Ming Dynasty: Charge, Emperor Yongle!

On the west bank of Xuanwu Lake, the Beijing military camp.

"The Great General has arrived!"

The rider in front galloped into the camp, shouting loudly.

"Tora! Tora! Tora!"

The soldiers on both sides echoed in unison, their voices deafening.

"Tap tap..."

Two rows of fully armored guards jogged into the camp and stood on both sides, ready for battle.

Immediately afterwards, a muffled sound of horses' hooves came from afar, and the ground shook.

"Neigh, neigh!"

Xu Da led the way into the military camp, tightening the reins as his warhorse let out a high-pitched neigh.

"Greetings, General."

The soldiers and guards around them knelt on one knee, their eyes filled with reverence.

"Whoa!!!"

Xu Da dismounted, handed the reins to a soldier, and strode towards the central command tent.

"General."

The chief secretary, Gu Cheng, hurriedly stepped forward and whispered in his ear, "His Highness the Prince of Yan has arrived."

"Um."

A strange light flashed in Xu Da's eyes, and he ordered in a deep voice: "Is the roster for accompanying the army on the expedition ready?"

"Reporting to the General, preparations are complete."

Gu Cheng answered immediately.

"It will be brought up shortly."

"Yes."

The other generals performed their duties, but Xu Da was the only one who entered the central command tent alone.

Inside the tent, a tall and slender figure had been waiting for a long time; it was none other than Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan.

"Uncle Xu".

Upon seeing Xu Da enter the tent, Zhu Di calmly bowed.

"snort."

Xu Da snorted coldly, sat imposingly on the tiger-skin couch, and looked at him sharply: "You dare to show your face here?"

"By openly running away from the wedding, what will become of my eldest daughter's reputation?"

"If you cannot give a satisfactory explanation today, I will immediately order your arrest and punish you with three hundred strokes of the cane."

"Uncle Xu, don't scare me."

Zhu Di was not afraid at all; on the contrary, he swaggered over and sat down at the lower end.

"Stand up."

Seeing this, Xu Da was furious and shouted angrily.

"Yes."

Zhu Di touched the tip of his nose, his eyes somewhat unfocused, knowing that his actions had angered Duke Xu Da of Wei.

"Tell me about it."

"He ran away from his arranged marriage, injured a young man from the Huaixi Xun Gui family, and went to the Qin Prince's mansion to see Kuo Kuo's sister."

"What are you trying to do, kid, making such a fuss?"

Xu Da scrutinized the young man before him, his words carrying an authoritative tone that left no room for argument.

Zhu Di's expression turned serious, and he said solemnly, "Uncle Xu, you are wise enough to know that Miaoyun and I are a match made in heaven, and I have no intention of breaking off the engagement."

"It was only out of necessity that we had to do it."

"Otherwise, how could we deceive the world?"

"Is it really necessary to do it this way?"

Xu Da's tiger-like eyes widened, and an invisible sense of oppression permeated the entire central command tent. An ordinary person would have been so frightened that they would have collapsed to the ground, trembling with fear.

"Uncle Xu".

Zhu Di shook his head and said inexplicably, "We won't do it that way."

"Let alone the common people, how could the civil officials and nobles in the court agree to a prince joining the army and leading troops?"

"If we don't do this, how can Father and Elder Brother break the monolithic situation of the noble families of Huaixi?"

"A prince with a bad reputation and a dissolute Prince of Yan are better than a nobleman who is both literate and martial."

"That's not what you really think, kid. You're just trying to fool me."

Xu Da narrowed his eyes, exuding a threatening aura.

"hey-hey."

Zhu Di chuckled and said, "As expected, nothing can be hidden from Uncle Xu."

"The prince's enfeoffment was a national policy that my father and elder brother had long ago formulated."

"My second brother was enfeoffed as the Prince of Qin and enfeoffed in Xi'an to oversee the Northwest."

