The eldest grandson of Emperor Ming Dynasty!

In the war between great powers, the battle is about national strength.

However, as far as the Ming Dynasty and the grassland are concerned, the gap is really huge.

Those who know a little bit don't think there is a possibility of losing at all.

The biggest reason why the Northern Expedition has been delayed until now is because of the train.

Now that the train has reached Jiubian, it is completely possible to obtain the grassland at the minimum cost.

Because of the great historical significance, it must be featured in the historical records, so Zhu Ying asked the old man to lead the expedition in person, so that all honors would belong to the emperor.

On March [-]rd, Xuanyuan was born.

It was the birthday of the Yellow Emperor, and the great court meeting finally arrived.

This day was not like a usual court meeting. Almost all high-ranking officials in the capital were participating.

This includes all military attaches.

The Great Court Meeting was not held in Fengtian Hall because too many people came, so it was held in Fengtian Square.

Zhu Yuanzhang would sit at the gate of Fengtian Hall and on the steps of Fengtian Square.

In order to build momentum, Zhu Ying specially arranged a military parade for the Twelve Guards of the Beijing Camp to accompany him.

The Twelve Guards of the Beijing Camp were the most elite soldiers of the Ming Dynasty. There were more than [-] soldiers in total. Each one of them was covered with armor. They were elite soldiers in the true sense.

These [-] soldiers will serve as Zhu Yuanzhang's personal bodyguards.

This northern expedition to the grassland is known as a million lions.

Among them, the number of combat soldiers reached an astonishing number of more than [-], and the remaining more than [-] auxiliary soldiers were also equipped with swords, fire and blunderbuss, and could be used at any time.

For this Northern Expedition, just after the New Year, the health posts in various parts of the Ming Dynasty had already begun to mobilize the population.

Of course, they don't need to go directly to Jiubian, which is far and slow.

You only need to arrive at the train station from Nanjing to Jiubian, and then you can take the train directly to Jiubian.

It was about nine o'clock in the morning.

Officials from the capital were already waiting in line at Fengtian Square.

The hundreds of officials are falsely pointing out that nearly 5000 officials arrived at Fengtian Square today.

This has been very rare throughout the ages.

This is not of a national nature, but only of the capital. For example, in the Han Dynasty, officials from all over the country had to rush over for a large gathering of tens of thousands of people.

The reason why there are such officials is because Zhu Ying has continued to increase the number of officials over the years and subdivided specific tasks.

In the past, a yamen might have only a few officials handling affairs, but now there are at least more than 20 people in a yamen, responsible for various categories.

This method first reduces the burden of work on officials themselves, and secondly restructures power so that power can be dispersed and arbitrariness will not occur.

Today's officials arrived at Chenshi and have been standing in Fengtian Square for half an hour.

But no one complained. After all, it was easier than before, and a major event like the Northern Expedition was worth it.

The Jin Yiwei displays the ceremonial guard of the halogen book, the Jiaofang Department displays the great music, and the Etiquette Department displays the envoys from various countries.

Set up a censor to monitor all officials and supervise those who like to doze off or whisper to each other after standing for a long time.

At this solemn moment, anything that violates the etiquette is a great disrespect to the royal family. It can range from serving with a killing stick to serving, or it can lead to the loss of hair.

Finally, at a quarter of the hour, a figure appeared on the steps of Fengtian Square.

At this time, the drums and music sounded, and all the officials knelt down and worshiped.

He shouted respectfully: "Welcome your Majesty, long live your Majesty! Long live your Majesty!!!"

The sound was deafening, and every official shouted at the top of his lungs.

It’s okay if you don’t shout loudly. The Censor Jiuyi next to you is watching closely. Anyone who wants to fish in troubled waters will definitely be severely punished.

Three salutes.

After all, it was useless for Zhu Yuanzhang to shout at this time. Without a loudspeaker, he could not be heard from behind.

Fortunately, the following etiquette procedures have been arranged in advance.

