The Great Ming Demon Pill: Your Majesty, please address me as the Crown Prince!

At this moment, two short exclamations suddenly came from the western entrance of the valley. Zheng Yu's group of arrows accurately "hit" the shoulders and backs of two imperial guards.

The two "dead" soldiers stood there stunned, raising their hands to leave the battlefield as per the rules.

Yuan Zhu was startled and jumped to his feet: "From the west! Someone's attacking!"

He immediately led a dozen men and rushed westward.

Almost simultaneously, a series of whistles and the sound of rocks rolling down the hillside to the north rang out, as if there were a large number of ambushes.

Yuan Zhu paused, hesitating whether to pursue the west or defend the north.

In the midst of this brief chaos, three Imperial Guards strayed from the main force on the southern path while chasing after "deserters."

Zhu Zhanjun's group, who had been lying in ambush in the roadside bushes, suddenly leaped out. Five or six children drew their bows at the same time. Although the arrows were not powerful enough, they were shot at close range, and the three men instantly had several "arrow hit" marks on their chests and legs.

"Killed in action!" the military officer acting as referee announced loudly.

Yuan Zhu turned around upon hearing the sound and saw that in just a few minutes, his side had "lost" five men, yet they still hadn't figured out where the enemy's main force was.

Sweat beaded on his forehead. Finally abandoning his dismissive attitude, he roared, "Everyone, gather around me! Don't scatter!"

Zhu Zhanjun saw Yuan Zhu shrinking his troops through his binoculars, sneered, and made a hand gesture.

The children of the Wolf Fang Camp immediately split into smaller groups of three, forming teams of five.

They never engaged in direct combat, but would always launch a few arrows from the flanks or behind, or shoot small mud balls coated with lime with slingshots. Once Yuan Zhu's men caught up, they would immediately disappear into the dense forest or rock crevices.

Yuan Zhu led his men in pursuit several times, but they were either led into thorn bushes or tripped over ropes set up by the children.

What frustrated him even more was that the other side could always see their movements from a high place or a distance, and every ambush or maneuver seemed to be predicted in advance.

"How did they know we were coming this way?!" a guard asked, panting.

No one answered, because nobody knew how a bunch of brats managed to do it.

....................

With the overall view provided by the telescope, coupled with the flexible harassment tactics of guerrilla warfare, the Wolf Fang Battalion gradually reversed its disadvantage in numbers and physical strength.

Despite possessing the strength and archery skills of adults, the Imperial Guards could not catch up with, locate, or attack the enemy, and were instead constantly attacked and lost men.

On the viewing platform.

Zhu Di looked surprised.

In his field of vision, Yuan Zhu and the others were wandering around the valley like headless flies.

Zhu Zhanjun's Wolf Fang Battalion advanced and retreated in an orderly manner, as if they could anticipate the enemy's moves with every step.

Zhu Di couldn't help but clap his hands in praise: "Excellent! Excellent Zhanjun! This little monkey has quite a method to command troops!"

"The attack was coordinated and combined, with feints and real strikes intertwined. Every move hit the opponent where it was most vulnerable, as if they could predict Yuan Zhu's movements."

"To possess such resourcefulness at such a young age is truly remarkable!"

Zhu Gaoxu grinned widely, his teeth showing.

"Father is absolutely right!"

"That Zhan Jun kid is actually pretty good!"

"Heh heh, no wonder he's my son, a natural-born leader!"

He looked around smugly, especially glancing at Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi, making no attempt to hide the pride on his face.

Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi remained calm and silent.

Zhu Zhanji's face turned somewhat dark.

He had expected to see Zhu Zhanjun suffer a humiliating defeat, which would allow him to vent his anger, but he never expected the situation to turn completely in his favor.

Watching Yuan Zhu and the others being completely fooled by a group of children, he felt his face burning with embarrassment.

What a bastard Yuan Zhu, what is he good for?

Prince Zhao, Zhu Gaosui, wore a smile on his face, his gaze sweeping between the battlefield below the mountain and the people on the platform.

The officials and military personnel who accompanied the emperor to watch the battle were also discussing it excitedly.

Zhang Fu stared at the squad his son Zhang Mao was in down the mountain. Seeing their swift movements and excellent teamwork, he couldn't help but stroke his beard and nod. He whispered to Duke Zhu Yong beside him, "Brother Zhu, it seems that this half-month military training has not been entirely a joke."

"Look at these kids, they obey orders and know how to advance and retreat. Although they lack strength, their cleverness and teamwork are already showing promise."

"Especially this camouflage clothing, it has an excellent concealment effect in the mountains and forests. His Highness Prince Jiyang is truly ingenious."

Duke Zhu Yong of Chengguo nodded slightly.

"What Master Zhang said is absolutely right."

"It's quite surprising that my son, who used to be so unruly, is now so obedient."

"His Highness Prince Jiyang's training of troops is indeed quite skillful."

The other nobles all smiled.

Several officials who came from civil service backgrounds, such as Yang Rong, although not very proficient in specific battle formations, could still see that the Wolf Fang Battalion had the upper hand on the battlefield.

