Chapter 264: Night raid on the enemy camp at the third quarter of the Xu hour

San Niangzi waited until sunset, but the Tuman Tian Kehan did not send anyone to talk, proving that even at this point, he was still unwilling to let go of his rich profits. San Niangzi immediately set out, left the Huining Guard, and headed for Yingchang.

The Tuman Tian Kehan did not choose to retreat, but chose to bump into the Great Ming. The Tuman Tian Kehan was a suzerain Tian Kehan; if he was driven away like a rabbit, would he still have the face of a suzerain Tian Kehan?

But this bump resulted in a head full of bumps.

Li Chengliang and Ma Fang outputted at the front line of the Huining Guard, frequently shooting and bombarding the Tuman Tian Kehan's camp. Every night, the five ten-thousand-man leaders of the Tuman Tian Kehan and their soldiers could hear the thunderous roar of the Great Ming army. Artillery, muskets, and rockets had already become the training ground for the Great Ming army's new military equipment, ravaging them in various ways, bombarding them every day.

It wasn't that the Tuman Tian Kehan hadn't thought about counterattacking. He sent out scouts, but the scouts couldn't get close. The range and power of the muskets made the lightly armored scouts suffer. The strong mobility was greatly reduced because of the snowy weather. The Tuman Tian Kehan's invasion in the second year of Longqing was extremely unsuccessful; it was because he suffered from the heavy snow blocking the mountains. He just looted simply, and on the mountain road, more than three thousand people died from falling alone.

The Tuman Tian Kehan let Subahai lead the elites to try to break through, but the elites were sniped by the "Pacifying the Barbarians" muskets and scattered by the opening shells, all returning without success. Among the Great Ming's new firearms, some boring inventions were all eliminated.

For example, among the artillery, the best to use was the "Mother-Child Cannon." The Mother-Child Cannon was a breech-loading cannon with poor airtightness and few spare shells. It would misfire after three shots. The new Mother-Child Cannon still had this shortcoming, but it was still the best artillery for field battles.

The nine-jin artillery of the ship's guns was extremely useful for attacking strongholds. When they had carriers like ships at sea, their mobility was extremely strong. But on land, the nine-jin artillery was bulky, extremely heavy, and the wooden artillery carriages couldn't bear the weight, so the effect was poor and needed improvement.

And the power of the "Pacifying the Barbarians" musket exceeded Qi Jiguang's expectations. This thing, on the battlefield, could snipe the enemy's elites, one shot at a time.

The Tuman Tian Kehan's most elite were the "Zhebie Archers," which were "Tiger-Power Bow Archers" in the Great Ming. The entire Capital Battalion of one hundred thousand people had only thirty-plus Tiger-Power Bow Archers. Tiger-Power Bow Archers were extremely conspicuous on the battlefield. Whether it was bows and arrows or their equipment, they had to be much better than others. With the cooperation of the telescope, the "Pacifying the Barbarians" musket could always accurately find the enemy's Zhebie Archers.

In the frontal battlefield engagement, the Tuman Tian Kehan fell into a firearm crisis. The Great Ming had too many firearms. The Northern Hu's strongest cavalry was limited by the heavy snow. Because of the ground temperature, the bottom layer of snow would melt first and then freeze. This layer of ice was the fatal wound for the cavalry soldiers.

It was the Great Ming that chose the time for the decisive battle. This was the power of the battlefield initiative.

With the initiative in hand, the Great Ming had more initiative. On the battlefield, initiative was paramount.

The Great Ming army's Capital Battalion came in wave after wave, nine infantry battalions per wave, rotating every three days, beating the Tuman Tian Kehan until he was scorched and rotten. And Qi Jiguang's strategic goal was still to drive them away. The attack was mainly for training troops. The Great Ming went in and out, which was refreshing, but completely ignored the Tuman Tian Kehan's feelings. The Tuman Tian Kehan's tribes were beaten until they complained to heaven and earth, and their resistance will further declined.

When the news that the Great Ming army's infantry battalion had bypassed the rear to block the Great Xianbei Mountain pass and completely cut off the Tuman Tian Kehan's retreat reached the Tuman Tian Kehan's camp, the Tuman Tian Kehan knew he had to go.

