Chapter 16: The Yongle Emperor!

Year nineteen of Yongle.

Shuntian Prefecture.

Palace of Heavenly Purity.

It was late autumn, the beginning of winter.

"Your Majesty, a report from the northern frontier!" The commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Sai Hazhi, presented the urgent missive with both hands.

Emperor Yongle, Zhu Di, his temples streaked with gray, displayed not a hint of emotion on his formidable face, yet his presence alone inspired terror. He raised a hand to accept the report, his brows knitting deeper with each line, the shadow of anger beginning to rise.

"That damned Arutai must truly be starving, to dare break his word time and again, leading his troops to plunder our borders. Attend me! Summon the Six Ministries, we shall mount a campaign against the north at the start of the year!"

Old Zhu Di, his fury barely contained, issued the decree at once.

Within half a day, as his order spread, all six ministries submitted petitions in protest, laying out the risks and steadfastly refusing to support this third northern expedition.

They argued that the first two campaigns had already established the might of Ming, and that this latest border incursion, compared to the previous ones, was mere petty thievery—Arutai, driven to desperation, acted only out of necessity.

The first campaign against the Tatars began when Zhu Di sent the envoy Guo Ji to the Tatars, declaring his wish to avoid war. Unexpectedly, Bunyashiri murdered Guo Ji!

Zhu Di was enraged, and called upon his trusted general Qiu Fu, granting him the opportunity to establish military merit—appointing him commander-in-chief against Mongolia, with a hundred thousand Ming troops.

He was accompanied by four illustrious generals: Vice Commander Huo Qin, Wang Cong, Left Deputy Wang Zhong, Right Deputy Li Yuan—a force formidable beyond compare.

Yet Qiu Fu, reckless and overconfident at the Battle of Lupu River, fell into an ambush. The entire Ming army was annihilated, and the losses were grievous.

Upon receiving the news, Zhu Di flew into a rage, cursing Qiu Fu's incompetence, and resolved to lead the army himself.

Thus, in the eighth year of Yongle, Zhu Di assembled five hundred thousand troops and launched the first personal campaign. The Tatars were petrified.

They hurriedly convened to discuss escape, but disagreed about the direction. The meeting ended in disarray, and each leader fled with his own forces.

Grand Preceptor Arutai fled east. Bunyashiri, the Great Khan, intended to head west to the Oirat and seek refuge with his brother-in-law Mahamud. However, Zhu Di directed his forces at him, personally pursuing.

At last, at the Onan River, Bunyashiri was utterly defeated. His troops perished, and he escaped alone to the Oirat.

Little did he know, Mahamud of the Oirat, terrified himself, hastily beheaded Bunyashiri to curry favor with Zhu Di.

Meanwhile, Arutai, a skilled tactician, evaded pursuit, leading the Ming forces in circles across the desert for months. Their supplies nearly exhausted, they failed to find him, and Zhu Di had to order a return.

Fate is ever capricious; after months of fruitless searching, they finally encountered Arutai by chance on the way back. Zhu Di seized the opportunity, dealt Arutai a crushing defeat, but the Tatar leaders, masterful at escape, managed to slip away despite being surrounded by hundreds of thousands.

After this campaign, the remnants of the Tatars dared not raise their heads, swearing fealty to Ming, sending tribute of horses annually, and extolling the power of the empire.

...

The second campaign against the Oirat.

After the Tatars’ defeat, the Oirat seized the chance to grow stronger, advancing to Lupu River and repeatedly harassing the border, coveting the Central Plains.

In the twelfth year of Yongle, Zhu Di once again led five hundred thousand troops north to punish the Oirat.

This time, Zhu Di brought the Divine Machine Battalion, equipped with firearms, muskets, and cannons.

First, they routed the Oirat raiders, then, in the decisive battle at Hulan Hushiwun, used firepower and the advantage of terrain to crush the Oirat main force.

After this battle, more than ten thousand Oirat were slaughtered; the rest fled in all directions, and for years dared not approach the border.

Following this great victory, Arutai soon sent envoys to court, bowing and declaring allegiance.

Page two.

Mahamud of the Oirat hurried to send envoys to the Ming court, apologizing and claiming it was all a misunderstanding, thus restoring tribute relations.

These two campaigns thoroughly eliminated the Mongol threat to Ming. The empire’s name and might reverberated throughout the world; Mongols, upon seeing Ming subjects, would go out of their way to avoid them.

For Zhu Di’s two personal campaigns, the civil and military officials offered little opposition, each tightening their belts to provide supplies and provisions for the army.

Yet, precisely because the belts had been tightened too much before, there was little money left now. Arutai’s current raid yielded only minor spoils. If a third campaign were launched, the cost of provisions would be hundreds of times greater—a venture not worth the trouble.

"I will not see them. Send them all away!" Zhu Di dismissed the ministers who had come to advise him.

He then ordered his sons and his virtuous grandson to the hall for council.

"This time, Arutai’s forces attacked Liaodong. He must have had the support of the Oirat and the Wuliang Guards—otherwise, he’d never be so bold!" The second son, Zhu Gaoxu, analyzed solemnly.