"My third brother was enfeoffed as the Prince of Jin and enfeoffed in Taiyuan to guard the northern frontier."

"I hereby enfeoff myself as the Prince of Yan, and take up my fief in Beiping, where I will be stationed to govern the northern Yan region and Liaodong."

"Xi'an is located on the Guanzhong Plain, with the Hetao region to the north and the Hexi Corridor to the west serving as natural barriers."

"Shanxi is surrounded by mountains and rivers. Taiyuan is surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the Fen River flows through the city, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack."

"Beijing is located at the northern end of the North China Plain, connecting the Northeast and the Central Plains. Since ancient times, it has been a crucial point of contention between the Chinese people and the nomadic tribes of the grasslands."

"It is bordered by the Yanshan Mountains to the north, controls the plains to the south, faces the Bohai Sea to the east, and leans against the Taihang Mountains to the west. Whoever controls it controls the north."

"I am still young. If I do not plan ahead, how can I secure my position as the Prince of Yan and keep Beiping as stable as before?"

"So you plan to use this opportunity to join the army on the northern expedition and establish yourself within the military?"

Xu Da saw through Zhu Di's scheme at a glance.

"Yes."

Zhu Di picked up the conversation and continued, "The army is full of roughnecks with little education, and they don't understand the principles of the Spring and Autumn Annals."

"There is no other way to conquer them except through real fighting on the battlefield."

"If you marry my eldest daughter, naturally no one in the army will dare to disrespect you."

Xu Da's seemingly ordinary remark revealed the supreme prestige of the Duke of Wei's mansion within the Ming army.

"I can't rely on my father-in-law forever."

Zhu Di retorted bluntly.

"You little brat."

Xu Da appeared dissatisfied, but in reality, he was full of admiration.

If he, Tang He, Zhu Yuanzhang, Chang Yuchun and others had not had this will to survive in the face of death, how could they have laid the foundation for the Ming Dynasty?

If Zhu Di had truly relied on the Xu family to gain a foothold in the army, he would have been like a rootless duckweed, destined to become nothing more than a mediocre talent.

"Uncle Xu".

Zhu Di stated bluntly, "Miaoyun and I are already engaged, and I cannot fail to plan for the future."

"It's better to have your own than to have your own parents."

"With the army at my command, anyone who wants to harm my family will have to think twice before they act."

"brush!!!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Da's eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp light.

He hadn't expected Zhu Di to think so far ahead. Indeed, with the Xu family around, no one would dare to mess with Zhu Di and Xu Miaoyun.

But what if Xu Da is gone one day? Who will protect them and the Xu family?

Zhu Yuanzhang may seem to cherish old friendships, but in reality he is cold and ruthless. Anyone who dares to threaten imperial power will be met with a thunderous crackdown.

In the short term, it is a good thing for the border king to guard the frontier, as it can quickly restore peace and stability to the border areas and reduce the expenditure of the central court.

In the long run, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. If the crown prince can be controlled when he ascends the throne, how can the grandson of the emperor be controlled?

If something were to happen to the crown prince, Zhu Yuanzhang's first thought would be to eliminate the Prince of Sai and pave the way for his grandson to ascend the throne.

"Uncle Xu".

"Please, for Miaoyun's sake, lend me a hand."

Zhu Di bowed deeply, his words earnest.

"call!"

Xu Da let out a long breath, looking at him with a complicated expression: "How confident are you?"

Even facing a thousand troops, what do I have to fear!

Zhu Di stood tall and proud, exuding confidence and high spirits.

With his mastery of internal energy, how many people in the world could rival him?

"I see."

Xu Da gave him a deep look and said in a solemn voice, "You wait here, I will go to the palace myself."

"Thank you, Father-in-law."

Zhu Di, knowing the proper etiquette, bowed.

"Um."

Xu Da did not correct his form of address, which clearly indicated that he had already accepted this son-in-law.