The Second Part of the Eighteen Chapters of Beijing's Defense War

  Xizhimen Vanguard Battle

  Also Xian Yuanshou thought that the capital was already an empty shell, as long as the army approached the city, it would naturally win without a fight. However, when he arrived at the foot of Beijing and deployed his troops for battle, he was surprised to find that the Ming army, which he believed was absolutely incapable of withstanding a single blow, had formed its array and was waiting for him outside the city.

  Ye Xian was also a man with rich military experience. From the momentum alone, he could see that the people guarding the gate were there to fight to the death and were not easy to mess with.

  But since he had already come, he couldn't just not fight, so he decided to test the waters first.

  His destination of choice was Xizhimen.

  Under his command, thousands of Wala soldiers took the captured civilians and launched a probing attack on Xizhimen.

  The defender of Xizhimen was Liu Ju, who quickly reacted and dispatched his generals Gao Li and Mao Fushou to meet the enemy.

  The Valuan soldiers had not yet awakened from their victory at Tumu Fortress, and they still thought that the Ming army in front of them would be slaughtered like those at Tumu Fortress.

  In fact, in war, the roles of wolf and sheep are often swapped. This time, the Ming army played the role of the big bad wolf.

  Many of them lost their comrades and even relatives in the Battle of Tumu Fortress, with a belly full of anger and nowhere to vent it. Now these enemies who killed their compatriots actually dare to come to their doorsteps, isn't this absurd!

  This grudge will not be avenged, what are we waiting for!

  They drew their waist knives, opened their reddened eyes, shouted "Kill the enemy", and charged at the Wala soldiers with a force that could not be resisted.

  The Wa La soldiers were stunned, in their imagination, this was actually a good difference, the wise and powerful Esen Khan sent them to come forward to accept the surrender, they could take priority to enter the city and grab it.

  But when they arrived here, they found that what was waiting for them were a group of fierce-looking men and their large knives.

  The Wa La army collapsed at the first touch, and hundreds of people were killed. The civilians who were held hostage were also rescued by the Ming army.

  When he also saw the fleeing Wala soldiers returning in disarray, he already understood that the enemy before him was not cattle and sheep, but tigers and wolves.

  Dealing with such an enemy, if a hard fight is very dangerous, just as he was hesitating, the super traitor Xi Ning appeared.

  He suggested to Also First that they should not fight against the Ming army for now, but instead avoid their edge and he already had a plan in mind, which would surely lead to victory without fighting.

  Xi Ning's plan was to first set up camp outside the city, then send someone to inform the Ming dynasty officials that the Taishang Huang (Zhu Qizhen) was here and have them send people out to welcome him.

  The vicious part of this plan is to deliberately put Zhu Qizhen in a conspicuous position and publicly notify the other party to come and greet him. If the other party comes, they can discuss terms and demand money and benefits. If not, the Ming Dynasty will be at fault, and from a ceremonial point of view, it's also a shameful thing.

  Traitors are more hated by people, and it's not without reason.

  A difficult problem is placed in front of Yu Qian, how will he respond?

  This problem which seemed very difficult to us was very simple for Qian and he immediately sent two people to take care of it.

  One is called Zhao Rong and the other is called Wang Fu.

  Notably, both men held relatively low-ranking positions: Wang Fu was a Vice Director of the Bureau of Official Interpreters, while Zhao Rong was a Secretary in the Imperial Secretariat; they were only promoted to Right Vice Director and Junior Minister of Rites respectively just before their departure for negotiations.

  This is a profound personnel promotion and deployment decision.

  Where is the secret?

  Just analyze their official positions and you will understand. The Tongzheng Temple's participant and the Zhongshu Sheren are what kind of officials? One is a sixth-grade regular official, and the other is a seventh-grade deputy official. In other words, Wang Fu and Zhao Rong are both small officials, and there are many such people among the lower-level officials.

  So what were their official positions after promotion? You Tong Zheng and Tai Chang Shao Qing were both fourth-grade officials.

  A deputy departmental level cadre.

  Yu Qian's meaning was very clear. He didn't take what Ye Xian said seriously at all. Sending out these two small officials was just a formality, to put on a show and respond perfunctorily.

