Ming Dynasty: pacifying the rebellion and defending the border, dominating the world

Chapter 236 The Society Dies, Disposal.

"What? Has the Cangyun Army suffered heavy losses?"

Yan Yimei frowned and asked.

From the various departments of Shaanxi to the common people, everyone tacitly agreed that Cangyun was slightly better than Tiance. If the first casualties were to come from Cangyun at the very beginning of the Jingnan Rebellion, she, as the commander of Cangyun, would lose face.

"Reporting back to the commander, there was no damage."

"So why are you hesitating and stammering?"

"Commander, this..." The guard took out a secret letter from his pocket and presented it with both hands.

Yan Yimei immediately stepped forward to take the secret report and was about to pass it on to Zhu Jinzhen.

Zhu Jinzhen said, "There's no need to show it to me, just read it aloud."

"Cang Yun, a general of the Seventh Battalion of the Heavenly Blade, and..." Yan Yimei had only read the beginning when her face stiffened, and she stammered, unable to continue.

"I'm really curious, what exactly happened that even you, Yimei, are in such a predicament?" Zhu Jinzhen was even more curious. Based on his understanding of the Cangyun Army, both its combat strength and equipment were among the best in the world.

Although Yinchuan is a strategically important town on the four sides where troops are gathered.

However, the Tian Ce and Cang Yun armies led by Qin Yiyan and Song Senxue respectively, as well as the elite Cang Yun troops led by Xue Zhi whom he sent to provide support, were more than capable of crushing everything in their path.

how……

A sudden inspiration flashed through Zhu Jinzhen's mind, and his expression gradually became playful.

"Cangyun, a general of the Seventh Battalion of the Heavenly Blade Army, and... seventeen Cangyun soldiers of the Breaking Camp, when they were charging into battle, they greatly defeated the Yansui Army and the Seven Guards of Ningxia, and were..." Yan Yimei's forehead was covered in cold sweat. She felt ashamed to be seen by others, but she could only continue reading under Zhu Jinzhen's gaze, suppressing her shame: "They were chased and bitten by hundreds of dog soldiers."

"This is nothing, is it?" Zhu Jinzhen was speechless. He thought it was some kind of fun, cough cough, some special military intelligence, but it turned out to be just this? He had even been a little nervous and expectant.

Of course, what Zhu Jinzhen didn't say out loud was...

Upon hearing that the Cangyun army had been bitten by dogs, his first thought was that Cangyun and Tiance were fighting amongst themselves.
After all, the Tian Ce Mansion also has another name: the Wolves of the Eastern Capital, or simply Erha (two-ha).

Such a thought only lasted for a very brief moment.

Yan Yimei covered her face, laughing and crying at the same time, and replied, "Your Highness, the Seventh Battalion of the Heavenly Blade was eager to make a name for themselves and defeated the enemy's canine corps, releasing hundreds of hunting dogs and causing a commotion."

The main issue is that a group of invincible warriors, capable of taking on a hundred men on the battlefield, were being chased and bitten by a pack of hunting dogs. Although no one was injured, according to the battle reports sent back from the front lines...

Each soldier in the Cangyun Army had several dog soldiers hanging from their buttocks or legs.

It would be neither good-looking nor pleasant to hear if this got out; it's truly disgraceful!

Zhu Jinzhen glanced at the more detailed information Yan Yimei handed him and smiled broadly: "Hehe, I had no idea what was going on."

Getting bitten by a dog is nothing.

What's truly embarrassing is that the training in canine battalions is unlike that in human military camps. Their training is somewhat unacceptable to normal people. For example, in order to train their ability to distinguish objects and to interfere with training, they roll around in muddy water.

The troops from the four key border towns were trapped in Yinchuan, suffering from insufficient food and supplies. They were fed by canine soldiers, and the dogs, whose training methods couldn't be changed, were subjected to... well, you know. Meanwhile, the Cangyun army broke through the camp during a special training exercise, which was truly disgusting.

What frustrated that small part of the Cangyun Army was that the Dog Soldiers Battalion was quite special and relatively difficult to train.

They cannot yet use lethal force.

This directly resulted in that part of the Cangyun army being bitten by dogs with mouths full of yellow saliva. The injury was not serious, but the humiliation was immense, and they died on the battlefield.

If Xue Zhi hadn't reacted quickly and decisively ordered his men to clean up the scene and stop the news from spreading, Cangyun would probably have been laughed at for years to come when he met his fellow Tian Ce.

"Don't skimp on medicine for the wounded soldiers."

For Zhu Jinzhen, wound medicine was the least valuable item.

