My aunt is Queen Ma

Chapter 61 The Path to Strengthening the Grasslands

The next morning, Ma Yu was awakened from her sleep by a series of shouts.

"Young master... young master... wake up quickly."

Ma Yu opened his eyes and, finding himself in the presence of a palace attendant, groggily said:
"doing what?"

The eunuch said, "General Chang has woken up. His Majesty summons you."

Ma Yu instantly snapped out of it, jumped off the bed, and ran outside:

"Come on."

The eunuch, holding a wet towel, chased after them, shouting:

"Young master, please be patient. Wash your face first."

In ancient times, when meeting the emperor, being clean and tidy was the most basic requirement.

Another important point is oral hygiene; one should not have overly strong breath, lest it offend the emperor when they are in close proximity.

Therefore, the ancients also came up with various methods, and spices were also used.

Besides being used to scent clothes, it can also be held in the mouth.

Chicken tongue flavoring was invented to meet this need; it can be held in the mouth to mask bad breath.

Therefore, in ancient times, cloves also had another meaning: a smooth career and serving the emperor.

Cao Cao once gave Zhuge Liang a gift, which was a box of chicken tongue incense.

It wasn't a mockery of Zhuge Liang for having bad breath, but rather a way of recruiting him.

Therefore, the eunuch's request for Ma Yu to wash his face was not out of ignorance of the seriousness of the matter, nor was it an intentional attempt to make things difficult for him; rather, it was an attempt to curry favor with him.

Otherwise, they could simply ignore everything and let you go to see the emperor with sleepy eyes, in which case you would inevitably make a fool of yourself in front of the emperor.

Even if the emperor is magnanimous and doesn't blame you, the Ministry of Rites will still hold it against you severely, and you can forget about passing the assessment every three years.

But Ma Yu couldn't care less about that.

You think my breath is too strong? I'll suffocate you, Zhu Chongba!

However, the eunuch was very persistent and kept following him, trying to stuff the towel into his hand.

Unable to refuse such hospitality, he could only accept it and wipe it haphazardly a few times.

That wasn't all; the eunuch then took out a small paper packet and handed it over.

Ma Yu took it with a puzzled look, opened it and saw that it was a pinch of tea leaves, and immediately understood what it was for.

Cleanse your mouth.

In an emergency, chewing it can also help eliminate bad breath.

This eunuch is very thoughtful.

Ma Yu glanced at him thoughtfully and asked:

"What's your name?"

The eunuch said obsequiously, "Young master, my name is Wu Zhuo."

Ma Yu nodded and said, "Don't cause trouble in the palace, or no one can save you."

Wu Zhuo was overjoyed and replied, "Young master, rest assured, this servant will definitely live an honest life and serve His Majesty and the Empress well."

Ma Yu nodded and said nothing more.

If he behaves himself in the palace, it's not a big deal if someone bullies him and he speaks up for them.

If he's not being honest, then pretend I never said those words today.

The implication is already quite clear; as for what happens next, we'll leave it to fate.

He wasn't bribed by these small benefits, nor was he trying to scheme for anything.

Rather, Wu Zhuo seems quite clever, and it's always good to make more friends.

Just like in the officialdom of the past, everyone would try to form a good relationship with the secretary and driver of the big boss.
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He made his way to the side hall, pretended to tidy his appearance, and then stepped into the hall.

Zhu Biao was the first to notice him coming in and greeted him:

"Cousin, you're here."

Ma Yu returned the greeting calmly.

Hearing the commotion, the others also came to look.

Then Chang Sheng rushed over, excitedly saying:
"Big brother, you've arrived... My father is awake, my father is awake."

Ma Yu patted his head and teased him:
"That's good, but you're not allowed to cry anymore."

Chang Sheng immediately lowered his head in embarrassment, not daring to look at anyone.

Then Consort Chang also came over, solemnly performed a curtsy, and said:

"Thank you, cousin."

Ma Yu turned slightly to receive the half-bow, then returned the bow, saying:

"Sister-in-law, you're too kind. Chang Sheng and I are like brothers. General Chang is like my uncle. It's only right that we do this."

At this moment, Chang Mao also came over hesitantly, cupped his hands and said:

"Young Master Xie Ma..."

