Chapter 32: Zhu Ying's Victory Report Shakes Feng Sheng!

Bu Wan took the military report and was just about to open it. However, realizing that Feng Sheng had arrived, and that as the commander-in-chief of this campaign against the Northern Yuan, all troops in Danning Prefecture were now under his command, Bu Wan dared not overstep his bounds. He immediately handed the report respectfully to Feng Sheng.

"Please, Duke, have a look," Bu Wan said.

Feng Sheng nodded, took the report, and opened it. Upon reading it, his expression changed instantly. By the time he finished, a look of genuine astonishment appeared in his eyes.

"Good, good, very good indeed," Feng Sheng exclaimed, suddenly laughing heartily, clearly shocked by the contents. "It seems I am old after all; I underestimated this Zhu Ying. I never expected him to be so capable. Creating a diversion, launching a night raid, and catching the Tatars completely off guard—remarkable."

Watching Feng Sheng’s excitement, the other generals turned to him, filled with curiosity and surprise.

"What has this Zhu Ying done to make the Duke so pleased?" asked Zhao Yong, Marquis of Nanxiong, with a smile.

For this campaign to pacify Naghachu, Zhu Yuanzhang had dispatched a massive force of over two hundred thousand men, led by an elite lineup of commanders. Feng Sheng, Duke of Song, served as the Grand General, with Fu Youde, Duke of Ying, and Lan Yu, Marquis of Yongchang, as his deputies. The four vanguard generals were Zhao Yong, Marquis of Nanxiong; Wang Bi, Marquis of Dingyuan; Hu Hai, Marquis of Chuan; and Chang Mao, Duke of Zheng. These were the most battle-hardened generals from Huaixi—arrogant perhaps, but their tactical prowess was unmatched, and they were the great heroes who had helped establish the Ming Dynasty and drive out the Yuan.

"Could it be that Zhu Ying succeeded in raiding a Tatar tribe?" Bu Wan wondered, feeling a flicker of surprise.

"I truly underestimated him," Feng Sheng said, smiling as he handed the report to his chief guard. The guard took it respectfully and began to read aloud:

"Subordinate Zhu Ying, reporting to the Commander-in-Chief. Currently, my five thousand troops are operating deep within enemy territory. Our scouts have confirmed that the Tatars are massing forces at the Blue Banner Tribe, and the Yuan court intends to send reinforcements. Five thousand men are a mere trifle to the Tatars and the Yuan; once entangled, total annihilation is inevitable. However, since the main Ming force has yet to arrive, if I only performed minor harassment, the Tatars would surely launch a massive invasion of our Danning, coordinating with the Yuan court to strike from both sides, which would ruin the Ming strategy for destroying the Yuan. Therefore, I must hold the Tatars back, at any cost."

"I investigated the Blue Banner Tribe and found they have over thirty thousand troops. Only a surprise attack could disrupt their deployment. Thus, I split my forces in two: I ordered the insubordinate Chiliarch Li Tao to harass the southern tribes, while I led four thousand men to circle around to the northern tribes to launch a preemptive strike..."

"In this battle, I led four thousand men into the northern Tatar tribe. The enemy was completely unprepared. Our surprise attack yielded great results; we killed over ten thousand enemies! Though we suffered some casualties, not a single man was left behind in the tribe. It is a resounding victory."

As the guard read the outcome, everyone in the hall stared in disbelief.

"Zhu Ying actually succeeded in a surprise attack? And he led four thousand men out of the tribe with only injuries and no deaths?" Bu Wan was stunned, but a wave of wild joy followed. *This lad Zhu Ying is truly formidable! This brings great honor to me,* he thought excitedly. Since Zhu Ying was under his command, this glorious achievement reflected well upon him too.

"Zhu Ying... this young man is truly extraordinary," the generals murmured, their initial skepticism giving way to admiration. "Not only did the Grand General underestimate him, but we all did. To raid a Tatar tribe with four thousand cavalry and return after killing ten thousand—even with a loss of a thousand men, it would be a major victory. Yet he managed to lead everyone out without a single death. If not for the fact that military reports must be verified by the accompanying Chiliarch, and that fabrication is a capital offense, I would never believe it."

"Indeed," another added. "Zhu Ying’s prowess lies not just in his own bravery, but in his command. Under his leadership, these four thousand cavalry displayed such combat effectiveness. While the enemy’s negligence played a part, it was primarily Zhu Ying’s ability."

"Marquis of Nanxiong, do you see why Zhu Ying split his forces?" Feng Sheng asked.

"Zhu Ying is brilliant," Zhao Yong replied with a smile. "The Tatars likely expected us to attack from the south, where they face our border. By circling to the north, he took a great risk of being surrounded, which is why they were less guarded there. By raiding the north first and having the Chiliarch’s battalion feign an attack on the south, the Tatars would ignore the northern reports, thinking the north was a diversion and the south was our main thrust. That is how he achieved such a victory."

"Exactly," Feng Sheng laughed, clearly satisfied. He then turned to Bu Wan: "Prefect Bu, your Danning Prefecture has truly produced a capable general."

"To be praised by the Duke, I am sure Zhu Ying would be very pleased," Bu Wan replied.

However, Feng Sheng’s expression darkened as a thought crossed his mind. "Judging by this report from Zhu Ying, that previous report from the Ansha County garrison was false—it was nothing more than an attempt to smear him."

Upon hearing this, Bu Wan’s expression shifted as well. Everything was now clear: Li Tao had disobeyed orders and was a coward.