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

When Esen heard that the Ming Dynasty had sent envoys so quickly, he was overjoyed.

The earthen city wall north of Deshengmen is the site of the former northern wall of Dadu (Beijing) during the Yuan Dynasty, where Esen's army camped.

Within Esen's camp, swords and spears were arrayed in a ring, armored cavalry stood in rows, and bows were drawn at full tension.

Wang Hong and Wang Fu carried wine and meat as if they were strolling through a market, showing no fear whatsoever.

The Oirat soldiers were dumbfounded. Only two people had come, almost empty-handed. Why were the Ming envoys so arrogant?

Esen, who was inside the city, was unaware of the situation and believed that the Ming Dynasty had surrendered.

Esen sat in the main seat, deliberately placing Zhu Qizhen to the side. Although their positions appeared equal, Esen's own position was slightly higher.

When Wang Hong and Wang Fu entered, Esen was stunned for a moment, wondering if they had gone to capture two prisoners.

Are these two envoys carrying a vegetable basket?

Zhu Qizhen stared at the two men, his eyelids twitching. These two were not officials from the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Justice, but although they held important positions, they were just minor officials. He was already certain that his younger brother had no intention of negotiating peace and perhaps did not welcome him back.

"Wang Hong, Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Ming Dynasty, and Wang Fu, Right Vice Minister of Rites, pay their respects to His Majesty the Retired Emperor and to Grand Tutor Prince Huai!"

Zhu Qizhen was taken aback. This was clearly a temporary promotion. How could a normal promotion be so fast?

Zhu Qizhen couldn't speak up, but Esen, who was standing to the side, also noticed something was wrong. These two men sounded like they held high-ranking positions, but their entourage was extremely shabby. They didn't even bring any gold or silver treasures, clearly showing that they didn't take him seriously.

"Your Excellency, what is the meaning of your emperor's words? This is not a proper welcoming ceremony."

Wang Hong and Wang Fu exchanged a glance, their expressions turning serious.

Without a word, Wang Hong fired the first shot: "Esen! Our Great Ming has been pacifying you, sending you silk, grain, and tea every year, and our kindness in controlling you has lasted for many years. The court has treated your tribe like dogs and wolves, granting your every request. Who would have thought that you, being ruthless and vicious, would turn against us and launch an unjust war against the nine border regions, capturing our Emperor Emeritus in the Battle of Tumu, and trampling the capital region with your iron cavalry?"

"Wherever your bandit cavalry goes, villages are burned and ruins are destroyed, people are slaughtered, and the old and weak are left to die in ditches; you even send your troops to trespass on the mausoleum area of ​​Tianshou Mountain, trampling on the ancestral tombs of the late emperors and disturbing the spirits of our ancestors!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Qizhen turned pale. If Esen had truly plundered the three imperial tombs, he would have become an unworthy descendant.

Wang Hong continued, "Under the whole heaven, there has never been anyone who, having received great favors, has acted rebelliously, using trade as a pretext to rob and kill, cruelly mutilating lives and desecrating imperial tombs! You are merely a tribal chieftain from the northern deserts, a rogue in a desolate corner, who, by sheer luck, has succeeded for a time, yet dares to covet the divine artifacts of the Central Plains. Truly, you possess the wisdom of a jackal and the vision of a frog in a well!"

Upon hearing the translation, Esen turned pale with rage, drew his sword, and intended to kill Wang Hong. This was the first time in so many years that he had been insulted like this; it was intolerable!

"Wait, let me finish speaking before you kill me!"

Esen was rebuked and did not immediately strike, so Wang Hong turned to Zhu Qizhen.

Today he came with the intention of ending his life, and he no longer held back, speaking sharply: "The former Emperor Emeritus once held the supreme position, inheriting the legacy of his ancestors and holding the lives of hundreds of millions of people in his hands. He easily trusted treacherous officials, recklessly left the palace, and personally led the elite troops of the capital on a campaign. Due to mismanagement, hundreds of thousands of royal soldiers were killed in battle, loyal bones covered the fields, and the prestige of the nation was destroyed. He has already brought shame upon the ancestral temple."

"Now that we are trapped in the enemy's camp, we should uphold the greater good of the nation and adhere to the fundamental principles of human relations! Even if we cannot die for righteousness, we should at least remain steadfast and not be driven by the enemy. But Your Majesty is greedy for your own survival and has forgotten your responsibilities as sovereign and father! With just a few words of coercion from Esen, you have submitted and repeatedly sent verbal edicts to the border towns, ordering the garrison officials to open the city gates and let the enemy in!"

"The soldiers on the frontier, shedding blood on the ramparts, fought desperately to defend the borders, yet a single imperial edict caused the fortified fortresses to crumble without a fight; the people of the Central Plains, day and night, eagerly awaited the peace of the royal family, but Your Majesty instead aided the invaders, leading the barbarian cavalry to slaughter your own people. You, as the Son of Heaven of the Zhu family, have brought ruin to the Zhu family's empire; you have inherited the legacy of your ancestors, yet you have disgraced their tombs!"