Lan Yu, who was a step too slow, turned pale and kicked him in the butt, sending him flying a long way.

"You scoundrel, is this how you thank your benefactor?"

Then he knelt down on the ground with a thud:
"Thank you for saving my brother-in-law. Please don't hesitate to ask if you ever need my help."

"If Lan Yu even flinched when faced with danger or hardship, he wouldn't be a man."

Ma Yu almost covered her eyes. Was Lan Yu really that naive?

You said that to Zhu Yuanzhang's face. Did you think he was magnanimous, or did you think we weren't dying fast enough?

With that kind of emotional intelligence, no wonder he was so arrogant and domineering in his past life.

Fortunately, Zhu Yuanzhang merely snorted coldly, turned his head to the side, and said nothing.

However, it didn't seem like he was angry with Lan Yu, but rather that he couldn't stand seeing Ma Yu being praised.

At this moment, Empress Ma's voice rang out:

"Boren, don't move."

However, it was Chang Yuchun, who was lying in his sickbed. Upon hearing that he had arrived, he struggled to get up, but Empress Ma noticed him in time.

Ma Yu didn't dare to delay any longer, and quickly went to the bedside, saying:

"Uncle, lie down and don't move. It's still a dangerous period. Be careful of a relapse."

He sealed their relationship with a single sentence, but no one thought he had done anything wrong.

Upon hearing this, Chang Yuchun dared not insist any longer. He lay back down, his face a mixture of shame and gratitude, and said somewhat awkwardly:
“Young Master Ma, you are so considerate of me, yet I misunderstood that you had ulterior motives.”

"Now I'm alive because of you, I, Old Chang, have no face to see you..."

Empress Ma interrupted him, saying, "What Young Master Ma? Call him by his name."

"Not to mention that he and Chang Sheng addressed each other as brothers."

“Just say he’s my nephew, and you call me big sister, then you’re his uncle.”

“It is only natural for a nephew to help his uncle.”

"If you really want to thank me, you don't need to say it. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

Chang Yuchun argued, "That's different..."

Empress Ma interrupted him, saying in an unquestionable tone:
"Shut up. If you're sick, just rest and take care of yourself. Don't say anything more."

"Once you're better, you can thank me however you like."

Ma Yu then chimed in, "Yes, Uncle, do you perhaps think I'm not worthy to be my aunt's nephew, or perhaps you think I'm not worthy to be Chang Sheng's brother?"

"Otherwise, why be so formal?"

"If you continue like this, I will have no choice but to sever ties with Chang Sheng."

Chang Yuchun quickly said, "That's not what I meant..."

Empress Ma interrupted him again, saying, "If you're not going to talk, then just lie down and get well first."

Chang Yuchun could only give a bitter smile and remain silent.

But his gratitude towards Ma Yu did not diminish at all; on the contrary, he felt even more guilty.

After all, I misunderstood others and ended up benefiting from it; I feel ashamed.

Ma Yu was also very pleased, at least he hadn't saved an ungrateful person.

It seems that historical records are not always entirely wrong; Chang Yuchun was a man who clearly distinguished between gratitude and resentment.

They were extremely cruel and bloodthirsty towards the enemy, and killing prisoners was a common occurrence.

Zhu Yuanzhang criticized him a lot for this and even sent a group of people to manage prisoners to follow him.

However, it also records that he was loyal and righteous.

He always charged ahead in every battle and covered the rear during retreats.

He also distributed spoils and rewards to his soldiers, which is why he was so beloved.

Besides, he had just saved his life.

This wave of investment is a sure thing.

After exchanging pleasantries, Ma Yu and Zheng Liangqi conducted a joint medical consultation for Chang Yuchun.

After all, he had just recovered from a stroke, so his reactions were still rather slow, and his slow speech was the most obvious sign.

However, this is actually not a problem.

These are temporary symptoms and will resolve quickly.

Moreover, he did not exhibit any loss of facial expression control, which is already considered a very mild symptom.

But there's also some bad news.

That means he did experience some numbness and weakness on the left side of his body, which falls under the category of sequelae.

The medical term is hemiplegia.

The good news is that his symptoms are not severe, and he can still move his hands and feet.

Ma Yu carefully searched her memory for information about the aftereffects of a stroke and offered several suggestions.