  Also Xian comrade waited bitterly outside the city for the imperial officials to come and negotiate with him, to beg him to release Zhu Qizhen, and then get a large batch of gold, silver and jewels, and make a big show.

  But what came was two minor officials of the sixth or seventh rank, temporarily promoted to the fourth rank, who rushed over to negotiate with him.

  This is not negotiation, it's ridicule, it's insult.

  What's even more ridiculous is that he wasn't even clear about the Ming dynasty's official system and personnel, yet he still seriously wanted to negotiate with them, because in his opinion, these two people should be big shots.

  Wang Fu and Zhao Rong were also in a fog, they were originally unknown, let alone represent the country to negotiate, even on ordinary days they did not have the qualifications to attend court and pay homage, in the capital city where high officials gathered, it was an exaggeration to call them officials.

  These two gentlemen were probably still on duty in the main hall not long ago, and suddenly they were informed that they had been promoted to the fourth rank and appointed as envoys to Wala, and set off immediately.

  Without exerting his muscles and bones, starving his body and skin, let alone talking about exhausting himself physically, he suddenly had a great responsibility bestowed upon him.

  One side is uncertain and the other is self-righteous, what kind of negotiation is this?

  Just in time to become a laughing stock in diplomatic history, the traitor and national shame, Xi Jinping, has made an appearance again.

  He made it clear to Yesun that the two so-called negotiating envoys were just small fries, and then informed Wang Fu and Zhao Rong, refusing to negotiate with them, and stating that their negotiating counterparts were limited to the following four people:

  Yu Qian, Shi Heng, Hu Meng, Wang Zhi.

  Apart from these four people, no one else will be considered.

  Yu Qian's response was: No comment.

  You think it's small? I'm still serving you, old man!

  He shot back a vicious remark, which served as a response:

  "I only know I have an army at hand, nothing else!" (Today he only knows of military campaigns, he dare not hear otherwise)

  Cut the crap, you want a fight? Bring it on! Let's see what you're made of!

  Charge!

  Yeshen was really angry, he had naively thought that someone would still be sent out from the city and stand on the mound with sincerity, but as time slowly passed, not to mention people, there wasn't even a single dog.

  His heart was once again severely hurt because he had realized that he had been cheated again.

  He himself should also bear some responsibility for being cheated multiple times. I have checked Comrade Yixian's age, and in the 14th year of the Republic of China, he was already 42 years old. As the saying goes, "at forty, one is not confused", at this age, his character is still so naive, it's not unjust to be cheated.

  To say that he is good at fighting, but when it comes to political intrigue, he is far inferior to those seasoned officials of the Ming dynasty.

  Things have come to this point, and it's no use playing tricks or trying to retreat. There is only one way left.

  Attack! Conquer you with force!

  The Battle of Beijing has officially begun.

  Yu Qian is now dressed in his full uniform, mounted on horseback and standing at the front of the army.

  Behind him, the Desheng Gate slowly closed.

  Yu Qian faced the soldiers' astonished gaze and expressed his intention with one sentence:

  "All day long talking about loyalty and righteousness, what's the use? Now is the time to show loyalty and righteousness! Fight for the country and kill the enemy, die without giving up!"

  The soldiers finally understood that the highest guardian of the capital, the Minister of War, had gone into battle with a determination to die and had no intention of returning alive.

  At this moment, Yu Qian is no longer just a commander, but for the soldiers on the battlefield, this frail figure represents courage and the conviction of certain victory.

  An army with faith is invincible and will not be intimidated by any enemy.

  The fate of also Xian's failure was decided at this moment.

  The Wa-la army finally launched an attack, their target was Desheng Gate.

  "Gotcha! The final trick!"

  This is an opening that everyone can anticipate, the shortest path of attack is often also the most effective, as the northern gate of the capital, Deshengmen will inevitably be the first to bear the brunt.

  Yeliu wasn't a fool, he knew that the De Sheng Gate was already prepared, so he sent out a small team to scout ahead. His plan was to first investigate the situation, if the gate was solid and difficult to attack, then change his target to another gate; if there was an opportunity, then lead the main army to come and attack.

