"Beep ......"

In late April, when the shrill wooden whistle echoed in the Uliangha grassland, a team of nearly 100,000 troops and more than 100,000 people was marching north.

Due to the fact that a large number of horses were obtained from the two northern patrols last year and the year before last, the current Ming army almost carried out this northern tour with a horse-drawn carriage and one civilian man for each small banner.

Such a rich battle, except for the blue jade back then, there are really few people who can experience it.

Of course, the army of more than 200,000 people was very large and easy to detect, so after they marched out of Quanningwei, the Uliangha people on the steppe began to retreat north.

After two heavy blows, there was no longer a voice of 'daring to fight' within Uliangha.

The number of males was halved, and the cattle and sheep were sharply reduced, so many of them did not dare to approach the upper reaches of the Liao River, so they could only graze from afar.

Therefore, the Northern Patrol army went all the way north and did not find the Uliangha.

From April 19 to April 25, the troops have been on the road steadily for seven consecutive days, traveling more than 400 miles north.

This kind of combat method made Zhu Di feel bored, in addition to formulating the marching route, other side matters were handed over to Guo Ying and Yang Wen and others.

Zhu Gaoxu, who had sent troops from Zhaozhou on April 15 and did not encounter a single Uliangha for ten days.

Because he took the waterway, he was much faster than Zhu Di, so when Zhu Di had just arrived at Checher Mountain, Zhu Gaoxu had already arrived at the original meeting place.

He did not stop here, but after leaving a hundred soldiers and horses to camp, he took the remaining two thousand nine hundred men and went straight to the city of Uliangha.

"Sure enough, this Haragu was scared, and this year he ran away without even planting food."

Outside the city of Wuliangha, Zhu Gaoxu dismounted and squatted in the field, looking at the fields around the uncultivated city of Wuliangha, he got up and patted the soil on his hands.

Wang Yi was dressed in armor and accompanied him, and Gan Yue, who was given the name by Zhu Gaoxu, stood aside with several other officials of thousands of households and hundreds of households.

Seeing Zhu Gaoxu get up, Gan Yue also stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, I'm afraid that the Kharagu have already given up this Urliang Ha Bald City, and they should be reclaimed in the Urliang Ha Bald City." ”

For more than half a year, Gan Yue learned official dialect in Weixue in Zhaozhou City, although he spoke not fluently and had an accent, but at least he could understand it.

Wang Yi also asked, "Your Highness, are we going to chase after you?" ”

"Not necessarily." Zhu Gaoxu vetoed, and at the same time glanced at the city of Uliangha: "Leave 2,000 people to build fortifications at the four gates of the city of Wuliangha, and the rest of the brothers enter the city to clean the city, my father should take more than ten days to reach the city of Wuliangha." ”

"Then we ...... next," Wang Yi asked, and Zhu Gaoxu glanced around.

Looking at the green Uliangha grassland, he said indifferently: "Just rest." ”

"Yes......" Hearing the meaning that His Royal Highness didn't want to pursue, Wang Yi didn't continue to ask, but just completed everything according to Zhu Gaoxu's instructions.

In the next few days, Wang Yi led 3,000 cavalry to scatter around according to Zhu Gaoxu's instructions, guarding against Harawu moving south, waiting for Zhu Di's army to arrive at Wuliang Habald City.

It's just that the only thing that worries Wang Yi is that Zhu Gaoxu has not come forward to manage any military affairs these days, and only occasionally shows up during meals.

Perhaps because he was worried, he also asked Zhu Gaochu if he was uncomfortable, but Zhu Gaochu just shook his head and didn't answer much.

Seeing this, Wang Yi could only ask Zhu Gaoxu to summon him for something, and turned around and left worriedly.

Standing at the door of the wooden house, Zhu Gaoxu looked at Wang Yi who was leaving, and just sighed lightly, but couldn't say anything.

He was waiting, waiting for Zhu Di to go north and arrive in the city of Wuliangha.

If he remembered correctly, his grandfather would have fallen ill in early May, and this time it would be the worst of his life.

After that, his grandfather would urgently summon his father to go south for 800 miles, but his father received the news of his grandfather's death when he arrived in Huai'an.

However, this historical material is difficult to prove to be true due to the deletion and modification of Zhu Dijing's difficulty.

Judging from Zhu Gaoxu's own understanding of Lao Zhu, even if Lao Zhu really summoned Zhu Di to the south, I am afraid that it was only to support Gu, not the succession that some people in later generations thought.

"How nice it would be if you were to pass on the throne......"

Standing at the door of the wooden house, Zhu Gaoxu glanced up at the dazzling sunlight, stood for a long time and then got up and walked back to the wooden house.