Qi Jiguang had already left room. If he continued, the driving would turn into annihilation. By then, if he wanted to leave, he wouldn't be able to. At the same time, deserters appeared. Deserters and camp collapses—when the number of deserters increased, they would collapse. It often didn't take two days for the number of deserters to surge to camp collapse.

The Tuman Tian Kehan wanted to go, but he didn't want to give up the rich profits of wool. He didn't agree to San Niangzi's conditions. San Niangzi had already left five days ago. There were two ten-thousand-man teams in Yingchang eyeing them covetously. The Tuman Tian Kehan had to make a decision.

And at this time, there were only five people in the Tuman Tian Kehan's middle army tent: the Tuman Tian Kehan, the Tuman Tian Kehan's son Buyan, Dong Huli, Subahai, etc.

"I have an idea. We can retreat, and we can also make the two ten-thousand-man teams of the Anda Tian Kehan hesitate and not dare to block us." Dong Huli's expression was extremely poisonous, so much so that even the Tuman Tian Kehan couldn't help but feel some worry. This Dong Huli wouldn't be planning to borrow his head for use, would he!

Subahai was obviously thinking the same thing, gripping his curved saber tightly. The Tuman Tian Kehan's own martial arts were not strong, and Buyan was a Confucian student. Dong Huli and Subahai were both masters who could bump into tough guys like Qi Jiguang, Li Chengliang, Ma Fang, and Li Rusong on the frontal battlefield. Once Dong Huli opened his mouth to borrow the Tuman Tian Kehan's head, he could launch immediately.

"Good, good, good. You are talking about abandoning the Han army to cover the rear." Dong Huli noticed the atmosphere in the tent was a bit oppressive. He thought it was because the war situation was not going well. After fighting to this point, it was not surprising that the atmosphere was oppressive.

"Good, good, good. You are talking about abandoning the Han army." The Tuman Tian Kehan replied with a full face of smiles.

Subahai relaxed his grip on the curved saber. Even the Tuman Tian Kehan felt a bit relieved. It turned out he wasn't going to borrow his head, but to abandon the Han army as the rear-guard army, while the Tatar main force took the opportunity to move west and force back the Anda Tian Kehan's ten-thousand-man teams.

"Han'er" was a derogatory term.

"The Han'er speak the Hu language, yet they curse the Han people on the city walls."

The Northern Hu called the Han people who fled to the grassland "Han'er," which meant traitors of the Central Plains. The reason it was a derogatory term was because "Han'er" were the eunuchs in the Hu Yuan imperial palace who were not castrated. Eunuchs had to be castrated to enter the palace and were destined to have no descendants, while the eunuchs' adopted sons who were not castrated could be considered to have heirs. Calling traitors "Han'er" meant saying they had no seed.

The Tuman Tian Kehan had no psychological pressure at all to abandon these Han'er. He didn't rely on the Han'er army to complete his rule. His basic foundation was still his own ten-thousand-man teams. As long as he could preserve the strength of the ten-thousand-man teams, this Tian Kehan of his would be very successful and wouldn't be kicked around like a ball by others.

The internal strife culture of the grassland had been very serious since the time of Genghis Tian Kehan Temujin. Backstabbing and counter-backstabbing were traditional cultures. Therefore, the Tuman Tian Kehan and Subahai both thought Dong Huli was going to make trouble. As a result, Dong Huli was really coming up with an idea.

"The ten-thousand-man leader is indeed the pillar of the middle stream!" The Tuman Tian Kehan said very affirmatively, "What does the ten-thousand-man leader of the Taining tribe think?"

"Good idea!" Subahai actually didn't want internal strife either. Internal strife would lead to scolding, and there would be unpredictable losses. After all, the Tuman Tian Kehan was Borjigin Tumen, a legitimate bloodline of the Golden Family, widely recognized on the grassland.

Killing the Tuman Tian Kehan would only leave one path: fleeing south to the Great Ming. But that mad dog Li Chengliang would definitely kill him.

It was not that there were no people on the grassland who wanted to kill the suzerain Tian Kehan and establish themselves as kings. For example, Esen, who caused the Tumu Crisis—his father Toghon was already the king in substance, but Toghon wanted to replace the Great Tian Kehan of the Golden Family and spoke rudely. The quiver left by Genghis Tian Kehan made a sound, and arrow wounds appeared on Toghon's body, and he died of illness.

