Chapter 157 Complete Victory

More than twenty cannons mounted on the city ramparts fired simultaneously, a deafening roar that shook the earth and heavens.

Solid iron cannonballs slammed directly into the charging formations of the Oirat cavalry, instantly turning horses upside down and sending riders flying. The shrieks of dying soldiers and the terrified neighing of warhorses instilled an unprecedented terror in the hearts of the Oirats.

The momentum of the Oirat iron cavalry's charge slowed down visibly to the naked eye. Had they not feared being trampled by the cavalry behind them, many riders would likely have pulled on their reins and stopped altogether.

When they had set out from the camp earlier, Grand Tutor Esen had personally told his officers and men that the Ming emperor was being used as a shield within the enemy ranks, and that the Ming army would never dare to fire their cannons, telling them to charge boldly without a care.

Yet, this shield proved completely useless. Not only did the Ming army fire a coordinated artillery barrage, but the cannonballs landed with pinpoint accuracy right in the midst of the Oirat grand army, causing numerous casualties. This made the Oirat soldiers feel deceived, filling them with intense resentment.

On top of a heavy chariot, Zhu Qizhen clutched the pole of the grand imperial banner, desperately curling his body into a tight ball. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to curse aloud.

It was one thing for Esen not to treat him as a human being, but did Yu Qian, the Grand Coordinator of Military Affairs appointed by the imperial court, really not fear artillery shells taking his life?

"If I ever return to the capital, I will surely have you executed as a treacherous minister!"

While paralyzed with fear, Zhu Qizhen harbored vicious resentment, as if the root cause of all this suffering lay entirely with Yu Qian.

Deep within the Ming army camp, Yu Qian naturally had no inkling that Zhu Qizhen wished to murder him. At this moment, he was filled with a mixture of pleasant surprise and profound relief.

To be honest, he had never expected that Zhu Qiyun—who had always been known for his timidity—would be capable of making such a prompt, decisive decision to order the artillery fire. It was no exaggeration to say that this move saved the million military civilians of the capital from the jaws of crisis!

Since the artillery on the ramparts had already demonstrated its might, the most elite matchlock troops of the Shenji Battalion, defending Desheng Gate, could now naturally be deployed.

Taking a deep breath, Yu Qian issued a resounding order to Shi Heng:

"General Shi! Order the men of the Shenji Battalion to immediately march out of the camp and form their battle array. You must rout the Oirat vanguard with the force of a thunderbolt!"

Just moments before, Shi Heng had been inwardly cursing Yu Qian. Previously, he had vehemently opposed the transfer of those fifteen thousand subordinates, believing that without that force, it would be extremely difficult to withstand the Oirat elite commanded by Esen.

Yet Yu Qian was the Grand Coordinator overseeing the defense of the capital, and Shi Heng, as the Commander-in-Chief of Military Affairs, was theoretically under Yu Qian's jurisdiction.

When Yu Qian invoked the imperial decree and forcefully ordered him to detach troops to reinforce Xizhi Gate, Shi Heng had no choice but to grit his teeth and comply.

Upon discovering that the Oirat grand army was advancing with Zhu Qizhen used as a human shield, half of Shi Heng's heart instantly turned ice-cold.

Originally, he had deemed their chances of victory slim; now, with Zhu Qizhen appearing in the enemy ranks, the Shenji Battalion—which he regarded as his ultimate trump card—was suddenly rendered useless.

Had those fifteen thousand men not been transferred away, they might have relied on infantry numerical superiority to hold off the Oirat iron cavalry. With only the remaining ten-odd thousand infantrymen left, there was arguably no hope of winning at all.

In Shi Heng's mind, he had already resigned himself to a disastrous defeat. The mere thought of being held accountable by the court after the defeat—transforming from a lofty commander of a two-hundred-thousand-strong army into a discredited general plagued by repeated losses—made him want to kill Yu Qian with a glare.

Yet, just as he was steeling himself for a desperate, final battle, the artillery on the city walls suddenly fired in unison, giving him an instant sense of having narrowly escaped death's door.

Hearing Yu Qian's order, Shi Heng didn't even bother to reply verbally, immediately shouting his command at the top of his lungs: "Men of the Shenji Battalion, hear my order! Follow this commander out of the camp and form ranks immediately!"