"Appropriate exercise, massage, and acupuncture can help with recovery."

Zheng Liangqi nodded repeatedly; this was actually his idea as well.

Ma Yu thought for a moment and then added, "Get two massage balls, and play with them every day."

Zheng Liangqi's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "What is a massage ball?"

Ma Yu explained, "It's just two round balls that you hold in your hand and keep spinning them around... didn't you know that?"

Zheng Liangqi shook his head, somewhat ashamed, and said, "I am ignorant and have made you laugh at me, young master."

Ma Yu scratched his head, wondering if there weren't any massage balls available yet.

I've been misled by TV dramas and movies, damn it.

Somewhat embarrassed, I could only say, "I saw my elders at home often playing with it, so I thought it was something that already existed outside."

Zheng Liangqi said, "I have never heard of this before. It must have been invented by your elders."

Ma Yu nodded and didn't dwell on it any longer, briefly explaining the design and effects of the massage ball.

In fact, the earliest record of this thing that can be found is from the Jiajing period of the Ming Dynasty.

It's highly unlikely that it exists right now, and even if it does, it's only played by a few individuals and hasn't become widespread yet.

A loud drum doesn't need a heavy hammer; Zheng Liangqi understood immediately and couldn't help but praise:
"Your elder is truly a highly skilled physician; I wish I could hear his teachings in person."

Ma Yu said modestly, "You're too kind, Dean Zheng. You are the true master of medicine in China."

After exchanging a few compliments, the two finalized Chang Yuchun's treatment plan.

Of course, it was mainly Zheng Liangqi who made the decisions; Ma Yu only offered some suggestions.

He didn't know much about medicine and didn't dare to say too much, lest he mislead Zheng Liangqi and cause trouble.

Everyone thought this was normal.

After all, his persona is that he heard some medical knowledge from his elders, but he has never actually studied medicine.

Afterwards, Zhu Yuanzhang spread the news that Chang Yuchun had woken up and was not seriously injured.

A stroke patient is not seriously injured? Naturally, everyone was skeptical.

Soon, acquaintances such as Li Shanchang, Wang Guangyang, and Liu Bowen came to visit him. After seeing his current condition with their own eyes, they had no choice but to believe it.

Then... the Rejuvenating Pill, which was previously scorned by everyone, became the most sought-after medicine.

Many high-ranking officials and nobles wanted to keep a few of these on hand to save their lives.

However, this belongs to the imperial court and cannot be seen by others.

Moreover, Zhu Yuanzhang specifically ordered that the prescription not be leaked.

Then the Imperial Hospital was ordered to produce a large batch, which was then distributed as a reward to meritorious officials.

This naturally earned the gratitude of the courtiers.

Those who were not given medicine began to work hard, hoping to earn a reward.

In the general public, the price of the Rejuvenating Pill has been driven up to exorbitant levels.

Unfortunately, unless absolutely necessary, no one sells them.

Ma Yu couldn't help but sigh, "Zhu Yuanzhang really knew how to seize opportunities to win people's hearts."

As for making a batch privately to sell for money... he hadn't thought about it.

It wasn't that they were afraid Zhu Yuanzhang wouldn't agree, but rather that this thing was morally reprehensible.

There are so few rhinoceroses. If the medicinal formula were made public, they would probably become extinct very soon.

Let's wait until we have the capacity to establish a protected area before considering selling medicine.

As for publishing the prescription... don't worry, someone will leak it in the future.

Closer to home.

Chang Yuchun rested in the palace for two days, and after his condition stabilized, he took the initiative to request to return home.

Zhu Yuanzhang did not keep him in the palace any longer, as it was inconvenient and against the rules.

He simply ordered the imperial physician to come to his door every day to treat him.

Consort Chang was also allowed to leave the palace to go home and take care of her father.

Then... a long queue stretching for miles formed outside the Chang Mansion.

Moreover, those who came to visit were not stewards or the like, but the heads of the families themselves.

If the head of the family is not at home, it is either the family heir or another important figure.

These people naturally couldn't see Chang Yuchun, but they still came nonetheless.

However, while others might not be able to see him, Ma Yu could see him at any time.

