"Liaodong..." Zhu Su looked at the map and frowned, feeling a mixture of joy and sorrow.
Fortunately, Liaodong is finally within the pass, and there is no need to risk being hunted down by the Mongolian, Yuan and Jurchen tribes all the way south across the Great Wall. You know, with the supplies that people like you have, I'm afraid they won't be able to last long.
What is worrying is that the current Liaodong is still beyond the control of the Zhu family of the Ming Dynasty... The land of Liaodong is now the territory of the Northern Yuan warlord Naha!
Naha has more than 200,000 armored men in his hands. He controls half of Liaodong and is eyeing the Ming Dynasty. He is the most difficult enemy of the Ming Dynasty today. If these people in my hands encounter the troops sent by Naha, they will not be enough to fill their teeth.
Naha Deya is not a stupid person. If the three cards of his three brothers fall into the hands of this beast, Ming Dynasty may become passive and suffer huge losses.
"No wonder this place is so desolate." Dai Sigong stroked his beard, shook his head and sighed.
"Why do you say that?" Zhu Xi asked.
"His Royal Highness the King of Qin doesn't know that the land of Liaodong... has always been poisoned by foreign tribes." Dai Sigong explained. "Since the beginning of the Five Dynasties, Liaodong was no longer owned by the Han Dynasty. It belonged to the Liao Dynasty first, then to the Jin Dynasty, and then to the Yuan Dynasty."
"After the ravages of the Qianyuan Dynasty, people's livelihoods withered and there were not even one left alive."
"Actually, there are many desolate and uninhabited places not only in Liaodong, but also in Jiangbei. However, since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, Your Majesty has moved more people to reclaim the northern land, and the people who were displaced in the past can also return to their homeland."
"But Liaodong is still...sigh." Dai Sigong shook his head.
Zhu Su was silent, thinking of the deserted village today. Judging from various traces, it is obvious that there was once a Han village, but the villagers died or dispersed, and eventually became abandoned.
A glimpse of the leopard in the tube shows how desolate Liaodong is today.
"It doesn't matter, Liaodong has been the land of our Han family since ancient times." Zhu Di clenched his hands into fists. "One day, I, the Ming Dynasty, will definitely take back this place."
"Let's get back to the present." Zhu Su said. He turned to look at Shao Biao: "Colonel Shao, since you have seen the map near here, maybe you still remember the route?"
"There are only a thousand of us, so it's best to find a way to infiltrate Chencang secretly without alerting Naha in Liaodong."
Naha had 200,000 men and horses at his disposal. Such a huge gap in combat power could no longer be matched by mere tactics.
"Go back to Your Highness." Shao Biao clasped his fists. "If we want to avoid Naha's army, the best way is for us to only take the mountain road, stay in bed during the day and go out at night, and avoid the city."
"Shao can still remember the road. If he can hide it from the enemy, he can lead the three His Highnesses to Shanhaiguan!"
Seeing Shaobiao admitting that he knew the road, several people around the campfire looked at each other, and they were all quite surprised. Fortunately, there is also an experienced Jin Yiwei here who has been to Liaodong before.
Zhu Su was also secretly glad that if Mao Xiang hadn't sent Shao Biao, he wouldn't have had to take many detours. This time, he actually owed a favor to the commander of Jin Yiwei, Mao Xiang.
So during the day of the next day, this Ming army began to cast nets on the sea to catch fish and smoke them into dry food. Seeing that those ships were no longer useful, Zhu Su ordered people to dismantle them and use them as fuel and making materials. He doesn't like old-style warships like Zuo and Zuo now. Their ability to withstand wind and waves at sea is too low, and they don't have watertight compartments. It can barely be used for offshore defense. If it is used for artillery battles, one shot will destroy the designated ship and kill everyone.
Artillery battles are the mainstream of naval battles in the future!
After returning to the Ming Dynasty, he still needs to find a way to get the advanced Galen ships out first... Time waits for no man, and Zhu Su feels more and more that he must not be trapped in Liaodong.
