Zhu Yuanzhang: My second son is invincible!

The tenth year of the Hongwu reign.

On the northern outskirts of Yingtian Prefecture, below the General's Platform.

An army of 150,000 men stood in formation, their banners obscuring the sky.

Xu Da, clad in black armor, stood on the platform with his hand on his sword, his face ashen.

This first general of the founding of the Ming Dynasty, even in his fifties, remained as upright as a pine tree, though his temples were already frosted with white.

Below the stage, Zhu Di, dressed in brand-new Mingguang armor and with a long sword at his waist, was so excited that his cheeks were flushed.

Behind him were five hundred elite cavalrymen from the Yanshan Guard, all clad in black armor with red tassels, their warhorses snorting and pawing the ground with their front hooves.

Zhu Li stood beside Xu Da, wearing a prince's military uniform that Zhu Yuanzhang had specially ordered the Imperial Wardrobe to make. In reality, it was just a dark blue battle robe embroidered with a golden dragon over ordinary armor.

He wasn't used to this outfit and felt restricted.

"Your Excellency, this humble general..." Xu Da turned around, about to bow.

Zhu Hui quickly waved his hand and said, "Uncle Xu, no, no, you are the great general. I'm just here to take a look."

A hint of a smile flashed in Xu Da's eyes, and he no longer stood on ceremony.

He had met this Prince Wu a few times. He was honest and straightforward, but his skills were... Thinking of the experience of injuring the Golden-Winged Roc with that axe, Xu Da felt much more at ease.

With this person here, we have nothing to worry about in this battle.

At 3:45 AM, Zhu Yuanzhang's imperial carriage arrived.

With the dragon flag and ceremonial guard leading the way, Zhu Yuanzhang did not ride in a carriage, but instead rode a black horse, wearing a black casual robe and a cloak.

Zhu Biao rode on his horse to the left, also dressed in military uniform.

The entire army knelt down in unison and shouted, "Long live Your Majesty!"

The sound was deafening.

Zhu Yuanzhang rode his horse to the command platform, dismounted, and strode onto the platform.

Zhu Biao followed closely behind.

"Get up, Tiande, are you ready?" Zhu Yuanzhang waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the army below the platform, finally landing on Xu Da as he asked.

"Your Majesty, we have 150,000 soldiers, three months' worth of provisions, and ample weaponry, ready to be deployed at any time," Xu Da said, clasping his hands in a fist salute.

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded, then looked at Zhu Li: "Li'er, is it your first time on such a large battlefield? Are you scared?"

Zhu Hui scratched his head: "I'm not worried, it's just that there are a lot of people."

Some soldiers in the audience couldn't help but laugh, but quickly managed to suppress it.

Zhu Yuanzhang chuckled, "Many hands make light work. When we get to the north, listen to your Uncle Xu and don't rush in recklessly."

"I know," Zhu Li nodded honestly.

Zhu Biao took out a roll of yellow silk from his sleeve, unfolded it, and read aloud:

"By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Wang Baobao, a remnant of the Northern Yuan, has repeatedly invaded our borders and plundered our people... Now, we hereby appoint Xu Da, Duke of Wei, as the Generalissimo of the Northern Expedition, Zhu Di, Prince of Wu, as the Military Supervisor, and Zhu Di, Prince of Yan, as the Vanguard, leading an army of 150,000 to launch a northern expedition against the desert and wipe out the remaining bandits..."

After the imperial edict was read, Zhu Di was the first to clasp his hands and shout, "Your subject obeys the decree! I will surely capture Wang Baobao and present him to you!"

His voice was loud and clear, radiating the vigor of youth.

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at him, said nothing more, and only said to Xu Da, "Tiande, the children are in your hands now."

"Your Majesty, rest assured," Xu Da said solemnly.

The time has come.

Xu Da turned to face the army, drew his sword, and said, "Let's march!"

The bugle sounds and the war drums beat.

One hundred and fifty thousand troops moved northwards like a floodgate opening.

Infantry were in front, cavalry on the flanks, and baggage train in the center.

Zhu Di led 500 Yanshan Guards at the forefront, quickly becoming a small black dot at the edge of the field of vision.

Zhu Hui and Xu Da rode side by side in the center of the main force.

