Chapter 922: The Last Rays of Sunset – Planning Ahead

Due to the continuous conflicts among various Mongol tribes, the Oirats were preoccupied with both internal strife and dealing with Altan of the Tatars. As a result, despite the many policies implemented by the Ming Dynasty, which caused some resistance within the country, the Oirats were too busy to pay much attention to these issues. Most importantly, the Ming Dynasty imposed annual trade quotas. To secure their share of these quotas, even tribes related by marriage would undermine each other, let alone those with long-standing feuds. Exquisite gold and silver wares, porcelain, and fine clothing from the Central Plains were precisely what the grasslands lacked at the time. Thus, in addition to trading for tea, exchanging horses, cattle, and sheep for these luxuries became one of the top priorities for princes and nobles.

After years of warfare, when Tohan of the Oirats finally emerged as the dominant force and seemed to have secured victory, he was shocked to find that all three Ulaq tribes had defected to the Ming Dynasty. Many Mongol warriors not only served in the imperial guards in the capital but also served as military instructors. Moreover, he thought his long-time enemy, Grand Tutor Altan, had fled to the north, only to discover that he too had turned to the Ming Dynasty. His people had moved inland, while his strong cavalry was stationed along the Xinghe and Kaiping areas. Suddenly, Kaiping and Xinghe were filled with Tatar cavalry, while Danning and Huizhou had the elite Ulaq forces and newly joined Jurchens. His greatest enemies were no longer the Ming people but these fellow tribesmen who had defected or those whom he had once looked down upon as vassals.

That autumn, upon learning that the Ming emperor was leading an army on a northern campaign to Kaiping, he immediately mobilized all three Oirat tribes and other vassal tribes to march south, hoping to secure a decisive victory and lay the foundation for becoming khan. His plan was simple: Kaiping was isolated, so once the Ming emperor’s army left Pangu Town, he would launch a full-scale attack to cut off communication between the two sides. Although the Ming army claimed to number 100,000, he only had over 20,000 elite cavalry, yet he remained confident.

However, the current Ming emperor, Zhu Zhanji, was not the ambitious Emperor Yingzong. The commander-in-chief was not Zhu Yong, the Duke of Cheng who lacked actual battlefield experience, but the shrewd Duke of Ying, Zhang Fu. Additionally, many of the officers were veterans of the Jingnan Campaign, along with newer troops who had undergone three years of military training. Thus, when the charging cavalry faced the Ming infantry and cavalry, who were already prepared with iron chariots, it was like a vicious dog trying to bite a bone only to have its teeth shattered.

Zhang Yue had been to battle several times, some of which were extremely dangerous and thrilling, but this time was undoubtedly the closest he had ever been to the fighting yet the most relaxed. It was also his first time witnessing Duke Zhang Fu in command of a battle. Watching the onslaught of swords, spears, and arrows, hearing the deafening cries of battle, he felt as though the earth itself was shaking. Noticing that the imperial carriage nearby remained motionless, he smiled slightly before glancing at a rider beside him, who seemed eager to take action. He quickly poured a bucket of cold water on him.

“Don’t even think about doing anything reckless. If you leave the carriage, those guards around you will go wild!”

Zhu Zhanji, dressed only in a dark green robe, appeared like an ordinary attendant. With the Zhang family’s soldiers scattered all around, no one could see that he was there. Occasionally, an arrow would fall, but it was immediately deflected by the alert soldiers, and Fangling kept a careful watch nearby, so there was no risk to his safety. Yet the more secure things seemed, the more suffocated he felt, until he finally sighed.

“If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have left everything in Duke Zhang Fu’s hands. At least then I could still command the central army.”

“Your Majesty, don’t forget—Minister Xu Kuo is guarding the central army.”

Zhang Yue’s reminder made Zhu Zhanji angry. He glared at him before taking a deep breath. Before this northern inspection, Empress Dowager Zhang had summoned Zhang Yue to give him final instructions. Though he didn’t know exactly what she had said, he guessed it must have been about safety, given the chaos that had occurred last time. Fortunately, aside from the sickly Prince Wei and Prince Liang, who had been under house arrest for years, there were no other princes in the capital. The various fiefdoms also kept a tight watch on those princes. The crown prince, now over five years old, could govern under Yang Shiqi’s guidance, and Empress Dowager Zhang was in good health. So when he set out on this journey, he had anticipated encountering enemies, but not such a large-scale battle. After watching the battle for over an hour, his face was filled with admiration.