Yang Rong stroked his beard, seemingly lost in thought: "His Highness Prince Jiyang is not even ten years old yet, but he has managed to set up this feint and manipulate his opponents at will. Although he took advantage of the mountain and forest terrain, his strategic thinking and resourcefulness are beyond what ordinary children can achieve."

"Regardless of victory or defeat, their capabilities have already been demonstrated in this exercise."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

Just as everyone was discussing the matter, the battle at the foot of the mountain was nearing its end.

Yuan Zhu's elite cavalry, under the elusive harassment and division by the Wolf Fang Camp, had already suffered more than half "deaths," and the remaining men were exhausted and demoralized.

In contrast, although several members of the Wolf Fang Battalion were "hit" and forced to withdraw, the main force remained, and they maintained high morale and flexible tactics.

Zhu Zhanjun raised his binoculars again and confirmed that Yuan Zhu and the others had been forced into a narrow ravine surrounded by rocks and bushes that were easy to ambush.

With a wave of his hand, he gave the final signal for the all-out attack.

The remaining forty men of the Wolf Fang Camp quietly surrounded the enemy from three sides, and arrows and mud pellets rained down from high places and dark spots at the Xunwei scattered cavalry huddled together in the hollow.

Yuan Zhu attempted to organize a counterattack, but his troops were in disarray and their vision was obstructed, leaving him only able to passively endure the attack.

Moments later, the referee's whistle rang out sharply.

The exercise is over!

The entire Xunwei Scattered Cavalry was "killed in action," and the Wolf Fang Battalion, at the cost of eleven lives, "annihilated" all thirty opponents.

The viewing platform was completely silent.

Zhu Di nodded first, a smile appearing on his face.

"What a formidable Wolf Fang Battalion! What a pack of wolf cubs!"

After a while.

Yuan Zhu, with a group of imperial guards and Zhu Zhanjun, with a group of mischievous children, all bowed to Zhu Di.

"Your Majesty, I have come to pay my respects!"

"Greetings, Your Majesty!"

Zhu Di smiled.

"Skillful deployment, using the few to defeat the many, the weak to overcome the strong, employing both feints and real attacks!"

"Good job, lad!"

Zhu Zhanjun chuckled.

"You flatter me, Your Majesty."

"This victory is not my achievement alone, but the result of the brothers' efforts."

Everyone smiled and looked kindly at the group of mischievous kids behind Zhu Zhanjun.

Many of the mischievous children, sensing the gazes of their fathers and grandfathers among them, immediately puffed out their chests and their faces flushed red.

Zhu Zhanjun then smiled and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Yuan Zhu.

"Of course, it's also because Commandant Yuan—Cao Pi's wife—went into the vegetable garden, and Zhen Ji was picking vegetables."

The room fell silent for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Those civil officials managed to maintain some semblance of composure.

After all, Yuan Zhu's father was the brother-in-law of Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi.

The military commanders, however, burst into laughter.

Even Zhu Di was amused by Zhu Zhanjun's words.

Yuan Zhu was so angry that his face turned red, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

Zhu Zhanjun glanced at Yuan Zhu and sneered inwardly.

Yuan Zhu was Zhu Zhanji's lackey.

This kid really went all out in this military exercise; the few "dead" kids were all bruised and battered.

If it weren't for his superior methods, he would have been humiliated this time.

Zhu Zhanjun immediately spoke with righteous indignation.

"Captain Yuan, you are Imperial Guards personally appointed by the Emperor!"

"They are the Imperial Guards, protecting the palace and safeguarding the emperor's countenance!"

"He is a descendant of a great general and meritorious official who helped found the Ming Dynasty!"

"But does your performance today deserve this uniform?"

"Are you worthy of the glory that your fathers and grandfathers earned with their blood and sweat?"

Yuan Zhu and the others blushed and paled in turns, wanting to refute but finding themselves speechless.

Zhu Zhanjun mocked.

"Your fathers and grandfathers fought their way to glory amidst mountains of corpses and seas of blood, following in the footsteps of the Great Ancestor and the Imperial Grandfather!"

"Look at you now!"

"His martial arts skills are rusty, his battle formations are unclear, and he is filled with arrogance and laziness. His desire to coast through life and wait for promotion probably outweighs his desire to improve his martial arts!"

"This is a disgrace to our ancestors!"

"To flee upon hearing something wrong is the lowest form of courage; to flee at the first sign of trouble is the next best; to flee upon seeing a thief is the highest form of courage."

"You guys are incredibly brave."

[Ding! You have obtained a Prismatic Treasure Chest!]

Yuan Zhu and the others were so angry that their heads were buzzing and they almost vomited blood.

What's with this talk of being brave or not? They're not stupid; of course they can hear the strong sarcasm in those words.

Zhu Di maintained a smile throughout, without uttering a single word.

Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui were happy to watch the spectacle.

The civil and military officials, on the other hand, remained on the sidelines, each with their own perspective.

Zhu Zhanji was shocked to see his cousin, with whom he had always had a good relationship, being humiliated in this way.

He couldn't help but say.

"Third brother, aren't you being a bit too harsh on them by saying that?"