He Kegang, Zu Dashou, and Cao Wenzhao from Liaodong Town, Kong Youde, Zhang Pan, and Mao Chenglu from Dongjiang Town, and Sun Yingyuan and Zhou Yuji from Beijing Camp.

There were also Sun Zushou, the lieutenant general of Ji Liao Town, You Shiwei, the lieutenant general of Jianchang Camp, You Shilu, the military scholar, as well as Qi Xianzong and Qi Zhenzong who were selected to study military science.

Glancing at the generals present, Zhu Youxiao smiled, but felt deeply moved.

Some of it was familiar to him, of course, information from his memory; some was less familiar to him, but he had a vague idea of ​​it.

If history had not changed, people like He Kegang, Cao Wenzhao, Zhang Pan, Sun Yingyuan, Zhou Yuji, Sun Zushou, and the You brothers would have died on the battlefield and shed their last drop of blood for the Ming Dynasty.

But now, these famous generals and brave warriors will embark on completely different paths in life.

I have given you everything you deserve. Whether you create brilliance or perish in disgrace is up to you.

Zhu Youxiao raised his glass and said in a clear voice: "You are all loyal and brave generals of the Ming Dynasty. You should fight for the country and defend it from foreign aggression. This is your duty. I will not say more."

After a pause, Zhu Youxiao continued, "Today's banquet is to commend you all for your excellent military training and to give a farewell to the generals heading to the border. With this first cup of wine, you and I pay tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives defending our country. May their heroic spirits live forever."

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became solemn. The generals stood up with the emperor and poured the wine in their cups onto the ground.

Zhu Youxiao sat back on the throne and once again picked up the wine glass filled by the palace maid. His clear voice echoed in the hall.

"This second cup of wine is offered by you and me to the people of the world. Remember, the food in your mouths, the clothes on your body, and the silver in your hands are all the blood and sweat of the people. Thinking of the suffering and hardships of the people, we must defend the enemy, stabilize the borders, and protect the country and the people. Come, toast to the people of the Great Ming!"

"Cheers to the people of the Ming Dynasty!" The generals raised their glasses and drank it all.

Zhu Youxiao took a sip, then, noticing that the generals' glasses were already full, he raised his glass with a smile, "This third cup is for all the nobles present here. I hope you will achieve victory on the battlefield, achieve the merits of the Wolf Lair, and be honored with titles of duke or marquis, benefiting future generations."

"Congratulations to the future famous general of our Ming Dynasty!" Zhu Youxiao raised his glass and drank it all.

Some of the generals were at a loss as to how to congratulate him. Sun Chengzong smiled and raised his glass, saying, "Congratulations to the Holy Emperor, to the Ming Dynasty, and to the famous general!"

"Congratulations to the Holy Emperor, congratulations to the Ming Dynasty, and congratulations to the famous general!" The generals then toasted in unison with smiles on their faces.

Zhu Youxiao laughed heartily, showing his cheerfulness. He raised his hand and said, "No need to be formal, my lords. Eat and drink to your heart's content. Soldiers should be generous and unrestrained."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for the banquet." After expressing their gratitude, the generals sat down to eat and drink, but they did not dare to be too unrestrained.

Zhu Youxiao knew this was going to happen, and he didn't plan to stay any longer. But there was another important procedure.

With a smile and a wave, Zhu Youxiao called the generals forward one by one to answer his questions, starting with Sun Zushou, the Lieutenant General of Ji-Liao Town.

Sun Zushou was tall and handsome, with a long beard that flowed down to his chest. He had the demeanor of a Confucian general and was a truly handsome man in ancient times.

Hearing His Majesty calling him by his name and extending his hand to greet him, Sun Zushou was somewhat flattered and hurried forward to pay his respects.

"You don't need to give a full salute, Mr. Sun. A military salute will suffice."

Zhu Youxiao raised his hand with a gentle smile, and after Sun Zushou greeted him with a military salute, he said in a gentle voice, "Sun Qing is both civil and military, and he is honest and self-disciplined. I am very pleased."

Sun Zushou quickly bowed and said, "This is all my humble duty. Your Majesty, thank you for the compliment."

