered the rear ranks to withdraw while the front ranks held off Zhu Ying, but the Ming cavalry surrounded the remaining troops and forced them to surrender.
• Zhu Ying ordered Lan Yu to pursue the fleeing Yuan forces, then led the King's Banner after Banyashili and the Tatar Great Khan.
• Banyashili reached the Tatar camp and ordered its defenders to prepare, but Zhu Ying led a Long Serpent Assault through the camp’s defenses.
• Zhu Ying hurled a short spear through the Yuan soldiers’ shields and pierced Banyashili’s chest.

Zhu Ying killed Banyashili, shattered the Yuan Army’s invasion, and captured its main camp. He ordered the army to march north and planned to draw Arutai into a decisive battle using Great Ming’s modern weapons.

• Zhu Ying killed Banyashili with a spear thrust, broke through 8,000 points in all attributes, and rallied the Royal Guards to attack the fleeing Yuan soldiers.
• Lan Yu arrived with tens of thousands of cavalry, and Ming forces took the Yuan Army’s main camp after its troops routed.
• Zhu Ying ordered captured prisoners sent to build roads, supplies used to feed the soldiers, and wounded and fallen Ming soldiers given care and compensation.
• Zhu Ying ordered Banyashili’s head sent to Yingtian and his body delivered to Arutai with a declaration of war, confident Arutai would fight rather than retreat.
• Zhu Ying ordered the army to march north and called for more troops and weapons, planning to use artillery, Explosive Shells, Fire Chariots, and Flintlock Muskets in the coming battle.

Zhu Ying cultivated to convert his remaining Internal Breath into Internal Force while his army secured the Tatar camp. After Banyashili’s headless body reached Arutai’s camp with Zhu Ying’s challenge, Arutai was pressured into agreeing to fight the Ming Army in a direct confrontation.

• Zhu Ying reviewed his Attribute Panel, then used two Low-grade Spirit Stones to cultivate the final conversion of his Internal Breath into Internal Force.
• The Ming Army took control of the Tatar camp, seized its supplies, and began transferring surrendered soldiers toward the Ming heartland.
• Arutai learned that the Great Khan had died, then recognized Banyashili’s headless body when it was delivered outside the Tatar camp.
• A wounded soldier delivered Zhu Ying’s challenge, which offered the Tatars a direct battle or the loss of Banyashili’s head.
• Arutai questioned why Zhu Ying would give up the Ming Army’s defensive advantage, but the Tatar generals and soldiers demanded battle to avenge their Great Khan.
• Arutai agreed to meet the Ming Army, while Lan Yu asked Liu Lei whether Zhu Ying had emerged after three days.

Zhu Ying converted all his Internal Breath into internal force, emerged from seclusion, and prepared to lead Great Ming’s Northern Expedition against the Tatars. News then reached Ying Tian of his victory over the Tatar army and the death of Banyashili, prompting Zhu Yuanzhang to mobilize the court for war.

• Zhu Ying transformed his Internal Breath into innate internal force, opened his Ren Du Meridian, and received a Tier 3 treasure chest reward.
• Zhu Ying emerged from seclusion, learned that Great Ming’s troops were deployed at the border, and ordered the generals to prepare for battle as Tatar forces advanced.
• Dispatch riders announced that Zhu Ying had defeated the Tatar army, killed Banyashili, and taken tens of thousands of prisoners.
• Zhu Yuanzhang celebrated the victory, ordered Banyashili’s banner stored in the treasury, and instructed the ministries to prepare supplies, weapons, and reserve troops for the Northern Expedition.
• Zhu Biao supported Zhu Ying’s campaign, and Zhu Yuanzhang assigned him to oversee the court’s wartime preparations.

Zhu Ying’s Ming army unleashed its new artillery and Fire Chariots against Arutai’s advancing Yuan forces, devastating their formation before they could reach the Ming lines. With the Yuan army in chaos, Zhu Ying ordered two more artillery volleys before leading the attack.

• Zhu Ying and Chang Mao prepared the Divine Machine Battalion’s cannons, Explosive Shells, and Fire Chariots as both armies formed up on the northern frontier.
• Arutai ordered the Yuan army to advance and outflank the Ming formation after scouts reported that the Ming artillery was moving forward.
• Zhu Ying ordered the Ming artillery to fire when the Yuan army came within fifty zhang, and the first volleys inflicted enormous casualties and broke the Yuan formation.
• Chang Mao ordered the Fire Chariots to launch giant arrows at Yuan troops who pushed through the artillery’s firing line, killing many more soldiers.
• Liu Lei marveled at the artillery’s destructive power, and Zhu Ying ordered two more rounds of fire before advancing; Arutai watched the battle in shock.

Zhu Ying’s artillery shattered Arutai’s Yuan Army, allowing the Ming forces to launch a devastating pursuit across the grasslands. Arutai tried to escape, then turned to fight when Zhu Ying and the King's Banner Guards caught up with him.

• Arutai’s vanguard and central ranks were devastated by the Ming Army’s Explosive Shells and Red-Clad Cannons, throwing the Yuan Army into disorder.
• Zhu Ying led the Cavalry Battle Camp into the routed army while Xu Huizu’s infantry advanced and Chang Mao redirected the artillery to fire beyond the Ming troops.
• Arutai ordered a retreat as the Yuan Army collapsed, but Zhu Ying and the Ming forces pursued and slaughtered the fleeing soldiers.
• With the Golden Eagle tracking Arutai, Zhu Ying and three thousand King's Banner Guards caught up with his remaining escort.
• Arutai stopped and ordered his soldiers to engage the pursuers, but Zhu Ying killed the Yuan soldiers charging him with Torrential Pear Blossoms.

