Zhu Ying's Name Resounds Through the Court, First Reaching Zhu Yuanzhang's Ears!

"Report!"

"Victory dispatch from Daning Prefecture!"

A loud shout rang out beyond the hall.

Immediately after.

A messenger bearing urgent news strode swiftly into the great hall and knelt directly in its center.

"Reporting to Your Majesty!"

"Victory dispatch from Daning Prefecture!"

The messenger removed the bamboo tube containing the victory dispatch from his back and presented it with both hands.

"Biao was right."

"It seems Daning Prefecture truly has won some gains." Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile.

Then he waved his hand.

The attendant at his side immediately descended from the dais, took the bamboo tube, then quickly turned and presented it to Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Yuanzhang opened the tube and took out the victory dispatch within.

At a glance.

A smile appeared on his face as well. "Hahaha!"

"Bu Wan, this commander is not bad."

"Our Great Ming soldiers broke into the Tatar lands beyond the northern frontier, annihilated more than six thousand enemies, captured over three thousand, and suffered only four thousand casualties ourselves. We fought and won."

"Haha, not bad."

Zhu Yuanzhang burst into laughter.

"Your servants congratulate Your Majesty."

"This sortie has succeeded in its first battle. It must be a blessing for Your Majesty and a blessing for Great Ming."

"Our Daning Prefecture lies on the northern frontier, bordering the Northern Yuan and the Jianzhou Tatars. These Jianzhou Tatars are the Northern Yuan's hawks and hounds, disrupting the peace of Great Ming's border prefectures. Slaying so many Tatars this time will surely greatly deter the Northern Yuan."

"Congratulations, Your Majesty!"

The civil and military officials throughout the court offered Zhu Yuanzhang their congratulations.

"Eh?"

After setting down the victory dispatch.

Zhu Yuanzhang gave a soft exclamation, for beneath it lay another battle report.

With some surprise.

Zhu Yuanzhang opened the battle report and fixed his eyes on it. His expression turned astonished.

Seeing this, most of the court officials grew curious as well.

"Father Emperor."

"Could something else have happened in Daning Prefecture?" Zhu Biao asked with a smile.

"Biao."

"Take a look."

Zhu Yuanzhang directly handed the smaller battle report in his hand to Zhu Biao.

Puzzled, Zhu Biao stepped forward and accepted it.

When he saw the contents of the report, Zhu Biao's expression also became rather astonished.

"To think there is such a fierce soldier." Zhu Biao was quite surprised.

"His Highness the Crown Prince."

"Has something happened in Daning Prefecture?"

A military official stepped forward and asked respectfully.

"Read it aloud."

Zhu Biao directly handed the battle report in his hand to the attendant beside him.

The attendant accepted it, immediately raised the report, and read aloud, "Your servant Bu Wan reports to Your Majesty! In this campaign, the border army of Daning Prefecture entered the northern frontier and, in one battle, routed the Jianzhou Tatars' frontier army, reaping considerable gains. The key to this victory lay with a soldier of our Daning Prefecture border army's small-banner unit, named Zhu Ying. Fierce and valiant, he charged into the enemy formation, fearless of death, and slew one hundred and three enemies by himself. He also bravely beheaded the Tatar commander and cut down the Tatar battle banner, causing the Tatars' military spirit to collapse and their morale to vanish! Only then did our army achieve a great victory over the Tatar forces and complete the encirclement."

"According to the military merit system for killing enemies personally decreed by Your Majesty, this servant has rewarded Zhu Ying according to his merits. He has been promoted five ranks and appointed a Thousand-Household Commander."

"This youth is fierce and valiant, with strength surpassing others. Thus, I submit this report to Your Majesty."

Upon hearing this.

The civil and military officials in court could not help looking at one another.

"With his own strength, he slew one hundred and three enemies? One man killed a hundred Tatars?"

"Th-this battle report can't be fake, can it?"

"With such strength, could this still be human?"

"How valiant was King of Kaiping in those days? He led from the front. When he fought Chen Youliang, killing more than seventy enemies in a single day was already the greatest feat of the age."

