Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

"My fellow ministers, I learned last night that the real culprit behind the assassination attempt on me has been identified. It was actually a corrupt official in the court who attempted to overthrow the Ming Dynasty!" Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was low and powerful, echoing in the hall. All the ministers were shocked when they heard the words and looked at each other.

"I am deeply saddened, but the laws of the country are ruthless and the regulations are strict. I have decided to execute the entire family of the ministers involved in the case to serve as a warning to others!" Zhu Yuanzhang's words revealed an unquestionable determination, and the ministers knelt down one after another to express their support for the holy decision.

Zhu Yuanzhang then changed the subject and looked towards Zhu Han and Zhu Biao: "Brother Han and brother Biao have made great contributions to quickly finding out the truth and calming down the storm. I am very pleased and I will give brother Han a thousand taels of gold and a hundred pieces of brocade to commend his contribution. I will also give brother Biao ten good horses as a reward."

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao hurriedly stepped out and knelt down to express their gratitude: "I am very terrified. This is my responsibility and I dare not take credit for it."

"Okay, get up." Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, signaling the two to stand up. "Brother Han, you are my backbone, and Biao'er is also the hope for the future of our Ming Dynasty. You two need to work together to assist the government and ensure the eternal stability of our Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao looked at each other, with a determined light in their eyes, and they responded in unison: "Your subjects (sons) obey your command."

After the morning court session, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao walked out of the Jinluan Palace side by side, feeling both the joy of victory and expectations for the future. Zhu Han patted Zhu Biao on the shoulder and said earnestly, "Biao'er, you handled today's matter very well, much like your father."

Zhu Biao smiled slightly, his eyes flashing with humility and gratitude: "Uncle, you are too kind. Biaoer still has many shortcomings and needs your guidance."

"I don't deserve your advice. You and I, uncle and nephew, should support each other." Zhu Han shook his head and changed the subject, "However, although today's matter has been resolved, there are undercurrents in the court. You and I still need to remain vigilant at all times."

Zhu Biao nodded, his expression solemn: "Uncle is right, Biao will be extra careful and live up to the high expectations of my father and uncle."

As they were talking, an eunuch hurried over, bowed to the two and said, "Your Highness Prince Han and Your Highness the Crown Prince, His Majesty invites you to the Imperial Study to discuss matters."

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao looked at each other, and then followed the eunuch to the imperial study. Inside the imperial study, Zhu Yuanzhang was reviewing memorials with his head down. When he saw the two of them coming, he put down his pen and smiled slightly: "You two have come at the right time. I have something important to discuss with you."

"I wonder what instructions my father has?" Zhu Biao stepped forward and asked respectfully.

Zhu Yuanzhang pointed to a pile of memorials on the table and said in a deep voice: "Recently, Alutai has been harassing the border of Mobei from time to time. I have made up my mind to send a large army to conquer them to eliminate future troubles. Brother Han, what do you think?"

Zhu Han's eyes instantly became sharp when he heard this. After thinking for a moment, he said in a deep voice: "Alutai has repeatedly violated the border and must be severely punished to serve as a warning to others. I am willing to lead the troops to fight and swear to pacify Mobei and put an end to future troubles."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded with satisfaction, but there was still a hint of worry in his tone: "Brother Han, you have just put down the Jiaozhi Rebellion, and your body has not yet recovered. I am afraid that you will be overworked during this expedition."

Zhu Han smiled slightly and said firmly: "Your Majesty, rest assured. Although I am old, I will not hesitate to die for the Ming Dynasty. Besides, with Biaoer in the court, I feel more at ease when I am fighting outside."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Biao hurriedly stepped forward, his eyes full of worry and determination: "Father, uncle, I am willing to assist you with all my strength to ensure the stability of the court and relieve your worries."

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the uncle and nephew and felt very relieved. He patted Zhu Han on the shoulder and said earnestly: "Okay, in this case, I will order you to lead the army and Biaoer will stay in the court to supervise the country. Brother Han, you must return victorious in this battle and let the tribes in Mobei know the majesty of our Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Han nodded heavily, his eyes gleaming with the light of victory: "I will obey your orders and will not let down your majesty and the crown prince's trust."

Afterwards, Zhu Yuanzhang began to make detailed arrangements for the expedition, including the preparation of food and weapons, the selection and deployment of generals, etc. Zhu Han and Zhu Biao listened carefully and offered their own opinions and suggestions from time to time.

After all the arrangements were completed, Zhu Yuanzhang gave a special reminder: "Brother Han, this time you should not only focus on military victory, but also pay attention to the will of the people. There are many ethnic groups in Mobei. You need to adopt a conciliatory policy and use both kindness and force to achieve long-term stability."

