Ming Dynasty: Charge, Emperor Yongle!

"Da da da! Da da da!"

East of Langjuxu Mountain, a line of Ming cavalry, their red as fire, galloped across the golden grassland.

"Whoa!"

Li Wenzhong suddenly pulled on the reins, and his warhorse came to a stop.

"General."

Deputy General Zhao Yong and Marquis Xuanning Cao Liang stepped forward one after another.

"Look."

Li Wenzhong pointed to a spot not far away and gestured.

The two looked in the direction he was pointing and were immediately dumbfounded.

Previously, when they attacked the Yuan army, they had passed through Qudiao Alan, and the traces left by the Mongols had long since disappeared into history.

But now, a city has sprung up out of nowhere at the confluence of the Kherlen and Sinkul rivers, bustling with people and filled with noise.

"Is that the Duke of Cao ahead?"

"I am Zhang Wu, the commander of the guards under the Prince of Yan. I have been ordered by His Highness to welcome the Duke of Cao for a talk."

Just as Li Wenzhong and the others were surprised, a figure came galloping from Qu Diao Alan and shouted loudly as he approached.

"You all wait here."

Li Wenzhong gave Zhao Yong and Cao Liang some instructions, and then followed Zhang Wu on horseback away.

The Eastern Route Army, numbering in the tens of thousands, along with the Mongols they had captured and their livestock, were stationed not far from Qudiao Alan.

"Da da da! Da da da!"

Zhang Wu led Li Wenzhong to the southern foot of Langjuxu Mountain, where they met the young man in the jade belt and dragon robe.

"cousin."

"How have you been?"

Upon seeing Li Wenzhong, Zhu Di greeted him with a smile.

"Greetings, Your Highness, Prince Yan."

Li Wenzhong dared not be negligent in the slightest and immediately bowed.

"Why must we, brothers, act like this?"

Zhu Di shook his head helplessly. Li Wenzhong was good in every way, except for this one thing: he was too bound by custom and etiquette.

"Your Highness, etiquette must not be disregarded."

Li Wenzhong slowly stood up and said solemnly.

"I heard that you brought Jiujiang with you this time as well."

"Where is he?"

Zhu Di looked behind Li Wenzhong and saw that there was no one there. He asked in surprise.

"I told him to take a temperature of his mouth."

Li Wenzhong replied directly.

"oh oh."

Zhu Di understood.

On June 29, the Eastern Route Army reached Kouwen. Upon hearing the news, the Northern Yuan defenders fled, leaving behind a large number of cattle, horses, and supplies.

Li Jinglong was a newcomer to the military, and Li Wenzhong regarded him as his only successor. Naturally, he was unwilling to let him take risks personally, so he arranged for Wenhe and Han Zheng to guard the supplies, while he personally led the main force to continue pursuing the Yuan army northward.

"Is Your Highness about to offer a sacrifice to Heaven?"

At this moment, Li Wenzhong noticed the circular altar that had already taken shape on the southern slope of Langjuxu Mountain.

Located on the southern slope of Langjuxu Mountain (yang position), it conforms to the ritual system of offering sacrifices to heaven in the southern suburbs. The Circular Mound Altar is a three-tiered open-air stone platform, following the ritual system of heaven being round and earth being square. This is the standard form for offering sacrifices to heaven.

"Not just here, but also Guyan Mountain."

Gazing at a mountain peak not far away, Zhu Di slowly spoke: "The altar there should be completed by now."

"A month ago, I erected a stone tablet on Mount Yanran to commemorate my achievements."

"The Ming Dynasty's sun and moon flag was planted on the shore of the vast sea."

"Now all that's left is to hold the ceremonies to worship Heaven and Earth."

"My God!"

Li Wenzhong's pupils contracted sharply, his face paling with shock.

The highest honors for military generals in Chinese history are sealing the wolf's lair, performing Zen at Guyan Mountain, drinking from the vast sea, and inscribing on Yanran Mountain.

The first three are the brilliant achievements created by Huo Qubing, the Marquis of Champion in the Western Han Dynasty, while the last one is the achievement of Dou Xian, the Marquis of Champion in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Now, Zhu Di has managed to gather all of these things, something even Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, never achieved. The Prince of Yan of the Ming Dynasty has done it. Once this news spreads, Zhu Di's status will surpass that of Zhu Yuanzhang, leaving a deep impression on the people.

