Ming Dynasty: Charge, Emperor Yongle!

"Fourth brother."

"If you defeat them, I will allow you to join the army on the northern expedition."

"Come on, capture the Prince of Yan, and you'll be promoted three ranks."

Before countless eyes, Zhu Yuanzhang's words were law and could not be changed.

"Yes."

The ten imperial guards stared intently at Zhu Di with the fierce look of hungry wolves in their eyes.

At this moment, for them, the prestige of the Prince of Yan was far less tempting than the prospect of being promoted three ranks.

"Huh?"

The generals of the Beijing garrison were dumbfounded.

The Imperial Guards were not inexperienced young men who had never seen blood; they were elite soldiers selected and promoted from garrison troops across the country.

Just looking at these ten men made the generals present frown, let alone letting Prince Yan, Zhu Di, deal with them.

Xu Da and Zhu Biao knew some of the inside information, so they weren't so worried.

"Come."

Zhu Di simply beckoned with his finger, completely disregarding his personal guards.

This action immediately enraged the ten imperial guards present. They were the emperor's bodyguards and the elite of the Ming army. How could they tolerate such humiliation?

"superior!"

Ten men rushed forward at the same time, surrounding Zhu Di completely, leaving no openings or loopholes.

"not good!"

The generals of the Beijing garrison couldn't help but feel a pang of worry for Zhu Di.

"hehe."

Zhu Di began to move when his personal guards were less than ten meters away from him, lightly touching the ground with his toes to meet the three men in front of him.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

In an instant, fists and palms collided, and three imperial guards were sent flying.

What?

Seeing this, everyone's eyes widened.

"I have arrived."

Instead of retreating, Zhu Di advanced swiftly, like a tiger pouncing, and punched a personal guard in the chest.

"puff!"

The guard immediately coughed up a mouthful of blood and looked limp.

Immediately, Zhu Di moved frequently and defeated the other three in succession, leaving only three personal guards on the field.

"Form ranks."

The three exchanged a glance, shifted their positions, and formed a battle formation. Two attacked from the front, while one provided cover from behind, combining offense and defense in a coordinated manner.

"That's interesting!"

Zhu Di sized up the three personal guards in front of him, a slight smile curving his lips.

The next moment, the three of them moved in unison, blocking Zhu Di's movement path from the left and right.

"Good timing."

Zhu Di arrived first despite being behind, grabbing two of them by the collars and slamming them hard.

"Bang!"

The two guards were knocked so hard they were dizzy and fell to the ground.

Only one person remained to persevere.

"kill!"

Mao Xiang steeled his resolve, gritted his teeth, and charged toward the King of Yan.

"Come!"

Zhu Di grabbed his fist with his left hand, clenched his right fist, and slammed it into his abdomen.

"Hmm!"

Mao Xiang felt an unbearable, churning pain in his abdomen, and his face contorted in agony.

Zhu Di didn't let him go. He grabbed the man's collar with one hand and his feet with the other, lifting him high above his head and roaring, "Who else?!"

"My God!"

This scene shocked everyone present. That was a burly man weighing at least 160 pounds, yet Zhu Di, a mere teenager, lifted him over his head so easily, as if he weighed nothing at all. What incredible strength!

Moreover, Zhu Di easily defeated ten imperial guards. Is this something a young man could do?

"Prince Yan! Prince Yan! Prince Yan!"

In an instant, the entire Beijing military camp was in an uproar, with countless soldiers shouting in unison the title bestowed upon Zhu Di.

Xu Da and Zhu Biao had not expected Zhu Di to be so powerful. Zhu Yuanzhang appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, he was overjoyed.

Through this experience, Zhu Di had won the hearts of the capital's army, setting a good precedent for princes to wield military power.

"Snapped!"

Looking around at everyone, Zhu Di revealed a faint smile.

His hands were released, and Mao Xiang was thrown aside, his whole body wracked with pain. The other nine imperial guards were all injured to varying degrees.