When it got dark, the Ming army began to advance under the leadership of Shao Biao. Because they were walking on a mountain road at night, it was extremely difficult for Zhu Su and his party to walk even though Zhang Heshaobiao and others were in front of them to clear the way for them. And because they had gone to sea by boat before, the group didn't even have horses for transportation. After a few days, several blisters appeared on the soles of the group's feet.
When they hid in the mountains and forests during the day and began to rest, everyone collapsed on the ground and couldn't even walk.
"I can't take another step." Zhu Ping ignored the dirt on the muddy ground and slumped to the ground without any image. "The soles of your feet hurt like needles... Lao Wu, just be okay and let someone carry your second brother away."
"How can this be done?" Zhu Su flatly refused. "Second brother, you are the prince of the Ming Dynasty. It is time for you to set an example."
"Besides, the soldiers had to clear the way and cut off the rear, so they were even more tired than us. Even Lao Rutou and the other old men, as well as the three ladies and the rest of the group of women, were walking on the soles of their feet."
"Second brother, you are so strong and strong, how can you let someone carry you on your back? This is out of style!"
"..." Zhu Xi was speechless for a moment. He turned to look at Ru Taisu who was sitting on a piece of bluestone. Although his face was pale, he still didn't cry out in pain. As for Sanniangzi and her gang of women, they were busy helping the soldiers chop wood and boil water. He could only summon up the pride in his chest and say: "You are right. I can't even compare to an old man and a woman!"
However, he only persisted for less than a second. The pride on his face immediately collapsed. He took off his boots and raised his big foot and said: "But... this foot really hurts. Dai Shenyi, have you cured Lao Wu? That's right." Also use your wonderful skills to save me!"
Dai Sigong was undoubtedly the busiest person in the team. With so many people marching in the jungle, it was inevitable that there would be some bumps and bruises. Most of the Taicang Guards and Fuzhou Guards brought were Southern soldiers, and many of them suffered from acclimatization. Zhu Su has poor health and accidentally sprained his foot. Now he is squatting down for Zhu Su to look at. Hearing Zhu Ping's call, he turned around and took a look, and said angrily: "Your Highness, King Qin, please bear with it for now! You just got a few blisters..."
"It's nothing serious. After I finish treating the Fifth Highness, I'll just break it for you."
"Then hurry up." Zhu Xi shouted, but the pain in his soles was so unbearable that he could only wait there with a slumped face. At this time, the third lady came over, saw the blisters on the soles of Zhu Xiang's feet, and whispered: "If His Highness the King of Qin doesn't mind, let the daughter of the people help you break the blisters."
"In the past, when I was at home, my father often had blisters, and the village girls helped him pop them."
"Huh?" Zhu Ping's whole body cheered up, "Do you still understand this?"
"Okay, okay, I'll bother you."
"Hey, Lao Wu, have you noticed it?" Looking at the third lady over there, who was helping Zhu Xi pick up the blisters, Zhu Di came over.
"Second brother has become more and more approachable these days... He has always valued his status the most. If his temper were used in the past, he would show displeasure whenever white people spoke to him. It is absolutely impossible for him to do this to Sanniang. A common woman said the word 'trouble'."
"And now, he can be so kind. Do you think there is no need to worry about the ending of my second brother?"
Zhu Di knew that in history, Zhu Xi did not die a good death because of his cruelty to his subordinates.
Zhu Su also nodded, and he also noticed. Perhaps because of sharing the hardships with the soldiers along the way, Zhu Ping, who originally had an obviously disdainful attitude towards the soldiers and civilians at the bottom, is now able to treat these people as equals.
Instead of just holding on to his identity as a prince.
"I hope so. In this way, the second brother can also have a good ending." Looking at Zhu Ming, who was grinning in pain from picking blisters, Zhu Su also had expectations. This second brother really didn't say anything about his treatment of his younger brother. He was just cruel and cruel to his subordinates and looked down upon the servants at the bottom.
If his ending could be changed, it would be nothing if he was in enemy territory this time.
"Your Highness, Captain Shao who went to explore the road is back." From the front, the dog came to report to Zhu Su.
(End of chapter)