And Esen, who fought the Tumu Crisis, forced the Great Tian Kehan Toghtoa Bukha to abdicate. Toghtoa Bukha refused, so Esen attacked him. Toghtoa Bukha fled to the Uriankhai tribe. Esen proclaimed himself the "Heavenly Saint Great Tian Kehan," built the title "Tianyuan," and the country name "Great Yuan," officially restoring the Hu Yuan. And Esen was the only Great Tian Kehan in the entire grassland who did not come from the Golden Family, although this Great Tian Kehan only served for a few short months before being murdered by his subordinate Alazhiyuan.

It was better not to have internal strife if possible, because internal strife required paying many prices.

The Tuman Tian Kehan's second son, Zaisang Wu'er, asked, "Why are we going west instead of north? Following the Great Xianbei Mountain and heading north."

"Zaisang, don't speak." The Tuman Tian Kehan was very unhappy. This second son was stupid, and even asked it out.

The eldest son, Buyan, rarely interrupted conversations. When he didn't understand, he would ask in private, rather than showing his stupidity and ignorance when discussing confidential matters.

Heading north, one could only flee to Lake Buyur. That place had three seasons of winter out of four, and one season of spring. Once there, what would they eat, drink, and wear? What would they use to maintain their current comfortable life?

During the Hongwu reign, that place still had two seasons of spring and winter. By the Yongle reign, Lake Buyur could no longer be lived in.

One couldn't live heading north. This was why they didn't head north. Heading north, it would be better to fight the Great Ming directly; at least the death would be heroic.

The Tuman Tian Kehan took his ten-thousand-man teams and the Tatars and left quietly. When he left, he even told the Han army that there would be a decisive battle tomorrow, to rest and recuperate. When the Han army woke up the next day, it was already empty. The collapse began.

Decisive battle tomorrow? Tomorrow the Han army would cover the rear for the Tatars!

"This Tuman Tian Kehan, even when a dog is anxious and jumps over the wall, he still has some things!" Li Chengliang looked at the Han army all over the mountains and plains, and was so angry that he beat his chest and stamped his feet. Abandoning the Han army was indeed a method that hit the fatal point of the Great Ming army's pursuit.

The Great Ming army had to capture all these Han soldiers. Otherwise, these things would become mountain bandits. It was always very tricky to deal with defeated soldiers since ancient times.

"It is Dong Huli's idea, I guess. The person is like his name, extremely treacherous." Qi Jiguang put down the telescope and ordered the capture of the Han soldiers all over the mountains and plains. These things had to be circled up. If they were released, they would cause trouble for the Great Ming.

"Can we write the report of victory?" Liu Jiejie actually felt that this was also quite good. The Great Ming had completely realized its strategic goal, drove away the Tuman Tian Kehan, and completely cut off the possibility of the Northern Hu and the Eastern Barbarians joining forces. This was a major event for the national destiny of a hundred years.

The Great Ming and the Northern Hu had been fighting for more than two hundred years, and neither could do anything to the other. They were familiar with the road. If the Northern Hu and the Jianzhou Jurchens, Haixi Jurchens, and Wild Jurchens joined forces, the Great Ming would have big trouble, and it would be a huge trouble.

That would mean the Northern Hu and the Jianzhou Jurchens could launch surprise attacks at any point along the long Yanshan defense line and the Liaodong Great Wall. The Great Ming's border would fall into danger. Under the scourge of war, the north would begin to become extremely empty.

Once the Northern Hu and the Jianzhou Jurchens walked together, it would be the trend of the times.

Just blocking this pass, in future decision-making, the Great Ming would have more room for maneuver. In political and military activities, any bit of room is precious.

"I will go and capture the Han soldiers!" Li Chengliang flicked his horse whip and vented his anger on the Han soldiers.

Being a traitor is like this. If the two sides are not fighting, they can jump back and forth to seek benefits. Once the war starts, they are abandoned like worn-out shoes.

"Li Rusong, Zhao Dacheng, Ma Jin, you each lead an infantry battalion and follow me to the Yingchang at the Great Xianbei Mountain pass. We must block this pass. If we only take one end, we will be very passive. Everything east of the Great Xianbei Mountain will be left to the Vice General and the military advisor." Qi Jiguang issued a military order.

Qi Jiguang was not greedy. He was still attacking, which was a careful consideration.