  Under this guidance, the vanguard cavalry set out and found to their surprise that they had not yet reached Desheng Gate when they discovered Ming dynasty cavalry, who were in a state of panic and disarray. They pursued them and found that it was the same all along the way. They immediately reported back to Esen.

  Also heard this military information, he immediately made his judgment: the Ming army had not yet made preparations, and was just making a show of force.

  Under the guidance of Ye Xian's correct tactical ideas, Wa La sent a large army of 10,000 men to attack De Sheng Men. The main general leading the team was Ye Xian's brother, Bo Luo Ma Luo Hai. This army was Ye Xian's elite force, and he dispatched his main force to fight, showing his determination to win at all costs.

  The great army set out from Ye Zhen's main camp, with cavalry racing ahead, smoke and dust rising in all directions, heading towards the Desheng Gate.

  With a proud and ambitious heart, Boro Mulalo Hai had never imagined that he wouldn't even be able to touch the edge of Desheng Gate.

  For waiting for them in front was a revengeful army - the Divine Machinery Battalion.

  Yu Qian and Shi Heng had analyzed the battlefield situation several days ago, and they both believed that if they clashed head-on, the Ming army would not have the upper hand. To defeat the enemy, they must use an ambush.

  Then who will ambush? They once again cast their eyes on Shenji Camp.

  It should be noted that the main force of the Divine Machinery Corps had already been annihilated in previous battles, and the remaining people were only the second-line troops of the Divine Machinery Corps. The first line was all dead, and the second line naturally became the first line.

  As the strongest combat force among the three major camps in Beijing, Shenji Camp had extremely strong confidence and a desire to win, but such an army was solved cleanly and neatly without firing a single shot or cannon at Tumu Fort.

  The Divine Machinery Corps was thus annihilated, annihilated in a way that was unclear and inexplicable.

  Such a humiliating result was unacceptable to this glorious army, so among all the garrison troops in the capital, their desire for battle was the strongest and their psychology of revenge was the heaviest.

  Assigning tasks to them is indeed the most suitable choice.

  The last divine machine is now lurking on the road to Deshengmen, hiding in the civilian houses along the way (ambushing empty houses). When the Mongolian cavalry scouts passed by with their noses up, they did not take action, because they knew that this was just a bait, and the real big fish were behind.

  Before long, a vast expanse of dust rose from the distant road, and the sound of horseshoes accompanied by the wind came, and the soldiers of the Divine Machine Battalion involuntarily tightened their grip on the firearms in their hands.

  It's here, it has finally arrived.

  Boromir led the charge at the forefront. Since the Ming army couldn't withstand a single blow, it's better to run faster and get there sooner, or else the credit would be gone.

  He had already vaguely seen Desheng Gate, and as long as he crossed the civilian houses in front of him, the capital would be within his grasp!

  The goal is within reach!

  Actually, he wasn't wrong in what he thought, his goal was indeed ahead, it's just that the final destination was a bit different.

  Not the capital city, but the underworld.

  Boromir, it ends here, this is your tomb!

  When the Wala cavalry rushed into this vast residential area, a large number of soldiers suddenly rushed out from both sides in front, blocking the way forward for the Wala. At the same time, a large number of soldiers appeared behind the Wala army, cutting off their retreat.

  This situation is called "surround and annihilate" in military strategy, known as "ambush" among the people, and colloquially referred to as "包饺子".

  It was strange that these soldiers did not launch an attack; they seemed to be waiting for something.

  Boromir did not know why they waited, nor did he care to know, but it was clear that if they didn't hurry and rush out, the fate awaiting him and the army of ten thousand people had only one outcome - death.

  He personally led the cavalry to launch a general charge against the Ming army that was besieging them, hoping to break through. He believed that relying on his own cavalry's impact force would be enough to repel these ambush troops. Of course, this took some time.

  Unfortunately, he didn't manage to buy time for a breakout.

  What awaits him is the revenge of the Divine Machine Corps' firearms.

  After a long wait and torment, the soldiers of the Divine Engine Regiment finally waited for this opportunity. They will use the firearms in their hands to severely punish these invaders, avenge the comrades who died before, and win back the honor of this elite regiment.

