Volume 1: The Wind Rises in Tumubao Chapter 4: All the people are guilty, and the fault lies with me
In just half an hour, the army had assembled.
Zhu Qizhen rode his horse forward and looked up. He saw 80,000 soldiers lined up neatly in the wind, waiting for the order to attack.
Standing in the front row were the commanders of the various camps, Duke of Yingguo Zhang Fu, Marquis of Taining Chen Ying, Earl of Pingxiang Chen Huai, Earl of Xiangcheng Li Zhen, Earl of Suian Chen Xun, Earl of Xiuwu Shen Rong...
A total of 52 civil and military officials accompanied the emperor on this expedition. Most of these people had followed Emperor Taizong and Emperor Xuanzong in conquering Annan and Mobei, and had made many military achievements. They could be said to be the backbone of the entire Ming Dynasty.
What is shocking is that such a strong lineup was completely defeated!
Everyone says that Wang Zhen brought disaster to the country. Can Zhu Qizhen be held responsible for playing a good hand badly?
Although Emperors Renzong and Xuanzong reigned for only ten years, the whole country had rest and recuperation during these ten years, and the national strength consumed by the wars during the Yongle period had been restored. The Ming Dynasty handed over to Zhu Qizhen was a strong and powerful one.
They had food, soldiers, generals, and even the Shenjiying, a firearms unit that could completely defeat the Mongolian cavalry.
However, the outcome of this battle was that the main forces of the three camps totaling 200,000 were completely wiped out overnight, the emperor was captured and was begging for his door everywhere, and the name of Bao Zong was passed down through the ages.
Zhu Qizhen closed his eyes and thought to himself, if this was just a dream, it was time to wake up!
The north wind was howling and blowing on my cheeks, like the cutting of a knife or the pricking of a needle, the feeling was real and strong.
This is not a dream, I am the legitimate emperor Zhu Qizhen, the shame of the Ming Dynasty...
No!
I don't want to be a door-knocking emperor!
Since God has given us a chance to start over, history must never repeat itself!
Zhu Qizhen looked determined as he slowly drew out the dragon-patterned sword from his waist and raised it high above his head.
The soldiers immediately quieted down, and eighty thousand pairs of eyes were fixed on the emperor in front of the battlefield. This time during the Northern Expedition, they suffered a series of defeats along the way. There were only two words in everyone's mind: cowardly!
It was thought that the emperor would lead the army in person and would be majestic and unstoppable. However, unexpectedly, there was not even the shadow of the emperor along the way, and even the battle orders were issued by a eunuch.
Only 80,000 were left out of the 200,000 people. They were holed up in the remote mountain village of Tumubao, and their water supply was cut off by the Oirat people. All of them had chapped lips, and they could only lick them constantly to slightly relieve their thirst.
"Soldiers!"
With Zhu Qizhen's loud shout, everyone perked up. The emperor personally went to the battlefield to supervise the battle, which undoubtedly rekindled the hope of the soldiers.
"I am your emperor. Today, under the banner of the Ming Dynasty, under the shining sun, moon, mountains and rivers, I will fight to the death with you and the main force of the enemy!"
The scene was surprisingly quiet. Apart from the echo of his own voice and the whistling sound of the wind, the only sound was the wind.
"I know you feel aggrieved because you have suffered many defeats along the way. This is my fault!"
Duke Yingguo Zhang Fu's expression changed, and he hurried forward and said, "Your Majesty, I beg you to execute the traitor Wang Zhen to restore the morale of the army!"
At this time, even if the emperor makes a thousand mistakes, he cannot make any mistakes!
The war is imminent, and the image of the commander-in-chief directly affects every soldier, so the one who is wrong can only be Wang Zhen!
Then, Minister of War Kuang Ye, Marquis of Taining Chen Ying and others petitioned: "We request that Wang Zhen be executed!"
The military officers present all hated these damn eunuchs and began to shout, "Kill Wang Zhen! Kill Wang Zhen!"
Seeing that the morale of the soldiers was high, Zhu Qizhen pointed his sword forward.
"Bring Wang Zhen!"
