Jingtai: Making the Ming Dynasty Great Again

As evening approached, Yu Qian summoned all the generals to the Ministry of War once again.

"We must take the initiative and disrupt Esen's rhythm."

Everyone looked and saw that it was Fan Guang who was speaking.

Yu Qian looked at him: "General Fan, what are your thoughts?"

Fan Guang got up and walked to the map: "Esen set up his camp north of Tucheng, about five li from Deshengmen."

Their provisions and supplies must be stored in the rear camp.

Esen would never have expected that our army would dare to launch a surprise attack on our camp under such circumstances.

These words immediately sparked a flurry of discussion within the hall.

Wu Ning, the Right Vice Minister of War, immediately objected: "Absolutely not! The Oirat cavalry are swift; once the troops attacking the camp are entangled, they will have no chance of survival!"

Luo Tong, the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, also said, "Esen's military tactics are cunning. How can we know that he wasn't deliberately creating a weakness to lure our army out of the city?"

Fan Guang pointed to several thin lines on the map: "These are the patrol routes of the Oirat Mongols that were discovered by the night scouts."

They also pushed forward their main force to besiege the Nine Gates.

Although there were guards in the rear camp, the gaps in patrols were obvious.

He was convinced that our army would not dare to attack, so he focused all his attention on besieging the city.

Yu Qian squinted his eyes: "Esen was arrogant and regarded the soldiers of the Central Plains as sheep."

The victory at Tumu Fortress made him even more arrogant and overbearing.

He certainly didn't expect that the besieged Ming army would dare to launch a preemptive attack.

Fan Guang clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general is willing to lead five hundred elite soldiers out of the city at night and directly attack the Oirat grain and fodder camp."

The aim is not to annihilate the enemy, but to burn their supplies.

Esen's army of tens of thousands consumed countless provisions every day.

If we burn three to five days' worth of their rations, their morale will surely collapse.

Zhu Qiyu asked, "Isn't one thousand too few? The Oirat rear camp has at least tens of thousands of garrison troops, not counting the patrolling cavalry."

Fan Guang explained: "The quality of soldiers is more important than the quantity. Night raids require quick and decisive action, and having too many soldiers will only make them more vulnerable to being exposed."

A thousand elite soldiers, gagged and horses with their hooves wrapped, will break in at midnight when the Oirat guard is at its weakest, set fires, and then flee.

Shi Heng suddenly interjected: "General Fan's courage is commendable, but how will he retreat after attacking the camp?"

How did the thousand Oirat cavalrymen escape after being pursued?

This is also the issue that everyone is most worried about.

A successful night raid is desirable, but if the raiding troops never return, it will be a fatal blow to morale.

Fan Guang had clearly considered this beforehand: "After I leave the city, I need to have a cavalry force lying in ambush two miles outside the city."

If the raid on the camp goes smoothly, the supporting cavalry can cover the retreat.

If ambushed, they can also provide support for a breakout.

Zhu Qiyu asked, "Who is capable of providing this support?"

All eyes turned to Shi Heng.

Yesterday, Shi Heng successfully lured the enemy outside Deshengmen, proving his skill in cavalry warfare.

Shi Heng felt everyone's gaze and quickly weighed his options.

The mission to provide support is risky, but if Fan Guang's raid on the camp succeeds, I, as the commander in charge of the support, will also have a record of merit.

Even if they fail, as long as the support is timely, the losses won't all be on their shoulders.

He immediately clasped his hands in a fist and said, "This humble general is willing to lead three thousand cavalry to support General Fan!"

Yu Qian looked at Zhu Qiyu, awaiting the emperor's judgment.

Zhu Qiyu pondered for a long time.

He recalled that the Battle of Beijing lasted five days in history, but he didn't know the specific details.

All we know is that they eventually ran out of supplies and had to retreat.

He didn't know whether Fan Guang had contributed to the night raid.

Finally, Zhu Qiyu said in a deep voice, "Fan Guang."

"Your subordinate is here!"

"I grant you permission to launch a night raid on the Oirat grain camp. After successfully capturing the camp, retreat immediately and do not linger in battle."

"This subordinate obeys the order!"

Zhu Qiyu then looked at Shi Heng: "General Shi, the responsibility of providing support is more important than attacking the camp."

General Fan, the lives of these thousand men are in your hands.

Shi Heng knelt on one knee: "Your Majesty, rest assured! This humble general will certainly not fail in your trust!"

Zhu Qiyu concluded by saying, "Minister Yu, you and the two generals shall draft the details of the raid on the camp."

Whatever equipment or personnel are needed, all government departments will provide full cooperation.

"I obey your decree."

After the meeting, Yu Qian kept Fan Guang and Shi Heng behind, and the three of them discussed the map until dusk.

That night, with the moon hidden and stars sparse, it was the perfect time for a night raid.

As midnight approached, a thousand elite soldiers had assembled inside Desheng Gate.

These people were not wearing iron armor, but only light leather armor, which made it easier for them to move stealthily.

Then a thousand people filed out like ghosts and quickly disappeared into the night.

Almost simultaneously, Shi Heng led three thousand cavalrymen out of the city through Anding Gate.

An hour later, Fan Guang led his army to a low-lying area.

Lying on the edge of the depression, Fan Guang could clearly see the rear camp of the Oirat Mongols.

The camps stretched out like white mushrooms across the plain.

In the center were dozens of huge grain silos, covered with felt and surrounded by wooden fences.

Campfires flickered in the camp, and the figures of patrolling soldiers swayed in the firelight.

Lieutenant Li Rong whispered, "The security is looser than expected."

