Chapter 145: Astounding Battle Results

In the Palace of Heavenly Purity, Emperor Zhu Qiyu sat restlessly in the warm pavilion.

Earlier, upon learning that the Oirat forces were invading the capital, Zhu Qiyu had felt truly anxious.

After sending a young eunuch to make inquiries, he learned that Esen had encamped his massive army at Liangxiang and sent two messengers.

To everyone's surprise, before the emissaries could state their purpose, one was killed and the other wounded by a volley of arrows from the Ming vanguard.

Along with this news, a letter addressed to Empress Dowager Sun was delivered into the palace.

In this letter, Zhu Qizen used a great deal of space to describe the formidable strength of the Oirat army, portraying them as practically invincible in the contemporary world.

Zhu Qiyu had already been somewhat terrified, and after reading the exaggerated descriptions in the letter alongside Empress Dowager Sun, he felt even less confident.

Now that the Oirat emissaries had been shot and killed, what kind of retaliation would Esen launch once he found out? This had become Zhu Qiyu's greatest concern.

Not long after, a fast rider sent by Xing'an rushed back to report that the Oirat had dispatched elite cavalry to reconnoiter, and the two sides might engage in their first clash.

Zhu Qiyu attached immense importance to the outcome of this battle.

If the court's defenses, deployed with such prolonged effort, were defeated during the very first encounter with the Oirats, it would deal a devastating blow to the prestige of the imperial court and the morale of both soldiers and civilians.

Boom, boom, boom——

After pacing restlessly back and forth in the grand hall for a long time, the sound of artillery suddenly echoed from outside the city walls.

Zhu Qiyu abruptly stood up and strode out of the hall doors.

Judging from the direction of the second wave of cannon fire, the sounds were coming from the direction of Xuanwu Gate. Unlike the customary "Xuanwu Signal Gun" fired every day at noon, this cannon fire was extremely dense and much louder, producing a faint echo even as it reverberated into the grand hall.

"It seems the battle is exceptionally fierce!"

Zhu Qiyu longed to climb the city walls himself and see whether the attacking Oirat forces held the upper hand or the defending Ming army had the advantage.

"Your Imperial Majesty, wonderful news! Truly wonderful news!"

Amidst his daze, Zhu Qiyu seemed to hear Xing'an's voice.

However, he assumed he was mishearing.

With the Oirats attacking and the Ming army even resorting to artillery, the battle outside the city was evidently at its height. As an imperial supervisor, Xing'an ought to be overseeing the battle from the ramparts at a time like this; how could he run back to the palace without reason?

"Where is His Imperial Majesty? Where is His Imperial Majesty?"

At that moment, the shrill, duck-like voice sounded once again outside the great hall.

"Your Majesty, it is Eunuch Xing'an who has returned!"

His personal attendant pricked up his ears and hurried to report to Zhu Qiyu.

Confirming his guess, Zhu Qiyu called out urgently, "Quickly, bring him to see Us!"

As the young eunuch stepped out of the grand hall, Zhu Qiyu suddenly felt a surge of tension and hurried back to sit upon the dragon throne.

Since Xing'an had returned at this hour, he must be bringing a report on the battle results.

The victory or defeat of this initial clash concerned the future trajectory of the campaign and heavily impacted the prestige of himself as the new emperor. It was truly a matter where a single hair could move the whole body, of the utmost importance.

Before long, two figures appeared outside the hall doors, and when Zhu Qiyu looked up, the leading figure was indeed Xing'an.

"This servant pays respects—"

Lifting the hem of his robe, Xing'an was about to kneel and kowtow when he heard Zhu Qiyu's hoarse voice calling out:

"Great Eunuch, dispense with the formalities. Tell Us quickly, how goes the battle?"

"Your Majesty, our army has won a great victory! The first battle is a triumph!"

Xing'an stepped forward a few paces and said excitedly to Zhu Qiyu.

Hoo——

Only then did Zhu Qiyu let out a long breath, asking with excitement, "Tell Us quickly, how was the victory achieved, and what are the spoils?"

"Reporting to Your Majesty, earlier after the Oirat emissaries were shot, Esen sent his own younger brother, the fierce Oirat general Bolo, to personally lead three thousand elite cavalry to attack our camp. Growing careless, the Oirats fell into our army's lure-and-defeat strategy. In the ensuing clash, Bolo was struck by a cannonball and died on the spot. The entire Oirat army collapsed in rout and is currently being pursued by our infantry and cavalry. Total annihilation cannot be far off!"