Fan Zhong was already prepared. With a wave of his hand, two guards carried Wang Zhen to the front of the formation and threw him to the ground. Wang Zhen fell to the ground, shaking all over.
He knew that his death was approaching, and he wanted to beg for mercy, but he felt his teeth chattering and could not utter a word.
But why?
Yesterday, the Emperor asked me about the trend of the war and the response strategy, and accepted my proposal and agreed to negotiate peace with Yesen. Why did his temperament suddenly change after he woke up?
Why, why on earth...
Zhu Qizhen pointed his sword at Wang Zhen and said slowly: "I believed Wang Zhen's slander, which caused 120,000 soldiers to lose their lives. The whole army is guilty, and the fault lies with me!"
Having said that, he suddenly stretched out his left hand, picked up a strand of hair from his forehead, and then raised his right hand.
"Your Majesty, no!"
Zhang Fu was about to dissuade him, but he saw Zhu Qizhen had already raised his sword and was holding a strand of broken hair that fluttered in the wind.
"Today I cut off my hair in place of my head, to encourage you all!"
Since the Han Dynasty, Confucianism has become the mainstream. Confucianism emphasizes that one's hair and body are given by one's parents and one should not damage them. This is the beginning of filial piety. At that time, cutting hair was considered a heinous crime and even an expression of filial piety, which was a very serious act.
Sure enough, when the soldiers saw the emperor cutting his hair to show his determination, they were shocked.
At this moment, the emperor in their eyes was no longer the willful young man who was ignorant of the world , but a real emperor who was responsible and courageous. Even many veterans felt again the determination and momentum of Emperor Taizong when he swept across the northern desert before he went on the expedition.
Zhu Qizhen slowly loosened his hand, and the broken hair disappeared in the wind.
"Before sunset today, many people will die in battle. Are you afraid?"
The soldiers were in high spirits and shouted in unison: "Don't be afraid!"
Zhu Qizhen's eyes were like torches, and he shouted loudly: "This is my last order. If you see me fall from my horse, do not grieve, do not stop charging, follow the flag closely, fight bravely, and do not stop until you die!"
"I will not stop until I die!"
"I will not stop until I die!"
"I will not stop until I die!"
The shouts of eighty thousand soldiers echoed in the valley, and the sound continued.
"Today, I will use the blood of the traitors to comfort the loyal souls of the Ming Dynasty who died in battle!"
The soldiers were extremely excited and roared like wild beasts: " Kill!"
"kill!"
"kill!"
Fan Zhong's eyes were full of excitement. He took the knife himself and with a click, Wang Zhen's head fell to the ground.
The first generation of powerful eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty came to an end.
Zhu Qizhen raised the sword in his hand again and issued the final order.
"Listen to my command, the whole army will attack!"
The 80,000-strong army launched an attack towards the Guishui River like a tide.
Zhu Qizhen was leading the way, with a large dragon flag fluttering behind him.
Once upon a time, this dragon flag went on an expedition to the northern desert and fought all the way to the Onon River. The Mongols all fled in fear.
Today, let this flag restore the glory of our ancestors!
…
The army set out in such a hurry that they had no time to dismantle the camp, so they just left it there.
In an inconspicuous little tent, a man was curled up in the corner, shivering.
Hearing the footsteps outside gradually fading away, he walked out tremblingly and looked around. Except for himself, the camp was already empty.
This person was none other than Wang Zhen’s most proud godson and the second-in-command of the Imperial Household Department, Wang Xi.
Wang Xi's real name was Ning Xi. In terms of age, he was more than ten years older than Wang Zhen and entered the palace earlier than Wang Zhen. However, to be a eunuch, a very promising career, the most important thing was to be shameless. Seeing Wang Zhen gaining power, he was the first to come and acknowledge him as his godfather.
Today's situation really scared him.
Even a powerful eunuch like Wang Zhen, who was so omnipotent, was killed with just a few words. One can imagine his own fate.
I definitely cannot go back to the capital, so after much thought, I decided to go to Yesen for help. Considering my meritorious service in providing intelligence, I might even be rewarded with an official position.
After making up his mind, he tried hard to identify the direction and fled westward.
