Chapter 496: Revenge Must Be Taken, Repaid, and Restored

It had been five days since snow fell in Xinghe.
They say the weather is coldest after snow, but Xinghe was now bustling with activity. Worried that roads might freeze and make movement difficult in case of urgent military situations, all the soldiers, aside from those guarding the city, had been clearing the snow from the main roads and the thick layers of ice on the rooftops since the heavy snowfall five days earlier. This was an annual task in Xinghe, but back then, with no army besieging the city, the soldiers even played snowball fights in their free time. Now, even without that time, many still threw snowballs from the city walls at distant targets.

With no snowfall, the traces of the fire were clearly frozen in the snow. Charred wood, coal slag, remnants of pottery jars, and many burned corpses were clearly visible. That night, people in the city launched rockets at the enemy camp, and then Arutai sent a large army to pursue them, hoping to take advantage of the situation to enter the city. Unbeknownst to them, there was a pile of flammable dry grass and black coal below the city walls. The defenders took the opportunity to retaliate with rockets and firearms, even throwing bombs soaked in gunpowder mixed with fire oil, killing hundreds. The area below the city walls was still in chaos. Since then, the Mongol troops besieging the city attacked half-heartedly, completely demoralized.

“Arutai probably has to retreat.”
Standing on the city wall and looking at the camp about six or seven hundred steps away, hearing Zhang Yue say this, Zheng Pingyuan felt that these past few days had been full of extreme ups and downs. The much-anticipated reinforcements hadn’t arrived, but they had not only defended well but also achieved significant victories. Even his own soldiers, in this icy and snowy environment, must be as enthusiastic as glowing coals, far different from their previous apathy. Kicking a piece of ice off the battlement, he stepped forward without hesitation, feeling an extraordinary sense of relief—comparable only to the joy he had felt during his campaigns under Marquis Wu’an Zheng Heng.

“Lord Zhang is right. These recent attacks seem like mere pretenses. It seems Arutai really intends to flee.”

Zhou Bailing smacked his lips and chuckled, “This time it was just supposed to be a routine escort mission. Who would have thought we’d end up in such a big deal? It’s worth it! It’s a shame there are too few soldiers in this city. Otherwise, if Altan really managed to escape, maybe we could have chased after him… Hey, Lord Zhang, don’t glare at me—I’m just joking. After being beaten by those guys for days, I’m just feeling frustrated. If Altan’s escape skills are considered second to none in the world, then no one dares claim to be number one. I certainly wouldn’t lead such a small group on a pursuit—I’m not crazy!”
When the topic turned to Altan’s troubles, the three people present burst into laughter. Zhang Yue naturally knew Zhou Bailing was referring to the mission in the eighth year of Yongle. He also found it amazing that someone could escape with such remarkable skill despite almost the entire army being wiped out, so he laughed and agreed with a few words. The soldiers nearby, seeing the three of them chatting cheerfully, felt extremely confident. It wasn’t until they heard a wailing sound in the distance that the relaxed atmosphere on the city walls vanished instantly.
“The Tatar horns!” Zheng Pingyuan had been stationed in Xinghe for many years and was well familiar with the banners and horns of the Tatars and Oirats. After listening carefully for a while, his expression turned puzzled. “They’re welcome horns, not attack horns. Strange. The prisoners said that the one who joined forces with Altan this time is Adai Taiji of the Khorkhin tribe. The current so-called Great Khan was installed by the Oirats and has nothing to do with Altan. Whom is he welcoming then?”
Due to the distance, Zhang Yue couldn’t see clearly what was happening in the distance. He immediately wondered if crystal could replace glass and if craftsmen could try to create a telescope. After hearing Zheng Pingyuan’s words, he tightened his robe and pondered for a while before recalling what he had learned during his time in the Ministry of War.
Since the Yuan Dynasty retreated into the desert, they had to deal with the Ming Dynasty’s continuous northern campaigns while also facing constant fragmentation and internal strife. Just like the Oirats and Tatars opposing each other now, the Oirats themselves were divided into three factions, with their proclaimed Great Khan of all Mongolia becoming a puppet. Altan and the three leaders of the Oirats had all been granted kingship by the Ming Dynasty. Among them, Tuohuan, the King of Shunning, had the most complicated feud with Altan and was currently at a disadvantage among the three Oirat factions.

