In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 688 My Own Path, Fierce Battle in the Snowfield
Beizhili, Beiping City.

As March approached, heavy snow continued to fall from the sky.

However, compared to the coldest days of winter, the weather is much warmer now, and the sun can often be seen.

However, this also leads to the snow melting very quickly.

The entire city of Beiping became waterlogged.

Despite the officials' frequent cleaning efforts, the roads remained muddy and impassable.

Inside the Prince of Yan's residence, Li Jinglong, who had just arrived from the northern camp, dismounted.

He wore black armor, had stubble on his face, and his eyes and brows had lost much of their youthful appearance, replaced by a mature and weathered look, giving him an air of unwavering composure and calm demeanor.

Stepping on the half-melted snow and mud,

In the past, he might have started swearing.
But today, he only glanced at it indifferently.
He casually pulled a stack of documents from his saddlebag and headed toward the gate of the Prince of Yan's residence.

Before long, Li Jinglong met Duke Ying, Fu Youde, and Prince Yan, Zhu Di, in the main hall of the Prince Yan's residence.

Zhang Yu, the commander of the Left Guard of Yanshan, was also here at this moment.

Several people were intently focused on the sand table in the center.

Li Jinglong turned his gaze over there.

After seeing the situation on the sand table, a myriad of thoughts instantly flooded my mind.

On the sand table, the red and blue pieces represent the northern expeditionary army and the Northern Yuan's Nairbuqa's forces, respectively.
Furthermore, on the red pieces represented by Nairbuhua,
There is also a black chess piece, which represents the Northern Yuan court forces led by Yesuder.

Now, the blue arrows are heading north from Shanxi and northern Zhili, branching into six arrows that are encircling Naierbuhua.

With nowhere to escape, the Northern Yuan royal court, representing the darkness, firmly occupied the vital northern route.

The three directions of Naierbuhua—east, west, and north—have been completely blocked.

Only two outcomes await him.

They either put up a stubborn resistance and eventually disappear from the world.

They could either surrender to one side and try to save their lives in the chaos of war.

"Jiujiang, you've come at the right time! Come and see what the situation is like?"

When Prince Zhu Di of Yan saw Li Jinglong arrive, he waved to him repeatedly.

He was very satisfied and pleased with his cousin.

Compared to his previous纨绔 (spoiled brat) behavior, his current performance has impressed him.

Li Jinglong had very mixed feelings about his uncle, who was passionate about fighting.

On the one hand, he was somewhat jealous that Zhu Di was able to command a large army at such an early age.
On the other hand, he was also somewhat envious.

The person before me seemed to be just like His Majesty, utterly tireless.
He was busy with military affairs from morning till night.

Sometimes, documents would be sent to him in the middle of the night, instructing him to handle them the next day.
The last time he was so exhausted was in the Yunnan army.

Li Jinglong stepped forward, looking at the sand table in front of him, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes, and said in a deep voice:
"Your Highness, the situation on the battlefield is constantly changing."
It's impossible to deduce all the possibilities; we can only take it one step at a time.

There are now sixteen possibilities remaining in the military, encompassing all aspects.

Further deductions are not very meaningful.

"Sigh~ You always have to be fully prepared."

Zhu Di had become much darker, and his face was even darker now. He was pulling at his beard and showing his displeasure.

He pointed to the sand table:

"Look, if Ruonairbuhua could break through the blockade of the Northern Yuan royal court and escape eastward,..."
They traveled unimpeded all the way to the old royal court.

By then…

“When that time comes, Nairbuhua will have no choice but to surrender,” Li Jinglong interrupted.

The Prince of Yan's face stiffened, which made Fu Youde burst into laughter:
"Fourth Prince, see if it's exactly as I described?"
As long as Nairbuhua flees eastward, he will have no chance of survival.

He'd have a hard time getting past Beizhili alone, let alone Daming and Liaodong.

Seeing that both of them said so, Prince Yan, Zhu Di, sighed with some emotion:
Even so, we still need to develop contingency plans to avoid being caught off guard and confused later.

Fu Youde and Li Jinglong exchanged a glance.
They also noticed the Fourth Prince before them.

They've become so obsessed with war that they insist on having every possibility under their control.

Moreover, Fu Youde also discovered that this Fourth Prince had changed a lot compared to before.

