Chapter Summaries

Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao mourned their lost family in Kunning Palace as memories of Zhu Xiongying brought them comfort and grief. Meanwhile, Zhu Ying confronted a band of Tatar stragglers on the northern frontier and ordered an attack.

• Zhu Biao entered the sealed Kunning Palace and offered incense at the tablets of Ma Xiuying, Chang Wan'er, and Zhu Xiongying.
• Zhu Yuanzhang recalled the deaths of his family and old companions, and Zhu Biao reminded him how many years had passed.
• Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao remembered young Zhu Xiongying hiding from Zhu Biao’s attempts to punish him and receiving his grandparents’ affection.
• Zhu Ying demanded that the surrounded Tatars surrender, but their leader refused and charged the Ming cavalry.
• Zhu Ying ordered his cavalry to attack and spurred his horse forward.

Zhu Ying led the First Thousand-Household Battalion north against the retreating Tartars, ordering their able-bodied men killed and their food seized. Meanwhile, Aha Chu prepared to resist the Ming invasion, relying on reinforcements from the Yuan Court and a promise of land in Liaodong.

• Zhu Ying and the First Thousand-Household Battalion slaughtered a group of Tartar soldiers and surrounded their civilians.
• Zhu Ying ordered the cavalry to behead all Tartars taller than a cart wheel, and Zhang Wu and Fan Qing carried out his command.
• Zhu Ying ordered his troops to seize the Tartars' food and continue north to join the main army.
• A Tatar general told Aha Chu that the Ming Army was approaching the Blue Banner Tribe and requested reinforcements.
• Aha Chu said Naha Chu had sent Yuan troops to help and vowed to fight alongside Great Yuan in exchange for land in Liaodong.

Zhu Ying warned that the Northern Yuan would target Daning Prefecture to trap the Ming army, then proposed striking east into Liaodong while a smaller force delayed the Tatars. When no other general volunteered to lead the delaying force, Zhu Ying accepted the dangerous assignment.

• Chen Heng reported that the Ming army had pursued the retreating Tatars but had not found their lair, and he warned that the Northern Yuan might be preparing reinforcements.
• Zhu Ying predicted that the Northern Yuan would attack Daning Prefecture and cut off the Ming army’s retreat, leaving it trapped between enemy forces.
• Zhu Ying urged the army to leave a force to delay the Tatars and send its main body east to attack Naha Chu’s territory in Liaodong.
• Chen Heng and Liu Zhen supported Zhu Ying’s plan, and Bu Wan decided to proceed with it.
• When no general volunteered to lead the force holding back the Tatars, Zhu Ying stepped forward and accepted the task.

Zhu Ying accepted a dangerous northern-frontier assignment and was temporarily promoted to Acting Garrison Commander, receiving five thousand cavalry to hold back the Tatars. After the Northern Yuan threatened Daning, he prepared to depart while Chen Heng worried over his chances of survival.

• Zhu Ying volunteered to lead a force against the Tatars and requested four thousand cavalry and supplies.
• Bu Wan temporarily promoted Zhu Ying to Acting Garrison Commander, gave him command of five thousand cavalry, and ordered dry rations prepared.
• An urgent report revealed that Naha Chu was mobilizing in Liaodong to attack Daning, confirming Zhu Ying’s prediction.
• Bu Wan ordered Chen Heng and Liu Zhen to handle the Liaodong surprise attack while he returned to defend Daning.
• Chen Heng warned Zhu Ying about the danger, agreed to provide extra arrows, and asked about his family; Zhu Ying said he had only an old butler left.

Zhu Ying prepared supplies for his solo campaign in the northern borderlands, determined to strengthen himself while fighting the Tatars and other tribes. In Beiping, Zhu Di learned of Zhu Ying’s battlefield exploits and discussed his ambitions with the Black-Clad Demonic Monk, Yao Guangxiao.

• Chen Heng and Zhu Ying promised to share a drink after the war, and Zhu Ying returned to camp to prepare for his mission.
• Zhu Ying checked his Attribute Panel, opened a treasure chest, received five bottles of Grain Avoidance Pills, and set out to gather more supplies.
• Zhang Yu informed Zhu Di that the Ministry of War had ordered forty thousand Beiping troops to march to Daning and attack Yuan.
• Zhu Di read a secret report about Zhu Ying’s victories and told Zhang Yu he could discreetly make contact with him during the march.
• Zhu Di reprimanded Yao Guangxiao for encouraging his ambition, while Yao Guangxiao urged him to wait in Beiping and invoked his future as emperor.

Zhu Ying questioned captured Tatar scouts and learned that the Blue Banner Tribe had over thirty thousand soldiers and expected reinforcements from Great Yuan. After scouting revealed the tribe’s defenses, he ordered Li Tao to harass the southern section while giving reluctant commanders the option to withdraw.

