Chapter 42: Zhu Biao: Being Conferred a Peerage!

"The entire Jianzhou Tartar clan was raided by Zhu Ying's army, completely pinning them down and preventing them from reinforcing the Yuan court."

"Under the recent great battle, Zhu Ying led four thousand cavalrymen into the foreign lands of the northern frontier. Currently, his forces still number over three thousand two hundred, having traded fewer than a thousand deaths for tens of thousands of Tartar casualties."

"This is a victory for our Great Ming, a joy for the Great Ming."

"By the military merit system of the Great Ming, I hereby promote Zhu Ying to the rank of Commandant and grant him one hundred gold pieces."

"I ask Your Majesty to take note."

At this point, Yun Qi's voice ceased; the reading was complete.

Upon hearing these battle reports and results, the expressions of the many ministers in the imperial court, who had previously been calm, shifted drastically.

"Leading four thousand troops deep into the enemy's heartland, not only did they survive, but of those four thousand, fewer than a thousand were even lost in battle."

"How is this possible?"

"No matter how weak the Jianzhou Tartars are, they are a clan of a million people. Every citizen is a soldier, with a military strength of nearly a hundred thousand. How could they be slaughtered by this Zhu Ying without any means of response? Are the Tartars too foolish, or is Zhu Ying's command too extraordinary?"

"They are a small clan; even if they have pastures, their cavalry can at most number twenty thousand. Previous reports mentioned that after the Daning border troops invaded their territory, they crushed ten thousand of their cavalry, and our Great Ming captured many warhorses."

"Now, Zhu Ying has once again led his troops to annihilate ten thousand Tartar cavalry. This effectively severs the cavalry strength of the Jianzhou Tartars once and for all."

"What skill! What a formidable man!"

"By first destroying the Tartar cavalry, they lose their primary strength, allowing him to gallop through the foreign lands with his own cavalry, leaving the Tartars helpless."

"How exactly did he do it?"

"With such meager forces, to be able to annihilate Tartar cavalry several times his own size? That should be impossible!"

"Indeed."

"In foreign lands, on the enemy's home turf, Zhu Ying was actually able to annihilate the enemy and still have over three thousand men left from his original four thousand. I cannot imagine how he achieved this."

"This youth is extraordinary."

...

Such results sent shockwaves through the hearts of many ministers.

Of course, this was especially true for the many military officials in the court.

"Boss."

"This Zhu Ying—what do you think of him?" Zhu Yuanzhang smiled and looked toward Zhu Biao.

"From what we can see, he is indeed a brave general of our Great Ming. Among the new generation of Ming warriors, he can be considered a leader," Zhu Biao replied immediately with a smile.

As soon as these words fell, the officials in the court turned their gazes toward them.

Without a doubt, while Zhu Biao's words seemed casual, they carried a deeper implication.

In the current Great Ming, the military was still dominated by the Huixi faction, which held immense influence. Under imperial power, such a monopoly was naturally not permitted, so there had always been efforts to promote generals from outside the Huixi circle. However, when it came to actual combat and command, many were somewhat underwhelming.

Zhu Biao's words, however, signaled great expectations for Zhu Ying.

"Hahaha!"

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed loudly.

He then said, "Biao'er is right."

"Among the younger generation, this Zhu Ying is indeed quite good."

Receiving this high praise from Zhu Yuanzhang, the civil and military officials understood the intentions of the father and son.

"I submit to the Emperor."

"Zhu Ying did not fear danger; he ventured into peril to pin down the Tartars, preventing our Daning Prefecture from being attacked from both sides. This is a great merit."

"I believe he deserves a heavy reward."

Song Ne, the Grand Secretary of Huagai Hall, stepped forward and petitioned loudly.

"I second this!"

"Commandant Zhu has achieved great merit and should be rewarded."

"By placing himself in danger, he not only pinned down the enemy but also dealt them a heavy blow and secured abundant spoils. He deserves a significant reward."

"We second this!"

With Song Ne speaking up, the many ministers in the court, who were carefully reading the room, followed suit.

After all, this aligned with the intentions of Zhu Yuanzhang and his son. Furthermore, the Huixi faction held extremely high prestige in the military, and many in the court were wary of them. In short, following the imperial will was the wisest course of action.

"Biao'er."

"How do you think we should reward this Zhu Ying?" Zhu Yuanzhang looked at Zhu Biao and asked with a smile.

Clearly, Zhu Yuanzhang was now aging, and every step he took was to pave the way for his son.

"Your son believes..."

"The war in Daning Prefecture is not yet settled. Zhu Ying has risen from a common soldier to the rank of Commandant in just half a year, which is already a great favor."

"The abundance of this victory shows Zhu Ying's courage and his devotion to the country."

"Promoting him to Commandant is merely one form of favor."

"Your son believes he should be granted a noble title," Zhu Biao said directly with a smile.

As soon as these words were spoken, all the ministers in the court were stunned.

A noble title.

Compared to an official rank, this was far more rare. It was a symbol of status.

"What title does Biao'er think he should be granted?" Zhu Yuanzhang asked with a smile.

He had no intention of opposing Zhu Biao's suggestion.

The name "Zhu Ying" had entered this Fengtian Hall twice now. And this time was different from the first; this time, it was personally reported by Duke of State Feng Sheng. This showed that Zhu Ying's military merits had truly moved Feng Sheng, otherwise, he would not have praised Zhu Ying's achievements so emphatically in the military report.

"Your son believes he should be granted the hereditary title of [County Baron]," Zhu Biao said with a smile, his tone firm.

As these words fell, many in the court reacted with shock.

A noble title!

Even many of the ministers standing in this court did not possess one, because most titles were earned through military merit. It was difficult for civil officials to obtain titles; aside from the founding meritorious officials and civil ministers who had received them, few civil officials in this era were granted nobility.

Of course, even those who had been granted titles previously were now long dead and buried.

County Baron.

It was a title that still existed during the Hongwu era. Although it was the lowest rank of nobility, the addition of the word "hereditary" gave it high value.

Historically, titles like County Baron and County Viscount existed only during the Hongwu era and were abolished later, as higher titles like Earl, Marquis, and Duke became more distinguished. The abolition was intended to further emphasize the prestige of higher ranks.

One could say that if Zhu Ying truly received this title, he would be catching the very last train of that era.

"What do you gentlemen think of the Crown Prince's proposal?" Zhu Yuanzhang smiled, scanning the court.

It sounded like a question, but it was actually a decision. He would certainly support whatever his Biao'er decided.

For Zhu Yuanzhang, since the passing of his wife and grandson, his only remaining kin was Zhu Biao—at least, that was true for Zhu Chongba. Zhu Yuanzhang had many children, but Zhu Chongba had only one son left.

"The Crown Prince is wise!"

"We second this!"

"The Crown Prince is wise!"

...

The civil and military officials shouted in unison.

Not a single person opposed Zhu Biao's decision. To oppose Zhu Biao at this moment would be to oppose the "Living Yama" sitting on the high throne!

No one would be that stupid. Unless they wanted to die and were intent on provoking the Living Yama above.