Chapter 169
Chapter 169
[After Zhu Yuanzhang Returned to the Great Ming – 20]
Yu Qian and the others froze at the sight. Hu Ying stumbled backward in shock; only Wang Zhi’s quick hand kept him from falling.
The young officer was equally horrified. “General Zhu… His Majesty?!”
Yu Qian and the others recovered and exchanged shaken glances, each seeing the same profound astonishment in the others’ eyes.
Though stunned to their cores, they did not hesitate. Together, they stepped forward and bowed to the Son of Heaven’s banner. When the formalities were complete, Yu Qian asked the emperor’s confidant, “Lord Song, what exactly happened?!”
General Song replied, “It is just as Minister Yu sees. We escorted His Majesty north out of the city, rallied the garrison troops scattered by the Oirats, and retook Juyong Pass. We then continued north, uprooting the strongholds the Oirats had left behind one by one. Afterward, we waited at our ease for an exhausted enemy, dealt Esen’s forces a crushing blow, and drove them back toward Beijing. You know what happened from there…”
Yu Qian was normally stern and unyielding. As the pillar everyone had relied upon during the defense of Beijing, he rarely displayed his emotions. Yet even he paled at General Song’s account and cried out in shock.
“Ah! His Majesty actually…”
Words failed him.
General Song had commanded the emperor’s attendants in Luoyang and was the closest of his confidants. He also knew that the emperor had been stringing Yu Qian, Hu Ying, and Wang Zhi along like a man juggling three sweethearts. He therefore phrased his answer with exquisite tact. “His Majesty was protected by Heaven. Naturally, no harm came to him.”
He continued, “That day, His Majesty entrusted state affairs to the person he trusted, then led us guards out through a side gate. The Imperial Ancestral Temple was merely a diversion. After what happened to the Emperor Emeritus, news that His Majesty was personally leading a campaign would have sent a storm through the court and the country. His Majesty therefore concealed the matter and used prayers at the Imperial Ancestral Temple as a cover.”
So His Majesty did know that personally leading a campaign was a terrible idea!
Yu Qian’s brows knotted. The thought that the emperor had claimed he was going to pray at the temple only to sneak out of the city several days earlier left him trembling with belated fear. “Esen’s army was encamped outside the city. How did you get away?”
“Beijing’s Nine Gates have many lesser entrances,” Lord Song replied. “The Oirats could not watch every one of them. Besides, our party numbered only a few hundred and attracted little notice.”
Hu Ying’s frown grew tight enough to crush a cockroach-and a giant southern cockroach at that. Wang Zhi’s face was livid, cold sweat streaming down his brow.
Yu Qian’s lips moved. He wanted to remonstrate with the emperor over such an outrageously reckless act, but in the end, he swallowed the words.
He was fierce and upright by nature, not stupid. He could see the difference between the Emperor Emeritus and the Reigning Emperor.
The Emperor Emeritus possessed the reckless courage of a fool. His skull was full of water, and the water was full of shit. The Reigning Emperor, by contrast, possessed both courage and strategy, audacity and meticulous care.
The Emperor Emeritus had grandly marched out with two hundred thousand elite troops. In the end, he lost every last one and got himself captured along with them. The Reigning Emperor had taken only several hundred light cavalry, yet he rallied the soldiers scattered by the Oirats, turned decay into wonder, gathered his strength, and swallowed the Oirat main force in one bite.
The contrast was as vast as heaven and earth. Hu Ying had said the Reigning Emperor resembled Emperor Taizu, and his judgment had been entirely correct.
With such a Son of Heaven, the Great Ming might yet recover the splendor of the reigns of Emperor Taizu and Emperor Taizong.
More importantly, the emperor had previously relied only on the civil and military officials of the court and on the halo bestowed by the imperial title. It appeared dazzling, but in truth… calling it fragile might be an exaggeration, yet it was certainly far from unassailable.
The Emperor Emeritus was still alive, as were his sons. The Empress Dowager was Emperor Xuanzong’s lawful wife. Although the emperor had never recognized Emperor Xuanzong as his sovereign, he had ultimately inherited the Emperor Emeritus’s throne. If the matter were examined too closely, his position inevitably lacked confidence.
This victory changed everything. Though the Reigning Emperor was young and had occupied the throne for only a short time, his reputation among the people would instantly soar to its peak. More importantly, he possessed not only popular support, but also the army’s admiration and absolute obedience!
With the people in one hand and the military in the other, forget that simpleton of an Emperor Emeritus-even if Emperor Taizu himself entered the Emperor Emeritus’s body now, he would struggle to turn the tables!
