Chapter 746

Yuan Dadu, Huangcheng.

Inside Fengtian Hall, the sound of arguing nearly overturned the ornate well.

"Xu Prefecture fell! Kuoguo Tiemuer surrendered! Weren't you saying Zhu Yuanzhang was just a bandit before?!"

On the Dragon Throne, Emperor Shun of Yuan Tuohuan Tiemuer's face turned ashen as he fiercely flung a military report down onto the imperial steps.

Below the steps, Left Chancellor Cuosijian and Grand Secretary of the Censorate Laodesha glared angrily at each other.

"Your Majesty!"

Cuosijian spoke first.

"The loss of Xu Prefecture is entirely due to Laodesha withholding military pay, causing the garrison's morale to collapse!"

"You're spitting blood!"

Laodesha's beard and hair bristled.

"It's clearly you, Cuosijian, colluding with Western Region merchants, selling off military grain stores! The grain convoy intercepted the other day at Zhigu was your doing!"

"Nonsense!"

"Do you dare swear to heaven?!"

"First spit out the gold and silver from your treasury!"

The two actually started shoving each other on the hall.

Around, the civil and military officials either watched coldly or whispered quietly, with not a single one stepping forward to stop them.

Tuohuan Tiemuer watched this scene, feeling only a wave of dizziness.

This is his court.

This is the heart of the Great Yuan.

"Enough!"

He shouted hoarsely.

The two stopped, but still glared at each other angrily.

Tuohuan Tiemuer caught his breath.

"What... what do we do now?"

Zhu Yuanzhang's next step will surely be Bian Liang, Luoyang.

Who can lead troops to block it?

The hall fell silent at once.

Civil and military officials either looked at their toes or gazed at the beams, no one responded.

Everyone knew that Kuokuo Tiemuer was now the Yuan court's most capable general.

Even he was defeated and surrendered.

Who will go?

Is it a suicide mission?

Your Majesty.

After a long while, Ha Ma, the commissioner of the Privy Council, stepped forward, forcing himself to speak.

We can urgently mobilize troops from Gansu, Shaanxi province to defend the capital region.

Also order Chahan Tiemuer (Li Chahan) to advance east from Shanxi to harass the enemy's flanks and rear.

A pincer attack from both sides might possibly...

He hadn't finished speaking when hurried footsteps came from outside the hall.

A eunuch came tumbling and crawling in, his face devoid of color.

Your, Your Majesty! Eight-hundred-li urgent!

Shan... Shandong emergency report!

Zhu Yuanzhang's general Fu Youde has consecutively taken Tengzhou, Yanzhou!

Jinan Prefecture... is in dire straits!

A buzzing sound.

The hall erupted in an uproar.

How could it be this fast?!

Where did Fu Youde get his troops?!

Is the defender of Tengzhou just eating dry rations?!

Tuohuan Tiemuer's vision went black, and he almost collapsed.

He forced himself to stay upright.

Anything else?

The eunuch said in a trembling voice.

The western front... also has an urgent report.

Xu Da and Chang Yuchun have already passed Kaifeng, with the vanguard heading straight for Zhengzhou.

Along the way, prefectures and counties... surrendered at the first sign of wind.

The fleeing soldiers said, the Ming army has a kind of monster that spews fire and spits thunder, capable of collapsing city walls from a hundred paces away...

Heretical nonsense to confuse the masses!

Old Sha Li shouted to cut him off.

But every face in the hall was already shrouded in fear.

That kind of weapon was also mentioned in the Xuzhou military report.

It turns out to be true.

It's not a rumor.

Your Majesty.

Sāosījiān suddenly spoke, his tone changed.

The rebel forces are immense and sharp, impossible to resist.

The capital…… may be difficult to hold.

For the sake of the state, it would be better to temporarily tour Shangdu (Kaiping), avoid their edge, then rally the loyal armies of the world.

You want me to abandon the capital and flee?!

Tuq-Temür suddenly rose to his feet, fingers trembling.

Your Majesty, this is merely a stopgap measure!

Sāosījiān fell to his knees.

The Southern Dynasty has a saying: 'Save the people, lose the land, and both people and land are preserved; save the land, lose the people, and both people and land are lost.'

Please, Your Majesty, think again!

Please, Your Majesty, embark on a northern tour!

Inside the hall, a wave of kneeling fell with a clatter.

Most were officials close to Sāosījiān.

The elders of the Sha Yi faction stood, glaring angrily, yet dared not offer further hard opposition.

Because everyone understands, this city cannot be held.

Tuq-Temür wearily sank back onto the dragon throne.

He looked down at the officials kneeling or standing, each harboring ulterior motives.

Gazing upon this splendid yet ice-cold to the bone great hall.

Suddenly he thought of his grandfather, his father, and the glory of the Yuan iron cavalry that trampled Eurasia.

How many years have passed?

How did it come to this?

Approved.

He uttered this word, as if expending all his strength.

Issue the edict: the six palaces and all officials shall prepare today for the northern tour.

Ha Ma.

Your servant is here.

You will lead the Qiexue army to guard the rear, burn the storehouses, and must not enrich the enemy.

... Your servant will obey the edict.

Sāosījiān.

The old servant is here.

Matters of the northern tour are to be overseen by you.

The old servant receives the edict!

With the edict issued, the entire Yuan capital instantly fell into frenzied chaos.

Palace servants desperately packed their valuables.

Officials busily transferred their assets.

Soldiers took the opportunity to loot shops.

Cries, curses, hoofbeats, and the sound of shattering objects mingled together.

That night, fires broke out in many parts of Huangcheng.

That was Ha Ma's people burning the files, blueprints, and part of the armory that couldn't be carried away.

The firelight dyed the night sky red, like the end of days.

Three days later.

At dawn.

Outside Desheng Gate.

Tuq-Temür sat in an inconspicuous blue-covered carriage, lifting the curtain to look back.

The majestic city gate was reduced to a mere outline in the morning light.

This was the capital where he had lived for decades.

This was the metropolis that had once been the center of the world.

Just like that… it was lost.

Your Majesty, it's time to go.

Beside the carriage, Sāosījiān softly urged.

The convoy was very long.

The consorts, princes, close ministers, and carriages laden with gold, silver, jewels, and silk wound their way north.

At the rear of the procession were thousands of craftsmen, musicians, physicians, and others forcibly driven along.

These were all considered 'property'.

Tuq-Temür lowered the carriage curtain.

Go.

The wheels rolled.

Emperor Shun Tuohuan Tiemuer formally fled the Great Capital.

Northward.

Toward the Upper Capital.

Toward the grassland.

And behind him.

On the southern horizon, dust rose.

That was the Ming army's flag.

It was advancing at an astonishing speed.

Approaching the undefended heart of the empire.