Recaps

Zhu Ying’s forces killed Aha Chu and devastated the Jianzhou Tatar tribal court before withdrawing. Agunu returned to find the camp in ruins and learned that Zhu Ying had beheaded the tribal chief.

• Zhu Ying beheaded Aha Chu, then led his soldiers through the tribal court, killing Tatars and setting tents ablaze as they carved their way out.
• At dawn, the surviving Tatars mourned their dead and tried to rescue the wounded amid the destroyed camp and ongoing fires.
• Agunu returned with his troops and realized Zhu Ying had drawn the Tatar forces away from the tribal court before attacking it.
• A bloodied centurion told Agunu that Zhu Ying had beheaded Aha Chu and that fewer than five hundred of the tribal chief’s guards had survived.
• Agunu rushed to the remains of the main tent and saw Aha Chu’s headless corpse as the surviving Tatars wept around it.

Agunu mourned Aha Chu and arranged for Shijianu to succeed him as tribal chief, while Zhu Ying rested his troops after destroying the Tatar tribal court and received a Red-Clad Cannon blueprint from a treasure chest. The chapter ended with Ming forces bombarding Kaiyuan City, the Northern Yuan stronghold in Liaodong.

• Agunu blamed the guards for Aha Chu’s death, swore vengeance against Zhu Ying, and sent for Eldest Prince Shijianu to take over as tribal chief.
• Zhu Ying halted his troops after their forced march, checked his improved attributes, and opened a Tier 1 treasure chest that contained a complete blueprint catalog for a Yellow Tier Mid-grade Red-Clad Cannon.
• Zhu Ying approved sending the battle report by carrier pigeon and told his commanders that he would take the troops home after they rested.
• Ming artillery crews fired several hundred cannons at Kaiyuan City, striking and killing Yuan soldiers with solid shot.

Lan Yu led the Ming Army’s assault on Kaiyuan City, while Harazhang feared the battle-tested invaders despite his city’s defenses. As Feng Sheng assigned the next attacks and urged the generals to fulfill Zhu Yuanzhang’s decree, an urgent dispatch from the Northern Frontier arrived for Bu Wan.

• Lan Yu ordered a probing assault on Kaiyuan City, and the Ming troops withdrew after facing fierce fire from Harazhang’s defenders.
• Harazhang warned his deputy that Lan Yu’s skill and the Yuan Court’s internal weakness made Great Yuan’s position dangerous.
• Feng Sheng heard Lan Yu’s report and learned that Fu Youde had moved his troops to Jin Prefecture as the Ming Army split its forces between two routes.
• Lan Yu assigned Chang Mao to lead the vanguard and Hu Hai to serve as the second vanguard, then promised Feng Sheng he would take Kaiyuan City within half a month.
• A guard brought an urgent Northern Frontier dispatch by carrier pigeon addressed to Bu Wan, and Feng Sheng looked toward him with delight.

Feng Sheng read Zhu Ying’s battle report and learned that he had raided the Jianzhou Tatars’ tribal court and killed their chieftain. Impressed by Zhu Ying’s achievements, Feng Sheng ordered an urgent memorial sent to Yingtian seeking rewards for him.

• Bu Wan presented Zhu Ying’s battle report to Feng Sheng and explained that Zhu Ying had not known Feng Sheng was overseeing Daning’s military affairs.
• Feng Sheng read that Zhu Ying had entered Jianzhou Tatar territory with a small cavalry force, raided the tribal court, killed its chieftain, and inflicted heavy losses.
• The generals in the tent reacted with shock, while Lan Yu dismissed Zhu Ying’s success as luck and Zhang Yu considered informing Prince about him.
• Bu Wan urged Feng Sheng to report Zhu Ying’s achievements, and Feng Sheng agreed to personally seek rewards for him.
• Feng Sheng ordered his personal guard commander to send an urgent report to the emperor in Yingtian detailing Zhu Ying’s accomplishments.

Bu Wan and Feng Sheng praised Zhu Ying’s victories and prepared to reward him, while Lan Yu sought merit by promising to capture Kaiyuan City within ten days. Bu Wan then warned Chen Heng and Liu Zhen to keep their dealings with the Huai West generals strictly professional as the campaign continued.