"Exactly. I’ve always said the Oirat are restless, ungrateful wolves you can never feed!" The third son, Zhu Gaosui, a wiry, monkey-like figure, lounged by his seat, chiming in loudly.

Zhu Gaoxu, with a look of exasperation, spread his hands, "See, if you had listened to me before and dealt with Oirat then, we wouldn’t have so much trouble now!"

The eldest, the portly Zhu Gaochi, Buddha-like, slumped in his seat, hands folded, urged gently, "His Majesty’s wish is to coexist peacefully with the various tribes, to share tranquility. Since Oirat hasn’t rebelled, why stir up trouble by attacking them?"

The virtuous grandson, Zhu Zhanji, stood quietly behind his father, saying nothing, asking nothing, obedient and well-behaved.

Zhu Gaosui glared, "Elder brother, you can’t say that. Mahamud’s grandson, Esen, is said to have the look of an emperor! Mahamud secretly brought a fortune-teller from the capital to read his grandson’s face. Guess what the fortune-teller said?"

"What did he say?" Zhu Gaoxu eagerly leaned in.

"The fortune-teller said..." Zhu Gaosui enunciated, "Esen has the visage of a king!"

"That’s outrageous! Just for that, we ought to campaign and suppress him!"

"Of course! We must!" Zhu Gaoxu nodded vigorously.

Zhu Gaochi waved his hands, "Fortune-telling is unreliable, and besides, it’s just a rumor. Children playing at emperors, making paper crowns—what can a wandering charlatan prove?"

"What does it prove?" Zhu Gaosui cried incredulously. "It proves he harbors rebellious intent!"

"Exactly!" Zhu Gaoxu echoed.

Zhu Gaochi shook his head, explaining, "If you wish others to submit, you must first show benevolence, win them over with virtue, and inspire gratitude among the tribes."

Zhu Gaoxu, impatient, loudly retorted, "Enough, elder brother! Benevolence, benevolence—because of your benevolence, their blades are at our throats now! What good is benevolence?"

"Benevolence is useless! I say we fight!" Zhu Gaosui declared, exchanging a meaningful glance with his brother.

Zhu Gaoxu looked to Zhu Di, who watched like an amused spectator.

"Go on, keep arguing!" Zhu Di raised an eyebrow. "Elder brother, second brother, carry on."

Zhu Gaoxu perked up, "We should launch from Hebei, strike through Zhangjiakou right at Arutai’s base. Let’s send a letter now..."

"Have the Wuliang Guards mobilize thirty thousand troops!" Zhu Gaosui interjected. "See if they come. If not, we’ll deal with them first!"

"Right!"

"Don’t stop, keep talking," Zhu Di said, sipping his soup leisurely.

"We’re out of funds, Father," Zhu Gaochi said, hands in his sleeves, his chubby face full of woe.

"This time we must pursue them to the banks of the Onan River!"

Page three.

Zhu Gaoxu slapped the table and shouted.

"Exactly," Zhu Gaosui echoed.

"No funds."

"Sweep the land clean!"

"Right!"

"No funds."

Zhu Gaoxu, exasperated, cried, "Will you let me finish or not!"

"Go ahead, I’m not stopping you," Zhu Gaochi replied innocently.

"This time His Majesty must lead the army himself!" Zhu Gaosui raised his hand, full of bravado.

"Precisely!" Zhu Gaoxu responded.

"No funds."

"Enough, elder brother, go home and eat!" Zhu Gaoxu said impatiently.

"No funds!" Zhu Gaochi hunched his neck.

"You don’t even have money to eat?" Zhu Gaoxu raged.

"Well, not everyone is like you. Every gold bean you give me feeds my entire household for a day," Zhu Gaochi said, reaching into his robe.

"Hey, elder brother!" Zhu Gaoxu quickly stopped him, whispering, "Don’t play around like that!"

Zhu Gaochi cast a helpless glance at Zhu Di and withdrew his hand.

Zhu Gaoxu breathed a sigh of relief, forced a smile, "Come eat at my place sometime, you’ll have a grand meal! Heh heh heh!"

Hmph!

Zhu Di glanced at his three sons, watching them bicker and shirk responsibility, his chest heaving in frustration. He snorted coldly, "Get out!"

"Yes, Father, your son takes his leave!" Zhu Gaosui slipped away like a slippery eel.

Zhu Gaoxu and Zhu Gaochi hurried after him, bowing and backing out of the Palace of Heavenly Purity, finally escaping their father’s imperial presence and breathing easy.

Zhu Gaoxu glared at Gaochi, hissed, "Give me back all my gold beans!"

"No funds!"

Zhu Gaochi shook his head repeatedly and trudged off.

"Damn it!"

...

Within the Palace of Heavenly Purity.

Desolate and quiet, all maids and eunuchs dismissed, only a single beauty of unrivaled grace remained, kneeling beside the couch, pitiful and delicate.

Her large, watery eyes blinked, inviting affection.

Zhu Di sighed and stroked the lovely creature in his arms, troubled, "How did I ever sire such sons!"

At that moment, a curse echoed in the hall.

"How did we ever give birth to such a creature!"

...