Even when pursuing victory in the past, it was never to this extent.

As for why it became like this,
Fu Youde knew it perfectly well, and so did Li Jinglong.

Fu Youde, with his frail body, sat down to the side.
While sipping tea, he offered kind words of advice:

"Fourth Prince, you can't cling to a single successful example and refuse to let go."

There are many ways to win in this world; as long as you find one that suits you, you can become a great general.

Following in others' footsteps is not advisable; it will only restrict your own development.

Hearing him say that, Li Jinglong also pricked up his ears to listen.

These are the heartfelt words of someone who has achieved great success.

These few words alone are worth decades of exploration for an ordinary general.

Zhu Di had long understood this principle.

The first person to tell him about this was his father, the emperor who conquered the Ming Dynasty.

Then there was his father-in-law, Xu Da, the greatest military general of the Ming Dynasty and the Prince of Zhongshan.

Now, Duke Fu Youde of Yingguo has also spoken to him about this matter.
Even if he were stupid, he would know that this is how military campaigns should be conducted.

But he had a lingering doubt.

It felt like a huge rock was pressing on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

It's simply because he can't find a method that suits him.

Zhu Di's expression shifted repeatedly before he finally plopped down in a chair.
Somewhat helpless, yet also somewhat resigned.
"Duke of Ying, in your opinion, what should I do now?"

Fu Youde stated frankly:
The world is full of beautiful scenery, but if you haven't seen it, it's just something you can imagine.
First, let's fight the battle at hand well.

"The more you practice, the better you'll get at it."

Zhu Di seemed to be deep in thought.
Fu Youde continued:
"However, there are not many strong enemies in the north now, so the Fourth Prince may have fewer opportunities to fight."

Unlike when we followed His Majesty in raising an army, when war raged everywhere...

At that time, even if we didn't want to fight, we had no choice.

As for now, it doesn't matter, Fourth Prince, there's no need to rush.
The people of the northern grasslands are like wildfires—they can't be extinguished; they spring up again with the spring breeze. They'll have a few years of peace, then they'll start causing trouble again.

Zhu Di's mind was somewhat at ease.
His eyes were red and he looked extremely tired.
But in the midst of excitement, as soon as he relaxed, fatigue surged up instantly, and his once bright eyes dimmed.

"This battle is truly difficult to fight; I am utterly exhausted."

"Ha ha ha ha."

Fu Youde burst into laughter.

Li Jinglong, however, didn't think much of it; he felt that this northern expedition was nothing special.
There was no sense of urgency in the twentieth year of the Hongwu reign, nor a sense of crisis regarding the Yunnan campaign.
Even if we lose this northern expedition, it won't be a major blow.

Fu Youde looked at Li Jinglong and, seeing his calm demeanor, nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Jiujiang, you have some of your father's qualities."

Once upon a time, your father was like this too.

While we waited and argued incessantly, he leisurely sipped his tea.
But when it comes to violence, they're more ruthless than anyone else.

Li Jinglong was slightly taken aback. When his father was mentioned, a warm feeling suddenly welled up in his heart.

I never knew how hard my father worked before, but ever since I walked the path he once walked...
He then realized how difficult this path was.

"Duke of Ying, I am only just beginning to understand military affairs in Jiujiang. I am still far behind the dukes and my father," he said modestly.

"No rush. There's a saying at the Imperial College in Beijing that I really like."
You can walk slowly, but you must never stop.

You're not even thirty yet, you have a long life ahead of you, take it slow.

Fu Youde stood up, looked at the sand table standing in the center, and said in a deep voice:
"Something has happened in Liaodong. This northern expedition must be won."

Otherwise, with two consecutive major defeats at the start of the twenty-third year of the Hongwu reign, this year would be anything but peaceful.

When Liaodong was mentioned, all three men's expressions turned serious.

They were all among the most outstanding people in the imperial court, and they knew the dangers lurking in Liaodong.
But unexpectedly
The crushing defeat at the start of the year has put them under immense pressure.

Prince Yan, Zhu Di, gritted his teeth and let out a long sigh:

"Traitorous officials and rebels should be executed."

It's absurd that they can't even defend Liaodong.

I wonder how much of his father's skills Mei Yi learned, that's how he ended up like this.

