Chapter 637: Chaos in the Dead of Night

The Yanzhao County Yamen inn.
Although the troops accompanying the emperor on the border patrol were all elite, marching through the night was no easy task. Thus, as soon as the emperor spoke, Yang Rong and Jin Youzi were both shocked. Even Yang Rong, who was usually most skilled at finding the right moment to offer advice, immediately remembered that there were others present besides him, including the Marquis of Anyuan, Liu Sheng, and several other nobles. He forced down the words that were on his lips and subtly gave Jin Youzi a glance.

Jin Youzi, having worked with Yang Rong for many years, quickly understood the situation and remained silent. Sure enough, upon hearing that the emperor intended to lead the army personally, the nobles were greatly surprised. However, Chen Mao, the Marquis of Ningyang, who was highly trusted by Zhu Di, hesitated briefly before speaking, only to be silenced by an angry rebuke.

“What is Danning? It’s right next to the Doyan Three Guards. They clearly know that I’ve sent troops there and that the Ministry of Works is rebuilding the cities. Who else would dare to launch an attack at this moment? It must be the Wulangha trying to make a comeback. But how many soldiers do they still have? Chase them at night and attack them from both flanks by the Duke of Yingguo to completely crush them!”

Liu Sheng, who had long been in charge of the imperial troops, saw that everyone else had lost their composure and reluctantly said, “Your Majesty is absolutely right. But if we march at night, the carriages likely won’t be able to move, and if anyone falls behind, the consequences could be disastrous. It’s already the first hour of the night—perhaps we should wait another two hours. If we set out at the first hour of the morning, we can ensure safety on the journey. If everything goes well…”

“Foolish! Setting out at dawn—what kind of surprise attack is that? These people dare to attack even knowing I’m inspecting the borders, assuming I won’t be able to arrive in time with reinforcements. They think the troops in Danning, despite their hard work building fortifications, can’t match these swift cavalry. Usually, they can escape quickly, but this time I won’t let them get away! No need for further discussion. Chen Mao, lead the scouts and vanguard immediately. Liu Sheng, lead five thousand cavalry and set out with me half an hour later. Xue Lu, prepare the infantry and supplies!”

Seeing that the emperor had made up his mind, no one dared to speak. The nobles, starting with Liu Sheng, quickly withdrew to prepare their troops. At this point, Yang Rong and Jin Youzi realized they could no longer persuade the emperor and planned to pack up their things and join the army. But just as they were leaving, Zhu Di spoke words that left no room for debate.

“During the eighth year of the Yongle era during the northern expedition, Jin Youzi fell off his horse and nearly lost his life. It was only thanks to Mianren’s assistance that he survived. On this night ride, you are all civil officials; proceed slowly at the back of the army. There’s no need for you to follow me!”
During the first northern expedition, Jin Youzi and several civil officials got lost in a valley. At night, he accidentally fell off his horse. Hu Guang and Jin Chun abandoned him, but Yang Rong dismounted to save him. When Jin Youzi fell off his horse again, the two of them rode on together and didn’t arrive at the camp until dawn. Because of this, although they often argued over political matters and Yang Rong secretly envied Jin Youzi’s greater trust with the emperor, their personal relationship was very good. Hearing that Zhu Di still remembered this incident from over a decade ago, Jin Youzi’s throat tightened with emotion.
“Your Majesty, as your attendant, how can I neglect my duties because of past events? Since then, I have practiced horsemanship diligently and am sure I can keep up with this night march. I will not repeat the same mistake.”
“Even if your horsemanship has improved, you’re not as young as you were back then!” Zhu Di stubbornly waved his hand and then said to Yang Rong, “Mianren took care of him back then. This time, I’ll still entrust Youzi to you. Remember, move slowly with the rear army and do not fall behind!”
Knowing that it was useless to argue with the emperor once he became stubborn, and despite his own urgency, Yang Rong quickly thought of a solution. He stepped forward and agreed, ignoring Jin Youzi’s anxious expression. He bowed again and said, “Your Majesty’s kindness is greatly appreciated by me and Youzi. We will obey your orders. Please allow Zhang Yue to join us on this trip. He comes from a military family, is skilled in martial arts enough to protect himself, and is also insightful. He can provide valuable advice if anything happens.”
Zhu Di had always trusted Yang Rong and Jin Youzi. Though he had been shaken by recalling the old incident, he initially refused to let them accompany him. But hearing Yang Rong’s suggestion, he nodded almost without thinking and said, “Very well. He’s young, so let him join the main army. Send someone to tell him to prepare quickly and set off with me!”