• Liu Lei brought two captured Tatar night scouts to Zhu Ying, who killed them after questioning them about the tribe’s forces and plans.
• Zhu Ying learned that the Blue Banner Tribe had over thirty thousand soldiers, nearly a hundred thousand people, and expected troops from Great Yuan to reinforce it.
• A scout Banner Commander reported that the tribe was divided into four sections positioned around the main tribe, able to support one another.
• Zhu Ying rejected Li Tao’s proposal to simply roam and withdraw, and ordered him to harass the southern tribe in one hour to draw out its forces.
• Li Tao chose to withdraw after completing the harassment, while Wei Quan, Luo Hua, Zhang Wu, and Zhuang Wei pledged to follow Zhu Ying.

Zhu Ying led four thousand cavalry toward the northern Tatar tribe while Li Tao prepared a limited attack from the south. Zhu Ying’s raid began under cover of darkness, and his men struck the tribe’s sleeping sentries.

• Li Tao decided to harass the southern Tatar tribe and withdraw once the time limit expired, refusing to risk his troops in a larger attack.
• Zhu Ying rallied his soldiers, explained that Li Tao’s southern attack would draw the Tatars away, and ordered his cavalry to raid the northern tribe.
• Zhu Ying commanded his troops to press forward without stopping and set fires once they entered the enemy camp.
• Zhu Ying led four thousand cavalry silently toward the northern tribe, where the guards were lax and many watchmen had fallen asleep.
• A Tatar sentry noticed movement near the tribe, and Zhu Ying’s archers shot several watchtower guards dead.

Zhu Ying led four thousand Ming cavalry in a surprise attack on the Tatar Northern Tribe, breaking through its gate and slaughtering its people. Agunu sent troops to reinforce the Northern Tribe, then learned the Southern Tribe was also under attack.

• Zhu Ying and the Ming cavalry launched a night assault on the Northern Tribe, killing Tatar sentries and soldiers with arrows.
• Zhu Ying shattered the tribe’s gate and led his troops inside, where they killed the Tartars they encountered.
• Zhu Ying’s Authority Seal strengthened his soldiers’ combat ability, morale, and stamina as they advanced through the tribe.
• A messenger told Agunu that the Northern Tribe was under attack, and Agunu ordered five thousand troops to reinforce it.
• Another messenger reported that the Ming Army was also attacking the Southern Tribe.

Zhu Ying led several thousand Ming soldiers in a night raid that devastated the Tatar Northern Tribe, while Agunu realized too late that his forces had been misdirected. After escaping more than twenty li, Zhu Ying halted his cavalry on the Northern Frontier and ordered a headcount.

• Agunu canceled his order to reinforce the Northern Tribe and sent more troops to defend the Southern Tribe, believing the Ming Army planned to attack the south.
• Zhu Ying and several thousand Ming soldiers stormed the Northern Tribe, killed many Tatars, and set the tents ablaze.
• Agunu learned that the Ming Army had attacked the Northern Tribe and rushed there with his army, finding the tribe devastated and more than ten thousand people dead.
• Agunu ordered Nu'alin to pursue the Ming soldiers and swore revenge.
• Zhu Ying halted his bloodstained cavalry more than twenty li from the Northern Tribe and ordered the soldiers counted by hundred-household units.

After Zhu Ying’s army destroyed a Tatar tribe, he reported their victory and Li Tao’s misconduct, then prepared his exhausted troops for an expected counterattack. He gained a martial skill and Diarrhea Powder from treasure chests, while an old general arrived in Daning Prefecture.

• Zhu Ying learned that all four thousand soldiers had survived the raid, with wounded men among them, and ordered patrols, treatment, and rest.
• Zhu Ying told Wei Quan to report the raid’s gains and Li Tao’s actions truthfully, warning that the Tatars would soon encircle them.
• Zhu Ying checked his improved attributes and opened two treasure chests, gaining the Tiger Roar Skill and ten packets of Diarrhea Powder.
• Zhu Ying reviewed the battle report, added a message promising to hold back the Tatars, and sent it by carrier pigeon before inspecting the camp.
• An old general arrived in Daning Prefecture, where Bu Wan greeted him outside the Prefectural Yamen.

Feng Sheng arrived in Daning and learned that Zhu Ying had been left in the Northern Frontier to delay the Tatars. After receiving a worrying report that Zhu Ying had launched a reckless attack, Feng Sheng learned that Zhu Ying had sent a carrier pigeon message, suggesting he was still safe.

