Ming Dynasty: Gain one supernatural power every day

Outside the Tumu Fort camp, several miles away on a high slope, several Oirat generals were reining in their horses and gazing into the distance.

Listening to the deafening roars coming from the Ming army camp, one of them grinned and turned to his companion, saying, "These Han Chinese haven't had water for so long, and they still have the energy to shout? Keep shouting, shout for another two hours, and they won't even have the strength to speak."

The generals burst into laughter. Just then, a scout galloped up from the front, dismounted, and said urgently, "Grand Tutor, something seems to have flown past the Ming army."

Before Esen could speak, a general beside him lashed the scout's shoulder with his whip: "Don't talk nonsense if you didn't see clearly! What cloud? What flew there? Did those Han people summon the Eternal Heaven?"

The scout winced in pain, clutched his shoulder, and lowered his head, daring not to utter another word.

Yesen waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet, and squinted at the direction of the Ming army camp.

Under the moonlight, there was indeed something unusual about the direction of the camp; it looked like there was fog, yet also light, but he assumed it was just the Ming army lighting torches. He pondered for a moment, then asked, "Haven't they gone to the river to fetch water yet?"

A general nearby replied, "No. It's very strange. Logically speaking, after being thirsty all day, they should have sent men to rush to the river to the south by now. But their camp has become quiet instead, and they're shouting loudly."

Esen frowned, about to speak, when another scout galloped up, this time even more urgently, tumbling off his horse before it even came to a complete stop: "Grand Tutor! It's raining over there with the Ming army... it's raining over there with the Ming army!"

"Rain?" The general beside Esen lashed out with his whip again.

"Look at this sky, does it look like it's going to rain? You've lived on the grasslands for so many years, and you can't even tell the difference between rain and fog? Do they really have gods over there?!"

The scout was beaten so badly that tears were almost in his eyes. He had wanted to say that he heard the Ming soldiers shouting "Emperor Taizong" or something, but when he saw the general's fierce appearance, he swallowed his words.

He looked up at the sky. The night was clear, the stars and moon were bright, and there wasn't a trace of rain.

He withdrew his gaze, his voice turning cold: "The Ming army has been without water for a day, reaching its limit. We cannot wait any longer. Delay will only lead to unforeseen circumstances. Send the vanguard to charge into their lines first, assessing their strength. The rest of the troops will advance, and once the Ming army's formation is disrupted, the entire army will charge in!"

The bugle sounded softly, and a group of Oirat cavalry, about two or three thousand strong, stepped out from the crowd, swords drawn and horses in hand, and charged toward the Ming army camp at Tumu Fort.

The sound of horses' hooves approached from afar, like a muffled drum rolling across the ground.

Just as Zhang Fu finished setting up the various camps, he heard sentries tumbling in, shouting at the top of their lungs, "General! The Oirat people are coming! It's the vanguard, I estimate there are two or three thousand cavalry, they've already crossed the Magu Pass and are charging towards our camp!"

Zhang Fu's face darkened, and he turned to run towards the imperial tent.

But before he could run two steps, he saw Zhu Gaoxi lift the tent flap and nod to Zhu Di. Zhu Gaoxi had just used his mental power to detect the movements of the Oirat Mongols.

Zhu Di understood and led everyone out.

"I am aware of the situation. Are the troops ready?" Zhu Di asked.

Zhang Fu clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Your Majesty, all camps have been re-formed and are ready for battle at any time! The divine rain just now has restored the morale of the soldiers; many are still clamoring to go into battle!"

Upon hearing the words "roaring," Zhu Gaoxu became incredibly excited, immediately slapping his thigh: "Damn it, these Tartars actually dare to charge first! Father, let me lead the vanguard to meet them; I guarantee they won't return alive!"

Zhu Gaosui couldn't contain himself any longer and stepped forward, his hand on his sword hilt: "Second brother, I'll go with you this time. I didn't go to Annam, but this time at Tumu Fortress, it'll be a good opportunity to let those Oirat people see the swords of us two brothers!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Gaoxu patted his third brother and exclaimed, "Good brother!"

