Emperor Ming: Your Majesty, you have caused me so much suffering.

Finally, the last batch of loyalist troops arrived in the capital, and Zhu Qiyu felt as if he were about to stand on his own two feet.

Only with soldiers can one have power; soldiers are the emperor's backbone!

Early that morning, Zhu Qiyu donned his imperial armor for the first time, ready to display his heroic prowess.

But before they could even leave the palace gates, court officials, having heard the news, rushed over and knelt down at the gates, blocking their way.

Several other actors had already started their performance, kneeling there and sobbing uncontrollably. As for what they were crying about, Zhu Qiyu didn't even know, but it didn't seem like they had lost their parents.

After some questioning, Zhu Qiyu learned that the officials were trying to prevent him from going to the military camp. This scene was all too familiar to the officials.

An ominous sign, definitely an ominous sign!

More than two months ago, the retired emperor in the north also went out in armor, leading the capital's elite troops on a path of no return, never to return.

The ministers thought that Zhu Qiyu was also going to command the army, which was truly terrifying. In this situation, the ministers could not help but be afraid.

Wang Zhi, that old man, almost stepped forward to grab Zhu Qiyu's armor, preparing to make a deathbed remonstrance.

After listening to the cacophony of advice, Zhu Qiyu finally understood what his ministers were worried about.

These worries are clearly unnecessary. Professional matters should be left to professionals. Zhu Qiyu is neither a fool nor as incompetent and addicted as Zhu Qizhen, who would risk his life.

Having understood the reason, Zhu Qiyu angrily rebuked, "Gentlemen, make way! The affairs of war have always been handled by the Minister and General Shi. I know my limits and will not interfere recklessly. I am here to meet these loyalist troops. I want to tell them that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty must stand with them! When I spoke in court about sharing the fate of the capital, it was not an empty promise!"

Upon hearing Zhu Qiyu's words, Wang Zhi and the others breathed a sigh of relief. If this was merely an inspection of the loyalist troops, it would indeed be effective in boosting morale. As long as he didn't give reckless orders, everything would be fine.

The court officials were still uneasy, so senior civil and military officials were stationed on either side of the group to accompany them, so that they could promptly dissuade them if anything unusual happened.

As soon as Zhu Qiyu arrived at the high platform in the training ground, before he could even unleash his ambitions, he was immediately met with a cold shower.

Looking around, all he saw were people staggering about, hardly resembling soldiers. Zhu Qiyu frowned deeply. "These are the soldiers of my Great Ming Dynasty? You'd think it was a refugee camp."

A huge question arose in Zhu Qiyu's mind: could these troops really defeat the Oirat Mongols?

Zhu Qiyu glanced at Yu Qian and Shi Heng, and asked in a cold voice, "What's going on?"

Yu Qian could only bite the bullet and reply, "Your Majesty, these are newly arrived reinforcements who are still being integrated and have not yet been trained, so their discipline is somewhat lax. The other reinforcements who arrived earlier already have a certain air of discipline."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Qiyu's expression softened slightly, but that was only a slight softening; such a demeanor proved that these reserve troops were usually undisciplined.

"Minister Yu, General Shi, in large-scale military operations, discipline must be strict. Those who should be held accountable must be held accountable without leniency. The enemy leader will not wait for you to be fully prepared before attacking."

"Your Majesty, we are guilty!" Yu Qian and Shi Heng hurriedly pleaded guilty. Then, as if he had been prepared, Yu Qian took out a memorial from his sleeve. "Your Majesty, this is the Regulations for Military Discipline and Punishment."

Zhu Qiyu took it and examined it closely. The regulations were extremely clear and quite strict. Zhu Qiyu read the word "execution" in the regulations no less than dozens of times.

A moment later, Zhu Qiyu tossed the memorial back to Yu Qian, saying, "Minister Yu has put a lot of thought into this; just follow the established procedure."

Zhu Qiyu did not want to get involved in punishing the soldiers at the moment, but he was determined to take on the task of motivating and inspiring them.

"Summon all officers of battalion rank and above from each battalion and gather them on the drill ground. I want to see them."

Yu Qian didn't know what Zhu Qiyu was planning. The emperor's interference in military affairs was a major headache for Yu Qian, so he couldn't help but advise, "Your Majesty, this is a crucial time for the soldiers' training. Rashly conscripting them might delay the process."

Shi Heng was a quick-witted man. Seeing that Yu Qian was still trying to dissuade him, he immediately said, "Your Majesty, I will go right away!"

Yu Qian watched Shi Heng's figure and sighed helplessly. Seeing Zhu Qiyu's slightly displeased face, he could only go and make preparations.

Because the number of loyalist troops was too large, the camps were layered one after another, stretching as far as the eye could see.

