Chapter 490: Long Live the Emperor! Fight to the Death!
When on horseback, they were ready for battle; when off, they gathered to graze their livestock. When it came to archery, if the Mongols were not considered number one, then no one in the world dared claim that title. Compared to the difficulty of training an archer in the Central Plains, the Mongols could proudly claim they were born as the best archers—even children could shoot wild rabbits and foxes in the steppes with small bows, let alone adults.
So, when someone saw the black flag pierced by an arrow, they immediately looked toward the city hundreds of steps away and cried out in shock. Hearing those chaotic cries, the Mongol soldiers charging the city couldn’t help but turn back. Although it wasn’t snowing anymore, the sky was overcast, and the howling cold wind seemed capable of blowing people away. The black eagle flag, which had once fluttered in the wind, was now torn apart by the force of the arrows and the wind, with a huge gap right where the eagle emblem should be—evoking endless thoughts at first glance.
Seeing the Mongols’ attack weaken slightly, Zhou Bailing casually tossed his water bag to Xiang Long, stepped out of the arrow tower, and shouted loudly at the soldiers on the city wall, whose morale had soared: “Heaven blesses the Great Ming! Lord Zhang is a master archer!”
A moment of silence ensued on the city wall, followed by thunderous cheers. Cheers rang out in waves, filling the sky. Though knowing Zhou Bailing was trying to boost morale, Zhang Yue, who was inside the arrow tower, blushed furiously. He had intended to shoot at people—how had it turned into shooting at a flag?
Zheng Pingyuan on the east wall heard the loud cheers and couldn’t hide his joy. Since the Mongols had been fiercely attacking the west wall all day, he had thought about switching roles with Zhang Yue, but Zhou Bailing had assured him it would be fine. With such a skilled officer in charge, he continued to follow the original plan. Though he didn’t understand what “Lord Zhang is a master archer” meant, he saw the Mongol troops below the city wall in disarray and immediately led his soldiers in a counterattack.
Whether defending or attacking a city, momentum is what truly matters. At this moment, the soldiers inside Xinghe Fort were filled with determination. Zhang Yue also quickly regained his composure, realizing that now was certainly not the time to reveal the truth, nor the time to stay in that arrow tower any longer. He carefully put the divine spear back into the box, ordered Liansheng and Lianhu to guard the place well, and then headed outside. Xiang Long had originally intended to stop him, but seeing Liu Bao shake his head, he could only pick up a shield and follow closely behind.
There were clearly fewer arrows hitting the city walls. Standing on the top of the wall now, Zhang Yue could see more clearly the power of his arrows compared to what he had seen through the arrow slits in the tower earlier. Since mistakes had been made, he had a sudden idea. He pulled Zhou Bailing over and asked in a low voice, “Is there any soldier with a loud voice who can speak Mongolian?”
“Mongolian? Most of the soldiers in Xinghe Fort can speak a bit of Mongolian. Lord Zhang, why do you ask this…” Halfway through his sentence, Zhou Bailing suddenly slapped his thigh hard and said, “I understand what you mean. Since the great banner is damaged, we can use that to our advantage. Don’t they believe in Eternal Heaven? I’ll say it’s the divine power of our Great Ming emperor that surpasses that worthless Eternal Heaven! Damn, that tattered eagle flag really looks like a girl whose clothes have been torn off in a brothel!”
Seeing Zhou Bailing go off cheerfully to find someone, Zhang Yue shook his head irritably, thinking that even good psychological tactics lost their meaning when spoken by this guy. Yet, watching the Mongolian strongmen guarding the black banner at a loss, he felt the tension that had been building up all these days suddenly ease, and a relaxed smile appeared on his face.
Before long, a loud shouting voice came from a corner of the city wall. It was indeed a signature loud voice, speaking Mongolian fluently without even a pause. As his speech grew faster and more passionate, the troops below the city gradually became chaotic, and eventually, few still cared about attacking. Finally, a group of soldiers carefully protected the damaged black banner as they slowly retreated, and the attacking troops withdrew like a tide. All that remained were scattered corpses, remnants of weapons and arrows, and patches of bloodstains on the ground.
Seeing this, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but clench his fists and shout two words: “Long live!”
Xinghe could be held!
He hadn’t used those two words to express his excitement in many years, but the people around him misinterpreted their meaning at that moment. A strange glow flashed in Zhou Bailing’s eyes, and soon he, holding onto his bodyguards, leaped onto the high parapet and shouted loudly, “Long live the Emperor! Long live, long live, long live!”
“Long live the Emperor! Long live, long live, long live!”
