The entire northern desert was in complete chaos

Chapter 186 The entire northern desert was in chaos

After an incense stick has burned.

Zhu Gaochi, dressed in a sky-blue scholar's robe, entered with his third uncle, Xu Zengshou.

Upon seeing his maternal grandfather, Xu Da, he remained composed and polite, bowing deeply and saying, "Grandson greets maternal grandfather!"

"With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, my grandson has come especially to wish you a happy holiday!"

"Speaking of which, Grandmother, she also asked me to bring you osmanthus cake and ginseng—"

Upon seeing his grandson, Xu Da couldn't help but smile.

He quickly stood up, stepped forward to help her up, looked her up and down, and said affectionately, "Your Majesty the Empress is so kind!"

"Thank you for making this special trip! Please sit down and let's talk!"

After the grandfather and grandson were seated.

Xu Da held his grandson's arm and asked curiously, "How come you've lost so much weight and look so much more energetic after just a month or two?"

Zhu Gaochi quickly and obediently replied, "Thank you for your concern, Grandfather!"

"Since arriving in the capital, my elder brother has taught us many training methods, and we haven't missed a single one in the past year and a half!"

"My grandson is much healthier now than before; he can walk for miles without getting tired!"

That's true.

Thanks to Zhu Xiong Ying's dietary adjustments and the morning exercise plan he was instructed to follow, Zhu Gao Chi not only lost a lot of weight but also became more and more muscular.

He's even grown quite a bit taller!

Xu Da laughed and said, "The eldest grandson of the emperor is indeed meticulous!"

"Our health is fundamental, and the fact that our Chi'er has persevered shows she has great determination!"

Let's chat here.

After a short while, the topic shifted to family matters.

Zhu Gaochi then learned that his uncle, Xu Zengshou, would be heading to Beiping in a few days.

He quickly stood up, bowed to his uncle, and said, "Congratulations, Uncle! You are highly skilled in martial arts and exceptionally capable. You will surely achieve great merit on the front lines! Your nephew here wishes you a triumphant return!"

He met his nephew's sincere gaze.

Instead, it left Xu Zengshou completely bewildered.

They couldn't very well say that the palace sent him there, firstly to escort grain supplies, and secondly to protect the eldest grandson of the emperor.

Whether he can go to the battlefield and make meritorious contributions remains to be seen.

Then, he raised his head and laughed, "Thank you for your kind words, Chi'er. When we get to the front lines, we must fight a brilliant battle and cut off a lot more heads—"

Seeing his nephew's bright eyes, Xu Zengshou became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke, his voice unconsciously rising a few decibels, full of high spirits.

Seeing this, Xu Da shook his head helplessly.

When he raised his head, he glanced at him indifferently.

Xu Zengshou then realized that he had become somewhat complacent.

He quickly shrank back and stopped talking.

Just as he thought he was about to be scolded by his father, the old steward quietly stepped in again and reported, "Your Excellency! Madam knows that His Highness the Imperial Grandson has arrived, and has prepared lotus seed soup and snacks in the main hall for him to have a bite to eat, sit down, and chat!"

Xu Da stood up with a smile, took Zhu Gaochi's hand, and said, "Your maternal grandmother was talking about you yesterday, saying you hadn't visited her in a long time!"

"You still talk about your parents all the time, don't you think that's a bit much? —"

"As for today, we'll eat at the mansion, and the kitchen will make your favorite dishes—"

Thinking of his father Zhu Di and his mother Xu.

Zhu Gaochi, also filled with longing, quickly nodded and said, "Your grandson obeys!"

The Gubeikou Pass post station line is located on the north side of Beiping City.

When Xu Da and the others were talking about the Prince of Yan, the current emperor, they found themselves in a situation where...

Zhu Di is currently accompanying his eldest nephew on an inspection tour of the passes along the route.

However, after the Liaodong war ended, Zhu Xiong Ying did not have any free time.

Besides staying behind to guard the military camp, he always kept his duties in mind and never forgot to personally go inside the Great Wall to various cities, fortresses, and garrisons to comfort the troops stationed there.

