Jingtai: Making the Ming Dynasty Great Again

Yesen reined in his horse and stood on a mound in front of Zijing Pass.

The walls were empty, with only a few tattered flags fluttering weakly in the night wind.

Everything looked exactly the same as when they breached the pass.

Batel rode forward: "Grand Tutor, isn't it too quiet?"

Zijing Pass is supposedly the gateway to the northern frontier.

Even if we had breached its defenses, the Ming army should have stationed troops there.

Esen frowned: "If the Ming army really wants to encircle and annihilate us here."

They should make a big show of repairing the walls and increasing troop deployments, adopting a posture of defending to the death.

The current scene resembles a trap, yet it also seems truly unguarded.

The Battle of Beijing greatly diminished Esen's confidence.

For a moment, he couldn't guess the military's plan.

A scout galloped in from the darkness: "Grand Tutor! We've scouted both sides of the pass, and there's no sign of a large army stationed there."

"What about inside the pass?"

"The streets and alleys inside the pass were deserted. My men sneaked in a hundred paces, but found no sign of an ambush."

He hesitated for a moment and remained silent.

Batel suggested: "Grand Tutor, why don't we send a forward team into the pass to test the waters first?"

If there is an ambush, our main force is still outside the pass and can respond promptly.

Esen slowly shook his head: "Time waits for no one. Order the entire army to be divided into three parts."

The vanguard of 10,000 men, led by myself, will enter the pass immediately.

You will command the central army of 30,000. We will re-enter the pass after the vanguard has crossed it.

The rear army, numbering 20,000, was commanded by Horchi and would re-enter the pass after the central army had left.

The three units will proceed at intervals, allowing for mutual support in case of an ambush.

Batel said worriedly, "Grand Tutor, it's too risky for you to personally lead the vanguard..."

Esen interrupted him: "If it is indeed a trap, I, as the vanguard, can make a decision on the spot."

If it is an empty pass... then it is a path to survival bestowed by the Eternal Heaven!

At the same time, five miles northwest of Zijing Pass.

Yang Hong and Guo Deng stood side by side on a high ground, with ten thousand elite troops behind them.

Yang Hong's troops numbered 6,000, while Guo Deng's troops numbered 4,000.

They arrived here secretly a day earlier and hid in the mountains.

"General Yang, the vanguard has already begun to enter the pass."

Guo Deng held a bronze monocular in his hand.

These are old items he found in the Datong Armory.

Tribute items brought back by Zheng He from the Western Ocean during the Yongle era.

Yang Hong strained to look towards Zijing Pass and slowly asked, "How many men are in his vanguard?"

Guo Deng handed the monocular to Yang Hong: "There are about 10,000 people, according to Your Majesty's plan with the Minister."

We should let the vanguard go and focus our attack on the rear guard.

only……"

"Just what?"

Guo Deng looked southeast: "General Shi Heng's pursuers have not yet arrived."

If we take action now, and our front and rear armies are not yet separated, we will be caught in a bitter battle.

But if we wait for General Shi, Esen's entire army might successfully cross the pass.

Yang Hong said slowly, "No rush. Let's wait for his vanguard to leave the pass. General Shi will arrive soon. Do you still remember the Emperor's decree?"

"Remember."

A few days ago, Yang Hong and Guo Deng received imperial edicts from Beijing in Xuanfu and Datong respectively.

The imperial edict brought news of Esen's defeat in Beijing and that Arazhiyuan had marched north to Juyong Pass.

Zhu Qiyu ordered Yang Hong and Guo Deng to lead elite troops to reinforce Juyong Pass.

The two then led a total of 10,000 troops to confront Toghtoa Bukha outside Juyong Pass.

Surprisingly, Toghtogbuhua did not intend to start a war.

They even retreated several miles, allowing Yang Hong and Guo Deng to successfully enter Juyong Pass.

Inside the pass, the two received another imperial edict from Zhu Qiyu.

It is stated that the Ming court has reached a peace agreement with Toghtog Bukha and Arazhiyuan.

They were tasked with "escorting" Arazhiyuan out of Zijing Pass.

The two then camped outside Zijing Pass and ambushed Esen.

Moreover, Zhu Qiyu also issued an order.

The aim of this battle is to severely damage the Oirat Mongols, but not to annihilate Esen.