Since the Zunhua county yamen was not very large, Zhu Di stayed in the magistrate’s official residence. It took Yang Rong some effort to drag Jin Youzi out. Once they stepped down the stairs and walked a short distance along the path, he didn’t give Jin Youzi a chance to speak and said directly, “The emperor’s decision to conduct a northern inspection this time is firm and unambiguous. It remains the same now—what good would it do if you followed? Brother Youzi, don’t tell me you’re now an expert rider. You’re already in your sixties. Everyone’s attention is on the emperor. What if you fall behind? Beyond Songting Pass, the official roads are in poor condition year-round. Even if we follow, there’s little we can do!”
“But the emperor fell seriously ill before leaving the capital!” Jin Youzi almost blurted out that the emperor wasn’t young either. Fortunately, he was cautious enough to change his words right away. “We’ll have to chase overnight, and there might even be a major battle. What if something goes wrong?”
“There won’t be any ‘what ifs’!”
With those four blunt words, Yang Rong led the way out of the Moon Gate at the end of the path. Only after Jin Youzi followed did he lower his voice and say, “Among these 30,000 people, there are barely over 5,000 cavalrymen, and the Divine Strategy Camp has around 3,000 as well. The rest are in the rear guard. Xue Lu is loyal and comes from a military background; he doesn’t have many cunning schemes and can be persuaded at critical moments, unlike shrewds men like Marquis Anyuan Liu Sheng and Marquis Nianyang Chen Mao. Alright, go inform Zhang Yue quickly!”
Although Jin Youzi still felt reluctant, hearing Yang Rong’s words, he could only sigh inwardly. The two hurried through the main halls, bypassed the fences and warning stone pavilions in front of them, and then reached the row of officials’ quarters behind the screen wall. Entering the courtyard where Zhang Yue and Hai Shou lived, they saw that torches made of pine branches had already been lit, creating a chaotic scene. Hai Shou, with his deep voice, was shouting loudly. Noticing that no one was paying attention to them, Jin Youzi suddenly pulled Yang Rong aside.
“Zhang Yue is on good terms with the Crown Prince. He’s reliable in case of any changes. If not for that previous incident, those noble generals commanding troops would surely regard him as one of their own. This time, no matter what happens while following the emperor, it wouldn’t be a problem… But now…”

Speaking of this matter, Yang Rong’s face turned slightly red. Though he wasn’t the one who started it, he had remained passive, thinking at the time that he was acting in Zhang Yue’s best interests—civilians should stay as civilians; mixing civilians with military officers was never good for the country. But now, he wished those rumors had never existed. With a long sigh, he ignored these thoughts and quickly bypassed Hai Shou, who was stamping his feet, to reach the door of Zhang Yue’s room and knock loudly.

Ever since the news came, Zhang Yue had been urgently packing his things. Fortunately, he didn’t have much luggage—just a few sets of clothes, various ointments and pills, and a few books, all of which fit into a special travel bag. By the time he heard the knocking, he and Niu Gan, along with two others, had already packed everything and were changing into new clothes, putting on a pair of deerskin boots. When Niu Gan opened the door and saw who was outside, he was shocked.

“Academician Yang, Academician Jin?”

“Zhang Yue, to make a long story short, the emperor has decided to lead an army personally to attack Danning. Jin Youzi and I will stay behind. This time, I need you to follow the emperor closely.” Without waiting for Zhang Yue to speak, Yang Rong waved his hand and continued, “It’s me who recommended you to go. Minister Guo Zi fell ill in Xuanfu and was sent back to the capital long ago. Minister Li Qing is in charge of rebuilding the bridges destroyed by the flood, as ordered by the emperor. Now, only you can accompany him. You’re young and strong—make sure you stay close to him!”

Zhang Yue was surprised that Yang Rong and Jin Youzi, who usually stayed by Zhu Di’s side, would not be joining this expedition. But now wasn’t the time to be stunned. After a brief pause, he nodded firmly, “I understand. Academician Yang, Academician Jin, rest assured. I will definitely stay by the emperor’s side.”

Seeing Zhang Yue fasten his sword and attach a dagger to a special compartment on the outside of his boots, looking neat and spirited, Yang Rong and Jin Youzi exchanged a glance, realizing there was nothing more to say. They nodded at Zhang Yue in turn and left the room one after another. At that moment, Zhang Bu, for some reason, grabbed a long iron spear from the corner and stepped forward.