Today's Zhu Yuanzhang is not wearing a dragon robe, nor is he wearing a court uniform.

Instead, he wears bright armor, dragon head and shoulders, a deep red cloak, and bright tassels, like a general.

This set of armor is made of a unique design and unique materials. It looks heavy, but is actually very light.

But in terms of luxury, it is definitely second to none.

After all, it was impossible for Zhu Yuanzhang to actually go into battle to kill the enemy himself. Appearance was more important than practicality, and what stood out was that he was gorgeous and noble.

On the deep red cloak, there is a gold silk embroidered dragon with dark patterns, which is extremely dazzling under the refraction of the sun.

Just standing there gave me an indescribable sense of nobility.

This is an effect that can only be achieved after dozens of designs. Now standing in the sun, the whole body seems to be emitting a faint light, as if a god has descended to earth.

Zhu Ying did not stand on the steps, but was listed in front of the officials together with other imperial uncles.

Of course, these princes and grandsons, including Zhu Ying, did not need to wait here for half an hour. They arrived a quarter of an hour before Zhu Yuanzhang was ready to come.

The officials saw the arrival of the prince and grandsons before, and knew that His Majesty was coming soon, including the Jiaofang Division, which also started preparations. This was equivalent to a signal that the event was about to begin.

"play music!!!"

When Zhu Yuanzhang stood on the steps, Liu He next to him immediately shouted loudly.

Liu He was old and could only shout so loudly, but there were special heralds nearby who had loud voices.

They would follow Liu He's voice and chant.

After nine orders, the great music begins.

The so-called Voice of China is majestic.

The entire Ming Dynasty's rituals had been decided in Zhu Yuanzhang's early years, and even the descendants of the Ming Dynasty basically followed this etiquette system.

The major events of the country lie in sacrifice and Rong.

The Mongolian and Yuan systems were chaotic, there was no hierarchy between the noble and the humble, the monks' rituals were corrupted, and the ancient ritual system was destroyed in the Yuan Dynasty.

In addition, because the Five Rites of the Yuan Dynasty were all based on national customs, Zhu Yuanzhang had been trying to abandon the Hulu of the Yuan Dynasty and restore Han culture. Therefore, the Five Rites of the Ming Dynasty mostly inherited the system of the Tang and Song Dynasties, rather than the customs of the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasties.

At the beginning of the founding of the country, Zhu Yuanzhang began to redefine the ritual system, revise the ritual books, standardize the order, strive to restore the Chinese system, eliminate the barbarians, and flaunt the legitimacy of his rule.

Major events such as the Northern Expedition and Zhu Yuanzhang's personal expedition must involve a ceremony.

The music project this time was selected by Zhu Ying as "The Music of King Qin Breaking the Formation"

The music of King Qin breaking the formation has disappeared in later generations, only the Japanese country has preserved it. Of course, the current Ming Dynasty version is naturally inherited from the Tang Dynasty original version.

Boom boom boom boom boom boom.

The drum beats were heard continuously, and three thousand soldiers wearing armor and holding long swords and shields came from Fengtian Gate to the drum beats.

With the sound of drums, three thousand long knives hit the big shield, making a continuous sound of golden swords, and a primitive chilling air came oncoming.

The people present had goosebumps all over their bodies when they heard this, as if they were on the battlefield of thousands of armies.

The surrounding guards were already in a state of battle amid these musical instruments.

The sound of the drum was so loud that it could be heard for hundreds of miles. It was powerful and frightening.

A lot of fun.

Three thousand soldiers knelt on one knee and retreated with the mountain shouting "Long Live the Mountain".

Immediately afterwards, Zhu Yuanzhang issued an edict.

"I drove out the barbarians and unified China, and I have a destiny of three or three. However, beyond the borders, the people of the grasslands are always looking at me with eager eyes, intending to cause chaos in China again, but I am worried." "Today the treasury is abundant, the soldiers and horses are strong, and there are magical weapons to help , I shall carry millions of lions, point directly at the grassland, lay the foundation of the Ming Dynasty for eternity, and destroy the source of chaos in the grassland."

