Xu Yingxu was still holding on, even though the vast majority of his soldiers had already died in battle. He was still holding on because the Tartars had been tied down and the main army was about to complete the encirclement.

"Brothers, let's hold on a little longer!" Xu Yingxu persisted, severing an arrow shaft embedded in his armor with a single stroke. "The army is coming!"

One of the guards grabbed Xu Yingxu and said, "Second Young Master, if these Tartars can't escape, they'll probably go crazy. We have to hold on; we can still take a few blows for you."

At that moment, the cavalry led by Ugqihashha suddenly fell into disarray, and a group of Ming cavalrymen in bright armor suddenly charged out. Although these cavalrymen were not the most numerous, their aura and horsemanship were no less than those of the nomadic people.

The Three Thousand Battalion—this was one of the three major garrisons of the Ming Dynasty. It was originally a cavalry unit primarily composed of Mongol cavalry who had defected to the Ming Dynasty, and its numbers far exceeded three thousand!

The sharp cavalry, like arrows, plunged straight into the middle of the already somewhat scattered Tatar cavalry.

A large banner was also raised, and Xu Huizu, standing tall and straight on horseback, had a serious expression. These Tartars were really hard to capture; if this nomadic people on horseback were to flee at all costs, they would be impossible to find.

However, when it comes to marching and fighting, these people often don't pay attention to formations.

“These barbarians are getting worse and worse.” Xu Huizu observed the somewhat flustered Tatar cavalry and made a mental calculation. “My father also suffered a defeat at the hands of the Tatars. Now these Tatars are getting worse and worse, like a rabble!”

Ugchihashha was slightly flustered, as the Ming cavalry appeared to be charging towards him. At this moment, he felt even more worried; behind him, the cowardly son of Nahachu, Chahan, blocked his retreat, while on his left and right flanks were the cavalry of the Southern Barbarians. He wanted to charge forward directly, but the remnants of the Ming army were still holding out.

Most importantly, he understood that there were definitely other large armies ahead of this remnant Ming army to provide support. He was surrounded, and his army was likely completely encircled, with almost no way to retreat.

"Second brother, we've come to save you!" A young general in silver robes and a long spear appeared with a troop of cavalry. This was Guo Yong, the third son of Marquis Wuding, Guo Ying.

The reinforcements he brought were from the Fifth Army Battalion, one of the three major battalions, which was usually composed mainly of infantry and supplemented by cavalry. This force was also very fierce and was one of the strongest fighting forces. They were also responsible for training new recruits and filling garrisons.

The imperial army arrived, and although the vanguard was almost completely wiped out, the tactics were successful this time. It's not fair to say that Xu Huizu coldly watched the vanguard almost die in order to encircle and annihilate these Tartars. As the commander of the Ming Dynasty's Eastern Route Army, he naturally had to make choices. He had long understood the principle that one cannot command an army with mercy.

The Tartar cavalry clearly believed that this army, mainly composed of infantry and supplemented by a small number of cavalry, could not stop them if they attempted a frontal breakout. Their lines were not yet firmly established, and this was the best opportunity to charge out.

'Bang'

'Bang'

'Bang'

The continuous roar of firearms filled the air as the Ming dynasty's muskets unleashed their power in three volleys, causing the leading Tatar cavalry to tumble from their horses. Furthermore, the cavalrymen lit hand grenades and hurled them at the Tatars, further throwing them into disarray.

Xu Yingxu couldn't help but burst into laughter. He knew that the deaths and injuries of himself and his brothers, and their perseverance, had been worthwhile. This time, they had made a great contribution, and this time, the vanguard of the Tartars would be completely annihilated!

Kill the enemy. At this time, we must kill the enemy again, kill more Tartars, and establish more merit. Even if we don't become a Duke, with some effort, it's still possible to become a Marquis.

Zhu Yunying, who was in Yingtian Prefecture, obviously did not learn of this news so quickly. He had other things to do and was busy with state affairs.

It was another morning court session, which was nothing special, but many people knew that things were a bit strange in the court lately. For example, the matter of the Duke Yansheng had been going on for a long time, from the beginning of spring to the beginning of summer, and it was time to reach a conclusion.

In particular, the joint trial by the three judicial departments was originally just an inquiry into a series of matters concerning the magistrate of Qufu County, mainly concerning the various acts of protection, corruption, and other illegal activities committed by the representatives of the Kong family during the magistrate's tenure. However, this caused quite a stir.

Prince Zhu Yunwen, the Prince of Wu, personally supervised the trial and was also furious. Originally, the trial was to be conducted jointly by the three judicial departments—the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate. However, it now seemed impossible, and a "comprehensive trial" was necessary, requiring the three judicial departments to work together with the ministers and the commissioners of the Ministry of Justice.

Zhu Yunying sat high on the dragon throne, fully aware of many things, but he still had to put on a show. "Has the joint trial by the three judicial departments reached a decision?"

Zhu Yunwen stepped forward and said with an extremely serious expression, "Your Majesty, I was ordered to supervise the trial, and I did not intend to make a big fuss about this matter. However, the magistrate of the Kong family has been corrupt and lawless in his tenure, and has also protected members of the Kong family who have encroached on farmland and harmed the people."

Kong Ne was trembling with fear. He considered himself a 'scholar,' someone who read books and wrote calligraphy to cultivate his character. However, he was probably aware of what his clansmen had done in Qufu, and he knew that some of the things Zhu Yunwen was accusing him of were not true.

Wang Chengen took the memorial and then naturally handed it to Zhu Yunying.

Even though he already knew many things, Zhu Yunying was still incredibly angry when he saw the memorial. His face turned red with rage, and he threw the memorial down the steps.

"Well, well, what a fine descendant of Confucius!" Zhu Yunying laughed in anger, his words laced with sarcasm. "The court granted 5,000 mu of land, exempt from taxes and corvée labor—is this not mistreatment of the Confucius family?! They've seized 3,000 mu of the people's land, turning most of Qufu's inhabitants into tenant farmers for the Confucius family?! Have you even read Confucius's books?!"

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