Chapter 497: The Imperial Edict Arrives Amid Military Songs

Arutai was not the kind of person to become disheartened after just one defeat. He believed he possessed the greatest virtue of the Mongols—unyielding resilience. Yet, this attack on the small fortress of Xinghe not only brought him the greatest setback since his defeat at the hands of the Ming emperor Zhu Di in the eighth year of the Yongle era but also forced him to withdraw hastily with nothing to show for it.

A damaged military flag could be made anew; such humiliation meant nothing on the grasslands—he could regain his dignity later. Hundreds dying in a fire beneath Xinghe Fortress was not something to be overly upset about either—he could simply capture more people and livestock later. But his eldest son, his most trusted son, Shinigian, had died! Worse still, news came from Wulangha that the Oirats, led by Taiding and Tutuboro, were taking advantage of the chaos to attack his heartland and seize his children and wealth!

Abuzihan, watching Arutai’s pale face, quietly asked Selben beside him, “Why did Father send people to shoot those things at Xinghe Fortress?”

The Mongols placed great importance on marriage. Selben’s status was originally not suitable for Arutai’s daughter, Zomuya, but because he was a rare warrior, an exception was made and he married her. He had always been close to Shinigian and had watched helplessly as his brother took his last breath last night; he still hadn’t recovered. It wasn’t until Abuzihan asked again that he suddenly realized that only this second prince would inherit his father Arutai’s legacy.

After all, the younger princes were at most five years old—who knew if they would grow up or what would happen to them in the future?

Immediately, he put on a respectful expression. “Second prince, it is the custom of the Han to swear to return and fight again even after defeat. This arrow message from the grand tutor is likely meant to remind him not to forget this grudge. But now that our eternal enemies, the Oirats, have launched an attack, we can only leave here and head straight to confront them. We must defeat them first before returning to avenge ourselves. After all, Xinghe remains there and won’t run away—there’s no need to worry about not finding a place to avenge ourselves later.”

Abuzihan found this explanation far-fetched but was satisfied with Selben’s attitude. He didn’t feel much jealousy or resentment toward his elder brother, but after the pain of losing him, the feeling of being admired made him happy. As his father’s successor, he would become the most important person in the Asut tribe. Setting aside other factors, he would have far more livestock, women, and fertile pastures than before.

Brother, I’ll enjoy it along with your share! The Mongols withdrew simultaneously from all four directions—east, west, south, and north—prompting the soldiers on the city walls of Xinghe Fort to burst into thunderous cheers. Though such cheers had been heard countless times before, this time they were the loudest. With no reinforcements arriving and many casualties inside the city, everyone had prepared to hold out through the entire harsh winter. To their surprise, the Tartars retreated so quickly. At that moment, Zhang Yue smiled slightly and turned to Zheng Pingyuan, saying, “It took some effort to get everyone to memorize that military song yesterday. Since the Tartars are leaving so fast, let’s use this song to see them off!” Hearing this, Zheng Pingyuan nodded repeatedly, while Zhou Bailing was overjoyed. He gathered a few of his personal guards and ordered one with a loud voice to stand on the battlement. Soon, a slightly hoarse singing voice spread in all directions.

“Iron hooves rise as invaders surround the city;
Loyal warriors encourage each other to sacrifice their lives for justice;
Cold blades gleam, arrows rain down like showers;
Brave warriors display their prowess and capture the enemy leaders;
Battle flags wave as the Tartars grow arrogant;
Divine archery destroys their banners;
In snowy nights and icy rivers, fierce flames rage;
Unyielding determination burns bright;
The enemies flee like thieves;
I defend my country and people with my own life.”

After singing these eight simple lines in one go, the soldiers who had practiced the lyrics several times the previous day joined in. The loud military song echoed through the air, filling the city walls with momentum while filling the hearts of those below with fear. Even Arutai, who was determined to return someday, couldn’t help but grind his old teeth when he heard the lyrics.

“Damn it!”

Whether out of anger or reluctance, the Mongols retreated just as swiftly as they had attacked. In the blink of an eye, they left behind chaos around Xinghe Fort and traces of their iron hooves. Yet the singing inside the fort continued. The soldiers, who had been suppressed for over ten days, sang again and again, regardless of their hoarse throats, exhaustion, or the biting cold wind. Everyone felt their blood boiling.

On November 11th, Arutai withdrew his troops. Hearing that the Oirat kings Tianping and Tuboluo planned to launch a surprise attack from the rear, he abandoned his supplies with the Khorkhin tribe and rushed back day and night. The Xuanfu forces were sent to reinforce Xinghe from Zhangjiakou Fort. They encountered the Khorkhin troops retreating, and Yue Jiayuan, commander of the Xuanfu Left Guard, along with Meng Jun, eldest son of the Marquis of Baoding, led their troops to attack, killing over 200 enemies and capturing countless supplies. Realizing it was pointless to pursue a defeated enemy, they turned back to Xinghe.

History would likely record this incident in just a brief mention, but for Meng Jun, who was facing real combat for the first time in his life, this mission was not as easy as he had imagined. Though he was the eldest son of the Marquis of Baoding, his military rank was lower than Yue Jiayuan’s. Moreover, with his emphasis on learning, he did not overstep his bounds. While chasing the enemy, he beheaded a Tatar with his sword, committing his first act of killing. But when he learned from the captives that Arutai’s army had left not long ago, he immediately broke into a cold sweat, realizing once again that every decision on the battlefield could be fatal.