Niu Gan and the other three had no relatives or friends, and they were all simple-minded with straightforward thoughts. Thus, they would send Zhang Yue to the yamen every day before returning to train with Peng Shisan, improving their martial skills rapidly. Among them, Zhang Bu had the greatest talent. In the past, he had served a skilled spearman among the Mongols, and during his escape across the grasslands, he had relied on a wooden spear to hunt and kill. Now, he spent most of his time practicing with it. Since Peng Shisan himself was not good with spears, he often took Zhang Bu to various officers for training, and Zhang Bu made rapid progress, becoming the most skilled in martial arts among the four. Seeing Yang Rong leave, he stepped forward and asked, “Young master, why do they speak in such a strange way?”
“Those who lack long-term plans will surely face immediate troubles.”
After shaking his head and saying that, Zhang Yue said nothing more. Outside the house, seeing Hai Shou still directing the eunuchs to pack their things, he went over and said that he would be leaving with the emperor immediately and couldn’t carry luggage, so he asked Hai Shou to find two reliable eunuchs to take care of it. Hai Shou agreed without hesitation to such a simple request.
“Don’t worry about the luggage, Lord Zhang. But it’s so dark… Fortunately, I’ve already ordered the imperial stables’ troops to get ready quickly… Sigh, not to mention you, even the finest cavalry are under our imperial stables, so of course I have to go as well. Our riding skills are beyond doubt, but marching at night is different from during the day—you need to be careful. If a battle breaks out, anything can happen in the chaos. Although it’s not my first time accompanying on a northern expedition, this situation is new to me. You bear great responsibility by staying by the emperor’s side!”
Great responsibility… Following such an stubborn emperor as Zhu Di, it was indeed a burden he couldn’t bear!
Zhang Yue nodded and then rushed with Niu Gan and the other three to the county yamen’s guest house. Upon arrival, he saw Zhu Di at the gate, surrounded by dozens of guards, dressed in a bright yellow robe and shiny armor. At over sixty, the old man stood upright, his face clearly visible under the torchlight, with every wrinkle in sharp focus, and his piercing eyes glowing with fanaticism.

Countless torches lit up the pitch-black night, and heavy footsteps echoed on the silent roads, occasionally interrupted by the neighing of warhorses. At midnight, the army passed Xifengkou. Zhu Di didn’t even stop the troops; he simply rode aside to exchange a few words with the commander guarding Xifengkou, then returned to the main camp immediately. Continuing their journey, they passed Songting Pass, and by midday, the army arrived at a vast plain west of Danning. When scouts reported the presence of a large Wulangha army ahead, Zhu Di showed extreme excitement and ordered his troops to form up.

After a night of rapid marching—despite the army mostly consisting of light cavalry and having carried only half a month’s worth of supplies, with little extra food—tiredness set in. As the troops formed up, officers stepped forward to direct and urge them on. In no time, the formation was complete. Zhu Di, who personally led the cavalry on the left wing, listened to the scouts reporting on the situation ahead, his hands gripping the reins even tighter.

“Tell me, are it the Wulangha or the Tatar Arutai?”
Behind Zhu Di were several young nobles and their descendants, including Li Xian, the Marquis of Fengcheng who had just inherited his title at the beginning of the year, Zheng Neng, the eldest son of Zheng Heng, the Marquis of Wu’an, and Liu Pu, the eldest son of Liu Sheng, the Marquis of Anyuan. Li Xian spoke up first, “News of Your Majesty’s northern expedition has spread far and wide. I believe it must be some unaware tribe that has rashly invaded. Upon seeing our troops, they will surely scatter and flee.”

This view was quickly agreed upon by everyone. After all, during the last northern campaign, Arutai had fled faster than a rabbit, and no one believed he would have the courage to stage any trouble against the newly defeated Wulangha. Yet Zhu Di remained unmoved. After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked without turning, “Zhang Yue, what do you think?”

After a night of riding, Zhang Yue was still adjusting to the activity, as this was his first time charging into battle on horseback. Hearing the emperor’s question, he quickly thought through it, untangled his clasped hands, and stepped forward to answer, “The Wulangha have long coveted Danning. It’s only because of the court’s strict defenses that they haven’t been able to take control of it. Now that Your Majesty is rebuilding the old city of Danning, even though they’ve been defeated, they might still hope for a chance, especially with the threat of execution hanging over them. Moreover, Arutai has always been close to the Wulangha; they might take this opportunity to launch a surprise attack.”

“It’s not some guess or possibility—it might well be true!” Zhu Di took a deep breath and said fiercely, “Anyway, first defeat those reckless fools!”