Chapter 81: Northern Yuan Turmoil

Hongwu Year Four, April 18.

News of the Battle of Buir Lake spread as quickly as a prairie wildfire.

On the morning of the second day after Toghus Temur was slain, the Northern Yuan Military Camp was already in chaos.

The commanders gathered outside the central big tent to argue, the soldiers whispered, and the laborers began packing their gear to flee.

"The king is dead; how can we continue this battle?" a Thousand Household shouted.

"Isn't General Nahacu still around? He still commands three thousand cavalry and can take charge of the situation," another commander said.

"Nahacu is at a pasture a hundred li away; it will take at least two days for him to return. In those two days, what if the Ming forces launch a counterattack?"

"How about… we retreat? Head north into the deep Mobei, where the Ming forces can't catch us."

"Retreat… the Grain and Fodder have been looted; what can we retreat with… the horses are starving and can't even move!"

The arguing grew louder, nearly turning violent.

At that moment, a middle‑aged commander stepped forward; he was Toghus Temur's cousin, named Ba Tu.

"Stop arguing! The king is dead, I am his cousin, and according to grassland custom, I should temporarily command the troops," Ba Tu shouted.

The commanders exchanged glances; no one spoke.

Seeing no opposition, Ba Tu continued: "The two most urgent matters now are: first, to guard against another Ming attack; second, to gather Grain and Fodder."

"I order each camp to tighten security, dispatch scout cavalry to patrol within fifty li, and also send people to nearby tribes to requisition cattle and sheep, solving the food problem first."

The orders were issued, but their execution fell far short.

The soldiers, morale low, performed patrols perfunctorily.

Those sent to requisition cattle and sheep returned empty‑handed; the nearby tribes, hearing that Toghus Temur was dead, either shut their doors or had already packed up to relocate.

By afternoon, deserters began to appear in the camp.

At first three or five, then they slipped away in groups.

Officers tried to stop them but couldn't; the king is dead, who would obey you?

Ba Tu, furious, drew his sword and slashed two deserters, which only sparked greater panic.

"He's killing his own men!"

"Run quickly; staying means death!"

Deserters kept increasing.

By evening, the Military Camp that originally had eight thousand cavalry and five thousand infantry was down to fewer than six thousand men.

Moreover, among those six thousand, only his own thousand‑plus troops truly obeyed Ba Tu's command.

The other commanders each took their subordinates, occupying different sections of the camp, without any unified command.

When night fell, the split finally erupted.

A commander named Tore, leading Eight Hundred Cavalry, suddenly broke camp and headed north. Before leaving, he seized dozens of horses from Ba Tu's quarter.

Ba Tu led his men to pursue, but was repelled by Tore's cavalry.

That prompted the other commanders to lose patience as well.

"Ba Tu can't even control his own men; how can he lead us into battle?"

"Everyone go your own way!"

"Right, return to your own tribe!"

In one night, the Northern Yuan Military Camp fell apart.

Ba Tu led his thousand‑plus men east, hoping to join Nahacu.

The other commanders each took a few hundred to a thousand men and scattered north or west.

The camp that had originally housed over twenty thousand people, by dawn, was left with just over three thousand elderly, weak, sick and laborers, standing bewildered in place, unsure where to go.

……

Meanwhile, a hundred li away.

Zhu Yong's army rested beside a small river.

Scout cavalry brought news of the Northern Yuan Military Camp's split.

"Prince, the Northern Yuan people have scattered themselves into seven or eight groups, running in different directions," the scout reported.

Zhu Yong was squatting by the river washing his face; hearing this, he lifted his head and said, "They've scattered, all scattered?"

"Yes, only some elderly, weak and laborers remain in the camp; those able to fight have all fled," the scout said.

Wang Baobao walked over, frowned, and said, "That's troublesome; when they were together we could have taken them all in one net, but now they're scattered and fleeing, it'll be hard to chase them."

Lan Yu also spoke, "And the grassland is so vast; once they dive into the deeper grass, where can we find them?"

Zhu Yong stood up and flicked the water from his hand.

He walked to the warhorse, pulled out a crude grassland map from the saddle bag—one that Wang Baobao had drawn himself before the expedition.

He spread the map on the grass and Zhu Yong squatted to look.

Of course, he also possessed his own detailed map, but because Wang Baobao's map was present, Zhu Yong did not take out his own.

Wang Baobao and Lan Yu also squatted.

"Which directions did they run?" Zhu Yong asked the scout.

The scout pointed at the map and said, "There are two groups heading north—one toward the Khentii Mountains, another toward the Orkhon River; one group heading west toward the Khangai Mountains; and one group heading east, likely to join Nahacu."

"There are also a few small groups whose directions are unknown."

Zhu Yong stared at the map for a while, his finger pointing at the eastward direction.

"Is this the largest group?"

"Yes, about fifteen hundred men, led by Ba Tu, Toghus Temur's paternal cousin, all elite cavalry," the sentry cavalry reported.

Zhu Yong again pointed toward the northward two groups and asked, "What about those two groups?"

"Eight hundred are heading to the Khentii Mountains, nine hundred to the Orkhon River, all veteran subordinates under Toghus Temur."

"And the ones heading west?"

"Around six hundred, led by Tore, a fierce general."

Zhu Yong nodded, stood up and said, "Pursue the eastern contingent."

"Why? The two northward groups have more men, and both the Khentii Mountains and Orkhon River are old strongholds of the Northern Yuan; shouldn't they be eliminated first?"

Lan Yu turned and looked at Zhu Yong with a smile.

Wang Baobao, however, understood.

"Prince, you intend to block them from joining Nahacu; Nahacu still has three thousand cavalry in hand, and if Ba Tu's fifteen hundred elite were to merge with him, Nahacu's strength would increase greatly.

It would be even harder to defeat then."

"Indeed, and Ba Tu is Toghus Temur's paternal cousin, with legitimate standing; if he allies with Nahacu, he could likely be elevated as the new Great Khan.

He must be eliminated before he meets Nahacu."

Zhu Yong explained.

Lan Yu suddenly understood and said, "Makes sense, so when shall we set out...

Lan Yu, thinking of this, looked at Zhu Yong in surprise.

"That's... clever."

"Now, light gear, simple provisions, only three days of Dry Rations, pursue!" Zhu Yong flipped onto his horse and said.