Chapter 638: Twenty Years of Time

Twenty years is enough to change many things. These twenty years were the time when Zhu Di ruled the land; they were the years when military generals achieved great feats and became renowned heroes; they were also the period known as an era of peace and prosperity. Yet for the people of the Three Duyan Guards, these twenty years were a cycle of hope, followed by disappointment and ultimately despair.

The Duyan Guard, Taining Guard, and Fuyu Guard were titles bestowed by Emperor Hongwu, Zhu Yuanzhang. Yet these Mongols referred to themselves as Wulangha, Ongut, and Ujier. These three tribes had lived east of the Greater Khingan Range and, after several Ming military campaigns beyond the borders during the Hongwu era, found themselves isolated and helpless, forcing them to submit and be organized into the Three Duyan Guards. However, while under the rule of Dading, they seized their best opportunity when Zhu Di rose in rebellion.

They lent three thousand elite troops to help Zhu Di conquer the land, and when he ascended the throne the next day, he granted them vast grazing lands in Dading!

The leaders of the Three Duyan Guards believed these promises and longed for those fertile pastures, so they sent their strongest warriors to follow the Ming army southward. Though the Ming army recaptured the land and withdrew almost all their troops from Dading, Zhu Di refused to allow them to enter the old city of Dading. Thus, only half of the promised land was actually given to them. Dissatisfied, the Three Duyan Guards repeatedly raided the borders together with Arutai of the Asut tribe, with whom they had familial ties, but last year they suffered a devastating defeat.

In the autumn, the grasslands were clear and open, with fat horses and strong cattle. The wildflowers scattered among the lush green grass had lost their brilliance, and felt tents dotted the vast landscape. Although it was not as lush and vibrant as spring and summer, there was a sense of tranquility and serenity everywhere. Yet the wild sheep and rabbits that used to run freely were now nowhere to be seen. The sky remained as blue as ever, but that enchanting blue seemed to hide endless gloom.

Although they claimed to be heading straight for Dading, the large forces of the Three Duyan Guards had already crossed the Hala River bend. Now, their leaders gathered together, surrounded by guards, to discuss matters while on horseback.

Although they were closely related and shared common blood, the Doyan Wei Wulangha tribe held an overwhelming advantage in strength. Therefore, whenever important matters were discussed, it was always the leader of the Wulangha tribe, Harugudai, who made the decisions. He was appointed as a military commander by the Ming Dynasty and was in charge of the Doyan Wei. Since the death of another great leader, Torehucha, he had been the one to make decisions for all three tribes. Glancing at the people whispering around him, he raised his right hand high.

“Last year, we were defeated by the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. We barely survived by enduring humiliation and pleading for mercy. Today, to survive, we must once again gather all the troops from the three tribes. It was the warriors of our three tribes who helped the Ming emperor seize his throne, yet we did not receive any rewards. On the contrary, the emperor has now sent troops to rebuild the cities! If the Ming army establishes a foothold here, we will likely be driven to the coldest places in the north again! For the future of our three tribes, we must win this battle!”

“Victory! Victory!”

“Wulangha! Wulangha!”

The people of the Doyan Wei Wulangha tribe immediately began shouting loudly, with many from the other two tribes joining in. At that moment, Haraghasun, Harugudai’s son, spoke up: “The Ming Dynasty rules the whole world. Even if Grand Tutor Arutai agrees to lead troops in a surprise attack from behind to attack from two sides, our chances of winning are still not high. This is the largest army we three tribes can muster, but both Grand Tutor Arutai and we have once been defeated by that emperor!”

“Shut up!” Harugudai became furious and scolded his son, pointing at his nose, “Don’t disrupt the morale of the troops! Get out!”

Seeing that most of the people around him were filled with fanaticism, Haraghasun had no choice but to leave the tent. Outside, he saw many tribal warriors either preparing their bows and arrows, cleaning their horses, or talking loudly, which made his heart even heavier. His father had named him Haraghasun in memory of a famous chancellor from the reign of Emperor Chengzong of the Yuan Dynasty. Like that Haraghasun, he was also very interested in Confucianism of the Central Plains. Although he didn’t master it thoroughly, he understood one basic principle.

