Dispatching Troops Against the Jianzhou Tatars!

"Highly likely."

Zhu Ying nodded.

Having received Zhu Ying's confirmation,

the soldiers all grew somewhat worried.

"Brothers, what are you afraid of?"

"Don't mountain bandits and roaming outlaws also have one head and two legs? Our armor and weapons are better than theirs. They should be the ones afraid of us."

"Anyway, if we really have to suppress bandits when the time comes, just follow me and charge."

"Once you're in the Military Registry, being afraid is useless."

"You might as well think about killing bandits and earning merit."

"Let's go." Zhu Ying said with a smile.

He then strode out of the barracks.

Seeing Zhu Ying's calm, fearless demeanor, the soldiers' unease eased somewhat. They followed him out of the barracks and headed for the parade ground.

Very soon.

On the parade ground,

all the officers and soldiers of the Thousand-Household Battalion stationed in Ansha County gathered there.

Wei Quan stood atop the command platform, his expression grave.

Once everyone had arrived,

"Officers and soldiers of the Ansha Thousand-Household Battalion."

"This Thousand-Household Officer has just received military orders. The source of the bandit problem within our Daning Prefecture has been uncovered: it is the work of the Jianzhou Tatars on the Northern border. They sent soldiers to infiltrate our Great Ming, recruit mountain bandits and roaming outlaws, and disrupt the peace of our Great Ming."

"Now."

"The Commander has ordered us to strike the Jianzhou Tatars, eradicate the bandit menace once and for all, and beat these barbarians who have disturbed our Great Ming until they hurt."

"By military order, our Ansha Thousand-Household Battalion will immediately set out for the border and join forces with all the Thousand-Household Battalions under the guard stations."

"No more nonsense."

"Move out immediately. No delays."

Wei Quan wasted no time and issued the order at once.

Upon hearing this news,

the soldiers on the parade ground all had different thoughts.

They had originally believed this would merely be a bandit-suppression campaign, but now it had become a larger war, one where they would truly face the northern barbarians.

As soldiers from Daning Prefecture, a borderland, they naturally knew the barbarians' cruelty. It could be said that because of the Northern Yuan, all the northern peoples were enemies of the Ming Dynasty.

And fighting them was far more dangerous than suppressing bandits.

This would inevitably be a brutal battle.

Just as I thought, those mountain bandits were planted by the barbarians.

Going to fight the Tatars this time truly is the way to deal with the root of Daning Prefecture's bandit problem.

Tatars, Tatars.

They are a scourge upon Huaxia.

Zhu Ying thought to himself. Rather than fear, he felt a little eager for battle.

Having lived another life,

Zhu Ying naturally knew what these Tatars would do to the Divine Land of Huaxia in the future. They would plunge Huaxia into humiliation and endless suffering.

The dignity of the Han people would be utterly destroyed.

All because of the Tatars.

If I truly gain the power to change things in the future, the first thing I'll do is wipe out the Tatars.

It seems the higher-ups intend only to repel the Tatars and teach them a lesson this time, not exterminate their people.

Perhaps this is also paving the way for the conquest of the Northern Yuan.

As a prefecture bordering the Northern Yuan, it would be no good if Daning Prefecture remained plagued by unrest, Zhu Ying thought to himself.

With his understanding of history, Zhu Ying naturally guessed at the decisions made by those above.

Sending troops against the Tatars was meant to purge the bandit unrest in Daning Prefecture.

Of course,

for Zhu Ying, this was also a good opportunity to increase his strength.

He could raise his attributes once again.

"Thousand-Household Battalion, depart!"

Wei Quan shouted loudly.

Two days passed!

The northeastern border of Daning Prefecture, Ming Dynasty.

The Ming Dynasty now controlled the entire Central Plains, but the Northern Yuan still remained along the Northern border, while numerous barbarian tribes, including the Jianzhou Tatars, inhabited the northeastern frontier.