The Tatars had just retreated yesterday, and today reinforcements arrived, naturally filling the defenders in Xinghe Fort with joy. Yue Jiayuan, the commander of Xuanfu Left Guard, had heard the rumors before, but seeing the charred traces at the foot of the city walls, the countless marks of swords and arrows on them, along with the occasional songs, completely dispelled his doubts. What surprised him even more were the three men before him.

Zheng Ping was originally a thousand-household commander of Xinghe’s defense force, and it was understandable that he had contributed significantly to the defense. Zhou Bailing, an experienced commander from the imperial army, happened to be of great help this time, which was also normal. But Zhang Yue, who usually appeared gentle and refined, was now dressed in military attire. Not only did he not hold back, but he also made significant contributions, truly earning respect.

“The current commander in charge of Xuanfu is the Marquis of Wu’an, while the Marquis of Xing’an has been recalled. Several scouting parties were sent earlier, but they likely all fell to the Tatars. It wasn’t until a few days ago that we learned about the situation here. The Marquis of Wu’an immediately sent urgent reports to the capital. That same day, he held a grand review of the troops from the three towns of Xuanfu, sending a strong message to the envoys of the Oirat tribes. If it weren’t for you holding Arutai back, those tribes, which had only been defeated a couple of years ago, might not have agreed to unite and attack! Now, let them fight among themselves. When the emperor launches a northern campaign in spring, this region can be settled in one battle! We happened to encounter the Khorkhin tribe on our way here. If that Aday Taiji hadn’t run away so fast, we might have captured him to present to the emperor…”

Yue Jiayuan spoke with enthusiasm, but the three people across from him listened absentmindedly. Zheng Pingyuan was thinking that with the return of Marquis Wu’an Zheng Heng, he might finally get a chance to stand out; Zhou Bailing was thinking that after all his efforts in this mission, he could finally advance further through military achievements; as for Zhang Yue, hearing the phrase “dogs fighting dogs” made him sigh inwardly. Arutai, a great hero of his time, it was uncertain whether he could return safely this time. Compared to the Tartars’ showy behavior outside the city before, life in this world was truly unpredictable.

Meng Jun, however, didn’t want to boast about that previous skirmish. He really saw nothing worth boasting about, so he cleared his throat lightly to change the subject: “By the way, where is Commander Wangdu?”

Hearing this, Zhang Yue noticed Zhou Bailing and Zheng Pingyuan’s expressions darken, so he sighed and said, “The Tartars were very strong, and they even prepared a large siege engine. To eliminate this great threat, Commander Wangdu personally led his elite troops out of the city to confront them and died on the spot.”

“Commander Wangdu died in battle?” Yue Jiayuan stopped talking immediately. First, he looked stunned, then thoughtful, and finally enlightened. He shook his head repeatedly and said, “I never expected Commander Wangdu to sacrifice himself here. If that’s the case, those who framed him for embezzling military funds will surely suffer! The emperor has always been lenient toward us veteran soldiers who rose up to quell the rebellion. Those eunuchs know nothing but keep giving orders and filing false accusations. It’s their turn to suffer now!”

Zhang Yue, Zhou Bailing, and Zheng Pingyuan had heard of this for the first time, so they hurriedly asked more questions. But Yue Jiayuan didn’t know much about the details; he only knew that some official from Datong was behind it. After saying a few words, he stopped talking. Learning that Commander Wangdu’s remains were buried together with those of other soldiers in the southwest corner of Xinghe, he went with Meng Jun to pay their respects, then began helping to count the casualties and handle the aftermath.

This took a full three days.

Three days later, sitting on the kang, Zhang Yue held that lightvolume and faced the figures: over 1,000 casualties in total among the troops in Jingying and Xuanfu, with more than 500 dead or injured, and over 300 casualties in Xinghe again. As an official in the Military Department’s Armory Bureau responsible for selecting replacements from military households, his heart grew heavier. Although most of the injuries weren’t fatal and should be curable, there were limited military doctors and medicines here. It was impractical to transport the wounded to Xuanfu in the cold weather. Moreover, with diseases like the common cold killing people these days, it would already be a blessing if half of the wounded could continue serving. If they had to fill out the military roster to find replacements, who knew how many good men would be forced to leave their homes.

Zhou Bailing paid no attention to Zhang Yue’s thoughts. Having experienced life and death many times, he had long become indifferent to them. He said with a smile, “Lord Zhang, your memorial was submitted three days ago. I expect an imperial edict regarding compensation for the fallen soldiers and rewards for meritorious service to arrive in the next few days. At the very least, I will be promoted to Deputy Commander, but it will be difficult for you to find a position.”
“Lord Zhang, an imperial edict has arrived from the capital!”
Hearing this sudden shout amidst the military songs outside, Zhang Yue took a deep breath. Although the Yongle era was far from following the hierarchical promotion system of later times, age remained an insurmountable obstacle. If only he could be five years older, and Zhu Di twenty years younger, it would be normal for the emperor to fulfill the promises written on that paper. But as it stood, such rewards would be hard to come by.