Emperor Ming: Your Majesty, you have caused me so much suffering.

Ever since Yue Qian was assigned the job of an envoy, he felt like he had been cursed for eight lifetimes.

This mission was not on behalf of the Ming Dynasty, but on behalf of Zhu Qizhen, representing the Oirat Mongols, to Zhangyi Gate to convey the Oirat Mongols' idea of ​​"peace talks".

Yue Qian was unaware that Zhu Qizhen's act of knocking on the gate had already provoked public anger. He and Naha went directly to the nearby Zhangyi Gate, an act that was already seen as a provocation.

As soon as the two men explained their purpose, the local garrison commanders Gao Li and Mao Fushou, without saying a word, led their cavalry out of the camp and attacked Yue Qian and his party. Seeing that the situation was not good, Naha reined in his horse and fled.

Yue Qian, seeing that they were his own people, did not panic. He intended to convey Zhu Qizhen's decree, but before he could even utter a word, a knife came straight at him, and Yue Qian's pitiful mission ended just like that.

Naha fled back and reported the details. Esen was furious and realized that these Ming soldiers were ungrateful. He immediately ordered Boluo to fight.

Dust billowed in the western suburbs as a force of several hundred elite Oirat cavalrymen galloped towards them.

Soon Boluo realized something was wrong and hurriedly reined in his horse to observe for a while. The Ming army camp seemed to be well-organized.

Yu Qian and others knew that the Oirat cavalry were swift in battle and were used to storm camps in the chaos. Based on the experience of Shi Heng, Gu Xingzu and Li Xian, as well as the experience of Guo Deng and Yang Hong that were sent back to the capital, after repeated summarization and deliberation, they decided to set up a solid camp on a flat site one li away from the city.

The soldiers dug two deep trenches around the camp, with upside-down sharp logs planted all over the bottom of the trenches to hinder horses and footsteps.

The excavated soil was piled up behind the trench and rammed into a thick earthen wall. Beneath the earthen wall, layers of chevaux-de-frise, barbed wire, and hidden arrows were laid out.

There was a gate on each of the four sides of the camp, and sturdy log watchtowers were built on both sides of the gate. People were on guard day and night. At this moment, Gao Li was on the watchtower, taking in Boluo's every move.

Each gate passage was also fortified with trenches for interception. Wooden planks were laid out during the day for men and horses to pass through, but were removed at night to prevent enemy night raids. The camp was fortified with layers of obstruction and meticulous defenses, specifically designed to counter the Oirat cavalry's rapid advances.

Bo Luo was slightly surprised. The defenses before him seemed different from those of the Ming emperor in the main camp at Tumu Fortress. The level of defenses was not the same.

It seems we can't even go inside the main camp. We were careless; we made a boast too early.

Boluo ordered scouts to roam around the camp to spy on the enemy, sometimes approaching to shoot arrows in provocation, and sometimes observing the formation from a distance, in order to harass and probe the enemy and dampen their morale.

The Ming army remained inactive, as if they were hiding in a turtle.

From the watchtower, Gao Li was certain that the Oirat army had not followed, only a small group of cavalry, and no large infantry or cavalry followed. How could he let such an opportunity slip by? The chance for revenge had arrived!

He's determined to take the credit for this battle!

Commander Mao Fushou asked, "Should we consult Commander Liu (Liu Ju)?"

"This is an opportunity we must seize; we have the authority to act on it."

Gao Li raised his hand and immediately ordered the troops to fight.

Gao Li and Mao Fushou donned their armor and led their troops, numbering only a few hundred cavalrymen, out to prepare for a showdown with the Oirat Mongols.

Because the Oirat troops came from the west, Yu Qian deployed all his elite troops to defend the west.

The cavalry under Gao Li and Mao Fushou were mostly veterans from the Beijing garrison and those who had returned after their defeat at Tumu Fortress. They were fierce in battle and highly skilled in formation.

In addition, a thousand infantrymen were dispatched, with their chariots positioned firmly in front to confuse the enemy. Even if the battle was not going well, these infantrymen in formation could at least create chaos. The Oirat forces coming were all light cavalry, and they could not break through the infantry defenses.

Gao Li and Mao Fushou led their cavalry in a somewhat loose formation, heading towards the Oirat cavalry in an arc, but at the top of the arc, they concealed thirty heavy cavalrymen.

This is almost half of the battalion's resources. It has to be said that the Ming Dynasty is currently somewhat poor in terms of cavalry. The main cavalry are in the hands of Shi Heng and Fan Guang, and the other battalions cannot even muster a thousand cavalry.

Seeing that the Ming army dared to take the initiative to form a battle formation in the field, Boluo quickly gathered his elite cavalry.

He did not flee immediately, but wanted to test the strength of the Ming army. When he saw that the Ming army's formation was somewhat chaotic, he was overjoyed. Who gave the Ming army this courage?

In cavalry battles, mere bravery is not enough.

Boluo waved his hand and formed ranks, ready to show the Ming army the horse archery skills of the steppe. He noticed that the Ming army's formation was too spread out and somewhat loose.

Boluo immediately decided to concentrate his attack on the central point to cut off the Ming army's formation, and then use the "scattered star formation" to cover the Ming army in groups of three or five, and then strangle them. In terms of individual combat ability, Boluo believed that the Oirat cavalry were invincible.