• Feng Sheng praised Zhu Ying’s achievements and said he would meet him personally when he returned.
• Lan Yu requested permission to raid Kaiyuan City, and Feng Sheng let him lead the attack while promising merit to whoever captured a city first.
• Bu Wan, Chen Heng, and Liu Zhen celebrated the Daning Border Army’s growing reputation and praised Zhu Ying’s leadership and military record.
• Bu Wan noted that Zhu Ying’s achievements had earned him a Hereditary County Baron title and the Emperor’s attention.
• Bu Wan warned Chen Heng and Liu Zhen not to form private ties with the Huai West generals, whom he considered arrogant and politically dangerous.

Zhu Di and Yao Guangxiao discussed Zhu Ying’s remarkable campaign and the Emperor’s plans to cultivate new generals. In Yingtian, Feng Sheng’s report revealed that Zhu Ying had killed the Jianzhou Tatar chieftain, stunning the assembled court as they awaited Zhu Yuanzhang’s decision on his reward.

• Zhu Di read a secret report detailing Zhu Ying’s victories against the Jianzhou Tatars, and Yao Guangxiao said Zhu Ying could become one of the Ming Dynasty’s foremost generals.
• Zhu Di realized Zhu Ying’s rise suited Zhu Yuanzhang’s desire to develop generals who could replace the Huai West commanders, and he wished Zhu Ying served in Beiping.
• Yao Guangxiao asked Zhu Di to obtain Zhu Ying’s birth date and eight characters so he could divine whether Zhu Ying might serve him in the future.
• Zhu Biao and the ministers discussed the Liaodong campaign and plans to restore governance and protect the people after the war.
• Yun Qi read Feng Sheng’s memorial stating that the Ming army had launched a two-pronged attack on Naha Chu and reporting that Zhu Ying had raided the Tatar tribal court and beheaded chieftain Aha Chu.
• The court fell silent after hearing of Zhu Ying’s achievements, while Feng Sheng’s request for a reward awaited Zhu Yuanzhang’s decision.

After Zhu Ying’s victories against the Tatars, Zhu Biao praised his achievements and arranged a promotion and rewards, leaving Zhu Ying’s unusual enlistment and Zhu Yunteng’s behavior as questions in the Eastern Palace.

• Zhu Biao and Zhu Yuanzhang praised Zhu Ying for killing the Tatar chieftain and breaching the tribal seat, with Zhu Biao comparing him to the Marquis of Victory.
• Zhu Biao proposed promoting Zhu Ying to Commander of the Thousand Households, placing him in command of ten thousand troops, and granting him gold, armor, a sword, and a bow; Zhu Yuanzhang approved.
• Zhu Biao wrote and sealed the decree himself, then ordered an official to send it to the Ministry of War for dispatch to Liaodong.
• Zhu Biao wondered why Zhu Ying, whose registered hometown was Beiping Prefecture, had enlisted in Daning Prefecture.
• Lu clan arrived with Zhu Yunwen and chicken soup; after learning that Zhu Yunteng had secluded himself and repeatedly missed the Imperial Academy, Zhu Biao listened as Lu clan explained his behavior.

Zhu Biao summoned Zhu Yunteng and rebuked him for missing lessons at the Imperial Academy, while favoring Zhu Yunwen’s diligence. Zhu Yunteng returned to his residence feeling abandoned and afraid that he would keep being bullied.

• Zhu Biao ordered Zhu Yunteng summoned, while Lu clan’s trusted maid warned Yun Yu to keep quiet about the late Crown Princess Consort.
• Zhu Yunteng entered the main hall trembling and explained little when Zhu Biao questioned him about missing Imperial Academy lessons.
• Zhu Biao ordered Lu clan to ensure Zhu Yunteng attended lessons and praised Zhu Yunwen for studying diligently.
• Zhu Biao questioned Lu clan about her visit to Lu Mansion and cautioned her against being misled into illegal dealings by merchants.
• Zhu Yunteng returned to Yun Yu in tears and asked whether he would keep being bullied, saying that his father did not like him.

