Chapter 27: Zhu Ying's Objective!

After issuing his orders to Li Tao, Zhu Ying quietly led four thousand cavalrymen toward the northern side of the Tatar encampment. It was clear that he intended to make a feint in the east to strike in the west, catching the Tatars completely off guard.

Time gradually slipped away. Under the veil of night, aside from the chirping of insects and the eerie howling of wolves, the darkness seemed to have fallen into absolute silence.

"Commander, after we carry out this strike, are we really going to retreat back to Danning?" The vice-commander looked at Li Tao, his face etched with hesitation.

"What? Do you also want to go throw your life away like Zhu Ying?" Li Tao glared at him.

"This..." Both vice-commanders stared at Li Tao, wanting to speak but holding back.

"Since Zhu Ying wants to commit suicide and drag those thousands of brothers with him, let him go. But I, Li Tao, will not lead my men to their deaths. He has given the order, and as long as we harass this Tatar tribe to draw them out, our mission is accomplished. How much time has passed?" Li Tao asked in a deep voice, his tone still dripping with mockery toward Zhu Ying. Attacking a Tatar tribe with tens of thousands of warriors using only four thousand men was nothing short of a death wish. Li Tao was determined to protect his own skin and would not sacrifice himself.

"Reporting to the commander," a vice-commander replied immediately, "there is only one incense stick's worth of time left before the one-hour mark set by the garrison commander."

"Good." Li Tao nodded, staring at the alien tribe in the distance. "When the time comes, attack immediately. Approach the tribe, harass them with arrows, and retreat the moment they react."

"Understood," the two vice-commanders replied in unison.

***

On the other side, north of the Tatar Blue Flag tribe, Wei Quan gestured toward a faint glow of firelight in the distance. "Garrison Commander, that should be the northern part of the Tatar encampment."

"Has the hour almost passed?" Zhu Ying asked.

"Only one incense stick's worth of time remains," Zhang Wu replied.

Hearing this, Zhu Ying nodded and turned to look at the battalion commanders and the thousands of Great Ming soldiers behind him.

"Brothers," he began, "we are in the lands of foreigners, surrounded by peril. The Yuan Dynasty eyes our Great Ming with covetousness, and these barbarians never abandon their desire to destroy our civilization. They still wish to treat the people of our Middle Kingdom like ants, trampling upon them just as they did when they ruled the Central Plains. The Tatars have gathered their forces, preparing to join the Yuan Dynasty in invading our land and slaughtering our people."

"As soldiers of the Great Ming, we are the shield of our home and country. If we do not hold these Tatars back and prevent them from uniting with the Yuan forces, our border people will be plunged into a living hell. This battle is for our country, for our people! We must fight!" Zhu Ying turned to face all the soldiers. His voice was not loud, but it carried an air of authority, composure, and unwavering resolve.

"We swear to follow the Garrison Commander to the death!" The battalion commanders were inspired, and the four thousand soldiers, though silent, watched Zhu Ying with eyes full of awe. Their message was clear.

"When I was a battalion commander, I said that on the battlefield, I would always be the first to charge ahead of my brothers. If I retreat, you have my permission to execute me. Today is no different. This is a raid to breach their camp. I will lead the way, and my personal guard will carry torches. All soldiers are to follow the torches as the signal to charge and break through. This battle is perilous. If we break the camp, the Tatars will be fully occupied with us and unable to reinforce the Northern Yuan. If we fail, I, Zhu Ying, will live and die with you all. Brothers, are you ready?" Zhu Ying spoke firmly, his right hand already gripping his steel blade.

"We swear to follow the Garrison Commander to the death," the officers and men whispered in low, resolute voices.

"Good. Check your bows and arrows. Prepare to attack," Zhu Ying commanded.

"Commander," Wei Quan asked, puzzled, "are we not waiting for Li Tao to strike first and draw out the Tatars? Why are we going first?" The other commanders also looked on with curiosity.

"If you were a Tatar, knowing our main force was in the south, would you voluntarily leave your encampment to meet us?" Zhu Ying asked with a faint smile.

This question made Wei Quan and the others realize the truth instantly. "If we attack, the foreigners will see it as a mere raid. But once Li Tao attacks from the south, they will surely believe it is our main force and will concentrate all their troops to defend that side. That is our opportunity."

The commanders understood at once.

"Pass the order," Zhu Ying said in a low, stern voice. "This is a raid to breach the camp; there is no turning back. No soldier is to fall behind. Once inside, set fires and kill everyone—man or woman, show no mercy."

"Understood." The commanders relayed the orders to their subordinates, down to every single soldier.

"Tatars. Northern Yuan. This is the first battle," Zhu Ying murmured, gazing at the enemy camp and glancing at the moon above. "Move out."

He gave the order in a low voice and nudged his horse forward, slowly approaching the alien camp. Liu Lei and fifty guards followed closely behind. The battalion commanders and their subordinates dispersed, following Zhu Ying toward the northern perimeter.

Under the faint moonlight, the four thousand cavalrymen crept forward. Unlike the southern side, where the Tatars remained vigilant with night patrols, the northern side was far more lax. Dozens of watchtowers stood along the perimeter fence, but many of the guards were already asleep; only a few at the main gate stood watch with listless expressions.

"Er Lin, are you asleep?"

"The Ming army is not far from our camp. How could I dare to sleep?"

"Don't worry. Even if the Ming army attacks, they will target the southern camp. How could they possibly come to our northern side? General Agunu has moved most of the forces to defend the south. We are perfectly safe here."

"But what if they manage to circle around..."

The two sentries in neighboring watchtowers chatted idly. Suddenly, one of them squinted into the distance. "Huh? Do you see something out there?" He rubbed his eyes.

"Are you seeing ghosts? There's nothing there," another scoffed. The guards laughed, looking into the darkness. It was indeed difficult to see anything under the night sky.

But then, a low command rang out at the main gate: "Charge!"

Immediately following, the sound of bowstrings snapping filled the air. Several arrows whistled through the darkness, striking the watchtowers with precision. The sentries, still laughing, had no time to react before the arrows pierced their throats, killing them instantly.