Fu Youde's eyes dimmed, and he murmured:

"Back then, Mei Sizu and I pacified Yunnan together, and he eventually died there."

I felt guilty towards him, so I submitted several memorials to His Majesty, requesting that Mei Yi inherit the title as soon as possible.

He wanted to go to Liaodong, and I did my best to help him.
I never imagined it would turn out like this.
"What a cruel twist of fate!" Li Jinglong comforted him, "Duke Ying, the incident happened suddenly, and the truth is still under investigation."

Tianjin Sanwei has already gone there, and I believe we will receive good news soon.

No matter how strong the Jurchens are, they can't compare to the elite troops of our Great Ming Dynasty.

Prince Yan, Zhu Di, glanced at Li Jinglong and shook his head almost imperceptibly.

Things are definitely not as simple as they seem.

Duke Fu Youde of Ying State also remained silent.
After a long silence, he finally spoke in a deep voice:
"Jiujiang, you are the current Duke of the State. You should not be too optimistic about the war with foreign powers."

If that's what you think, then everyone in the Governor's Office will think the same way.
Then there will be oversights in handling the matter.

If the war is lost, you'll be held responsible for everything.

Li Jinglong was taken aback. He wasn't stupid, and he quickly realized that the Duke of Ying had something else in mind.

After a moment of deep thought, a hint of absurdity flashed in his eyes:
"Does the Duke of Ying mean that the Three Guards of Tianjin are no match for the Jurchens?"

The Duke of Ying did not answer directly, but merely chuckled:
"Who can say for sure what will happen on the battlefield?"

"Alright, it's getting late. I need to inspect the camp and prepare the troops."

Tomorrow is the day of departure.
You two should go back and rest early; be prepared for tomorrow.

The Duke of Ying did not explain to Li Jinglong.
Instead, he stood up, waved, and left.

"Your Highness, what does the Duke of Ying mean by this?" Li Jinglong asked Zhu Di.

Zhu Di gently shook his head:

"How would I know? Alright, stop thinking about it."
"Da Ning still has Lu Yunyi; the Jurchens in Liaodong can't cause any trouble. Don't worry."

Li Jinglong's eyes lit up, and he suddenly felt lighter, nodding repeatedly:

“The Prince of Yan is right. Yun Yi has a set of methods for dealing with these foreigners.”

Zhu Di laughed, picked up the helmet that was placed to the side, and said as he walked:

"Let's go, we're setting off tomorrow. Get a good night's sleep tonight."

Li Jinglong did not leave, but stood by the sand table, examining it closely.

Musketeers will also be used in this northern expedition.
For him, the future importance of musketeers in the army would depend on this battle.

This also concerns his future power.

Once the musketeers achieve a great victory

He could then use firearms to gain early access to the core of power within the Governor's Office.
If the results are not good, he will have to continue waiting.

Li Jinglong stood beside the sand table, his fists clenched tightly.
"This time, we will definitely win a great victory."

When the heavy snow fell, all was silent, and the world suddenly fell silent!

Beyond the territory of the Northern Pacification Commandery lies Halamu Forest.

The distant mountains lost their outlines, the nearby trees lost their skin, and only a pale white remained between heaven and earth.

Millions of ice and snow flakes simultaneously emitted a mournful sound that seemed to tear the air apart.

The gale whipped up billions of icy blades that whistled through the forest.

With a "crack," the withered branch snapped inch by inch, and a murderous intent suddenly arose from heaven and earth!
With a whoosh,
An arrow with a fishtail tip pierced through layers of wind and snow.
Enveloped in the last vestiges of winter's ferocity, it shot off!

A Jurchen woman, walking cautiously through the snow, twitched her ears slightly.

As if hearing a different sound amidst the howling of heaven and earth, he looked up with some confusion.

The next moment, his pupils suddenly contracted.
A cold glint appeared first, and the black dot swayed and expanded in his vision before unequivocally embedding itself between his eyebrows!

Even in the blizzard, the "crack" of the fishtail arrow driving the bone into the bone remained crisp.

"who!"

The three people who were traveling with him exclaimed in alarm when they saw their tribesman lying face up with a sharp arrow stuck between his eyebrows.

However, because the sound wasn't sharp enough, it was instead masked by the wind and snow.

Instead, the arrows shot out whistled through the air, carrying a chilling wind as they hurtled towards them!