As mentioned before, his family is neighbors with the Xu and Chang families, so visiting each other is very easy.

Chang Yuchun had specifically instructed his servants that Ma Yu must be allowed to enter when he came to visit.

Therefore, Ma Yu would visit the Chang residence every few days to exchange pleasantries with Chang Yuchun.

Of course, the main purpose was to listen to Chang Yuchun brag.

"You have no idea, back in Caishiji, if it weren't for me, Old Chang..."

"During the Battle of Poyang Lake, Zhang Dingbian was about to rush to the top, and everyone was terrified."

"It was my old Chang who drew his bow and shot an arrow, piercing his armor from two miles away, which scared him away..."

"Twenty-three days, a full twenty-three days without sleep or rest, covering three thousand...five thousand li, those Mongols were all dizzy from being shaken."

"It's just that Emperor Zhizheng ran away quickly, otherwise I would have captured him and brought him to Shuntian, where I would have made him perform a dance at the banquet..."

At this point, he also expressed his great regret that he had not been able to see Emperor Zhizheng dance.

Ma Yu wanted to laugh but dared not, feeling incredibly uncomfortable holding it in.

However, there are benefits to bragging like this often; at least his mindset won't be affected, which is very important for patients.

Moreover, talking frequently can exercise the brain and language skills, and is also a form of rehabilitation training.

So, after only ten days, Chang Yuchun was able to speak normally again.

Now, apart from his left hand and left foot still being somewhat unresponsive, he is no different from an ordinary person.

That day, he was boasting with Ma Yu and others, and they had just started talking about their regret at not being able to capture Emperor Zhizheng alive when they heard Zhu Yuanzhang's voice:
"Then you should take good care of your health, strive to recover as soon as possible, and go back to the battlefield to capture him."

Li Wenzhong and Lan Yu were following behind him.

"Your Excellency." Chang Yuchun quickly stood up to greet him. Ma Yu, Zhu Shuang, Chang Sheng, and others also stood up to pay their respects.

After exchanging greetings, everyone sat down again, but Chang Sheng and the other children tactfully left.

Only Ma Yu, Zhu Shuang, and Chang Mao remained.

Zhu Yuanzhang first inquired about Chang Yuchun's health and then specifically asked Ma Yu how long it would take for him to return to the battlefield.

In fact, he already knew about this, and that he needed to rest for at least six months, or at least a year, to be on the safe side.

Asking again now seems a bit long-winded.

People naturally wouldn't think that way; there must be a reason why he asked that question.

As for the reason, everyone can guess.

Sure enough, after Ma Yu answered that it would take six months to a year, he hesitated for a moment before saying:
"Now is a crucial moment for unifying the world. We are thinking of appointing another general to lead your troops. What do you think?"

Chang Yuchun said solemnly, "Why would someone in a high position ask such a question? Those troops are all yours; I am only temporarily leading them for a few days."

“Now that I, Old Chang, am not in good health, we must replace him with a capable general. You should make the decision on this matter.”

Zhu Yuanzhang looked pleased, but hesitated and said, "But we can't think of anyone suitable right now. Do you have someone you like?"

Chang Yuchun laughed and said, "It's like being blind to your own shortcomings. The most suitable candidate is right in front of you."

Zhu Yuanzhang glanced at everyone with a puzzled look, his gaze finally settling on Li Wenzhong. He slapped his forehead and said:

"Oh dear, look how forgetful we are, we've completely forgotten about Siben."

Then he said to Li Wenzhong, "Siben, Boren has recommended you. I wonder if you dare to take on this important task?"

Li Wenzhong rose and bowed, saying, "This humble general will certainly not fail in his mission."

Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "That's good, but you should thank Bo Ren."

Li Wenzhong then bowed deeply to Chang Yuchun to express his gratitude.

Then Zhu Yuanzhang appointed Lan Yu as commander to serve under Li Wenzhong.

Lan Yu also stood up and bowed in thanks.

Ma Yu, standing to the side, thought to herself, "What a bunch of old foxes."

In fact, this was decided long ago; it's just a formality now, to make everyone look good on the surface.

Don't think this formality is useless; without it, many problems would arise.

Now, Zhu Yuanzhang has achieved his goal and maintained his personal relationship with Chang Yuchun.

