Jingtai: Making the Ming Dynasty Great Again

Yue Qian glanced at him and said in Mongolian, "I am here on imperial orders. If I am detained or killed..."

The next time the Ming Dynasty sends more than just a hundred people.

If this general doesn't believe me, then go ahead and do it!

The nobleman was taken aback by what he said and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

After a moment of silence, Esen suddenly laughed: "Minister Yue certainly has guts. Men, bring wine!"

The atmosphere eased slightly after the food and wine were served.

Yue Qian picked up his wine bowl, took a sip, and said, "Grand Tutor, I have come here on imperial orders to welcome back the Emperor Emeritus."

If the Grand Tutor is willing to send them back, the Ming Dynasty will be eternally grateful.

If you are unwilling, I will wait here until the Grand Tutor agrees.

Esen raised an eyebrow: "Wait? How long will Minister Yue have to wait?"

Yue Qian smiled and said, "I'm fine with waiting as long as I want."

The envoy brought enough dry rations, and could also buy cattle and sheep from the grasslands.

"If the Grand Tutor doesn't find it troublesome, I would like to stay in your territory for a year or two, so that I can also experience the scenery of the grasslands."

Ye Xian's lips twitched.

He realized that this person intended to stay there.

Yesen chuckled dryly: "Minister Yue is joking."

I will discuss the matter of returning the Emperor Emeritus with the leaders of the various departments.

Minister Yue, you must be tired from your journey. Please go and rest.

Yue Qian stood up and cupped his hands in greeting: "Then I will trouble you, Grand Tutor."

Boyan led Yue Qian to a tent to rest.

Li Yan and his guards stayed in the surrounding tents to keep watch.

Inside the tent, Li Yan leaned closer and whispered, "Minister Yue, these Oirat people are not easy to deal with."

Yue Qian nodded: "I know, but the more they act like this, the more it shows how hard life is for them."

Didn't you see the tents outside and those women and children?

Many of them died this winter.

Esen was eager to send the retired emperor back in exchange for benefits.

But we deliberately refused to give him any benefits and just kept him waiting.

Li Yan grinned: "It's good to wait it out, it's good to wait it out."

After a pause, Li Yan suddenly asked, "Minister Yue, when shall we see the Emperor Emeritus?"

Yue Qian said, "No rush, let's see Esen's attitude first. As for the Emperor Emeritus... we'll meet him then."

Li Yan noticed that Yue Qian's expression was strange, and wisely refrained from asking any further questions.

The next day, Yue Qian entered the tent again to meet with Esen.

This time, Esen's attitude was noticeably softer.

They no longer mentioned the trade, but only asked how much ransom the Ming Dynasty was willing to pay.

Yue Qian said, "Grand Tutor, it is only natural and humane for you to send the Emperor back to his homeland. It has nothing to do with the ransom."

The Ming Dynasty is willing to offer some gifts as a token of gratitude, but it will not use gold or silver to buy back the Emperor Emeritus.

Has the envoy made himself clear enough?

Esen's expression was unpredictable, shifting between light and dark.

One nobleman couldn't help but ask, "Then what are you doing here? Trying to get something for nothing?"

Yue Qian looked at him: "I have come to welcome back the Emperor Emeritus."

The retired emperor was the supreme emperor of the Ming Dynasty, not a commodity.

If the Grand Tutor is truly willing to give it, then so be it.

If you do not deliver, I will wait.

The Ming Dynasty is not in a hurry.

Silence fell in the tent.

After a long pause, Ye Xian slowly said, "Minister Yue, please rest for a few days and allow me to think about it some more."

Yue Qian got up to take his leave.

In the days that followed, Yue Qian stayed in the Oirat camp.

Aside from his routine meetings with Esen, he spent his days reading and writing in his tent, and occasionally taking walks around the camp.

The Oirat people had a complex attitude toward this mission.

Some people glared at them angrily, while others looked on with curiosity.

Some people even secretly approached, hoping to exchange the furs for some food.