• Bu Wan reported that the Yuan Court was attacking Huizhou and that Great Ming forces had split their troops to strike Liaodong and hold back the Jianzhou Tatars.
• Bu Wan told Feng Sheng that Zhu Ying had devised the plan and taken command of five thousand troops to delay the Tatars.
• Bu Wan received a report from Ansha County claiming Zhu Ying had rashly attacked the Tatar camp with four thousand cavalry, prompting Feng Sheng to fear the force would be destroyed.
• Feng Sheng ordered Bu Wan to try to contact Zhu Ying and tell him to withdraw, while noting Great Ming's main army would arrive within ten days.
• A soldier delivered a carrier pigeon message from Zhu Ying, and Feng Sheng took it as a sign that Zhu Ying was unharmed.

Feng Sheng and the generals were astonished by Zhu Ying’s report that his four thousand soldiers had raided a Tatar tribe, killed more than ten thousand enemies, and suffered no deaths. Feng Sheng concluded that an earlier report accusing Zhu Ying’s forces of retreating was false and that Li Tao had disobeyed orders and feared death.

• Bu Wan handed Zhu Ying’s military dispatch to Feng Sheng, who praised Zhu Ying’s surprise attack after reading it.
• Feng Sheng’s guard read Zhu Ying’s report stating that his four thousand soldiers had attacked the Tatar Northern Tribe and killed more than ten thousand enemies without losing a man.
• Zhao Yong explained how Zhu Ying’s feint against the Southern Tribe had distracted the Tatars and left their northern defenses vulnerable.
• Feng Sheng praised Zhu Ying’s command and told Bu Wan that Daning had produced a capable general.
• Feng Sheng recognized that the earlier report claiming the Thousand-Household Office had retreated to Ansha County was false and had smeared Zhu Ying.

Feng Sheng took command of Daning Prefecture’s defenses and ordered the armies to gather at Huizhou as he prepared to destroy Naha Chu. Meanwhile, Zhu Ying’s four thousand cavalry formed up to meet the pursuing Tatars, and he opened the battle with a volley of arrows.

• Bu Wan condemned Li Tao for defying military orders, and Feng Sheng left Li Tao’s punishment to him.
• Bu Wan reported Daning Prefecture’s defenses and the Tatar assault on Huizhou to Feng Sheng.
• Feng Sheng ordered the armies to converge at Huizhou within ten days and sent a report to Yingtian praising Zhu Ying and the Daning Border Army.
• Liu Lei reported that up to five thousand Tatar cavalry were pursuing Zhu Ying’s force, and Zhu Ying vowed to leave them all behind.
• Zhu Ying rallied his four thousand soldiers and formed them into an attacking formation with bows ready.
• When the Tatar cavalry charged within a hundred paces, Zhu Ying gave the order to attack and killed the five leading riders with his arrows.

Zhu Ying led the Ming Army against a much larger Tatar cavalry force, using arrows and overwhelming strength to break their attack. After he killed the Tatar commander and the army fled, Zhu Ying continued killing Tatars and received a treasure chest for exceeding 500 kills.

• Zhu Ying and the Ming soldiers fired into the charging Tatar cavalry, killing hundreds before the armies met.
• Zhu Ying charged with Zhang Wu and the First Thousand-Household Battalion, cutting down Tatar soldiers while the Ming Army advanced.
• Zhu Ying charged into the Tatar rear and killed the Tatar commander of five thousand, then cut down the soldier carrying the command banner.
• Zhu Ying announced the commander's death, causing the Tatar army's morale to collapse and its soldiers to flee.
• Zhu Ying pursued the fleeing Tatars and received an ordinary treasure chest after exceeding 500 kills.

Zhu Ying led his Ming cavalry to destroy a Tatar detachment, then gathered the wounded, fallen, horses, and arrows before continuing north. Tatar reinforcements arrived after his withdrawal, discovered the battlefield and a message on their flag, and sought someone who could read it.

• Zhu Ying and several thousand Ming soldiers routed the Tatars, and the panel rewarded him when his attributes surpassed 800 and 900 points.
• Zhu Ying stopped his soldiers from pursuing the fleeing enemy and ordered them to treat the wounded and bring their fallen comrades home.
• Zhu Ying ordered Zhang Wu and Wei Quan to collect the Tatar horses and arrows, guard against enemies feigning death, and withdraw before reinforcements arrived.
• Zhu Ying led his mounted troops north after they gathered their equipment and casualties.
• A Tatar commander of ten thousand arrived with several thousand cavalry, questioned a surviving thousand commander about the defeat, and ordered his men to search for survivors.
• A Tatar soldier presented the commander with a battle flag bearing Han characters, and the commander called for someone who could read them.

Li Tao was demoted for fleeing the battle after Zhu Ying's raid on the Tatar Northern Tribe proved successful. Zhu Ying's forces shook off their pursuers and rested on the northern frontier after inflicting heavy losses on the Tatars.