  In an instant, the originally quiet civilian houses suddenly emitted a loud noise, with thousands of guns firing in unison. The soldiers of the Divine Engine Corps unleashed the spirit of tunnel warfare, using the civilian houses as strongpoints, opening gun ports, and adhering to the principle of "one shot, one location change", shooting at the Wala cavalry from all directions.

  The Wala cavalry was like falling into hell, as most of them were cavalrymen and could not move between the houses. The Shenji Camp on high ground treated them as live targets, loading their guns at leisure, taking aim, and firing. The Wala cavalry went mad, wildly swinging their sabers but unable to find a target, completely unable to launch an attack. Although the horses ran fast, they could not climb onto the roofs or remove tiles, and many were killed on the spot. A few clever ones had already begun to abandon their horses and flee on foot.

  Boromoluo Hai was stunned by this sudden attack, but he didn't faint for long and was soon killed by the random gunfire of the Divine Machinery Battalion. He did not become the first to break into the capital, but unfortunately became the first high-ranking general of Wala to be shot dead in the capital.

  The commander was killed, and the army of 10,000 immediately collapsed, almost being annihilated. Thus ended the Battle of Dezhou Gate, with Shi Yong's complete defeat.

  At this moment, Yaxian was waiting for news of victory in the big camp, but what he waited for was the result of the whole army being wiped out.

  He could hardly believe his ears, since his youth, he inherited his father's great cause, fought in all directions, destroyed the Wulianghai, pacified the Jurchen, unified Mongolia, swept across the world, and no one could stop him!

  And in the Battle of Tumu Fortress, he defeated his most powerful enemy - the Great Ming. Even the emperor of the opposing side was captured, such martial arts, even his own grandfather Mahamu couldn't match him. He seemed to have seen that this magnificent capital would soon be his own, and the dream of restoring the Great Yuan would also come true in his hands, and he would establish the foundation of the empire, and his name would go down in history with Genghis Khan and Kublai Khan!

  Then Jian gave him a punch and thoroughly woke him up, shouting loudly in his ear:

  Wake up, wake up, get out of bed quickly, it's time for battle.

  Esun's Wrath

  I won't lose, and I definitely won't lose here!

  Yexian finally came to his senses and began to realize that the city in front of him was not so easy to conquer.

  But it's too late now. Ten thousand cavalrymen have been annihilated, and my younger brother Boromir has also been killed. To retreat at this point would be to bring shame upon ourselves before all the people of the world!

  Let's gamble again! I'll do it myself!

  Ye Xian also lost his patience, and he issued a general mobilization order, commanding all cavalry to launch a general attack on the nine gates of the capital city. In fact, Ye Xian should have understood in his heart that it was no longer possible for him to occupy this city.

  But this is a matter of face.

  Even if I have to leave, I want to win one more time before I go!

  Since ancient times, countless gamblers have gone bankrupt like this.

  Yeli rode his horse and personally commanded the cavalry to launch a final charge. Before that, he had carefully considered and chosen a target for this performance - Anding Gate.

  The defender of Anding Gate was Tao Jin. This person did not have a big reputation, and there were no outstanding military achievements. Anding Gate, like Desheng Gate, was also the northern gate of the capital city, with a relatively short distance, making it very suitable for military attacks. It seemed that they wanted to find an easy target as a breakthrough point, so they chose Anding Gate first.

  At his command, the elite Wala cavalry poured out and launched a charge at the weakest point of the capital city, Anding Gate.

  Of course, as before, what is called the weakest stable door is also Ah Xian's own judgment.

  Little did he know that an old friend was waiting for him outside Anding Gate and would bring him unexpected surprises.

  Of course this old friend is not a soft persimmon but a hard rock.

  Yeshi led his elite troops to rush towards the Anding Gate, but he was much more cautious than his brother, and all the way he was careful, fearing that they would be ambushed.

  But what surprised him was that all the way to Anding Gate, he didn't encounter any trouble or ambushes, which made him even more certain that Anding Gate was the weak point of the capital's defense.

  Just as he was about to launch a charge at the city gate, he was shocked to find that the defenders had abandoned their defense and were charging towards him instead!

  What's going on?