"You three are not bad. What are your names?"

Zhu Di scrutinized the three imperial guards who had held out until the very end and asked them a question.

"Return to your highness."

"Your humble servants are Mao Xiang, Jiang Huan, and Song Zhong."

The three of them quickly replied.

"Oh?"

Upon hearing these three names, Zhu Di's eyes widened in surprise.

If he remembered correctly, these three were the three commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guard during Zhu Yuanzhang's reign. It was truly a coincidence, a coincidence beyond belief.

"You have been injured because of me, and I cannot turn a blind eye to it."

"Each of you will be given ten taels of gold, and the Imperial Medical Academy will be responsible for treating your injuries until you are fully recovered."

"Thank you, Your Highness Prince Yan!"

The ten men's eyes welled up with tears, and they excitedly kowtowed to express their gratitude.

"Tora! Tora! Tora!"

The soldiers of the Beijing garrison witnessed this moment, and everyone cheered for Zhu Di's actions.

Throughout history, how many generals have truly loved their soldiers like their own children? Prince Zhu Di of Yan once again won the approval of these soldiers.

"wonderful! 』

Xu Da was full of praise.

The establishment of prestige in the army is nothing more than military merit, and bravery is the most direct way to measure a person. Zhu Di had already achieved this.

Secondly, it's about winning the hearts of the soldiers. Clear rewards and punishments are the simplest way to achieve this, as exemplified by Zhu Di's act of showing favor to his subordinates.

As long as Zhu Di can achieve outstanding military exploits in the Battle of Mobei, neither nobles nor civil officials can prevent this Prince of Yan from taking root in the army.

"Father."

Zhu Biao was also happy for his younger brother and couldn't help but look at Zhu Yuanzhang.

Zhu Yuanzhang walked into the central command tent with a blank expression.

"By order of the commander, all troops shall return to their respective camps."

Xu Da immediately issued a military order.

"Yes."

The chief secretary, Gu Cheng, beckoned to the group of Ming generals, and the Beijing troops gathered around dispersed.

Xu Da, Zhu Biao, and Zhu Di entered the central command tent together.

At this moment, the campfire inside the tent crackled and popped, its light illuminating Zhu Yuanzhang's figure.

Although the Hongwu Emperor, who single-handedly established the Ming Dynasty, was not as tall as the legendary Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, he was still like a majestic and immovable mountain, inspiring awe and reverence!

"His Majesty."

"Father."

Xu Da and Zhu Biao were the first to speak.

"father."

Zhu Di was the last to speak.

"You still remember that I'm your father."

Zhu Yuanzhang turned around and glared at Zhu Di: "You left the palace without permission, openly ran away from your marriage, and injured the sons of nobles."

"Now we still need to go to the northern deserts to fight the Yuan people."

"Fourth brother, you've grown up and your wings have hardened. I'm afraid I, your father, can't control you anymore."

"Do you know that it's all because of what you've done?"

"Your mother, your older brother, and I are all cleaning up your mess."

"Tomorrow in court, how many people will impeach you for your unruly and dissolute behavior, and how many will take this opportunity to criticize me?"

"Does Dad care?"

Zhu Di remained calm and composed, uttering four words.

"What did you say?"

Zhu Yuanzhang didn't quite hear him.

"Does Dad care?"

"You are the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty. You started from a broken bowl, from a beggar to a novice monk to a rebel, and you have worked your way up to where you are today step by step."

"Throughout history, how many emperors, even Qin Shi Huang, Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, and Emperor Taizu of Song, could compare to my father?"

"If they're given a broken bowl, they probably won't even be able to get anything to eat."

Zhu Di's words resounded throughout the central military tent, clearly reaching the ears of everyone present.

"You little brat."

Hearing his son say this with his own ears, Zhu Yuanzhang was overjoyed, and all his anger vanished.

Xu Da and Zhu Biao exchanged a glance, surprised that Zhu Di had such a trick up his sleeve.