Li Wenzhong successfully took control of Chang Yuchun's more than 100,000 soldiers.

Moreover, it was Chang Yuchun who actively recommended him, so the soldiers wouldn't have any other thoughts.

Chang Yuchun himself also gained a personal favor, since he was nominally the one who recommended Li Wenzhong.

Of course, all of this is just speculation.

For Chang Yuchun, the real benefit was that Lan Yu officially became a military general, instead of just a personal guard.

To put it bluntly, he was his spokesperson in the military.

It can be said that everyone's personal and social well-being have been taken care of.

Although Lao Chang is reckless and likes to boast, he is really smart and has high emotional intelligence.

It makes sense when you think about it. If he were really just a reckless man, why would Zhu Yuanzhang trust and value him so much?

In comparison, Blue Jade is more than one level below.

Chang Mao, standing to the side, looked completely bewildered, having no idea what everyone was talking about.

This thing is even worse than Blue Jade.

As for Zhu Shuang, he yawned to the side, finding the chatter of these old foxes utterly boring.

It's more interesting to listen to Uncle Chang brag.

After finishing their business, everyone started chatting, mainly about the war to unify the world.

Everyone was optimistic that they could unify the Central Plains and the Jiangnan region in a year at most.

Next, they dealt with the Xia regime in Sichuan, the Liangwang regime in Yunnan, Nahachu in Liaodong, and the Zhizheng Emperor and Wang Baobao's group who had fled to the grasslands one by one.

At this point, Zhu Yuanzhang laughed and said, "By then, Bo Ren will have recovered his health, and we can lead our troops into the grasslands to capture Emperor Zhizheng alive."

Chang Yuchun laughed loudly, "Don't worry, I, Old Chang, will definitely not let you down."

Ma Yu originally didn't want to say anything, after all, it was just casual conversation, why take it so seriously.

But thinking of the failure of the Northern Expedition in the fifth year of Hongwu's reign, he felt it would be better to take the opportunity to pour some cold water on the situation.

In the fifth year of the Hongwu reign, Zhu Yuanzhang dispatched an army of 150,000 to attack Helin.

This is the stronghold of Emperor Zhizheng and Wang Baobao. If we win this battle, the Northern Yuan will be basically destroyed.

The various forces on the grasslands would then become a disorganized mess, allowing the Ming Dynasty to defeat them one by one.

To ensure victory, Zhu Yuanzhang appointed Xu Da, Li Wenzhong, and Feng Sheng as commanders, and ordered valiant generals such as Fu Youde and Lan Yu to accompany the army.

Just by looking at this list, you can tell that this is the founding team of the Ming Dynasty.

However, this group of talented individuals was lured into a trap by Wang Baobao, who then defeated them one by one, resulting in a crushing defeat for Wang Baobao.

Only Feng Sheng's recapture of the Hexi Corridor managed to preserve some of the territory.

However, the impact of this major defeat on the overall situation was enormous.

Although the Northern Yuan royal family no longer held much authority, he was still the nominal Great Khan of the Mongols, and the various tribes still had to respect him as their master.

Thanks to the Northern Yuan court's mediation, the Mongol tribes were not torn apart.

To a certain extent, they could unite against the Ming Dynasty.

The difficulty of unification suddenly increased several times over.

It took the Ming army more than 20 years to recover the Han territory in the traditional sense.

It can be said that this defeat delayed the process of the Ming Dynasty unifying the country by at least ten years.

But is it just a waste of ten years?

No, the manpower and resources consumed are even more immeasurable.

To put it simply, a unified dynasty will experience a period of population growth in its first twenty years.

Even the Western Jin Dynasty, which everyone despises, was like this for its first twenty years.

However, in the case of the Ming Dynasty, the total population at the end of the Hongwu reign was almost the same as that at the beginning of the dynasty.

Where did all these people go?

They were consumed in the war of unification.

This only accounts for the population; the other resources consumed are immeasurable.

What would it look like if these people and resources were used to build a country?
Therefore, it is easy to imagine how great the impact of this defeat was on the Ming Dynasty.

Although the exact cause of that great defeat in history is unknown.

But seeing Zhu Yuanzhang and the others looking so smug and not taking the Northern Yuan seriously at all, he couldn't help himself.

