After ten years of accompanying me in my studies, the entire court begged me to shut up.

Chapter 115 General Zhu Shou

Of course he couldn't bear to part with it; anyone would.

Yang Shen didn't say anything more, but just stood there quietly.

As darkness fell outside the window, the light in the imperial study also dimmed.

The Hongzhi Emperor stood there, his back view appearing somewhat desolate.

After a long silence, he finally spoke: "Let's eat first!"

In the main hall of the Qianqing Palace, the meal had already been laid out.

Empress Zhang, accompanied by Zhu Houzhao, was chatting with Liu Qing.

Liu Qing sat there, feeling extremely uncomfortable and somewhat at a loss.

Empress Zhang was very kind and asked her with a smile where she was from and who else was in her family.

Liu Qing answered them one by one, but then shut her mouth, not knowing what to say.

Footsteps sounded outside the door, and the Hongzhi Emperor entered with Yang Shen. Everyone stood up and bowed.

The Hongzhi Emperor waved his hand: "No need for formalities. Today is a family banquet, so please make yourselves at home."

After everyone was seated, Empress Zhang had some doubts in her heart.

She could clearly sense that the atmosphere was somewhat different today.

The Hongzhi Emperor sat in the main seat, Empress Zhang was beside him, Zhu Houzhao was next to his mother, and Yang Shen and Liu Qing sat below him.

Zhu Houzhao looked at the table full of dishes, swallowed hard, but didn't dare to touch his chopsticks.

The Hongzhi Emperor glanced at him: "Eat, what are you looking at?"

Zhu Houzhao looked at his father, then at Yang Shen, then at Liu Qing, and cautiously asked, "Then—then I'll eat it?"

The Hongzhi Emperor nodded.

Zhu Houzhao picked up the bowl, grabbed some rice with his chopsticks, and ate a few mouthfuls, finishing half the bowl of rice in no time.

The Hongzhi Emperor looked at him, and the tenderness in his eyes gradually became apparent.

Empress Zhang said softly, "Eat slowly, don't choke, eat more vegetables."

Zhu Houzhao nodded, chewing continuously.

The Hongzhi Emperor said to Empress Zhang, "Have you met Minister Yang's fiancée?"

Empress Zhang nodded and said, "She's quite good-looking and has a graceful demeanor. She's a good match for Yang Shen."

Liu Qing blushed slightly and gripped her chopsticks tightly.

The Hongzhi Emperor suddenly changed the subject: "Crown Prince, what is your wish?"

Zhu Houzhao was stunned. He swallowed the food in his mouth first, and then said, "I want to be a great general! To lead troops and kill the enemy!"

Empress Zhang's expression changed, and she quickly said, "Don't talk nonsense!"

The Hongzhi Emperor, however, was not angry at all. Instead, he asked with a smile, "Oh? You want to be a great general? That's not easy."

Zhu Houzhao immediately perked up, putting down his chopsticks and bowl: "I know! You must be well-versed in military strategy, understand troop deployment, know the enemy's and your own situation, be able to calculate supplies, be able to choose marching routes—and know many other things!"

The Hongzhi Emperor nodded: "Then tell me, who is the main enemy of our Great Ming Dynasty?"

Zhu Houzhao replied without hesitation: "Of course it's the Northern Yuan! They mainly rely on cavalry, they come and go like the wind, they plunder and run. We can't fight them head-on, we have to play to our strengths and avoid our weaknesses."

The Hongzhi Emperor became interested: "How can we maximize our strengths and minimize our weaknesses?"

Zhu Houzhao counted on his fingers: "We have firearms, city walls, and heavy weapons. They have nothing, they just rely on their fast horses."

When Emperor Taizu fought against the Northern Yuan, he used a steady and methodical approach, advancing step by step. First, he built cities, then established military farms, slowly pushing forward. No matter how powerful their cavalry was, they couldn't breach our cities.

