Chapter 492: Caught in a Tight Spot

Encircled for six days and subjected to wave after wave of attacks and countless arrows and weapons, Xinghe Fort still stood intact in the vast grasslands. Aside from a few Tatar and Khorkhin nobles, ordinary Mongols no longer knew that this place had once been a major northern stronghold of the Yuan Dynasty, that it had once housed the estates of many Mongol nobles, or that it had been another summer resort besides Kaiping, the capital of the Yuan Dynasty. With the end of the Mongol era, only the once-tall stone walls of Kaiping remained, while Xinghe no longer even had stone walls—all that could be seen was this bare earthen fort.

Yet, even such a fort, they simply could not take!

Although many of the tribal chiefs did not want to waste time in such a place, Arutai firmly suppressed all objections with an iron fist and set up large tents in the east, west, south, and north corners of Xinghe. To the north was Adai Taiji of the Khorkhin tribe. Arutai had relied on their help when he was defeated before, and since he intended to make Adai Taiji the Great Khan, he reserved the safest position for him. The south was given to Selben, who had just returned with his troops, while the east and west were assigned to him and Abuzayan. As for those tribal chiefs who were not loyal to him, they were scattered and stationed on three sides, ensuring internal security.

However, when he entered Shiniyegan’s tent, the composed expression he wore in front of others immediately vanished. Though the military doctor did everything possible to keep Shiniyegan alive, his hesitant and reluctant demeanor filled Arutai with deep concern. Shiniyegan’s sleeping area in the tent was lined with thick woolen blankets over a layer of thick cowhide, and a copper brazier beside him burned high-quality white charcoal—something Selben had just brought back and immediately used here.

Arutai knew Shiniyegan was naturally arrogant, but he did not consider it a flaw. Many of the Mongols who once ruled the world had now become cautious, losing their ambition to soar like eagles in the sky. Just as when he rose up in rebellion against Zhu Di, his mother and wife had accused him of invading border lands, calling it treason and ingratitude. They had forgotten that this land originally belonged to the Yuan Dynasty and that he was its Grand Tutor.

At that moment, someone quietly entered the tent: “Elder brother, half of the thousand livestock we brought are left. The tribal chiefs have sent someone again, saying that even though Xinghe has tens of thousands of bushels of grain, since capturing the city is now hopeless, we should withdraw to other places. They also say that the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty is preparing to launch a northern campaign, and lingering in Xinghe any longer is tantamount to seeking death…”

Arutai didn’t turn around at first. As the words continued, he grew increasingly enraged. After suppressing his anger for a while, he slowly turned and stood up, his sharp gaze scanning the speaker’s face. Seeing that his younger brother, Egitai, who had been hanging around the tribal chiefs, also showed signs of fear, he let out a cold snort.

“Although it’s no longer the era when the Yuan Dynasty ruled the world, it’s not the time for those old folks to make decisions either! I tolerate them because they have soldiers, and they try to win you over because you’re my brother! But the throne passes from brother to brother, while I became Grand Tutor through my own strength! If you think that if I die and your two nephews die, you can take my place, then I might as well kill you now to avoid you bringing shame to me in the future!”

Egitai was too scared to speak and finally left with his head lowered. Soon after, Abuzihan and Selben entered the tent together. They both glanced at Shini Ghan on the ground and wisely chose to remain silent. However, Arutai, still angry, didn’t vent his fury on his second son and son-in-law. Instead, he calmly asked about the night’s defenses before turning to Abuzihan.

“Can you calculate the number of casualties?”

“The two small tribes that defected have almost been wiped out, and the others have about a thousand casualties.”

“Don’t give me half-baked answers like ‘a thousand casualties.’ Exactly how many died and how many were injured?”

Abuzihan was startled by his father’s sudden loud voice and quickly replied honestly, “In total, over nine hundred were injured, most by arrows and firearms. As for the dead, there are about three hundred, with around two hundred falling on us.”

“Those two small tribes suffered over a thousand casualties—damn it!”

At that moment, Arutai could no longer contain his fury and kicked over the charcoal brazier. Fortunately, Seliben reacted quickly, stepping forward in a few strides and using copper tongs to clean up the mess, preventing sparks from landing on the woolen carpet and tents. Although he led those fifty thousand men to successfully enter the Great Wall, most of the Ming troops remained hidden due to the cold winter, so he achieved little in battle. Eventually, after learning certain news, he rushed back quickly.

“Grand Tutor, we should give up Xinghe,” he said, expressing what everyone was thinking. Seeing Arutai glare at him angrily, he stood his ground, chest out and head held high, and said, “As you know from the news I brought back, Xu Heng, the Marquis of Xing’an, has been recalled. In his place is Zheng Heng, the Marquis of Wu’an, who previously trapped us in great distress! The Oirats have suffered greatly at his hands and are now ready to offer gifts. If the Oirats take advantage of the situation, we’ll be attacked from both fronts here!”