Fan Guang nodded.

Esen was indeed careless. Although there were many soldiers guarding the camp, most of them sat around the campfire and few patrolled back and forth.

The guards near the grain depot were sparse, clearly indicating that they did not believe the Ming army would dare to launch a sneak attack.

Fan Guang whispered instructions: "Li Rong, you lead three hundred men to sneak in from the east and burn down the grain storage."

Wang Bin led three hundred men from the west side, creating chaos.

I led four hundred men straight into the central army and killed the defending general.

Remember, use fire as a signal; once the fire starts, retreat immediately. Do not linger in battle!

"Yes, sir!"

Fan Guang's squadron was the first to approach the camp.

Two Oirat sentries were dozing against the fence when Fan Guang waved his hand, and two crossbowmen fired simultaneously, killing the sentries with a thud.

The soldiers quickly pushed open the camp gates, and four hundred men poured in like a tidal wave.

It was only at this point that the Oirat garrison noticed something amiss.

A centurion roared and charged forward, drawing his sword. Fan Guang raised his hand and shot an arrow that struck the centurion squarely in the throat.

Fan Guangda shouted, "Set it on fire!"

Soldiers threw out oil canisters, flints sparked, and the grain bins were instantly ignited.

At the same time, flames soared into the sky on both the east and west sides, and Li Rong and Wang Bin both succeeded.

The fire, fueled by the wind, spread rapidly.

The Oirat rear camp was thrown into chaos.

The soldiers were jolted awake from their sleep and rushed out of their tents, their clothes disheveled.

Some were putting out fires, others were searching for the enemy; the scene was in complete chaos.

Suddenly, a Oirat general rushed out of a tent. He was wearing iron armor and holding a long spear. He was none other than Tuohuoqi, the garrison commander of the rear camp.

Tuo Huochi roared in fury, thrusting his spear straight at Fan Guang's face: "You Ming dog, you're courting death!"

Fan Guang dodged to the side, and the two engaged in combat.

At this moment, the entire rear camp was engulfed in flames, the firelight illuminating half the sky.

Li Rong rushed over: "General! The supplies have been burned; it's time to retreat!"

Fan Guang nodded and was about to order a retreat when he suddenly heard the sound of rapid hoofbeats coming from outside the camp.

"Cavalry! The Oirat cavalry have returned to reinforce!"

Fan Guang's heart sank.

Esen reacted too quickly; his main force returned to reinforce the rear camp so soon.

"Form a circular formation! Retreat southeast!"

The Ming army quickly formed ranks and fought as they retreated.

But the Oirat cavalry had already encircled them from three sides, led by Bayan Temur: "Leave no one alive!"

Although the Ming army had a circular formation for protection, their formation began to loosen under the charge of the cavalry.

Fan Guang fought valiantly, but the number of Oirat cavalrymen increased.

A cold arrow shot from the shadows, catching Fan Guang off guard. He was struck in the right chest, let out a muffled groan, and almost fell off his horse.

Li Rong quickly helped him up: "General!"

Fan Guang gritted his teeth and broke the arrow shaft, his blood staining half of his armor: "Don't worry about me! Lead the brothers and retreat!"

"We'll go together!"

The Ming army's circular formation shrank smaller and smaller under the cavalry charge, and more than half of the thousand men had been killed or wounded.

Fan Guang knew that if the situation dragged on any longer, his entire army would be wiped out.

Just then, a deafening battle cry suddenly rang out from the southeast.

Three rockets soared into the sky, bursting into dazzling red light in the night sky.

Shi Heng's cavalry has arrived to provide backup!

Three thousand cavalrymen charged into the battlefield like an iron torrent, instantly tearing a gap in the encirclement of the Oirat cavalry.

Shi Heng charged ahead, felling two Oirat cavalrymen with his spear, then shouted, "General Fan! Retreat immediately!"

Li Rong, supporting the seriously wounded Fan Guang, led the remaining soldiers in a breakout towards the direction of the reinforcements.

Shi Heng led his cavalry in a flanking charge, desperately blocking the pursuing Oirat troops.

When Bayan Temur saw that the Ming army reinforcements had arrived, he knew that it would be difficult to annihilate them all, so he had no choice but to order a retreat and put out the fire first.

Shi Heng did not linger in battle and covered the rapid retreat of Fan Guang's remaining troops.

At 3:45 AM, Desheng Gate reopened, and Shi Heng led his army back to the city.

They had three thousand cavalry when they left the city, but five hundred were missing when they returned.

Of Fan Guang's thousand elite soldiers, only three hundred returned, and all of them were wounded.

But their victory was brilliant: most of the Oirat rear camp's food supplies were burned, and according to later night scouts, they lost at least five days' worth of provisions.

Zhu Qiyu stayed up all night, waiting on the Deshengmen city tower.

Upon seeing Shi Heng leading his army back, they immediately went down from the city wall to greet him.

When Fan Guang was carried off his horse, he was already unconscious. Although the arrow wound on his chest had been simply bandaged, it was still bleeding continuously.

Zhu Qiyu asked urgently, "How is General Fan's injury?"

After examining the patient, the military doctor's expression turned grave: "The arrow has pierced the lung. Although it hasn't damaged the heart, the patient has lost too much blood. Whether he can survive tonight depends on the outcome."

Zhu Qiyu clenched his fist and turned to Shi Heng: "General Shi, you've worked hard."

Shi Heng knelt on one knee: "This humble general has not failed in his mission!"

Zhu Qiyu ordered that the returning soldiers be richly rewarded, and also arranged for Fan Guang to be sent to the palace for treatment.