Now the wind and water were turning. It was the Great Ming's turn to be the fisherman. The change in the battlefield situation was so wonderful. The day before, the Anda Tian Kehan was still the fisherman, and today, it was Qi Jiguang's turn to be the fisherman.

This pass was very important. The Great Ming had to completely control it in its own hands.

Before coming, he submitted a memorial to the Emperor. There were three kinds of results for the war.

The first was the best result: the Great Ming completely occupied the Great Xianbei Mountain pass, and then from the northwest direction of Xuan-Da and the east of Yingchang, threatened the Anda Tian Kehan from both sides; the second was that the Tuman Tian Kehan and the Anda Tian Kehan put down their prejudices, twisted into a rope, and the pass was divided into two; the third was that the Great Ming was defeated. Qi Jiguang's promise to the Emperor was that he wouldn't be defeated too ugly.

And now, Qi Jiguang was pursuing the best result. He wanted to take three regiment battalions, a total of ten thousand men, to raid Yingchang. When he arrived, whoever held Yingchang, he would fight.

Li Rusong was still the vanguard. The infantry battalion had no cavalry. After handing over all the baggage to Qi Jiguang in the middle army, Li Rusong and the three thousand men he led handed over their backs and their lives completely to Qi Jiguang. Once Qi Jiguang's middle army was blocked in marching or could not provide reinforcements, these three thousand men of Li Rusong would only have five days of water and food, which would be extremely dangerous.

This was the battlefield, a place where one needed to hand over one's life to others.

On the morning after the Tuman Tian Kehan fled, the Great Ming's pursuing army began to advance. In the afternoon, Qi Jiguang and Ma Jin's middle army began to set out. In the evening, the rear army led by Chen Dacheng, carrying firearms and other baggage, set out.

If Zhu Yijun and Tan Lun were here, they would definitely oppose Qi Jiguang's decision. In the Emperor's eyes, Qi Jiguang's decision was a military adventure using Li Rusong, Qi Jiguang, Zhao Dacheng, and ten thousand elites.

Qi Jiguang was the Regional Commander of the Capital Battalion, Li Rusong was the Great Ming's Martial Arts Champion and the most dazzling young general of the Capital Battalion, Ma Jin was a great general in the Northwest direction, and Chen Dacheng was the Jizhou Regional Commander replacing Qi Jiguang.

Ten thousand elites were the strongest foundation the Great Ming had saved since the first year of Wanli.

Using this lineup to exchange for an Yingchang, Zhu Yijun and Tan Lun would definitely not agree. But Qi Jiguang knew very well that this was the best opportunity, and perhaps the only opportunity. This kind of strategic location could only be obtained through military means; politics, economy, and culture could not obtain strategic locations.

During the Northern Song Dynasty, Song Huizong bought back the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun from the Jin people, but he couldn't even hold them for a year before they were taken back. His butt wasn't even warm before he lost them.

Strategic locations can only be obtained by military means.

The reason Qi Jiguang wanted to do this was because taking it now was the time with the least cost.

Qi Jiguang led the middle army, carrying armor and firearms and other baggage, firmly following Li Rusong. As long as Li Rusong could hold on for half a day, Qi Jiguang could arrive.

"Assistant Regional Commander, isn't it said that the Northern Hu come without a shadow and go without a trace? Are we catching up with the Tuman Tian Kehan's rear army?" Company Commander Chen Yingyi lay in the snow nest, holding a telescope, looking at the Northern Hu in front, and confirmed that it was the soldiers of the Uliangkhai tribe's ten-thousand-man leader Chang Ang, which made Chen Yingyi produce a feeling of confusion from the heart.

His own infantry, why did they catch up with the Northern Hu, who were mainly cavalry?

"Uh, maybe they are walking too slowly? Aren't we marching according to the usual training?" Li Rusong was also confused. The infantry battalion he led was completely infantry. The marching speed was not specially accelerated, about sixty li a day. This was not yet a full-speed forced march; otherwise, it could reach over one hundred li. After all, they didn't carry baggage; they were light infantry.

"Very certain, we didn't speed, Qi Shuai with baggage is thirty li away." Chen Yingyi confirmed with the scouts again. They didn't speed; it was the other side that was too slow.

"Defeated soldiers are like this, dragging their feet." Li Rusong had thought their speed wouldn't be fast, but he never expected the other side to be so slow. This might be the appearance of defeated soldiers when they suffered a defeat.

