Jingtai: Making the Ming Dynasty Great Again

"General Sun, the arrows in the western watchtower are almost exhausted!"

Sun Xiang's voice was hoarse: "Move half of the southern warehouse reserves there and tell General Han, who is guarding the west tower, that reinforcements will arrive in half a day."

"Yes, sir!"

Sun Xiang stood atop the gate tower, his armor splattered with blood.

The strip of cloth wrapped around his left arm was stained dark red with seeping blood.

He had not slept for two days.

No sooner had the captain left than another messenger stumbled up the city wall: "Report! A breach has been created in the east gate wall by cannon fire, and the enemy is launching a fierce attack with ladders!"

Sun Xiang said to his adjutant, "Take my personal guard to the east wall. You will guard this place for the time being."

"General, you haven't rested for two days..."

Sun Xiang grabbed the long sword standing against the wall, its blade chipped and nicked: "If Zijing Pass falls, neither of us will have a sleepless night."

The fighting at the Dongguan section of the wall was exceptionally fierce.

A section of the city wall, nearly three zhang wide, was repeatedly hit by the Oirat trebuchets.

The rammed earth outer wall has peeled off, exposing the inner stone foundation.

Although it has not completely collapsed, it has formed a steep slope.

Hundreds of elite Oirat soldiers were swarming forward, while the defenders had exhausted their logs and stones.

At this moment, they are engaged in hand-to-hand combat with enemy soldiers who have climbed onto the wall, using long spears and short swords.

When Sun Xiang arrived with his personal guards, three Oirat soldiers had just jumped onto the wall.

He shouted and his long sword slashed out like lightning. The first man raised his shield to block, but he and the shield were cleaved in two.

The royal guards, like tigers among sheep, swiftly cleared out the enemy troops on this section of the city wall.

Panting, Sun Xiang ordered, "Use kerosene!"

The soldiers carried the last few barrels of oil and poured them down the breach, causing the Oirat soldiers who were climbing to scream in agony.

The rocket then fired, and flames shot up three zhang (approximately 10 meters) high, filling the air with the stench of charred flesh.

But Sun Xiang felt no relief whatsoever.

Another batch of fresh troops is gathering in the Oirat main force outside the pass.

Meanwhile, on the command tower on the west side of the pass, Han Qing was firing precise shots with a crossbow.

He was originally from the Divine Machine Battalion, and his archery skills were unparalleled in the entire army.

"Whoosh!"

An arrow pierced the air, and a Oirat centurion who was directing the siege fell from his horse.

The soldiers on either side perked up: "General, what excellent archery!"

Han Qing, however, showed no joy.

Esen's military tactics were indeed unusual. Although the fierce attacks of the past two days were brutal, the losses to the main force of the Oirat were not as severe as they appeared.

Esen seemed to be intentionally taking turns wearing down the defending troops.

The troops from each tribe were deployed in batches, maintaining constant offensive pressure, but not in a hurry to achieve victory in one battle.

A sense of foreboding rose in Han Qing's heart: "What is he waiting for?"

Thirty miles north of Zijing Pass lies deep in the dense forests of a branch of the Taihang Mountains.

A light cavalry force of about five thousand Oirat men was moving silently through the area.

All the men and horses had their bells removed, and their hooves were wrapped in thick cloth.

The leader was Bayan Temur, the younger brother of Esen.

He asked the guide in a low voice, "How much further?"

"After crossing the ridge ahead, another thirty li will lead to the official road behind Zijing Pass."

Bayan Temur looked up at the sky.

The sun was already setting in the west, and the light in the forest was gradually dimming.

"Send word to speed up the journey."

This surprise attack is a key piece in Esen's strategic layout.

The two-day frontal assault was intended to deplete the Ming army's defensive strength and to draw all attention to them.

The real killer move was these five thousand light cavalry.

If successful, even if Sun Xiang and Han Qing possessed extraordinary abilities, they would still find it difficult to prevent the city from falling when attacked from both sides.

Forty li southeast of Zijing Pass lies Fan Guangda's camp.

"Report!"

The scout captain lifted the tent flap and entered, kneeling on one knee: "General, the scouts in the northern mountains have made a discovery!"

Fan Guang suddenly looked up: "Speak!"

"At noon today, three scouts discovered traces of a large group of people passing through the dense forest in the north."

Judging from the tracks, there were approximately four to five thousand cavalry!

All the generals in the tent turned pale.

Fan Guang frowned and looked up at the map: "Esen has indeed divided his troops to flank us!"

The garrison at Zijing Pass had fought fiercely for two days, and both men and horses were exhausted. If they heard of a fire breaking out in their rear at night, their morale would surely be thrown into chaos.

We cannot allow them to attack Zijing Pass!

Lieutenant Li Rong asked, "What is the general's intention?"

Fan Guang pointed to a mountain pass on the map: "This is the only way from the North Mountain to the back road of Zijing Pass. The cliffs on both sides are high and the road is narrow."

If our army marches hastily, it can arrive around 7 PM and ambush the enemy first.

Another general hesitated and said, "But if our army leaves the camp to reinforce, the main camp will be empty, and what if light cavalry attacks..."

Fan Guang shook his head and said, "Our army came to set up defenses on short notice, and Esen was unaware of it."

Furthermore, this second line of defense was specifically designed to delay the enemy.

If that surprise attack succeeds, and Zijing Pass falls, the Oirat cavalry can advance unimpeded.

This second line of defense alone will not last more than two days.

