Chapter 55: Bu Wan Discusses Huaixi

"I accept your command."

The commander of the personal guards immediately bowed to Feng Sheng and accepted the order.

"The Tatars' routes are now in chaos, and their tribal leader has been slain by Zhu Ying. He has already exceeded the mission previously assigned to him by Prefect Bu."

"He should be returning this time," Feng Sheng said in a low voice, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Bu Wan smiled and immediately replied, "The Great General is absolutely right. In the past, we only asked Zhu Ying to hold the northern frontier for half a month and wait for the arrival of our imperial main army. However, he has not only stayed in the north for over a month but has also achieved such military results; even I did not expect this."

"As far as I know, this Zhu Ying is only sixteen, right?" Feng Sheng asked with a smile.

"He was sixteen when he joined the army. Since more than half a year has passed, he should be seventeen in a few months," Bu Wan replied instantly.

"He is indeed a talent of our Great Ming. If he is cultivated well in the future, he will surely become a fierce and valiant general of our empire."

"When he returns, I shall meet him personally," Feng Sheng said with a loud laugh.

"Great General!"

"This subordinate is prepared to launch a night raid on Kaiyuan City tonight to disrupt the Yuan army and prepare for the siege."

Seeing Feng Sheng praise Zhu Ying so highly, Lan Yu stepped forward and loudly requested the command.

Clearly, he did not want his own spotlight to be overshadowed by Zhu Ying.

"How you conduct the assault is for the Marquis of Yongchang to decide on his own," Feng Sheng said. He had seen through Lan Yu's intentions and did not stop him.

In the military, everything was decided by military merit. If you strive for merit, go ahead and fight for it, as long as it does not cause chaos within the ranks and is pursued within the bounds of discipline.

"This subordinate accepts the command!"

"Within ten days!"

"This subordinate will surely break Kaiyuan City and annihilate the Yuan army within!" Lan Yu shouted. Compared to the half-month deadline previously set, Lan Yu had once again shortened the timeframe himself.

"I shall await your results."

"If the Marquis of Yongchang breaks the city within ten days, I will personally petition the Emperor to award you merit."

"Likewise, the same applies to General Fu Youde's attack on the Jin City, which is heavily guarded by the Yuan army."

"Whoever breaks their city first shall claim the primary merit," Feng Sheng declared immediately.

***

Inside the military camp!

Bu Wan, Chen Heng, and Liu Zhen sat facing each other, all wearing smiles.

"How do you feel today?" Bu Wan asked with a smile.

"Greatly inspired."

"For a long time, our Great Ning border troops have not been particularly outstanding in the various prefectures of our Great Ming. We held no standing in the Ministry of War or the Imperial Court. Among the border prefectures, the Ping Army was the strongest. But now, with Zhu Ying continuously achieving victories and our Great Ning border troops fighting the Yuan army to the death without retreating, our troops have truly established their reputation," Chen Heng said with a smile.

After the separation of troops in the northern frontier that day, the two Command Assistants, Chen Heng and Liu Zhen, had led their troops to raid the Yuan court's holdings in Liaodong, fighting while retreating.

As the main army arrived, Chen Heng and Liu Zhen merged their forces and came under Feng Sheng's command.

"It is indeed so."

"Zhu Ying is young, yet he possesses both bold courage and generalship. His future is limitless."

"With the military merits Zhu Ying has achieved this time, he is worthy of being enfeoffed as a Command Assistant and commanding ten thousand troops," Bu Wan said with great emotion.

The first time he had heard Zhu Ying's name was when Zhu Ying alone had slain a hundred enemies and cut down generals and banners. It was then that Bu Wan first recognized him, and at that time, Zhu Ying was only a Centurion.

"His ability to command troops is superior to mine."

"Forget being promoted to Command Assistant; even if he were promoted to Command Vice-Commissioner or Command Commissioner, he would be well-deserving," Chen Heng said with deep emotion.

"That is true."

"When Zhu Ying first killed a hundred enemies, we thought it was merely bravery. But through this battle deep behind enemy lines, his extraordinary command ability has been proven."

"He led four thousand cavalry to harass the enemy's heartland. A single mistake could have led to them being surrounded and wiped out entirely."

"Yet, not only did he inflict such heavy casualties on the enemy, but he also decapitated their leader. If it were me commanding those troops, I might not have even lasted ten days before having to retreat back to the Ming," Liu Zhen said truthfully.

"Zhu Ying's future is limitless."

"It is not just his military merit; he has already caught the Emperor's eye."

"A hereditary County Baron—that is a massive honor."

"Within our entire Great Ning border army, who else possesses such a title?"

"This is also a testament to the Emperor's sagacity," Bu Wan remarked with profound emotion.

When he first heard the news that day, Bu Wan was also extremely shocked. However, having been an official for many years, he naturally understood the underlying implications: the current Emperor intended to cultivate Zhu Ying and establish a brave, young, and capable general as a benchmark for the Great Ming military.

"Sir."

"It is said that the imperial envoys from Ying Tian are still waiting in the camp. Is this true?" Chen Heng asked tentatively.

"It is true."

Bu Wan nodded, his expression becoming very serious. "The conferring of a title is a major event. The Emperor's envoys must come in person to bestow the seal of office to ensure it is handled with the proper solemnity and to showcase the honor of the title."

"Since you two have come today," Bu Wan looked at Chen Heng and Liu Zhen with a grave expression, "I must give you some advice."

"Please, Sir, speak," Chen Heng and Liu Zhen said immediately.

"Although we are currently campaigning alongside the Huaixi hawks led by the Marquis of Yongchang, remember that you must never get too close to these Huaixi generals. Aside from professional military exchanges, there should be no personal ties," Bu Wan said in a low, extremely serious voice.

Hearing this, Chen Heng and Liu Zhen fell silent immediately.

Then, Chen Heng grasped the deeper meaning: "Does Sir mean that the Huaixi hawks are too overbearing, and you fear that if we get too close to them, we might provoke the Imperial Majesty?"

"The Huaixi hawks are famous for their arrogance and overbearing nature, fueled by their military achievements."

"Who in the entire Imperial Court does not know this?"

"Even though the current Emperor has cautioned them many times, they have shown no restraint and continue to use their merits to assert undue influence. Perhaps the Emperor tolerates them because of their military contributions, but in the long run, I do not believe they will escape punishment."

"Getting too close to them will not lead to a good end."

"Furthermore, the Huaixi faction is a closed circle; outsiders find it hard to integrate."

"Even if you try to ingratiate yourselves, they are unlikely to accept you."

"In short, treat them with caution and maintain a prudent distance."

"Consider this advice based on my many years of experience in officialdom," Bu Wan said sternly.

Upon hearing this, Chen Heng and Liu Zhen immediately cupped their hands in thanks. "Thank you for the reminder, Sir."

"In the camp today, when news of Zhu Ying's merits arrived, I saw just how overbearing the Marquis of Yongchang is. Getting close to them will definitely not end well," Chen Heng said.

"Indeed," Liu Zhen nodded.

Clearly, they were in complete agreement with Bu Wan's words.

"Regardless, just focus on coordinating the military operations. In this campaign against the Yuan's Nahachu, our Great Ning border troops have fulfilled our duty. What follows is the matter of the Great General and the Marquis of Yongchang," Bu Wan said with a faint smile, no longer showing much interest in the subsequent conquest.