Jingtai: Making the Ming Dynasty Great Again

September 23rd, late Yin hour, Zijing Pass.

The messenger rushed up the city wall, holding a letter, and knelt on one knee: "General! Urgent dispatch from Beijing!"

Sun Xiang tore off the sealing wax and quickly read by the light of the torch.

"Generals Sun Xiang and Han Qing: I know that the battle at Zijing Pass has been raging for many days."

The entire Great Wall is now under strategic adjustment. You are hereby ordered to withdraw as appropriate upon receiving this decree.

I await your return from the city walls of Beijing.

So be it.

Sun Xiang's hand holding the letter trembled slightly. He looked at the guard beside him and said, "Go and invite General Han here."

Before long, Han Qing strode up the city wall.

Sun Xiang handed him the letter.

Han Qing quickly scanned the screen: "Finally!"

Sun Xiang looked towards the pass: "Retreating is not difficult, the difficulty lies in how to retreat."

The Oirat army is right outside the pass. Once our army withdraws, they will surely notice and pursue us relentlessly, which could lead to a rout.

Han Qing nodded: "Someone needs to cover the rear."

The two looked at each other and saw determination in each other's eyes.

Han Qing spoke first: "I'll go. I'm the one guarding Zijing Pass, you're here to assist me."

Sun Xiang shook his head: "General Han is the bravest in the army. He should return to the capital with the main force. The battle to defend the city needs you even more. I will take care of the rearguard.

Han Qing said urgently, "General Sun! You haven't slept for many days, and your left arm wound hasn't healed. How can you cover the rear?"

Just as Sun Xiang was about to argue again, a series of hurried footsteps approached.

More than a dozen officers knelt down in front of the two men.

The leader was a commander in his early thirties with a fresh scar on his face; his name was Chen Wu.

He clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Generals, there's no need to argue! I'm willing to lead three hundred men to stay behind and cover the retreat!"

Another officer shouted, "This humble general is also willing to stay!"

"We are all willing to stay!"

Sun Xiang looked at his subordinates, whose faces were covered in blood but whose eyes were resolute, and his throat tightened.

Han Qing's eyes reddened slightly as he said sternly, "Nonsense! Covering the retreat is certain death! You..."

"General! My brother died at Tumu Fortress, and I swore to avenge him! If we retreat now, we will be letting down my brother's spirit in heaven! Please grant my request!"

"My younger brother is also in the army. I wish to stay and hope the general will send him back to the capital!"

……

Petitions rose and fell in waves.

Sun Xiang said sternly, "Get up, General Han. There's no need to argue. My mind is made up. I will lead five hundred men to cover the rear, and you will lead the main force to retreat."

"General Sun!"

Sun Xiang raised his hand to stop Han Qing: "This is a military order. General Han, you should arrange the retreat immediately."

The able-bodied soldiers withdrew in batches, maintaining their formation as they headed towards Mashuikou to rendezvous with General Fan Guang.

Han Qing knew Sun Xiang's mind was made up, and clasped his hands in a deep fist salute: "Take care, General!"

Sun Xiang turned to the officers and soldiers who were petitioning: "Chen Wu, gather five hundred men. They must be volunteers, not forced."

The rest of the men retreated with General Han.

"Yes, sir!"

At the beginning of Chen Shi (7-9 AM), the retreat began.

First came ranged units such as archers and musketeers, followed by infantry.

The number of soldiers guarding the pass was gradually decreasing, but the banners did not wave and the patrols did not stop. From the outside of the pass, it looked no different from usual.

Sun Xiang stood on the gate tower, watching batches of soldiers withdraw.

His 500 rearguard troops had assembled, and each of them had received double the amount of arrows and dry rations.

No one spoke; there were only the rustling sounds of equipment being organized and the occasional cough.

Chen Wu walked to Sun Xiang's side and whispered, "General, everything is arranged."

Gunpowder was buried throughout the walls, to be ignited after the main force had gone far away.

Sun Xiang nodded: "Well done. Let the soldiers take a break and eat something. Esen will find out soon."

At the same time, Eagle Beak Gorge.