  Ye Xian was really at a loss, although he had already seen that the other side was also cavalry, but the Ming dynasty cavalry was not an opponent of the Wala cavalry, which was almost a fact recognized by everyone. However, this cavalry unexpectedly gave up its defense and launched an attack on itself, and the reason behind it was really incomprehensible.

  The reason is actually not hard to find, it's still quoting what we've repeatedly said before:

  There is always an exception to everything.

  The overall quality of the Mongol cavalry was indeed better than that of the Ming dynasty, but this does not rule out the possibility of certain exceptions. A good general combined with appropriate tactics can cultivate an excellent cavalry unit.

  The garrison at Anding Gate was just such an excellent troop, and their commander was Shi Heng, also a old acquaintance of Ye Xian.

  Shi Hong and Ye Zong were old friends, Shi Hong was originally a border general, often interacting with Ye Zong, of course, the tools they used to interact were knives and swords, and the location was the battlefield.

  In their previous interactions, both sides had wins and losses, but in the later Battle of Yanghe, Shi Heng lost everything.

  It was a moment that left Shi Hen with a deep impression, the entire army was defeated, and all around him were the bodies of his soldiers. He escaped alone, with the enemy soldiers hot on his heels. The pain of defeat and the shame of being pursued were intertwined in his heart, but Shi Hen had no time to dwell on these feelings, as his most important task at that moment was to escape with his life.

  Shi Heng, who successfully escaped back, not only did not receive any comfort, but was also stripped of his official position, and lived in the eyes of others' disdain every day, because everyone knew that this person was a loser on the battlefield, abandoned all his subordinates and soldiers, and fled alone to survive, which was really not an honorable thing.

  From then on, Shi Hu deeply engraved the name of his arch-nemesis - Also First. He told himself countless times that it was this person who brought him failure and shame, making him unable to face the families of the dead soldiers, and forcing him to bear the infamous reputation of living a life of cowardice.

  He knew that in order to wash away his shame, the only way was to find Esen and thoroughly defeat him on the battlefield, winning back his own honor!

  But the cruel fact is that I am not only a failure, but also an official who has been dismissed. Where can revenge be sought?

  At this time, Yu Qian appeared and he did not hold a grudge against Shi Heng. He promoted him and gave him an opportunity.

  A chance to prove oneself.

  Shi Heng carefully studied the characteristics of the Wala cavalry, and he used this only one month to intensify training for his soldiers, teaching them combat methods and tactics. Soon, he had a cavalry unit with considerable fighting power.

  Before the war, Shi Heng and Yu Qian both determined that Also's attack would focus on Deshengmen and Andingmen. They divided their work, with Yu Qian defending Deshengmen and arranging for the Divine Machinery Corps to set an ambush, while Shi Heng led his cavalry to meet the enemy outside Andingmen.

  When he saw the familiar flag appearing outside Anding Gate, a strong excitement hit Shi Heng's brain, and he immediately realized that his long-awaited opportunity for revenge had finally arrived.

  The cavalrymen outside the Anding Gate drew their sabers, ready to launch an attack on the invaders in front of them. Unexpectedly, before the military order was given, one person charged out alone, and it was quite ridiculous that this person who broke the military order and launched a surprise attack was actually the vanguard general of the army!

  This fierce and valiant brother who led the charge was named Shi Biao.

  Shi Biao, the nephew of Shi Heng, was a man as fierce and formidable as his name suggested. He was known for being hot-headed and unreasonable, often stirring up trouble without cause and taking pleasure in kicking up dust wherever he went. His only interests were warfare and bloodshed, and he would become ecstatic at the sight of battle, frequently shouting out cries to kill and charging forward to slaughter his enemies with a ferocity that even Shi Heng couldn't match.

  At this moment, the old problem of this brother recurred. He forgot his identity and when he saw the enemy appear, he charged forward with his weapon without regard for anything.

  By the way, Shi Biao's weapon is quite special. According to historical records, he used an axe. Of course, when going into battle, he wouldn't use a wood-chopping axe. As for whether it was Li Kui's broadaxe or Cheng Yaojin's crescent-shaped axe, it's really hard to verify. However, the fact that he used such a clumsy weapon as his personal armament at least proves one thing: this is not someone to be trifled with.