Zhu Yunteng grieved over the family members he had lost while Yun Yu comforted him, and the Lu clan ordered Rong Lan to keep him under surveillance. In Liaodong, Fu Youde’s Ming forces struggled to take Jinzhou City until tens of thousands of Yuan cavalry suddenly charged a patrol west of the city.

• Zhu Yunteng blamed himself for his mother's death and believed he had brought misfortune upon his grandmother and elder brother, while Yun Yu urged him to live on.
• The Lu clan told Rong Lan to watch Zhu Yunteng closely and deal with Yun Yu if she became troublesome.
• Fu Youde’s army bombarded Jinzhou City and launched repeated assaults, but the Yuan defenders held firm and inflicted heavy casualties.
• Fu Youde ordered his troops to withdraw and sought a way to breach Jinzhou City’s gates rather than continue wasting soldiers in direct attacks.
• A Ming patrol west of Jinzhou City formed ranks after hearing approaching hoofbeats, then saw tens of thousands of Yuan cavalry bearing down on them.

Zhu Ying returned to Ming territory with nearly three thousand battered cavalrymen and thousands of captured horses after their campaign in the Northern Frontier. He and his soldiers reached Liaodong, where the Ming army recognized their victories and welcomed them home.

• Thousand Commander Wu Xiong recognized the approaching Ming battle banner and ordered his soldiers not to fire.
• Wu Xiong identified the returning force as Zhu Ying’s garrison battalion and sent word to General Fu.
• Zhu Ying stopped the charging horses near the Ming formation and rode forward to meet Wu Xiong.
• Wu Xiong saluted Zhu Ying and confirmed that they had reached Jincheng in Liaodong.
• Zhu Ying called to his brothers that he had brought them home, and nearly three thousand cavalrymen gathered behind him.

Zhu Ying and his surviving soldiers returned from months of bloody fighting on the Northern Frontier, grieving for the comrades who could not come home. At the campaign camp, Fu Youde personally went to welcome Zhu Ying and regarded him with respect.

• Zhu Ying led his soldiers home while they mourned their fallen comrades and carried their remains.
• Thousand Commander Wu Xiong and his thousand soldiers formed ranks to welcome the Daning Garrison Battalion with cries of “O soul, return.”
• After learning Zhu Ying had reached Jincheng, Fu Youde ordered him summoned, then decided to welcome him in person.
• Zhu Ying arrived at the logistics camp and learned that the high-ranking general waiting there was Fu Youde.
• Fu Youde and the assembled generals saw Zhu Ying covered in blood and grime, and recognized the hardship he had endured.

Zhu Ying returned from the Northern Frontier with nearly three thousand battle-hardened soldiers, and Fu Youde praised their service and promised to report their merits to the court. Zhu Ying secured Fu Youde’s commitment to compensate the families of 1,578 fallen soldiers, then presented proof of the army’s victories for an official tally.

• Fu Youde welcomed Zhu Ying and praised him and his soldiers for surviving their campaign deep in Tatar territory.
• Fu Youde promised to report the soldiers’ military achievements to Yingtian and have them rewarded by His Majesty.
• Zhu Ying presented the bloodstained roster of 1,578 fallen soldiers and asked Fu Youde to secure compensation for their families.
• Fu Youde accepted the roster and pledged to personally submit it to the court without allowing the soldiers’ compensation to be withheld.
• Fu Youde ordered the Chief Pacification Commissioner to record the army’s merits, and Zhu Ying presented the head of Aha Chu, chieftain of the Jianzhou Tatars.
• Zhu Ying’s soldiers produced packs full of enemy ears as evidence of their victories, shocking the gathered commanders.

Zhu Ying’s four-thousand-man force returned with over twenty-three thousand Tatar kills, and Fu Youde rewarded the soldiers after they recorded their merits. The chapter ended with the assembled generals falling silent as Fu Youde asked what they thought of Zhu Ying’s extraordinary results.