Even if they truly recaptured Danning this time, even if they managed to assassinate the Ming emperor who posed the greatest threat to Mongolia, Arutai could still flee north once the task was done and then use the death of the Ming emperor as a pretext to rally various tribes under his command. However, the three Ulaq guards together numbered only tens of thousands, and having suffered heavy losses before, they had barely managed to gather six thousand men this time. Even if they managed to win through sheer effort, how could they withstand a retaliatory military campaign by the Ming court? Wasn’t the painful lesson from before enough?

“The Ming army is here! The Ming emperor has arrived…”

Alarmed shouts came from afar, immediately causing chaos everywhere. In an instant, the warriors who had been full of fighting spirit became restless, and Khalaha Sun, who had participated in last year’s great battle, trembled violently. Shouts, the neighing of horses, the clashing of weapons… even the pounding of hearts seemed to mix in with these chaotic sounds. It wasn’t until the hundred commanders hurriedly organized their troops that the large force gradually settled down. Soon, the leaders gathered at the front line.

“How could they arrive so quickly? According to the plan, we should have met them exactly when we reached the Kuan River!”

“What if Grand Tutor Arutai doesn’t arrive in time?”

“The Ming emperor always brings a large army, and besides, we still have Duke Zhang Fu behind us!”

Due to the Ming army’s unexpected speed, disputes arose among the leaders of the three guards. Hearing these discordant voices, Khalaghati could only suppress them by acting like a supreme leader and order his troops to prepare for battle, though he was deeply anxious. Just last year, the three guards had lost over a hundred thousand cattle and sheep and tens of thousands of able-bodied men. If they lost again, they might never recover. Yet, with countless tribes perishing across the vast steppes, he had no choice but to take a gamble.

Tuohuan of the Oirat Choros tribe was ambitious. Taking advantage of Arutai’s focus on competing with King Tianping and King Tuboluo for control of the Oirats, Arutai was able to cooperate with them. If they won this time, they could use this momentum to march south and plunder, then, while the Ming army hesitated to launch an attack in winter, gather those smaller tribes worried about surviving the winter and strike westward, catching the Oirats off guard. If they could seize dominance over the steppes, they could use the internal instability following the rise of a new Ming emperor to not only resolve past crises but also become one of the dominant forces in all of Mongolia.

Arutai was using them, yet they had no choice but to be exploited—Wulangha was simply too small! Thinking of the bright prospects ahead, Harugudai immediately set aside all his concerns. Yet just as he shouted orders to attack, a dark line appeared on the horizon. Fear flashed across his face; even without seeing their uniforms, he could guess who they were. Amid the thunderous sound of horse hooves, Zhu Di almost instinctively grabbed the bow and arrows hanging beside his horse. He drew a feathered arrow from the quiver and placed his thumb on the bowstring. In that instant, he completely forgot that he hadn’t held a bow or arrow in ages. Aiming at his target, he shouted loudly and exerted all his strength. “Kill!” The guards on either side couldn’t stop him in time and were utterly shocked. At that moment, the bow snapped open like a full moon, and in an instant, the feathered arrow shot like a shooting star, whizzing through the air and plunging into Wulangha’s army. Zhang Yue, who was half a horse’s length behind Zhu Di, saw the emperor’s face turn red and knew full well that Zhu Di, over sixty and recently recovered from illness, was merely pretending to be strong. In that split second of distraction, he heard countless bows being drawn and couldn’t tell how many arrows had been shot. Following Zhu Di were the elite cavalry from the three thousand troops under the imperial guard and the select soldiers from the Imperial Horse Supervision Bureau. Though only five thousand strong, their morale was extremely high as they charged straight into the enemy ranks with Zhu Di at their head. Liu Sheng and Chen Mao were already leading the wings forward to protect the emperor within the formation. In the blink of an eye, this army plunged into Wulangha’s forces like a spear. Chen Mao, who followed on Zhu Di’s left wing and was skilled with archery, shot three arrows in quick succession during the charge. Then he hung his bow on the front of his horse and drew his sword to strike. Liu Sheng, equally proud of his martial prowess, naturally kept up with him. For a time, the commanders competed in bravery, and their subordinates rushed forward eagerly. Although the Wulangha forces had a slight numerical advantage, having suffered a defeat the previous year and now facing Zhu Di personally leading the charge, their morale was already low. Soon, even their sparse arrows became weak, and many chose to steer their horses away as the enemy army charged, causing chaos everywhere. Once the Ming forces disrupted the enemy’s formation with unstoppable momentum, it seemed in just an instant that the Wulangha army was split in two.