It took almost half an hour for the officers to gather after being summoned to each camp. Upon hearing that the emperor was coming to inspect the troops, they regained some of their composure and were no longer as disheveled as before.

Zhu Qiyu glanced at the officers, then looked around, and said, "Write it down!"

"Here you go!"

Peng Shi and the messenger had been waiting for a long time, ready to deeply understand the leader's intentions and then convey the spirit of the meeting to each battalion.

"My lords," Mencius once said, "He who protects the people and becomes king is irresistible." Now, the Oirat cavalry has breached our borders, kidnapped the former emperor, slaughtered our people, and plundered our wealth. Their advance will soon reach the capital. The countryside outside the city is filled with abandoned fields and homes; in the streets, the old and young live in constant fear. You, my lords, have donned your armor and taken up your weapons to journey to the capital, not for me alone, but for tens of millions of people, for the sake of our Great Ming Dynasty!

Many soldiers were slightly moved upon hearing this, but that was all, because everyone already knew this.

"In the Tumu Crisis, the elite troops of the Beijing Garrison suffered heavy losses, causing unrest throughout the court and among the people. Many submitted memorials requesting a relocation to the south. But consider this: if the capital were surrendered, the land north of the Yellow River would become a pasture for barbarians. Where would your homeland, your parents, your wives, and your children find refuge?"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers were slightly moved, and they all raised their heads a little higher.

Protecting one's homeland is a spiritual totem etched into the bones of every Han Chinese son. Whenever the country faces great calamity, this spirit is automatically activated. Fighting for one's country is not only an honor, but also an inherent responsibility.

"Perhaps the reason why you soldiers are filled with fear is because the elite of our Great Ming Dynasty has been wiped out, but I can tell you that the elite of the Great Ming Dynasty still exists and has never been lost!"

The soldiers and officials around them were shocked and looked at each other in bewilderment. Could it be that the troops from the south had returned to reinforce them? Otherwise, where would the Ming Dynasty find any elite troops?

Zhu Qiyu paused, drew his sword, and pointed it at the heavens: "From this day forward, all of you are the elite of my Great Ming! No one is born an elite; soldiers are forged in fire. Who else in this world can be a hero but me? Soldiers, tell me, are you not the elite of my Great Ming? Are you not the heroes of my Great Ming?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Upon hearing these words, the soldiers were finally moved and roared angrily.

Your Majesty is right. Why can't I be an elite soldier, a hero? I'm a man too!

Even the civil officials were affected by this emotion, their faces were extremely solemn, and a surge of heroic spirit seemed to rise in their chests.

Once everyone's emotions had calmed down a bit, Zhu Qiyu offered some practical advice: he might not be good at commanding battles, but he could guarantee logistical support.

"I have issued an edict to gather all the grain, provisions, and equipment in the capital and allocate them to the military camps. As long as I remain, my soldiers will not go hungry; the army is the top priority. In recent days, I have been thoroughly cleaning up the palace staff and reducing the expenses of the concubines in the inner palace. The gold, silver, and silk saved will all be used as rewards for the soldiers. I will not mistreat my soldiers, because with my soldiers by my side, I am determined to win this battle!"

The officials were stunned upon hearing this, and for a moment they were somewhat bewildered. Could it be that the purge of the palace servants was not to eliminate the influence left by the previous administration, but rather to reduce expenses? Regardless of the true purpose, it seemed to make sense at this moment.

At least the soldiers in front of them were deeply moved. The emperor was living a hard life in order to win this battle, so what more could they ask for?

"Your Majesty is wise!"

"The Ming Dynasty will surely prevail!"

"I hereby swear: I will not retreat to the inner palace during this battle. On the day the enemy attacks the gate, I will personally go to the city wall to supervise the battle, drink the water used to defend the city with all the soldiers, and fight together against the enemy's swords. Those who make meritorious contributions will be rewarded with titles and silver; those who are cowardly and desert will be severely punished according to the law, without any favoritism."

Zhu Qiyu gathered his strength in his dantian and roared, "The emperor guards the nation's gates, the ruler dies for the state! Soldiers, draw your swords!"

Upon hearing Zhu Qiyu's bold words, the civil officials' expressions changed drastically. Yu Qian stared at Zhu Qiyu in a daze, and unconsciously knelt down.

These words proved that Zhu Qiyu had no intention of escaping anymore; he was determined to fight to the death.

Inspired by Zhu Qiyu's heroic spirit, the generals and soldiers thought, "If His Majesty dares to die, what are we afraid of?"

The generals raised their swords and roared, their voices piercing the heavens!

"Kill the enemy!"

"Kill the enemy!"

"Kill the enemy!"

"May the Great Ming Dynasty prosper!"