Ming Dynasty: Charge, Emperor Yongle!

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

In the pitch-black night, the dull thud of horses' hooves came from afar, and the ground trembled continuously.

The Yuan army camp was suddenly awakened. The Yuan soldiers on guard duty stared wide-eyed at the distance, where a dark shadow was rapidly growing larger.

"There are enemies!"

"defense!"

The sleeping Yuan people were awakened one by one, and they were all panicked and grabbed their leather armor and weapons.

"Your Highness!"

Nai'er Buhua quickly looked at Wang Baobao.

Wang Baobao calmly replied, "Xu Da wouldn't be so foolish as to launch a night attack at this time."

"Go and see what's happening outside."

"Yes."

Nai'er Buhua mounted her horse and hurriedly departed.

Less than three miles from the Yuan army camp, 1600 Ming cavalrymen, who had traveled a long distance, stared intently at the enemy's stronghold.

"Your Highness."

Zhu Neng and Qiu Fu both glanced sideways at Zhu Di.

"You shall wait here."

Zhu Di spurred his horse forward, galloping towards the Yuan army camp.

"Your Highness."

Before Zhu Neng and the others could react, Zhu Di's figure had already disappeared before their eyes. The group stared at each other, dumbfounded.

"Who goes there!"

Before Zhu Di could enter the Yuan army camp, Nairbuhua led his cavalry out and confronted Zhu Di, questioning him directly.

"Zhu Di, the fourth son of the Ming Emperor and Prince of Yan, requests an audience with the Prince of Qi of the Northern Yuan!"

What?

Immediately, the entire audience erupted in commotion, and Nai'er Buhua couldn't help but scrutinize the tall figure before her.

"What's wrong?"

"Are you all afraid of me coming alone?"

Zhu Di held the reins in one hand, looking down at Nai'erbuhua and the others from his high vantage point.

Nai'er Buhua's face darkened, and she raised her right hand high: "Send the order to open the gates and welcome the Prince of Yan of the Ming Dynasty into the camp!"

"Yes."

A Yuan rider turned his horse around and rode into the camp.

Immediately afterwards, the barricades blocking the front of the Yuan army camp were lifted, and rows of Yuan cavalrymen, holding curved swords, lined up on both sides, their eyes as fierce as wolves, staring intently at Zhu Di, the Ming prince.

"Da da da! Da da da!"

Zhu Di leisurely rode his horse into the Yuan camp, completely ignoring the actions of the Yuan soldiers, as if taking a leisurely stroll.

Nairbuhua frowned as he watched from behind. Although Zhu Di's naivety had faded after this battle, his face was still handsome and refined, making it clear at a glance that he was a teenager. Yet, it was this very teenager who had marched more than a thousand miles to the northern desert and conquered Karakorum.

In the history of the Central Plains dynasties, there has never been such a young general, especially considering Zhu Di's identity as the fourth son of the Ming emperor.

And so, Zhu Di swaggered into Wang Baobao's central command tent, where a tall figure with his back to him came into view.

"King of Northern Qi, it's been a long time!"

Zhu Di spoke first, offering a greeting.

Wang Baobao slowly turned around. He was tall and strong, with a well-defined face, high cheekbones, a straight nose, and sharp, deep eyes that seemed to see into people's hearts. He wore a corrugated hat, a gold-colored robe, and a jade belt around his waist, making him look dignified and elegant.

The first impression it gives is one of overwhelming majesty, a chilling aura honed from years of battles, profound, cold, and resolute.

His every move exudes the boldness and strength of the nomadic people of the grasslands, while also incorporating the restraint and wisdom of the Central Plains culture. He truly deserves to be called a "remarkable man of the world".

"The Prince of Yan of the Ming Dynasty".

"I've learned my lesson!"

Wang Baobao scrutinized the boy before him, his heart filled with astonishment, yet he maintained a calm demeanor on the surface.

"Hahaha!"

Zhu Di laughed heartily, strode to the guest seat and sat down, saying loudly, "I am delighted to see the Prince of Northern Yuan Qi here today."

"Is there any wine or beverage in the camp? I would like to have a good drink with the King of Qi."

'???'

Nai'er Buhua, standing to the side, stared blankly at Zhu Di's overly familiar manner.

Wang Baobao waved his hand and ordered, "Naier Buhua, bring wine and roasted mutton."

"Yes."

Nai'er Buhua turned around and went down to make the arrangements.

Only Wang Baobao and Zhu Di remained in the military tent, one a middle-aged man and the other a young boy.

Looking at Zhu Di before him, Wang Baobao's face was full of admiration. He had entered the enemy camp alone without the slightest fear. Who could match such courage?

Zhu Di was also paying attention to Wang Baobao. Even now, the Prince of Qi of the Northern Yuan showed no sign of panic and remained calm. His ability to control the overall situation under extreme pressure was truly amazing.

Before long, Nai'er Buhua arranged for two jars of wine and a freshly roasted lamb to be served.

"This king pays homage to the Prince of Yan!"

Wang Baobao was the first to raise his wine cup, offering a toast to Zhu Di from afar.

"King Qi is far too stingy."

Zhu Di picked up the wine jar and said heartily, "Cheers!"

As he spoke, he gulped down the wine, some of it still dripping from the corner of his mouth, his bold and unrestrained manner no less than that of a herdsman from the grasslands.

"Dry!"

Upon seeing this, Wang Baobao also picked up a wine jar and drank heartily with it.

"Hahaha!"

The two men smiled at each other and began to eat heartily, showing no signs of the tension that usually arises between enemies.

Nai'er Buhua rubbed her eyes, puzzled by the actions of the two princes.

After a hearty meal, Wang Baobao and Zhu Di put down their empty wine jars and became more respectful.

"The Prince of Yan has come from afar, surely not just to see me?"

Wang Baobao's brows revealed shrewdness and decisiveness, and he spoke his mind frankly.

"Before answering this question, I would like to ask King Qi two questions."

"please!!!"

Wang Baobao gestured with his hand.

Was Toghon Temür a good emperor?

Zhu Di spoke frankly, mentioning the last emperor of the Yuan Dynasty: Emperor Shun of Yuan, Toghon Temür.

"The late emperor had a difficult childhood, but he executed the powerful minister Boyan and took personal control of the government."

"In the early years of his personal rule, he was diligent in government affairs and determined to reform, making him a wise ruler of his time."

"Unfortunately, the Yuan Dynasty was riddled with deep-seated problems that could not be reversed by the efforts of one person alone."

After pondering for a moment, Wang Baobao gave his answer.

"hehe!"

Zhu Di smiled and said with a wry smile, "The Prince of Qi really knows how to flatter him."

"The Zhizheng New Deal could not fundamentally solve the long-standing social problems."

"But to say that it extended the life of the Yuan Dynasty is not entirely wrong."

"In the later years of his reign, Toghon Temür gradually neglected state affairs, indulged in pleasure, and allowed infighting within the court, which was the reason for the demise of the Yuan Dynasty."

"A large-scale peasant uprising broke out in the eleventh year of the Zhizheng era (1351), and at that time the Yuan Dynasty still had a chance to suppress it."

"My father, Zhu Yuanzhang, was a wandering monk back then, barely able to feed himself."

"It wasn't until the 28th year of the Zhizheng era (1368) that the Ming army attacked Dadu."

"If Toghon Temür wasn't a foolish ruler, then who was?"

"call!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Baobao's eyes changed, revealing a trace of unseen sorrow.

The Yuan Dynasty was once so powerful, yet it was forced to retreat from the Central Plains in less than a century, leaving behind only the lament, "No one has a hundred years of good fortune," a truly regrettable situation!