Ming Dynasty: Pick up attributes from the battlefield to create the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 214 Of Zhu Yuanzhang's sons, very few were normal!

in a blink!
Several hundred Beiping soldiers quickly surrounded the carriage, protecting it like an impregnable fortress.

Their eyes were alert, their weapons gripped tightly, and they were always on guard against unknown dangers.

Around the mountains and forests, a hail of arrows rained down, countless arrows whistling sharply as they tore through the air. The Shen family guards were struck one after another by this deadly rain of arrows, screaming in agony as they fell, their crimson blood spreading across the ground.

At this moment.

"attack!"

After glancing around and determining the direction from which the crossbow bolts were fired, the deputy commander in charge immediately raised his arm and shouted, his voice echoing in all directions.

The well-trained soldiers who rushed out of the carriage quickly took up their shields, formed a tight formation, and steadily advanced into the surrounding mountains and forests.

Their steps were synchronized and their movements were uniform, clearly the result of long-term training, demonstrating the combat effectiveness of standard military tactics.

Apparently!

The appearance of these Beiping soldiers alongside the Shen family's convoy was no accident, but rather the result of careful planning over a long period of time.

Their goal was clear: to wipe out this band of "mountain bandits" in one fell swoop.

Inside the mountains and forests!
Faced with the sudden appearance of the army, the mountain bandits hiding in the shadows were surprised, but showed no sign of panic.

They seemed to have anticipated all the unexpected events, so each of them appeared unusually calm.

"Royal."

A deep, powerful voice came from the depths of the mountains and forests, carrying a command.

Followed by.

The arrows that were originally aimed at the Shen family changed course and shot directly at the orderly advancing Beiping army.

The bandits were extremely well hidden in the mountains and forests.

Some cling to trees like monkeys, using the dense foliage for cover; others hide in the shadows, blending into their surroundings and becoming difficult to spot.

When the Beiping soldiers advanced, even though they were armed with shields, many could not withstand the powerful crossbow bolts. The bolts pierced through their shields, struck their bodies, and they fell screaming in pain into pools of blood.

"Crossbow!"

"kill!"

Upon witnessing this scene and seeing his soldiers killed and wounded, the deputy commander immediately shouted again, his voice filled with anger.

"kill!"

The soldiers were well-trained and responded quickly to the orders.

They skillfully drew their crossbows, aimed at the bandits in the forest, and fired immediately.

In an instant, crossbow bolts were fired in unison, flying towards the mountain bandits with sharp whistling sounds.

These soldiers had a very clear objective: to eliminate the bandits and complete their mission.

outer!

After watching the Beiping army charge out, Shen Wang, inside the carriage, breathed a sigh of relief. His face, which had been full of tension and anxiety, relaxed a little at this moment.

"Damn Zhu Ying!"

Shen Wang gritted his teeth and cursed, his eyes flashing with hatred: "I didn't expect you would actually send someone to intercept and kill me."

"Although you're successful now, one day, the Shen family will make you pay the price!"

original.

After his father and elder brother left Beiping, he took over the business in the north, which was a great opportunity for him to make his mark.

But over the past year, the bandits' raids and killings have shattered everything.

The Shen family suffered heavy losses, and he also lost his power to control the business in the north. How could he not hate Zhu Ying?
While he was cursing inwardly.

Sudden.

A series of shrill screams came from outside the carriage, shattering the slightly relaxed atmosphere he had just begun to feel.

"Ah...ah..."

The sounds outside the carriage were filled with pain and fear, sending chills down one's spine.

Bang.

One of the guards crashed through the curtain and slammed into the carriage. Blood gushed from his body and flowed to Shen Wang's feet, spreading throughout the carriage.

See this scene!
Shen Wang was horrified. His eyes widened, his face was filled with terror, and his body trembled uncontrollably.

"Protect me..."

"Bandits...are coming...hurry..."

Shen Wang screamed in terror, his voice filled with despair, his hands flailing wildly as if trying to bolster his courage.

Available in the next moment!
A masked man in black, wielding a short blade, rushed into the carriage like a ghost, his movements incredibly agile.

The masked man in black let out a cold laugh upon seeing Shen Wang, a laugh that sent chills down one's spine.

"Black Guard, greetings to the Second Young Master Shen. By order of our lord, we have come to take his life."

The man in black had a deep, cold voice, as if it came from hell.

Done.

The masked man's short blade flashed coldly, and like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, it stabbed directly at Shen Wang.

"Do not……"

Shen Wang wanted to beg for mercy, but before he could finish speaking, a piercing pain struck him. His eyes widened in fear and resentment, his vision blurred, and his body gradually lost its strength.

