It is impossible to give something for free.

It’s not that it’s not worth it, but at this time, Zhu Ying coming here in person has already gained a great advantage.

Because everyone knows that there has always been a feud between the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty and the Prince of Yan.

Zhu Ying understood even more clearly that his mere presence had put a lot of pressure on the grassland.

"I cannot bear to see the people on the grasslands suffer, but the food of the Ming Dynasty is not blown by the wind."

"Of course we can't give it away for free, but we can exchange it."

"Let's just treat it as the first trade after the embargo is lifted."

Zhu Ying's tone was calm, but it carried unquestionable authority.

In fact, if there had been no intelligence on the black soil, the current situation would not be like this. At the very beginning, Zhu Ying's goal was to make the grassland, which had united under high pressure, lose its goal and direction.

Eventually, unrest was triggered and everything became chaotic, thus achieving your strategy of overthrowing the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

From now on, a more unified grassland is more in line with the interests of the Ming Dynasty.

Of course, the Northern Yuan Dynasty did not want to agree to such conditions.

What they want is not just a little bit.

Besides, the Northern Yuan Dynasty did not have so much money to buy grain from the Ming Dynasty, and the price would be an astronomical figure.

It's not just about food, but also refined salt, medicinal herbs, and tea, which are necessities for the grassland.

Not to mention anything else, just to capture Prince of Yan Zhu Di alive, they lost five thousand Mongolian cavalry.

It seems that five thousand cavalry are not a lot for the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

However, in reality, five thousand cavalrymen are already an extremely powerful force on the grassland.

The Northern Yuan Dynasty was known to have a hundred thousand cavalrymen. In fact, these one hundred thousand cavalrymen could be said to be the young and strong men of the entire Northern Yuan Dynasty. This number could only be achieved if every citizen was a soldier.

If many households in Ming Dynasty supported one cavalryman, it would be extremely difficult to gather 50,000 cavalrymen.

After spending such a huge price and finally capturing Prince of Yan Zhu Di alive, was it simply exchanged for the lifting of the embargo?

How can I accept this?

Hartaiji immediately signaled his old minister Ou Anmin to speak.

Ou Anmin was also unequivocal and immediately bowed and said, "Your Highness, we..."

"presumptuous!!!"

Zhu Ying suddenly shouted loudly, which instantly frightened Ou Anmin.

Then he looked down on Ou Anmin and scolded him, "You have no right to interrupt me when I am talking. Who are you to bargain with me?"

Then he turned to Hartaiji and said, "This time I came to the grassland in person, naturally I came with sincerity."

"It's just that this conversation made me very disappointed."

"Or do you think that I am just the grandson of the Ming Dynasty and have not yet inherited the throne, so you should look down on me and let such a traitor talk to me, just to disgust me?"

"Let's end today's conversation here. I will wait here for two days. If I don't see your Emperor of Beiyuan, then there is no need to continue discussing this matter."

After saying that, Zhu Ying stood up and left, without giving the Bei Yuan side any chance to react.

The ministers of the Ming Dynasty naturally followed closely, leaving the Northern Yuan Dynasty looking at each other in bewilderment.

Even Ou Anmin, who thought he had a calm mind, now had a dark look on his face.

He didn't expect that the Ming Crown Prince would be so disrespectful and scold him directly to his face. Anyway, he was well-known in the circle of scholars.

Hartaiji's face didn't look very good either.

Although he was not explicitly mentioned, the implicit implication of asking Elbek to come over was clearly that he was not qualified.

"Send an order, and inform His Majesty as quickly as possible that the Ming Dynasty's grandson has arrived in person. Your Majesty, please come and discuss in detail."

Hartaiji seemed to say this with gritted teeth.

There was a slight noise in the silent tent.

…

Ming military camp.

Zhu Ying was naturally in this central tent.

Compared with the big tent on the grassland, it is much more spacious and exquisite.

This is because no one knew that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince would come in person, otherwise it would at least be at the level of a temporary palace.

Zhu Ying doesn't have so many requirements.

Inside the big tent, in addition to civil officials such as Qi Tai, the commanders of dozens of border garrisons and the four generals were also present.

Outside the tent were Zhu Ying's black-armored guards.

Except Qi Tai below.