"Order to rest on the spot, night raid on the enemy camp at the third quarter of the Xu hour!" After a detailed observation, Li Rusong determined the plan for the night raid.

Li Rusong saw that there were very few pots for cooking in the enemy camp, and they didn't even set up camp tents well. Because the Great Ming didn't have a complete cavalry, they didn't dig any anti-horse pits when setting up camp. If Li Rusong set up camp like this, Qi Jiguang would give him one hundred military sticks if he saw it, and he would have to go home to complain, and then be beaten another one hundred military sticks by Li Chengliang.

Setting up camp like this, it would be better to just beat them to death.

Li Rusong judged that the enemy's morale was extremely low at this time, even to the point of panic. It was exactly the right time for a raid.

At the third quarter of the Xu hour, whistle arrows began to rise into the sky one after another, rushing straight into the sky with sharp whistling sounds, and then exploded suddenly in the air, scattering into fireworks. This was the signal to launch the night raid. While the whistle arrows were constantly rising, lines of torches formed by torches suddenly lit up in the mountains. The startled Hu camp, seeing the torches, knew that the Great Ming army had caught up and launched a sneak attack.

Li Rusong used a trick here. He lit all the torches, as if there were tens of thousands of people. In fact, he only had three thousand people, and they were light infantry in cotton armor. He took out the limited firearms he had, and even carried out fireworks and firecrackers.

Using fireworks and firecrackers to scare the enemy had already formed such tactics since the invention of firearms. In the explosion, one couldn't distinguish what was a firearm and what was a firework. Whether it was a firearm or a firework, these defeated soldiers didn't have the heart to judge.

"Kill!" The sound of killing echoed through the entire valley. The Great Ming pursuing soldiers began to advance toward the Hu camp, with great momentum, and the torches formed lines of fire.

The Uliangkhai ten-thousand-man leader Chang Ang had already been scared out of his wits in multiple engagements. With the appearance of the Great Ming army, Chang Ang took his confidants and began to flee forward, without any idea of resistance. From the beginning of the engagement, the Hu camp had already collapsed. Chasing and killing, usually cavalry chasing infantry, happened in this special situation where infantry began to chase cavalry.

"Run! Run! Run!"

This was the only response of the Northern Hu in the Hu camp facing the earth-shaking shouts of killing. They didn't necessarily have to run faster than the Great Ming army, but as long as they ran faster than the people around them, they had a greater probability of surviving. Killing was a very tiring job, and pursuit was easily blocked by defeated soldiers.

Running faster than the people around them meant they could survive. This was the only thought in the hearts of the Northern Hu in the Hu camp.

Li Rusong led his troops to charge at the front, personally taking the lead. He probed with a hook-sickle spear, pulling a Hu person to the ground. The soldier beside him took out a Qi family army saber and gave the other party a ring-head slash, killing him until he couldn't be more dead, and then continued to charge forward.

The infantry battalion covered and killed, and three thousand people vividly created the momentum of thirty thousand people. The collapse of Chang Ang's rear army brought a terrible chain reaction to the entire Tuman Tian Kehan's tribes moving west. The front didn't know what happened at the back at all. Fear was very easy to spread. When the rear army was fleeing, everyone subconsciously began to flee together.

This is "the defeat is like a mountain collapsing." When you lose, even breathing is wrong.

When Qi Jiguang told the Emperor about the battle cases, it was very difficult to explain the Defense of the Capital that occurred in October of the fourteenth year of Zhengtong. At that time, the Great Ming Capital Battalion had already been completely wiped out, and there were no garrison troops in the Great Ming Capital. Esen invaded like fire, but after a great defeat, they were still able to win. Qi Jiguang, when speaking, took the cases of the two Emperors captured at the end of the Western Jin Dynasty and the two Emperors captured at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty and spoke of them together. At the end of the Western Jin Dynasty and the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, there was no one who did not "cross south to the capital" and "live in a corner."

When Qi Jiguang explained battle examples to the Emperor, it was difficult to explain the Defense of the Capital that occurred in the tenth month of the fourteenth year of the Zhengtong reign. At that time, the Great Ming's capital garrison had been completely wiped out, and there were no defending troops in the capital region. Yet, after the invasion of Esen, which was as fierce as fire, and a crushing defeat, they were somehow able to win. When Qi Jiguang lectured, he brought out the cases of the two emperors captured at the end of the Western Jin and the end of the Northern Song to discuss together. At the end of the Western Jin and the end of the Northern Song, there was nothing but the migration of the elite to the south, clinging to a corner of the land.