"Now the great grandson of the Ming Dynasty is a heroic hero. He is benevolent, filial and wise, and is qualified for a big job. I will personally conquer the grassland, and the grandson will supervise the country. He can decide the world and do the things of the emperor."

After Liu He read out the edict, he came down the steps and bowed: "Please accept the edict from your grandson."

Zhu Ying accepted the edict and kowtowed: "I sincerely obey the edict."

Then Liu He continued to read out the second edict: "Canonize King Qin Zhu Feng as the commander-in-chief of the former army, and control the army of 20."

King Zhu Xi of Qin, wearing armor, bowed his head and received the edict: "My son, I sincerely obey the edict."

Next is King Jin and King Yan.

"Consecrate King Zhu Fan of Jin as the commander-in-chief of the left army, and control the army of 20."

"Consecrate Yan King Zhu Di as the commander-in-chief of the right army, and control the army of 20."

Zhu Fan and Zhu Di bowed to receive the order: "My son, I sincerely obey the order."

A million-strong army, each led by three feudal lords with 20 troops, totaling 60 troops in three groups.

Zhu Yuanzhang was in the central army and led 40 troops.

After the canonization, it is time to set off.

At this time, a eunuch brought a royal horse, a snow-white war horse.

Zhu Yuanzhang walked down the steps slowly. At this moment, everyone bowed their heads or knelt down to kowtow.

The eunuch next to him immediately used a human as a ladder and knelt down next to the horse.

Zhu Yuanzhang stepped on the eunuch's back and got on his horse.

The drums started beating again, and all the soldiers shouted in unison: "Da Ming! Mighty! Mighty Ming! Mighty Ming! Mighty Ming! Mighty!"

The shouts continued, and Zhu Yuanzhang rode out of the palace.

The three commanders, Zhu Xi, Zhu Fan, and Zhu Di, followed their father's imperial horse at a trot as infantry. When they reached Fengtianmen, there were war horses ready, and the three of them immediately got on their horses.

From Fengtianmen to Zhengyang Square, [-] personal guards have been waiting for a long time.

At this time, Zhengyang Avenue was completely blocked, and people on both sides of the avenue were watching the ceremony.

According to the procedure, Zhu Yuanzhang led [-] personal guards from Zhengyang Square to the pier outside Zhengyang Gate, then crossed the river by boat, then transferred to a train to Jiubian, where he personally conquered the grassland.

These [-] personal guards were the most elite soldiers in the Ming Dynasty. Their military appearance shocked all the people watching the ceremony.

At this moment, all the people couldn't help but feel proud of being Ming people.

What enemy can stop such a large army?
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Ever since Zhu Yuanzhang led his army to conquer the country, all domestic affairs have fallen on Zhu Ying.

"Sigh, I knew being an emperor was not that simple. We have been reformed so many times, and there are still so many government affairs to deal with."

"Sure enough, the emperor's short life is justified. Doing this every day will be more miserable than 996 in later generations."

In the Huagai Hall, Zhu Ying, who had just finished a meeting, was lying on a chair and letting Xiaoyu next to her massage her.

Xiaoyu has now been canonized as a concubine. Because Zhu Ying is still a grandson, he cannot be named a concubine. There are only two distinctions between the concubine and the concubine.

After Zhu Ying inherits the throne, he can canonize each concubine according to the harem system.

Xiaoyu is different from other concubines. The other concubines are basically princesses from various countries. They have been served by people since they were young, and they are well-dressed and well-fed.

Xiaoyu grew up in Jiaofangsi and learned the art of serving others, so Zhu Ying kept her by his side these days, giving her massages to relax her in his spare time.

Now that Zhu Yuanzhang is leading a million-strong army in the northern expedition to the grasslands, there are many more government affairs.

