Jingtai: Making the Ming Dynasty Great Again

"Our unit has decided to withdraw."

There was an uproar inside the tent.

Esen abruptly stood up: "What did you say?!"

Arachi said calmly, "I will lead my troops to Juyong Pass to join forces with Toghtoa Bukha Khan."

The Great Khan is about to breach Juyong Pass.

Rather than making pointless sacrifices here, we should go there and acquire tangible spoils before returning to the grasslands.

Although Toghtoa Bukha was the nominal Great Khan of the Mongols, his actual power was far less than that of Esen.

When Esen marched south, he ordered him to lead his troops to attack Liaodong and tie down the Ming army.

Following the great victory at Tumu Fortress, Esen abandoned Liaodong and headed towards Xuanfu.

They arrived just as Arazhiyuan was feigning an attack on Juyong Pass.

Tuotuo Buhua readily accepted the task, sending Alazhiyuan to join forces with Esen to attack Beijing.

Esen's hand gripped the hilt of his sword: "You're going to betray me?"

Now that Arazhiyuan is going to seek refuge with Toghtobuqa, this is tantamount to an open split.

The atmosphere inside the tent suddenly became tense, and both sides' personal guards gripped their weapons.

Arachiin shook his head: "It's not betrayal, it's taking responsibility for my people."

Grand Tutor, you have been blinded by hatred and greed.

Zhu Qiyu is not Zhu Qizhen, and Yu Qian is not Wang Zhen!

If you insist on continuing your attack on Beijing, please do so.

But my 20,000 men cannot afford to die for your unrealistic dreams.

After saying this, Arazhiyuan bowed and then turned and walked out of the tent.

At the same time, several tribal leaders also left the tent with Arazhiyuan.

The tent fell into a deathly silence.

Yesen looked in the direction where Arajiin had left, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.

He knew perfectly well that what Arajiin said made sense.

But if he were to withdraw his troops now, the prestige he had built up over the years would vanish completely.

He must find a respectable way out.

Esen spoke first: "Order all battalions to break camp in the afternoon and head east."

The generals looked at each other in bewilderment: "Grand Tutor, shall we not return to the grasslands?"

Esen's finger traced across Tongzhou, Xianghe, and Baodi on the map: "The Ming Dynasty thought that holding Beijing meant victory?"

I want them to know that the iron cavalry of the grasslands can come and go as they please!

A fire rekindled in his eyes: "Beijing's defenses are strong; we cannot take it."

But what about the surrounding prefectures and counties?

Tongzhou had granaries, Xianghe and Baodi were prosperous, and Tianjinwei had an ordnance bureau.

These places don't have Beijing's city walls!

The generals were greatly encouraged.

Esen continued, "We bypassed Beijing and looted in the Hebei, Tongzhou, and Tianjin areas."

Once they've looted enough, they'll retreat back to the grasslands from Zijing Pass.

This way, we can both make up for the losses and save face.

One of the generals hesitated and said, "But Grand Tutor, if we divide our forces to plunder, what if the Ming army comes out of the city to pursue us..."

Yesen waved his hand: "The Ming army has just experienced a major battle and needs to rest."

Even if they leave the city, their cavalry will only number in the thousands.

"And we still have 20,000 iron cavalry, what are we afraid of?"

He looked around at his generals and said, "Tell the warriors that if we can't take Beijing, we'll go and take other cities!"

Gold and silver treasures, silk and grain, young women—you can have as much as you want!

A renewed glint of greed rekindled in the eyes of the generals, and they responded in unison, "Yes, sir!"

After noon, the Oirat camp began to break up.

Arazhiyuan led 20,000 cavalry and 40,000 logistics troops northward toward Juyong Pass.

Esen led an army of 60,000 eastward, attacking the remaining prefectures and counties of Beizhili.

Post-war cleanup efforts are underway both inside and outside Beijing.

The soldiers carried the bodies of the Oirat cavalrymen outside the city and piled them up in preparation for burning.

The bodies of the Ming soldiers were then carried back to the barbican.

According to Yu Qian, the original plan was to burn all the Ming soldiers' corpses together.

This was also the standard explanation for preventing the outbreak of plague after the war.

However, Zhu Qiyu stopped him.

Zhu Qiyu's argument was that the Oirat Mongols would inevitably retreat, giving them time to bury the Ming soldiers' corpses.