“He truly is a great general!”

Of course, Zhu Zhanji saw not only the still-skilled Zhang Fu but also those young officers who were excellent at leading troops. Though he was the emperor, he had been skilled in archery since childhood, so his eyesight was quite good. From his position on a small hill, mounted on horseback, he could see the Ming cavalry units hundreds of steps away, cutting through the enemy ranks and destroying them. As he watched, he glanced at Zhang Yue, only to find that Zhang Yue wasn’t paying any attention to these things at all; he was merely frowning slightly as he stared at a corner of the battlefield.

No wonder Zhang Yue had that expression—he had to worry, as Zhang Zhong, the legitimate son of the Duke of Ying, was also there. Although he had mentioned to Xu Kuo the idea of assigning Shi Heng’s men to his command, and the young man had trained in martial arts since childhood, being strong and skilled in archery, Zhang Yue still couldn’t help but sweat nervously. After all, despite Zhang Fu having two more illegitimate sons, he had put a lot of effort into teaching only this one and had the highest hopes for him. If anything went wrong here, how could he face Lady Wang when he returned? Thus, when he saw the enemy gradually retreating and heard the thunderous cheers coming from afar, his anxious heart finally began to calm down.

“The outcome is settled!”

Muttering to himself, he knew this was not just the result of this battle but also the outcome for the next ten or twenty years.

By the time the generals defending Kaiping came to join the emperor’s army, most of the battlefield had been cleared. Yet, there were still unattended warhorses whining beside their owners, seriously injured knights struggling to move slowly across the field, and young officers still reeling from excitement, shouting and cheering. Although the battlefield was littered not only with enemy corpses but also many Ming soldiers, everyone knew this battle, which had lasted from noon to dusk, was a great victory.

Despite having just won a battle, the army still set up camp in an orderly manner at night. The Duke of Ying, Zhang Fu, sent out elite night riders and, despite opposition, took his own eldest son, Zhang Zhong, along. In his words, Zhang Zhong had trained hard in night archery over the years, with both eyesight and other skills suited for night battles. Other generals couldn’t compete with him, so they had no choice but to let him go. Fortunately, perhaps because the Ming army was stronger after uniting and their camp was well-organized, nothing went wrong that night.

When Zhang Zhong returned in the morning, Zhang Yue used the excuse of asking about military matters to call him into the carriage. After matters related to martial arts exams and military households were settled, he became the Minister of Revenue, while Xu Kuo took over as the Minister of War. The two, having been partners in the past, got along very well, so this time they traveled in the same carriage. Thus, as Zhang Zhong held a hereditary position as a guard, no one could object to him meeting the Minister of War.

“How did it feel to be on the battlefield for the first time?”

“I’m quite scared,” said Zhang Zhong, now fourteen years old. The frailty he showed at birth was no longer visible; he had grown into a sturdy and strong youth. After answering, seeing Xu Kuo examining him with interest, he felt a bit uneasy and lowered his head, adding, “It’s fine during the day, as there are people around to help. But at night, it’s different—my heart feels tense, as if I’m always afraid that enemies might appear. I hardly ever release the bowstring.”

Hearing this, Zhang Yue was stunned. He immediately asked Zhang Zhong to spread his hands, and indeed, several layers of cotton cloth covered them. Shaking his head, he said, “I knew it would be like this. Your father said your night archery skills are good, but after all, it’s targets during the day and a battlefield at night. How could they send you out in such a situation for the first time? You must not have slept all night, right? With your father around, I wouldn’t dare keep you in the carriage either. But remember to apply more mint oil to keep your mind sharp once you go down. It’s still at least a day or two’s journey to Kaiping.”

Since Zhang Yue was no longer in the Ministry of War, he didn’t have to worry about being accused of mixing personal and official matters. So, he took on a brotherly role and gave him a long lecture before settling back comfortably. Although Xu Kuo was more than twice his age, he didn’t nag much. Instead, he smiled and shared a few basic military tips with Zhang Zhong before sending him off. After Zhang Zhong left the carriage, Xu Kuo looked at Zhang Yue and said, “It seems you’ve spent too much time in the Ministry of Revenue, constantly calculating. You’ve even become more talkative.”

“Do you think I enjoy it? Being busy with income and expenses all day leaves me dizzy. I really admire Minister Xia for having done this for so many years—I feel like I’m aging fast too.”