His loud voice drowned out Lord Zhang’s remarkable archery earlier, and in no time it spread throughout the entire Xinghe Fort. Even the laborers burying corpses and transporting arrows and gunpowder couldn’t help but stop and join in the chanting. Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, had been on the throne for twenty years. They were not those skilled in writing critiques; they had long forgotten any talk of his illegitimate rise to power. All they knew was that he was the supreme ruler, the emperor who governed the world and would protect them. Thus, the cries of “Long live the Emperor!” echoed again and again in the sky, eventually turning into a deafening roar.
Zhang Yue never expected that the two words he used to vent his emotions would become such a catalyst. Stunned, he moved his lips slightly but couldn’t join in the fervor like ordinary people. Compared to those who would never see an emperor in their lives, he had seen the emperor far too often—Zhu Di in a fit of rage, Zhu Di kind and gentle, Zhu Di full of high expectations, Zhu Di who rewarded generously but also punished harshly, Zhu Di whose mood changed like the weather—Zhu Di was just an ordinary man with a bad temper. But while an ordinary man’s bad temper wasn’t a big deal, an emperor’s bad temper could cost lives.
After a long while, the roaring finally ceased. Even though it was still bitterly cold, many people’s faces were flushed with excitement, including Zhou Bailing, who had jumped down from the parapet. He quickly walked up to Zhang Yue with his two bodyguards. Suddenly, he smiled slyly and waved his hand behind him. In an instant, the two strong bodyguards rushed forward, each taking one of Zhang Yue’s feet, and together they lifted him high.
Only then did Zhou Bailing turn around and shout, “Everyone knows that Lord Zhang is a civil official who has never used firearms before. But this time, he showed great skill by shooting down the Tartar’s flag with a single arrow! Lord Zhang, please say a few words so we can all feel at ease!”
Although he hadn’t expected Zhou Bailing’s sudden move, seeing the countless eager gazes around him, Zhang Yue could only temporarily suppress his frustration. He himself didn’t believe in the nonsense of “long live the emperor!” but clearly the soldiers did. Yet if he followed Zhou Bailing’s plan to the letter, it would seem too fake. After a moment, he came up with an idea.
“Over these past few days, everyone has fought desperately to defend Xinghe. Surely you’re still worried about the day when we can’t hold out and the city falls? Let me ask you—when I shot through the Tartar flag with my arrow, did you still have such worries? The Tartar flag was at least four hundred paces away from the city walls, yet I managed to hit the eagle on it! That’s because this is land of the Great Ming. Even their gods can’t protect them, but our emperor of the Great Ming can bless us, every deity can bless us, and the spirits of every comrade who died in battle can also bless us! Our courage and perseverance can also protect us! Just to stay alive, we must fight to the death!”
Zhou Bailing had originally thought that as a civil official, Zhang Yue would deliver a long speech about loyalty to the emperor and the country, so he deliberately created this opportunity. But the more he listened, the more excited he became. By the time he heard the last sentence, he had completely forgotten his initial plan and was the first to raise his hand and shout.
“Did everyone hear that? If the Tartars break through the city, everyone will die! To stay alive, we must fight to the death!”
“Fight to the death!”
In a moment of life or death, promises of marriage and inheritance seemed meaningless. Instead, a simple sentence resonated deeply with everyone. Thus, that cry echoed once again atop the city walls, startling Zheng Pingyuan as he climbed the stairs. Feeling an indescribable emotion surge within him, he leaped over the last two steps and reached the top of the wall. Seeing Zhang Yue standing tall, supported by others, he felt genuine joy.
Zhang Yue and Wang Huan not only brought food, weapons, and soldiers to Xinghe but also a truly inspiring spirit! He didn’t want to know how that miracle happened; as long as he could enjoy its results, he was satisfied!
Although the Tartars had retreated and morale was high, no one dared to be complacent. After assigning guards to defend the city walls and arranging people to clean up the battlefield, Zhang Yue, Zheng Pingyuan, and Zhou Bailing returned to the thousand-household officer’s quarters. Over the past two days and nights, they hadn’t dared to sleep during the day, and at night they took turns resting briefly; now everyone had bloodshot eyes. In the meeting hall, as they examined the already damaged map, none of the three could maintain their composure, all looking grim.
Zhang Yue was the first to speak. “If we ride fast, it only takes an hour and a half from Xinghe to Wanquan, so the news should have arrived by now. But we’ve all seen how many troops Arutai has deployed. If Xuanfu Wanquan learns of this and considers the risks of sending reinforcements in such cold weather, they may not send troops in time. Moreover, reporting to the imperial court takes time as well. So we must prepare for the worst—that is, to hold our ground without reinforcements!”
Zheng Pingyuan had already thought of this. Seeing Zhang Yue bring it up first, he nodded in agreement. “Now that the Tartars’ momentum is exhausted while our morale is high, we will surely be able to hold out! Every winter, the Tartars must slaughter livestock and conserve food, but war consumes the most resources! If they can’t sustain themselves in Xinghe, they will eventually withdraw!”