Chapter 153 Fierce Battle

The Censorate, in conjunction with the Embroidered Uniform Guard, investigated the case of profiteering merchants manipulating grain prices. They arrested a total of thirteen implicated grain merchants, sealed more than thirty large and small grain storehouses, and preliminarily estimated that over fifty thousand *dan* of grain remained within the granaries.

Once the news spread, grain merchants in the capital were gripped by a sense of imminent peril. With the exception of the Yonghe Grain Shop and a few granaries belonging to the Duke of Ying’s estate, the managers of all other grain shops, big and small, panicked at the prospect of being implicated and closed their doors for business one after another to lie low.

As a result, ordinary citizens in the capital had nowhere to go to purchase grain, all flocking instead to the shops bearing the names of the Liu family and the Duke of Ying. The long queues winding outside the granaries nearly blocked half the street, and some people even came to blows over their place in line.

Upon learning of this situation, Xue Rui made a special trip to Chen Yi’s residence.

Understanding the gravity of the matter, Chen Yi held an emergency consultation with Lu Zhong, Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. They decided to limit the crackdown on unscrupulous merchants to its current scope, refraining from expanding the targets of the purge to avoid disrupting normal commercial activity and throwing the situation in the capital into turmoil.

Once the public notices were posted, the grain merchants finally breathed a sigh of relief, and shortly thereafter, various grain shops reopened their doors.

Presumably taking their cue from the pricing at the Yonghe Grain Shop, the reopened establishments kept the price of polished rice basically capped at three *wen* per catty, about forty to fifty percent more expensive than before the war.

Given the closure of the capital's nine gates and the massive influx of commoners from the metropolitan region, this price was already considered reasonable and acceptable to the populace.

After all, the prices of all daily necessities were rising, and grain was the most crucial of all; a price hike was only logical. Though the common people were enduring some hardship, they could still afford it for the time being, and no one was being driven to starvation.

With grain prices falling back, the capital finally returned to a state of calm.

In Tucheng, not far from the capital, Esen was still anxiously waiting for the Ming dynasty to dispatch another envoy.

However, he waited until nightfall, and far from sending an envoy, the Ming court did not even deliver a single letter.

Esen’s expectations were dashed, leaving him filled with bitter hatred for the Ming. After conferring with the various Oirat chieftains, he decided that at first light the following morning, they would assemble their troops and teach the Ming a lesson.

The next day, the Oirat army cooked their rations at the third watch and set out from Lugou Bridge at the fifth watch, marching imposing and mighty toward the capital.

By the sixth watch, Ming reconnaissance scouts discovered the Oirat movements and galloped at breakneck speed to report the matter to Yu Qian.

Xing'an, who was supervising the army from the ramparts, received the news and immediately dispatched a young eunuch back to the palace to inform Zhu Qiyu.

That the Oirat army would launch an offensive today was entirely within Xue Rui’s calculations.

Therefore, he did not go to his office to check in that morning, but instead slipped directly into his ill-fitting suit of armor and headed for Desheng Gate.

When he arrived, Yu Qian was also dressed in full military attire, standing upon the city wall and gazing into the distance.

Seeing Xue Rui approach, Yu Qian smiled and said, "You are too late today; the soldiers in the army finished their meal at the fifth watch."

From the tone of his voice, it was clear he was not nervous about the impending battle, but rather quite relaxed.

Hearing this, Xue Rui pulled an oil-paper parcel from his breast pocket and grinned at Yu Qian, "Lord Yu, this student bought two mutton flatbreads on the way. Would you care for one?"

Yu Qian waved his hand, "This old man has already eaten. Hurry up and eat yours; the Oirat are already on the march and will be attacking the city before long. There should be a hard-fought battle today."

"Then this student won't stand on ceremony."

Xue Rui unwrapped the oil-paper parcel, took out a steaming hot mutton flatbread, and began chewing heartily.

He had barely eaten half when he heard a clamor of noise from beneath the city wall. Before he could even look, he saw a squad of stalwart guards from the Embroidered Uniform Guard, bearing the imperial insignia, swarming up onto the ramparts.

At this sight, Xue Rui knew that Zhu Qiyu had arrived, and hastily wrapped the remaining mutton flatbread back up in its oil-paper.

"The Emperor has arrived!"