The man in black moved swiftly, quickly raising his short blade and beheading Shen Wang.

Subsequently.

He wrapped his head in a cloth he had prepared beforehand, and then quickly ran out of the carriage.

Outside the carriage, a large group of masked men in black, like a pack of wolves, were slaughtering the Shen family's guards. Their movements were skillful and their teamwork seamless, clearly indicating that they had undergone rigorous training.

Each strike was fatal, and its power was immense.

Apparently!

They had long been hiding here, some underground, some in the jungle, cleverly bypassing the defenses of the Beiping army. Their methods were extraordinary, making them impossible to guard against.

As Shen Wang was successfully killed, the man in black holding the head put his fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly.

The whistle was sharp and long, echoing in the air.

"withdraw."

After the whistle blew, the group of men in black fought and retreated, quickly withdrawing to various parts of the forest. They were agile and quickly disappeared into the dense forest.

"Chase!"

"Come on!"

The deputy commander of the Beiping Army panicked as he watched the retreating men in black. His face was filled with anxiety and anger as he shouted loudly.

This time, five centurions were dispatched, but not a single person was captured alive, and many were even killed. How could he explain this to his superiors?

This deputy commander was naturally filled with worry and unease.

However, as time went by, after a long pursuit, these "mountain bandits" seemed to have vanished into thin air, disappearing completely into the dense forest without a trace, making them impossible to catch up with.

"Deputy Captain."

"Oh no."

"The second young master of the Shen family was killed, and his head was cut off and taken away."

A soldier ran up to the deputy commander, panting, and reported in a flustered manner.

"what?"

The deputy commander's face instantly turned extremely ugly, his eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

Looking around at the traces of the great battle, the battlefield was a mess.

Corpses lay scattered on the ground, including those of Shen family guards, Beiping soldiers, and men in black.

The blood dyed the ground red and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.

The Beiping army suffered dozens of casualties, and although more than a dozen bodies of men in black were left behind, none of them survived.

Even more importantly, despite their protection, Shen Wang still died, which filled the deputy commander with immense fear.

Beiping City!
Prince Yan's Mansion.

"Your Majesty."

Zhu Neng hurried into the main hall of the Prince's Mansion with a solemn expression.

"how?"

Inside the main hall, Zhu Di sat on his throne. Upon hearing Zhu Neng's words, he immediately became interested, his eyes filled with anticipation, and he asked eagerly.

"As instructed by the prince, five centurions were dispatched to lure the 'mountain bandits' into making their move, using the Shen family as bait."

Zhu Neng respectfully said, "After reaching the Juyong Pass area, the bandits indeed made their move in a forest."

"But... this band of mountain bandits is truly well-trained. Facing five battalions of my Beiping Army, they actually caused forty-eight deaths and more than thirty wounded in our five battalions!"

"Our soldiers killed only nineteen bandits, but none of them survived."

"And... and Shen Wang of the Shen family still couldn't protect them; he was killed by the bandits." Zhu Neng said with a solemn expression, delivering this bad news.

Hear this!
Zhu Di's face, which had initially held some anticipation, instantly darkened, and he became extremely displeased.

"Five centurions, suffering such heavy casualties, and not a single one captured alive?"

Zhu Di frowned and said coldly, "And under such tight protection, Shen Wang still died?"

"Your Majesty."

Seeing Zhu Di's anger, Zhu Neng felt a pang of anxiety and quickly explained, "This band of bandits is definitely not an ordinary bandit. They are all well-trained assassins. Moreover, according to the reports from the soldiers who fought against them, each of these bandits is incredibly strong and carries poison in their mouths. If they are injured and unable to fight, they will immediately bite open the poison sac and die instantly."

Zhu Neng's expression was very serious as he provided detailed explanations of the situation.

Hear this.

Zhu Di nodded and fell into deep thought.

"Xiong Ying!" Zhu Di murmured to himself, his face filled with apprehension towards Zhu Ying.

"It seems I underestimated you. I originally wanted to find a breakthrough by dealing with these bandits, but in the end I couldn't control you."

……

Zhen Ding Prefecture!
A temporary rest stop for the cavalry.

Three days have passed since they arrived from Daning Prefecture. Zhu Ying is now leading his personal guards in pursuit of the prisoner convoy that was being escorted to Yingtian ahead of them. With the speed and agility of his personal guard cavalry, they will naturally catch up soon.

"Lord."

Liu Lei walked quickly to Zhu Ying's side, his expression respectful.