The grassland is weak when it is in its individual parts, but strong when it is united.

If Esen dies here, the Oirat will surely fall into chaos, but a new ruler will surely rise after the chaos.

It would be better to let him go back and clean up the mess first, and fight among himself and Arajiin and Toghtobukha.

Every day of infighting on the grasslands brings peace to the northern border of the Ming Dynasty.

Yang Hong suddenly asked again, "By the way, how's it going over there?"

Guo Deng: "When the scouts checked Esen's troops in the afternoon, they had already sent someone to inform them that they could go home."

Five li northeast of Zijing Pass.

More than 30,000 men under Tuotuo Buhua's command are packing their belongings in an orderly manner.

They are going home.

At Juyong Pass, one of the conditions Zhu Qiyu offered to Tuotuo Buhua for peace was that they be allowed to garrison outside Zijing Pass for a few days.

At the time, Toghtog Bukha thought that Zhu Qiyu wanted them to fight against Arazhiyuan or Esen.

He sternly rejected the request.

Afterwards, the Ming court made it clear that they did not need to do anything.

All you need to do is reach Zijing Pass and wait for orders to go home.

Thus, Tuotuo Buhua arrived at Zijing Pass with some doubt and set up camp.

At the second quarter of midnight, inside Zijing Pass.

Esen led his vanguard through the city gate and out of the north gate.

A centurion looked around uneasily: "Grand Tutor, isn't everything going too smoothly?"

Esen also had many doubts, but there was no turning back once the arrow was released.

He shouted sternly, "Speed ​​up and get out of the pass! Order the rear guard to follow!"

Just as the central army emerged from the pass, a sudden battle cry erupted from the western mountain path, and arrows rained down in an instant.

At the same time, Shi Heng's troops caught up with Ye Xian's army.

Hearing the battle cries coming from beyond the pass in the distance, Shi Heng's spirits lifted: "Esen has already passed the pass!"

Brothers, today is the day to make our mark!

Li Rong, however, was somewhat worried: "General, General Yang and General Guo have already set up an ambush outside the pass."

Will our attack at this moment provoke Esen into a desperate counterattack?

Shi Heng glared at him: "What do you know?"

His Majesty wants to severely damage the Oirat Mongols, not to annihilate Esen.

We will now charge in, specifically targeting their rear guard, and force them to collapse.

Seeing pursuers behind them, they would only run even faster.

We'll give a good beating to a dog that's down on its luck.

Then Shi Heng shouted: "All troops, listen to my command! Do not form ranks, do not engage in prolonged battles. Form teams of one hundred men, weave and divide, and focus on killing isolated enemies!"

Let these Tartars know that the territory of the Ming Dynasty is not a place they can come and go as they please!

"kill!"

Four thousand cavalrymen pounced on the Oirat rear guard like a pack of wolves.

At this time, 20,000 troops had just arrived at the pass and were entering it one by one.

Suddenly, thunderous shouts of battle erupted from behind, and Ming cavalry surged forward like a tidal wave, causing utter chaos.

Huo Erchi was furious, but there was nothing he could do.

His troops were already exhausted, and with Shi Heng's charge, they were suddenly caught off guard and unable to defend themselves.

The soldiers rushed toward Zijing Pass, pushing and trampling each other.

Many people were knocked off their horses and immediately trampled into the mud by the hooves of the horses that followed.

The routed army was reduced to a pulp.

Shi Heng's cavalry reaped lives as easily as cutting melons and vegetables.

This is not a battle, it is a massacre.

Esen, on the other side of Zijing Pass, immediately realized that they had been ambushed.

Although the exact number of Ming soldiers is unknown.

But he knew that given the Ming court's current situation, the ambush troops would not exceed ten thousand.

So he prepared to order the vanguard to form ranks and return to reinforce.

Suddenly, a scout rushed ahead and reported: "A large number of troops have been spotted to the northeast, suspected to be the troops of Toghtog Bukha."

It is moving northwest towards Datong.

Esen was immediately enraged: This foolish Toghtog Bukha actually joined the Ming court's encirclement at this time.

Esen then ordered the vanguard and central army to charge at full speed toward Datong.

He can no longer control the rear guard.

If Toghtoa Bukha were to reach the front and form an encirclement with the current Ming army, they would all die!