"Emperor Taizong personally led five expeditions, taking the initiative and chasing after them. That was because our cavalry was strong during Taizong's reign and could keep up. Now it's different. Our horse administration is lax, and our cavalry can't beat them, so we can't follow Taizong's approach."

The Hongzhi Emperor listened, a look of approval flashing in his eyes.

Empress Zhang was somewhat puzzled.

Her husband usually taught the prince to read more books.

Every time the crown prince brought up the matter of war, he would be stopped.

What's wrong with me today?

Zhu Houzhao got so carried away with his talk that he forgot to eat.

"So, if I were to lead the army, I would improve upon Emperor Taizu's tactics. We would build fortifications where necessary and cultivate land where appropriate, but we also need mobile forces. We can't let them come and go as they please. If they come to plunder, we'll hold back; if they leave, we'll chase after them relentlessly, making sure they can't take anything and can't escape. We'll slowly wear them down."

The Hongzhi Emperor suddenly asked, "If it were the far north, and a heavy snowfall caused our castle to collapse, allowing enemy cavalry to charge in, what would you do?"

Zhu Houzhao paused for a moment, thought for a moment, and said, "That depends on when."

"How so?"

"If it's winter, heavy snow will block the roads, our reinforcements won't be able to get through, and the castle will collapse. In that case, fighting head-on would be suicide. Firearms are prone to malfunction in cold weather, and our soldiers aren't resistant to the cold. Fighting the enemy cavalry in the snow is just suicide, isn't it?"

The Hongzhi Emperor remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

Zhu Houzhao said, "In this situation, we can only temporarily abandon the front line and consolidate our defenses. We should withdraw our troops to the fortified cities in the rear and wait for the right opportunity to fight back."

The Hongzhi Emperor couldn't help but glance at Yang Shen.

Then he asked, "Aren't you afraid of being criticized for abandoning the front lines?"

Zhu Houzhao said matter-of-factly, "I'm just temporarily giving up, not abandoning the fight. Once the enemy's momentum has subsided, I'll come back and achieve my ultimate goal. Who dares to criticize me then?"

The Hongzhi Emperor nodded approvingly.

He took out a memorial from his sleeve and handed it to Zhu Houzhao.

Zhu Houzhao put down his chopsticks and took the bowl to examine it carefully.

As he looked at it, his brows furrowed.

The Hongzhi Emperor asked, "If you were commanding from the front lines, what would you do?"

Zhu Houzhao raised his head and said seriously, "Father, I think we should not send troops now."

Why?

"The report says that the blizzard has caused a disaster, and even the castle has collapsed. So many of our people have frozen to death, which shows how cold the weather is."

"If we send troops now, half of them will freeze to death on the way. And when we arrive, the enemy will be waiting in a well-rested and exhausted state. How can we possibly fight then?"

The Hongzhi Emperor asked, "And what is your opinion?"

Zhu Houzhao said, "Contract our defenses and withdraw our troops to Liaoyang. Liaoyang is a fortified city with ample supplies; we can hold it. Then organize supply convoys to send provisions to Liaoyang. Send as much grain, cotton clothing, and medicine as possible. Our people are inside the city, and the enemy is outside. They've come from afar to plunder, but if they can't get anything and can't take the city, their supplies will run out, and they'll naturally retreat."

The Hongzhi Emperor then asked, "What if someone tries to dissuade you?"

Zhu Houzhao didn't even hesitate: "I am the Grand General, so of course you have to listen to me! When leading troops in the field, you must have absolute authority. When it comes to fighting, everyone has to listen to me, and no one can persuade you otherwise."

The Hongzhi Emperor looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly sighed.

"What a pity."

Zhu Houzhao was taken aback: "What's a pity?"

The Hongzhi Emperor said, "It's a pity that you live a life of luxury every day and can't adapt to the climate there. Otherwise, I would really like to let you go and give it a try."

Zhu Houzhao's eyes lit up: "No problem! I can do it!"

The Hongzhi Emperor shook his head: "It's very cold there, there's nothing there, it's very harsh."

