Ming Dynasty: The Crocodile King of Han Prince Zhu Gaoxu's Family

Chapter 217 Review Concluded and Preparations for Expansion

"Where is the commander of the Shenji Battalion!" Zhu Zhanhe was very satisfied with the strength that the Five Armies Battalion had just displayed. As soon as the soldiers of the Five Armies Battalion had retreated, Zhu Zhanhe couldn't wait to immediately call for the Shenji Battalion to enter.

"Your subordinate is here!" Hu Tian responded loudly upon hearing Zhu Zhanhe's call, and after kneeling down on the city wall to receive the order, he turned and headed down the city wall.

All eyes followed Hu Tian's figure. They all knew clearly that the most powerful weapon, the Divine Machine Battalion, which was like thunder in the sky, was about to make its appearance.

"The Divine Machine Battalion, commanded by General Hu Tian, ​​has a total of over 20,000 personnel!"
"The entire battalion's firearms include 500 heavy artillery pieces, 500 other types of light artillery pieces, and various muskets, totaling over 10,000 firearms." Zhu Zhanqi's clear voice rang out again. Instantly, everyone's gaze froze once more. Five hundred heavy artillery pieces?! Let alone Yunnan, the entire seven southern provinces probably couldn't withstand that.

Before the people on the city wall could recover from the shock of the sheer number of cannons, rows of crossbowmen at the foot of the wall began to pull the cannons slowly towards them. The black barrels and eerie muzzles of the cannons sent chills down their spines. The entire Shenji Battalion stretched out like a long dragon from afar, heading towards the city.

"It really is a heavy cannon!" someone on the city wall exclaimed.

"Not only that, they also equipped each of them with a musket and a longsword," someone immediately added.

"The ones coming from behind are probably light artillery." Some sharp-eyed people had already spotted the light artillery, also pulled by dhows, approaching from a distance.

"The Prince of Han is so rich! He actually gave the Crown Prince of Han so many troops." This was the sentiment of countless people, but no one dared to say a word about the Prince of Han's rebellion in the heart of the Ming Dynasty.

"Those who didn't come are probably doomed," a cautious person muttered to the person sitting next to him, glancing around. Upon hearing this, everyone involuntarily shrank back. They all knew that with the Crown Prince of Han possessing such a formidable military force, those local officials who had been notified but hadn't come were likely in serious trouble this time!

"All troops assemble!" Zhu Zhanhe winked at his younger brother, Zhu Zhanqi, behind him. Zhu Zhanqi immediately nodded in understanding, took out his small megaphone, and stood on the city wall, shouting loudly.

For a time, a cacophony of noise erupted below the city walls. After about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, accompanied by billowing dust, the clanging of armor, the clashing of swords, and the neighing of horses, the three battalions, totaling over 50,000 men, who had completed their drills, finally assembled at the foot of Dali City.

"Fellow soldiers!"
"The Ming army is mighty!" Zhu Zhanhe adjusted his breathing slightly, came to the top of the city wall, first shouted to let everyone see him, and then shouted loudly.

"General, you are mighty! General, you are mighty! General, you are mighty!" The soldiers' thunderous shouts made Zhu Zhanhe, who was standing on the city wall, feel his blood boil.

"The Ming army is mighty!" Zhu Zhanhe raised the sword at his waist, and his voice, like a dragon's roar, once again reached the ears of every soldier.

"Your Highness is mighty! Your Highness is mighty! Your Highness is mighty!" The soldiers' enthusiastic roars made every officer on the city wall feel weak in the knees, genuinely worried that the soldiers above might utter some treasonous words at any moment.

"The Ming army is mighty!" Zhu Zhanhe's voice once again resounded across the sky.

"Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness!"

Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness!
"Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness!" The soldiers' shouts echoed across the sky.

However, the local officials on the city walls who heard this sound turned pale and their scalps tingled. They knew that the army before them definitely belonged to the Prince of Han's residence! They belonged to the Crown Prince of Han! But they definitely did not belong to the imperial court!
Zhu Zhanhe didn't care what the officers were thinking. He simply raised his hand again, and instantly, the entire army below the city fell silent, displaying an extremely high level of discipline.

This scene immediately made Mu Sheng, a veteran of many battles, twitch. He knew that with this move today, the Crown Prince of Han had gained the upper hand, and he would have no more obstacles in Yunnan!
"This matter is unlikely to end easily!" Mu Sheng thought to himself. Looking at the tall and imposing figure in front of him, for some reason, Mu Sheng seemed to see the majestic aura of Emperor Taizu Gao for a moment.

