Daming: Brother, there is no future for monks, let's rebel

Chapter 878: The two armies meet and conduct reconnaissance behind enemy lines

Zhu Han nodded with satisfaction: "Okay, General Zhao is extremely brave, this trip will definitely be successful. But remember, safety comes first, don't underestimate the enemy."

Afterwards, Zhu Han had an in-depth discussion with several generals on the specific tactical arrangements, and everyone's face was full of determination. As the night deepened, the discussion did not abate until the sky turned pale, and everyone dispersed to rest.

As the army moved deeper into the border, the scenery along the way gradually changed from prosperous plains to desolate mountains. The soldiers walked on the rugged mountain road, and every step seemed extremely difficult, but their eyes revealed their unyielding and firmness.

One afternoon, the team was passing through a dense forest. The sunlight could barely penetrate the dense treetops and shone on the ground in patches. Zhu Han rode a horse at the front of the team, looking back from time to time to observe the status of the soldiers to ensure that no one was left behind.

"Everyone hold on, there will be water ahead after we pass through this forest." Zhu Han's voice was clearly transmitted to the ears of every soldier through the noisy environment, giving them the strength to hold on.

At this time, a scout came hurriedly and reported nervously: "Sir, a small group of enemy troops were found ahead, ambushing at the exit, and they seem to intend to intercept our army."

Zhu Han frowned upon hearing this, but soon regained his composure. "Pass the order down, all troops stop advancing, hide and wait. At the same time, send two teams of elite troops to go around the rear of the enemy and form an encirclement."

The soldiers moved quickly and dispersed according to Zhu Han's instructions. Some used trees as cover, while others quietly moved to the rear of the enemy. Zhu Han personally led a team of soldiers and slowly approached the enemy's ambush circle from the front.

"Remember, our goal is to deal with them quietly. Try not to make too much noise so as not to alert the enemy troops farther away." Zhu Han whispered to the general beside him.

The general nodded in agreement, and then led his soldiers to advance cautiously. Soon, they encountered the enemy. But as Zhu Han expected, the enemy was completely unaware of their arrival, and only responded in panic when the first shout of killing was heard.

After a fierce battle, the enemy was finally completely defeated. Zhu Han stood on the battlefield, looking at the enemy corpses and the captured spoils, but he did not feel the slightest joy of victory.

"Clean up the battlefield and treat the wounded." Zhu Han gave the order in a deep voice, and the soldiers quickly took action. Some were responsible for cleaning up the battlefield, while others were busy treating their injured companions. Zhu Han personally walked to the wounded, asked about their injuries, and gave them encouragement and comfort.

"Brothers, thank you for your hard work." Zhu Han's voice was gentle but powerful, "But our mission is not yet complete. Keep moving forward."

As Zhu Han successfully defeated the enemy's small forces and stabilized the situation, his troops continued to advance until they met up with Zhu Biao's army. When the two troops met at the scheduled meeting point, there was an indescribable excitement and joy in the air.

Zhu Han led a team of elite soldiers and was the first to enter the camp of Zhu Biao's army. In the sunshine, Zhu Biao's flag fluttered in the wind, and the soldiers lined up neatly and energetically. Zhu Han turned over and dismounted, strode towards Zhu Biao, with a smile of victory on his face.

"Biao'er, we finally meet!" Zhu Han's voice was filled with excitement and relief. He quickly stepped forward and shook hands tightly with Zhu Biao.

Zhu Biao was also full of joy, with tears in his eyes: "Uncle, you are finally here! The situation on the border is complicated and changeable. I feel much more at ease with you here."

The two smiled at each other, without saying anything, the deep uncle-nephew friendship was self-evident. Seeing this, the surrounding soldiers also cast their eyes of admiration and envy.

"Uncle, you must have had hard work along the way." Zhu Biao asked with concern, his eyes sweeping over Zhu Han's slightly tired face.

Zhu Han waved his hand and said with a smile: "It doesn't matter. As long as we can contribute to the peace of the border, it's worth it no matter how hard or tiring it is. But you, Biao'er, have you been smooth along the way?"

Zhu Biao nodded slightly, but there was still a trace of worry between his brows: "Border warfare is indeed complicated and changeable, but fortunately, the soldiers fought hard and we overcame many difficulties along the way and finally stabilized the situation. However, the next battle will probably be even more difficult."