Zhu Ying, who was in the rear, had to ensure the overall internal stability during Zhu Yuanzhang's personal expedition, and at the same time provide sufficient logistical support for the army at any time.

This Northern Expedition also required the mobilization of a large number of civilians.

The role of the civilian husband was to build the city.

This was not Zhu Yingcai's idea. Historically, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty mobilized 10,000+ people to build Shuofang City in the Hetao area, against all opinions.

With Shuofang City, the Hetao could be firmly in the hands of the Han Dynasty.Hetao can also be used for grazing and farming, and can be used as a forward base to attack the Huns.

However, the city Zhu Ying wanted to build would go deep into the grassland.

Relying on the transportation capacity of trains, grain, grass and many building materials have to be transported from the mainland.

Judging from the current situation, it is very unworthy.

Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty finally began to sell his officials for money for Shuofang City, and the treasury was drained. A city was a real gold-swallowing behemoth.

Moreover, the place chosen by Zhu Ying is deeper and difficult to farm and herd, unlike the Hetao area.

Even the railway tracks may be destroyed by the prairie cavalry, cutting off the way back.

Therefore, this expedition to the grassland must be conquered in one go.

What Zhu Ying was looking for was the mineral deposits on the grassland.

The mineral deposits in the grassland have never been developed, so the stock is still sufficient. The city being built is to be used as an industrial city in the future.

Now that there are steam engines, the difficulty of developing grassland mineral deposits will naturally become lower. Coupled with the transportation capacity of trains, although the initial investment is large, it can still be recovered later.

As long as a large number of cities are built and all the people from the grasslands are attracted, then the threat from the grasslands will naturally be gone.

And after pacifying the grasslands, the Ming Dynasty no longer lacked horses, and could also have a large number of cavalry.

Nowadays, corn is grown on a large scale in the Ming Dynasty, especially in the western region. It can fully supply concentrated feed without worrying about forage.

Controlling the grassland is equivalent to controlling hundreds of thousands of cavalry.

When the nomadic cavalry is equipped with the armaments of farming civilization, it becomes an invincible army.

The reason why Timur was so powerful in Central Asia was because he had a large number of Mongolian cavalry in his hands.

The reason why Ming Dynasty's external expansion was insufficient was because of the lack of cavalry.

By obtaining the grassland, the Ming Dynasty could make up for the shortcomings of the cavalry and have the ability to conduct land expeditions.

For Zhu Ying, Zhu Yuanzhang's personal expedition was just the beginning of Ming Dynasty's first step outward.

Today's Ming Dynasty is already very wealthy and has been able to start the colonial era.

While Zhu Ying was busy, Zhu Yuanzhang had arrived in Jiubian Datong.

After a short rest, we began to march into the grassland.

After Beiyuan was destroyed by Ghost Lichi, the Mobei Grassland split into three tribes.

They are the Tatar, Wala and Uliangha tribes.

The three guards of Duoyan rebelled against the Ming Dynasty again at this time.

The former army commander Zhu Feng led 20 troops to march into Tatar, the left army Zhu Fan marched into Oara, and the right army Zhu Di marched into Wuliangha.

The Ming Dynasty launched war against the three tribes in Mobei at the same time.

Zhu Yuanzhang's central army set out from Datong and headed towards the northern Yuan court.

Mobei is the Mongolian Plateau. Different from the interior of the Ming Dynasty, there are no cities. Most of the tribes live here in scattered herds.

Generally speaking, there are certain residential areas, divided by water sources and rivers.

There are four main areas, namely the Tule River, the Orkhon River, the Selenga River Basin, and Lake Baikal.

Near the Orkhon River was where the royal court of the Northern Yuan Dynasty was located.

No matter how the grassland people migrate, they always follow the direction of water sources. After all, people and horses all need water.

Zhu Yuanzhang's marching route was mainly in the direction of water sources.