Jingtai: Making the Ming Dynasty Great Again

That night, inside the central command tent thirty miles outside Datong City.

Esen sat cross-legged on the wolf-skin cushion at the head of the table.

On the low table in front of him was a map of the northern border garrison, drawn by a Han Chinese craftsman. The edges of the parchment scroll were worn and frayed.

Bayan Temur, Arazhiyuan, Saikanwang and other major generals sat on either side.

Esen spoke first, saying, "Guo Deng addressed Zhu Qizhen as the Retired Emperor. What this means is clear to everyone."

Bayan Temur slammed his fist on the felt-covered ground: "The Ming Dynasty literati were best at manipulating words!"

The difference between "Emperor Emeritus" and "Emperor" is only one character, yet Zhu Qizhen went from being the reigning emperor to a deposed ruler!

Arazhiyuan's eyes were deep: "Now, I'm afraid no one in the Ming Dynasty recognizes Zhu Qizhen as emperor anymore."

Saikan Wang frowned: "Then what use is it for us to bring Zhu Qizhen with us?"

A few days ago in Datong and Xuanfu, the garrison commanders, though they did not open the city gates, were still quite polite.

Today, Guo Deng's attitude clearly shows that he couldn't even be bothered to maintain a facade of respect.

Esen did not answer immediately; his finger moved slowly across the map.

From Datong, it moved to Xuanfu, and then slid eastward toward the winding ink line that marks the Inner Great Wall.

Esen finally spoke: "Zhu Qizhen's value is indeed decreasing, but he is not yet completely useless."

As long as he lives, he will be a thorn in Zhu Qiyu's side.

This also provided ammunition for those former officials of the Ming Dynasty to use in their political arguments.

After surveying the generals in the tent, Arazhiyuan said, "Grand Tutor, when we marched south, we said we would take advantage of the internal strife in the Ming Dynasty to plunder wealth and enrich our respective tribes."

Now, in Xuanfu, I have received gold and silver as a gift from Yang Hong.

They also seized a lot of supplies left behind by the defeated soldiers outside Datong City.

The saddlebags in each unit were heavy.

Autumn is in full swing, the grass on the grassland is turning yellow, the horses need to rest, and the soldiers miss the women and children in their tents back home.

More importantly, the Ming Dynasty had a new emperor, and Beijing was stepping up its preparations for war.

The scouts reported that Zhu Qiyu had appointed Yu Qian to take command of the military, reorganize the Beijing garrison, and fortify the city walls.

The risks grow larger every day as we delve deeper.

A murmur rang out from inside the tent.

Many generals nodded in agreement; Arajiin had voiced their thoughts.

The battles on the grasslands have always been for survival and wealth, not for some vague ambition of hegemony.

Esen slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping over the crowd: "If it's just about plundering wealth, we can take the spoils and head north now."

The women from each tribe would cheer, and the children would run around the fully loaded wagons.

But what about next year? And the year after?

Once Zhu Qiyu has secured his throne and is reorganizing the army, what will he do?

He will reinforce the Great Wall, increase the border troops, and might even pursue our descendants like the Yongle Emperor!

Bayan Temur suddenly stood up: "Brother is right! We can't just look at the present!"

This is the weakest period in the Ming Dynasty in a century.

If we miss this opportunity, our descendants will call us cowards!

Arachid remained unmoved and calm: "Grand Tutor, Bayan Temur, I understand your ambitions."

But please understand that those sitting inside the tent are not your subordinates, but the leaders of various departments.

They led their sons south, determined to take responsibility for their people.

Before my followers set off, their parents, wives, and children held my hands and said, "Chief, bring our children back safely."

Grand Tutor, if I knowingly lead them to their deaths for the sake of empty words about conquering the Central Plains, how can I face the people who trust me?

Silence fell in the tent, even the most fervent Bayan Temur was momentarily speechless.

The power structure on the grasslands was complex. Although Esen was the leader of the alliance, the leaders of the various tribes still had considerable autonomy.

As the leader of one of the three major forces of the Oirat Mongols, Arazhiyuan's attitude was of paramount importance.

Yesen stared at Arazhiyuan for a long time, then suddenly smiled: "Zhiyuan, you are right. As a leader, one must first be responsible for one's people."

Esen stood up and walked to the center of the tent: "Then let's do the math and see if it's more worthwhile to continue forward or to turn back north."

He shouted towards the outside of the tent, "Bring the things in!"

Four guards entered in response, carrying two heavy wooden crates.

The box was opened, revealing a chest full of gold and silver jewelry, dazzling in the candlelight.

The other box contained silk brocade, with vibrant colors.

Yesen grabbed a handful of gold ingots, letting them slip through his fingers with a pleasant clinking sound: "These are valuables obtained from Xuanfu and Datong."

If we return north now, each unit will be allocated according to the number of troops they have contributed, and each unit will receive a considerable amount.

But what if we break through the Great Wall and besiege Beijing?

Zhiyuan, you traveled to the vicinity of Beijing with my father when you were young.

Tell me, how many times more wealthy is Beijing than Xuanfu and Datong?

After a moment of silence, Arajiin slowly said, "More than a hundred times."

Esen raised his voice: "That's right! Beijing was the capital of the Ming Dynasty. The palace was filled with mountains of treasures, the national treasury held millions of taels of silver, and the wealth of the rich families in the city was incalculable."

If we can force the Ming Dynasty to sign a treaty under duress, how much annual tribute will they have to give us?

How much did the Ming Dynasty bestow upon the various Mongol tribes during the Yongle era?

How many were there during the Zhengtong era?

"If we had a large army stationed outside Beijing, how many times could that number increase?"

A flicker of emotion flashed in Arajiin's eyes.

Yesen continued, "Zhiyuan, your eldest son is already an adult, and your second son is almost of marriageable age."

If we can force the Ming Dynasty to bestow rewards, I can assure you.

Your family will receive the most fertile pastures, and your sons will enjoy endless honor for generations to come.

This is a blatant temptation of profit, but it is also the most effective form of persuasion.

Esen continued, "My grandfather Mahmud was granted the title of Prince Shun Ning by the Yongle Emperor."

My father, Toghon, unified the various Oirat tribes.

Does my generation mean I'm destined to be a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty forever, only occasionally raiding the south to steal some things before returning?

Why do tribes on the grasslands always split up?

Why do they always attack each other?

Because the grasslands can't support too many people!

When the weather is good, things are fine, but once a disaster strikes, herds of cattle and sheep die.

We must head south to plunder, otherwise the elderly and children will starve and freeze to death.

The tent fell silent, and all the generals looked at Esen.

"But what if we could take control of the Central Plains?"

If we could spend the winter in Beijing,

Let our children live in houses that are not afraid of wind and snow.

We must ensure that our elderly have sufficient food and medicine.

If we could rule this rich land like the Mongols did back then…”

Arachiin sighed: "Grand Tutor, your ambitions are lofty."

But have you ever considered that even if we were lucky enough to capture Beijing, could we hold it?

The Ming Dynasty still held half of the country in the south. Would the local princes and generals acknowledge our rule?

Yesen laughed: "Zhiyuan, you underestimate the Han people too much."

There is a saying among the Han people: "Those who understand the times are heroes."

As long as our blades are sharp enough and we kill enough people, someone will eventually bow down.

The Yuan Dynasty was able to rule the Central Plains for nearly a century, so why can't we?