Li Yan and his guards strictly adhered to the rules, forbidding private transactions and conflicts with the Oirat people.

One day, Yue Qian was reading in his tent when he suddenly heard a commotion outside.

He put down his book and stepped out of the tent, only to see a group of people gathered in a circle in the distance, seemingly looking at something.

Li Yan walked over and whispered, "Minister Yue, that looks like the Emperor Emeritus's tent over there."

Yue Qian thought for a moment and said, "Let's go take a look."

Li Yan, accompanied by several guards, followed him into the crowd.

In the center of the crowd, a man in tattered clothes was squatting on the ground.

He was poking at the fire with a stick in his hand.

A cast iron pot sat on the fire, something was cooking inside, steaming.

Yue Qian stood outside the crowd, watching the person's back.

The man was wearing a few pieces of sheepskin pieced together.

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

He poked at the fire slowly, as if he had no strength, or as if he was in a daze.

A man from the Oirat tribe shouted in broken Chinese, "Eat quickly, then go back!"

The man looked up and responded.

In that instant, Yue Qian saw his face clearly.

That was Zhu Qizhen.

Yue Qian was stunned.

The current Zhu Qizhen is vastly different from the one I saw outside Datong last year.

Although he was a "prisoner" at that time, at least he had enough to eat and wear.

Eunuchs served her every day.

But now he's squatting on the ground, cooking a pot of something he doesn't know what it is.

Zhu Qizhen seemed to sense something and looked up at the crowd.

His gaze met Yue Qian's.

Zhu Qizhen's eyes lit up instantly.

He suddenly stood up, his lips trembling, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Yue Qian, leading Li Yan, immediately parted the crowd and stepped forward, kneeling on the ground: "Your subject, Yue Qian, Minister of Rites, has been ordered to welcome Your Majesty and pay respects to the Retired Emperor."

Zhu Qizhen stared blankly at him, then his eyes suddenly reddened, and he said in a hoarse voice, "Minister Yue... Minister Yue? You... you've come to take me... away?"

Yue Qian kowtowed: "Yes, Your Majesty, I have come to welcome the Emperor Emeritus back to the capital by imperial decree."

Tears welled up in Zhu Qizhen's eyes, and he rushed over to grab Yue Qian's arm: "Good, good! I knew you wouldn't abandon me!"

The surrounding Oirat people looked at each other, unsure whether they should step forward to stop them.

A man who appeared to be the leader waved his hand, signaling the crowd to disperse.

Yue Qian helped Zhu Qizhen sit down by the fire and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I am late and have caused you suffering."

Zhu Qizhen shook his head and wiped away his tears: "It's not too late, it's not too late, it's good that you've come."

Minister Yue, you...you brought an imperial edict?

Did you bring a letter of credence?

Did you bring gold and silver?

After a moment of silence, Yue Qian said, "Your Majesty, I have come to welcome you by imperial decree, but I have not brought any official letter or any gold or silver."

Zhu Qizhen was stunned: "You didn't bring a letter of credence? You didn't bring gold or silver? Then... how will you welcome me back?"

Yue Qian looked at him and said softly, "Your Majesty, I will do my best. Please be patient for a while longer."

Zhu Qizhen stared at him, the light in his eyes gradually dimming.

He lowered his head and murmured, "Endurance...endurance...I've endured for so long..."

A strange emotion welled up in Yue Qian's heart, but he didn't say anything more.

From the moment he brought back the "abdication edict" from Zhu Qizhen, he became Zhu Qiyu's subject.

In the distance, Li Yan and his guards vigilantly watched their surroundings.

He saw this scene and also saw the change in Zhu Qizhen's expression.

But he didn't say anything, he just silently stayed where he was.

As dusk fell, Yue Qian rose to take his leave: "Your Majesty, please take care. I will visit you again another day."

Zhu Qizhen looked at him, seemingly wanting to say something but then hesitated, and finally just nodded.

Yue Qian turned and left.

He looked back after walking a long way.

The figure remained seated motionless by the fire, like a stone statue.