Chapter 628: Who Is the Wolf?
The military reports from those who had surrendered were not hidden from the court officials, but the fact that Arutai had been defeated by the Oirats was kept strictly secret. Few people in the entire capital knew of this, only those in power such as the governors of the five military regions and the seven high officials of the six ministries were aware of the truth. Thus, when they heard that the emperor ordered Zheng Heng, the marquis of Wu’an and commander of Kaiping, to send troops to escort the surrenderers to the capital, many confused court officials began to discuss it behind their backs.
In the five military commanderies, seating was arranged according to the order of central, left, right, front, and rear. Although each commandery had two governors—left and right—Emperor Zhu Di always appointed another noble to oversee affairs. Since Zhang Fu, the duke of Yingguo, was absent, the most prominent noble in the capital was naturally Zhu Yong, the duke of Chengguo, though he was only in his early thirties. Therefore, at the beginning of the month, Zhu Di reorganized the leadership of the five commanderies: Liu Sheng became the governor of the Central Military Commandery, while the governors of the other four commanderies—left, right, front, and rear—were Xue Lu (marquis of Yangwu), Chen Mao (marquis of Ningyang), Wang Tong (marquis of Chengshan), and Meng Ying (marquis of Baoding).
As a result, the Ministry of War became extremely busy. Yet, just as Zheng Heng sent people to bring the surrenderers to the capital, Zhu Di caught a cold due to the sudden changes in weather and was unable to receive anyone. Consequently, an order came from the Eastern Palace, instructing the Ministry of Rites to arrange accommodations and the Bureau of Foreign Affairs to send interpreters to accompany them, with the Ministry of War sending people to inquire first. Still, Li Qing and Zhao Jin were more concerned about the emperor’s illness, so they assigned the task directly to the Bureau of Geography.
Knowing that the emperor cared most about this matter and might even meet them in person if possible, the staff of the Bureau of Geography waited for a few days. Seeing that Zhu Di truly could not meet them, it was Zhang Yue who ended up making the trip.
During the Yongle era, there were many envoys from various countries, and after the capital was moved to Beijing, tributes continued year after year. As a result, a large area to the left of Xuanwu Gate in the eastern part of the capital was occupied by buildings of the Ministry of Rites used to accommodate envoys from different countries—all were blue-roofed quadrangle courtyards. To facilitate translation, the Bureau of Foreign Affairs was also located there, with interpreters available whenever envoys arrived. Since all translators and interpreters were graduates of the Imperial Academy, those with talent often took this shortcut to their careers.
It was not the season for nations to pay homage, so Ping’an Hutong was naturally quiet and deserted, with hardly anyone in sight. Zhang Yue, who was there for the first time, recalled what those two high-ranking officials from the Ministry of War had said the previous day—that they wanted to demonstrate the grandeur of the imperial court by not sending troops to guard the surrendered captives. Yet on the other hand, they sent people to the Rear Army Command, hinting that all 100 elite soldiers who had escorted this man back to Kaiping should be kept. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—these old officials were all tricky, knowing exactly when to use whom as a scapegoat.
Guided by an interpreter, he quickly found the courtyard. Indeed, the security here was extremely strict—dozens of strong soldiers were stationed outside the walls, and the glint of weapons could be seen in the courtyard opposite, which was slightly ajar. Entering through the outer gate and passing around the screen wall in front, he saw an old acquaintance.
“Lord Zhang!” Wang Yu, who was walking back and forth in front of the second gate, rushed forward as soon as he saw Zhang Yue. “I knew the Ministry of War would send you this time.”
After exchanging greetings and chatting briefly, he got to the point: “The surrendered man is Gunaitai, a fake governor of the Tatars. He can speak Chinese, so an interpreter isn’t needed. But he’s extremely talkative, constantly complaining about Alutai’s treachery, cruelty, and brutality, and urging the emperor to send troops to suppress them. He even offered to lead the vanguard. The soldiers who accompanied him grew tired of hearing his words.”
Hearing this, Zhang Yue asked directly, “The advance reports say this man came to Kaiping with over a hundred subordinates to surrender. There were no wives, children, women, or livestock with him—is that correct?”
“Yes. He said that because Alutai’s invasion was so sudden, he only managed to escape with his closest followers. But once the imperial troops arrive, he will immediately lead his people to submit, numbering at least tens of thousands. He also said that the Tatar tribes now have seventy or eighty thousand soldiers, and if they invade the borders, it will be a disaster.”
Zhang Yue already had an idea, so he didn’t say much. Although Wang Yu said Gunaitai understood Chinese, he thought it would be better to avoid unnecessary chatter by going alone, so he still brought along the interpreter from the Foreigners’ Office. Beyond the second gate was a large courtyard. In front of the main building stood an old Mongolian man wearing a half-old, out-of-season felt robe. Before he could speak, the old man glanced at him and the interpreter, then lifted the curtain and shouted inside, “Master, the emperor of the Great Ming has sent someone!”
No sooner had he spoken than a man rushed out in a hurry—it was Gunatai. He was around forty years old, bald with a beard, but had a pair of small eyes that didn’t match his rough appearance at all. After sizing Zhang Yue up from head to toe, he showed a disappointed expression, muttering a few words in Mongolian quickly and anxiously, before forcing a smile and stepping forward.