Time passed little by little, and in Zhu Gaoxu's apprehension, he soon entered May.

At this time, Zhu Di's army was still more than 200 miles away from Wuliang Ha Bald City, and as Zhu Gaoxu expected, Zhu Yuanzhang in the south was not in a good situation.

When the time enters May, it stands to reason that in the middle of summer, the disease should be reduced.

But on the fourth day of the fifth month, Zhu Yuanzhang fell ill......

"Hmm-"

In the Qianqing Palace of the Forbidden City of Yingtianfu, when the sound of whimpering and chirping sounded in the hall, a strong smell of soup and medicine almost filled the entire Qianqing Palace.

Kneeling in front of the stepping bed, Zhu Yunwen and Zhu Gaochi were dealing with the music in front of Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes, but Zhu Yunxi was sitting on a low stool in front of the stepping bed, serving him to take the decoction.

Although he was lying on the bed, his body was sore and numb, but he could still get up and move on the ground from time to time with Zhu Yunxi's support.

"Grandpa, be careful......"

Seeing Zhu Yuanzhang's trembling and majestic appearance, Zhu Yunwen got up with a complicated face and reminded him, and Zhu Gaochi also heard the sound and looked over.

It's just that in the face of their words, Zhu Yuanzhang at this time did not have the majesty of his usual days, but instead said that he was talking and laughing: "People say that saints are also sad about seventy-three and eighty-four, but I am only seventy-one now, and there are at least two years to go, so you are very worried." ”

He has the appearance of talking and laughing, so that people can't see that he is sick at all.

With Zhu Yunxi's support, he sat in Zhu Yunxi's position, looked at the government affairs handled by Zhu Yunxi, nodded and smiled from time to time, and was very satisfied.

In the past, he didn't like many of Zhu Yunwen's policies, but since the appearance of Zhu Gaoxu, Zhu Yunwen has also begun to change.

He began to learn Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Yuanzhang's governance ideas, so he could naturally please Zhu Yuanzhang.

However, only he knows that these policies in power are not the policies he really wants to implement.

These policies are just pretending to be for their grandfather.

His complexity also stems from the fact that the policies he thinks about are not supported by Zhu Yuanzhang.

In his opinion, he is not being himself now, but imitating Zhu Gaoxu and doing what his grandfather likes.

Such a day of daily disguise made him very tired......

"Well... Good... Good...... Well done. Zhu Yuanzhang looked at the piece with a smile, and looked up at Zhu Yunwen in front of him.

Perhaps at this time, he already knew that it would be difficult for him to survive this year, so he asked Zhu Yunwen again: "Do you still remember Gao Xu's theory of cutting the feudal domain?" ”

"Remember ......" heard his grandfather mention Zhu Gaoxu's "Theory of Cutting the Domain", Zhu Yunwen was dissatisfied in his heart, but he was still disguised on the surface.

"Just remember...... Just remember it......"

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded slowly, and at the same time looked at Zhu Gaochi on the side: "Gao Chi, what do you think of Gao Xu's theory of cutting the domain?" ”

This is the first time in many years that Zhu Yuanzhang has asked the sons of vassal kings other than Zhu Gaoxu about their views on the "Theory of Cutting Domains".

The reason why he chose Zhu Gaochi was that he felt that Zhu Gaochi might be one of the few talents among his sons except Zhu Yunwen, Zhu Gaochu, and Zhu Youlian.

"Sun Er thinks that if Gao Xu's "Theory of Cutting Domains" is to be implemented, then no one in the world will disagree."

Zhu Gaochi said his thoughts, and this was also the idea of most vassal kings except for the Qin and Jin Dynasty Domains.

After all, according to Zhu Gaoxu's "Theory of Cutting Domains", this policy will not affect the lives of the current vassal kings at all, and they still have soldiers, horses, and money.

As for the fact that after their deaths, the guards and Zhuang Tian will be divided equally among the sons, and they are not very worried.

The vassal king in the Hongwu period was originally a large guard commander, as long as they were given glory and wealth and some power, no one would think of rebellion.

After the appearance of Zhu Gaoxu's "On Cutting the Domain", except for Zhu Li and Zhu Zhang, almost no one was uncomfortable, which actually represented the attitude of the vassal kings.

Everyone knows that they want to cut the feudal domain, but now that Zhu Gaoxu's "Theory of Cutting the Domain" is on the bright side, it can protect the life and status of the vassal kings, so there is no need to oppose it.

It is precisely because of this that Zhu Yuanzhang asked Zhu Yunwen to remember Zhu Gaoxu's "Theory of Cutting Domains", because this road is the best to take and the least likely to cause turmoil.

