208: Chapter 209 Emperor Yuan Shun surrenders, troops besiege the city.

In the army.

A deputy general in charge of grain and fodder was currently fretting over the account books.

"General, this... the amount of grain and fodder consumed daily, isn't it a bit too..." He could hardly believe his eyes.

The general in charge of logistics was an experienced veteran. Hearing this, he laughed heartily. "What? Afraid there isn't enough grain and fodder?"

"No... it's just too good!" The deputy general clicked his tongue. "Not to mention having rice and flour every meal, there's even meat every few days! Yesterday we even had stewed meat with potatoes!"

The old general patted his shoulder. "Be satisfied! Following His Majesty, we won't be mistreated! Haven't you seen those livestock? They're all plump and strong; even the horses pulling the carts are almost running at the speed of warhorses!"

The deputy general scratched his head. It was true; he had never fought such an affluent war before.

This grain and fodder was like a magic trick, always in ample supply and incredibly fresh.

How could he know that every night, Lu Chen would take a "stroll" near the granaries and then, without anyone noticing, replenish them with the massive amount of supplies from his Divine Sense space.

The morale of the soldiers was at an unprecedented high. The army conquered everything in its path, and everywhere they went, people surrendered at the mere sight of them.

They even felt like they weren't going to war, but rather following an immortal on an outing, incidentally flattening the Yuan Dadu along the way.

News poured into Dadu like snowflakes.

"Report—The Ming Army has crossed the Yellow River!"

"Report—The Ming Army's vanguard has reached Hebei!"

"Report—The Ming Army has split into five routes, forming an encirclement. They are less than five hundred li from Dadu!"

Emperor Huizong of Yuan sat on his teetering dragon throne, his face pale as death, his entire body shaking like a leaf in the autumn wind.

The ministers in the hall were in an even greater state of chaos.

"What should we do? What should we do?"

"The Ming Army has five hundred thousand men! And the Emperor is leading the campaign personally!"

"How does he dare! How does he dare!"

"Where is Prince Ruyang? Quickly, call for Prince Ruyang!"

Chaghan Temür stood there, still clad in armor, his expression calm as if he hadn't heard the surrounding clamor.

For the past few months, he had endured everyone's misunderstanding and vitriol to direct an absurd play, repeatedly dragging the Yuan Court's last remaining dignity through the mud.

He had kept all those "replies" and reports where the envoys were rebuked, humiliated, and executed.

Now, what was meant to come had finally arrived.

"My Prince! Please, say something!" a minister pleaded with a sob in his voice.

Chaghan Temür raised his eyelids, scanning his panicked colleagues in the hall, before finally letting his gaze rest on Emperor Huizong of Yuan.

"Your Majesty," he spoke slowly. His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried clearly throughout the hall. "The Ming Army's momentum is great; the Mandate of Heaven has changed."

"To preserve the ancestral shrine and the imperial Bloodline, I request Your Majesty... to surrender."

Boom!

It was like the final straw that broke everyone's nerves.

"Surrender?"

"Prince Ruyang, you... you really intend to..."

"Silence! Do you want our Great Yuan imperial clan to repeat the same disastrous fate as the Jin Dynasty when it fell?" Chaghan Temür suddenly drew the war blade at his waist, pointing the tip at the imperial prince who had spoken.

A cold Killing Intent instantly filled the air.

That prince was so frightened he stumbled back several steps, his lips trembling, not daring to speak another word.

Indeed, how could he not know how tragic it was when the Jin Dynasty was destroyed?

Emperor Aizong of Jin was sliced in half, and the Empress was ravaged by soldiers in succession.

The male members of the imperial clan, regardless of age, were all executed, and the women all became playthings.

The sheer tragedy of it was enough to make anyone of later generations turn pale at the mention of it.

A deathly silence fell over the hall.

Everyone looked at Chaghan Temür, then at the deathly pale Emperor Huizong of Yuan.

What then?

Surrender?

Surrender to that young, decisive Ming Emperor who killed without hesitation?

What would the outcome be?

No one dared to imagine.

Emperor Huizong of Yuan slumped on the dragon throne, his eyes hollow, muttering to himself, "Surrender... surrender..."

After a long time, as if he had exhausted all his strength, he raised a trembling hand and pointed outside the hall.

"Draft the edict... no, I... I will go personally..."

Several days later.