The interpreter accompanying Zhang Yue had been there several times before and was highly proficient in the Mongolian language, so he clearly heard Gunatai’s words. Without waiting for this man, who claimed to be the head of the Mongolian Privy Council, to say anything, he stepped forward and spoke in Chinese, “Lord Gunatai, the emperor sent Lord Zhang here precisely because he values you highly! Despite Lord Zhang’s youth, even Arutai once met failure under his command. Do you really still judge people by age, despite claiming to admire the Central Plains?”
Hearing the interpreter’s words, Gunatai’s face immediately showed a mix of surprise and joy. “Ah, so you are the one who killed the famous Lord Zhang? Please forgive me for not recognizing such a renowned hero! Arutai is a cunning wolf, and Shiniyegan is a greedy dog. By killing them, you have severed one of Arutai’s arms. May the Eternal Heaven bless you!”
After those fairly fluent sentences in Chinese, he spoke a series of rapid words in Mongolian. Given Gunatai’s enthusiastic gesture of extending his hands, if Zhang Yue hadn’t known some of the background, he might have thought this was a hearty Mongolian warrior. Once inside the room, he saw that it was furnished in the style of a Mongolian yurt, with carpets, tables, and cushions—prompting a thought in his mind.
Was this place originally meant to receive envoys from the Oirats or Arutai?
The Ming Dynasty was always generous to those who surrendered. In the words of its scholars, the best strategy was to subdue enemies without fighting. Even Arutai, who had been defeated by the Ming Dynasty and the Oirats time and again, was able to gather his remaining forces, submit as a vassal, and still receive numerous benefits such as being granted the title of Prince Ning and the right to trade and pay tribute. Thus, although Gunatai was just a surrendered enemy, because he brought such shocking news and showed willingness to serve as a vanguard in military campaigns, he received all the provisions from the Ministry of Rites according to the usual standards.
At this moment, there was still mare’s milk wine in the bowl on the table, and the plate beside it was piled high with dried beef. A mixture of sweet and pungent smells filled the air. Gunatai gestured for Zhang Yue to sit down, then sat cross-legged himself and said with a bright smile, “Everyone on the grasslands knows of the great fame of the Emperor of the Great Ming. So as soon as I heard that Arutai was heading south, I thought of coming to deliver the news. Although I could only bring a small group with me, there are still many of Arutai’s old enemies on the grasslands. Once they see me as the vanguard of the great army, they will surely gather under the banner of the Emperor of the Great Ming…”
Zhang Yue was too lazy to listen to this guy’s fanciful promises of a bright future, so he coughed loudly. Seeing Gunatai looking at him awkwardly, he asked with a half-smile, “I would like to ask Lord Gunatai—Arutai failed in his attack on Xinghe the year before last during winter, and last year he fled north to avoid our army’s advance. Many of his tribes have already scattered, and I heard he fought against the Oirats again this year. Since he’s in such a desperate situation, where does he have the strength to head south?”
“Well… there are many victories and defeats on the grasslands. Arutai captured several tribes, so he naturally regained his strength quickly!” Gunatai was only surprised for a moment before showing his enthusiastic smile again. “As for the Oirats mentioned by Lord Zhang… you should know that Tuohuan, the leader of the Choros tribe of the Oirats, was once Arutai’s slave, yet isn’t he still very powerful now? A wolf like Arutai must not be given a chance. Otherwise, if he heads south to plunder large amounts of food for winter, he will grow stronger again next year. He is a major threat to the Great Ming, but he is also our enemy. How could I deceive the wise Emperor of the Great Ming?”
As he got excited, his Mandarin became even more fluent: “It’s precisely because no one expected Arutai to flee north in disgrace last year, to fight another big battle against the Oirats this year, and yet still dare to launch a surprise attack southward that he acts like this. Lord Zhang, we Mongols are different from you Han people. You think carefully before acting, while we Mongols rely on courage. July and August are the best times when the water and grass are lush. To survive the winter safely, we naturally choose this most suitable time for war!”
If it weren’t for Gunatai avoiding talking about the outcome of the battle between the Oirats and Tatars during the summer, Zhang Yue would have almost completely believed this eloquent guy. Regaining his composure, he asked in detail about the standoff between the Oirats and Tatars beyond the Great Wall, and Gunatai answered fluently. By the time they finished the conversation and he left, Gunatai accompanied him all the way to the second gate.
“Lord Zhang, please be sure to inform the Emperor that eliminating Arutai is the best way to make all of Mongolia submit! And if you wish to gain greater fame, then you must rely on warfare. As far as I know, all your dukes and marquises have achieved their status through fighting!”
Without stopping, Zhang Yue returned to the Ministry of War. When he went to see Zhao Jin and Li Qing, the current ministers of war, he learned that they had already gone to the palace. Frustrated, he thought it over again and then rushed to the palace at full speed. Upon arriving at the Meridian Gate, he asked the on-duty guards to inform the inner cabinet. After waiting for a long time, someone finally came out with those guards.
“Scholar Dongli!”
Yang Rong and Jin Youzi were summoned to the Wenhua Hall, while Du Zhen went to the Hanlin Academy, leaving only Yang Shiqi in the inner cabinet. Seeing Zhang Yue, he nodded and led him aside. After asking a few questions in a low voice, and recalling the demeanor of the people from the Eastern Palace, he frowned thoughtfully before finally making up his mind.
“The Crown Prince has just summoned Ministers Zhao and Li of the Ministry of War, and also called Jin Youzi over—probably regarding matters in the north. Since you’re here for this reason, I’ll take you straight to the Wenhua Hall!”