With the gourmet tablecloth in hand, he could produce even thousand-year-old ginseng in bulk, weighing it by the ton. How could he be stingy with a little bit of medicine?

"Furthermore, those captured soldiers are still soldiers of my Great Ming. They will be detained for now, and will be dispersed and reorganized after I ascend the throne. Remember, they must not be harshly criticized or humiliated without cause."

"Yes, sir." The secret guard clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, then slowly withdrew to read out Zhu Jinzhen's order.

"Your Highness, what about those soldiers who died in battle...?"

Zhu Jinzhen knew what Yan Yimei was asking in a low voice.

For others, dying in battle is dying in battle, and there is no going back.

However, for Zhu Jinzhen, the wounded soldiers were more difficult to deal with than the soldiers who died in battle.

The former needs time to heal, while the latter only needs a Teyvat egg to instantly regain his vitality. With Tian Ce and Cang Yun working in shifts day and night, the Teyvat eggs could pile up into a mountain.

Resurrecting a small number of fallen soldiers is not a problem.

Zhu Jinzhen tapped the table lightly, pondered for a moment, and then looked at Yan Yimei: "Yimei, have Xiao Luoyang go there. After reviving the soldiers who died in the battles of the Shaanxi Guards, transfer them back to the Tian Ce Mansion in Jiayuguan to serve. For the time being, do not expose them."

"From then on, all soldiers who died in battle, whether from Tian Ce, Cang Yun, or the various guards of Shaanxi, were dealt with in the same way."

Although reviving the fallen soldiers now would allow Zhu Jinzhen to instantly win over countless hearts, the matter of the Heavenly Sword would also be completely exposed. Before he had had enough of playing with the Mongol Yuan, he didn't mind hiding his true strength for now.

"Yes." Although Yan Yimei was a little puzzled, she nodded and did as instructed.

"How's the investigation by the secret guards going?"

"Your Highness, the Secret Guard has already investigated about 50-60% of the intelligence in Ningxia, Yinchuan, and the surrounding prefectures of Yan'an. The situation is exactly the same as in Shaanxi back then: rampant corruption and numerous powerful forces intertwined like a giant spider web."

"A single hair can affect the whole body."

"The influence of the Ning, Zhang and other four families in Yan'an Prefecture, as well as the Longmen Escort Agency, is the most extensive."

"Of the former three families, three had ministers in the court or relatives with them, while one family had connections with the Prince of Anqing's mansion."

"Dragon Gate Escort Agency is special because it seems to have the shadow of the royal family behind it. It has connections with gangs and sects all over the Ming Dynasty. The old escort chief Tong himself is also very extraordinary. He seems ordinary, but in fact he has already shown signs of advancing to the Celestial Phenomenon level."

"And he has a close relationship with Bai Zhantang, the secret guard whom Your Highness has paid special attention to."

As Yan Yimei recounted her detailed report, Zhu Jinzhen nodded from time to time.

Ning, Xia, Zhang, Wang.

They are the most profound and longest-standing of the four families in Ningxia. Under the investigation of the secret guards, traces were even found of their secret involvement in salt, iron, tea, and arms.

They were almost identical to the Shanxi merchant families that Zhu Jinzhen had purged in Shaanxi.

"The Prince of Anqing's Mansion".

Zhu Jinzhen murmured to himself, as relevant information surfaced in his mind.

Although Prince An of the Martial Arts World was framed in his early years, he survived unscathed and did not take the risk of embarking on that rebellious path.

Now, upon suddenly hearing news of the Prince of Anqing, Zhu Jinzhen was astonished to find that the regional princes seemed to be somewhat too docile.

"Your Highness, according to the reports from the various princely residences..."

"After learning of His Highness's plans to quell the rebellion, the princes reacted in different ways. Prince Taiping, Prince Nanping, Prince Nanping's Mansion, Prince Anqing's Mansion, and Prince Ning's Mansion all seemed to be eyeing the emperor's position with covetousness."

"only……"

Before Yan Yimei could continue, Zhu Jinzhen guessed the reason: "They chose to compromise, give up, or lie low, seeing my power so strong and at its zenith?"

"Your Highness is wise." Yan Yimei nodded with a smile.

Those feudal lords weren't stupid.

How could someone knowingly do something impossible?
If they want to compete with the Prince Su's mansion, they'd better have the strength!
As for serving the emperor?

It seems that none of the Ming imperial family members considered or stood up to respond to Emperor Zhu Houzhao's call, nor did anyone organize a loyal army to stop Zhu Jinzhen.

(End of this chapter)