Dai Wang Zhu Tingqi stood by the railing, gazing at the clear Xuehu Lake in the afternoon, his thoughts drifting. He didn't notice two maids approaching him.
"Your Highness, the Princess Consort is going to Huayan Temple today to fulfill her vow. She mentioned it's the New Year, and after fulfilling her vow, she also needs to attend to some matters in the city. She'll be back late..."
"Oh."
"Lately, the city has been quite chaotic. Please tell the Princess Consort to be careful, and you all should also be vigilant..."
"Yes, we understand."
Zhu Tingqi had little to say about his Princess Consort; in fact, he was somewhat in awe of her.
For over a decade, she had managed the royal manor flawlessly, participated with him in spring plowing ceremonies, and often provided relief to the weak and orphaned. She had truly brought honor to the royal family. After his original wife died a few years ago, he had petitioned for her investiture. Although she was only a "Madam," the people of Datong all called her Princess Consort.
The founding Emperor had established an ancestral precept that future generations marrying wives must choose daughters from humble families, so they would know hardship. This Princess Consort, the Yuan clan, was indeed from a humble military family and was capable of enduring hardship, demonstrating the First Emperor's foresight.
Lost in thought,
Zhu Tingqi smiled with satisfaction.
...
On this day,
Zhu Mo had just completed his inspection of the northern city.
With all pressing matters resolved, he felt an unprecedented sense of lightness. He then thought of Jiangnan—
How were Zhang Juzheng and the others doing? This supreme master must have already seen through the situation and was waiting, observing?
He felt that this man's greatest strength was his meticulous planning, his ability to change when necessary and pivot when required, completely unburdened. He could detect and exploit even the smallest loophole, which was how he became a pillar of the court at such a young age. And by supporting his reforms this time, he had recommended a group of people. In a few more years, he would truly be a magnate; how could Yan Song compare to him?
But this man also had a flaw: he was too opportunistic!
Zhu Mo recalled his own recent struggles in Xuanda, the vicious infighting in the imperial court, and Zhang Juzheng's complete silence.
The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became—
"If you 'pure officials' are always like this, it's quite tiresome..."
"At critical junctures, you never put in full effort, always waiting and observing. You only come swarming in to negotiate terms after I've done the work..."
He considered it, and decided at this juncture to give Zhang Juzheng a nudge, to see if he was still being opportunistic. If he remained ambiguous, he would dismiss him in the future.
He immediately rode back to Huayan Temple and wrote a letter in the monk's quarters:
"Brother Taiyue:
Since parting ways in Jiangnan, the leaves have withered. Your humble brother has traversed the snowy north and faced life and death, never forgetting the perch of the West Lake. Though my brother now commands a mere three thousand troops, I am determined to hunt with Anda in the Tartar skies. What enables me to make this decision is the support of the gentlemen of Jiangnan. However, with matters dragging and the outcome uncertain, the only thing I cannot abandon is the Xiangshan salt fields. Therefore, I entrust this matter to my brother once more; do not take the salt industry lightly. In leisure days to come, it will be a source of enjoyment. Mo." httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
His letter was essentially saying:
"Zhang Taiyue, I just left, and the tea has gone cold. When it's time to use people, your men are feigning ignorance. Where were you when I was in life-or-death situations in Xuanda? Why was there no sound from you? Were you eating perch by the West Lake?
I am now cornered by Yan Song and Anda, with no retreat, about to fight for survival. What do your so-called allies say? Yes, I have little chance of winning, but I want to live! If you still have any integrity, help me manage the salt fields. If I manage to return alive someday, I'd still like to be a rich man.
But even as I say this, another meaning is conveyed—
If you, Zhang Taiyue, still want to be my ally, show some sincerity now: push for some tangible results on investing in the new salt fields, or else we'll talk no more about state affairs.
After rereading it a few times,
He then ordered it to be sent out via the urgent eight-hundred-li express courier.
...
Meanwhile,
The entire city of Datong remained unaware that the area around Deshengbao had become a mountain of corpses.
That day,
Li Wenjin, Ma Fang, and Wang Chonggu, after resting, moved south, planning to station themselves at Deshengbao, then scout the situation and rescue Zhu Mo if possible.
But as soon as they broke camp, scouts rushed back: the entire Tartar army, eighty thousand cavalry, had divided into three prongs and were moving south. The vanguard was led by Xin Ai, and the center was heading directly for Deshengbao.
The three were all first-class generals in Xuanda. They knew that facing such a sweeping advance, the most crucial task was to blunt their sharp edge and slow their progress.
Wang Chonggu drew a map on the ground with a twig, saying:
"We currently have four thousand men. We can launch a full-scale surprise attack, hitting their left flank, forcing them to wheel around, and engaging them outside Deshengbao. If Xin Ai is repulsed, given Anda's competitive nature, he will likely commit his entire army for a swift victory... This way, we can prevent him from suddenly rushing towards the capital. We must not repeat the mistakes of the Gengxu year; we must fight to the death to hold Anda back. If he attacks the capital, we'll be in trouble again..."
Li Wenjin naturally agreed, saying, "Additionally, we must dispatch a small team to Datong Youwei, to bring out Ma Lu and Zhang Yue, and set up defenses again north of the city to buy as much time as possible. If we survive, we'll enter the city and force Yang Xuan to mobilize fully for a fight to the death. Even if Anda moves east, we can pursue."
Wang Chonggu nodded repeatedly.
Ma Fang, however, felt it was not right, saying:
"Have you forgotten? Who brought this wave of Anda's army? Moreover, in my opinion, Anda might not necessarily besiege the city. He is very likely still planning to sneak into the capital... Also, what about our nephew? He's currently inside Datong city and has likely been imprisoned by Yang Xuan, waiting for the military report to reach the capital so he can be handed over to Yan Shifan! I don't think this is right; we need to think again!"
He was always impatient. After pacing a few steps, he stated directly:
"Here's what we'll do: I'll go to Datong! You two go fight Xin Ai, and leave after the battle. We'll meet at Youwei City... Youwei is skilled in defense, and the city is very strong; it can hold them off for a while. As for the rest, we'll see then!"
After saying this,
He mounted his horse, paying no mind to whether the other two agreed.
Li Wenjin and Wang Chonggu exchanged a smile, thinking: This Marshal Ma has changed his ways this time; he's not in a hurry to meet the enemy...
The three, along with Yu Dayou, were as close as brothers and were grateful to Zhu Mo for standing up for the soldiers of the right army. They nodded solemnly.
Li Wenjin said, "Fourth brother, you must rescue him. Go to Youwei first, tell Ma Lu and the others to find some men, and do not venture in alone!"
Ma Fang grunted, gathered only ten wounded soldiers, and turned his horse south.
Li Wenjin and Wang Chonggu traveled for two days and encountered Xin Ai fifty li north of Deshengbao. Xin Ai's vanguard numbered about five thousand cavalry. The two attacked from the left flank, Xin Ai turned to respond, and the two sides chased and fought for three hours, each suffering over half their losses.
Li Wenjin and Wang Chonggu then retreated south as planned.
At this point, re-entering Deshengbao, they saw the entire fort was deserted.