Han Du ignored these people who could not see his good side, and followed Zhu Biao to the imperial banquet and came to the palace.
The officials who greeted Han Du had left, and only Zhu Biao took Han Du to Qianqing Palace.
"Jingyun has been worried a lot about you these days when there is no news from you. Now that you are back, you have to let her see it so that he can feel relieved."
Come and try it quickly. 】
When she walked into the palace gate, Han Jingyun was already waiting in the palace. When she saw Han Du coming in, she smiled and said: "Eldest brother is showing off the grassland and pacifying the north for the Ming Dynasty. This palace congratulates the eldest brother!"
Han Du hurriedly returned the gift and said, "It makes your Majesty worried."
Zhu Biao laughed loudly, waved his hand and said: "Come here, pass the meal, I want to pick up the wind for Marquis Zhenhai!"
At the reception banquet, Zhu Biao couldn't help but curiously asked about Han Du's experience.
"Didn't you come north from Daning? Why did you end up in Wala in the west?"
"It's a long story." Han Du put down his wine glass and explained with a smile.
Zhu Biao suddenly became energetic and said nonchalantly: "Then just tell me slowly, I really want to know."
"Okay." Han Du nodded, "As long as the emperor doesn't mind my verbosity..."
"Here's the thing..."
Next, Han Du told Zhu Biao the main story of the incident since he learned about the Beiyuan Khan's court.
When talking about the sudden encounter with the Tatars, Zhu Biao quickly reached out to interrupt Han Du and asked: "What did you say? You didn't find the main Tatar force at the beginning? But you met them accidentally? "
"Exactly." Han Du nodded slightly, "The wind and snow were too heavy at first, so I didn't take the risk and let Tan Ma go out. As a result, he happened to collide with Arutai."
Zhu Biao's face darkened after hearing this. He lowered his eyes, and after pondering for a while, he said: "When the Fourth Brother, Lan Yu, and Fu Youde armies went northward, they did not find the main force of the Tatars, and finally had to return without success. Now it seems that the Tatars have already I was aware of it and avoided the sharp edge of Ming Dynasty..."
The relaxed look on Han Du's body gradually faded, and he frowned and said: "I felt very strange about this at the beginning. Logically speaking, I was the last to go, and it was impossible to meet the main force of the Tatar tribe. But in the end, It happened that I bumped into Arutai. Moreover, I think this matter is not that simple."
"Oh? What do you think?" Zhu Biao glanced at Han Du and asked thoughtfully. In fact, Zhu Biao also had doubts about this matter, but he did not find substantive evidence, so he had to give it up. Now that I heard Han Du's words, I naturally wanted to hear what Han Du thought.
Now that Han Du thought about it, the Tatar tribe's behavior was too strange, and he even wondered if someone was involved.
"The Ming Dynasty's northern expedition was very secretive. Even the grain and grass supplies were mobilized to Peking by sea. Logically speaking, it is impossible for the Tatar tribe to detect the movements of the Ming army. Moreover, both Liang Guogong and Ying Guogong They are veterans who have fought on the grasslands many times. With their rich experience, it is impossible not to find the shadow of the Tatar tribe. Unless..."
"Unless what?" Zhu Biao also frowned.
"Unless it is, someone snitched!" Han Du stared at Zhu Biao closely.
The reason why Han Du deliberately did not mention Zhu Di was because he wanted Zhu Biao to notice his fourth brother. Zhu Di guarded Beiping, with hundreds of thousands of troops under his command to defend against the Tatars. If the Tatar tribe is destroyed, he, the King of Yan, will suffer the greatest loss. When the time comes, where will he find any reason to continue to recruit hundreds of thousands of troops?
When Han Du heard that the three armies had not found the main force of the Tatar tribe, he immediately placed his suspicion on Zhu Di.
Only Zhu Di has the strength to contact the senior leaders of the Tatar Ministry, and only he least wants the Tatar Ministry to be destroyed.
It's just that Han Du couldn't say this to Zhu Biao directly. After all, Zhu Di had been extremely respectful in front of Zhu Biao until now. Although Zhu Di couldn't come to Beijing every year, he would carefully prepare a generous gift as long as it was Zhu Biao's Longevity Festival.
Therefore, if Han Du directly said that Zhu Di might be colluding with the Tatar tribe, he might be suspected of alienating their blood relatives.
Zhu Biao's face darkened: "Who dares to report such a confidential matter?"
Seeing Zhu Biao looking at him, Han Du shook his head slightly: "I don't know who it is. I just feel that the Tatar tribe's behavior is too strange. According to their usual habits, they will go to Monan to spend the winter in winter. How could they stay here?" By the ice-covered Onon River?”
Zhu Biao nodded and felt that Han Du's words were reasonable. It’s no secret that the Tatars go south to spend the winter every winter. But this year, when the Ming Dynasty was preparing to conquer it, they would rather stay on the bank of Nanhe River in the ice and snow. Such a move was too strange. Zhu Biao himself did not believe it if the Tatar tribe did not get the news in advance.