"Good! I knew Yu Qian was worthy of heavy responsibilities!"

Zhu Qiyu repeatedly slapped the armrests of the dragon throne, his face glowing with excitement.

"Congratulations to Your Majesty——"

Hearing that the court had achieved a resounding victory, the palace maids and eunuchs in the hall knelt down in unison to offer their congratulations to Zhu Qiyu.

Zhu Qiyu stood up, smiling broadly as he said:

"Rise, all of you. The court's resounding victory in this battle proves that the Oirats do not possess three heads and six arms; they can suffer defeats just like anyone else!"

Once everyone had risen, Zhu Qiyu looked at Xing'an with keen interest and asked:

"What luring strategy did Yu Qian employ to secure victory in such a short span of time?"

Xing'an's expression turned slightly peculiar as he hesitated and said, "Actually, the mastermind behind this strategy was not entirely Lord Yu..."

"Oh?"

Zhu Qiyu was momentarily stunned, then suddenly enlightened. "If not Yu Qian, was it Shi Heng?"

"Answering Your Majesty, the person who devised this method is someone Your Majesty has heard of before—it is that Xue Rui," Xing'an replied truthfully.

"Xue Rui... Is that the astronomical student serving in the Directorate of Astronomy?" Zhu Qiyu was exceedingly puzzled.

"It is precisely that Xue Rui!"

Xing'an nodded in confirmation, recounting the entire course of the battle in one breath.

"Earlier, after our army shot and killed the Oirat emissaries, Lord Yu deduced that Esen would send troops to retaliate. When this servant and Lord Yu were deliberating on countermeasures, Xue Rui, relying on his familiarity with the geography outside the city, conceived a plan for an ambush and surprise attack.

"He suggested that our army deploy five hundred soldiers from the Divine Machine Division to lie in wait inside civilian residences along the inevitable route of the Oirat cavalry, cutting off their retreat, while coordinating with the troops in the main camp for a pincer attack to defeat them.

"Lord Yu personally inspected Xuanwu Gate, found the method highly feasible, and supplemented it with further refinements. He added a step where a hundred cavalrymen would feign defeat to lure the enemy deep into our lines. Once the Oirats reached the zone covered by the artillery on our city walls, our guns would open fire abruptly to blunt the momentum of the Oirat cavalry charges.

"At that juncture, Tang Jie, commander of the garrison at Xuanwu Gate, would lead the infantry out of the camp to join the battle. Caught in such a pincer movement, the Oirats were bound to be defeated. Unexpectedly, that fellow Bolo had terrible luck and was blasted to death by a single cannonball, which triggered a complete collapse of their entire army. Blocked from retreating, they were subjected to volley after volley of gunfire by the Divine Machine Division soldiers, instantly shattering them into total ruin."

Having listened to the process of the battle, Zhu Qiyu could not help but marvel at how ingenious the strategy was. The Ming army's greatest advantage over the Oirats lay in the application of firearms; using one's strengths to attack the enemy's weaknesses was undoubtedly the wisest choice.

However, what puzzled Zhu Qiyu was why Xue Rui, an astronomical student who should have been properly attending to his duties in the Directorate of Astronomy, had run up to the ramparts to get mixed up with Yu Qian and the others.

Upon hearing this question, Xing'an hurried to explain:

"A few days ago, the celestial omens and maxims submitted by the Directorate of Astronomy were repeatedly verified. Your Majesty personally issued an imperial decree ordering the Directorate of Astronomy to submit their daily observation logs to Lord Yu for review. Xue Rui happened to be assigned the task of delivering these logs. Lord Yu found him quick-witted, clever, and full of resourceful ideas, so he ordered him to accompany the staff and participate in military affairs. That is how he came to be upon the city walls."

"It truly was a decree issued by Us."

Recalling this matter, Zhu Qiyu nodded in appreciation. "That Xue Rui is merely a youth, yet he was not only able to devise strategies but also dared to personally ascend the city walls to observe the battle. This clearly shows his extraordinary courage and strategic resourcefulness—he is certainly not comparable to those dissolute scions in the capital!"

"To receive such high praise from Your Majesty is truly Xue Rui's great fortune."

When Xing'an mentioned Xue Rui, his original intention was to win merit for this young man who had caught his eye. Now that Zhu Qiyu praised him so generously, it was far more valuable than any material reward.