Fan Guang recalled the audience with Zhu Qiyu before his departure.

Zhu Qiyu told him that the real purpose of setting up this second line of defense was to prevent Esen from flanking them.

If Zijing Pass is attacked from both sides, it will be breached in an instant.

Fan Guang's task was to ensure that Zijing Pass only faced attacks from outside the pass.

Therefore, even though the fighting at Zijing Pass was fierce these past two days, he did not send any soldiers to provide support.

All the generals knew that Fan Guang's words made sense, but the decision was far too risky.

If they divide their forces to intercept the enemy, a victory would alleviate the critical situation at Zijing Pass.

If they lose, they may lose the second line of defense as well.

Seeing everyone hesitate, Fan Guang said in a deep voice, "Zijing Pass is the throat. If this place is lost, even ten lines of defense will be of no use."

Li Rong, you will lead 500 infantrymen to deliver half of the arrows to Zijing Pass and assist in its defense.

The rest of you, follow me immediately! We must stop the enemy army before they reach Zijing Pass!

"Yes, sir!"

Soon, five thousand men, lightly equipped, sped off towards the northeast of Zijing Pass.

Finally, at the beginning of the Yin hour (3-5 AM), Fan Guang led his cavalry to a place called Eagle Beak Gorge.

Here, steep cliffs rise on both sides, and a narrow path in the middle allows only three horses to walk side by side.

Fan Guanggang had just ordered the defenses to be set up when a scout rode up to report: "General! The Oirat army has arrived! They're less than three li from here!"

Fan Guang's heart sank; he was still a step too late.

He had originally planned to occupy the high ground in the valley and set up an ambush, but now he could only hastily respond to the attack.

Soon the sound of horses' hooves came from the front of the valley.

Bayan Temur led 5,000 elite Oirat troops in like a whirlwind.

Seeing that Ming troops were blocking their way, they did not panic at all, but instead accelerated their charge.

"Release the arrows!"

The Ming army unleashed a barrage of arrows and crossbows, and the Oirat cavalrymen charging at the front fell from their horses one after another.

But the Oirat army was truly fierce and brave. The cavalrymen continued their charge, stepping over the corpses of their comrades, and in the blink of an eye, they had reached the front lines.

"Spear! Thrust!"

The Ming soldiers' spears formed a forest, thrusting towards the charging warhorses.

Instantly, there were screams of men and neighing of horses, and blood and flesh flew everywhere.

However, the Oirat cavalry charged with such ferocity that they managed to break through the first line of defense.

Fan Guangda shouted, "Hold on! No retreating!"

He personally took up his gun to meet the enemy and killed a Oirat centurion with a single shot.

His personal guards fought desperately to protect him, and he engaged in a fierce battle with the Oirat cavalry.

Thanks to their geographical advantage, the Ming army temporarily held off the Oirat cavalry's charge.

At this time, Ming infantrymen arrived one after another and joined the battle.

However, the Oirat army was indeed elite, and as time went on, they gradually gained the upper hand.

Fan Guang suddenly had an idea and shouted, "The entire army must retreat three hundred paces and reorganize the defensive line!"

The Ming army fought and retreated, while the Oirat army pursued them relentlessly.

Upon retreating to the narrowest point of the valley, Fan Guang suddenly ordered, "Prepare the rockets! Fire at the cliff faces on both sides!"

Although the soldiers did not understand the meaning, they still obeyed the order and fired rockets at the cliffs on both sides.

It turned out that Fan Guang had just discovered that there were withered vines and shrubs growing on the cliff face, which would ignite when exposed to fire in the dry autumn.

The rocket struck the withered vines, and the fire spread rapidly.

Although this was not enough to burn the Oirat army to death, the thick smoke startled the Oirat warhorses and slowed their offensive.

Fan Guang took the opportunity to reorganize his troops and block the valley entrance.

Seeing that the terrain was unfavorable and the fire was spreading, Bayan Temur also ordered a temporary retreat.

The two sides are locked in a standoff at Eagle's Beak Gorge.

The Ming army held their ground in strategic locations, making it difficult for the Oirat army to break through.

But Fan Guang knew in his heart that his five thousand men had rushed here hastily and were extremely exhausted.

They had no advantage when their troop strength was comparable to that of the Oirat army.

If the battle drags on without a decisive victory, and the main force of the Oirat forces breaches the front of Zijing Pass, we will be attacked from both sides.

Bayan Temur was equally troubled.

He was ordered to travel light and take a roundabout route, intending to win a quick battle, but unexpectedly he was intercepted by the Ming army here.

The general before us is skilled in military tactics, and the terrain is unfavorable for cavalry deployment; a direct assault would inevitably result in heavy losses.

For a time, the two sides were locked in a stalemate.

Bayan Temur ordered, "Send men back immediately along the same route and inform the Grand Tutor to send another five thousand men to provide support."

Fan Guang also deployed troops in the camp: "Set up more banners and deploy more troops to make the Oirat think that our army is strong."

Send a fast horse to Zijing Pass and Beijing to inform them of the battle situation here.

The lieutenant whispered, "General, are we really going to have to confront the Oirat army here? If Esen launches a fierce attack on Zijing Pass, the pass will be in grave danger..."

Fan Guang looked toward Zijing Pass, where flames were raging: "All we can do is hold Bayan Temur back."

Every extra hour the defenses are delayed means Zijing Pass can hold out for another half day, giving Beijing an extra day to prepare.