The Imperial Palace, Wenhua Hall.

Zhu Qiyu summoned the cabinet, the main officials of the six ministries, and the generals in Beijing.

Everyone looked exhausted, but their eyes were filled with the exhilaration of victory.

Minister of War Yu Qian first reported the battle results: "In last night's battle, we annihilated 5,000 Oirat cavalry who had entered the city and killed Bayan Temur in battle."

Our army suffered over 8,000 dead and over 3,000 wounded.

Ten civilians were injured and forty-seven houses were burned down.

Wang Zhi, the Minister of Personnel, breathed a sigh of relief: "Your Majesty, after this battle, the Oirat Mongols should be unable to attack Beijing again in the short term."

Zhu Qiyu shook his head: "No, the war is not over yet."

He looked at Yu Qian: "Minister Yu, what is the current situation at the Oirat camp?"

Yu Qian replied, "The scouts report that the Oirat are packing their belongings, and it seems they are about to withdraw their troops."

But strangely, they split into two groups, one heading north and the other east.

Wang Zhi frowned: "Eastward? What are they planning to do?"

Zhu Qiyu walked to the huge map of Beizhili and pointed eastward from Beijing: "Esen is going to bypass Beijing, plunder Tongzhou, Xianghe, Baodi, and may even attack Tianjin."

Everyone's expression changed.

Minister of Works Shi Pu said urgently, "Tianjin has a shipyard and a branch of the Ordnance Bureau. If they are damaged, it will affect the grain transport and the supply of military equipment."

Zhu Qiyu nodded: "Esen's treacherous intentions have not been extinguished. He wants to make up for his losses through plundering, while at the same time striking at the economic lifeline of our dynasty."

Most of the people from other prefectures and counties had already entered Beijing before the battle began.

Zhu Qiyu's only worry right now is Tianjin.

The garrison at Tianjinwei numbered only about 15,000.

Even including the people who went to seek refuge in nearby prefectures and counties, the number of people capable of fighting was no more than 20,000.

Yu Qian pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, although our army has won, it is also exhausted."

There are fewer than 5,000 horses left in the entire city of Beijing!

General Shi's rapid reinforcements suffered nearly half casualties, and the guards at each gate also needed to rest.

If we were to leave the city now to pursue them, we fear our strength would be insufficient.

Shi Heng clasped his hands and said, "Your Majesty, this humble general is willing to lead the cavalry out of the city to pursue them! The Oirat have just suffered a defeat, and their morale is low; this is the perfect opportunity to pursue them!"

Zhu Qiyu looked at Shi Heng and suddenly asked, "General Shi, if you were in Esen's position, what would you do after the siege failed?"

Shi Heng hesitated for a moment before replying, "I will set an ambush. We will feign a retreat, but in reality, we will ambush the pursuers halfway."

Wang Zhi nodded and said, "That's right. Esen is cunning in his military tactics and will surely guard against our pursuit."

He still had 60,000 troops under his command, of which at least 20,000 were cavalry.

Our cavalry only number five thousand, and we have no chance of winning in a direct confrontation..."

Zhu Qiyu interrupted him: "But we absolutely cannot stand idly by and watch the Oirats plunder Northern Zhili. What have the people done to deserve such devastation?"

Grand Secretary Chen Xun bowed and said, "Your Majesty is benevolent, but the most urgent task at present is to defend Beijing."

As long as Beijing remains intact, the foundation of the Ming Dynasty will stand.

This is actually the mindset of most civil servants: stability comes first.

But Zhu Qiyu shook his head: "If the Oirats are allowed to plunder freely in Beizhili, the prestige of the court will be completely destroyed."

The people would ask: Where are the imperial army? Why can't they protect them?

I know this war is very risky, but some battles are unavoidable.

A look of appreciation flashed in Yu Qian's eyes: "What are Your Majesty's plans?"

Zhu Qiyu: "We will not engage in direct combat with the main force of the Oirat, but will instead adopt harassment tactics."

They dispatched small cavalry units to raid the Oirat marching forces day and night, specifically targeting supply convoys, wounded soldiers' camps, and isolated units.

He looked at Shi Heng: "General Shi, after two days of rest, lead all your elite cavalry out of the city. Do not engage the main force of the Oirat, but focus on harassment."