Having finished discussing this matter, Zhu Qiyu couldn't help but look outside the hall, saying impatiently:

"I wonder what the final outcome truly is. I am still waiting to circulate the battle report among all the ministries and proclaim it to the entire city!"

"This servant estimates that in another half an hour, it should be about ready. Lord Yu is probably tallying the enemy casualties, prisoners, and captured goods right now, while also compiling our own casualties and losses. News should arrive very soon."

"I do not wish to wait even a single moment longer," Zhu Qiyu said with a wry smile.

Following this, Xing'an accompanied Zhu Qiyu inside the hall to discuss several other matters related to the military campaign.

More than half an hour later, an attendant suddenly entered, fell heavily to his knees at the threshold, raised his hands high, and proclaimed loudly:

"Reporting to Your Majesty, Lord Yu, Minister of War, has sent the battle report!"

"Quickly, bring it to Us!"

Zhu Qiyu suddenly stood up, reaching out for the battle report from the young eunuch's hands.

Xing'an moved in two steps as one, stepping forward to take the battle report and hand it directly to Zhu Qiyu.

Taking it into his hands, Zhu Qiyu scanned through it with a glance of ten lines at a time, and cried out in wild joy:

"Fought brilliantly! To achieve such results in this battle is enough to reverse the decadent trend since the Tumu Crisis. The officials and citizens of the capital will surely be deeply inspired!"

Xing'an glanced over it. The battle report written by Yu Qian was very concise, spanning only half a page:

In the battle of Xuanwu Gate, three thousand elite Oirat cavalry suffered over fifteen hundred casualties, with eight hundred taken prisoner. Another three hundred-odd riders fled back to the Oirat main camp, and the remaining three hundred bandits are currently being pursued and mopped up. Additionally, over two thousand fine horses were captured, along with countless bows, crossbows, and arrows, and more than one thousand abducted civilians were rescued. In this battle, our brave soldiers suffered fifty-six dead and one hundred and thirty wounded. It can truly be called a resounding victory!

Seeing this, Xing'an felt his own blood surge with excitement. As the imperial supervisor for this battle, he had also offered a few minor suggestions, making his own contribution to this great triumph and giving him a profound sense of shared honor.

After the wave of excitement subsided, Zhu Qiyu immediately issued an order for the battle report to be sent to the Office of Transmission, copied to all ministries, and posted publicly throughout the city to announce the news of this great victory.

Barely half an hour later, news of the triumphant first battle swept through the capital, setting off cheers and jubilation among all the citizens.

Yet, while the entire city rejoiced, a few individuals wore expressions of deep gloom.

These individuals were none other than the grain merchants led by Xu Weichang.

The withholding of the official salaries of the students in the Directorate of Astronomy by Han Zuo, Director of the Bureau of Revenue, was indeed the handiwork of these few men.

Doing grain business in the capital inevitably required dealing with the Ministry of Revenue, which was responsible for canal grain and taxes. At times, when audits of official granaries revealed shortages, Ministry of Revenue officials would even need to temporarily borrow grain from these merchants to balance the accounts and pass official inspections.

With this relationship in place, the grain merchants were granted preferential tax treatment and other benefits in their business dealings.

As a director in the Ministry of Revenue, Han Zuo maintained very close ties with these grain merchants and had secretly accepted a great deal of benefits from them.

The recent soaring grain prices in the capital had also revealed an opportunity to Han Zuo. Colluding with the storehouse supervisors of the New and Old Taicang Granaries and the Luwei Granary, he had illegally sold off a batch of official grain, raking in a massive profit in silver.

Aside from indulging in his own extravagant spending, nearly half of this silver was offered as a tribute to Xu Wei, the Director of the Bureau of Appointments in the Ministry of Civil Personnel, in hopes of securing a promotion after the year-end performance review.

When Xu Weichang ran into trouble, he immediately sought out Han Zuo, hoping to enlist his help in putting pressure on the Xue family father and son, forcing them to retreat in the face of difficulties.

Han Zuo had originally wished to stay out of such disputes, but since the merchants held leverage over him, he had no choice but to agree to help. Fortunately, the salaries of the Directorate of Astronomy had to be disbursed through his hands; finding fault and rejecting the requisition was a relatively straightforward matter.

He had assumed that with their salaries withheld, the Xue family father and son would never withstand the wrath of two or three hundred hungry scholars and officials. To his surprise, although the students of the Directorate of Astronomy harbored numerous grievances, the situation was temporarily placated under the lure of Xue Rui's low-priced grain.