"Speak," Zhu Ying said, raising his head and looking at Liu Lei calmly.

"The Shen family has abandoned all their businesses and properties in Beiping and sold their assets to move south."

Liu Lei said respectfully, "The Black Guards received information that they ambushed the Shen family's convoy within the territory of Juyong Pass. In addition to the hundreds of guards on the surface, the Shen family also has regular troops from Beiping hidden in the area."

"Two hundred of my Black Guards have been deployed, hidden in the shadows!"

"After half an hour of fierce fighting, we successfully killed dozens of Beiping soldiers, shot and killed more than a hundred of Shen family guards, and killed Shen Wang, the second son of the Shen family, and took his head away."

"In this battle, nineteen of my Black Guards were killed."

Liu Lei reported all the detailed battle information that the Black Guards had provided.

Hear this.

Zhu Ying frowned slightly, a cold smile appearing on his face, a smile tinged with mockery, as if he were laughing at Zhu Di's foolishness.

"Zhu Di."

Zhu Ying coldly said, "You're still not being honest even now."

"You even secretly dispatched Beiping troops to infiltrate the Shen family's caravan. But you have underestimated my Black Guards."

Zhu Ying's tone was full of confidence and disdain.

Without a doubt, upon hearing that the Beiping army was hiding in the Shen family's convoy, Zhu Ying knew without even thinking that it must have been Zhu Di's doing.

Back when the Northern Expedition was still underway, Zhu Di had tested him many times. Now that the Northern Expedition was over, he still hadn't given up, which was truly disgusting.

Zhu Di really went to great lengths to get the Beiping army to go into hiding!
"Lord!"

Liu Lei looked puzzled and asked, "Why is the Prince of Yan targeting the Lord so much? The Lord has no grudge against him and even cooperates with him in selling wine."

In this regard.

"Who knows what he's thinking?"

Zhu Ying shook his head helplessly and said in a deep voice, "I've thought of many possibilities, but I've never figured out what his real purpose is."

At this point, a hint of confusion appeared in Zhu Ying's eyes, clearly indicating that he was also puzzled by Zhu Di's actions.

After all, Zhu Di's actions towards him seemed to have come from a sudden whim, leaving him completely baffled.

Even though Zhu Ying considered many possibilities, in the end there was only one: Zhu Di was worried that he would block his path in the future, so he dealt with him.

Although this shows that Zhu Di had a novel way of thinking, Zhu Ying couldn't think of any other possibilities.

"Lord."

Liu Lei said angrily, "If the Prince of Yan treats you like this, why should we still do business with him?"

Obviously.

In Liu Lei's heart, the only thing he cared about most was the safety and interests of his lord.

What king or not?
He doesn't care at all.

"Send someone to inform the managers of the wineries and restaurants in Beiping Prefecture."

Zhu Ying stared at Liu Lei and said coldly, "Sever all business ties with Beiping Prefecture. No Zhu family wines will be sold within Zhu Di's vassal territories."

"Except."

Zhu Ying paused briefly, thought for a moment, and then continued, "Spread the news that the Shen family was robbed and killed by bandits in Beiping Prefecture. From this day forward, not only the Shen family's caravan, but all caravans doing business in Beiping Prefecture will be robbed. However, try not to kill anyone if possible, and focus on looting."

"I want to turn Beiping Prefecture, under Zhu Di's rule, into the most chaotic prefecture in the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Ying's eyes gleamed with calculation; this time, he was determined to teach Zhu Di a lesson.

Obviously.

This time, Zhu Ying was truly enraged.

Zhu Ying was not a submissive person; on the contrary, he was a vengeful person.

Since Zhu Di wanted to deal with him, Zhu Ying did as he pleased.

Now that the Northern Expedition is over, I probably won't see him again. We've already broken off relations, and even if we meet again in the future, what can he do to me?

The Ming Dynasty had many vassal kings, but their power was limited to their vassal states.

Furthermore, Zhu Ying wasn't even afraid of the emperor, so why would he be afraid of those vassal kings?

At worst, we can just part ways.

Since Zhu Di is determined to cause trouble, then Zhu Ying should turn things upside down.

"Subordinates take orders."

Upon hearing Zhu Ying's order, Liu Lei immediately nodded and accepted it without any hesitation, demonstrating his absolute loyalty to Zhu Ying.

He wouldn't even flinch at dealing with a vassal king, let alone a rebellion.

Then!
Liu Lei immediately prepared to write down Zhu Ying's orders and send them out via carrier pigeon.