Of course,

there was also a kingdom east of Liaodong called Goryeo. However, it did not pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty, instead continuing to pay tribute to the Northern Yuan.

Though the Grand Ming Empire's national strength was now at its peak, there were in truth still many hidden dangers beyond its borders.

It was not only the Northern Yuan in the north.

Yunnan, Annam, and other places in the south were also rife with undercurrents.

Still,

Emperor Taizu of Ming, Zhu Yuanzhang, was ultimately a man of firm methods. Under his rule, the Grand Ming Empire continued to grow stronger, gradually resolving these external threats.

Thinking back several years,

Daning Prefecture, Beiping Prefecture, and many other northern prefectures had still been under Northern Yuan control. Now, they had all become Han territory of the Ming Dynasty.

Daning border!

Twenty thousand Ming Army soldiers had gathered and encamped at the border.

Inside the main command tent!

Chen Heng and Liu Zhen,

along with many other generals, had gathered there.

Twenty Thousand-Household Officers sat in two rows.

"This time, the Crown Prince's decree is to purge the bandit menace within our Great Ming and strike hard at the Jianzhou Tatar tribes behind it."

"This time, General Liu and I will command the army. Meanwhile, the soldiers of Daning Prefecture will thoroughly purge the mountain bandits and roaming outlaws within Daning Prefecture, eliminating the bandit menace once and for all."

"Generals, Thousand-Household Officers."

"Do you have any thoughts?"

Chen Heng sat in the seat of honor and looked at the generals within the tent.

"Reporting to General Chen."

"The Jianzhou Tatars border our Great Ming and have many informants within Daning Prefecture. News of our troop deployment in Daning Prefecture has surely already reached their tribe, and they will certainly be prepared. Yet their main force is not stationed along our Great Ming border."

"This subordinate believes that speed is paramount in war. We should launch a direct attack tomorrow."

"We only need to give these barbarians a warning."

"If they dare send troops to meet us in battle, then kill them." A general spoke up.

"Indeed."

"At this point, only slaughter will do. Only when these barbarians pay the price will they know fear."

"Tomorrow, this subordinate is willing to lead my Thousand-Household Battalion as the vanguard."

"This subordinate is also willing to serve as the vanguard."

"This subordinate requests permission..."

One Thousand-Household Officer after another requested to serve as the vanguard.

The Ming Dynasty's military system was strict, and none of them wished to miss such an excellent chance to earn merit.

Seeing such fighting spirit among the generals, Chen Heng revealed a satisfied smile.

"The Jianzhou Tatar tribe is located merely ten li beyond our border."

"Tomorrow."

"The First Guard Station's First Thousand-Household Battalion and the Second Guard Station's First Thousand-Household Battalion will serve as the vanguard and launch a frontal assault."

"The remaining troops will attack from the flanks in two separate forces."

"Meet the enemy, kill them."

"Leave no survivors."

"This battle must teach these barbarians a bloody lesson."

Chen Heng issued the order at once.

"This subordinate accepts the order."

The generals answered in unison.

Inside the military camp!

Zhu Ying led his ten brothers as they carved their names into arrow after arrow.

Each arrow bore its owner's name.

That way, after the battle ended, military merit could be counted based on them.

"Squad Leader."

"How many arrows did you take?"

"Can you even shoot them all?"

Seeing Zhu Ying swiftly carve his name onto arrows, and seeing that he had far more than fifty, the soldiers beside him were greatly surprised.

An archer's quiver could hold at most fifty arrows.

Yet Zhu Ying had collected more than a hundred arrows.

"Spare arrows in case I can't finish them."

Zhu Ying smiled.

After filling one quiver, Zhu Ying began filling another.

As an archer,

he was much safer than those charging directly into battle. To collect attributes, and even more so to earn military merit, Zhu Ying had to prepare thoroughly.

The Hundred-Household Battalion Zhu Ying belonged to was an Archer Battalion.

Once on the battlefield, they would also be an extremely important long-range weapon.

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