Zhu Han agreed respectfully, secretly thinking about how to implement this strategy.

The day of the expedition finally arrived. Zhu Han, wearing armor, stood on the stage, looking at the soldiers ready to go, with great enthusiasm in his heart. He shouted loudly: "Soldiers, we are about to embark on the expedition to Mobei. In this battle, we must not only defeat the enemy, but also show the majesty and benevolence of our Ming Dynasty."

As the clarion call for battle sounded, the Ming army, led by Zhu Han, set out on a mighty journey to Mobei.

Zhu Han rode on his horse, looking forward with a determined gaze, his heart filled with desire for victory and anxiety about unknown challenges. Beside him, General Li tightly grasped his spear and said in a deep voice: "Your Highness, this time we will definitely win the battle and make the tribes in Mobei never dare to underestimate our Ming Dynasty again."

Zhu Han nodded, his tone revealing an unquestionable determination: "General Li is absolutely right. In this battle, we must not only conquer with force, but also win people over with virtue, so that the people of Mobei can see the benevolent rule and civilization of our Ming Dynasty."

After marching for several days, the army finally arrived at the border of Mobei. Here was a vast grassland with mountains in the distance, and the sky and the earth seemed to merge into one. However, this beautiful land was hiding countless crises and challenges.

Zhu Han summoned all the generals and stood in front of the makeshift tent. He said in a deep voice: "Commendants, we are about to enter the territory of Mobei. The terrain here is complex and the people are fierce. We must be careful. General Li, you lead the vanguard troops to explore the way first and make sure our army's route is safe."

After marching for several days, the army finally approached the location of Alutai's main force. Zhu Han stood on a high slope, holding a telescope, carefully observing the enemy situation ahead. The wind on the grassland was bitingly cold, but it could not blow away the determination in his eyes.

"Your Highness, the enemy has set up camp ten miles ahead." General Li rode up to report, his voice sounding a little serious.

Zhu Han nodded, put down the telescope, and said in a deep voice: "Pass the order, the whole army should speed up and advance, and must fight the enemy before sunset."

As the order was issued, the Ming army quickly adjusted its formation and accelerated towards the enemy camp. The dust on the grassland was stirred up by the sound of horse hooves, as if a yellow ocean was surging.

Soon, the two armies met on the grassland, and a decisive battle was about to begin.

"All soldiers, listen up, prepare for battle!" Zhu Han raised his spear high, his voice resounding through the sky. The Ming army quickly formed a battle array, with shieldmen in the front, archers in the middle, and cavalry on both wings, ready to charge at any time. Alutai's army was not to be outdone. They rode tall war horses, holding spears and scimitars, and issued deafening battle cries. The two armies confronted each other, and the air was filled with a strong smell of gunpowder.

"Shoot!" Zhu Han gave the order, and hundreds of archers drew their bows and arrows at the same time, shooting arrows at the enemy like raindrops. Alutai's soldiers were caught off guard and fell down in an instant.

However, Alutai was no pushover, and he quickly organized a counterattack. The enemy's archers also began to fight back, and the arrows of the two armies intertwined in the air into a web of death.

"Cavalry attack!" Zhu Han saw that the time was right and gave the order decisively. The cavalry on both wings rushed towards the enemy's flanks like two black lightning bolts. They waved their sabers, and wherever they passed, the enemy fell one after another.

The battle was extremely fierce, and the two armies were in a stalemate. Zhu Han led the guards into the enemy camp and engaged in close combat with the enemy. His spear was like a dragon emerging from the sea, invincible, and the enemy soldiers retreated.

After a hard battle, the Ming army finally broke through the enemy's defense line and surrounded Alutai's troops. Zhu Han stood on a high place, looking at the chaotic enemy formation, with a cold light in his eyes.

"Pass the order, attack with all your strength, and make sure to annihilate the enemy!" His voice spread across the battlefield through the horn. The morale of the Ming army was greatly boosted, and they launched the final charge.

After a fierce battle, Alutai's troops finally collapsed. They abandoned their weapons and fled in all directions, but were soon killed one by one by the Ming army. Zhu Han led his troops in pursuit until all the remaining enemy troops were wiped out.

After the battle, the grassland was left in a mess. The Ming army counted the results of the battle and captured thousands of enemy soldiers and seized a large number of war horses and weapons. Zhu Han stood in the center of the battlefield, looking at the fruits of victory, but he did not relax at all.