Judging by this posture, he intended to personally lead the charge into mortal combat.

Deep within the Oirat grand army, Esen gazed at the billowing smoke shrouding the ramparts of the capital, gripped by intense apprehension.

Try as he might, he could not comprehend it. Even a wise and martial ruler like Zhu Di had not dared to fire artillery at the portrait of his own father, yet here was a living, breathing Ming emperor standing right before them. Where on earth did the Ming rulers and ministers find the audacity to open fire on the emperor?

One had to remember that the current Ming emperor, Zhu Qiyun, had legitimately inherited the throne from his older brother in terms of legal succession. If he consented to the ministers shelling the Oirat army and accidentally harmed Zhu Qizhen's life, he would inevitably bear the stigma of regicide and fratricide!

Consider Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shimin: after the Xuanwu Gate Incident, he killed his brother and imprisoned his own father. No matter how brilliant his civil and military achievements were, he was still reviled by countless people, and even down to the Zhengton era, many scholars still seized upon this stain to attack him.

Zhu Qiyun had inherited his brother's throne for less than three months; how dared he defy universal condemnation and approve the use of artillery fire in retaliation?

After pondering urgently for a moment, Esen suddenly hit upon a hypothesis. Previously, fearing that Zhu Qizhen might lose his life, he had kept him protected within the central army, and the position of the central army...

At this moment, it was rather far from the city walls. Perhaps the Ming generals had not yet spotted him, which was why they dared to order the artillery fire.

Once he thought of this, everything could be neatly explained.

Overjoyed, Esen hurriedly ordered his personal guards: "Drive the pig-emperor's chariot to the vanguard! Make sure the Ming officials can see him clearly!"

"Understood!"

The guards whipped their horses and sped away, quickly locating the position of Zhu Qizhen's imperial dragon banner.

With the Oirat charge having slowed down, the twin-shaft chariot carrying Zhu Qizhen naturally moved at a reduced pace. Without wasting words, the personal guard leaped up onto the chariot and babbled a string of hurried instructions to the Oirat soldiers driving it.

Zhu Qizhen had no idea what was happening and was just about to ask when he was suddenly thrown backward, tumbling into the carriage bed. The chariot had abruptly accelerated, racing frantically toward the very front lines.

"Ge-General, what is the meaning of this?!"

Bruised and battered from the fall, Zhu Qizhen managed to crawl back up and asked the Oirat driver in terror.

The man understood not a single word he uttered and ignored him completely, continuously lashing the horses with his whip.

Within moments, the chariot charged right into the vanguard of the army.

"This... this is pushing me into the jaws of death!"

Without needing anyone to explain, Zhu Qizhen understood everything. He let out a mournful cry and collapsed limply into the chariot.

...

On the city ramparts, Zhu Qiyun and the others watched the army outside the city with tense expressions, only finally relaxing when the Shenji Battalion marched out and formed its array.

However, the subsequent turn of events caught everyone somewhat off guard.

After absorbing the round of artillery fire, the Oirat army's speed had dropped significantly. Yet, for reasons unknown, the chariot carrying Zhu Qizhen suddenly accelerated drastically, causing its gold-embossed dragon banner to snap wildly in the wind.

Before long, the chariot had surged forward to the vanguard position.

Even though the monarch and his ministers had spoken with one accord, cementing the crime that Zhu Qizhen had followed rebels and led troops to attack Desheng Gate...

Everyone knew the truth in their hearts: while Zhu Qizhen following the rebels might be true, given his cowardly nature, personally leading an assault on Desheng Gate was an absolute impossibility.

Unless someone had a blade held against his throat!

Thinking along these lines, the ruler and his ministers felt a twinge of worry. What if Empress Dowager Sun believed the Oirats had coerced Zhu Qizhen, forcing him against his will to personally grace the battlefield? That would completely disconnect him from the crime of rebellion.

To put it bluntly, this was a major loophole. If Zhu Qizhen were killed by the matchlocks of the Shenji Battalion soldiers, what excuse could they offer when the Empress Dowager in the palace demanded accountability?