Zhu Houzhao straightened his chest: "If the soldiers guarding the border can survive, then I'm sure I'll be fine!"

The Hongzhi Emperor asked, "If you were to go, how many people would you prepare to bring?"

Empress Zhang, who was listening nearby, was terrified and couldn't help but say, "How did we end up talking about war? Let's eat, the food is getting cold."

"Mother, please eat first, I'll wait!"

Zhu Houzhao had lost his appetite and said earnestly, "Your Majesty, I don't need to bring too many people. It's too cold there, and the more people there are, the more energy we'll consume on the road. If the grain can't be transported, nothing else matters. Your Majesty only needs five hundred guards, and enough medicine, food, and supplies."

The Hongzhi Emperor glanced at Yang Shen again.

Those eyes clearly said, "When did you two collude?"

Yang Shen looked completely innocent and shook his head slightly, meaning that there really was no collusion!

The Hongzhi Emperor withdrew his gaze, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly said, "Xiao Jing."

Xiao Jing hurriedly stepped forward: "This old servant is here."

"Drafting the decree."

""

Xiao Jing bowed: "Please give your orders, Your Majesty."

The Hongzhi Emperor said, word by word, "I hereby order the Crown Prince to lead the expedition in my stead and wipe out the enemy in the north."

Xiao Jing thought he had misheard and looked up at the Hongzhi Emperor.

Empress Zhang stood up abruptly, her face deathly pale: "Your Majesty!"

The Hongzhi Emperor looked at her and asked, "What is it?"

Empress Zhang asked anxiously, "Why send the Crown Prince north during the New Year?"

The Hongzhi Emperor replied calmly, "It's the New Year, do the people in the north not celebrate the New Year?"

Empress Zhang said, "But the Crown Prince is only twelve years old! He's still too young!"

Zhu Houzhao quickly interjected, "Mother, I'm not a child anymore! I'll be thirteen after the New Year!"

Empress Zhang glared at him, then looked at Emperor Hongzhi: "No! I disagree! There are so many capable warriors in the court, why must we send the Crown Prince? If it really doesn't work—if it really doesn't work, send the Marquis of Shouning!"

The Hongzhi Emperor shook his head: "If I weren't so weak, I would have personally led the expedition."

Empress Zhang wanted to say something more, but Emperor Hongzhi continued, "The land of my Great Ming Dynasty was won through conquest. In recent years, I have been too comfortable sitting on the dragon throne and have forgotten that this country had to be fought for. Many people have already begun to stir."

He turned around and looked at Zhu Houzhao with a complicated expression.

"Fortunately, my crown prince is young and strong and can lead the expedition in my place."

Empress Zhang's eyes reddened, and she went over to Zhu Houzhao, taking his hand: "Then—then we should go after the New Year! Can't we talk about it after the New Year?"

The Hongzhi Emperor shook his head: "The enemy won't wait until we celebrate the New Year."

Empress Zhang said urgently, "Then send more people! How can five hundred people be enough?"

The Hongzhi Emperor looked at Zhu Houzhao and asked, "What do you think?"

Zhu Houzhao said earnestly, "Mother, as I just said, it's not a matter of how many people there are. If the grain can't be transported, sending more people will only result in them freezing and starving to death. I've thought it through. I'll take five hundred people, travel light, and save the grain to send to the front lines."

Empress Zhang was pale and held him tightly.

Zhu Houzhao patted his mother's hand and grinned, "Mother, don't worry, your son will definitely slaughter the enemy until they run away in terror!"

As the Hongzhi Emperor watched this scene, a hint of reluctance flashed deep in his eyes.

But he ultimately did not change his mind.

Yang Shen sat at the lower end of the table, quietly watching everything unfold.

Liu Qing muttered quietly beside her, "Are we really going? It's so cold there—"

Yang Shen didn't speak, he just looked at Zhu Houzhao.

That twelve-year-old boy had a clear light in his eyes!

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