Consequently, the grain merchants could only stare in frustration.

Under normal circumstances, had they simply waited a bit longer, the Xue family father and son would eventually have been driven to breaking point. However, the timing of their price hike coincided precisely with the Oirat invasion of the capital. Dragging the matter out further ran the risk of unforeseen twists and turns, making everyone anxious.

Today, upon learning that the Oirat army was invading, the grain merchants had spontaneously gathered at the Taibai Tower to exchange information and inquire about the situation.

"Brothers, brothers! A massive disaster has occurred!"

As Xu Weichang and the others were drinking tea, He Liujin, who had gone out to gather news, rushed through the door wailing miserably.

When He Liujin entered, several men stood up in unison, bombarding him with questions: "What on earth has happened?"

"Have a look yourselves!"

He Liujin spread his hands, holding a piece of paper on which the outcome of the earlier battle was recorded.

Seeing that the imperial army had achieved astonishing results with minimal losses, the grain merchants' hearts sank heavily.

To them, the defense of the capital could not be lost, but neither could it be won too quickly. If the stalemate lasted for a month or two, it would best serve their interests.

However, they never expected the Oirats to be so utterly incompetent, defeated by a newly recruited imperial army. If things continued along this trajectory, where would that leave them?

Disappointed, Wang Guiqing couldn't help but sigh:

"So be it. If the Oirats are so easily defeated, then even if fortune is not on our side for making a massive profit, we can simply go back to doing business honestly."

"Ah, what a pity. If not for that Yonghe Grain Shop meddling, we would have already driven grain prices through the roof. Even with a markup of twenty or thirty percent, we would have earned a vast amount of silver," Zhou Qi said with considerable resentment.

Sun He was thoroughly displeased, grinding his back teeth as he spoke:

"It's all the fault of the Xue family father and son for ruining our plans. Cutting off a man's livelihood is like murdering his parents—I will certainly have my revenge for this."

He Liujin scoffed mockingly, "I suggest you forget it, Brother Sun. You already lost your army after trying to bribe the enemy this time; if you continue to cross swords with the Xue family father and son, take care that you don't drag yourself down with them."

"Ptoo!"

Sun He forced a bold front and retorted, "That Xue family father and son merely stumbled upon blind luck. Even if the Oirats retreat, I will still find a time to settle accounts with them."

Throwing remarks back and forth, the men seemed entirely pessimistic about the Oirats' ability to maintain a prolonged siege on the capital.

At that moment, Xu Weichang stood up and said coldly, "The court merely won a minor skirmish. Why on earth are you all acting as though the Oirats are bound to be utterly defeated?"

"With such a resounding victory, surely subsequent battles will follow a similar course?" Wang Guiqing hesitated.

"Heh, to boost morale, who knows how much the court exaggerated the battle results? The credibility of this report remains questionable. Furthermore, the Oirats brought a force of fifty thousand this time; they merely sent a small detachment of cavalry for reconnaissance. Having suffered this loss, the Oirats will undoubtedly step up their offensive next time. Only then can we truly judge how the campaign will unfold," Xu Weichang said with complete composure.

Seeing how unfazed he was, Sun He tentatively asked, "Brother Xu, do you believe the court won't win this so easily?"

"That Esen is not someone easily dealt with. Things will likely remain deadlocked for a long time yet. We still have our opportunities—why are you all losing heart?"

"You mean we must continue with our plans?" Zhou Qi asked, eyes widening.

Xu Weichang stated solemnly, "Naturally. If these past few days have been difficult for us, the Xue family father and son are hardly faring any better. Even if they can supply grain to their colleagues, without a single coin to spend, where are they supposed to get oil, salt, sauce, and vinegar? Surely they can't survive by eating plain rice all day long?"

Thinking it over, the others realized there was indeed truth to this logic. The court's salaries were paid in a combination of silver and stipend grain; without silver in hand, everyday necessities could not be purchased. It might work for a short while, but it certainly could not be sustained long-term.

Sun He said with rising excitement, "Brother Xu, since you say so, you must have already thought of a plan. How shall we proceed next?"

Xu Weichang stroked his beard and smiled. "I have already arranged a meeting with Director Han, and I will have him invite Xu Wei, Director of the Bureau of Appointments in the Ministry of Civil Personnel, to host a banquet. We shall prepare a Hongmen Banquet for that Xue family father and son!"