Just as everyone was worrying, Xue Rui suddenly pointed toward the Oirat army and cried out in alarm:

"The Retired Emperor has indeed followed the rebels! He is actually leading from the front, personally charging our battle array at the head of the captive bandits!"

"Oh?"

The ministers were stunned for a moment, followed quickly by a surge of secret delight.

The blame already heaped upon Zhu Qizhen's head was already massive; what harm was there in adding the charge of personally leading enemy bandits to assault the defenders of Desheng Gate?

In the Oirat vanguard, that dragon banner was so eye-catching that tens of thousands of men could see it clearly. Pinning this crime on Zhu Qizhen meant that even if anyone questioned the authenticity of this bizarre tale, they would first have to ask whether those tens of thousands of soldiers thought the same way!

"Such bravery in the Retired Emperor, yet he casts aside the light to join the darkness. It truly breaks this old man's heart."

Among the officials, someone sighed with profound grief.

"Old sir, your phrase 'casting aside the light' is most apt. The Retired Emperor following the rebels—isn't that precisely abandoning our Great Ming?" another chimed in.

"Your Majesty, with the Oirat grand army led by the Retired Emperor, they are like tigers given wings. I beg Your Majesty to promptly order an interception, or else the tens of thousands of troops at Desheng Gate will be in grave peril!"

Another official reminded them anxiously.

Zhu Qiyun said to himself inwardly: Since the deed is already done, I might as well carry it through to the end and turn my elder brother's treason into an irrefutable case!

Steeling his heart, Zhu Qiyun gave his orders to the officers on the ramparts:

"The artillery shall remain ready! Do not wait for my command; fire in rotation, and strive to inflict maximum casualties upon the enemy bandits to relieve the pressure on our soldiers outside the city!"

Hearing this command, everyone understood that Zhu Qiyun had made victory his absolute priority. As for his elder brother's life, it was no longer within his sphere of consideration.

Boom, boom, boom——

The cannons on the ramparts divided into two groups, bombarding the Oirat army in alternating volleys.

Hearing the explosions, Esen was struck with a mixture of shock and fury. Now that he had placed Zhu Qizhen right in the vanguard, the Ming army was still opening fire—this proved that his previous assumption was entirely wrong. It wasn't that the Ming army hadn't seen Zhu Qizhen; rather, they had seen him and completely failed to care about his life!

"This pig of an emperor is truly lower than a pig or a dog!"

Esen gnashed his teeth in rage. Previously, he had always felt that Zhu Qizhen was a rare commodity to be hoarded, and thus kept stringing the Ming court along in hopes of a lucrative ransom.

To think that in a mere two months, Zhu Qizhen had degenerated from an emperor possessing all under heaven into a useless piece of trash that no one cared about.

He now deeply regretted why he hadn't agreed when the Ming court had earlier expressed its willingness to redeem Zhu Qizhen with vast sums of wealth.

There was no medicine for regret in this world. After a brief internal weighing of pros and cons, Esen decided that the outcome of this major battle was paramount; even if it cost heavy casualties, he had to shatter the defenders of Desheng Gate, for only then would peace negotiations with the Ming remain possible.

Otherwise, once defeated, the consequences would be unthinkable!

Taking a deep breath, Esen drew his gleaming sabre and instructed the messenger:

"Transmit my command to the whole army: accelerate the charge and smash the enemy array! If anyone dares to turn back, the troops behind them are authorized to kill them—and that applies to even this Grand Tutor!"

This military order was relayed swiftly. The Oirat soldiers knew that Esen meant business this time; if they failed to flatten the enemy camp, very few of them would survive.

"Death is certain either way, we might as well fight to the death!"

Hardening their hearts, the Oirat soldiers launched an assault against the Ming army with unprecedented charging momentum.

In truth, as early as the Yongle reign, cavalry had already begun showing signs of decline when confronting firearms.

Especially now, with advancements in manufacturing techniques, the matchlocks used by the Ming army had vastly improved in both precision and quality.

As the saying goes, the backward are bound to take a beating. The Oirat cavalry were still operating on outdated tactical mindsets, utterly unable to gain any advantage when facing a Ming army equipped with massive quantities of firearms.