  Yan Jian saw Xian Feng Shi Biao take the lead and charge towards Ye Shen's army. The soldiers in formation suddenly came to their senses, the leader has taken the lead, what are the small soldiers waiting for!

  Shi Biao wielded a giant axe and charged into the Wa La army formation with an unstoppable momentum, striking left and right, killing Wa La soldiers in large numbers. Soon, the Ming army also arrived to assist in the battle, charging left and right into the Wa La army, causing chaos and confusion among the Wa La troops.

  He never expected that before he could even make a move, he would be beaten to the point of being unable to resist. He watched with his own eyes as Shi Biao and Ming Jun swept through his formation like a hot knife through butter, cutting down people like they were chopping vegetables. He swung his horse sword, trying to steady his footing, but the enemy was too ferocious. The vanguard and center of the Wala army were completely unable to withstand the attack, and they scattered in all directions, fleeing for their lives, unable to organize any effective resistance.

  He also began to realize that his failure seemed to be inevitable. The Ming army in front of him was not comparable to the defeated troops at Tumu Fortress. They were so good at fighting, so reckless with their lives, what made them so brave? Why couldn't his elite cavalry withstand the impact of these second-rate Ming soldiers?

  The reason is actually very simple. The Ming army guarding the city was absolutely no match for the Walloon soldiers in terms of combat power, but they had one thing that these invaders did not have.

  This is faith, the faith of defending one's homeland.

  Those who defend their homeland always have endless courage, because they understand that they are fighting to protect their parents and loved ones behind them, and their struggles and sacrifices are valuable.

  At that time, whether Yexian could understand this point, no one knows, but we can be sure that Yexian was very clear that if he did not retreat and escape, he would be annihilated.

  The great army was on the verge of collapse, and Ashina Helu had no choice but to order a full retreat. Shi Biao pursued relentlessly, striking at Ashina's rear with his heavy cavalry, and the ?zbegs cried out in anguish as they fled for their lives.

  Escaping in a sorry state, but what he didn't expect was that his misfortune hadn't ended yet. A true opponent was waiting for him on his retreat route.

  Shi Heng had already lined up his troops and was preparing to welcome the arrival of Ye Zong. Before the battle, he and Shi Biao had agreed on a plan, with Shi Biao deploying his troops in front of the Anding Gate, while Shi Heng led his soldiers to hide behind Ye Zong's rear route, waiting for Ye Zong's army to launch an attack before launching a pincer movement from both front and back, catching the enemy off guard.

  But the development of things exceeded Shi Heng's expectations, and Shi Biao was so powerful that he repelled Ye Zhen with his own strength. It's better this way, it's usually easy to beat a fallen dog.

  While Er Zhu was fleeing from Shi Bao's pursuit, without even having time to catch his breath, he was delighted to discover Shi Heng's army waiting to welcome him.

  It's finally time for revenge! You also have today!

  Shi Heng didn't show any courtesy, personally leading the troops to launch a fierce attack on Also First Army. This was a battle without suspense, and Also First Army had no intention of fighting back, collapsing at the first touch. The brave Wa La army used all their strength to escape, while the Ming army recklessly pursued Also First and killed all the Wa La soldiers they caught up with.

  The swindler has thoroughly lost this time. Although he did not pay off all the debts he owed in Tumu Fort and Yanghe, at least he paid a considerable amount of interest.

  Xizhimen Sun Bao's Dilemma

  At the same time that the An Ding Men and De Sheng Men gates were repelling the enemy, General Sun Bing of the Xi Zhi Men gate was facing an awkward predicament.

  Also's army was mainly cavalry, with strong mobility. After being defeated at Deshengmen and Andingmen, they immediately turned to Xizhimen in the west of the capital. This made things difficult for Sun Bao, who was defending this gate.

  Desheng Gate and Anding Gate, although they are the northern gates of the capital city, directly facing the enemy army, but also because of this reason, their defense is very strict. On the other hand, Xizhi Gate did not receive such treatment, the soldiers assigned to it had limited combat power and numbers. The enemy army also discovered this point, so the soldiers who were originally attacking Desheng Gate and Anding Gate turned around, seemingly forming a consensus: Xizhi Gate is easy to attack, let's go together!