"Military exercise over!"
"All the generals and officers, your imposing presence and awe-inspiring power are truly magnificent!" Zhu Zhanhe loudly praised the army below the city.

"Those who have rendered meritorious service should be rewarded!"
Today, all the soldiers of my three battalions will only receive a one-month stipend! Zhu Zhanhe knew very well that to truly win over the soldiers before him, authority alone was not enough; he also had to make sure they were well-fed! And that their wives and children were well-fed!
"Zhu Zhanqi!" Zhu Zhanhe called out directly to his younger brother behind him.

"Your Majesty!" Although he didn't know why his elder brother had called him, Zhu Zhanqi still knelt down respectfully and responded loudly.

"Tomorrow, I want you to personally hand over the reward money to every soldier in my three battalions. Whether they are grooms, cooks, or doctors, everyone in my army must personally receive the reward money you issue."

"Can you do it?!" Zhu Zhanhe decided to let his younger brother start appearing in public, to give him more burdens, and at the same time, to test his character.

"I obey!" Zhu Zhanqi replied loudly, his voice brimming with excitement. He knew that his elder brother was grooming him, so he had to give it his all!

"General, you are mighty!" The soldiers below responded with the strongest enthusiasm to Zhu Zhanhe's generous reward.

"I believe in rewarding merit and punishing wrongdoing!" Zhu Zhanhe's words immediately startled everyone on the city wall, giving them a bad feeling.

"Today's military exercise was originally scheduled to be attended by 36 local officials from Yunnan."

However, by the end of the military exercise, six local officials were still unable to arrive!
They disregarded the imperial edict and showed contempt for their superiors!
"What do you all think we should do?!" Zhu Zhanhe had given everyone a sweet treat first, and now it was time for him to reap the rewards.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!" In an instant, deafening shouts of killing echoed throughout the area outside Dali City, and a chilling atmosphere enveloped everyone.

"Where are the commanders of the three battalions?!" Faced with the scene of the crowd's agitation, Zhu Zhanhe would not hesitate at all. He was just about to test his skills on those fools.

"Your subordinate is here!" Hu Tian excitedly replied from below the city walls. Only now did he truly realize that His Highness the Crown Prince's promise to make him Commander-in-Chief of the Three Armies was true! He wasn't lying to him!

"I have three months to make the six local officials who haven't come kneel down before my Dali city!" Zhu Zhanhe was giving Hu Tian plenty of time.

"Your subordinate obeys!" Hu Tian loudly accepted the order. This also meant that Zhu Zhanhe's first battle after taking power in Yunnan was about to begin.

However, Zhu Zhanhe was not satisfied with this, so he brought out his trump card.

"It is my duty to quell the rebellion in Yunnan, but I, Zhu Zhanhe, will not take the lives of my soldiers to satisfy my own selfish desires." Zhu Zhanhe changed the subject.

At this moment, Mu Sheng was extremely tense. He guessed that what Zhu Zhanhe was about to say might be the key point of His Highness the Crown Prince's military exercise!

"Since this is a matter of suppressing a rebellion, which is an internal affair of Yunnan, there will be no rewards after the rebellion is over!" Zhu Zhanhe kept everyone in suspense.

"However! As long as it's outside the territory of my Great Ming Dynasty."

"Every territories explored will be rewarded!" Zhu Zhanhe's words instantly startled everyone on the city wall, who thought to themselves: This is bad, something terrible is about to happen!
"Annam is good! Lan Xang is good! Burma is good too!"

I, Zhu Zhanhe, hereby swear in the name of the founding emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty, Emperor Taizu Gao:

For every territory that expands beyond the borders of my Great Ming, I will distribute 30% of the land to all my generals and soldiers!
One-tenth of the officers are generals, and two-tenths are soldiers!

"The land of the fallen shall belong to their families!" Zhu Zhanhe stood on the city wall and shouted, his words resounding like thunder in everyone's hearts!
"Boom!" Zhu Zhanhe's words ignited an uproar throughout the entire area, causing even the soldiers to erupt in chaos. The officers on the city wall were dumbfounded and at a loss for what to do.

"Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness!"

Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness!
"Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness! Long live Your Highness!" In contrast, the soldiers' enthusiastic and deafening voices resounded through the sky and lingered for a long time!
(End of this chapter)