Just as he tucked the paper parcel into his tunic, a shrill voice rang out. Following that, Zhu Qiyu, clad in golden armor and with his hand resting on the hilt of the precious sword at his waist, ascended the city wall under the escort of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"Your humble servant pays respects to Your Majesty!"

Yu Qian stepped forward a few paces and led the various officials and soldiers on the wall in kowtowing to Zhu Qiyu.

"Rise. With war upon us, dispense with these tedious formalities and keep everything as simple as possible."

Zhu Qiyu helped Yu Qian up, turned toward the parapet, and gazed out into the distance.

"I heard that the entire Oirat army has poured forth and has now reached Tucheng?"

Zhu Qiyu did not spot the movements of the Oirats and turned to ask Yu Qian.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, scouts reported a quarter-hour ago that the Oirat army has assembled at Tucheng and will surely advance toward the capital very soon."

"Those Oirat bandits are truly detestable. We must teach them a lesson this time to purge the hatred in our hearts!"

Zhu Qiyu struck the parapet as he spoke with fierce intensity.

"We your subjects will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

The officials and generals on the wall hastened to declare their resolve.

Much as Yu Qian had surmised, not long after the Oirat army gathered at Tucheng, they rapidly closed in around the capital under the personal leadership of Esen.

Outside the city's nine gates, troops arrayed themselves in preparation for battle, awaiting the arrival of the Oirats.

Esen had never been to the capital before. Leading his troops outside the city, he gazed from afar upon the towering and majestic walls, and a sudden yearning arose in his heart.

The nomadic herdsmen of the grasslands lived by following water and could not construct permanent architecture, let alone a fortress of such magnificent scale.

Looking upon the capital, Esen could not help feeling stirred. If he could breach this city, he would acquire countless riches and slaves.

With such a goal in mind, his resolve to attack the capital grew even firmer.

And the greatest obstacle to breaching the capital was, first and foremost, these defending troops outside the walls.

What puzzled Esen was that, according to Han military treatises, the Ming army ought at this time to be cowering within the city walls to stubbornly defend the fortress. Yet he could not fathom what the Ming court was thinking, that they had actually placed their hard-recruited army entirely out in the open fields.

Esen thought to himself that Oirat cavalry moved like the wind and possessed formidable combat strength, whereas the Ming army consisted mostly of foot soldiers. They held no advantage in open-field combat outside the city. If he could rout one of their divisions and then press the attack while the momentum lasted, there was a high probability of recreating the glorious spectacle of Tumu Fortress. When that time came, this capital would be nothing more than something in the Oirats' pocket.

After riding around the city once, Esen gradually grew calm again.

The twenty thousand Ming troops were separately garrisoned at the nine gates, averaging less than twenty thousand per location. From his observation, the defenders at Desheng Gate were the most numerous, numbering at least fifty thousand. Fucheng Gate and Xizhimen came next, with around twenty to thirty thousand troops each, while the other gates held fewer, estimated at under twenty thousand.

However, the camps of the defenders stationed at these smaller gates were all places easy to defend and difficult to attack—either residential districts ill-suited for cavalry charges, or the same kind of muddy terrain encountered when the Bolo division was routed. In short, they were extremely difficult to assault.

After conferring with his generals, Esen decided to split his forces into three routes to seek out combat opportunities at the various gates. After all, the Ming army was on the defensive; if tens of thousands of cavalrymen were all crammed into a single spot, it would hinder the maneuverability of the cavalry.

In Esen's plan, his personal vanguard of twenty thousand elite troops was used as the main force to stage a feigned attack on Desheng Gate, pinning down Shi Heng’s force of over fifty thousand elite troops. The remaining Oirat forces were split into two columns to attack Xizhimen and Fucheng Gate, where the terrain was more open.

Upon the ramparts, facing the surging, mighty tide of Oirat cavalry, the expressions of Zhu Qiyu and the officials turned somewhat grave.

Just looking at the billowing clouds of dust raised by their approach was enough to reveal how terrifying the impact of the Oirat cavalry truly was.

"Report—!"

While everyone was staring at Esen's force, a single rider came galloping furiously toward the wall.

Before the messenger had even dismounted, Zhu Qiyu anxiously asked, "What has happened?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, General Sun Tang of Xizhimen has just sent word that ten thousand Oirat cavalry are approaching the camp and appear about to launch an assault!" the messenger replied.

"Tell Sun Tang and Liu Ju to hold their camp firmly and not to sally forth rashly!" Zhu Qiyu commanded decisively.