As the saying goes, "Read ten thousand books and travel ten thousand miles."

This statement is indeed true.

The more he inspected, the more Zhu Xiong Ying felt the hardships faced by the border guards!

Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, how many people have sacrificed their lives to defend against enemies from beyond the Great Wall?

They are the true guardians of the Ming Dynasty.

On the other hand, they talked about patrolling the border.

Although the Ming army had just won a great victory, the enemy on the grasslands found it difficult to cross the Great Wall.

However, for the safety of his nephew, Zhu Di personally led his troops to escort him.

Among those accompanying him were Mao Xiang, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and generals such as Xu Yungong.

As for Chang Mao, he had long since joined Lan Yu's camp and was training troops and preparing for war together in Tongzhou!

It was past midday, and they were still twenty li from the pass when suddenly a series of hoofbeats came from ahead.

The generals were all on high alert, drawing their swords to protect their men.

Zhu Xiong Ying remained calm, glanced at his fourth uncle beside him, and smiled, "Fourth Uncle, it must be Uncle Ping An!"

Starting a month ago, in accordance with the imperial edict of Emperor Zhu.

Uncle Ping An took charge of the specific defenses along the Yanshan line and, together with his fourth uncle Zhu Di, established supply lines toward key locations such as Daningwei in preparation for the conquest of the northern desert the following year.

Zhu Di looked up and saw the man leading the approaching horseman stroking his thick beard, laughing, "My nephew was right! Let's hurry and go meet him!"

Da da da!

The two sides arrived at the destination and met at one point.

As Zhu Xiong Ying dismounted, Ping An, clad in armor, approached first and bowed, saying, "This humble general greets His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Prince of Yan!"

Zhu Xiong Ying reached out to help him up, glancing at Ping An's chapped lips and dark circles under his eyes.

This clearly demonstrates the hard work and toil involved.

He said gently, "Uncle, please get up! Given the importance of places like Gubeikou, you've gone to a lot of trouble!"

Zhu Di nodded and chimed in with a few words of agreement.

Ping An repeatedly said he dared not.

This area is prone to sandstorms.

After the group mounted their horses, they continued their search towards the pass.

Zhu Xiong Ying squinted, one hand holding the reins and the other gripping the hilt of his sword, gazing at the distant mountains. Suddenly, he turned and asked, "May I ask, Uncle, has there been any movement from the northern desert in the past half month?"

Ping An said in a deep voice, "Reporting to the Crown Prince, since Nahachu surrendered, news of the recovery of Liaodong has reached the northern deserts, and the remnants of the Yuan dynasty..."

It was complete chaos over there!

"According to scouts, Togus Temur is urgently summoning troops from all sides, wanting to strengthen the defenses of Karakorum. However, most of the tribes are only paying lip service; no one wants to be the first to step forward, lest they find themselves doing a thankless task!"

"As for the Great Wall line, only sporadic small groups of enemy cavalry came to scout ahead, but they were all repelled by our men! There is no sign of a large-scale invasion! If this were in previous years, during the autumn harvest season, they might have raided the area!"

"Hey, it's really true that barbarians fear power more than virtue—"

When Ping An spoke about military affairs, he talked at length.

Finally, he added, "However, I have noticed that there are many more refugees fleeing towards the Great Wall recently! According to the prisoners, the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty doubled taxes to increase military pay, making it impossible for many to survive. They either fled to our Great Ming or became outlaws!"

The reasons for the fall of the Mongol Yuan dynasty lay in its exploitation of the common people, its loss of popular support, and its internal strife.

The remnants of the Yuan dynasty's northern forces can be said to be of the same lineage!

Its downfall was inevitable and in line with the will of the people!

And the current situation is exactly as expected.

Historically, before his maternal uncle Lan Yu led his troops to victory at Buyur Lake, there were quite a few collaborators.

After all, the mighty Ming Dynasty was, in the eyes of its people, a beacon of light!

Even in later generations, after the fall of the Ming Dynasty, there were still many vassal states that observed mourning for hundreds of years!