The fierce grandson of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 179 Old Zhu's Methods

Outside Beiping City, at the Western Camp.

At the same time Feng Sheng received the imperial edict, another urgent imperial edict from Zhu Yuanzhang, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, was also delivered to Zhu Xiong Ying and others.

Inside the military tent, Zhu Xiong Ying, Zhu Di, Li Wen Zhong, Lan Yu, Chang Mao, Li Jing Long, and Xu Yun Gong were all gathered.

In fact, the overall situation in Liaodong has been settled by now.

Building upon the previous rewards, it is time for an even wider range of commendations!

They also made further arrangements for the upcoming battles in northern Mongolia.

The imperial guards, after scanning the area, loudly proclaimed: "By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: Since my ascension to the throne, I have worked tirelessly day and night, desiring only peace throughout the land and the well-being of the people."

"However, the Yuan traitors have seized the north and harassed the border regions. I ordered my generals to lead an army to punish them. It was by the grace of Heaven and Earth that the soldiers fought bravely, and the entire Liaodong region was pacified. This is all thanks to the efforts of you gentlemen!"

"Now that the overall situation is settled, rewards will be distributed according to merit, with each according to their respective rank—"

"The eldest grandson of the Emperor, Zhu Xiong Ying, is a shrewd strategist and skillful commander. He has repeatedly offered ingenious plans, saving hundreds of thousands of soldiers and civilians from the suffering of war. He is truly a virtuous grandson of the Emperor!"

"This matter shall be recorded in the Imperial Ancestral Instructions of the Ming Dynasty, and the Imperial Horse and Precious Sword shall be bestowed upon you in return."

Zhu Xiong Ying, standing at the front, bowed and listened attentively, and couldn't help but feel moved by how much his imperial grandfather doted on his beloved grandson!

Not only was he regarded as a role model for the royal family to establish his prestige, but he was also rewarded with all the prizes he could.

He listened intently and heard the following: "Although Liaodong is pacified, the northern deserts are not yet secure. For the sake of next year's war, the Emperor has specially ordered his eldest grandson, Zhu Xiong Ying, to remain in Beiping to command the generals and pacify the army!"

As expected, Old Zhu indeed agreed to let his eldest grandson stay on the front lines in Beiping.

After all, the achievements over the past few months are evident to everyone, both in the government and among the public.

With him around, morale was high and the troops were stable!

At the same time, as the eldest grandson, he could also appease the surrendered people.

"Prince Zhu Di of Yan, having taken up his fief in Beiping, has overseen the supply of provisions, the repair of city walls, and the pacification of the military and civilians. His achievements are remarkable, and I am greatly pleased!"

"Bestowed with a gift of one thousand taels of silver, forty bolts of cloth, two thousand strings of cash, and ten imperial horses! May you continue your efforts to assist in the Northern Expedition and oversee the surrounding agricultural settlements!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying glanced to the side out of the corner of her eye!

Old Zhu's praise and bestowal of favors show that he was very satisfied with what his fourth uncle had done!

In his mind, once his fourth uncle Zhu Di had fully matured, he would be no less capable than his uncle Li Wenzhong.

Even in the northern border of the Ming Dynasty, with the Prince of Yan as an iron wall, what need is there to fear other external threats?

In fact, through their conversation a month ago, the uncle and nephew had reached a consensus, their gaze not only fixed on the northern deserts, but also on the vast western regions and the sprawling coastal borders.

At the same time, Zhu Di's heart was also stirred upon hearing the commendation from the palace.

"Duke Li Wenzhong of Cao State led his troops in a surprise attack, cutting off the enemy's supplies. Later, he guarded the northern pass of Jinshan, intercepting and killing fleeing enemies, and made great contributions! He is hereby awarded two thousand strings of cash."

"Cao Guogong Li Wenzhong is hereby appointed to temporarily oversee all military affairs, and all generals shall be under his command!"

"Therefore, Duke Feng Sheng of Song, having long been away on campaign, will temporarily remain in Liaodong to oversee the relocation of surrendered people, the construction of garrisons, and the administration of agricultural settlements!"

Upon hearing this, many people in the tent, including Zhu Di, Chang Mao, and Li Jinglong, showed strange expressions.

According to the imperial edict, it is obvious that the emperor has stripped Feng Sheng of his command and handed it over to Cao Guogong Li Wenzhong!

During the Liaodong campaign, Song Guogong Feng Sheng, as the commander, made great contributions!

Could there be another reason behind this tragic end?