• Fu Youde ordered the soldiers to record the officers’ and men’s battle merits as they presented their spoils.
• Zhang Wu claimed Zhu Ying had personally killed at least eight hundred Tatars, and Fu Youde praised him.
• Fu Youde ordered new uniforms, meat, and flatbread for Zhu Ying’s troops and told them to rest before a surprise the next day.
• Zhu Ying led his men to set down their comrades’ remains, wash, and change into clean uniforms.
• Zhu Ying checked his attribute panel and considered how his strength and physique would let him survive overwhelming odds.
• The Metropolitan Commander reported over twenty-three thousand Tatar kills and losses of just over fifteen hundred among Zhu Ying’s four thousand men, leaving Fu Youde’s generals unable to respond.

Zhu Ying returned to camp, where Fu Youde revealed an imperial edict granting him a hereditary County Baron title and a thousand gold for his military achievements. The reward also gave Zhu Ying three treasure chests, leaving him pleased as the army prepared for a campaign against Jincheng.

• Fu Youde warned the Huai Xi generals that the Emperor was fostering a new generation of military leaders, including Zhu Ying.
• Zhu Ying and his troops rested comfortably at camp before he headed to the main camp for a military meeting.
• Fu Youde welcomed Zhu Ying and summoned an imperial envoy to deliver the Emperor’s edict.
• The edict granted Zhu Ying the hereditary title of County Baron and a thousand gold in recognition of his service.
• Zhu Ying accepted the edict and received three treasure chests from his system rewards.

Zhu Ying received a baron title from Zhu Yuanzhang and a promotion to Commander of the Thousand Households from Crown Prince Zhu Biao, along with lavish rewards. After taking his place among the generals, he proposed keeping his veteran soldiers together and forming a cavalry battalion with captured Tatar horses.

• An Imperial Guards officer delivered Zhu Ying’s baronial title, then departed from the command tent.
• Fu Youde read Zhu Biao’s decree promoting Zhu Ying to Commander of the Thousand Households and granting him a thousand gold, armor, weapons, and a red cloak.
• Zhu Ying thanked Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao, received his rewards, and took a seat among the senior commanders.
• Fu Youde asked how Zhu Ying planned to form his ten-thousand-man battalion, and Zhu Ying requested that his old soldiers remain together and captured Tatar horses be put to use.
• The generals realized Zhu Ying was proposing a full cavalry battalion, and Fu Youde remarked on the size of his ambition.

Fu Youde approved Zhu Ying's Assistant Commissioner Cavalry Battalion after citing Crown Prince Zhu Biao's order, while Huai West commanders objected. With Jincheng's siege stalled and casualties mounting, Fu Youde ordered Zhao Yong and Wang Bi to lead alternating assaults and then asked Zhu Ying what he had observed.

• The logistics officer reported that Zhu Ying had brought back nearly nine thousand additional warhorses, and Fu Youde agreed to form a cavalry battalion under an assistant commissioner.
• Zhao Yong and other Huai West commanders objected, but Fu Youde said Crown Prince Zhu Biao had approved the battalion and placed it under Fu Youde and Feng Sheng until Naha Chu of the Yuan Court was destroyed.
• Fu Youde assigned seven thousand soldiers and mounts to Zhu Ying's battalion, ordered its camp established, and directed that its soldiers be promoted and rewarded according to merit.
• Fu Youde discussed the costly siege of Jincheng with his generals and ordered Zhao Yong and Wang Bi to take turns leading fierce assaults beginning the next day.
• After dismissing the other generals, Fu Youde kept Zhu Ying behind and asked what he had learned from the day's events.

After receiving a promotion and a noble title, Zhu Ying realized the court was using him to curb Huai West’s influence in the army. He reassured his loyal soldiers that he would continue to lead them, now as commander of a new ten-thousand-strong cavalry unit.

• Fu Youde warned Zhu Ying to be careful in the army, and Zhu Ying left the command tent understanding that his promotion placed him against Huai West’s generals.
• Zhu Ying returned to camp and announced that he had been made a Commander of the Thousand Households and granted a baron title.
• Wei Quan, Zhang Wu, Zhuang Wei, Luo Hua, and nearly three thousand soldiers knelt and begged Zhu Ying not to abandon them.
• Zhu Ying told the soldiers they would remain under his command in Daning Prefecture’s new cavalry unit, which would number ten thousand troops.
• Zhu Ying ordered Liu Lei to select two hundred personal guards from among the veteran soldiers.