Zhu Ying slew Arutai and led the Ming forces to victory over the Yuan Army, then ordered plans to secure and settle the Northern Frontier. After opening his battlefield treasure chests, he obtained an Earth Tier High-grade Frosty Sword and other rewards.

• Zhu Ying charged through Arutai’s guards and beheaded him after refusing his offer to surrender.
• Zhu Ying ordered the Ming troops to take Yuan prisoners, and the army encircled the defeated forces through the night.
• Zhu Ying discussed building strongholds across the frontier and recruiting workers and settlers to secure the newly conquered territory.
• Zhu Ying counted and opened his treasure chests, gaining military techniques, cultivation methods, practical formulas, and a Frosty Sword.

Zhu Ying mastered the Frosty Sword’s competing life and death intents and began cultivating a new martial skill. Meanwhile, Zhu Yunteng was promoted for his battlefield service, met Zhu Ying in the command tent, and learned that Yun Yu had given birth to his son.

• Zhu Ying summoned the Frosty Sword, suppressed its Heart Sword and Demon Sword intents, and claimed the weapon as his own.
• Zhu Ying extracted and began cultivating the Blazing Sun Dragon Fist.
• Zhu Yunteng was confirmed to have killed thirty-two enemies and a Yuan Army commander of ten thousand, so he was promoted to Thousand-Household Commander.
• Xiao Han summoned Zhu Yunteng and Chen Song to meet Zhu Ying, who welcomed his former comrade and praised Zhu Yunteng’s service in the army.
• Zhu Ying revealed Zhu Yunteng’s identity to Chen Song and told him that Yun Yu had given birth to his son.

Zhu Ying prepared his forces to pursue the defeated Yuan army and expand the Ming frontier, while arranging for Joseon to help defend Liaodong against the Jurchens. He left Yao Guangxiao in command of the Northern Frontier as the Northern Expedition began.

• Zhu Ying gave Zhu Yunteng cultivation supplies, ordered Liu Lei to provide Chen Song with pills, and told both men to rest before the next day’s military business.
• Xu Huizu urged a Northern Expedition after the Tatar defeat, while Lan Yu warned that the Jurchens still threatened Liaodong; Zhu Ying decided to deal with the Tatars before turning to the Jurchens.
• Yao Guangxiao proposed ordering Joseon to attack the Three Jurchen Tribes, and Zhu Ying used a pre-stamped blank imperial edict to command Yi Seong-gye to send troops north.
• After Li Jinglong reported captured horses, prisoners, and losses caused by feigned surrenders, Zhu Ying ordered stricter handling of surrendering enemies and assigned the Cavalry Battle Camp, Infantry Battalion, and Divine Machine Battalion their roles.
• Zhu Ying gave Yao Guangxiao the Heavenly Sword and authority over the Northern Frontier, then ordered the army to begin the Northern Expedition.

Zhu Yuanzhang celebrated Zhu Ying’s victories on the Northern Frontier, approved plans to settle prisoners and move Han settlers north, and ordered Joseon to attack the Jianzhou Jurchen tribes. He revealed Zhu Ying’s longevity medicines to the court and offered them as rewards for meritorious service, leaving the officials eager to serve.

• A messenger reported that Zhu Ying’s forces had routed the Tatar Yuan Army, captured tens of thousands, and killed Arutai, prompting Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao to celebrate.
• Zhu Yuanzhang ordered ministers to register and transport captured prisoners for construction work, and approved relocating poor, landless Han people to the Northern Frontier with tax exemptions and loans.
• Liu Jing reported that Zhu Ying had issued Joseon an imperial order to attack the Three Jurchen Tribes of Jianzhou, and Zhu Yuanzhang warned that he would punish Joseon if it refused.
• Zhu Yuanzhang told the court that a Longevity Pill from Zhu Ying had rejuvenated him and that he and Zhu Biao had taken it.
• Zhu Yuanzhang displayed spirit stones, Spirit Pills, and a Longevity Pill, promising rewards to officials who served the Ming Dynasty with merit.
• After court, Zhu Yuanzhang told Zhu Biao that the medicines would motivate officials who valued longer life for themselves and their relatives.

Yi Seong-gye obeyed Ming Dynasty’s order to send troops against the Three Jurchen Tribes of Jianzhou, then learned that Zhu Xiongying had crushed the Tatar invasion. Meanwhile, Fang Xiaoru oversaw the registration and distribution of Tatar prisoners as Ming forces built fortified strongholds across the Northern Frontier Steppe.

• Yi Seong-gye ordered eighty thousand Korean troops to march against the Three Jurchen Tribes of Jianzhou, deciding that defying Ming Dynasty would be more dangerous.
• A courier reported that Zhu Xiongying had killed Banyashili and Arutai, destroyed the four-hundred-thousand-strong Tatar army, and launched a Northern Expedition, leaving Yi Seong-gye and his ministers shocked.
• Ming soldiers brought thousands of Tatar prisoners to Daning Prefecture, where clerks recorded them and officials branded slave marks on their foreheads before distributing them to other prefectures.
• Fang Xiaoru supervised the prisoner registrations and warned General Wu to guard the captives carefully, noting that more than seventy thousand slaves had already been escorted away.
• Ming logistics engineering battalions built concrete strongholds across the steppe to secure supplies, support the advance, and enable future settlement.