Zhang Juzheng also told Zhu Yijun that the departure of the monarch, the entry of the barbarians, the relocation of the capital, and factional strife are the four disasters that destroy a nation; any one of them is enough to destroy a nation.

Li Rusong finally truly witnessed what "the wind blows and the cranes call, every grass and tree looks like an enemy" meant.

The courage of the Northern Hu had been completely broken in several engagements. Hearing the wind and the birds calling, they thought it was the enemy army. Seeing the grass and trees on the mountain, they thought it was the enemy. Under the condition of completely losing the will to resist, the chain reaction of collapse Ma Deli Rusong's pursuit like a sharp blade piercing through tofu, easy and free.

Li Rusong never expected that he would achieve such results. When he came back to his senses, his feet were already in Yingchang.

"This is Yingchang?" Chen Yingyi lay in the snow, looking at the plaque of the dilapidated Yingchang city, panting and saying.

Li Rusong's physical strength had been completely exhausted, but he still supported his body and let the soldiers start setting up camp to prevent the thieves of the Anda Tian Kehan from making a comeback.

The place where the Yuan Shun Emperor passed away, the strategic location of the Great Xianbei Mountain pass, and the place where the left and right wings met—it was thus easily obtained by Li Rusong.

The Tuman Tian Kehan's five ten-thousand-man teams rushed out of the pass like crazy, as if there were some indescribable monster behind them. The two ten-thousand-man teams in Yingchang, seeing this posture, immediately withdrew. This was a "desperate enemy" who had no way out. Blocking such defeated soldiers was not worth it at all for the two ten-thousand-man teams sent by the Anda Tian Kehan.

The Anda Tian Kehan sent them to be fishermen, not to fight to the death with the Tuman Tian Kehan.

San Niangzi, following the two ten-thousand-man teams in retreat, frowned and asked the two ten-thousand-man leaders beside her, "What do these Great Ming armies look like?"

"What do they look like?" The ten-thousand-man leader asked with some confusion.

"They look like the Great Ming army." San Niangzi seemed to have said a nonsense sentence, but in fact, it was not. At this time, what the Great Ming army looked like most was the Great Ming army. Specifically, it was the Great Ming army during the Hongwu and Yongle reigns, in a state of invincibility, making all enemies terrified.

When the report of victory written by Liu Jiejie was sent to the capital, the supreme Emperor of the Great Ming, Zhu Yijun, was in the company of the two Empress Dowagers and Wang Yaozhuo, making the final decision on the candidates for the secondary consort for the grand wedding.

A total of thirty-six people, choosing two from these thirty-six.

Wang Yaozhuo should have been waiting below for the selection of the two Empress Dowagers. Because of the "imperial appointment," Wang Yaozhuo became one of the judges. Every talent selection had inside information. Wang Yaozhuo didn't need to go through this because she was "imperial appointed."

In just a quarter of an hour, Zhu Yijun was moved thirty-six times. It was truly a thousand beauties, each with their own beauty.

The Minister of Personnel, Wan Shihe, supervised the various matters of the Emperor's grand wedding. He chose those with clean backgrounds, preferably from military households. Among these thirty-six people, their fathers were military households, artisan households, and civilian households, but none were official households. Once they passed the provincial examination, they were official status.

In just a short quarter of an hour, Zhu Yijun's heart was stirred thirty-six times. It was truly a display of a thousand charms and postures, each with its own beauty.

The Minister of Personnel, Wan Shihe, oversaw the various matters of the Emperor's grand wedding. He selected those with clean family backgrounds, preferably from military households. Among these thirty-six people, their fathers included military households, artisan households, and commoner households, but notably, no official households—for once one passes the *juren* exam, one has official status.

If you want to gather beauties from ten thousand countries, you have to find Imperial Uncle Zhu Zaiyu. There are only Han consorts in the Great Ming Imperial Palace.

Empress Dowager Li was better looking than Empress Dowager Chen. Empress Dowager Li was seen by the Longqing Emperor when she was a palace maid, so her appearance was naturally outstanding. Empress Dowager Chen took the path of selecting palace maids. Under the wind of "beauty ruining the country," Empress Dowager Chen was inferior to Empress Dowager Li.

