Jingtai: Making the Ming Dynasty Great Again

In the camp of Esen, a thousand miles away in the border region.

Inside a small yurt, a person wrapped in several layers of sheepskin huddled by the fire.

This person was none other than Zhu Qizhen, the former "Emperor of the Ming Dynasty".

Months of captivity completely changed him.

Her once fair skin became rough and dark.

Several cuts and bleeding marks appeared on my cheeks from the cold.

His hair was disheveled and his beard had grown out and was a tangled mess.

The apricot-yellow dragon robe he once wore was now tattered and worn.

Now it's wrapped in a few pieces of sheepskin pieced together.

He huddled beside the fire, staring intently at the flickering flames, lost in thought.

Suddenly the tent flap was lifted, and a gust of cold wind rushed in.

A man from the Oirat tribe brought in half a bowl of hot milk and placed it in front of Zhu Qizhen, then said in broken Chinese, "Eat."

This Oirat man was named Batel, and he was Esen's personal guard, ordered to watch over Zhu Qizhen.

Zhu Qizhen's eyes suddenly reddened as he looked at the half-bowl of hot milk.

He recalled his days in the Imperial Palace in Beijing.

Back then, he ate delicacies from land and sea that were carefully prepared by the imperial kitchen every day.

They were drinking top-quality tea that was offered as tribute.

She was wearing silk brocade woven in Suzhou and Hangzhou.

They lived in the warm and comfortable Qianqing Palace.

At that time, he took everything for granted.

Now, even half a bowl of hot milk can make his eyes well up with tears.

Zhu Qizhen picked up the bowl and drank it down in one gulp.

The milk was warm and had a fishy, ​​goaty smell.

But in such a snowy and icy place, it is a rare warmth.

Batel watched him finish drinking, then took the bowl and turned to leave.

Zhu Qizhen suddenly spoke up: "Wait."

Batel turned around and looked at him.

Zhu Qizhen opened his mouth as if to ask something, but in the end he just shook his head: "It's nothing."

Batel glanced at him again, then lifted the curtain and went out.

Zhu Qizhen was left alone in the tent again.

He looked at the swaying curtain and thought of someone: Bayan Temur.

When he was first captured, Zhu Qizhen thought he was doomed.

But Bayan Temur treated him with great courtesy.

They sent him food and drink every day and even assigned people to serve him.

Zhu Qizhen once thought that his days in the Oirat Mongols would not be too difficult.

But Bayan Temur died, he died under the walls of Beijing.

Only after that did he truly begin to live the life of a "prisoner".

Zhu Qizhen closed his eyes, and the image of that person appeared in his mind.

When he was a child, Zhu Qizhen did not have any special impression of this younger brother.

No, to be precise, he had never met this younger brother when he was a child.

Zhu Qizhen was seven years old when he first met Zhu Qiyu.

In the same year, Zhu Qizhen became emperor, and Zhu Qiyu became the Prince of Cheng.

From then on, he accepted whatever Zhu Qizhen offered him.

Zhu Qizhen wouldn't give it to him, and he wouldn't ask for it either.

Even Zhu Qiyu's later wife was arranged by Empress Dowager Sun.

Zhu Qizhen once thought that his younger brother was a good-for-nothing.

Before personally leading the expedition, Zhu Qizhen summoned Zhu Qiyu once.

At that time, Zhu Qizhen was full of vigor and felt that he would surely return victorious.

He told Zhu Qiyu, "While I am away on campaign, you stay in Beijing and take good care of this family for me."

Zhu Qiyu simply bowed and said, "Your subject will respectfully obey Your Majesty's decree."

At that time, Zhu Qizhen thought his younger brother was really obedient.

Looking back now, Zhu Qizhen suddenly finds it laughable.

The "obedient" younger brother now sits on his dragon throne.

That "good-for-nothing" younger brother defeated Esen's 100,000-strong army at the gates of Beijing.

Zhu Qizhen gazed at the smoke marks on the top of the tent.

He regretted it; if only he had listened to the advice and allowed Zhu Qiyu to leave the capital and take up his fief.

The situation might be different then.

