The fierce grandson of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 176 Zhu Di: Brother Chang, you've finally seen the light!

That same night, at the Prince of Yan's residence.

The lights were on, and shadows moved about.

At the banquet, Zhu Xiong Ying, Zhu Di, and others, dressed in casual clothes, sat at the table.

On the table were many dishes and jars of wine.

Looking down, the surrendered followers, including Nahachu, sat upright, appearing somewhat reserved.

Meanwhile, as the banquet began, Zhu Xiong Ying, as the eldest grandson of the emperor and concurrently in charge of the military command, rose first, raised his wine cup, and said, "It is a rare occasion for us all to gather here today. Let us toast the Marquis of Haixi and everyone else!"

Nahachu and the others raised their cups and replied, "Thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

Then, Zhu Di, in high spirits, picked up his wine cup and said a few opening remarks.

After several rounds of drinks...

Just as the atmosphere suddenly became lively, Lan Yu suddenly spoke up: "I never imagined that after the battle of Qingzhou, Marquis Haixi and I would still be enemies. It's truly unpredictable how things turn out this way!"

These words were full of sarcasm.

Having traveled all the way from Jinshan, Nahachu was already accustomed to the personality of this Marquis of Yongchang. He glanced at the person above him, stroked his beard, and said, "Marquis of Yongchang..."

His bravery is extraordinary; I admire him greatly!

"Now that the tide has turned, our submission is in accordance with Heaven's will, and serving the Ming Dynasty is an even greater blessing!"

These few words easily resolved the issue.

Lan Yu snorted and said no more.

Zhu Xiong Ying and his fourth uncle, Zhu Di, exchanged a silent glance.

I must say, Nahachu is quite skilled!

Uncle Lan Yu, who was eager to make a name for himself, was still holding a grudge because he had failed to kill the enemy commander.

Given his nature, he is straightforward and honest, and he is not capable of any scheming or trickery!

However, with him present, this great-uncle still knew what was important!

Throughout this Liaodong campaign, both before the battle and now while in Beiping, I have exercised great restraint in controlling my emotions.

This interlude may have ended, but it's not over yet.

After a few breaths, Chang Mao, caught up in the moment, suddenly fixed his eyes on the bald man sitting opposite him.

He picked up two large wine jars, swayed over, and with a thud, placed one on the table, declaring with gusto, "So, we didn't manage to fight during the day!"

"How about we have a drinking contest? Whoever passes out first is a coward!"

Hearing his uncle's words, Zhu Xiong Ying smiled and looked over, showing no concern whatsoever.

His uncle is a heavy drinker; he can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk.

Every year at the palace banquet, even Emperor Zhu sighed that no one could match his grandfather's drinking capacity, thanks to his grandfather's ever-present spring breeze!

What we're doing now just happens to add some fun to the banquet and at the same time boost the prestige of the Chang family!

Seeing this, Naha did not say anything to stop it.

After all, we'll be working together in the court in the future. If we can use a drinking contest to resolve the conflicts of the day and turn hostility into friendship, that would be the best outcome!

Upon hearing this, Shicibatu, still fuming from the daytime, was even more furious to see the son of the King of Kaiping come to his door. He was unwilling to admit defeat.

He slammed his hand on the table, stood up, and, speaking in broken Mandarin, picked up another jar of wine and sneered, "Let's compete!"

I've never been afraid of anyone when it comes to drinking!

"You've got guts! Let's do it!"

As soon as Chang Mao finished speaking, he picked up the wine jar, tilted his head back, and poured it down.

With a series of gurgling sounds, a dozen or so large gulps later, the jar of wine was empty.

He turned the jar upside down and surveyed it triumphantly.

"Uncle is awesome!"

"Excellent! Duke Zheng has a great capacity for alcohol!"

Upon seeing this, Zhu Xiong Ying clapped his hands, and the rest of the crowd cheered.

Shi Ciba felt the pressure, but he was not willing to be outdone. He picked up the wine jar and drank it all in one gulp.

"Again!"

And so it went, back and forth.

One jar, two jars, three jars —

Their bellies were already swollen, and their faces had turned bright red.