"And how valiant is this lad? He actually killed a hundred enemies?"

"That can't be possible, can it?"

"Not only did he kill a hundred enemies, he also slew officers and captured banners."

"This achievement is somewhat too outrageous."

"The results were counted by the military's pacification officers and reported up through every level. How could they be false?"

"Perhaps Great Ming truly has produced a fierce general in this battle."

The court officials' first reaction to these results was shock; their second was disbelief.

After all, the results seemed far too incredible.

One man cutting down a hundred men.

Even killing chickens was not this easy, much less the fierce Tartars of the northern frontier.

"Your son congratulates Father Emperor."

"With such a valiant general in the army, this is a blessing for Great Ming."

Zhu Biao turned and congratulated Zhu Yuanzhang.

"Slaying a hundred enemies, killing officers and capturing banners."

A trace of stunned amazement also appeared on Zhu Yuanzhang's face.

His thoughts returned to the days when he had battled Chen Youliang, at the critical moment of wiping out Chen Youliang and unifying the south.

"My Lord."

"Just wait for the outcome of this battle."

"Watch me personally slaughter Chen Youliang's little whelps."

"But when we take the city in this battle, you have to give me Chen Youliang's Blood-Sweating Horse. Don't let Xu Da and the others get it for cheap."

A middle-aged man stood before Zhu Yuanzhang and spoke with utter confidence.

Then, sword in hand, he went straight to battle.

Zhu Yuanzhang also remembered the achievements of that battle clearly.

His brother Chang Yuchun had led from the front and slain seventy-eight enemy soldiers. Chen Youliang's son had also been cleaved apart by a single stroke of his blade.

After that battle was won, Zhu Yuanzhang remembered raising Chang Yuchun's hand and shouting before the entire army, "See that? This is our brother! This is the God of War in our army!"

That memory now surfaced in Zhu Yuanzhang's mind.

"Father Emperor."

Zhu Biao called softly.

Zhu Yuanzhang froze for a moment before coming back to himself, a smile appearing on his face.

"Biao'er is right."

"For such a valiant general to emerge in Great Ming is indeed a blessing for our Great Ming." Zhu Yuanzhang laughed.

"Father Emperor."

"For this battle report to have been submitted all the way to Yingtian, the results must certainly have been counted clearly. There can be no falsehood."

"This lad is so valiant; he should be given focused training." Zhu Biao immediately memorialized.

"Biao'er is right."

Zhu Yuanzhang said with a smile, fully agreeing with his son's words.

"By the way, what was his name again?"

But as soon as the words left his mouth, Zhu Yuanzhang realized he had forgotten Zhu Ying's name. He had been completely captivated by the feat of one man slaying a hundred enemies.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yuanzhang hurriedly flipped through the battle report.

"Father Emperor."

"This general is named Zhu Ying," Zhu Biao said with a smile.

"Zhu Ying?"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, and something seemed to tremble in his heart.

But he quickly recovered.

"Convey my decree."

"Bu Wan has been rewarded according to his military merits, and rightly so. In my Great Ming, in my realm, no meritorious subject will ever be overlooked. So long as one renders service to the nation, one will surely be rewarded."

"Let the Ministry of War spread Zhu Ying's achievements throughout the entire army, to inspire all officers and soldiers." Zhu Yuanzhang immediately decreed.

Tang Duo promptly stepped forward. "This minister receives the decree."

"Now that the border troops of Daning Prefecture have achieved results, the Yuan Court and Naha Chu will surely make a move."

"Convey my decree."

"Tell Bu Wan to hold the line properly for me. What comes next, the border troops of Daning Prefecture may face a massive assault from the Yuan Court and the Tatars."

"Tell him to hold on. The real main course of my Great Ming will be served very soon." Zhu Yuanzhang said with a cold laugh.

The border troops of Daning Prefecture were there to draw them in.

In Northern Yuan's eyes, they might appear to be the main force, but the true main force was still behind them!

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