“Ignore them. If soldiers come, we’ll meet them with soldiers; if water comes, we’ll block it with earth. We’ve survived so many days—why get nervous over just one messenger?” Zhou Bailing was naturally open-minded. Seeing no further activity from Arutai’s camp after the horns were sounded, he stretched lazily. “We might as well go back and catch some sleep. We can fight when it’s time! Lord Zhang, leave this to Old Zheng. Let’s go to his warm bed and get some good sleep!”
Hearing this, Zhang Yue smiled, patted Zheng Pingyuan on the shoulder, narrowed his eyes, and said, “I leave it to you,” before descending the city wall with Zhou Bailing. Upon arriving at the military post, they each went to bed—one on the east side, the other on the west. Zhou Bailing covered himself with the blanket, whose original color was no longer discernible, and fell into deep sleep within minutes. Meanwhile, although Zhang Yue had only slept for two hours the previous night, he could not fall asleep, staring at the ceiling.
He was no longer the solitary man of his past life. He had too many concerns and worries, plus a difficult emperor to deal with—calling it cautious was an understatement. Yet, during those days of being besieged in Xinghe, all he thought about was life and death. He had weighed the pros and cons of interests, but they paled in comparison to the impact of life and death.
Moreover, by the time he pondered certain issues, many soldiers had already died. Now, there were probably less than six hundred people left unharmed in Xinghe, and even Zhou Bailing had been hit by an arrow in his arm. If not for Xiang Long Liu Bao’s loyalty, even he, who often stood on the city walls, might not have remained unscathed. The number of lightly and seriously injured in the city totaled about five hundred, with the rest having died in battle.
Fortunately, they had managed to hold on, and Xinghe remained intact. But what about the future? Although Dading hadn’t been completely ceded to the Doyan Three Guards, it was a fact that the Wulangha people had taken advantage of the situation to advance southward. Without Dading, Xinghe and Kaiping would be isolated and defenseless. If Xinghe fell, Kaiping would eventually fall as well, and then it might be the turn of the Hami River region. In the end, the Ming Dynasty would have to adopt a passive defensive stance against the Mongols forever.
Zhang Yue didn’t agree with Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di,’s repeated northern campaigns, nor did he support a purely defensive strategy. After all, a strategy against the Mongols required depth. He certainly didn’t want another Tumu Fort incident, where the Ming Dynasty’s nobles and its strongest armies were lost. Amidst Zhou Bailing’s thunderous snoring, an idea struck him.
How nice it would have been if that arrow had hit Arutai instead!
“Lord, Lord!”

Interrupted by this low call, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but mock himself for being so lucky yet still unsatisfied. He quickly sat up and saw Xiang Long standing in front of him with a joyful expression. His heart skipped a beat, and he asked eagerly, “Are reinforcements here, or has Arutai retreated?”
Xiang Long had undergone rigorous training and gained valuable experience following Zhang Yue, but nothing compared to the thrilling events of this siege. He swallowed hard and then reported cheerfully, “The Tartars have retreated! The first to leave camp were the Khorkhin tribe in the north! But there are movements in the west and east as well, especially on the west side with Arutai. Captain Zheng said the situation there seems chaotic—could it be that the guests who arrived brought bad news?”
“What bad news?”
Although Xiang Long spoke in a very low voice, Zhou Bailing suddenly woke up from his sleep and repeated those last five words accurately. Seeing Zhang Yue looking at him in surprise, he scratched his head and laughed, “I’m used to it. If you, Lord Zhang, had gone on two northern expeditions, you’d be able to sleep whenever you can and wake up at the slightest sound. If it weren’t for you here, I’d probably be even more alert. It’s because your two bodyguards are so formidable that I got to sleep a bit longer. What were you talking about just now?”
Zhang Yue explained briefly, and Zhou Bailing, who had been yawning moments ago, was instantly awake. He quickly put on his boots and asked with wide eyes, “Lord Zhang, what do you think?”
“Since Arutai has risen in rebellion, the emperor surely won’t send envoys, especially since it was already decided to launch an immediate attack. In that case, the most likely candidates are the three Oirat tribes and the three Wulangha tribes. The Kerait and Khuit tribes haven’t recovered from their previous defeat, and the wise king of the Kerait tribe, Taiping, was once defeated by Arutai—there’s no time for revenge yet. So it must be the Wulangha or the Toghon. Whoever it is, let’s head to the city walls first to take a look.”
“It would be best if the Tartars caused chaos among themselves. That way, we can take advantage of the situation! Ah, I really feel like acting…”
Ignoring Zhou Bailing’s constant muttering, Zhang Yue casually picked up his cloak, fastened it, then put on his hat and boots. As soon as he left the officer’s quarters, he noticed the entire city was filled with a festive atmosphere, with news of the Tartars retreating spreading everywhere. Hearing the cheers and seeing the joyful faces, he couldn’t help but smile and quickened his pace.

Worried that they wouldn’t be able to see clearly from the city walls, he and Zhou Bailing headed straight for the watchtower. After climbing to the top using the bamboo ladder, ignoring the biting cold, they first looked north and indeed found that most of that area was already empty. Looking at the camps on the east and west sides also revealed a chaotic scene, which didn’t seem like a pretense at all, so they believed about seventy or eighty percent of it.

Arutai must have received some news and moved quickly this time. If he had been thwarted at Xinghe, and if Xuanfu sent troops, acting swiftly could inflict heavy losses on him in one strike, eliminating the need for a northern expedition. If it was the Oirat tribe seeking revenge, the outcome would be unpredictable. It was a pity there were no remaining forces in the city to pursue; otherwise, he would never have wanted to miss such a great opportunity.

“Sir, look! Someone is coming from the west!”
Hearing the voice of the sentry beside him, Zhang Yue and Zhou Bailing immediately turned to look. They saw a rider charging towards them at full speed, stopping only about a hundred steps away from the west wall of Xinghe Fort. He drew his bow, shot an arrow at the top of the wall, then rode there motionless. Seeing this, Zhou Bailing found it baffling, but Zhang Yue quickly climbed down the ladder and rushed towards the west wall.

“Is there anything special about the arrow?”
Zheng Pingyuan, who had been in a daze, finally snapped out of it and hurriedly handed the paper to Zhang Yue. “This is written in Arutai’s own hand. It’s probably for you, Sir Zhang.”
Glancing at the crumpled paper, Zhang Yue couldn’t help but laugh. On it were several words: “The revenge for killing my son will be avenged someday. The hatred for destroying my flag will be repaid one day. The regret over the fire will be settled someday.”