Abuzihan had always been honest and straightforward. Knowing his father favored his elder brother and lacking any military experience, he simply stayed silent as his brother-in-law and father clashed. To his surprise, though his father’s face was terrifyingly pale, he didn’t explode in anger. Instead, he pointed toward the door and snapped, “Get out! Come back when you’ve thought this through!”

Seeing Seliben leave without a word, Abuzihan also didn’t want to stay in that oppressive atmosphere alone, so he planned to find an excuse to leave. But before he could come up with a reason, a commotion arose outside. Soon, the deep voice of a bodyguard was heard outside the tent.

“Grand Tutor, someone has escaped from Xinghe Fort!”

Escaped? From Xinghe? Arutai instinctively frowned. After pondering for a moment, he ordered harshly, “It must be those Han barbarians using this opportunity to cause trouble! Don’t fall for their tricks—cut off their heads and hang them on the flagpole as a warning!”

Hearing this, it became quiet outside the tent. Abuzihan couldn’t help but shrink back. After all, the guards his elder brother had killed had begged for mercy, but they were all executed anyway, and their heads still hung on the flagpoles in the camp. Now, they were planning to kill those who escaped from Xinghe—wasn’t this people killing their own? He, who had always obeyed his father, opened his mouth but was silenced by Arutai’s cold gaze.

At that moment, the bodyguards outside the tent spoke again, “Grand Tutor, after we captured them, two of them were taken back by their respective clan chiefs. Should we go and fetch them now? As for the one who’s left, he was once a guard for the crown prince and was even promoted to a hundred-man commander by him. Shouldn’t you meet him?”
“Father, since it was the eldest brother who chose him, why not bring him here first and question him carefully?” Abuzihan seized the opportunity to urge, “Besides, since those clan chiefs have already taken away two people, if we kill the remaining one, they will surely find another way to oppose you. It’s better to wait and figure out what’s going on before making a decision.”
The white charcoal in the bronze basin had been knocked over earlier, but it was still burning fiercely. Arutai, standing nearby, could even feel a warm current rising up his legs. Yet, he sensed more of a sense of conspiracy. Since those clan chiefs who didn’t obey him had already taken away two people, if he insisted on killing the remaining one to eliminate future threats, they would indeed have something to say. After a long silence, he agreed to Abuzihan’s suggestion and ordered the bodyguards to bring the man into the tent.
Soon, a burly man with a blood-streaked face and tattered clothes was brought in. Seeing the two bodyguards force him to kneel and remove the cloth stuffed in his mouth, Arutai said coldly, “Considering you were once someone highly valued by Shini Ghan, I’ll give you one chance. Tell me, how did you manage to escape back?”
“Grand Tutor, those Ming dogs tortured me severely, trying to get information about the army from me, but I refused to say a word. Later, they paraded us captives through the streets, and at night they tied us to the city walls, saying they wanted to freeze us to death… turn us into ice lollipops, to scare those who would attack the city the next day!”
The man had been brave before, but after enduring great suffering at Xinghe Fort these past few days, and recalling the agony of being exposed to the bitter wind on the city walls, he couldn’t help shivering. “Fortunately, one of my companions’ ropes wasn’t tied tightly. After breaking free, we set him free, but the Ming dogs quickly discovered us and came after us. With no other choice, we used the ropes from the scaffolding to climb down from the city walls, and three of us died on the spot! Luckily, the ground below the city walls had been raised by our men with snow during the initial attack, and I managed to survive. I escaped back with two others! If the Grand Tutor doesn’t believe me, I still know information about the Ming dogs’ army!”

Fearing that Arutai might order killings, he spoke in rapid succession: “There are probably just over a thousand Ming soldiers in Xinghe Fort now. More than 260 of them have been killed in the initial attacks, with another three or four hundred injured, either seriously or lightly. Among them are arquebusiers sent from Xuanfu to deliver supplies; it is said that some belong to the Imperial Artillery Corps in the capital. There is also plenty of gunpowder, but their food supply is not tens of thousands of bushels—only a few thousand, it seems…”

Arutai listened very carefully. Even after confirming that the Imperial Artillery Corps was indeed in Xinghe Fort, he remained calm. However, when he heard that there were only a few thousand bushels of food in the city, his mind exploded with shock, and his only reaction was three words: “Trapped!”

Silence descended instantly in the tent, and no one cared about what that man said next. At that moment, shouts and cries of battle came from outside. Realizing something was wrong, Arutai immediately suppressed his murderous intent and rushed out of the tent. All he saw was a sea of red flames. In that instant, remembering his severely injured son and the destroyed flag, he shouted at the people scrambling around in panic:

“Why panic? Take advantage of the Ming army’s attack and storm Xinghe!”

Yet, his heart was filled with bitterness. He had already been played like a puppet. If he failed to enter again this time, should he really accept reality and retreat?