He looked back at the command platform, where Zhu Yuanzhang and Zhu Biao were still standing, gazing into the distance.

"Your Highness is reluctant to part with it..." Xu Da asked.

"A bit. Dad and my older brother were standing there like they were seeing their child off," Zhu Li said honestly.

Xu Da smiled: "His Majesty and the Crown Prince truly love and care for His Highness."

"I know, so I have to be extra careful not to get hurt, or they'll worry," Zhu Li said, touching the amulet Empress Ma had given him around his neck.

Xu Da nodded, feeling a sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, a complex emotion encompassing both admiration and reflection).

This prince is pure of heart, which makes him more worthy of protection than those who are full of scheming.

The army marched slowly, covering only sixty li a day. For the first three days, they traveled along official roads, and the prefectures and counties along the way had already received official documents from the court, with supply depots set up neatly and efficiently.

On the fourth day, we entered Henan province, and the road became difficult to travel.

Zhu Di's vanguard sent messengers to report daily that there were no abnormalities ahead.

On the seventh day, the army arrived at the Yellow River crossing.

It was winter, and the Yellow River had not yet frozen over, but the water flow was gentle.

Hundreds of ferries were prepared at the ferry crossing, along with two temporary pontoon bridges erected by the Ministry of Works.

Xu Da gave the order.

The cavalry crossed the pontoon bridge, while the infantry and baggage trains traveled by boat.

This was the first time Zhu Yuan had ever seen such a wide river. He stood on the bank for a long time, staring at it, before suddenly asking, "Uncle Xu, can this river be cut down?"

Several generals nearby slipped and fell.

Xu Da asked without changing his expression, "Does Your Highness wish to try..."

"I'm kind of thinking about it. I just want to see if the water will stop if I hit it with an axe," Zhu Hui said, staring at the river.

A young adjutant couldn't help but whisper, "Your Highness, the Yellow River is the lifeline of the world; how can it be severed by human power..."

Before he finished speaking, Zhu Li pressed his right hand lightly against his left arm.

A giant bronze axe appeared out of thin air.

He walked to the riverbank, gripped the axe with both hands, and gently chopped the water.

No sound.

The axe blade sliced ​​through the air, and an invisible, sharp intent cut into the water.

Then, a miracle happened.

The Yellow River, which is several miles wide, stops flowing from where Zhu Li stands.

It's not just separation, it's a true cessation of flow.

The water from upstream surged to the fault, as if hitting a transparent wall, piling up waves several meters high, yet unable to advance an inch.

The water downstream continued to flow away, revealing a riverbed hundreds of feet long in the middle, filled with silt, gravel, and a few fish that hadn't had time to swim away, leaping and frolicking on the riverbed.

The entire Yellow River was cleaved in two by a single axe stroke.

The ferry crossing was completely silent.

All the soldiers, generals, and boatmen stared wide-eyed at the dried-up riverbed.

Zhu Hui put away his axe, scratched his head, and said, "It seems like it really can cut through."

Xu Da was the first to come to his senses. He took a deep breath and said, "Your Highness... please stop using your supernatural powers! If this continues, the downstream will run out of water."

"Oh." Zhu Li nodded, a thought forming in her mind.

The invisible wall disappeared.

The river water that had accumulated upstream rushed down with a roar, like ten thousand horses galloping, instantly filling the riverbed. The waves splashed high, soaking the clothes of the people on the bank.

The veterans wiped the water off their faces, looked at each other, and saw two words in each other's eyes... monster.

Zhu Li walked back, a little embarrassed: "I think I used too much force again."

Xu Da patted him on the shoulder: "It's alright. In the future... try not to use your full strength against the mountains and rivers."

"Understood," Zhu Li replied honestly.

The army continued crossing the river.

This time, however, everyone looked at Zhu Hui differently. It was no longer the way they looked at a young prince, but rather... at some indescribable being.

After crossing the Yellow River, we entered Shanxi Province.

As the terrain rises, the north wind grows fierce.

Zhu Di's vanguard has arrived in Datong Prefecture and sent back the news.

Wang Baobao led 30,000 cavalrymen to patrol a hundred miles away, seemingly testing the waters.

Xu Da ordered the army to speed up its march.