"Then did you find any clues from the Tatar Department?"
Han Du shook his head and said helplessly: "I launched the attack at night while the heavy snow was flying. The next day, I found that Arutai was dead, and the others fled in all directions. No useful clues were found."
Zhu Biao slapped his face on the table hatefully, "Don't let me know who informed the secret, otherwise I will never let him go."
The act of colluding with the Tatar tribe was too terrible. If Handu hadn't accidentally collided with Arutai, then the Ming Dynasty had spent a lot of money this time and used more than 300,000 troops in the Northern Expedition. Return without success. Even thinking about it, Zhu Biao felt a bad breath lingering in his chest that wouldn't go away.
Han Du took a deep look at Zhu Biao, who was full of anger, and finally did not say that Zhu Di was the most likely. There are some things that it is useless to say on your own, and after that, you have no evidence to prove that it was Zhu Di who told the secret.
But even if this incident can plant a seed in Zhu Biao's heart, that would be good.
"Then why did you go west and start a fight with Wala?"
After hearing this, Han Du quickly explained: "After I defeated Arutai, Benya Shili was the only one left in the Tatar tribe. I thought that while the main force of the Tatar tribe was defeated, I would kill Benya Shili together." The solution completely ended the Tatar tribe's hope of resurrecting. Therefore, they led their troops westward, hoping to solve Benya Shili together. As a result, Benya Shili was defeated by King Wala. Then he and Wala A confrontation..."
Han Du talked leisurely while eating wine and food.
Zhu Biao nodded repeatedly as he listened, looking very interested.
Han Jingyun smiled and listened quietly. From her brother's understatement, she could tell how dangerous his journey on the grassland was. Not only do they have to face the dark snowstorm, but they also have to face the army that may appear at any time. Fortunately, Han Du defeated all enemies and won in the end.
Zhu Biao listened and suddenly sighed: "Then why do you want to attack the Timur Empire, and even attack Yilibali City?"
Han Du quickly put down his chopsticks and said calmly: "Your Majesty, I think that there must be a battle between the Ming Dynasty and the Timur Empire! The Timur Empire is extremely ambitious. They are fighting everywhere in the west, and their intention is not to conquer. Population and land, does the emperor know what they are planning?"
"Spending the country's strength on war, but not for the population and the land? Then what do they want?" Zhu Biao became curious.
Han Du said in a deep voice: "There is a sect in the Timur Empire, named Silan, which has great influence in the Timur Empire. Their main purpose of fighting everywhere is to bring back all the people they conquered. Join the Islamic sect.”
"What a big tone, so what if you don't belong?" Zhu Biao snorted.
Handu said: "For those who do not believe in Islam, they think they are heretics and will either be massacred or burned to death."
After a pause, Han Du added: "Your Majesty, please do not underestimate this Islamic sect. It is very prestigious among the Timur people and can even depose the leader of the country."
After hearing this, Zhu Biao shook his head, "The dignified leader of a country is actually being coerced by a sect. It's simply ridiculous!"
In Zhu Biao's view, he was the True Dragon Emperor, and he could even issue orders to canonize the gods of heaven and earth, let alone a mortal sect. It was unreasonable to Zhu Biao that the leader of a country would be suppressed by a domestic sect.
Han Du continued: "Your Majesty, don't look at it. The Timurid Empire doesn't seem to be looking at the Ming Dynasty now, but as long as their aggression is still there, they will find the Ming Dynasty sooner or later. Because the Ming Dynasty has a large population and they just don't believe it. Their sect, in their view, is an unexplored treasure land. Moreover, I think this time will not be too far away."
Zhu Biao quickly asked: "Oh? Did you find any evidence?"
Han Du nodded slightly and said: "I found a large number of scimitars, armors and other ordnance in Yili City. These ordnances are enough to equip an army of 200,000 people. This is just in the warehouse, not counting Yili. The original army of 100,000 in Yili. The surrounding area of Yili is not even used by a decent big country. Timur put such ordnance in Yili. Is it because there are too many for them to use up? "
In the entire Western Region to the east, only the Ming Dynasty was the most powerful, and the others were just small tribes. Even the Oara tribe has never invaded Yilibali even once in so many years, and it does not pose any threat to it.
Therefore, Timur prepared a large amount of ordnance in Yiliba for only one purpose, and that was to deal with the Ming Dynasty.
Zhu Biao nodded and sighed: "It seems that I have to make preparations early."
Whether the Timur Empire was originally eyeing the Ming Dynasty, or now Handu has conquered Yilibaili City, it means that a battle between the Ming Dynasty and the Timur Empire is unavoidable.
"What suggestions do you have for this battle?" Zhu Biao turned around and asked Han Du.
After Han Du lowered his head and pondered for a while, he said: "As the saying goes, before the troops and horses are moved, food and grass should be sent first. Compared with the Timur Empire, our biggest disadvantage is that the capital is too far away from the Western Regions. Once a war breaks out with the Timur Empire, such a long period of time will The food and grass supply line will be a fatal flaw.”
