Chapter 861

Esen laughed: "I won't kill Your Majesty. Our Mongols have no taste for killing captives, especially someone as noble as Your Majesty—we'll treat you well."

Zhu Qizhen frowned, looking at him in confusion: "If you won't kill me, why did you capture me?"

Esen sat beside the Emperor, sighing: "Your Majesty, I have no wish to harm you—I'm merely heartbroken."

Zhu Qizhen stared at him, dumbfounded.

Esen said: "I've always regarded Great Ming as an elder brother, honoring you for years. But last year, you unreasonably cut our tribute. We sent two thousand men, yet you granted only three hundred. This year, you've set a limit of minimal gifts annually—nothing like the generosity of your ancestors."

"I asked to marry into your imperial family. You promised me—then suddenly withdrew. I've held this anger inside, so I came to demand justice from you."

Zhu Qizhen cursed inwardly: Great Ming's law forbade any foreign state, including the Oirats, from sending more than three hundred envoys per tribute mission.

Since his ascension, the Oirats had sent delegations exceeding three hundred every year, growing larger each time.

They brought inferior horses and livestock, demanding lavish tributes. The imperial treasury annually subsidized the Honglu Temple. Every time foreign envoys arrived, Ministry of Revenue officials complained the tribute given was far too generous.

Isn't it you who broke the rules—how is it our fault?

And as for marriage…

Zhu Qizhen looked at Esen's aged face—he looked older than his own father, though in truth he wasn't much younger; his own son was older than him.

He sought to marry a princess. Not only does he have no daughter, but all his sisters are already married—Great Ming has no unmarried princesses at all. Even if there were, no Great Ming princess would wed a foreigner.

The ancestral edict of Great Ming: "No marriage alliances, no tribute payments." Tribute missions replaced marriage alliances as the policy to maintain border stability.

Emperor Taizu said: "All my descendants, do not rely on China's wealth and strength to bully the weak… Never lightly promise marriage alliances that bring shame."

Emperor Taizong also said: "The northern barbarians are fickle—marriage alliances are merely feeding tigers."

He was a tiger, but not a fool—how could he possibly violate the ancestral edicts of two Laozu?

Esen's proposal of marriage was inherently malicious. But the Honglu Temple envoy was an idiot—he dared deceive Esen on this matter, giving him an excuse to wage war.

Zhu Qizhen cursed inwardly, yet outwardly made no argument, only sighed and asked: "Now that this has happened, what do you intend to do?"

"I want compensation," Esen grinned at him: "We Oirats have suffered greatly to seek justice. Your Majesty cannot let our soldiers labor in vain, can you?"

After a long silence, Zhu Qizhen asked: "What do you want?"

Esen: "Yan and Zhao once served as the capital of the Northern Yuan. Great Ming's capital was once in Nanjing. Why not move your capital back to Nanjing, and give me Yan and Zhao as my capital?"

Zhu Qizhen naturally refused.

Esen was not in a hurry; he smiled at Zhu Qizhen: "Your Majesty, rest tonight. Tomorrow, you'll have another exhausting day."

Zhu Qizhen's heart rose high—he was placed under strict guard.

The next day, he was pushed to the front of the army, forced to shout at Xuanfu to open its gates and surrender.

Yang Hong's eyes nearly popped out when he saw the Emperor at the front.

He said nothing, but his soldiers behind him grew frantic, urgently asking: "General, is that Your Majesty?"

Yang Hong clenched his fingers and said grimly: "He's in plain clothes, too far away to see clearly. Don't believe them. Have archers ready. Don't let them cross the line. Shoot—but try to avoid that man." If he weren't the Emperor, why would they try to avoid him?

Yang Hong turned and descended the tower, ordering someone to notify Kuang Ye in Datong, another to investigate the imperial presence, and finally summoning his trusted aide. His face dark as iron, he said: "Send someone to find Yang Jun. Tell him to come to me immediately!"

Xuanfu did not open its gates that day.

The next day, Esen again forced the Emperor to the city gates to call for surrender. This time, they advanced twenty meters with the Emperor as a shield. Yang Hong dared not order the archers to fire.

Esen seemed to have tested Yang Hong's limit; his lips curled slightly. This time, he didn't demand the city gates open—he demanded money.

Esen starved the Emperor overnight, then told him: "If you can get me the money, I'll serve you wine in grand style."

The Emperor smiled faintly: "What's hard about that?"

The next day, the Emperor stood at the city gate and shouted to Yang Hong on the tower: "Yang Hong, don't you recognize me as Your Majesty anymore?"

Yang Hong broke into cold sweat, dared not acknowledge the words. He immediately ordered his household wealth brought forth, dispatched soldiers to open a small gate, and sent the treasure out to the Oirat army.

Only then did the Oirats escort the Emperor away, taking the treasure with them.

Esen finally tasted the sweetness of holding the Emperor captive. He began slowly tormenting the Ming army. Seeing the Emperor was cooperative—doing whatever he was told—Esen treated him somewhat better.

The soldiers were confused.

Esen asked: "With our current strength, can we recreate the glory of the Northern Yuan?"

No, we cannot.

It's not just about numbers. Kublai Khan established the Yuan Dynasty not only because his grandfather subdued the entire world, but because he had countless capable men under him. Today, not a single person among the entire Mongol people can help Esen conquer all of Great Ming.

Moreover, Great Ming's strength is formidable. Esen knows clearly: he can continue to wear down its power, but he cannot destroy it overnight.

"So our goal is north of the Yangtze. Drive the Great Ming court back to Nanjing. North of the Yangtze belongs to us. Make Great Ming like the Southern Song. When we grow stronger, we'll strike and take it all at once."

With the historical success of the Northern Yuan behind him, Esen was full of confidence in himself and the Oirats. His immediate goal: break through the Datong and Xuanfu defenses, march south, take the Emperor hostage, smash open Beijingcheng, and force the Great Ming court to relocate south!

After hearing Esen's plan, all the soldiers' eyes gleamed.

Esen: "So a obedient Emperor is our good friend. Treat him well. As long as we hold him, we have everything."

Aral Zhiyuan hesitated: "What if he kills himself…?"

"Then we must watch him closely," Esen said. "But I don't think he has any intention of suicide. I despise Han people who kill themselves at the slightest provocation to preserve their honor. A man has infinite possibilities only while alive. This young Emperor has vitality, a stubborn refusal to yield—I like that about him!"

The stubborn young Emperor was also thinking of escape—but before he could act, soldiers captured with him had already sneaked over.

They had slipped out to infiltrate and rescue the Emperor. But as they neared the tent where he was held, they were discovered—and before the Emperor's eyes, all those soldiers had their heads cut off.

The Emperor turned pale, barely holding himself upright. When he returned to the tent, he collapsed onto the ground.

Esen learned of it and immediately came to comfort him, saying: "Your Majesty, I have no intention of harming you—or the Great Ming people. I only seek what I am owed. If you can persuade Yang Hong to open Xuanfu's gates, I will release you."

The Emperor's fingers trembled slightly. He said nothing.

Meanwhile, Cao Nai arrived at Xuanfu with civil and military officials and the remnants of the army. But even before them, Yang Jun had already returned to Xuanfu.