They are Zhang Yi, Marquis of Heqing, Zhang Wen, Marquis of Huining, Cao Xing, Marquis of Huaiyuan, and Xie Cheng, Marquis of Yongping.

These are all veterans who are truly capable of standing on their own, and they are also ruthless people who have followed Lao Zhu through the hardships and bloody battles.

At the same time, he is also a core veteran figure in the Huaixi noble group.

Currently, the four of them command an army of 100,000 each, and under them each have nearly 20 garrison commanders.

It can be said that the entire border depends on them for defense.

Of course, although it was once very glorious, the original ending was not very good. Almost all of them were implicated and killed because of the Lan Yu case.

Among them was Xie Cheng, Marquis of Yongping, who was considered a royal relative. He was implicated and killed, and his land and houses were confiscated in the second year after the Lan Yu case broke out.

It is worth mentioning that the wife of Zhu Gang’s crown prince Zhu Jihui, Xie, was the daughter of Xie Cheng, Marquis of Yongping.

At this moment, Zhu Ying sat high up in the table, and below him, whether it was the four marquises or other commanders, they all sat upright with solemn expressions, not daring to make the slightest movement.

It’s not that Zhu Ying looks domineering or has any imperial demeanor, but the scene when Zhu Ying entered the tent just now is still deeply engraved in their minds and cannot be forgotten.

Even Zhu Ying himself did not expect that he would have such a high prestige in the hearts of the soldiers.

When Zhu Ying returned from the negotiation tent, the soldiers naturally called out his name: "His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, has arrived!"

At that moment, all the soldiers on duty who heard this voice immediately knelt on one knee and shouted loudly: "Welcome His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!!!"

When the first sound was heard, all the soldiers who heard it.

Whatever he was doing.

They may be patrolling, on guard, walking around, setting up camp, cooking, or training.

Without exception, they all knelt on one knee in the direction where the voice came from, lowered their heads respectfully, and used all their might to roar loudly to welcome His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

Just like that, as the sound continued to spread, all the soldiers kept repeating it.

According to the rules of the Ming Dynasty, it must be recited three times before it is considered finished.

Because of the distance, the shouts continued one after another, like huge waves, surging one after another.

Four hundred thousand troops!!!

The hysterical shouts of four hundred thousand troops.

Especially in such an open place like the grassland.

The white clouds were dispersed, the ground was shaken, and the cattle and horses were frightened.

The entire world was filled with voices welcoming His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

Even the Northern Yuan army, ten miles away, could hear it very clearly.

This kind of power was not created. Everyone could hear the sincerity in the soldiers' voices, their ardent faith, and their terrifying morale.

Just a mere appearance was enough to fill all the soldiers on the border with enthusiasm.

It’s horrible, so horrible.

This is the will of the people and the army.

Zhu Ying had lived in the capital area for a long time, and he did not know what the things he did for the soldiers in the garrison meant.

He didn't know that while he was constantly reforming military rules and regulations, and making changes to the soldiers' food, drink, and funeral arrangements.

Many soldiers were moved to tears when they heard the news.

How many soldiers, in the dark night, quietly used the sharp blades in their hands to carve on the wooden block that had been secretly carved during the day, stroke by stroke, to carve the longevity tablet for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

How many soldiers received letters from their distant relatives because of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?

In that letter, every word and sentence used the simplest and most sincere words to praise the goodness of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

From ancient times to the present, when has there ever been a king who would pay so much attention to these soldiers?

People's hearts are always mutual.

When Zhu Ying did these things, he didn't think too much about it. He just felt that the soldiers today were treated too poorly and their lives were too hard.

As the sword of the country, it certainly needs to be wiped well.

But these seemingly insignificant things were deeply engraved in the hearts of all the soldiers.

They have nothing to offer in return to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.

This time, when I suddenly heard that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was arriving at the border and heard the unbelievable welcome, I could only use all my strength and shout out the loudest voice to convey my truest emotions.

This is why there is such a shocking scene.

These shouts frightened the soldiers of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.

For the first time, they felt what fear was without even meeting a person.

If such a Ming Dynasty Crown Prince personally led the army, what kind of terrifying fighting power would the Ming Dynasty soldiers unleash?

Everything in front of us will be completely destroyed.

Hartaiji stood in front of the big tent, looking deeply in the direction where the sound came from.

