Chapter Summaries

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.

Zhu Yuanzhang praised Zhu Ying’s return with ten thousand captured warhorses and approved the Assistant Commissioner Cavalry Battalion Zhu Biao had established under his command. Meanwhile, Zhu Ying’s forces fought through Jincheng, where he killed a Northern Yuan commander and set his sights on claiming further military merit.

• Zhu Biao presented Zhu Yuanzhang with a memorial reporting Zhu Ying’s campaign successes and capture of ten thousand warhorses.
• Zhu Biao explained that he had authorized Zhu Ying to form an Assistant Commissioner Cavalry Battalion, and Zhu Yuanzhang approved the decision.
• Zhu Ying led Ming soldiers through Jincheng as they fought the Yuan Army from night into day, and he received a treasure chest after his total enemy kills surpassed two thousand.
• Zhu Ying charged through the Yuan ranks and beheaded Saritawen, the Northern Yuan commander of fifty thousand troops.
• Zhu Ying decided to push toward the commandery general’s residence and kill the city’s highest-ranking Northern Yuan commander to secure more military merit.

Zhu Ying routed the Yuan forces in Jincheng after killing Saritawen and led his troops toward the commandery residence. Man Jier refused to flee and marched out to fight, while Zhu Ying approached the residence hoping to find the Yuan commander.

• Zhu Ying killed Saritawen, shattered the Yuan defensive line, and led his soldiers in pursuit toward Jincheng's commandery residence.
• Zhao Yong and Wang Bi pushed their armies through the city, while Zhao Yong ordered his personal guards to force the attack and prevent Zhu Ying from capturing Man Jier.
• Fu Youde learned that Zhu Ying had broken through the Yuan defenses and delayed reporting the city's fall until Jincheng was completely taken.
• Man Jier learned that Saritawen had died and refused to retreat, instead ordering his personal guards to follow him into battle.
• Zhu Ying pursued routed Yuan soldiers to the residence and wondered whether Man Jier was inside.

Zhu Ying led the Ming Army into the battle for Jincheng and killed Man Jier, Prince Yun'an of the Northern Yuan. With their commander dead, the Yuan forces broke and fled as Zhu Ying ordered his troops to destroy them.

• Man Jier rallied the fleeing Yuan soldiers and sent his personal guards to block their retreat and attack the Ming Army.
• Zhu Ying divided his forces, leading the vanguard into battle while Zhang Wu's rear ranks fired arrows at the Yuan troops.
• Man Jier charged Zhu Ying, but Zhu Ying evaded his saber, pierced his chest, and cut off his head.
• Zhu Ying gained 200 points to all attributes and a Tier 1 treasure chest for killing Man Jier.
• Zhu Ying raised Man Jier's head and urged his soldiers to kill the Yuan Army, whose troops fled after learning their Prince was dead.

After Jincheng fell, Fu Youde praised Zhu Ying for killing Man Jier and ordered the victory reported so Zhu Ying could receive merit. Zhu Ying searched Man Jier’s residence and found a vast treasure store, while Zhao Yong and Wang Bi arrived too late and wondered whether Man Jier had escaped.

• Scouts reported that Jincheng had been captured, Man Jier had been killed by Zhu Ying, and the remaining Yuan Army had fled or surrendered.
• Fu Youde ordered surrendered Yuan soldiers spared, arranged food and medical care for the troops, and told his men to report Zhu Ying’s achievements to General Feng.
• Zhu Ying ordered his soldiers to spare servants who surrendered, then sent Liu Lei to find Man Jier’s storeroom.
• Zhu Ying entered the storeroom and began taking its gold, silver, jewelry, and jade for himself.
• Zhao Yong and Wang Bi reached the general’s residence too late and hoped Man Jier had escaped rather than been captured or killed.

Zhu Ying confronted Zhao Yong and Wang Bi at Jincheng's general's residence after securing Man Jier's head, forcing the two Huai West generals to leave empty-handed. He then ordered Wei Quan to distribute the Yuan treasury's gold and silver among the soldiers, including those pursuing the enemy and the fallen.

• Zhao Yong and Wang Bi arrived too late to seize Man Jier and set their sights on the wealth inside the general's residence.
• Zhao Yong tried to force his way inside, but Zhuang Wei refused to let him enter without Zhu Ying's command.
• Zhu Ying emerged and sarcastically thanked Zhao Yong and Wang Bi for recommending his battalion to lead the assault, prompting the soldiers to thank the two generals in unison.
• Zhu Ying displayed Man Jier's head and said he would present it to General Fu, while Zhao Yong and Wang Bi left in anger.
• Zhu Ying ordered Wei Quan to distribute the Yuan treasury's gold and silver among the soldiers and give extra shares to those who had died in battle.