The Ming army moved forward all the way, and everywhere they went was full of scenery. No enemy troops, no swords and guns were seen.
In fact, such a large battle cannot be hidden at all, but none of the tribes on the grassland dared to show up.
The place where the Ming army appeared was peaceful.
Many tribes even chose to temporarily stay away from the Ming army's march route.
This is called deterrence!
When the Ming army stopped on the grassland, no one dared to say anything. The more powerful the tribes were, the more frightened they became. They all fled for fear of being beaten severely by the Ming Dynasty.
The journey was smooth and we arrived near Oarabe in mid-May.
After Tuo Huan learned the news, he immediately began to prepare a sumptuous banquet with an unprecedented high standard to prepare for welcoming the Ming Emperor.
Zhu Di's expedition was destined to have no results, but it had strong strategic significance.
——Let all the tribes understand the truth. Now is not the past. Even if you do not invade the Ming Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty may still beat you!
Strong military power is the number one weapon in diplomacy.
If the Ming army came to the grassland, it would scare the tribes in the grassland for at least two years.
…
"It's so lonely!" In the dragon chariot, Zhu Di felt a little regretful, "This may be my last Northern Expedition, and in the end there is no one who can fight."
You know Versailles... Li Qing couldn't help but curse, "There is a saying in the art of war: subduing the enemy's troops without fighting is the best strategy."
"That's true." Zhu Di hummed, "They know each other."
Li Qing didn't care about his stinky fart and asked worriedly: "Your Majesty, are you... feeling uncomfortable?"
"It's comfortable, it's very comfortable." Zhu Di said proudly, "I'm hungry, so I'll let someone roast a leg of lamb and get me a pot of wine."
"Hey, okay." Li Qing opened the curtain, "Come here, roast a leg of lamb and get a pot of wine."
~
Two quarters of an hour later, the food and wine arrived.
Looking at the yellow mutton leg, Zhu Di said softly: "Do you still remember when we went to recruit Nai'er Buhua?"
"Remember." Li Qing nodded.
"The past events are vivid in my mind, as if they were the next day." Zhu Di's face was full of longing, "At that time, I was only in my twenties, and this leg of lamb was not enough for me to eat.
At that time, I had endless energy all over my body;
At that time, I can shoot the five-stone bow;
At that time, I guarded the border and fought against the Yuan Dynasty, galloping on the battlefield without getting tired;
At that time...
It's too fast, time passes too fast." Zhu Di murmured, "In a blink of an eye, I am already over sixty, and I can no longer wear heavy armor or use a big sword."
Li Qing was silent, even the meat and wine no longer tasted good.
"Li Qing."
"Um?"
"Tell me, what kind of person am I?"
"A good emperor." Li Qing said seriously, "A rare good emperor."
"Good emperor..." Zhu Di smiled, "Don't worry, I only became the emperor after usurping the throne."
"That is also a good emperor." Li Qing said.
A satisfied smile appeared on Zhu Di's old face: "Heroes see the same thing, and I also think I am a good emperor."
He said proudly: "Wen can bring peace to the world with his pen, and military can set the world on horseback; the ancestors of the Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty could only do this."
"There is no sage like the Emperor." Li Qing sighed in admiration.
It made Zhu Di laugh heartily.
After laughing, Zhu Di said again: "Li Qing, you said that if I go underground in the future, will Taizu blame me?"
Zhu Di asked this question many times, and Li Qing shook his head every time, and this time was no exception.
"really?"
"really."
Zhu Di smiled, moved his body, and lay down: "I'm not so hungry anymore, you can eat yours."
Soon, Zhu Di fell into a deep sleep. This time, his face was peaceful, and the word "Chuan" between his eyebrows also relaxed.
Li Qing lost his appetite, so he helped him to channel his energy, got off the dragon chariot and mounted the horse. The breeze blew, and the mixed feelings gradually faded away.
…
Zhu Di slept soundly and deeply from the afternoon until the early morning of the next day.
After waking up, he stopped riding the dragon chariot and put on a war horse.
noon.
Tuo Huan led his generals to greet Zhu Di with the utmost respect.
"The humble minister Choros Tuohuan comes to see His Majesty the Emperor."
"See His Majesty the Emperor." All the generals paid homage.
"Plain body."
Zhu Di turned over and dismounted, looking like a dragon and a tiger, and said, "Take pleasure, will the Tatars use troops against Oara again?"
"Thanks to the power of His Majesty the Emperor, the Tatar tribe has never used troops against Oara again." Tuo Huan looked respectful, feeling grateful to have embraced the Ming Dynasty. "The ministers have prepared a banquet to welcome His Majesty the Emperor."