The face of the Ming Dynasty's grandson appeared in my mind.

That clean and handsome appearance gradually merged with the appearance of his ancestor Genghis Khan.

Perhaps our ancestor Genghis Khan was just like the current Ming Dynasty Crown Prince, possessing the power to shock the world.

For the first time, he felt afraid.

Therefore, in such a situation, no matter how proud the general was, no matter how meritorious the garrison commander was, no matter how proud the minister was in his heart.

When facing His Royal Highness the Crown Prince in the big tent, all the edges and corners were completely smoothed out.

They knew very well that with just one order from the very young Crown Prince, anyone would be torn to pieces by the soldiers without causing any ripples.

"Everyone, don't be so nervous. You're making me look like a ghost that wants to kill you."

"I look in the mirror often, and I don't look that scary."

Zhu Ying's chuckle rang out in the big tent, relaxing many people's tense nerves a little.

But I still didn't dare to laugh, it was too suppressed.

Especially the four marquises.

As one of the first people to follow Emperor Hongwu in the battles, he could talk and laugh even in front of His Majesty, but he did not dare to overstep the mark in front of the Crown Prince who was obviously just a junior.

The achievements and identities they were so proud of seemed to have no effect at all.

Zhu Ying was also helpless.

I originally felt that the situation was a bit cold, and wanted to tell a joke to ease the atmosphere.

As a result, the atmosphere now seems to be even colder.

Forget it, give up and get straight to the point.

"Thank you, Cheng."

"I will be here in the end."

Zhu Ying just shouted, and Xie Cheng shuddered immediately, his body like a frightened cat, and he immediately knelt on one knee and replied.

He was already in his fifties, with grey hair on his temples, but he was as nervous in front of Zhu Ying as a child facing his teacher.

"Stand up and answer me. There's no need to be so restrained. After all, your son-in-law is my younger brother."

"Please tell me about the current situation in the military camp, such as the food and fodder logistics, the soldiers' training, and the mood for going to war."

When he first arrived at the camp, Zhu Ying naturally wanted to understand the situation in the camp.

This is an army of 400,000. No matter where or when, it is a powerful force that cannot be ignored.

The total population of some small countries is not even that large.

Only the Ming Dynasty, with its vast territory, could support so many soldiers.

Yongping Marquis Xie Cheng took a deep breath and began to describe the situation and arrangements in the camp.

The tone of voice went from being nervous and stuttering at the beginning to gradually becoming natural later on.

The atmosphere in the big tent gradually eased.

After Xie Cheng finished his introduction, Zhu Ying had a general understanding.

When it comes to the lives of 400,000 troops, every aspect of life requires great attention, and a small detail may have a big impact.

Especially in terms of logistics arrangements, the transportation of food and fodder is of paramount importance.

Because almost all the war horses at the border have been transferred to the grassland military base, the only animal power now is ox carts and some slow horses.

The movement of infantry on the grassland is very slow. Compared with the highly mobile cavalry, it is like a turtle crawling.

An army of 400,000 may sound scary, but according to the current regulations of the Ming Dynasty, less than 30% of them are auxiliary troops.

The regulations require that there must be 23 combat soldiers out of every 100 people. Generally, this ratio is not reached, but as a border post, it is already very close.

In other words, among the 400,000-strong army, there were actually less than 100,000 actual combat soldiers.

The remaining 300,000 people basically serve these 100,000 combat soldiers.

Of course, these auxiliary soldiers also have certain combat capabilities. They are not just the atmosphere group in the war. They also wear swords and undergo daily training.

After listening to it, Zhu Ying thought for a moment, pointed out a few details and asked commanders like Xie Cheng to pay more attention to them, and that was it.

After all, the four marquises have been leading the army for many years, and they are extremely mature in all aspects, whether it is leading troops or management, so there won't be any major mistakes.

It is a pity in history that most of these veteran generals who had fought in many battles died in the Lan Yu case. This was also the key reason why the combat effectiveness of the Ming army declined sharply after Zhu Di seized the throne.

Zhu Di also led five personal expeditions to Mongolia, but failed to achieve a great victory, and finally died of illness in Yumuchuan on the way.

If all the generals who were related to Lan Yu were present, things would become much simpler.

After giving the order, Zhu Ying turned the topic to the Han officials of the Northern Yuan Dynasty.