• The Tatar Commander of Ten Thousand read Zhu Ying's threat and ordered his forces to continue pursuing the Ming soldiers.
• Bu Wan's order stripped Li Tao of his Battalion Commander post and demoted Deputy Battalion Commanders Wang Wu and Liu Wei after the Third Cavalry Battalion fled.
• Commander Chen told Li Tao that Zhu Ying had breached the Tatar Northern Tribe, killed over ten thousand enemies, and drawn the Tatars' attention away from the Yuan Court.
• Li Tao blamed Zhu Ying for his demotion and vowed that the matter was not over.
• Zhang Wu reported that the Tatars had been misled by scattered hoofprints, while Wei Quan reported at least four thousand enemy dead, 257 Ming soldiers killed, and 480 wounded.
• Zhu Ying ordered his men to rest and said he would stand watch that night.

Zhu Ying prepared his troops to pursue the Tatars and considered striking their tribal court, then opened three treasure chests and gained supplies and equipment. He gave hemostatic powder to the wounded, learned Charged Saber Slash, and put on protective inner armor as the Ming Dynasty prepared to shift from defense to offense.

• Zhu Ying ordered his exhausted soldiers to rest and said they would report their victory after dealing with the Tatar cavalry pursuing them.
• Zhu Ying studied a captured Tatar map and resolved to strike at the Tatar tribal court when the opportunity came.
• Zhu Ying opened three treasure chests and obtained protective inner armor, Charged Saber Slash, and ten bottles of premium hemostatic powder.
• Zhu Ying gave Liu Lei five bottles of hemostatic powder to use on wounded soldiers whose bleeding could not be stopped.
• Zhu Ying learned Charged Saber Slash, tested the protective inner armor, and put it on beneath his uniform.

After reflecting on the gains from battle, Zhu Ying inspected his exhausted soldiers while the Shen Family plotted to have him killed and prevent their adopted daughter from returning. On the northern frontier, Zhu Ying prepared an ambush intended to cripple the pursuing Tatar cavalry, and waited for them to arrive.

• Zhu Ying counted the attributes and lifespan he had gained from killing enemies, then checked on the night watch as his exhausted soldiers slept.
• Shen Rong told Shen Wansan that Shen Rong's adopted sister and Zhu Ying's steward had disappeared, and the two agreed to search for them and ensure Zhu Ying died.
• Shen Rong reported that the Shen Family had sent people to Daning and arranged a marriage alliance with the Lü Family; Shen Wansan said the family would sacrifice anything to preserve its power and wealth.
• A scout told Zhu Ying that Tatar cavalry was less than four li away, and Zhu Ying ordered his four thousand-household battalions to hide along the hills.
• Zhu Ying waited with the Treasure Eagle Bow as the Ming soldiers prepared to attack the Tatars in the valley he had chosen as an ambush site.

Zhu Ying ambushed Mainuha’s pursuing Tatar cavalry in a valley and led the Ming Army to annihilate nearly all of them. The last Tatar force in the region was destroyed, with fewer than a thousand escaping.

• Mainuha ignored a warning about the valley and led more than six thousand Tatar cavalry in pursuit of Zhu Ying’s troops.
• Zhu Ying shot Mainuha dead with the Treasure Eagle Bow, triggering the Ming soldiers’ ambush and a barrage of arrows against the Tatar rear ranks.
• Zhu Ying led the First, Second, and Fourth Thousand-Household Battalions in a charge while the Fifth Thousand-Household Battalion and nearly a thousand soldiers fired from high ground.
• The Ming Army overwhelmed the trapped Tatars, and Zhu Ying ordered his soldiers to kill the remaining survivors who begged for mercy.
• Wei Quan reported that fewer than seven or eight hundred Tatars had escaped and that the rest of the cavalry had been wiped out.

After Zhu Ying's forces annihilated the Tatar cavalry, he discovered that all his attributes had surpassed a thousand and gained a Tier 1 treasure chest. As he collected spoils from the battlefield, he found a new attribute, Internal Breath, and began to feel it circulate through his body.

• Zhu Ying ordered his commanders to treat the wounded, count casualties, gather the warhorses, secure the mountain, and leave no Tatar survivors.
• Zhu Ying told his soldiers that destroying the Tatar cavalry would let Ming cavalry move freely through Tatar territory, and Liu Lei asked when to report their victory.
• Zhu Ying's attributes surpassed a thousand, earning him a Tier 1 treasure chest, and his Attribute Panel showed Internal Breath at zero.
• Zhu Ying began collecting attributes from the corpses and noticed that each corpse yielded fewer points than before.
• Zhu Ying picked up points of Internal Breath, felt a warm current move from his dantian into his meridians, and stored arrows as he continued gathering battlefield spoils.