This was the counter-strategy he had just discussed with Yu Qian. Today, the Oirat army was striking in multiple directions, seemingly intending to pick off the defenders of the nine gates one by one. The safest strategy right now was to rely on the camps and constructed fortifications to hold their main base securely. As long as they stubbornly defended their camps, the impact of the Oirat cavalry would be blunted.

Only once an opening presented itself should they consider a counterattack.

Not long after the messenger departed, another rider came galloping up. This time, it was an envoy sent by Gu Xingzu, the defender of Fucheng Gate, reporting that the enemy vanguard had already clashed with their reconnaissance scouts. The Oirat came with ferocious momentum, and their main camp was in danger of being overrun, requesting reinforcements of troops.

Hearing this, Zhu Qiyu grew furious and told the messenger, "Go and tell Gu Xingzu that showing cowardice before a battle is a great taboo in military affairs. If he cannot hold his camp and ruins the defense of the capital, I will cut off his head!"

"This subordinate obeys the command!"

The messenger cupped his fists in farewell and rode off at high speed.

"The Oirats number a mere fifty or sixty thousand, yet they strike terror into the hearts of our Great Ming generals. If this were back during the Hongwu and Yongle reigns, I fear no one would believe it." Zhu Qiyu turned back and sighed involuntarily.

During the Hongwu and Yongle reigns, the imperial court had repeatedly dispatched troops to attack the remnants of the Northern Yuan, slaughtering their way across the grasslands until the rivers ran red and giving rise to a large cohort of fierce generals such as Xu Da and Zhang Fu.

Yet mere decades later, not only had the Oirats fought their way to the capital, but the court’s commanding generals were already worrying about their camps falling before a single battle had even been fought. This was enough to show to what extent military discipline and capability had degenerated.

The other two Oirat columns were led by Esen’s two younger brothers, Maonahai and Bayan Temür.

Among them, Maonahai, like their previously fallen brother Bolo, was also a fierce warrior in the Oirat army. He had rendered many meritorious services in the past and was deeply respected by the soldiers.

This time, he led the elite dispatched by the detachment of Alachi Yuan. Eager to avenge his older brother, he had been spoiling for a fight. Upon receiving Esen’s orders, he immediately mustered his troops and launched an assault against Xizhimen.

For a time, the sounds of battle shook the heavens at Xizhimen.

As for the other column, led by Bayan Temür, it went to attack Fucheng Gate.

Bayan Temür himself possessed rather mediocre military acumen, and coupled with the profound impact that Bolo’s fate had on him, he did not harbor much confidence in securing a victory this time. Consequently, he fought with hesitation and timidity, bearing no resemblance to the fierce warrior Gu Xingzu had described.

After waiting anxiously for half an hour, a messenger arrived once more to report that the fighting at Xizhimen was fierce, and that the forces of Liu Ju and Sun Tang had suffered massive casualties and might not be able to hold on much longer.

Zhu Qiyu grew somewhat flustered and hurriedly asked Yu Qian, "Minister Yu, should we dispatch troops to reinforce them?"

"The city gates closest to Xizhimen are all pinned down by the Oirat army and cannot be moved lightly. Meanwhile, the defenders at the other gates are too far away; if we march to reinforce Xizhimen, our troop strength will inevitably become dangerously thin. If those Oirat cavalry were to make a rapid assault, they could easily capture the positions.

As far as this subject knows, Sun Tang’s division numbers over thirty thousand. With their backs to the wall, they can sustain heavier casualties and should not collapse quite yet. Your Majesty, we should immediately issue orders to Sun Tang, commanding him to firmly hold his camp and fight to the death!" Yu Qian advised after weighing the pros and cons.

"Very well!"

Zhu Qiyu placed absolute trust in Yu Qian’s judgment and gave an on-the-spot order to Sun Tang, commanding him to hold the camp at all costs.

At Xizhimen, the Oirat cavalry had already charged the Ming army camp several times, and Commander Liu Ju and General Sun Tang had resisted with desperate valor, only then beating back the Oirat assaults.

Seeing the Oirat cavalry launch another charge, Sun Tang looked at Liu Ju, whose face was stained with blood and grime, and asked anxiously,

"General, the Oirats have sent even more men this time, and we surely cannot hold out any longer. What should we do now?"