Li Qing continued: "The water and grass here are rich and the scenery is pleasant. If not, let's have a banquet here. King Shunning can send the banquet over."
No matter for reasons of force or safety, the Emperor of Heaven cannot go to Wala Camp, so they can only come here.
Tuo Huan was stunned for a moment, then he realized what he was saying and quickly changed his words: "What Yong Qing Hou said is that your Majesty, please wait a moment, I will go and do it now."
After a pause, he asked tentatively: "Your Majesty, Boyan Timur, the son of a minor minister, didn't cause any trouble, did he?"
"Haha..." Zhu Di shook his head and glanced at Li Qing.
Li Qing smiled and said: "The prince has a kind and honest temperament and is very favored by the emperor. The emperor knows that you and your son have not seen each other for a long time, so this time we sent out troops to bring him here."
"Really?" Tuohuan said happily.
Li Qing nodded.
After a while, Chorus Boyantemur came.
After not seeing each other for more than half a year, the father and son were very happy to see each other again.
"Father, I lived a good life in the Ming Dynasty." Boyan Timur said softly.
Tuo Huan just nodded and didn't say much.
Li Qing chuckled and said: "Your Majesty and King Shunning haven't seen each other for many days. We might as well go back together and talk about our feelings. If you want to come to Ming Dynasty again in the future, you are welcome at any time."
"Thank you Yongqing...Thank you, His Majesty the Emperor." Boyan Timur saluted Zhu Di, and then raised his hand to Li Qing.
When Tuo Huan heard this, he felt relieved. He was also worried that Daming would keep his son and not let him come back.
~
In the evening, the banquet started.
Not all women on the grassland have rough skin and hunky backs; there are also many women who are slender and have fair and delicate skin, like Tianshan snow lotus.
The women who came to dance today to add to the fun are all of them. They all have enchanting figures, Kazilan’s big eyes, three-dimensional facial features, and exotic beauty. When they dance, they are really pleasing to the eye.
Zhu Di had a good sleep yesterday and was in good spirits. He frequently raised glasses at the banquet and laughed loudly.
Night falls and the bonfire is lit.
Women dancing and men wrestling are considered top entertainment in this era.
Walabu is now determined to follow the Ming Dynasty, and he showed off his younger brother's face during the dinner.
Zhu Di is in a happy mood and always smiles. Now that the grassland is peaceful, even if he dies tomorrow, he will have nothing to worry about.
After the banquet, Zhu Di returned to the commander's camp and showed signs of fatigue.
Li Qing helped him lie down and reached out to check his pulse, but was pushed away.
"Don't worry, I won't die for the time being." Zhu Di's interest did not diminish, and he took him to chat: "Li Qing, if I leave one day, you have to watch carefully. Gao Chi is a king who governs the country, but he is too weak.
His becoming emperor is a blessing for the people, but in the long run, it is not a good thing for the country."
"The prince will definitely be a benevolent king in the future." Li Qing sighed: "The Ming Dynasty also lacks a benevolent king."
"Yes! It's time to rest with the people." Zhu Di nodded, "For more than twelve years, I have not had a rest, and the people have also suffered. Everyone is very tired, and it's time to take a rest."
"Li Qing..."
"What's wrong."
"After you return this time, accompany me to Changling."
"Yeah, okay." Li Qing nodded.
"Oh...life is so short!"
…
Zhu Di was a bit talkative, so Li Qing stopped being a bitch and patiently chatted with him.
It wasn't until late in the night that Zhu Di couldn't bear it anymore and fell asleep.
After giving him another breath of energy, Li Qing came outside the account, lay down on the green grass, and stared at the stars in the sky in a daze.
Time is like a knife, urging people to grow old and cutting off the beauty of heaven.
The mighty and mighty Emperor Yongle was almost at the end of his life.
Except for these eternal stars, everything will eventually pass away.
"Oh...life is so long!"
~
The next day.
Tuohuan led his men to pay homage. After being received by Zhu Di, he made a slight upgrade to the tea-horse trade.
Although the strength of the Tatar tribe has been greatly reduced, it is still the largest tribe on the grassland. The Oara is still no opponent, and the Ming Dynasty still needs to support it.
And for the Ming Dynasty, the tea-horse trade itself was also a profitable business, and there was no loss in doing so.
The increase in trade made Tuohuan more devoted to the Ming Dynasty. In the evening, he came over with wine and meat and started a bonfire party.
Then play music, then dance...
The relationship between Wala and Daming is like a newlywed couple in the honeymoon period, flirting with each other.
Li Qing didn't know how long this relationship would last, but he knew that at least for a long time in the future, the Ming Dynasty would not have to worry about the grassland forces.