"The territory is ravaged, the people are displaced, the imperial tombs are desecrated, the capital is in turmoil, and countless tragedies have occurred. What is the root cause? Could it not be the result of His Majesty the Retired Emperor's incompetence and debauchery, and his subservience to the rebels?"

"Among the rulers of fallen kingdoms in ancient times, there were those who upheld righteousness and died for their country; and among the rulers who were imprisoned in the enemy's court, none willingly became puppets of the invaders, turning against their own people! This is the only record of this in history. How can His Majesty the Retired Emperor face his ancestors? How can he face the thousands of soldiers buried in the earth and wood?"

Zhu Qizhen was so angry that his face turned red and his breathing became unsteady. He was instantly enraged and pounced on Wang Hong, his fists raining down on Wang Hong.

"Shut up, shut up!"

Wang Hong, the boxing champion, did not unleash the three punches of the Emperor. He remained unmoved despite Zhu Qizhen's attacks, even as his body was in excruciating pain.

Unable to bear it any longer, Wang Fu hurriedly pulled Wang Hong away. As the target disappeared, Zhu Qizhen staggered and fell to the ground.

"Traitorous scoundrels! Traitorous scoundrels! They've rebelled! They've rebelled!"

Esen, witnessing the sudden turn of events and hearing the translation, was secretly astonished. This Ming official was so bold, daring to even curse his own emperor.

Wang Fu hurriedly helped Zhu Qizhen up, showing no intention of letting him off the hook.

He felt no fear at this moment; if he were afraid of death, he wouldn't have performed boxing at the Meridian Gate in the first place.

Wang Fu, with great "kindness," advised: "Your Majesty, Imperial Censor Wang's words were not merely words of momentary indignation, but rather the opinion of the entire nation. Your Majesty, being in the enemy camp, must know your place. From now on, you must never write a single piece of paper or issue a single order, lest you be used by the foreign enemy and destroy the foundation of your dynasty."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Qizhen couldn't help but tear up. This was the common opinion of the world. Had the people of the world come to dislike him so much?

Seeing Zhu Qizhen's state, Wang Fu feared that it would cause him mental problems, so he turned his attention back to Esen, saying, "Esen, you rely on your temporary military strength to run rampant in the capital region, thinking that you can threaten the Ming Dynasty by holding the retired emperor hostage? Mencius said, 'The state is of utmost importance, the ruler is of lesser importance!' Now the new emperor has ascended the throne in the capital, the court and the people are of one mind, the soldiers of the nine gates are ready for battle, and the whole country is determined to defend it to the death."

"If you repent and immediately restrain your people from plundering and retreat, surrender your troops and apologize, there will still be room for negotiation; but if you continue your aggressive military campaigns and attempt to make endless demands through coercion, the hundreds of millions of subjects of the Great Ming Dynasty are willing to unite the entire nation to resist you, and the northern tribes of the Gobi Desert will ultimately suffer endless war!"

"That's all for now, farewell!"

Wang Hong and Wang Fu threw down their wine and meat, bowed in greeting, and prepared to turn and leave.

"We've captured two thieves!"

The Oirat soldiers swarmed forward and subdued Wang Hong and his companion in an instant.

Wang Hong remained calm and laughed, "Esen, you'd better release us. His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming is waiting for us to return. If we don't go back, it means that the Oirats and the Great Ming are locked in a life-or-death struggle. I wonder if our lives are more valuable, or if the Emperor Emeritus is more valuable?"

Esen stood frozen in place, his face ashen. If he killed these two, then Zhu Qizhen's trump card would be completely rendered useless. If the Ming envoys were killed, the Ming soldiers would be united in their hatred of the enemy, and extortion would be impossible.

"Take him away and keep him under guard!"

Wang Hong shouted sternly, "Wait! His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty demands to see us both return today, or else consider us as martyred soldiers! Esen, are you sure you want to imprison us?"

Bayan Temur hurriedly stepped forward and advised, "Grand Tutor, do not fall for their trick. These two have come here seeking death and are deliberately trying to provoke you. Killing them will only boost the morale of the Ming army."

Esen was well aware that the two men had come seeking death. He glanced at Zhu Qizhen and realized that Zhu Qizhen was indeed more valuable.

"Drive the two men out of the camp and have the Emperor in the capital send Yu Qian, Shi Heng, Wang Zhi, Hu Ying, and others. If they come, I will release them!"

Wang Hong sneered inwardly, broke free, and before leaving, he didn't forget to take back the wine and meat he had just put down, his expression carrying a hint of mockery.

Esen almost lost his temper; it was too much of a bullying, and he drew his sword to chase after them.

Bayan Temur hurriedly stopped them, allowing Wang Hong and his companion to swagger away.

Zhu Qizhen stared blankly at this scene, a sense of sorrow suddenly welling up in his heart. His subject was no longer his own; Zhu Qiyu was truly fortunate!