For example, the Zhang Empress of the Tianqi Emperor was called the "Beautiful Empress" because the Tianqi Emperor only wanted those who looked good.

Empress Dowager Li was better looking than Empress Dowager Chen. Empress Dowager Li was favored by the Longqing Emperor while she was a palace maid, so her appearance was naturally outstanding. Empress Dowager Chen, however, followed the path of the imperial selection of maidens. Under the strong influence of "beauty destroying the nation," Empress Dowager Chen was slightly inferior to Empress Dowager Li.

Feng Bao whispered a few words in the Emperor's ear, and Zhu Yijun's expression changed drastically. He immediately stood up and said, "Mother, Mother, Girl, you make the decision. I have state affairs to handle."

Zhu Yijun left in a hurry. The report of victory from the Huining Guard had arrived, but Qi Jiguang, Li Rusong, Ma Jin, and Chen Dacheng pursuing them made Zhu Yijun immediately nervous. If something went wrong, wouldn't there be a huge mess?!

Half an hour later, all the court officials gathered in the Wenhua Hall. Zhu Yijun looked at the map, anxious. 【2

Zhu Yijun left in a hurry. The victory report from Huining Guard had arrived, but Qi Jiguang, Li Rusong, Ma Jin, and Chen Dacheng had pursued the enemy, making Zhu Yijun immediately nervous. If something went wrong, wouldn't there be a huge disaster?!

Half an hour later, all the court ministers gathered at the Wenhua Hall. Zhu Yijun looked at the map, feeling extremely anxious.

"The General is not greedy for merit or rashly advancing; he plans before he acts, but it still makes one worry endlessly." Zhu Yijun did not believe that Qi Jiguang would be greedy for merit or rashly advance. The situation on the battlefield changes rapidly; one must rely on the decisions of the frontline generals.

A young eunuch rushed in violently, tripped on the threshold, and was thrown directly forward. He rolled across the floor with great smoothness, delivered the military report to Feng Bao, and shouted loudly, "Your Majesty, a victory report! A victory report has arrived! Li Rusong has crushed the Tuman Tian Kehan, pursued him for over one hundred and twenty *li*, and captured Yingchang! A great victory!"

Victory reports are marked with red flags, and the covers contain summaries. This smooth, slick sequence of moves by the young eunuch was an invention of Feng Bao, the "old ancestor," intended to signal that the situation was urgent.

Liu Yingjie's victory report had long been written; he waited until the results of Yingchang appeared before sending the two victory reports into the court separately.

If Liu Yingjie were a "base scholar," he would have reported the great victory at Huining Guard immediately and then suppressed the Yingchang victory report for a day or two. In this way, Qi Jiguang would have immediately fallen into a public opinion storm of being greedy for merit and rashly advancing. This is also an old trick of base scholars—handling a happy event as a funeral. Often, in just those one or two days, no matter how great the victory, it would be infinitely magnified due to minor flaws.

What does it matter if you, a military general, can win? Whether you win or lose on the battlefield, you lose in the court.

Those who lead troops are not limited to military generals. To break the deadlock, "nurturing the enemy to maintain one's importance" is the simplest, fastest, and most effortless method. Zhu Wan and Hu Zongxian truly pacified the Japanese pirates and died in humiliation instead. Yet, during the Wanli years, there were still Yin Zhengmao, Ling Yunyi, and Liu Xian and his son who refused to nurture the enemy to maintain their importance and still held fantasies about the imperial court.

With Zhang Juzheng present, their fantasies could be realized. With Zhang Juzheng absent, their political faith of loyalty to the monarch and the state is personally guarded by Zhu Yijun, the Emperor himself!

Liu Yingjie and Liang Menglong, the two viceroys overseeing military affairs, were not base scholars; they were both of the Zhang Faction. Liang Menglong even held the Quanchu Guild Hall and was a protégé of Zhang Juzheng. Their handling of the victory reports meant the two reports were issued only one hour apart.

"Good, good, good! Good, good, good!" Zhu Yijun finished reading the military report, said "good" six times in a row, stood up abruptly, passed the report down, and said joyfully, "This year, the Aoshan lantern festival will be extended by three days to share the joy with the people!"

Requesting monthly tickets, awoo!!!!!!!!

(End of chapter)