The defenders of Desheng Gate—the soldiers of the Shenji Battalion—numbered around five thousand. These five thousand men had been meticulously handpicked by Shi Heng and subjected to two months of rigorous training. Consuming countless amounts of gunpowder, their proficiency in operating firearms had increased dramatically.

Earlier, Tang Jie, the Commander of Xuanwu Gate, had used five hundred matchlock men to heavily maul three thousand Oirat elite cavalry, claiming the primary merit for the defense of the capital. This had vastly inspired the five thousand Shenji Battalion soldiers at Desheng Gate.

Since the Oirats were not invincible, it seemed entirely possible for them—an elite force better trained, better equipped, and far more numerous than ordinary matchlock troops—to defeat twenty thousand Oirat cavalry.

As the saying goes, high skill breeds daring, and they feared nothing wherever they went.

These five thousand Shenji Battalion soldiers possessed deep confidence and remained utterly fearless in the face of danger. As soon as the Oirat vanguard entered range, they immediately raised their weapons and took aim.

"Fire!"

At the commander's sharp order, the matches flared, and over a thousand matchlocks fired simultaneously, blooming deadly flowers of fire right within the Oirat ranks.

This single volley alone cost the Oirats no less than five hundred horsemen.

In the vanguard camp, the commanding officer's eyes bloodshot with rage, he roared at the surrounding soldiers: "Archers, loose arrows! Fast, loose arrows! Do not let them rotate their volleys!"

The men of the grasslands possessed exquisite horsemanship and peerless archery; loosing arrows from horseback was no difficult feat for them.

Hearing their commander's instruction, they immediately drew their bows, nocked their arrows, and loosed a rain of arrows toward the ranks of the Shenji Battalion.

Thud, thud, thud——

This volley of arrows caused numerous casualties among the Ming forces, sparking a slight commotion within the battle array.

"Lord Yu's order: Any officer who retreats before the army without orders shall be beheaded! Any soldier who retreats before their officer shall have their rear ranks execute their front ranks! If anyone dares to run, this general will take your head with a single stroke!"

Ming soldiers were human beings too. Standing arrayed outside the camp like living targets, enduring a baptism of arrow fire, they naturally felt terror. Some instinctively wanted to flee, but upon hearing the roaring threats of the officers, they desperately swallowed their fear and once more raised their matchlocks to take aim at the Oirats.

"Fire!"

"Fire!"

"Fire!"

The commanding officer waved his signal flag continuously, issuing attack commands without a moment's pause.

The three-stage firing method ensured continuous attack continuity, plunging the enemy into the immense, constant terror of impending death at any moment, which severely impacted their morale and fighting spirit.

Look at the Oirat soldiers instead: having expended massive physical stamina on archery, after loosing several volleys, their arms ached and their bodies grew utterly exhausted, forcing them to abandon the counterattack.

Under such completely asymmetrical combat effectiveness, this five-thousand-strong vanguard had already lost half its numbers before completing even half its charge.

Having suffered such catastrophic casualties, the remaining soldiers in the vanguard could no longer hold out. Their formation shattered completely, and they fled in all directions.

"Damn it! No retreating!"

Seeing the vanguard rout, Esen was infuriated. If he hadn't needed to stabilize the overall situation, he would have personally ridden up and cut these cowards down.

Fortunately, his central and rear armies remained unaffected.

After a period of chaos, Esen finally stabilized the remaining ten-plus thousand men, resolving to lead the charge himself.

Yet, under his personal command, this remaining force of over ten thousand soldiers managed to charge to within less than twenty paces of the Ming army before collapsing entirely under the immense pressure of the matchlocks, fleeing wildly into the open wilderness.

Esen was swept away amidst the chaotic rout, escaping to who-knows-where.

"Hahaha, this battle is won!"

On the city ramparts, Zhu Qiyun and his ministers let out long sighs of relief.

Just moments ago, the situation had been terrifyingly perilous. The Oirat grand army had faced immense pressure, but were the five thousand men of the Shenji Battalion any different?

Twenty paces—for cavalry charging at full speed, that was a distance crossed in the blink of an eye.

Had Yu Qian not enacted strict military discipline, making those five thousand Shenji Battalion soldiers acutely aware that retreating meant decapitation, they would likely have fled long ago.