The power of an emperor is indeed unfathomable.

While everyone was lost in thought, only Zhu Xiong Ying knew the reason best!

This would allow Feng Sheng to continue leading troops in Liaodong and handling border affairs, thus making amends for his past mistakes!

This clearly shows that his imperial grandfather was lenient towards him.

In this regard, it was also thanks to the letter he wrote to Lao Feng, which served as a warning to him.

Furthermore, within the palace, Empress Ma, my grandmother, is still alive and well; she must have offered some advice—

Otherwise, just like in history, Lao Feng would never be so at ease.

Following this, there were further rewards and new appointments for General Fu Youde and others.

When it was the turn of his maternal uncle, Lan Yu, it was said: "Marquis of Yongchang, Lan Yu, braved the snow to attack Qingzhou, beheading the enemy general, Pingzhang Guolai. Later, he escorted Naha in and out of the pass, reorganized the surrendered troops, and maintained strict military discipline. He was specially awarded 1,500 strings of cash and 30 bolts of cloth—and will continue to serve as the deputy general of the Northern Expedition, commanding 30,000 troops, and moved to Tongzhou to intensify training!"

Hearing this, Lan Yu felt somewhat annoyed.

The campaign has taken place from Yunnan all the way to the northern frontier. First, Feng Sheng was the commander-in-chief, and then Li Wenzhong will likely take over as commander-in-chief next year.

He, on the other hand, can only repeatedly be relegated to second place!

When will I be able to lead the army on the battlefield as the commander-in-chief?

Despite Lan Yu’s thoughts, Li Wenzhong’s military capabilities and prestige, both internal and external, were undeniable.

Therefore, I could only suppress many thoughts in my heart.

"Chang Mao, Duke of Zheng; Li Jinglong, eldest son of Duke of Cao; Xu Yungong, eldest son of Duke of Wei; and generals such as Tang Ding, have all rendered meritorious service in assisting with logistics, transporting provisions, and reorganizing surrendered soldiers! Each is hereby awarded 500 strings of cash and 20 bolts of cloth, and shall remain at their posts in the coming days to continue assisting in the Northern Expedition!"

Upon seeing this, Chang Mao's eyes widened in surprise.

This uncle of his, who stayed by his nephew's side and never participated in the war, actually had merits!

Sure enough, having a nephew to back him up is great; he benefited from it!

The young players, including Li Jinglong, all wore expressions of surprise and delight.

Finally, Old Zhu made a special mention of the surrendered general Guan Tong.

"You see, Tong is a former official of the Yuan dynasty, who has long served on the frontier. Now he understands the bigger picture and takes the lead in obeying orders, which is truly commendable!"

"I hereby summon you to the capital for an audience with me. I will personally reward you and bestow upon you an official position, so that you may enjoy glory and wealth for generations to come, and share in the prosperity of the nation."

"We will depart on a chosen date after receiving the imperial decree!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying immediately understood.

It must have been in his previous letter, praising Guan Tong's talent, that that made Old Zhu take it to heart!

The imperial edict specifically mentioned this, therefore he was ordered to come to court for an audience.

Speaking of which, Guan Tong is truly gifted.

Not only do they always manage to stand on the right side, but they also have incredible luck whenever something happens.

After the imperial edict was read aloud, the tent fell silent for a moment.

Then, Zhu Xiong Ying led the way, loudly bowing and saying, "Your grandson obeys the decree, long live the Emperor!"

"Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!"

A few breaths later, everyone stood up.

The official delivering the imperial decree quietly approached, faced the eldest grandson of the emperor, bowed respectfully, and said, "Reporting to Your Highness!"

"His Majesty has another secret decree, instructing me to personally deliver it to Your Highness—"

After the secret decree was retrieved, the attendant carefully presented it with both hands.

Zhu Xiong Ying took it, and while curious, she didn't open it immediately. Instead, she nodded and said, "Thank you for your trouble, Commander Mao!"

'

The person who came from the capital to deliver the imperial edict was none other than Mao Xiang!

Mao Xiang's arrival this time, besides conveying imperial edicts, also carried the important task of supervising the Embroidered Uniform Guard and investigating enemy situations in the northern desert.

In order to cooperate with the Ming army and achieve a complete victory in the Northern Expedition next year!

Mao Xiang repeatedly said he dared not.

After his fourth uncle Zhu Di and the others had mostly left, Zhu Xiong Ying pondered for a moment and then left his eldest uncle Chang Mao alone in the tent.

There are some intimate things to say between an uncle and nephew.