Zhu Ying's Purpose!

After issuing Li Tao his orders.

Zhu Ying directly led four thousand cavalry quietly toward the north side of the Tatar tribe.

Clearly.

This time, Zhu Ying intended to make a feint in the east and strike in the west.

To catch the Tatars completely off guard.

Time gradually passed!

Under the curtain of night.

Apart from the chirping of insects and the eerie howls of wolves.

The night seemed to have sunk into utter silence.

"Thousand Commander, after we make our move this time, are we really going to withdraw back to Daning?"

The Deputy Battalion Commander looked at Li Tao, his face filled with conflict.

"What? You want to go die like that Zhu Ying too?" Li Tao shot the Deputy Battalion Commander a glare.

"This..."

The two Deputy Battalion Commanders both looked at Li Tao as if they wanted to speak but held back.

"Since Zhu Ying wants to go throw his life away, and take several thousand brothers with him to their deaths, then let him."

"But I, Li Tao, will not lead my brothers to their deaths."

"He has already issued his orders. So long as we harass this Tatar tribe and draw the Tatars out, the mission will be considered complete."

"How much time has passed now?" Li Tao asked in a deep voice.

His words still carried mockery toward Zhu Ying.

To attack a Tatar tribe with tens of thousands of troops using only four thousand men was no different from seeking death.

Li Tao naturally only wished to protect himself; he would not go throw his life away.

"Reporting to Thousand Commander."

"There is still the time it takes an incense stick to burn before the one-hour limit set by the Garrison Commander." The Deputy Battalion Commander immediately replied.

"Good."

Li Tao nodded, staring at the foreign tribe in the distance.

"The moment the time is up, move at once."

"First approach the Tatar tribe and harass them with arrows. The instant the Tatars react, withdraw immediately," Li Tao ordered.

"This subordinate accepts the order." The two Deputy Battalion Commanders answered at once.

On the other side!

North of the Tatar Blue Banner Tribe.

"Garrison Commander."

"The tribe ahead should be the Tatars' Northern Tribe." Wei Quan pointed at the tribe ahead, where faint firelight flickered.

"An hour should be nearly up, right?" Zhu Ying asked.

"There is only the time it takes an incense stick to burn left before the hour is up," Zhang Wu replied.

Hearing this!

Zhu Ying nodded, then turned to look at the Thousand Commanders behind him, as well as the several thousand Great Ming soldiers.

"Brothers."

"Here in this foreign land, danger surrounds us."

"The Yuan Court eyes our Great Ming like a tiger eyes its prey, and these foreign peoples have never ceased in their desire to destroy our Great Ming Huaxia."

"They still wish to be as they were when the Yuan Court ruled the Central Plains, treating our Huaxia people like ants and trampling them at will."

"The Tatars have already gathered their forces and may join with the Yuan Court at any moment to invade our Great Ming and slaughter our Great Ming Huaxia people."

"As soldiers of Great Ming, we are the shield that protects our homeland! If we do not hold these Tatars here and allow them to join forces with the Yuan Court, the people along Great Ming's borders will fall into an inferno."

"This battle is for the nation, for the people! We have no choice but to fight!"

"Brothers, are you willing to follow me and defend our homeland?" Zhu Ying turned and addressed all the soldiers.

His voice was not loud, yet it carried solemn authority, steadiness, and resolve.

"We swear to follow the Garrison Commander unto death."

The Thousand Commanders were also stirred by Zhu Ying's words. The four thousand soldiers said nothing, but every one of them looked at Zhu Ying with reverence. Their meaning was already clear.

"When I was a Thousand Commander, I once said that on the battlefield, Zhu Ying would always charge ahead of his brothers-in-arms. Should I ever retreat, my brothers-in-arms may execute me."

"Today is no different."

"Today's battle will be a raid to slaughter our way through their camp."

"In this battle, I will lead the charge. The guards at my side will carry torches. All officers and men will take the torches as the signal and follow me in charging through and breaking their camp."

