The troops entering the city separated in front of the Yanwang Mansion, and Xu Da and other generals naturally entered the Yanwang Mansion, while the soldiers entered the city's drill ground, and the grand and majestic entry ceremony also came to an end.

  Zhu Di had already set up a banquet with wine and music in the palace, and the first celebration feast for the triumphant return of the northern expedition began in the Yanwang Palace.

  Many northern expedition generals took their seats, and Zhu Di even invited Xu Da to the main seat. In terms of official status, Xu Da was the Grand Marshal of the Northern Expedition and the Duke of Wei State, far superior to Zhu Di, who had just been enfeoffed as a small king. In private, Xu Da was also Zhu Di's father-in-law, so it was only fitting that he took the main seat in both official and private capacities.

  The second-grade position was originally intended by Zhu Di to be given to Xinguo Gong Tang He, but Tang He refused to agree, and after repeated humble refusals, he still insisted on taking the second-grade seat. Tang He was a clever person, and as someone who had always been low-key, how could he let a royal prince sit below him?

  "Music! Upper seats!" A eunuch beside Zhu Di shouted at his signal.

  The once quiet hall was suddenly filled with tables of wine and meat, beautiful women dancing, and a crowd of military officers and civil officials naturally raised their cups to drink freely. The northern expeditionary army's princes drank openly and unrestrainedly, while the civil officials who accompanied them in Beiping City sipped their wine slowly and elegantly, the distinction between the two sides being clearly visible.

  Zhu Dian naturally accompanied Xu Da and Tang He, asking about the situation of this northern expedition while carefully discussing how his own middle guard had performed. Although he had already received a battle report written by Tang Yun himself earlier, it was the evaluation from the mouths of the two northern expedition commanders that was most true.

  "Your Highness, don't worry. Although your Imperial Guard suffered some losses this time, in my opinion, the gains far outweigh the losses. The victory at Gaozhou City was indeed due to the power of firearms, but the fact that we beheaded tens of thousands of enemy soldiers is no exaggeration. It's also a great credit to the Imperial Guard. After this northern expedition, I'm sure many brave and fierce warriors will emerge." said Tang He, slurring his words in intoxication.

  "Not bad, this batch of people indeed has some good seedlings. Among them, Qianhu Chou Fuxing is steady and clear-headed, a general in the making; Qianhu Zhu Neng is quick-witted and daring, will definitely become a great talent in the future. There are also some Baihus like Liu Sheng who are not bad either, compared to the Beijing army they are not inferior. Ah! And there's another Zongqi who's not bad either, Xu Sheng personally tested his martial arts skills, and Li Zhi was no match for him. That kid's name is Zhang Feng or something.

  On the surface, Xu Da seems to be keeping a distance from Zhu Di, but from this detailed analysis of personnel, it can be seen that he still has some care for his son-in-law."

  Zhu Di naturally nodded repeatedly, memorizing the names mentioned by Xu Da in his heart. Those who can enter the eyes of the current Wei Guo Gong are definitely not ordinary talents. These people will all be important figures in his personal army and three guards in the future.

  But what surprised Zhu Di the most was Zhang Feng, this commander-in-chief. He didn't expect that his own Imperial Guard would have such a hidden dragon and crouching tiger, who could make Xu Sheng, famous for his bravery, sigh in admiration. This person is definitely worth paying attention to, but why does this name sound so familiar? It seems like the last time they suppressed bandits was related to him. Later, he'll ask Tang Yun about Zhang Feng's background. Zhu Di thought to himself secretly.

  "Cheers!"

  "Come on! Fill it up!"

  "Zhao Yong, you son of a bitch! How dare you secretly pour away the wine! Are you a man!"

  "Shut up! You're talking nonsense, Wang Butcher! I finished drinking my wine a long time ago!"

  In the midst of clinking cups and plates, a group of generals were drinking to the point of dizziness, spewing out foul language nonstop. The unbridled nature of warriors was fully revealed in this moment.

  On the other hand, the scholars on that side had a look of being unable to bear the disturbance. With Xu Da's consent, the civil officials led by the Minister of Administration retreated first, and the military generals didn't care either. Since ancient times, it has been said that literary and martial arts do not match, they still have to drink and make trouble, feeling uncomfortable. The grand hall of the Yanwang Mansion, where official documents were handled daily, suddenly became a place for these military officials to vent their emotions.

  At this time, Xu Da, Tang He and Fu Youde were also invited to the back hall.

  After drinking a bowl of hangover soup, Zhu Di slowly took out the imperial edict from Tianxia, and the four people hurriedly knelt down to listen to the decree.

  "Our imperial edict, We sympathize with Wei Guo Gong Xu Da and Xing Guo Gong Tang He, due to their advanced age, fearing that their bodies may not be convenient, specially ordered them to return to the capital to rest and recuperate. Meanwhile, Yingchuan Hou Fu Youde was appointed as the General of Conquering the South, Mu Ying and Lan Yu as Deputy Generals, leading the Northern Expeditionary Army to conquer Yunnan and Guizhou, and eliminate the remaining troubles of the Southern Yuan Dynasty!"

  "We obey your orders!"

  Xu Da's face was expressionless, Tang He appeared slightly relaxed, Fu Youde was somewhat excited as he received the imperial edict, while Mu Ying looked at the two dukes with a complex expression. The four people had four different expressions, representing four different mindsets.

  "Prince Yongchang has sent word that he will arrive in Beiping from the border by tomorrow at the latest," said Zhu Di with a smile. "It's actually Prince Yingchuan who has decided to set out on his own schedule."

  "Your Highness, I'll take my leave first." Fu Youde slightly bowed and retreated, Mu Ying also cupped his hands and left. Tang He saw the situation and tactfully excused himself, saying he was dizzy from drinking too much wine, and took his leave as well.

  Zhu Di naturally sent them off with a smile, and now that there were no outsiders in the courtyard, only the relationship between father-in-law and son-in-law remained.

  Just as Zhu Di was about to speak, Xu Da raised his hand to stop him. "You don't need to say more, I understand the emperor's edict this time. After so many years of war and conquest, I'm tired too. It's time for me to take a good rest. This should be my last battle as commander-in-chief. Putting it down earlier is also good to avoid being like him in his heart, uncomfortable. People like me are called 'meritorious' if you put it nicely, but 'rebellious' if you put it harshly. I'd better not be like Huaiyin Hou back then, unaware of what's good for me. Alas, a hero's twilight years, an old warrior's decline...

  Xu Da spoke a lot, as if venting his grievances, and eventually leaned on the stone table and fell asleep. Zhu Di hastily ordered someone to put a fur cloak over Gong Ye's body, respectfully paid homage to this number one general of the great Ming dynasty, and then quietly withdrew.

  What Xudah said earlier was already a great blasphemy in the eyes of those old men in the Ministry of Rites, but to Zhu Di, his son-in-law, it was just an old drunkard speaking from the heart. His father, Zhu Yuanzhang, would not have achieved what he has today as the ruler of a nation without the help of these capable and warlike generals.

  The elderly man who is sleeping soundly in front of me is one, the recently deceased King of Xin is another, the late Prince Kai and Prince Qi are two more, and then there is also the Duke of Song who remains in the capital.

  Without the desperate battles of these men, there would be no glory for the Great Ming Dynasty today. However, the era of fighting for the heavens has basically passed, and during the time of defending the heavens, these famous generals who contributed greatly are actually the most unstable factors. As the saying goes: "The cunning rabbit dies, the walking dog is cooked; the flying bird disappears, the good bow is hidden." Retiring from office at a young age is the way to preserve one's life and wisdom.

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