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

Chapter 485 Fan Zhong Dies in Battle!

Upon hearing his wife's voice, Emperor Longwu, who had been brimming with confidence and eager to go out and have some fun, immediately lost his arrogance. He knew his wife wasn't someone to be fooled! His plan to go out and have fun was probably going to be ruined!
"Mother!" Upon seeing his mother, Empress Xia, Crown Prince Zhu Qiyu breathed a long sigh of relief and quickly went to greet her, obediently following behind her. Crown Prince Zhu Qiyu knew that his savior had arrived!

"The Empress has arrived!"

This is because the Ming Dynasty is in trouble and I must go to its rescue!

"After all, I can't go back on my word now, can I?" Seeing his wife's displeased expression, Emperor Longwu explained somewhat sheepishly. At this moment, Emperor Longwu still wanted to try one more time; perhaps he could still get a chance to go out for a stroll!

"Your Majesty, my Dragon Kingdom and the Great Ming are brotherly nations. Naturally, I will not stand in your way of providing aid!" After hearing her husband's words, Empress Xia understood the whole story and immediately spoke gently.

However, before Emperor Longwu could even express his joy after hearing his wife Xia's words, Empress Xia's words immediately shattered his reverie!
"Your Majesty, if we want to help the Ming Dynasty, the court can naturally send out countless troops. Why would Your Majesty need to personally lead the expedition?"

Besides, even if the emperor were to personally lead an expedition, he would still need to prepare provisions and supplies before setting off.

Moreover, what the Emperor promised Emperor Taizong was to save the Ming Dynasty from its crisis.

In any case, the Emperor is the foundation of our Dragon Kingdom and cannot be lost! Besides, the court officials would not agree to the Emperor taking such a dangerous risk!

To put it bluntly, even if the Ming Dynasty were to fall this time, Your Majesty could simply help it recover! That would be saving the Ming Dynasty from peril!

Therefore, why is Your Majesty in such a hurry? Seeing her husband's uneasy expression, Empress Xia gently came to his side, tenderly took his hand, and looked at him with a mournful expression! Empress Xia knew very well that it must be the monotonous life in the palace that made her husband a little tired of it, which was why he kept thinking about going out to have fun!
However, the emperor sneaking out of the palace without any guards was absolutely unacceptable! Not only would the court officials not allow it, but the empress herself would not allow it either! She would never allow her husband to risk his life alone!

It seems I'll have to find more ways to amuse the Emperor from now on! At this moment, Empress Xia made up her mind about something else entirely!

"Cough cough~!"

"The Empress is right!" Seeing his wife's serious expression, Emperor Longwu knew that his chance to run away and have some fun on his own was temporarily lost!

Immediately, a hint of gloom appeared in Emperor Longwu's eyes!
"Boss, go arrange the fleet. We'll set off within three days. Your father is going to lead the expedition in person!"

"You stay here to oversee the country and manage the affairs of the household!" Seeing that he could no longer vent his anger and indulge in his own whims, Emperor Longwu had no choice but to urge his son to quickly arrange the military campaign. He emphasized that he himself must personally lead the expedition!

"Your subject obeys the decree!" After observing his mother, Empress Xia's, expression, Crown Prince Zhu Qiyu reluctantly agreed. He then turned and went out to arrange matters.

"My lord, don't be angry!" After watching his son leave, Emperor Longwu reluctantly took his wife Xia's hand and quickly comforted her.
Meanwhile, in the Ming Dynasty, time moved forward. In July of the fourteenth year of the Zhengtong reign (1444), Esen, the leader of the Oirat tribe on the steppe, led four armies to invade the Ming Dynasty. The eastern route, led by Tuotuo Buqa and the Uriyangkhai, attacked Liaodong; the western route, led by Oirat generals, attacked Gansu; and the central route consisted of two armies, one attacking Chicheng and the other attacking Datong!
In July of the fourteenth year of the Zhengtong reign, Emperor Yingzong of Ming appointed Prince Cheng, Zhu Qiyu, as regent. Ignoring the advice of his ministers, he personally led an army of 500,000 to conquer the grasslands! During the campaign, a host of top Ming nobles, including Duke of Yingguo, Zhang Fu, and Duke of Chengguo, Zhu Yong, accompanied the army.
The Ming army arrived in Datong in August. On August 13, the Ming army was defeated, and Emperor Yingzong fled to Tumu Fort with the remnants of his troops!