How could mere subjects presume to criticize the deeds of such a brilliant and capable emperor?
The situation remained unsettled, but everything was clearly moving in the right direction. They all served the Great Ming. Why confront a triumphant, ambitious Reigning Emperor over something already done and resolved perfectly?
If even iron-headed Yu Qian could understand that, Hu Ying and Wang Zhi grasped it all the more readily. By tacit agreement, they skipped over the issue and praised the emperor’s wisdom and martial greatness as a blessing to the nation.
“Before leaving, His Majesty asked me to convey a few words to the ministers,” General Song said. “He said he was different from the Emperor Emeritus and knew his own capabilities. He was certain of victory, but the cautious officials at court would never dare let him risk himself, which was why he kept the plan secret.”
General Song continued earnestly, “His Majesty also believed he had not misjudged those he entrusted. Even in the worst circumstances, they would surely stabilize the court. He insisted on personally leading his guards into battle because he trusted himself. He could leave with peace of mind because he trusted those who held the country in his absence. When sovereign and ministers are united, what is there to fear?”
The speech was tactful, elegant, and perfectly aimed-like a backscratcher reaching the one spot that itched most. How could it not feel wonderful?
Yu Qian sighed, but his eyes shone with the joy of a worthy minister who had finally found an enlightened ruler. Hu Ying straightened his sleeves with dignified restraint. The smile lines on Wang Zhi’s face nearly rippled outward.
And it made sense. Both men were emperors, and the Reigning Emperor was even younger than the Emperor Emeritus. They had both led campaigns in person, so why had the results been so different?
In the end, incompetence was the original sin!
The ministers sighed inwardly, but felt far more exhilaration than regret. After asking in detail about the emperor’s actions over the past several days, their astonishment deepened into even greater admiration.
“Where is His Majesty now?”
General Song hurriedly replied, “When the Oirat army collapsed, Esen took the Emperor Emeritus hostage and fled. His Majesty led men in pursuit.”
Having witnessed the emperor’s heroic prowess on horseback, General Song silently thought that if they caught Esen, the only person in danger would be Esen himself.
Hu Ying glared at him as though looking at hopelessly rotten wood. “What if something unexpected happens?”
General Song fell silent.
Then he offered, “For instance, Esen might use the Emperor Emeritus to shield himself from an arrow, forcing His Majesty to let him escape?”
Would they believe that?
Hu Ying said nothing.
Neither did Yu Qian.
Nor Wang Zhi.
All three quietly looked away.
The Reigning Emperor possessed tremendous ability and bore all the promise of a wise sovereign in an age of prosperity. Judging from his previous conduct, he likely tolerated no grit in his eye.
In that case, there was no real need to keep the Emperor Emeritus alive…
The Emperor Emeritus loved his country so dearly. Surely he would understand everyone’s desire to eliminate future trouble…
If he understood, then for the sake of their past bond as sovereign and subjects, they could at least help choose him a respectable posthumous title. If he did not…
Driven mad by the approaching Ming army, Esen had brutally murdered the Emperor Emeritus. Alas, what a tragedy!
Perfect.
…
Esen had men beside him who knew the terrain well. Avoiding his routed main army, he took narrow trails in an attempt to circle around Juyong Pass and return to Oirat territory.
Jammed between Esen’s guards and jolted violently along, Zhu Qizhen felt as though his dinner was about to be shaken out of him. Acid rose in his throat and nausea churned in his stomach, making him struggle.
Esen had once treated him courteously because he could profit from him. Now that Esen’s own damned life was in danger, Zhu Qizhen was nothing but a human shield. Who had time to care about his comfort?
Seeing Zhu Qizhen continue to struggle, the guard struck the back of his neck without hesitation. Zhu Qizhen’s vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
Yuan Bin was furious and alarmed. “Do not insult His Majesty!”
The retort struck Yuan Bin where it hurt, leaving him speechless. Up ahead, Esen reined in and shouted, “At a time like this, you still have breath to squabble?! Where are we?!”
“We have already passed Juyong Pass!”
The guard holding the map wiped the sweat from his forehead and said through a parched throat, “Juyong Pass is in Ming hands, and the lands north of it may not be safe either. If they remain free of Ming control, we can naturally join the troops left behind there. But if the Ming have already taken them, we will be walking straight into a trap!”
Esen’s expression shifted darkly.
If he headed north of Juyong Pass, he risked capture.
But if he did not, any Oirat garrisons still holding those passes would remain cut off by Juyong Pass, unaware of the disaster and waiting where they were. The Ming army would destroy them one by one, and they would die far from home.
“We go to Zijing Pass!”