Suddenly a commotion arose outside the tent.

Zhu Qizhen heard someone shouting something.

He couldn't understand Mongolian, but he could hear the anger in the voice.

A moment later, the curtain was lifted, and Batel walked in.

Zhu Qizhen looked at him: "What's wrong?"

Batel was silent for a moment: "Someone... is dead."

Zhu Qizhen was taken aback: "Who?"

Batel: "Two old ones and one young one, all frozen to death."

Zhu Qizhen was stunned.

Batel looked at him, his eyes filled with an indescribable emotion: "Every year in winter, people die in our country."

The elderly, children, and patients.

There are especially many this year.

There wasn't enough grain, enough cattle and sheep, and enough firewood.

Many people won't survive this winter.

Zhu Qizhen opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Batel turned to leave, but then suddenly turned back: "You Han people have houses to live in during the winter, heated beds, and food. We don't."

After saying that, he lifted the curtain and went out.

Zhu Qizhen sat alone in the tent, staring at the curtain, without moving for a long time.

At this moment, a group of people were standing in Esen's tent, all of whom were leaders of various Oirat tribes.

They had just returned from outside, their faces still bearing the marks of time.

A burly man with a full beard spoke up: "Grand Tutor, it's no use."

Too many people died this winter.

If things continue like this, we'll be finished even before the Ming Dynasty attacks.

Another leader said, "Grand Tutor, we must seize some grain from the Ming Dynasty!"

Esen coldly looked at them: "How are you going to rob us?"

Arana, a traitor, defected to the Ming Dynasty.

They're always watching me.

Even that good-for-nothing Tuotuo Buhua was colluding with the Ming Dynasty.

These people are so short-sighted!

Silence fell in the tent.

After a moment, he looked at one of the people in the tent and said, "Boyan, take this letter of my own handwriting to see Zhu Qiyu."

Bayan was Esen's envoy, the one who went to Beijing to offer New Year's greetings last time.

Bayan stood up and said, "Yes, Grand Tutor."

Half a month later, Bayan returned to Beijing.

Zhu Qiyu looked at the Oirat envoy with a faint smile on his lips.

Bayan presented a letter of state: "Esen, the Grand Tutor of the Oirat, sent his subject Bayan to Your Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming."

Grand Tutor Yan expressed his willingness to send the body back to the Emperor Emeritus in order to maintain good relations between the two countries.

We request that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty send an envoy to welcome us and discuss this matter together.

Boyan mentioned this matter in the letter he submitted to the government during the Spring Festival.

Zhu Qiyu did not agree at the time.

Zhu Qiyu thought that it would take at least a few months before Esen would bring up the matter again.

Unexpectedly, they sent people again just a month later.

He looked at his ministers and asked, "What do you all think?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a man stepped forward and knelt down: "Your subject, Yang Shan, Right Vice Censor-in-Chief, is willing to serve as an envoy to the Oirat Mongols to welcome back the Emperor Emeritus!"

Zhu Qiyu looked at Yang Shan; it was him again.

They really are persistent.

From Zhu Qiyu's regency to his ascension to the throne, to the successful defense of the country, and then to the Spring Festival.

Yang Shan has offered to go to the Oirat Mongols to welcome Zhu Qizhen five times already.

He truly deserves to be called Zhu Qizhen's number one "fanboy".

Zhu Qiyu said calmly, "Minister Yang's loyalty is commendable, but the journey to the Oirat is dangerous, and Minister Yang is already advanced in years and should not travel far."

Yang Shan hurriedly replied, "Although I am old, I am still in good spirits and am willing to share Your Majesty's burdens!"

Zhu Qiyu waved his hand: "No, it's winter now, who would want to go?"

A moment later, Yue Qian, the Minister of Rites, stepped forward: "Your subject is willing to go."

Zhu Qiyu looked at Yue Qian and nodded slightly.

The last time was when Yue Qian was sent on a mission, bringing back Zhu Qizhen's "abdication letter".

For this reason, Zhu Qiyu promoted him to Minister of Rites to assist Hu Ying in his work.

Now it's just the right time to send him on this mission again.