Two muffled thuds followed, and the two men fell to the ground.

One man was shot through the throat, and another was pierced deep into the chest by an arrow.

In stunned silence, they slowly collapsed to the ground.

The splattered blood fell to the ground and was instantly covered by the wind and snow.

Ten feet away, the once stable tree suddenly began to sway slightly.
Two white figures jumped down from the tree.

They were both bulky, one carrying a large bow and the other a telescope.

It was Lu Yunyi and his personal guard Feng Yunfang.

"Observe your surroundings."

Lu Yunyi was wrapped up tightly at the moment.
Even his eyes were covered by a transparent mirror, which allowed him to open his eyes in the wind and snow.

Feng Yunfang did the same, following behind Lu Yunyi, moving forward cautiously.
At the same time, the telescope zoomed in and out, observing the direction from which the three had come.

Lu Yunyi slung the large bow behind his back, his expression somewhat solemn.
He had experienced many battles in the wind and snow.

But this was the first time I had ever done a scout mission in such a snowy, dense forest.

Many of the methods we had considered were completely useless.
Finally, after several days of experimentation, the best method turned out to be for groups of three to act individually.
One person leads the attack, one assists, and one covers the rear.

After the tactics were changed, the casualties of the soldiers dropped instantly, while the casualties against the enemy also soared.

This is the twelfth person he has shot today.

He braved the snow, making his way to the three people, and knelt down to examine their wounds.

Thinking about how to adjust the shooting angle next time.

Because of the wind and snow, the target and the actual target had long since deviated to an unknown distance.
So much so that he had to collect information at regular intervals.

After examining the wounds, Lu Yunyi ripped off the masks from the faces of the Jurchen women.
It was still an ordinary face, with the weathered, cracked, and purplish-black features unique to wild men.

A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes:
How did the Jurchens get here?

This is Halamulin, less than 200 li from Daning.
It's even closer to Tainingwei; just cross the river to the north.
It might be a hundred miles from Liaodong, so why would the Jurchens leave spies here?

"Sir, someone is coming from the northeast, five foot soldiers."

One man with a long sword, two with wooden spears, and two at the rear.

"They must be regular troops, not scouts. I suspect the Jurchen camp is nearby." Feng Yunfang spoke rapidly.

Lu Yunyi swiftly removed the arrows stuck in the bodies of the three men.

"retreat."

The two turned around at the same time and walked side by side.

At the same time, pull hard on the rope behind you.
A long broom tail appeared behind the two of them.

The two retreated rapidly, twisting and turning in an odd posture.

The footprints from when we arrived were gently erased, as if nothing had happened.

The two stopped ten paces away and lay down on the snow.

Looking ahead, thanks to the white camouflage suit.
The five men quickly discovered the deaths of the three scouts.

They rushed up quickly and began their investigation.

Lu Yunyi watched their actions, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes, and said softly:

"Five men were examining the body simultaneously; no one was on guard, no one was checking the surroundings, and military discipline was lax."

The five men possessed only one iron weapon; the rest were armed with wooden spears, confirming they were Jurchens!

"Recording complete."

After a few breaths, Feng Yunfang said in a deep voice.

"Two people fire simultaneously, killing three and leaving two alive. Make your move in five breaths."

Lu Yunyi continued to give instructions.
Feng Yunfang looked up and made a gesture.
The soldiers hiding in the trees took out their crossbows from their waists and aimed at the three people in front of them.

"Three, two, one, fire!"

Whizzing--

Two sharp whistling sounds suddenly rang out, and two of the five people fell to the ground!

Lu Yunyi, who had been crawling forward, suddenly sprang up.
He held a long sword in one hand and pulled the trigger of the crossbow with the other!
Another arrow whistled through the air, and a Jurchen fell to the ground!

While the remaining two were caught off guard, Lu Yunyi

He charged forward, slashing with his long sword, revealing two severed arms.

Before the two could even scream, Lu Yunyi kicked them to the ground.
Two more slashes were delivered, and the remaining two arms fell off with a thud!
"what--"

Only then did two piercing screams suddenly rang out.

Lu Yunyi pointed his long sword at a man's neck and spoke coldly:
"If you don't shut up after three breaths, I'll cut off both your legs."

(End of this chapter)