Only four days had passed since he left Juyong Pass, failed to take Beijing, and turned back. The Ming might have had time to advance north from Juyong Pass, but they could not possibly have reached Zijing Pass and cut off his retreat!
Once he reached Zijing Pass and joined the Oirat warriors stationed there, he could withdraw temporarily into the desert to recuperate.
At the thought, Esen’s expression dimmed, uncertainty flickering in his eyes.
This campaign had cost him generals, soldiers, and a great part of his military strength. Suppressing Toghtoa Bukha again would likely prove difficult…
A horse’s neigh jolted Esen from his thoughts. He quickly calmed himself. Toghtoa Bukha could wait. Escaping alive came first!
…
Zhu Yuanzhang led his personal guards after Esen, but wherever their horses carried them, the hoofprints were so chaotic that no direction could be discerned. After riding dozens of miles beyond Juyong Pass, they lost the trail.
Zhu Yuanzhang looked thoroughly dejected. “Only capturing Esen would have made this victory truly perfect!”
His escorts hurried to console him. “Your Majesty, this campaign has already yielded tremendous victories. Esen is now a homeless cur fleeing in disgrace. There is no need to take his life this very moment!”
Gloom lingered on Zhu Yuanzhang’s face. “It seems We have no choice!”
He turned his horse around and waved a hand. “Come. We return to Beijing!”
The emperors in the space laughed at the sight.
Liu Che clicked his tongue. “Old Zhu is acting again!”
Emperor Gaozu idly played a board game with Ying Zheng. “Do not pursue a cornered enemy-not because a desperate dog might bite, but because Esen still has greater uses alive.”
Ying Zheng placed a piece and said calmly, “The Oirats invaded the Great Ming along four separate routes, and their internal interests are deeply entangled. The greatest struggle is between Esen, Grand Preceptor of the Oirats, and Toghtoa Bukha, Great Khan of the Mongols. Esen has now lost several hundred thousand elite troops, while the other armies suffered little damage. Allowing him to reunite with those remnants is not giving him a road to survival. It is driving the Mongols toward a dead end.”
Li Shimin folded his arms and smiled. “Old Zhu still wants to raise another elite capital army. If he captures Esen now and leaves the Mongols no hope at all, won’t they immediately flee? Where would all the relief armies train then? And where would he select his best men?”
Zhu Yuanzhang sighed with heartfelt emotion. “My parents gave me life, but the one who truly understands me is… Old Ma alone!”
The emperors spat in unison. “Bah!”
…
While Zhu Yuanzhang pursued Esen, word of the great victory personally won by the Son of Heaven spread throughout Beijing.
Even officials normally known for their sober restraint beamed openly. Firecrackers erupted without pause throughout the city. People poured into the streets to congratulate everyone they met, while nobles and wealthy families set up porridge stations and scattered coins. Jubilation seemed to take on a life of its own, filling the capital in an instant.
“What a sage sovereign for the ages!”
“Even Emperor Taizu reborn could do no more!”
“Exactly! He left the city with only a few hundred men and smashed the Oirats to pieces!”
Zhu Yuanzhang led his men triumphantly back into the city, every inch the heroic commander. The main gates of the imperial city opened one after another. Hooves clattered over the road as he cracked his whip and rode through in a cloud of dust.
The civil and military officials had been waiting for a long time. Seeing the emperor arrive in person and knowing the catastrophe had passed, they dropped to their knees in wholehearted submission, performed the grand obeisance, and cried out wishes for his endless reign.
Only then did Zhu Yuanzhang recover a trace of what it had felt like to be emperor during the Hongwu Era.
After thoroughly enjoying the officials’ extravagant flattery, Zhu Yuanzhang ordered a banquet bestowed and dismissed the court. He then summoned Yu Qian, Hu Ying, and Wang Zhi alone to the Imperial Study and questioned them closely about everything that had happened in the city over the past few days.
The emperor had proven his wings were strong. He possessed ability and could make his own decisions. Still, certain things had to be said.
Yu Qian deliberately softened his wording. After concluding his report, he ventured, “Although Your Majesty possesses brilliant strategy and had complete confidence in the plan, your actions this time were still far too dangerous…”
Yu Qian fell silent.
So did Hu Ying.
And Wang Zhi.
Zhu Yuanzhang pretended not to notice the three ministers’ instantly frozen expressions. He slammed the table, outrage blazing across his face. “We never imagined the Oirats would be so audacious! Not only did they refuse to surrender, they even dared fight back against Us!”
Yu Qian said nothing.
Neither did Hu Ying.
Nor Wang Zhi.