"Do I think everyone is being a little too optimistic?"

The scene fell silent instantly.

Zhu Shuang, who was just drifting off to sleep, suddenly woke up. This was going to be interesting.

Li Wenzhong and Lan Yu were both surprised; this kid was a bit... blunt.

Chang Yuchun had already learned some things about Ma Yu from his daughter, so he was still somewhat surprised by her bluntness.

However, to their even greater astonishment, Zhu Yuanzhang was not angry at all; on the contrary, he seemed rather pleased and said:

"What, do you have a different opinion?"

Ma Yu nodded and said, "A little bit."

Zhu Yuanzhang urged, "Tell me quickly."

Seeing his eagerness, Chang Yuchun, Li Wenzhong, and Lan Yu were all puzzled.

But my curiosity was also piqued.

Could this kid really come up with some profound truths? Otherwise, why would he have risen to such a position?

Ma Yu coughed lightly and said, "You should all know about the history of the grasslands, right? Don't you have this feeling?"

"Throughout history, the overall strength of grassland ethnic groups has actually been increasing, and their resilience has also been growing stronger."

"In their battles against the Han Chinese dynasties, their advantage has grown significantly."

Chang Yuchun and Lan Yu scratched their heads, completely clueless.

Zhu Yuanzhang and Li Wenzhong fell into deep thought.

After a long silence, Li Wenzhong finally spoke up: "Isn't this a consequence of the Song Dynasty's emphasis on civil affairs and suppression of military power?"

Ma Yu shook his head and said, "Since the Wu Zhou period, the Khitan have been a major threat."

"The Tang Dynasty fought more than ten large-scale battles with the Khitan, suffering more defeats than victories."

"There were five major battles involving hundreds of thousands of people, and the Tang Dynasty was defeated four times, including two complete annihilation of its army."

Even during the prosperous Kaiyuan era, the Khitans still managed to gain the upper hand in their battles against the Tang Dynasty.

Li Wenzhong immediately fell silent. Although he was a wise general skilled in military strategy, his understanding of history was not that detailed.

I had no idea that the Tang Dynasty had this side to it.

Chang Yuchun and Lan Yu were even more confused; they were completely bewildered.

Zhu Yuanzhang was quite knowledgeable about history, and naturally knew about this period of history as well.

He used to think it was purely a matter of selecting generals.

But after hearing Ma Yu's question and considering similar events in history, it seems that this is indeed the case.

Moreover, he had a vague answer in his mind: productivity.

The productivity of the Central Plains dynasties continued to grow, as did the grasslands, making it increasingly difficult to defeat them.

However, he did not voice his thoughts, but instead asked:

"Why is this so?"

Ma Yu replied, "Learning, our civilization is progressing, and they are also progressing through learning."

Zhu Yuanzhang showed an expression of knowing satisfaction, but he still didn't say anything.

Although he guessed it was related to productivity, he didn't know much about the details.

He was waiting for Ma Yu to give him the specific details.

Li Wenzhong simply stopped thinking for himself and just listened to the ready-made answer.

Chang Yuchun and Lan Yu immediately perked up, eager to hear what reasoning he could offer.

The topic has been set up, and Ma Yu will begin her analysis from the beginning:
"Let's first talk about the way of life of the tribe, which can be roughly divided into three types."

"One is the agricultural society, and the Chinese are a typical example."

"The second is nomadic groups, represented by the grasslands."

"Thirdly, there are fishing and hunting groups. Liaodong is mostly inhabited by fishing and hunting groups, such as the Jurchens."

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded; he already knew this.

Li Wenzhong was somewhat surprised. Could it be classified like this? But upon closer reflection, it seemed to make sense.

They were even more surprised; Ma Yu's skills were indeed extraordinary, no wonder the higher-ups valued him so much.

Chang Yuchun and Lan Yu frowned, "What are you talking about? Get to the point!"

"Agricultural groups are the most stable, and their food sources are relatively stable and diverse."

"When we have a surplus of food, other needs arise, and that's when all kinds of industries emerge."

"Therefore, although agricultural societies are based on farming, they actually have a variety of industries developing simultaneously."

"If the upper limit for all industries is set at 100 points, then China's agricultural technology would be 99 points."