The older and the younger often argued and chatted in the carriage, or discussed important matters. Eventually, they found the bumpy journey not so unbearable. Even the bland military rations became tolerable thanks to Zhang Yue’s thorough preparations, including dried meat powder. So, when they arrived at the outskirts of Kaiping City and learned that Tuohuan’s army had retreated far to the west, Zhang Yue was finally completely at ease. He stretched himself out in the carriage before getting out.

The former Yuan capital of Kaiping was once a formidable fortress standing atop the grasslands. Though it was completely burned down at one point, it was rebuilt during the Hongwu era, abandoned again during the Yongle era, and rebuilt once more. After years of continuous repairs and improvements, the city has regained its glory, becoming a stronghold embedded in the vast grasslands. Even the eight post stations that were abandoned in the past have been rebuilt. The city is equipped with walls and arrow towers, and a vast amount of grain is stored within. The phrase “easy to defend but hard to attack” is hardly sufficient to describe its strength.

Four years ago, Du Zhen was demoted to serve as Censor-in-Chief at the Nanjing Censorate. After that, Zhang Yue transferred to the Ministry of Revenue, so Wan Shijie naturally stayed behind. Moreover, Xu Kuo, the Minister of War, did not change any of the existing systems, so Zhang Yue still had a thorough understanding of military affairs. However, since the Espionage Bureau had officially become one of the six departments under the Ministry of War, he could no longer openly use it for his own purposes, so he basically stopped getting involved. After all, he had already laid out his own path through the Espionage Bureau.

Although Kaiping still couldn’t compare to the former capital in terms of bustling merchants and towering buildings, it was now quite orderly. At least, when the emperor visited, he no longer had to stay in a simple official residence but could use a grand palace. Even the accompanying civil and military officials were assigned separate quarters according to their ranks. Due to the large number of troops accompanying them, there wasn’t enough space inside the city, so some were stationed outside as well. With the tight quarters, Zhang Yue, along with Minister of War Xu Kuo and Minister of Personnel Guo Jin, had to share a space. The three ministers had taken office just a few years apart and got along well, so it was easy to allocate rooms to them. But before they could settle in, a soldier came to announce that a highly renowned doctor in Kaiping wanted to see Zhang Yue.

“A doctor? Yuan Jie, do you still know any doctors?”

Zhang Yue had been trying to find Feng Yuanming for years. Unfortunately, this man was as elusive as a ghost. Though he occasionally sent messages through merchants, most of the time he disappeared like a free-spirited heron. So when he came to Kaiping with the army, he hadn’t expected to meet him at all. Hearing the word “doctor” now, he was overjoyed. He thought to himself that after sending out messages for so long, it was finally possible to find this person, so he quickly ordered him to be brought in. But when he saw the person approaching, he was stunned.

Back then, although Feng Yuanming looked aged, he was still a doctor and knew some ways to maintain his health. But upon seeing him again now, if not for his firm conviction, he might not have recognized him at all. With white hair, white eyebrows, and white beard, and if not for the deep wrinkles on his face, the two people beside him might have thought he was the long-deceased Sanfeng Zhenren. But as soon as the old man spoke, he immediately knew he hadn’t mistaken him.

“This time, there’s no need for you to look for me—I’ve come on my own!”

These simple words made Zhang Yue smile bitterly. He quickly spoke to the guard soldier and invited the man in. Before long, the two ministers in the vicinity came to inquire. Zhang Yue promptly sent word that this was his wife’s younger sister’s uncle. It was well-known throughout the capital that Xiao Wu knew medicine, so no one doubted this claim. Not even Xu Kuo or Guo Qin asked Zhang Yue why this man was here. When Zhang Yue asked where Feng Yuanming had been over the years, Feng Yuanming answered quite readily.

“Although Mongolian medicine has elements of witchcraft, it’s still different from Central Plains medicine and has its own merits. That’s why I spent several years in the grasslands. A couple of years ago, I even went to Tibet and brought back quite a lot of Tibetan medicine, which I spent some time experimenting with. So it’s normal that you couldn’t find me back then. You’re the kind of person who always shows up unannounced—surely you didn’t go around asking about me just for no reason. Besides, aren’t you worried that someone might recognize my identity? There might even be old acquaintances from the Imperial Medical Academy there.”

Zhang Yue simply smiled calmly, “Since Old Feng has come, there’s no need to worry about those things. The Imperial Medical Academy has changed a lot over the years. The head judge has retired, and most of the others have been replaced. I’m not here for any other reason—now that the world is at peace, I just want this peaceful era to last a few more years. It’s better to take precautions.”