My hotel is full of emperors throughout history.

"Gentlemen!"

Zhu Yuanzhang continued to strike while the iron was hot.

"The remnants of the Northern Yuan have seized control of the northern border, repeatedly raiding our frontier and plundering our people. Have you ever forgotten this hatred and grudge?!"

Never!!

His roar was like thunder, brimming with bloodlust.

"Our Ming soldiers guard the border year after year, their blood staining the yellow sand—for what?!"

Zhu Yuanzhang asked again, raising his voice.

"Protect our borders and ensure the safety of our people! Uphold our national prestige!!"

"good!"

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly waved his arm, pointing to the distant north.

"In the past, we lacked suitable weapons, we lacked lethal weapons! Warfare relied on human lives, on soldiers bearing the burden with their flesh and blood! But today, you have all seen it!"

He turned around and slammed his hand heavily on the tank's cold armor.

"This is the foundation upon which our Great Ming Dynasty will conquer all directions in the future! It is the thunder that will terrify our enemies!"

"A Northern Expedition! We must not only fight, but also demonstrate the grandeur of the new dynasty and the might of our Ming army!"

"Use these iron weapons to crush the Northern Yuan's royal court! Terrify them completely! May our Ming Dynasty's borders enjoy eternal peace!"

Zhu Yuanzhang looked at his generals again.

"Do you even have the guts?!"

"Yes!! Yes!! Yes!!!"

The frenzied shouts nearly turned the training ground upside down.

Xu Da, Fu Youde, Lan Yu and other fierce generals had fire burning in their eyes, wishing they could rush straight to the northern desert immediately!

Zhu Yuanzhang looked on with satisfaction at the morale that had been completely ignited, and began to appoint his generals.

"Xu Da, Duke of Wei!"

"Your subject is here!"

"I hereby appoint you as the supreme commander of all military affairs for the Northern Expedition, to oversee the overall situation, to advance steadily and surely, and to create a hole in our northern border!"

"Your subject, Xu Da, obeys the decree! I will certainly not fail Your Majesty's trust!"

Xu Da clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice booming like a bell, as if he had become twenty years younger.

"Duke of Ying, Fu Youde!"

"Your subject is here!"

Fu Youde's voice boomed like thunder, he couldn't wait.

"I hereby appoint you as the Commander-in-Chief of the Vanguard Army for the Northern Expedition, leading your newly equipped and elite troops to pave the way for the main force! Clear mountains and fortresses alike! Let the Mongols see what true 'conquering cities and capturing strongholds' really means!"

"Your Majesty, rest assured! I will make these lumps of iron and firewood sing the loudest war songs on the grasslands!"

Fu Youde was so excited that his face turned bright red.

"Marquis Yongchang, Lan Yu!"

"Your subject is here!"

Lan Yu took a step forward, his eyes filled with a fierce glint of anticipation.

"Don't go to pacify Yunnan yet! I appoint you as the Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Expeditionary Cavalry, leading elite cavalry to cooperate with the new army, maneuvering swiftly and relentlessly pursuing the fleeing enemy! Unleash all your ruthlessness on those Northern Yuan Tartars!"

"Your subordinate obeys! I will make sure that the barbarian hordes flee at the mere mention of the name of my Great Ming New Army!"

Lan Yu grinned maliciously.

One by one, names were called out, and one by one, important tasks were assigned. The generals who were called out were all extremely excited and readily accepted the orders.

The atmosphere on the training ground reached its peak, and the blueprint for the Northern Expedition burned brightly in everyone's hearts.

Of course, there was still one person who wasn't called.

The man stood at the very front, like an old pine tree that had weathered many storms by the training ground—it was none other than Tang He, the Duke of Xin.

The initial fervor gradually subsided, and a hint of doubt arose in the minds of the generals, their gazes involuntarily drifting towards Tang He.

Tang He himself still wore that kind smile on his face, as if he was completely unaware that the excitement in front of him had nothing to do with him.

He even nodded slightly to congratulate his colleagues who had been given important responsibilities.

However, the hands behind his back made a creaking sound.

His gaze was lowered, falling on the dusty tips of his boots, his figure inexplicably lonely.

Zhu Yuanzhang seems to have finally finished selecting his generals.

He paused for a moment, his gaze slowly sweeping across the entire room, finally settling on Tang He.

The training ground fell silent instantly; even the idling sound of the tanks seemed to be swallowed up by the silence.

"Xinguo Gong."

Tang He's body trembled almost imperceptibly, then he steadily stepped forward and bowed.

"Your old minister is here."

Zhu Yuanzhang got off the tank and came to Tang He.

"Dingchen,"

He used a more intimate term of address and reached out to brush the dust off the soup and armor.

"You didn't go to the exciting Northern Expedition. Are you... a little resentful towards your old brother?"

Tang looked up, his smile still there, but it seemed somewhat forced.

"Your Majesty, what are you saying? The Northern Expedition is a matter of great importance to the country. Xu Da, Youde, Lan Yu, and others are all in their prime, full of vigor and ambition, and it is the time for them to make great achievements. This old minister is old and fortunate enough to be able to procure provisions for Your Majesty and the Northern Expeditionary Army from the rear and stabilize morale. How dare I have any more expectations?"

Even so, the fleeting sadness in the depths of his eyes and the straight yet subtly lonely back made his old comrades feel a pang of sadness.

Zhu Yuanzhang gave him a deep look, then suddenly grinned.

"You're still trying to pull this on us! We know you're itching for a fight, you bald-headed bastard!"

He abruptly changed the subject, lowering his voice.

"We have an even more important task for you."

Tang He suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with a sharp light.

Old Zhu chuckled.

"The Northern Expedition is about slaying the visible evil dragon. But beside our bed, there lurks a damp and venomous sea serpent, watching day and night, sucking our marrow and tearing at our flesh, ruining our foundation! It is more hateful, more hidden, and more troublesome than the Northern Yuan!"

"This snake comes from the east, from the sea!"

"Japanese country?"

Soup and opening.

"good!"

Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly grabbed Tang He's arm, his expression more serious than ever before.

"We need you to do something even more arduous, difficult, and crucial—to oversee the defense of the southeastern coast, and at the same time, to wipe out the Japanese pirates!"

"Not just drive them away, not just repel them, but annihilate them!"

He practically spat out the word through gritted teeth.

"But... Japan is such a small country..."

Tang He was somewhat puzzled as to why Zhu Yuanzhang was so serious.

"They have so many huge silver mines, more than all the silver in the entire Ming Dynasty combined!"

"Hiss~!"

Tang He gasped.

The others were the same, but soon their eyes lit up with excitement.

So, then...

We have no choice but to fight!

Old Zhu looked at Tang He again.

"Tang He! Can you wipe out the Japanese pirates for us, no matter the cost?"

Tang He was stunned. A surge of scalding heat erupted from the bottom of his heart and instantly swept over his entire body.

He suddenly broke free from Zhu Yuanzhang's hand, took three steps back, flung off his cloak, knelt on one knee, and clasped his hands above his head.

"Your subject, Tang He, obeys the decree—!!!!!"

"Your Majesty has entrusted me with the crucial task of defending the seas and vanquishing the Japanese pirates. How fortunate I am! Even if this frail body turns to dust, I will never fail Your Majesty's grace!"

"I will dedicate my body, my heart, and the rest of my life to my Great Ming Dynasty, to pacify the seas and forever eradicate the eastern threat! If Japan is not destroyed and the coastal regions remain unsettled, this old minister... will die with his eyes wide open in disgrace!"

Old Zhu chuckled again.

"Don't rush! We still have a lot of great things to show you! We'll reveal them later..."