"Other industries generally scored around 70 as well."

"The lifestyle of fishing and hunting groups is mainly based on fishing and hunting, but some also engage in simple farming."

"Their food sources are quite diverse, but due to the harsh environment, each aspect is rather mediocre, so I can only give them a score of 20 or 30."

"However, the harsh natural environment of Liaodong made them physically strong and resilient, and they would kill each other for a bite to eat."

"A single Liaodong man is nothing special, but once they gather in groups, they often unleash a powerful fighting force."

"Nomadic groups, as the name suggests, are groups that live on the grasslands and make a living by herding livestock."

"Their lifestyle is very simple, and their food source is also very simple, which is herding."

"As for other industries, there has been almost no development."

"Therefore, they are experts in a single field, and have developed the animal husbandry industry to a level of 90."

"Because they grew up on horseback, they are skilled in riding and archery, and their cavalry skills are also at a high level."

He paused here, giving the others time to think, and poured himself a glass of water to moisten his throat.

Zhu Yuanzhang was the first to figure it out, but he didn't speak directly; instead, he observed the expressions of the others.

Li Wenzhong fell into deep thought, clearly having gained some insight.

Chang Yuchun looked indifferent and simply gave up thinking about it.

Lan Yu followed suit, saying, "I'll just be a general and only be in charge of fighting."

These are things that higher-ups are considering; they have nothing to do with me.

Zhu Yuanzhang was actually quite pleased with this, because these were truly pure military generals who never cared about anything else and he didn't have to worry about them rebelling.

Because they know nothing but fighting, and no one would follow them in a rebellion.

After a while, Li Wenzhong raised his head and glanced at Zhu Yuanzhang, but said nothing.

Zhu Yuanzhang knew that he had figured it out, so he spoke:

"Go on."

Ma Yu put down her water glass and said, "Now we'll focus on the nomadic groups of the grasslands."

"Our earliest impression of nomadic peoples probably comes from the Xiongnu, so let's start with them."

Chang Yuchun and Lan Yu finally perked up; were they about to talk about the Han-Xiongnu War?

"The earliest Xiongnu cavalry were not strong in terms of charging ability and archery ability."

"The reason is simple: back then there were no Takahashi saddles, so they had to hold the horse's belly with their legs and use one hand to hold the reins."

"Under these circumstances, launching a frontal assault would be extremely difficult."

"It's almost impossible to shoot an arrow while running."

"Often, the distance is created first, and then the warhorses are stopped before the arrows are shot."

"When the Han army caught up, they widened the distance again."

"Only a few exceptionally talented individuals, such as Li Guang, might be able to truly master mounted archery."

Li Wenzhong questioned, "Then why was there the Siege of Baideng?"

Ma Yu said, "Because cavalry have strong mobility, they can assemble and disperse more quickly."

“When the Han army had a large number of troops, they would avoid them and then mobilize more troops to create a numerical advantage and launch an attack.”

"But their ability to overcome difficulties is extremely poor."

According to historical records, Emperor Gaozu of Han was able to escape the siege of Baideng by bribing the chieftain's wife, Maodun Chanyu.

"However, given Maodun's character, how could he possibly be swayed by a woman?"

"The fact is, although he used the mobility of his cavalry to surround Emperor Gaozu of Han at Baideng, he was unable to take it down."

"But to withdraw like this would be tantamount to admitting that he couldn't win, which would damage his prestige."

"It just so happened that Emperor Gaozu of Han bribed the Great Queen Consort, so he used this as an excuse to withdraw his troops."

In this way, everyone will think that he left because of the influence of his wife.

It's normal for men to occasionally make mistakes when they're easily swayed by women.

No one thought he couldn't conquer the city head-on; he remained the invincible Modu Chanyu.

Chang Yuchun suddenly realized and said, "So that's how it is."

“I knew it. Maodun could even kill his favorite concubine before. How could he listen to a woman and give up the opportunity to capture the enemy leader alive?”

Zhu Yuanzhang nodded and said, "This explanation is very reasonable and is similar to my guess."

"I only thought that the Xiongnu were not good at attacking fortified positions, but I didn't know that their cavalry could not even charge or shoot from horseback."

"And then, continue."

(End of this chapter)