"General Li, immediately organize people to clean up the battlefield and treat the wounded." He ordered in a deep voice. General Li took the order and quickly organized the soldiers to start working.

As night fell, the cold wind on the grassland became even more biting. Zhu Han stood in front of the tent, looking at the camp of the remnants of Alutai in the distance, thinking about the next action plan in his mind.

"Your Highness, should we take advantage of the victory to wipe out Aluta's remaining forces in one fell swoop?" General Li asked, with fighting spirit flashing in his eyes.

Zhu Han shook his head and said in a deep voice: "Alutai is very cunning, we must not underestimate the enemy. Tonight, I plan to send an elite force to attack the enemy camp at night and catch them off guard."

General Li heard this and a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes: "Your Majesty is wise! I am willing to personally lead this army to carry out the mission."

Zhu Han nodded and patted General Li on the shoulder: "Okay! You will lead 500 elite cavalry in person, and you must be careful. Remember, our goal is to disrupt the enemy, not to fight a decisive battle. If you encounter a strong enemy, do not fight to the death, and retreat immediately."

General Li took the order and quickly selected 500 elite cavalrymen to prepare for a night attack. After nightfall, they quietly left the camp and moved towards the remnants of Alutai.

The night on the grassland was as dark as ink, with only sparse starlight and moonlight sprinkled on the ground. The cavalry led by General Li approached the enemy camp silently under the cover of darkness. They divided into several teams and launched attacks from all directions at the same time.

The enemy camp was thrown into chaos. Alutai's soldiers were caught off guard by the sudden attack and fled in all directions. The cavalry led by General Li was like a tiger descending from the mountain, invincible.

However, just as they were about to win a great victory, a burst of rapid horse hoofbeats broke the silence of the night. An elite enemy cavalry suddenly rushed out of the darkness and collided head-on with General Lee's troops.

"It's Arutai's main cavalry!" A scout hurried over to report, his face pale. General Li frowned and made a quick decision: "Retreat! We are not here for a decisive battle!"

At his command, the cavalry quickly turned their horses around and retreated to the camp. Arutai's cavalry pursued them closely, but they could not effectively pursue them in the darkness. In the end, General Li led his troops back to the camp successfully. Although they failed to completely wipe out the enemy, they also caused considerable losses to Arutai.

The next morning, the grassland was gently awakened by the first ray of sunlight, and the golden light filled every corner. Zhu Han stood in front of the tent, staring at the seemingly indestructible camp of Alutai in the distance, frowning, thinking about the next countermeasure in his mind.

"Your Majesty, the situation is not good." Logistics officer Lord Li hurried in, his voice filled with anxiety, "Our army's food and grass can still sustain for a few days, but the water source is almost exhausted. If it is not resolved as soon as possible, something unexpected may happen."

Zhu Han turned around, glanced at Lord Li sharply, and said in a deep voice: "Water is the lifeline of our army, and it cannot be underestimated. Immediately send an order to the entire army to save water, and at the same time send more scouts to find a new water source."

Lord Li took the order and left. The camp immediately became busy. The soldiers began to consciously reduce water consumption, and the atmosphere became more tense.

However, not long after, a scout came back covered in dust and knelt in front of Zhu Han, his face solemn: "Your Highness, the water sources around are all controlled by Alutai, and it is difficult for our army to get close. If we forcefully take water, we may be ambushed."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Han's brows furrowed even more. He paced slowly, thought for a moment, then turned to look at the young counselor Zhao Ziming: "Ziming, do you have any good ideas?"

Zhao Ziming stepped forward, bowed and said, "Your Highness, as the Art of War says, when you are strong, you should pretend to be weak, and when you are weak, you should pretend to be strong. Our army may be able to feign surrender, lure the enemy deep into our territory, and then launch a surprise attack to seize the water source."

Zhu Han heard this, and a hint of approval flashed in his eyes: "This plan is very good, but it requires careful deployment and cannot afford to make mistakes. Ziming, this matter will be left to you."

Zhao Ziming received the order and immediately summoned a team of elite soldiers to lay out a detailed plan of false surrender. They changed into the uniforms of Arutai soldiers, holding short knives and daggers in their hands, ready to carry out this dangerous mission.

As night fell, a group of "surrendered" soldiers, led by Zhao Ziming, quietly approached Alutai's camp. In front of the camp gate, a deputy general of Alutai was anxiously waiting for news. When he saw the "surrender letter", a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"Are you really here to surrender?" The deputy general took the surrender letter with doubt. After checking it carefully, a satisfied smile appeared on his face. "Okay, you know what's happening. Open the door and let them in!" (End of this chapter)