"My cousin has come from afar; I should have let you rest for a while."

"But time waits for no one, and I will personally preside over the sacrificial ceremony at Langjuxu Mountain."

"The sacrificial ceremony at Guyan Mountain requires a high-ranking official of the Ming Dynasty to preside over it."

Zhu Di turned around and stared at the Duke of Cao of the Ming Dynasty, the nephew of the current emperor Zhu Yuanzhang.

Li Wenzhong was adopted by Zhu Yuanzhang and his wife when he was 12 years old and changed his surname to Zhu. Later, he reverted to the surname Li. His status in the imperial clan surpassed that of Mu Ying, making him the most suitable person to preside over the sacrificial ceremony.

"His Highness the Prince of Yan is willing to entrust this important task to me."

"This humble general will certainly not fail His Highness Prince Yan's trust."

Li Wenzhong was so excited that he shouted loudly.

Although he was only representing Zhu Di to preside over the sacrificial ceremony at Guyan Mountain, this supreme honor still enveloped him. How could he refuse something that so many military generals dreamed of?

"The Eastern Route Army will be temporarily stationed in Qudiao Alan."

"Cousin, I've arranged for the Northern Yuan Qi King, Kökö Temür, to accompany you to Guyan Mountain."

"The sacrificial rites to Heaven at Langjuxu Mountain and the sacrificial rites to Earth at Guyan Mountain must be held simultaneously."

"This concerns our Great Ming Dynasty declaring itself the master of this grassland!"

Zhu Di gave Li Wenzhong a deep look and said solemnly.

"Yes."

Li Wenzhong responded and left without looking back.

On the 28th day of the eighth month of the fifth year of the Hongwu reign, Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan of the Ming Dynasty, presided over a ceremony to worship Heaven at Langjuxu Mountain, while Li Wenzhong, the Duke of Cao, held a ceremony to worship Earth at Guyan Mountain. This was the first time since the Western Han Dynasty that a Central Plains dynasty had declared its rule over the grasslands to Heaven and Earth.

From that day on, the Mongol peoples of the northern deserts swore allegiance to the Ming Dynasty, and the colors that once belonged to the Yuan Dynasty gradually faded away, replaced by the crimson of the Ming Dynasty.

............

Hexi, the General Administration Office of Beiyuan Shazhou Road.

Since the Western Route Army entered Shazhou, Duke Feng Sheng of Song rightfully occupied the place as his White Tiger Hall, and used it to command the entire army.

"Mu Ying".

"What are you going to do?"

Fu Youde and other generals of the Western Route Army glared angrily at Mu Ying, who led his troops into the main hall of the governor's mansion.

"What am I supposed to do?"

Mu Ying scoffed and retorted, "I'd like to ask you what you're up to?"

"The war in Hexi is not yet over, and you, as generals of the Ming Dynasty, are indulging in pleasure here."

"What? Do you want to set up your own operation in Hexi?"

Boom!

His words caused a stir throughout the room.

Feng Sheng, sitting at the head of the table, slammed his hand on the table and roared, "Insolence!"

"You are merely a deputy prefect of the governor's office, yet you dare to slander your superior."

"How dare you!"

Fu Youde and other generals of the Western Route Army stared at Mu Ying with hostile expressions.

If Mu Ying's words were to reach Yingtian Prefecture and the emperor's ears, they would be in deep trouble.

"I, Mu Ying, have been with His Majesty in the army since I was eight years old, and I have seen my share of despicable things."

"Do you all think I'm easily frightened?"

"Stop putting on airs here. You know perfectly well what you've been thinking."

"I have been ordered by the Prince of Yan to take command of the Eastern Route Army."

"Father-in-law, please hand over the tiger tally."

Mu Ying responded to Fu Youde and his group's words with neither arrogance nor servility, staring intently at Duke Feng Sheng of Song.

"The Prince of Yan?"

"Who does he think he is, to presume to seize my military power?"

As the alcohol took effect, Feng Sheng's face flushed, and he sneered repeatedly.