Out of concern for the emperor, Zhu Di was surrounded by nearly a dozen guards, their small round shields providing thorough protection around him, deflecting even the arrows shot at him. Yet, satisfied with this initial success, Zhu Di didn’t hesitate to pick up his newly acquired sword and lead his troops in another charge.

Although not unfamiliar with bloodshed, this kind of cavalry charge was new to Zhang Yue. He naturally couldn’t enjoy the same protection as Zhu Di, but with four guards closely by his side, he faced little danger. However, after several back-and-forth charges, the Ming army’s formation gradually became disorganized, allowing some enemies to break through. He quickly knocked one down with his sword, but unexpectedly, another attacker rushed out from the side, swinging down with a long knife. Instinctively, he raised his sword to block, causing the knife to spark and miss its target.

Before he could react to his numb right arm, someone rushed forward, sweeping and thrusting with his spear to knock the Mongol cavalryman to the ground, then standing firm in front of him. Seeing it was Zhang Bu, Zhang Yue breathed a sigh of relief. At that moment, he couldn’t afford to be distracted and could only follow Zhang Bu forward, until suddenly the light ahead brightened as they broke through the enemy lines. Only then did he see where Zhu Di was and hurriedly rode over. By then, the Three Guards army had already retreated.

“Is your sword also stained with blood?”

Zhang Yue had no time to deal with the emperor’s teasing. He quickly said, “Your Majesty, the Wulangha people have retreated. The top priority now is to hurry to Danning. The Wulangha were stunned by the sudden arrival of our large army; there might still be other troops.”

“I know. Yang Rong and Jin Youzi should have reached Xifengkou by now. They couldn’t follow me last night—surely they’re worried sick!” Zhu Di always took these two with him on his outings. Their absence made him uneasy. After a moment’s thought, he shook his head and said, “No need to panic. First, organize the army, then capture a few prisoners. I want to get answers!”

While Zhu Di and Zhang Yue were talking, Chen Mao, the Marquis of Ningyang who had been leading the charge, returned excitedly, saluting from his horse. “Your Majesty, the Wulangha army has scattered and retreated! According to scouts, it seems the Taining Guard and Fuyu Guard didn’t dare to waste their remaining strength here and fled in haste. The main culprit is the Duoyan Guard. Should we pursue them?”

Gently rubbing his already aching arm, Zhu Di ordered in a deep voice, “You and Liu Sheng must immediately reorganize the troops and deploy them again. Send capable men with five hundred soldiers to pursue them, ensuring that the Three Guards cannot regroup their forces. Also, send others to see if there are any survivors. The Wulangha people don’t have that much courage—Arutai must be nearby, so we must be extremely vigilant!”
After the recent battle, brave generals like Chen Mao naturally felt a surge of fighting spirit and desire to gain glory. Yet, having served as vanguard troops many times, he was not completely reckless. Upon hearing these orders, he immediately became alert. The excitement from his recent victory vanished, replaced by a growing sense of dread.
It should be noted that this was not like the hundreds of thousands-strong armies sent out in previous campaigns. Even if few soldiers were lost at the front, after sending five hundred men, there were at most only four thousand left!
Since they were all experienced generals who had led troops for decades, Liu Sheng and Chen Mao ordered that no pursuit be made while hurriedly preparing the troops for battle. They also sent scouts in all directions to detect any movements. After a night of rapid marching and another fierce battle, the soldiers were exhausted and hungry. Taking advantage of this rare chance to rest, many ate dry rations and drank water while still on their horses. When a few captives were brought in, Zhu Di immediately noticed a young Mongolian man dressed in a magnificent robe.
After questioning him briefly, he learned that this man was Khalaha Sun, the son of the leader of the Doyan Guard. Zhu Di raised his eyebrows. Just as he was undecided, one of the scouts sent earlier finally returned.
As that lone rider approached, countless Ming soldiers saw numerous small black figures emerging on the horizon. The overwhelming swarm of black figures rushed forward in a seemingly chaotic manner, with dust covering half of the sky. Whether it was the battle-hardened Chen Mao or Liu Sheng, or even Zhang Yue, who felt a surge of anxiety, everyone turned to look at the emperor.
Zhu Di simply uttered two words: “Engage!”
He was still the same Zhu Di from twenty years ago!