"Yun Wei, do you hear me?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's voice sounded again, and his eyes went straight to Zhu Yunwen.

Obviously, he asked Zhu Gaochi just now in order to let Zhu Yunwen know the attitude of the vassal kings.

"Grandson, I heard you clearly."

Zhu Yunwen bowed his head, Zhu Yuanzhang saw this and motioned him to step forward, and when he approached, Zhu Yuanzhang continued to explain: "If you succeed to the throne, treat your uncles and brothers well." ”

After Zhu Yunwen listened, he opened his mouth to ask something, but in the end he didn't say it, so he could only respond: "Grandson knows." ”

"Well... Good... Good ......"

Zhu Yuanzhang said three good words in a row, and then with Zhu Yunxi's support, he lay back on his stepping bed.

Looking at Zhu Yuanzhang who was lying down, Zhu Yunwen couldn't tell what mood he was in.

In order to sort out his mood, he devoted his body and mind to that part of the music.

However, when he was dealing with the music, Zhu Gaochi, the Yan Shizi who had been in the Wuying Hall for three years, was also in a solemn mood.

Of course, he was not uncomfortable because he was worried about Zhu Yunwen's cutting of the domain, but because of Zhu Yuanzhang.

In the years he spent with Zhu Yuanzhang, he could feel his grandfather's love for him, although perhaps in his eyes, he was not as good as Gao Xu, but he still gave himself the position of Yan Shizi.

In order to avoid the brothers' rivalry, he also let Gao Xu run away to take up the domain, preventing the expansion of the infighting in Yanfu.

Thinking of his white hair, Zhu Gaochi couldn't help but have a sour nose.

In addition to being uncomfortable, he even thought of Zhu Gaoxu in his heart: "I don't know what the second child and his father will do when they know the news......"

"Your Highness is blessed and healthy!!"

When Zhu Gaochi thought of Zhu Gaochu, Zhu Gaochu also waited for Zhu Di's more than 200,000 horses almost on the same day.

He led hundreds of cavalry out of the city for ten miles, and met Zhu Di and Zhu Quan after a word, and met acquaintances such as Guo Ying, Liu Zhen, and Ping'an.

"Boy, meet my father, my seventeenth uncle, and my grandfather-in-law......"

Turning over and dismounting, Zhu Gaoxu, who was wearing a mandarin duck battle jacket, waved at everyone.

He didn't know Zhu Zhi, so he didn't call him rashly.

"Good boy! It's a lot taller! ”

Zhu Quan and Zhu Gaoxu fought side by side and admired him very much, so he was the first to turn over and dismount and help him up, and at the same time, he couldn't help but sigh at his appearance.

Nineteen-year-old Zhu Gaoxu is close to the full maturity of his body, and his height of almost two meters, as well as his bulging figure under his clothes, give people a sense of oppression.

Rao is a brave general like Ping'an, Yang Wen and Liu Zhen, who have experienced a hundred battles, and when they dismount and look at Zhu Gaoxu, they will instinctively feel that he is very dangerous.

Of course, his figure is not as exaggerated as the fitness people of later generations, otherwise with Guo Yan's small body, I am afraid that the wedding night will be a swan song.

"Did Khalawu run away?"

Zhu Di's mind was full of thinking about how to fight, although he was very happy that Zhu Gaoxu was born burly and tall, but he was more concerned about the whereabouts of Harawu.

"I should have run to Uliang Hashan, my father might as well set up camp here first, and send Tang cavalry to explore the direction of Hara'u's escape."

Zhu Gaoxu opened his mouth to suggest, but Zhu Di felt that something was wrong when he opened his mouth to suggest.

Through Zhu Gaoyu's previous troops, he realized early on that Zhu Gaoxu knew more about Guanwai and Modong than he did, so if Harawu really fled north, then Zhu Gaoxu didn't need to send Tang cavalry at all, and he completely guessed where Haragu escaped and hid.

At this moment, Yao Guangxiao's words sounded in his head.

"Your Majesty often mentions you, but you have been married to Yan'er for more than two years, why haven't you moved at all?"

Zhu Di was still thinking about Zhu Gaoxu's changes, but Guo Ying didn't think about it so much, although he and Zhu Gaochu also had to avoid getting close, but it was a business matter, and family affairs could still be talked about.

"This ......" Zhu Gaoxu chuckled, he couldn't say that he had only touched Guo Yan for a long time, so he could only say vaguely: "The kid is still busy, and he will find time to accompany the princess after this northern tour." ”

"That's not necessary, the eldest husband should focus on his work." Guo Ying said, and also turned his head to look at Zhu Di:

"Your Highness, are you going to camp now?"