Outside Dadu City.

Dark clouds weighed heavy over the city, threatening to crush it.

Five hundred thousand Ming troops, in magnificent formation with banners fluttering, surrounded this former capital of the Empire so tightly that not even a drop of water could leak through.

Countless massive trebuchets, siege crossbows, and cannons were pushed to the front lines, their dark muzzles aimed at the mottled city walls.

Beneath the central army's great banner.

Lu Chen sat on his horse, shading his eyes with his hand as he gazed at the city ahead.

Under the sunlight, the city appeared old and weary.

Yin Susu was beside him, imitating his posture as she squinted and looked. "Tsk, these city walls look pretty thick. I wonder if they can take a beating."

Fang Yanqing said coldly, "Three rounds of cannon fire will be enough."

Ji Xiaofu said softly, "I wonder how the people inside the city are doing."

Yang Huangyi said with some excitement, "Husband, I'm already prepared to beat the drums. When do we attack the city?"

Lu Chen withdrew his gaze, his face expressionless.

He was waiting.

What was meant to come had indeed arrived.

A commotion broke out at the front city gate.

The drawbridge was slowly lowered.

The city gates swung wide open.

A large group of people, all bare-chested and carrying brambles on their backs, slowly walked out.

The person leading them was none other than Emperor Huizong of Yuan.

Behind him followed Prince Ruyang, Chaghan Temür, whose expression was equally complex, and a group of despondent Yuan Court ministers.

They carried no weapons, only the Imperial Seal symbolizing the nation's sovereignty and the Petition for Surrender.

"This sinful official... Borjigin Toghon Temür, leading the sinful officials of the pseudo-Yuan..." Emperor Huizong of Yuan's voice trembled with a sob, almost losing its melody. "Respectfully welcomes... respectfully welcomes His Majesty the Ming Emperor... and the heavenly troops into the city!"

He slammed his forehead heavily onto the cold ground, and the ministers behind him followed suit, their movements stiff and desperate.

Silence.

On the battlefield, there was only the flapping sound of the wind blowing through the banners.

The five hundred thousand soldiers of the Ming Army watched this dramatic scene in silence.

The once-arrogant Mongol rulers were now bare-chested, carrying brambles, and kneeling on the ground to beg for surrender.

Lu Chen remained expressionless, merely raising his hand.

"Your Majesty?" Yang Xiao, standing beside him, asked in a low voice for instructions.

Lu Chen didn't look at him; his gaze fell on the prostrate Emperor Huizong of Yuan, then swept over the similarly kneeling Prince Ruyang behind him.

The corner of his mouth twitched imperceptibly.

"Fire the ceremonial cannons," Lu Chen said calmly.

"Ceremonial cannons?" Yang Xiao was taken aback.

"Yes, ceremonial cannons to welcome guests," Lu Chen's tone was flat. "To welcome the Marquis of Ruyang back."

"As you command!"

The messenger galloped away.

A moment later, within the Ming Army ranks, the hundreds of cannons of the Vermilion Bird Army phalanx adjusted their angles, their muzzles pointing diagonally toward the sky.

Boom! Boom! Boom!...

The deafening roar of the cannons resounded through the clouds.

No shells flew out, only the massive roar and gunpowder smoke.

This sudden "welcome ceremony" made the kneeling Yuan Court officials shudder, and several people almost collapsed on the spot.

Emperor Huizong of Yuan turned even paler, thinking the Ming Emperor was trying to intimidate them or execute them by cannon fire.

Only Prince Ruyang's body shook slightly when the cannons sounded before he regained his composure, though a trace of indescribable complexity flashed in his downcast eyes.

The cannon fire ceased.

Only then did Lu Chen give a signal.

The newly appointed Commander of the South Division of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Ding Minjun, took the scroll of yellow silk containing the surrender petition from Emperor Huizong of Yuan's trembling hands and quickly presented it to Lu Chen.

Yes, you read that right. The eldest sister of Emei had been personally appointed by Lu Chen as the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The Embroidered Uniform Guard was now divided into the Northern and Southern Zhenfu Divisions; the Northern Division consisted entirely of men, while the Southern Division was entirely female.

Ding Minjun had been personally appointed by Lu Chen as the Commander of the South Division, leading excellent female swordsmen selected from various Schools to serve as the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Now, she was full of ambition and ready to make her mark in her career.