"This battle is exceedingly perilous. If we break their camp, the Tatars' attention will be utterly drawn to our army, leaving them unable to rush to Northern Yuan's aid. If we fail, Zhu Ying will live and die alongside all you brothers."

"Brothers, are you ready?"

Zhu Ying spoke in a deep voice, his right hand already gripping the Fine Steel Saber tightly.

"We swear to follow the Garrison Commander unto death."

The Thousand Household Commanders and soldiers answered in hushed voices.

"Good."

"Check your bows and arrows. Prepare to attack," Zhu Ying said gravely.

"Garrison Commander."

"Weren't we supposed to wait for Li Tao to launch the attack first and draw the Tatars' attention?"

"Why are our forces moving first?" Wei Quan asked in confusion.

The other Thousand Household Commanders also looked at him curiously.

"If you were a Tatar, knowing that our main army was to the south, would you take the initiative to leave your tribe and meet us in battle?" Zhu Ying asked with a faint smile.

Those words

immediately made Wei Quan and the other Thousand Household Commanders understand.

"If our army attacks, the foreigners will see it as nothing more than harassment. But once Li Tao attacks from the south, they will surely believe it is our main force launching an offensive and will certainly shift all their troops to defend the southern tribe."

"For our army, that will be our opportunity."

The Thousand Household Commanders immediately understood in their hearts.

"Pass down the order."

"Once we raid the camp and begin the charge, there will be no turning back. No soldier is to fall behind. Kill your way forward without pause! Once inside the enemy tribe, set fires and slaughter them. Men or women, kill them all," Zhu Ying ordered in a deep voice.

"We obey the general's order."

Several Thousand Household Commanders immediately answered, relaying the order to their Deputy Battalion Commanders, who passed it on to the Hundred Household Commanders, until it reached the ears of every soldier.

"Tatars."

"Northern Yuan."

"Today is our first battle."

Zhu Ying stared fixedly at the Tatar tribe ahead.

After glancing once at the moon overhead, "Move."

Zhu Ying gave a low shout.

He guided his warhorse slowly toward the foreign tribe.

Liu Lei led fifty personal guards behind Zhu Ying.

Three Thousand Household Commanders, one Acting Thousand Household Commander, and eight Deputy Battalion Commanders

led their respective troops, first spreading out before following Zhu Ying toward this Northern Tribe of the Tatars.

Under the curtain of night, in the darkness lit only by faint moonlight, four thousand cavalrymen silently drew near.

Unlike the Tatars in the southern tribe, who remained on high alert and had even stationed night patrol cavalry outside their settlement, this northern tribe was far more lax.

Around the tribal palisade stood several dozen watchtowers.

Many of the Tatar guards stationed atop them had already fallen asleep.

Only the few at the main gate listlessly kept watch.

"Er Lin, are you asleep?"

"The Ming Army isn't far from our tribe. How could I dare sleep?"

"You can rest easy about that."

"Even if the Ming Army attacks, they'll attack the southern tribe. Why would they possibly come to our north?"

"General Agunu has deployed most of the troops to defend the south. Our side is safe as can be."

"But what if the Ming Army circles around here—"

The Tatar sentries in two neighboring watchtowers were chatting.

At that moment!

"Huh?"

A sentry stared toward the front of the tribe, as if he had spotted something. He rubbed his eyes again. "Do you see something up ahead?"

"Have you seen a ghost or something?"

"What could possibly be out there?"

"Haha."

Several sentries burst into mocking laughter.

They looked ahead.

Under the cover of night, it was indeed difficult to see anything.

But at that moment!

"Kill!"

A low shout rang out at the main gate of the Tartar tribe.

Immediately after, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.

Several arrows tore through the air.

A single bow was drawn, yet the arrows shot separately toward several watchtowers.

The Tartar sentries who had been laughing only moments ago had no time to react.

Pfft!

Arrows instantly pierced their throats.

They died on the spot.

PS: Please keep reading; I'd be deeply grateful.