"Set up camp and send out the Tang Cavalry to search for the traces of Haragu." Zhu Di spoke in a deep voice, and his attitude had changed slightly compared to before he met Zhu Gaoxu.

"The last general commands!" Guo Ying didn't notice it, so after responding to the military order, he began to camp with Yang Wen's army towards Wuliang Ha Bald City.

"The city has been cleaned, and at the same time there is a wooden house for the generals in the army to rest, father, please ......"

Seeing that Zhu Di did what he suggested, Zhu Gaoxu also turned sideways and motioned for Zhu Di to go to Wuliang Ha Bald City.

Zhu Di had too much curiosity in his heart, but he didn't think of Zhu Gaoxu very badly, he just felt that his second child might have something to say to him.

He returned to his horse and took half of the military attachés above the command of the whole army to rest in the city of Uliangha.

These military attaches all have their own personal escorts, and Zhu Gaoxu looked at it privately, estimating that there should be about a thousand people.

"Can control ......"

After knowing the number of personal guards carried by this group of military attachés, Zhu Gaoxu's mind calmed down a little.

After a short time, they came to the south gate of the city of Uliangha.

I saw that the gate of the city of Wuliang Ha, which was built with gravel and rammed earth, was built by the Bohai Navy with multiple fortifications such as moats and sheep's horn walls.

Inside and outside the city, more than 2,000 recalled Bohai Navy were on duty.

When entering the city and passing by the city gate, the generals of the Northern Patrol could clearly feel the difference between the soldiers of the Bohai Navy and their own soldiers.

They weren't very tall, but they were stocky and burly, stronger than many of the military attachés' personal guards.

Such soldiers attracted the eyes of many military attachés, and Zhu Di did not hesitate to praise: "You have selected these soldiers well, and you are elite in training." ”

"Gao Xu, how many soldiers and horses did you bring this time?" Zhu Quan also opened his mouth to ask, and the generals pricked up their ears one after another.

In their opinion, Zhu Gaoxu, who was unrestrained outside the pass, should have brought enough soldiers and horses, to say the least, six or seven thousand.

It's just that to their expectations, in the face of Zhu Quan's inquiry, Zhu Gaoxu responded with a chuckle: "Three thousand"

"Three thousand?" Not only Zhu Quan, almost everyone was stunned, including Zhu Di.

They looked at Zhu Gaochu in disbelief, and seemed to feel that Zhu Gaoxu's move was not like participating in this northern patrol, but like burning the wasteland.

In the face of their gaze, Zhu Gaoxu did not explain, because he knew that this northern tour would not have the opportunity to continue to go north and make contributions.

But he couldn't tell the crowd about it.

Under those eyes, he took the thousand people into the city of Wuliang Habald, and asked Wang Yi to take the military attaches to rest.

As for himself, under the leadership of Zhu Di, he went to the big wooden house of the Wuliangha people with Zhu Quan and others.

Walking into the wooden house, Zhu Di walked up to a high position and sat down, while Zhu Gaoxu chose the third position on the right to sit down.

Then, Zhu Quan sat in the second place, and the first place was sat by a person who was about the same as Zhu Quan.

When he sat down, Zhu Gaoxu knew that this person was Zhu Zhi, so he called him, but Zhu Zhi just chuckled, and then turned back and waited for Zhu Di to speak.

The interaction between the uncle and nephew was just a small episode in the wooden house, during which Guo Ying and other military attachés who followed into the wooden house also found a place to sit down.

Among them, Guo Ying sat first on the left, followed by several unfamiliar faces of Zhu Gaoxu.

Liu Zhen and Ping'an sat in fifth and sixth place, obviously lower than the four people in front.

If nothing else, the second should be Yang Wen, the current chief military officer of the Beiping Metropolitan Division, followed by Bu Wan and Wu Gao.

When Zhu Gaoxu looked at them, several more people walked into the wooden house, namely Zhu Neng and Qiu Fu, who Zhu Gaoxu was familiar with, and Zhang Yu, who was not seen in the last Jilin Battle and existed in the memory of his predecessor.

When the three of them saw Zhu Gaoxu, they all nodded their heads and sat in the three positions behind him.

For a while, thirteen people, including Zhu Gaoxu, sat down in the hall, and these thirteen people were basically the vassal kings and generals who could participate in the meeting.

"My father's meaning is very clear, that is, it is best to drive the group of thieves of Wuliangha to Mobei this time, and then let the second child of my family reclaim in Modong, so as to protect Daning and Liaodong and turn troops into farmers."