Yet Chang Mao remained energetic and spoke without a tremor.

On the other hand, the man named Shicibatu had already begun to sway his body and was in a daze.

After the ninth jar was finished, there was a loud bang, and Shicibatu collapsed onto the table and fell into a deep sleep.

Chang Mao chuckled, kicked the child, and said dismissively, "Nothing special!"

"But to be able to drink this much with us is quite a talent. We'll be magnanimous and let bygones be bygones for what happened during the day."

If Shicibatu were awake, he would probably be so angry that he would vomit blood upon hearing Chang Mao's shameless words.

The other surrendered generals present, filled with awe, remained silent and dared not speak.

As the banquet ended and Nahachu and his companions took their leave, their demeanor became increasingly respectful.

Zhu Xiong Ying was very concerned about her eldest uncle, and hurriedly asked San Bao to call someone to escort him back to the post station to rest.

When only he and his fourth uncle Zhu Di remained, his fourth uncle, stroking his beard, smiled and said, "Nephew! Look at the actions of the Chang brothers—bold yet meticulous, daring to act—that's what true men do!"

"Even today, I can be considered enlightened. Slaying and subduing the masses has brought me prestige, and I've done a good deed!"

"From now on, people like Shicibatu will definitely not dare to cause trouble again!"

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded and said, "Just as Fourth Uncle said! Barbarians fear power, not virtue!"

"Even if they submit to the Yuan invaders, while we educate them, we must also exert our authority; only in this way can we achieve lasting peace and stability!"

"Judging from this, Uncle did a truly excellent job today!"

This is the fact.

Even if in the future we pacify the northern deserts and restore the vast lands beyond the Great Wall.

In the actual governance process, in-depth integration is needed, rather than loosening and restricting, leaving too many hidden dangers!

We must especially remember and avoid the lessons learned from history!

The uncle and nephew, showing no signs of fatigue, sat down and talked intimately.

Nahachu and the surrendered people also returned to the inn where they were resting.

In a few days, he will travel south to the capital to meet with Zhu Yuanzhang, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

Some of these troops would remain in Beiping to assist the Ming army in reorganizing its forces and handling border affairs.

Some will be sent to other parts of the Central Plains —

However, upon reflecting on what he had seen and heard that day, Nahachu was filled with unease and great anxiety.

After a short while, aside from the unconscious Shicibatu, he immediately called the others to his side and carefully instructed them: "I used to think that the Ming army was stronger than us simply because they had more men and better firearms!"

"But after this defeat and surrender, having penetrated deep into the Ming army's ranks, and now seeing the young imperial grandson—I am even more convinced that the fate of the Yuan Dynasty has long been sealed!"

"Whether in the past, present, or future, we are far from being a match for the Ming Dynasty!"

"Now that I am a wise minister, I am already extremely fortunate to have preserved my life and my family!"

"When you are dealing with matters in various places in the future, remember to keep your mind focused and avoid having any unrealistic ideas!"

These words of admonition are truly insightful.

This clearly shows that Nahachu had good intentions and couldn't bear to see his former subordinates beheaded.

"This humble general will remember this!"

In the following days.

Taking advantage of Naha's current location in Beiping, he took a temporary rest.

Zhu Xiong Ying, with a desire to learn, inquired extensively about the internal situation of the remnant Yuan dynasty, especially the personnel inside and outside the Khanate of the Northern Desert.

While recording the events, he also consulted with his scouts and wrote to Zhu Yuanzhang, discussing strategies for the coming year's campaign.

On this day, escorted by the Imperial Guards, Naha was heading to the capital.

In accordance with etiquette and protocol, Zhu Xiong Ying, along with his fourth uncle Zhu Di and others, went to see them off.

Before leaving, he said a lot of polite things.

As the group of figures rode away and disappeared down the main road, they were eventually seen off into the distance.

Zhu Xiong Ying turned around and looked at the northwest sky.

Now that Liaodong is pacified, how far is the northern desert?

If we calculate the time, Uncle Li Wenzhong's troops should have returned to Beiping by the time they finished clearing out the remaining enemy forces.