When Fan Guang received the urgent report from Beijing, he was in a standoff with Bayan Temur.

Esen did not send reinforcements along the route Bayan Temur had taken.

Instead, he sent men to invade from the southwest, preparing to join forces with Bayan Temur to attack Fan Guang, and then take Zijing Pass in one fell swoop.

Fan Guang immediately summoned his generals to discuss the matter: "The Emperor's decree has arrived, ordering us to retreat."

But Bayan Temur is right across from us; if our army makes a move, he will surely pursue us.

The Oirat cavalry are fast; once they catch up, our army will surely be defeated in open terrain.

"What should we do then?"

Fan Guang pondered for a moment and said, "Someone needs to cover the rear..."

Before he could finish speaking, a young captain stepped forward: "This humble general is willing to go!"

This man was named Zhao Yong, a trusted confidant brought by Fan Guang from the Beijing garrison.

Fan Guang nodded: "Okay! I will leave all the flags in the camp and plant them all over the position to create the illusion that the main force is still there."

In reality, the army was lightly equipped and quietly withdrew in batches.

You lead a hundred daredevils on patrol as usual.

After the main force had gone far away, they set fire to the piles of firewood in the camp to prevent Bayan Temur from pursuing them.

After ignition, you and others should retreat immediately.

Bayan Temur's sights are set on Zijing Pass; he will certainly not send many men in pursuit.

"Yes, sir!"

Fan Guang then led his troops to begin their withdrawal.

By the time Bayan Temur discovered the fire at the Ming army camp, Fan Guang's main force had already moved more than twenty miles away.

Bayan Temur looked southeast, towards the location of Zijing Pass.

He then looked towards Zhao Yong's troops, who had just left.

After a moment of silence, he ordered, "Send word: the entire army will attack Zijing Pass!"

The Oirat army then sped toward Zijing Pass.

When Bayan Temur led his army to the gate, he found it wide open and only a few scattered guards on the gate walls.

He was overjoyed: "The Ming army really can't hold out! Attack the city!"

The Oirat army swarmed in and encountered no significant resistance whatsoever.

Bayan Temur rode his horse triumphantly into the pass.

He even saw Esen's troops scaling the city walls.

Just as Bayan Temur was about to open the door, he suddenly heard a series of urgent gong sounds.

Hundreds of Ming soldiers emerged from their hiding places at various points along the wall.

They lit their torches and threw them at the pre-arranged gunpowder charges.

Boom! Boom boom boom!

A series of explosions rang out inside the fortress.

Bricks and stones flew everywhere, catching the Oirat soldiers off guard and causing heavy casualties.

Bayan Temur's warhorse was startled and threw him off its back. Fortunately, his personal guards risked their lives to protect him from being hit by falling rocks.

When the explosions stopped, the city was in complete disarray.

Most of the Ming soldiers who lit the gunpowder perished in the explosion along with the Oirat soldiers.

The few survivors also committed suicide by cutting their own throats; none surrendered.

Bayan Temur was furious: "Madmen! They're all madmen!"

Meanwhile, Sun Xiang's remnants finally encountered Sun Tang's reinforcements twenty miles west of Mashuikou.

When Esen was about to breach Zijing Pass, Sun Xiang left the pass under the threat of suicide from his subordinates.

They just missed Bayan Temur, who was on his way.

When Sun Tang saw Sun Xiang, he could hardly recognize his colleague.

Sun Xiang was covered in blood, his left arm was ulcerated, and his face was as pale as paper.

The dozen or so people following behind him were all injured.

Sun Tang hurriedly dismounted and helped the swaying Sun Xiang: "General Sun!"

"At Zijing Pass... five hundred brothers... all gone..."

After saying this, Sun Xiang suddenly went black and fainted.

Sun Tang hurriedly arranged for the wounded soldiers to mount their horses and retreated to Beijing at full speed.

Subsequently, Fan Guangbu also met with Sun Tang and others.

Upon learning that all the soldiers who had covered the rear at Zijing Pass had died for their country, Fan Guang bowed deeply three times in the direction of Zijing Pass.