Zhu Youxiao nodded and said, "The army is suffering from lax preparations, demoralized morale, lax punishments, and difficulty enforcing orders. These are common problems. Sun Qing, after his transfer, must enforce these rules with an iron fist, eradicating outdated practices and habits, and bringing about a new spirit among the officers and soldiers under his command."

Transfer?! Sun Zushou was a little confused, but he still obeyed the order respectfully, saying, "Your Majesty, please rest assured. I will do my best to strengthen the military discipline."

"Go ahead, I trust you." Zhu Youxiao raised his hand, took the wine cup from the palace maid, and handed it to Sun Zushou. "Please drink this cup to the full, and don't let me down."

Sun Zushou almost shed tears. From being a military scholar to being promoted to a lieutenant general, it took a long time and went through many difficulties, but he always remained upright and never flattered his superiors.

Now, with Wansui’s words “I believe in you”, “Do it boldly” and “Don’t let me down”, all the grievances I suffered before are nothing.

Sun Zushou bowed and took the wine cup, drank it all in one gulp, and bowed again, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace and reward."

Zhu Youxiao smiled and nodded, watching Sun Zushou bow and retreat.

The noise level in the hall was low, no one dared to make loud noises, and everyone was careful with what they ate and drank.

Zhu Youxiao's voice sounded again, "Zhang Pan, come closer."

Zhang Pan took a deep breath, stood up and bowed, then stood respectfully at the bottom of the steps.

"Mr. Zhang is a man of letters and writing, and his several proposals submitted to the Ministry of War were quite good. He also trains the soldiers well and shares their hardships, which is quite rare." Zhu Youxiao praised him, "On your return to Dongjiang, you should continue your efforts and achieve new achievements."

"Your humble servant respectfully listens to the emperor's instructions," Zhang Pan replied, bowing. "When I return to Dongjiang, I will bravely fight the enemy to repay your grace."

Zhu Youxiao pondered for a moment and said, "Zhang Qing is kind and not a murderer, which is a good quality. But you must be very careful. Carefully identify refugees and those who have joined the Han army, and do not easily recruit them into your army. I have stationed the Jinyiwei in Dongjiang Town, and they will handle the screening from now on. Zhang Qing, just pay attention to your own safety."

"I understand. Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty." Zhang Pan heard the concern in his heart, but he didn't know that he fell into the trap of being too kind and righteous.

Zhu Youxiao took the wine cup offered by the eunuch and handed it to Zhang Pan, "Mr. Zhang, please drink this cup to the full. I look forward to hearing the good news of your victory."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your reward." Zhang Pan knelt on one knee, took the wine glass with both hands, drank it in one gulp, then stood up and left.

Zhu Youxiao's eyes fell on Zu Dashou, his smile faded slightly but then returned to normal. He smiled and greeted him, "Zu Dashou, come closer."

…………

In the military, if a commander can call out a soldier's name, or even know his background, it is equivalent to appreciation, which will make the soldier feel proud of being valued and proudly puff out his chest.

The scene now was similar. The emperor called out the names one by one, summoned the generals to his side, encouraged them, reminded them, expressed his expectations, and then rewarded them with a glass of wine.

Such favor and trust made the generals' hearts surge with excitement and their blood boiled. They wanted to rush to the battlefield right now and sell their lives to the emperor.

This was exactly the effect Zhu Youxiao wanted. Seeing that it was even better than he expected, he felt so relieved.

After the ceremony, Zhu Youxiao stood up and said with a smile: "I am here, and you are all uncomfortable and can't drink to your heart's content! Then I will go back first."

Sun Chengzong quickly stood up and led the generals in bowing to see him off, "Your Majesty, we respectfully bid you farewell."

Zhu Youxiao smiled and said to Sun Chengzong: "Master Sun is old, so you should drink less."

As the Minister of War, he naturally had to accompany these generals and give them instructions.

Sun Chengzong bowed and said, "I understand. Thank you, Your Majesty, for your concern."

Zhu Youxiao nodded slightly, turned and left the hall, and returned to the Qianqing Palace.