In an unnamed Taoist temple where Emperor Yingzong rested after his defeat, some of the Imperial Guards who supported the emperor, Fan Zhong, one of the commanders of the Imperial Guards who led the expedition, a group of eunuchs, and a group of defeated soldiers who had fled and then regrouped gathered in this simple Taoist temple. Everyone was as silent as if they were on the verge of death!

That was a dark cloud of defeat hanging over everyone's hearts!
"Ahhhhhh!!!!" Suddenly, Fan Zhong, the commander of the Imperial Guards, who was surrounded by a group of soldiers and lying on the ground covered in blood, seemed to have a final burst of energy before death. In the horrified gazes of the crowd, he roared as he stood up.

Then, to everyone's stunned gaze, Imperial Guard Commander Fan Zhong, as if possessed, snatched a ceremonial hammer from a Jinyiwei guard. To everyone's horror, Imperial Guard Commander Fan Zhong, wielding the hammer, chased after the chief eunuch Wang Zhen, circling the Taoist temple several times before finally hammering Wang Zhen to death amidst his heart-wrenching cries for help!
"Ah! Fan Zhong, how dare you!"

Oh! Your Majesty, save me!

Oh, General Fan, spare my life!

Help me!

"The voice of the eunuch Wang Zhen changed from initial terror to wailing; from blustering threats to heart-wrenching pleas for mercy. Finally, he was smashed into a pile of minced meat on the ground by the white-haired Fan Zhong!"
Emperor Yingzong of Ming, Zhu Qizhen, stared blankly, panicked, and helplessly at the scene before him. His mouth was agape in terror, as if he had been frightened into a stupor, unable to utter a word!

At that moment, everyone in the room—the Emperor's personal guards, the imperial eunuchs, the routed soldiers—seemed to have gone blind at the same time. They didn't seem to see the Imperial Guard commander smash the Emperor's most favored eunuch to death; no one stepped forward to help! Not a single person uttered a word!

Furthermore, everyone in the dilapidated Taoist temple wore expressionless faces, listening to Wang Zhen's wails and watching helplessly as he was beaten to death on the ground, without the slightest reaction!
"Clang!" After smashing Wang Zhen to death with his own hands, Fan Zhong seemed to have exhausted all his strength. The bloodstains all over his body became even thicker, and he collapsed onto the dead Wang Zhen without any regard for his image!

"Your Majesty, if I die, the Ming Dynasty will be finished!!!" After killing Wang Zhen with a hammer, Fan Zhong, the commander of the Imperial Guards, with a white beard and a sorrowful expression, looked at the Emperor Yingzong, who was lying limp on the ground without any dignity, and said with a deathly look in his eyes!
However, at this moment, Emperor Yingzong was stunned, even trembling all over, staring blankly at Fan Zhong in front of him, and remained silent as if he were terrified!

"Heh~!" Seeing this, Fan Zhong, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, could no longer hold on and gave a self-deprecating laugh. He then silently closed his eyes, as if resigned to his fate.

At this moment, everyone in the dilapidated Taoist temple knew that this old minister, who had served three emperors, was nearing the end of his life! After all, the emperor was able to escape from Tumu Fortress entirely thanks to this old minister's desperate protection! And it was precisely because of this that the old general was severely injured all over his body!
Fan Zhong, already severely wounded on the battlefield, failed to receive timely medical treatment and, with his remaining blood, killed Wang Zhen. Now, facing such an incompetent Emperor Yingzong, he was utterly despondent!

After all, no matter how severe the physical wounds are, they can't compare to a broken heart!

Therefore, at this moment, everyone in the dilapidated Taoist temple looked at Fan Zhong, who was about to die, with sorrowful expressions. At this moment, everyone in the dilapidated Taoist temple seemed to see themselves, and they were as silent as if they were facing the same death fate.

At this moment, the person more silent than anyone else was Emperor Yingzong of Ming, Zhu Qizhen! The once spirited Emperor Yingzong was now like a stray dog, huddled in the center of the Taoist temple, his face filled with panic and helplessness!
(End of this chapter)