After receiving two thousand gold, Zhu Ying opened five treasure chests and gained advanced weapons, blueprints, medicine, and a martial skill. As the Ming forces prepared to assault Jincheng, Feng Sheng urged caution against Naha Chu’s strengthened defenses, and the chapter ended with the attack underway.

• Liu Lei accepted his appointment as commander of Zhu Ying’s personal guards, and Zhu Ying received two chests containing two thousand gold.
• Zhu Ying stored the gold and planned to set aside half of it as compensation for fallen soldiers’ families.
• Zhu Ying opened four ordinary treasure chests and one Tier 1 chest, obtaining flintlock musket and treasure ship blueprints, ten bottles of Premium Hemostatic Powder, a Tiger Head Great Saber, and the Golden Bell Shield skill.
• Zhu Ying examined the saber’s attributes and began cultivating Golden Bell Shield.
• Feng Sheng learned that Zhu Ying had been appointed Commander of the Thousand Households and ordered General Fu and General Lan to advance carefully against Naha Chu’s forces.
• Five days later, Zhao Yong led the vanguard in a fierce assault on Jincheng, where Ming Army troops charged beneath a hail of arrows.

After five days of costly assaults, the Ming Army had failed to capture Jincheng, and Fu Youde gave Zhao Yong and Wang Bi five more days to take it. Wang Bi and Zhao Yong tried to shift the attack onto Zhu Ying, but Fu Youde dismissed their proposal and defended him.

• The Ming Army’s attacks on Jincheng inflicted heavy casualties but failed to breach the city’s defenses, so Zhao Yong ordered the troops to withdraw for the day.
• Fu Youde learned that Ming casualties had exceeded ten thousand and demanded an explanation from Zhao Yong and Wang Bi.
• Zhao Yong proposed cutting off Jincheng’s supplies, but Fu Youde rejected a siege and ordered the city taken within five more days.
• Wang Bi and Zhao Yong praised Zhu Ying and suggested he lead the assault, attempting to place responsibility for the stalled campaign on him.
• Fu Youde pointed out that Zhu Ying had only recently returned and his cavalry battalion had just formed, then ordered Zhao Yong and Wang Bi not to make reckless suggestions.

Zhu Ying accepted the task of breaching Jincheng, confident he could break its gates with his strength and the Tiger Head Great Saber. Fu Youde approved a night assault and ordered the army to prepare, while Zhu Ying returned to organize his ten-thousand-rider cavalry battalion.

• Zhu Ying volunteered to lead the assault on Jincheng, surprising Fu Youde and frustrating Zhao Yong and Wang Bi’s plan to pressure him.
• Zhu Ying told Fu Youde to arrange cannon fire in two hours and have the whole army advance as soon as his troops breached the city.
• Fu Youde granted Zhu Ying’s request and promised to seek credit for him if he captured the city.
• Zhu Ying rebuked Zhao Yong and Wang Bi’s mocking encouragement, then left the command tent.
• Fu Youde ordered the artillery battalion to prepare shells and the army to launch a night assault in two hours.
• Zhu Ying returned to camp, summoned his officers and troops, and prepared his organized cavalry battalion for the attack.

After reorganizing his forces, Zhu Ying prepared his ten thousand soldiers to attack Jincheng as the vanguard and used the Faction Panel to remove disloyal men from his personal guards. Meanwhile, Northern Yuan generals at Jincheng celebrated their defenses and expected the Ming Army to run out of supplies.

• Zhu Ying assembled the Commander's Cavalry Battalion and rallied its ten thousand soldiers to follow him in attacking Jincheng.
• Zhu Ying ordered the army to rest and prepare to launch its attack in two hours, while his officers accepted the unusual plan to use cavalry against the city.
• Liu Lei told Zhu Ying that his designated personal guards had been reassigned as General Officers, and Zhu Ying ordered the remaining two hundred guards to stay unchanged.
• Zhu Ying reflected that the Faction Panel had revealed several guards with loyalty below fifty, prompting him to remove them from his personal guard unit.
• Zhu Ying inspected the Commander's Official Seal, which boosted the combat strength, morale, and endurance of his subordinate troops by eighty percent.
• At Jincheng, Man Jier and the Northern Yuan generals praised the city's defenses and anticipated that the Ming Army would exhaust its supplies.