Liu Ju panted heavily, glanced up at the ramparts, and gritted his teeth, "We have done our utmost. Make haste to have the city gates opened, lead the soldiers to fight a retreating action, and pull back into the city to make a stubborn defense!"

"Understood!"

This was the only feasible course of action now. Their division had already suffered casualties amounting to twenty percent, and morale was at rock bottom. If they kept fighting, the entire army would likely rout. Once panicked soldiers fled frantically toward the other gates, it would inevitably trigger a chain reaction, causing the troops at the other gates to flee as well. If such a consequence truly came to pass, let alone losing their own heads, their entire families would probably be executed.

Rather than that, it was better to retreat into the city and make a desperate stand. Even if the court held them accountable in the future, at least it would not implicate their families.

Sun Tang acted without delay, galloping frantically to the city gate and shouting up at the ramparts, "Open the city gates quickly! We must enter the city to make a stubborn defense!"

In the previous few days, fearing that the defenders at the various gates would not fight with all their might, Zhu Qiyu had dispatched Xing'an and Li Yongchang to supervise the armies, and had subsequently appointed various eunuchs and supervising censors to oversee each city gate.

At Xizhimen, the supervising official was Cheng Xin, a supervising censor of the Ministry of War.

Hearing Sun Tang shouting from below the wall, Cheng Xin flatly refused,

"General Sun, His Majesty gave orders: until the enemy troops are beaten back for a single day, these city gates shall not be opened for a single day. I ask the General to hold out a little longer; we have already sent requests to His Majesty for reinforcements. If the General leads his troops into the city, leaving aside whether the Oirats might seize the opportunity to capture the gate, once the General enters the city, you are destined for a dead end anyway. Better to fight to the death—if by some chance you beat back the enemy, won't the General be soaring to glory and high office?"

"Soar to glory in your mother's backside!"

Sun Tang was so furious he cursed aloud. In this situation, the camp would likely not survive long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Talk of soaring to glory—was this not deliberately trying to trick a fool?

At that moment, the city defense commander Wang 通 (Wang Tong) and Censor-in-Chief Yang Shan also arrived, offering earnest and persuasive exhortations for Sun Tang to return and fight to the death.

Yet Sun Tang refused to listen, continuously shouting for the gate to be opened.

Wang Tong said to Sun Tang, "General Sun, victory or defeat hangs upon this single battle. You had best hurry back. This subordinate will beat the war drum from the ramparts to boost your morale!"

With that, he snatched the drumsticks from a soldier's hands and beat fiercely upon the war drum placed atop the ramparts.

*Dong, dong, dong.*

Hearing the stirring, passionate sound of the drums, the morale of the soldiers in the Ming main camp received a significant boost, and they reorganized their defensive line once more.

Yang Shan observed for a moment and said to Wang Tong, "General Wang, this official has a suggestion that might lend our forces a helping hand!"

Hearing this, Wang Tong handed the drumsticks over to a subordinate and said happily, "Lord Yang, please speak. As long as we can beat back the Oirat army, this general will follow your instructions in everything!"

Xizhimen had both internal and external defense commanders; outside were Liu Ju and Sun Tang, while inside the gate was Wang Tong.

If the external defenders could not hold back the Oirats, he would be the one facing the enemy's vanguard head-on. Therefore, apart from Sun Tang and the others, he was the one who most desired to drive the Oirats back.

Yang Shan pointed with his hand at the dozen or so crouching tiger cannons on the ramparts and said to Wang Tong,

"General Wang, the Oirat cavalry attacks fiercely, but they hold great dread of firearms. The situation is critical now; we might as well put them to use. Perhaps it will produce miraculous results!"

"Absolutely not!"

Wang Tong was startled and said to Yang Shan, "Lord Yang, our two armies are currently locked in combat, and the vanguards have already mingled together. If we open fire now, we are very likely to mistakenly kill and injure our own soldiers."

Yang Shan said resolutely, "Firearms make a great din, but their destructive power is actually limited. Firing them at this moment, even if a few of our soldiers are wounded, will not affect the overall situation. However, they possess a tremendously powerful deterrent effect against the Oirats, and it might just rout the Oirat army in a single stroke!"

Wang Tong looked out at the battlefield, seeing the main Oirat reserve forces surging endlessly toward the Ming army camp. With a sudden hardening of his resolve, he gave the order to the artillerymen on the ramparts: "Prepare to ignite!"