After all, the carrier pigeons from various Black Guard strongholds would be sent to Zhu Ying's personal guards from time to time, and were also under the control of Liu Lei.

"Zhu Di!"

Zhu Ying thought to himself, "Originally, we were just keeping to ourselves."

"You can rebel as you please, I will establish my own country and create a world that belongs to me."

"As for vying for control of the Central Plains in the future, that's still a long way off."

"But since you've provoked me like this, I'll play along to the end."

"I'm a barefoot man who's not afraid of you wearing shoes. You've made so many moves, so I'll let you try my moves."

Zhu Ying sneered, eagerly anticipating seeing Zhu Di see Beiping Prefecture descend into chaos.

This time!

A series of rapid footsteps approached. Xiao Han was seen riding a fast horse, galloping towards them.

Xiao Han arrived on horseback, immediately dismounted, and bowed swiftly and cleanly: "Your Majesty."

"The convoy is less than an hour away from us. Judging from the sky, we should be able to catch up before dark," Xiao Han said respectfully.

Hear the words.

"it is good."

Zhu Ying nodded, immediately stood up, looked around, and shouted, "Brothers, let's go!"

"Yes."

The guards responded in unison, their voices echoing throughout the surrounding area.

Excitement and anticipation filled the faces of every guard as they mounted their horses in perfect unison.

Every guard showed extreme eagerness to return to Yingtian.

After all, although they were all meritorious individuals, they were all northerners who had never been to the capital. This opportunity to go to the capital for an audience was a great fortune for them.

Time is passing gradually!
Location of the escort convoy.

At this moment, the convoy's path was blocked.

"King Qin."

Mu Sheng's face was gloomy as he looked at a middle-aged man riding a horse ahead.

His eyes were filled with anger and vigilance, and his hands gripped the reins tightly.

Besides him, behind the man stood thousands of soldiers, neatly arrayed, exuding an imposing and menacing aura.

Judging from Mu Sheng's words, the leading man was clearly no ordinary person; he was the second son of the current emperor, Prince Qin, Zhu Shuang.

"Mu Sheng."

Zhu Shuang stared at Mu Sheng with an arrogant expression and said, "In terms of seniority, you are my nephew."

"Moreover, I am brothers with your father. Today, I have come here with kind words. As long as you hand over all the people of the Northern Yuan Qi King's lineage, I will immediately lead my army away."

Zhu Shuang’s words sounded very amiable, but his expression and tone were arrogant, as if he were high above everyone else and everyone had to obey his orders.

"His Royal Highness King Qin."

Mu Sheng remained calm and composed, saying neither humbly nor arrogantly, "This humble general is ordered by the Emperor to escort the Northern Yuan prisoners back to Yingtian to report. Without the Emperor's order, no one may hand them over."

"If the King of Qin truly desires the person, he may request permission from Yingtian. Upon receiving the imperial decree, this humble general will release the person."

Mu Sheng's voice was firm, making his stance clear.

Upon hearing this.

Zhu Shuang frowned, his face showing annoyance.

"With so many prisoners from the Northern Yuan, I only need a hundred. You can simply report to the Emperor that they died of illness on the way. Is that not enough?" Zhu Shuang's tone carried a hint of threat, as if he was forcing Mu Sheng to comply.

"Your Majesty's words are excessive, and they only put this humble general in a more difficult position."

Mu Sheng replied coldly, a hint of dissatisfaction in his eyes: "If we follow what the King of Qin says, then it would be a crime of deceiving the emperor. My Mu family would never do anything to deceive the emperor."

Mu Sheng's attitude was firm, showing no intention of compromising.

Seeing Mu Sheng like this, Zhu Shuang's temper flared up completely.

"Mu Sheng."

Zhu Shuang coldly shouted, a look of madness appearing on his face. He even drew his sword from his warhorse and pointed it at Mu Sheng: "Do you want me to take him away by force?"

Zhu Shuang's voice was filled with anger and threat, as if he were about to launch an attack at any moment.

"If the King of Qin is reckless and disregards the consequences, he may take action."

Mu Sheng was fearless, standing tall and looking at Zhu Shuang with a firm gaze.

On the northern frontier, he experienced countless trials and tribulations; what kind of battles hadn't he seen?
He didn't take Zhu Shuang's threat seriously at all.

"You dare threaten me?" Zhu Shuang was furious and seemed to be provoked: "Then I'd like to see who dares to stop me when I order the capture of people."

Zhu Shuang completely lost his mind and immediately ordered, "Go and seize them!"

……

　P.S.: Thank you for your support, muah! Thank you so much!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)