Zhu Gaochi, being more mature, simply bowed to Zhu Di and said, "Father, with my fourth brother and the Marshal in command, we are certain to win this battle. However, the most important thing right now is to first wipe out the vanguard of the Oirat forces, and then turn around and strike directly at Esen's main camp."

Zhu Gaoxi laughed: "Big brother is right. But with so few people, it's not even enough for second brother to warm up by himself."

Zhu Gaoxu turned around and grinned at him: "Isn't this all thanks to Fourth Brother! If it weren't for the mount and elixirs you gave me, Second Brother wouldn't have had this confidence!"

"Fourth brother, you just wait here and watch from upstairs. See how your second brother slaughters those Tartars until they're trembling in fear!"

Empress Xu whispered to her, "Second and third sons, swords have no eyes; do not be greedy for merit or act rashly. Listen to your father's orders in everything."

Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaosui clasped their hands in unison: "Mother, rest assured!"

Zhu Di waved his hand: "Stop arguing. Second and third sons, you two go forward first. Zhang Fu will lead the central army to hold the line. Eldest son, you will watch the battle from the clouds with me and the Empress. Fourth son, you and Marshal Tianpeng will provide support from the center. Do not intervene unless necessary."

The crowd responded with a resounding roar.

A moment later, Zhu Di and his family summoned their mounts again. The tiger roared, and the clouds surged.

Zhu Gaoxu led the charge, his sword gleaming in the moonlight, looking like a wild beast unleashed from its cage. Zhu Gaosui followed closely behind, his face displaying a sharpness rarely seen on the Prince of Zhao.

Zhang Fu led several hundred elite Ming cavalrymen, who formed a wedge formation behind the two men, with swords and spears like a forest, and the ground humming with the sound of horses' hooves.

At this moment, the vanguard of the Oirat forces had already rushed close.

They thought that the Ming army, having been without water for a day, would be exhausted and that a single charge would be enough to breach the camp gates.

But as they charged closer, they realized something was wrong. The Ming army was not in disarray; instead, they were lined up neatly in front of the camp, their armor gleaming, and the torches illuminating the entire camp.

The most alarming thing is that there wasn't a trace of fatigue on their faces.

They were all full of energy, their eyes shining like wolves, as if they had just been pulled out of the water, their whole bodies brimming with inexhaustible strength.

"Something's not right... How come the Ming army still has the strength to form ranks?" someone in the Oirat vanguard exclaimed in a low voice.

"Aren't they short of water? How come they look more energetic than us?"

Before he could finish speaking, a deep tiger roar suddenly came from mid-air.

The sound wasn't loud, but it pressed down from above like rolling thunder, making the horses of the Oirat cavalry paw at each other restlessly.

Everyone instinctively looked up and saw several white clouds slowly rising from the Ming army camp under the moonlight.

There are people in the clouds.

The first man was clad in black iron chainmail, riding a fierce tiger with piercing eyes and a white forehead. Its four paws trod on clouds, and its golden eyes shone terrifyingly brightly in the moonlight.

The man held a gleaming sword in his hand and looked down at them from his high position. His gaze was so cold it could freeze a person to the bone.

Then, another tiger rose up from the clouds, and the person riding it also held a long knife, his face ashen.

Beside it followed a golden-armored lion, with a general on its back carrying a nine-toothed rake. The general was covered in golden armor and had a solemn appearance, looking exactly like a guardian deity who had come out of a temple.

"What...what is that?"

"A person... a person in the sky? And riding a tiger?"

"That's a lion? And that rake is so big... It's a monster! No, it's a god!"

The Oirat vanguard was thrown into chaos instantly.

Some reined in their horses, some cried out in alarm, and others instinctively turned their horses around to retreat, but the large contingent behind them was being urged forward by the bugle calls from behind, leaving them unable to advance or retreat. The contingent was squeezed together in front of the Ming army camp.