Two hundred paces, one hundred paces, into the range of the crossbows.

Gao Li and Mao Fushou did not use Boluo to attack. Instead, they split their formation directly from the flanks. The cavalrymen hung their shields on their arms and fired arrows at each other. All the cavalrymen fired arrows in the direction of the arrows. A dense rain of arrows fell on the Oirat army. Although the accuracy was average and only a few people were injured, this sudden change of formation caused panic among the Oirat cavalry.

Boluo realized that this was a combined archer-cavalry tactic, a grandson showing off in front of his ancestors, something they had already done before.

But before Boluo could even get angry, after the Ming light cavalry dispersed, thirty heavy cavalrymen hidden behind them suddenly appeared before Boluo.

"Oh no! Scatter! Scatter!"

Boluo immediately cried out in alarm. The cunning Ming army had actually brought heavy cavalry, which had been hiding behind the light cavalry. What difference was there between the charging heavy cavalry and the artillery bombardment?

Since the disastrous defeat at Tumu, these cavalrymen of the Ming army had been harboring resentment for a long time. They were determined to wash away the shame of the Tumu Incident today.

The cavalrymen were determined to fight to the death. In close combat, they were fearless, stabbing enemies with their spears, slashing horses' heads with their swords, and hooking horses' hooves with their rakes. Their battle cries echoed throughout the suburbs outside Zhangyi Gate.

The Oirat cavalry were well-trained and reacted instantly. This was the cavalry encirclement tactic (Lawa tactic) used by their ancestor Genghis Khan to dominate the world. As long as they dispersed their formation and did not concentrate to allow the Ming heavy cavalry to charge, the Oirat cavalry could break through the encirclement with their individual combat capabilities.

Boluo, with his rich experience, found a way to break through the defenses almost instantly. Taking advantage of the fact that the light cavalry on both flanks of the Ming army had not yet formed an encirclement, he charged out through the gap, giving the heavy cavalry no chance to charge a second time.

The Ming army's tactical execution was slightly inferior, after all, they had not been training for long, and they simply watched the Oirat cavalry leave.

Seeing that the Oirat cavalry had broken through the encirclement, Gao Li sounded the horn, waved the command flag, and ordered a retreat. If they rashly pursued them, the Oirat retreating formation would not be disrupted, and it would likely be the Ming army that suffered casualties.

Mao Fushou returned with his troops, cursing his bad luck. He said with a look of frustration, "My flank was too slow in encircling them. The warhorses were no good, and the soldiers couldn't react in time. Such a good opportunity, and we failed to wipe out this cavalry!"

Gao Li nodded helplessly. Catching the enemy off guard like this, with the addition of heavy cavalry, yet the enemy still managed to escape. Looking at the battlefield, the Oirat only lost about twenty riders and captured three alive, while the Ming also lost more than ten riders. The result was a victory, but it also seemed like a defeat!

Next time, there won't be such a good opportunity for the Ming Dynasty.

"Clean up the battlefield and return to camp immediately, in case the Oirat army arrives!"

"Here you go!"

Zhu Qiyu was shocked to hear that the war at Zhangyi Gate had started so quickly; the Oirat Mongols were far too hasty.

Ignoring all objections, Zhu Qiyu went directly to Zhangyi Gate to oversee the battle. Upon arrival, he found Gao Li and his men returning to camp, seemingly having achieved some success. Overjoyed, he wanted to open the city gate and go out to inspect the camp.

"Your Majesty, the city gates must not be opened without authorization!" Li Xian hurriedly dissuaded him, for this was a military order and could not be violated casually.

"Then lower me down in a bamboo basket!"

Li Xian was speechless. This emperor was someone Li Xian looked at with new respect, for his courage was beyond that of ordinary people. Other emperors, upon hearing of war, would hide in the palace and dare not come out, but this one was different. He actually took on the role of war supervisor, going wherever the battle broke out without the slightest fear.

Li Xian could only suggest, "Send a message to the generals who just went into battle to come to the city and meet the Emperor."

Zhu Qiyu felt helpless, but he had to admit that Li Xian's words made sense.

A short while later, Gao Li and Mao Fushou came to report on the battle results.

Twenty-one enemies were killed, three were captured, and eleven warhorses were seized! Thirteen Ming soldiers died in battle.

"A great victory! This is a great victory! Quickly spread the news to the entire army. As for our losses, there is no need to report them."

"I'll go right away!"

Upon hearing this, Hao Yi, a eunuch from the Imperial Horse Administration, turned and ran, as he considered himself skilled at reporting victories.

"Minister Li, quickly verify the battle achievements and reward the generals. Ensure the fallen soldiers receive adequate compensation. Go to Minister Jin and ask for the required amount. Do it quickly!"

"I obey your decree!"

Li Xian straightened his expression and naturally dared not refuse; this was the best opportunity to boost the morale of the entire army.

Gao Li and Mao Fushou were overjoyed; they loved this kind of decisive and efficient ruler.

Zhu Qiyu looked at the two men below and said with great pride, "Minister Gao, Minister Mao, you must defeat the Oirat! After this great battle, I will personally pour you both a celebratory toast!"

"Your Majesty, I swear to defend the capital to the death and serve you!"