Zhu Han's expression became serious when he heard this: "Yes, border affairs are not accomplished in a day. But as long as we work together, there will be no difficulties that cannot be overcome. Tell me the details of the battle and we will discuss countermeasures together."

Zhu Biao then recounted his experiences along the way, including several battles with the enemy, the bravery of the soldiers, and the challenges they faced. Zhu Han listened very carefully, nodded in agreement from time to time, and offered his own opinions and suggestions.

"Uncle, you are absolutely right. We need wisdom and experience like yours to guide us." Zhu Biao said gratefully.

Zhu Han smiled slightly and patted Zhu Biao on the shoulder: "Biao'er, you flatter me. I am just doing my best to help you solve your problems. In the next battle, you and I will have to fight side by side and deal with it together."

Zhu Han stood on a high place, watching all this with deep eyes, feeling both relieved and worried.

"Uncle," Zhu Biao walked to Zhu Han and said softly, "It seems that the morale of the soldiers is very high. We are confident in dealing with the next battle."

Zhu Han nodded, but his brows were still furrowed. "Biao'er, victory is hard-won, we must not take it lightly. In the borderland, the situation changes rapidly, we must always remain vigilant."

Zhu Biao's expression became serious when he heard this. "Uncle, you are right. I will remind the soldiers to stay alert and not let down their guard at all."

At this time, a scout hurried over and knelt on one knee to report: "Your Highness, Prince Han, we found a suspicious group of people outside the stronghold, and they are approaching this side."

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao looked at each other, their hearts tightened. Zhu Han immediately ordered: "Pass the order, the whole army will be ready for battle, and send a small team to investigate, and make sure to find out the identity and intention of the enemy."

The scout took the order and left, returning with the results of his investigation a short while later. "Reporting to Your Highness and Prince Han, that group of people are not enemy troops, but civilians from a nearby village, and they seem to have something to say."

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao exchanged glances. Although they were confused, they decided to go and see the people in person. The two of them, along with several guards, crossed the camp and came to the outside of the stronghold.

A group of ragged people were standing not far away, their eyes full of hope and fear. An elderly man came forward, knelt down tremblingly, and said with a sob: "Your Highness, Prince, we heard that the Ming army is stationed here, so we came to ask for help." Zhu Han hurriedly stepped forward to help the old man up, and asked in a gentle voice: "Old man, what difficulties have you encountered? Just tell us, we will do our best to help."

The old man was filled with gratitude and said in a trembling voice: "In recent years, there have been constant wars on the border, and our village has been repeatedly looted. Now the fields are barren, food is scarce, and many families have run out of food. We are really desperate and can only come to the court for help."

Zhu Han couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness when he heard this. He turned to look at Zhu Biao, his eyes full of determination: "Biao'er, we must take action immediately to help these people get through this difficult time."

Zhu Biao nodded in agreement and said in a deep voice: "Don't worry, uncle, I will immediately arrange relief matters to ensure that these people can receive timely assistance."

Zhu Biao quickly summoned the officials in charge of logistics and made detailed arrangements for relief work. He ordered the soldiers to divide some food and supplies from the spoils of war and distribute them to the hungry people. At the same time, he also arranged a team to escort the people back to the village to ensure their safety on the road.

Watching the people leave with tears of gratitude, Zhu Han and Zhu Biao felt a little comforted.

"Uncle," Zhu Biao said softly, "the situation on the border is far more complicated than we imagined."

Zhu Han nodded deeply, his eyes revealing his worry and determination about the border situation. "Biao'er, border affairs have always been complicated and changeable, and they cannot be solved overnight. But as members of the royal family, you and I should put the country first and do our best to protect the people."

He turned to the general beside him and instructed: "Immediately strengthen patrols to ensure the safety of the area around the camp. At the same time, send messengers to the surrounding villages to understand the people's sentiments and collect information to provide a basis for subsequent decision-making."

The general took the order and left, while Zhu Han and Zhu Biao returned to the camp to continue discussing the next strategy. Inside the tent, the candlelight flickered, and the figures of the two people looked particularly solemn under the dim light.

"Uncle," Zhu Biao said worriedly, "the border wars continue. Although our army has won some victories, the enemy is still strong and has continuous reinforcements. I am worried that if this continues, our army may not be able to hold on."

Zhu Han pondered for a moment and spoke slowly: "Biao'er, your worries are not unreasonable. But war is not only a contest of force, but also a contest of wisdom and will. We must find the enemy's weakness and strike a fatal blow."