Man Jier and the Northern Yuan generals celebrated Jincheng’s defenses until Zhu Ying launched a nighttime assault with ten thousand cavalry. Zhu Ying led the charge himself, while Fu Youde admired his army’s morale and Zhao Yong and Wang Bi predicted his attack would fail.

• Man Jier and the Northern Yuan generals praised Naha Chu’s preparations and expressed confidence that Jincheng and Kaiyuan City would hold against the Ming Army.
• Cannon fire erupted outside Jincheng, prompting Man Jier to order the generals to deploy their troops and guard against a night attack.
• Zhu Ying rallied Daning’s First Assistant Commissioner Cavalry Battalion and led its cavalry charge toward Jincheng, followed by Liu Lei, Wei Quan, and Zhang Wu.
• Fu Youde observed Zhu Ying’s charge and recognized the cavalry’s exceptional morale, while Zhao Yong and Wang Bi mocked the tactic and expected the attack to fail.

Zhu Ying led a cavalry charge against Jincheng and cleaved the city gate apart with his saber, allowing the Ming Army to enter. He and his personal guards fought through the Yuan defenders as Wei Quan and Zhang Wu urged the troops forward.

• Fu Youde ordered his army to fire cannons at Jincheng and suppress the Yuan Army while Zhu Ying advanced with the cavalry.
• Yuan archers fired volleys at the charging cavalry, but Zhu Ying cut down the arrows that threatened him.
• Zhu Ying used Charged Saber Slash to split the heavy iron city gate, which then burst apart.
• Zhu Ying cut down Yuan soldiers at the entrance as the defenders rushed to block the breach.
• Liu Lei led two hundred personal guards into the city behind Zhu Ying, while Wei Quan and Zhang Wu rallied the Ming troops.

Zhu Ying broke through Jincheng’s reinforced gate and led his cavalry into a fierce fight with the Northern Yuan Army. Fu Youde ordered the main army to advance, while Zhu Ying continued fighting on foot after his horse was killed.

• Zhu Ying and his personal guards seized the city gate and pushed into Jincheng as Wei Quan, Zhang Wu, and the cavalry followed.
• A Northern Yuan general ordered reinforcements to drive the Ming Army out and sent word to the Prince for support.
• Scouts reported Zhu Ying’s breakthrough to Fu Youde, who praised him and ordered the main army to enter the city and prepare a full-scale assault.
• Zhao Yong and Wang Bi reacted with jealousy and regret after Zhu Ying claimed the merit of breaching the city.
• After his horse was killed, Zhu Ying drew the Azure Rainbow Sword and cut through Yuan soldiers’ weapons and ranks.

Zhu Ying led the Ming cavalry through Jincheng’s defenses, breaking into the city as his attributes surpassed 2,000. While Man Jier rallied the defenders and Fu Youde ordered the main Ming Army to attack, Zhu Yuanzhang worried over the stalled Liaodong campaign until Zhu Biao presented him with another report.

• Zhu Ying fought on foot with the Azure Rainbow Sword, killed Northern Yuan soldiers, and received a Tier 1 treasure chest when all his attributes broke through 2,000 points.
• A Northern Yuan general told Man Jier that the Ming Army had breached Jincheng, and Man Jier ordered every available troop to defend the city.
• After Zhu Ying’s ten thousand cavalry entered Jincheng, Fu Youde ordered the Ming Army outside the city to press its attack, while Zhao Yong and Wang Bi resented losing the chance for military merit.
• In Yingtian, Zhu Yuanzhang angrily criticized Feng Sheng for failing to take Kaiyuan City or Jincheng after half a month of fighting.
• Zhu Biao calmed Zhu Yuanzhang by explaining the strength of Naha Chu’s defenses, then offered him a memorial from Liaodong that he said would improve his mood.