Zhu Di's speech is still full of local flavor as always, although he has listened to it in memory and reality for many years, but every time he listens, Zhu Gaoxu feels quite amused.

"I have already sent Tang cavalry to search for the traces of Haragu and them, and once I find the traces, I will ask the army to go north and teach them how powerful our Han people are."

"Now that I have arrived at the Vulyang City of Wuliangha, I will use this city as a place to store grain and grass, the fifteenth brother and Wu Gao you will stay behind to guard the grain and grass, and the seventeenth brother and the second brother will each ring the cavalry of the headquarters to protect the people and transport the grain and grass to the army."

"This time, Marquis Wuding and Ping Bao'er led the whole army of 23,000 horse infantry as the vanguard, I and Zhu Neng, Zhang Yu, and Qiu Fu as the middle army, and Yang Wen, Liu Zhen, and Bu Wan as the rear army."

"Yes!" Listening to Zhu Di's arrangement, everyone had no objections.

Although Guo Ying is old, he searched for the Northern Yuan Dynasty with Wang Bi, and successfully searched, smashed the Yuan court, and created one of the two pioneers of the great victory of fishing.

Not to mention everyone, even Zhu Di himself did not dare to question Guo Ying.

The credit for engaging in logistics is low, and it is just right to let Zhu Gaoxu, Zhu Quan, and Zhu Zhi, who have no promotion, do it, while Wu Gao is because he has a bad relationship with the generals, even if he is placed in Wuliang Ha Bald City, it will be fine, anyway, as long as the war is over, the credit will be in place.

The Chinese army is all from Yanfu, which is convenient for Zhu Di to command himself.

The rear army is Yang Wen, who has just arrived in the north, and Liu Zhen and Bu Wan, who have made meritorious contributions for two consecutive years and are difficult to reward.

It can be said that Zhu Di's arrangements are very well handled, both in military affairs and in terms of human sophistication.

This hand alone is enough for Zhu Gaoxu to study hard.

"This old man, sure enough, his heart is not much less than mine."

Zhu Gaoxu listened to Zhu Di's self-proclaimed words, and only felt that he was very dark-bellied.

When he felt so, Zhu Di also continued to arrange the marching route and the arrangement of the three armies, but Zhu Gaoxu didn't listen to these things carefully, because he knew that this northern expedition would end here.

Therefore, when everything was said and done, as everyone left, Zhu Gaoxu sat in his place all the time, and had no intention of leaving.

Zhu Di also saw Zhu Gaoxu's actions, so after everyone left, he stepped down from the main seat and sat next to Zhu Gaoxu.

"Second brother, do you have something to talk to me?"

Zhu Di's dark face smiled, and two rows of big white teeth were suddenly revealed, looking harmless to humans and animals.

With this acting skill, it's no wonder that the predecessor will be trapped by him one by one, after all, who would doubt such a 'honest' father.

However, the predecessor is the predecessor, and the self is itself.

In this life, he will not eat this bearded cake again, so he asked Zhu Di frankly: "Before my father went north, did you receive any news from the capital?" ”

"Message?" Zhu Di was stunned, thinking of the letter his father wrote to him, so he smiled and said: "Your grandfather wrote a letter to me, telling me to watch the brothers and nephews carefully and guard against the Hu soldiers in the north." ”

"Didn't Father think much about it?" Zhu Gaoxu turned around and met Zhu Di's eyes.

"What do you think?" Zhu Di really didn't think much about it, after all, he had always arranged the things arranged by his father step by step.

Facing Zhu Di's expression that he didn't know whether it was true or not, Zhu Gaoxu's face gradually darkened, and he said solemnly: "But my son got the news......

"Grandpa, I'm afraid I'm dying......"

"Ming Taizu Record": "In leap May, there is no hesitation, summoning Jianshu people and waiters Huang Fu and Shangshu Yu Xin, saying that the world is not at peace, and the king of Yan should be like the Zhou Duke of Zhou, and he should not be scorned. Bohai wisdom to overcome the survey, peace and order the people, make good use of it"

"Bohai Chronicle": "On the fifth day of the leap month, Shanghe and Taizong will hunt Wuliang Ha Bald City, enter the palace to talk, and Taizong will come out displeased. ”

"Ming Shizong Record": "In leap May, the north patrol side broke the Wuliang Ha Bald City, Taizong led the troops to arrive, entered the city and was happy, and Qi Guogong, Chengguo Gongyan, the son of the world is weak, not like the two sons of me, if the son of the world is unbearable, you should be the second son of the main. ”

(End of chapter)