He paused and continued, "I remember you mentioned that there are factional disputes within the enemy army. This may be the key to our breakthrough. We can use this to divide and disintegrate the enemy and reduce the pressure on the front battlefield."

Zhu Biao's eyes lit up and he nodded, saying, "Uncle Huang is right. I will immediately arrange for people to go deep into the enemy's camp and look for people who can be turned against us."

Zhu Han nodded in agreement, and then changed the subject: "However, while dividing the enemy, we cannot neglect our own development. We must strengthen the training of the army, improve combat effectiveness, and ensure that we can deal a fatal blow to the enemy at a critical moment."

He looked at Zhu Biao, with a stern tone in his voice: "Biao'er, as the commander of this border trip, you should not only pay attention to the battle situation, but also pay attention to the morale of the soldiers. Only in this way can we be invincible."

Zhu Biao's expression froze when he heard this, and he nodded solemnly, "My uncle is right. I will not disappoint my father and uncle."

Zhu Han felt relieved when he saw Zhu Biao's determined expression, but he still kept a serious face. "Biao'er, the border war is no small matter, and every step needs to be cautious. You must not only pay attention to the tactical layout, but also have a deep understanding of the mentality of the soldiers, who are the cornerstone of this war."

Zhu Biao nodded, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Uncle Huang is right. I will pay more attention to the emotions and needs of the soldiers to ensure that they can devote themselves to the battle without distraction. At the same time, I will also strengthen communication with the generals to ensure the smoothness of the command system."

Zhu Han nodded slightly, with a hint of approval in his eyes: "Very good, Biaoer, you are growing up very fast. Remember, as a commander, every decision you make affects the life and death of thousands of soldiers, and also concerns the future of the country. Therefore, you must think carefully and don't act rashly."

At this time, a deputy general hurried into the tent, looking a little nervous: "Your Highness, Prince Han, we just received an urgent report from the spies. The enemy seems to have made some moves and is secretly gathering troops. Their intentions are unclear."

Zhu Han and Zhu Biao looked at each other, and a trace of solemnity flashed in their eyes. Zhu Han quickly asked: "Did the spies tell us the specific movements of the enemy?"

The deputy general replied: "The spies only know that the enemy troops are secretly gathering somewhere on the border, but their specific intentions and targets are still unclear. However, they seem to be well prepared and have a large number of people."

Zhu Han hesitated for a moment, then turned to Zhu Biao and said, "Biao'er, it seems that the enemy is not going to sit still and wait for death. We must prepare in advance to prevent any unexpected events."

Zhu Biao nodded, his eyes flashing with determination: "Don't worry, uncle, I will immediately call the generals to discuss countermeasures, and at the same time strengthen patrols to ensure the safety of the camp."

Zhu Han nodded in agreement and added, "In addition to strengthening our defenses, we also need to take the initiative to attack and find out the enemy's true intentions. Biao'er, you will personally lead an elite team to infiltrate behind enemy lines for reconnaissance. Be sure to proceed with caution."

Zhu Biao accepted the order and was about to turn around and leave, but was stopped by Zhu Han: "Biao'er, this trip is extremely dangerous, you must ensure your safety. Remember, your safety is related to the overall situation and cannot be neglected."

Zhu Biao stopped, turned around and bowed deeply to Zhu Han: "Uncle, rest assured, I will act carefully. When I return, I will discuss with you the plan to defeat the enemy."

After that, Zhu Biao quickly summoned the generals, arranged the reconnaissance mission, and personally selected an elite team to prepare for a night attack on the enemy camp. Inside the tent, Zhu Han looked at Zhu Biao's departing back, his eyes full of expectations and worries.

At the same time, the enemy camp was also busy. In the commander's tent, the enemy generals were sitting around to discuss countermeasures. A stern-faced middle-aged general said in a deep voice: "Although the Ming army is brave, they must be exhausted after days of fighting. We can take this opportunity to defeat them in one fell swoop."

Another general echoed, "That's right, and we have already discovered that the Ming army is divided into two parts. This is the perfect time for us to counterattack."

The commander nodded, with a fierce light flashing in his eyes: "Okay, pass the order down immediately, the whole army is ready to go, we will launch a surprise attack at midnight tonight, and we must decide the outcome of the battle." While Zhu Han and Zhu Biao were in the border area, Zhu Di made full use of the Jinyiwei intelligence agency and secretly launched surveillance and infiltration of court ministers.

(End of this chapter)