  The main battlefield of the Battle of Beijing immediately shifted.

  Sun Bing was a relatively capable general, who led his troops to fight in front of the gate, leading the defending army to actively charge against the vanguard of the Wala army. He himself had high martial arts skills and was extremely brave, taking the lead among his soldiers, holding a large knife to personally participate in the battle, killing many Wala soldiers (killing several of their vanguards).

  But Sun Hao's bravery did not change the situation of Xizhimen being besieged. He was very depressed to find that the Wa La army was getting more and more, the offensive was getting stronger and stronger, and the defenders were about to collapse. After careful consideration, he made a decision - to escape.

  Retreating before a battle is indeed a shameful thing for a military general, but for Sun Hao himself, this behavior can still be understood.

  I'm also human, why should generals have to die in battle and can't retreat?!

  Can you say his idea is wrong?

  But General Sun soon discovered that there was an even bigger problem in front of him - where to escape?

  Outside, the mountains and fields are all filled with Wala troops, definitely can't run out of the city, that's looking for death.

  The best choice would be to retreat into the city, but the problem is that Lord Yu Qian issued that life-threatening order, and all the gates are closed.

  As the situation became increasingly critical, Sun Hao had no choice but to retreat to the front of the city gate and shout towards the top of the city wall:

  "I can no longer hold on, let our troops enter the city!"

  At this moment, the person guarding the city gate was Cheng Xin.

  Cheng Xin is a civil official, specifically, he is a Give Affairs in the Middle, belongs to the speech official. In my opinion, this is a very interesting person.

  He could see everything clearly from the city wall and also understood that Sun Bao was not afraid of death, but simply couldn't hold on anymore. However, he had military orders to follow and was a relatively stubborn person, or in simpler terms, someone who stuck to his principles. Therefore, he didn't open the gate, but instead stood at the top of the wall and shouted a long speech to Sun Bao.

  The general idea of this is that although I know you're working hard, have many enemies and want to enter the city, I can understand it, but because my superiors have given orders not to let you in, I must obey them. However, if you defeat your enemies, you'll be able to enter the city. So, I hope you work harder, and I will cheer for you from atop the city walls.

  This remark left Sun Bao stunned, if you can drive away the enemy, why would I look for you? Not letting them in is as simple as not letting them in, what's the point of saying so much nonsense?

  Finding a scholar-official to serve as a military general's supervisor is indeed an interesting combination that often creates a strong comedic effect.

  Sun Bao understood that although the official on the city wall had said some nonsense, the main idea was clear:

  Only two kinds of people can enter the city: the victors or the corpses!

  He turned his horse's head and headed towards the battlefield where the fierce battle was raging.

  Anyway, can't get in, might as well die here! Alright, I'll fight you to the death!

  Sometimes people must have the awareness of giving up their lives in order to find a way out.

  Sun Ao, with a desperate determination, wielded his large knife and charged towards the Also First Army to kill them. The soldiers were inspired by his bravery (which was also an unavoidable thing) and fought hard, the Ming army's morale greatly boosted, and the situation stabilized.

  Cheng Xin on the city wall was indeed a man of his word, he was quite sincere and didn't speak empty words. Apart from directing the cheerleading squad to shout slogans for Sun Bao, he also organized a group of soldiers to attack the Wala army outside the city with fire guns and bows and arrows, supporting Sun Bao with actual actions.

  At the time when the battle was at a stalemate, Shi Heng finally arrived. He had previously defeated Esen and led his troops to start a large-scale armed parade, sweeping through the Wa La army everywhere. Upon hearing that Xizhimen was under siege, he immediately rushed to support it. Under the command of this fierce general, the Ming army quickly solved the attacking Wa La army and drove them back.

  Sun Bao, who had narrowly escaped death nine times, finally extricated himself from the predicament of his life. Due to his meritorious service in battle, he was still rewarded with a title after the war. However, his wavering intentions and actions made him an object of ridicule among other generals behind his back, and many historical records left behind the unflattering account of "Bao's strength is insufficient for battle, wanting to enter the city". From then on, he continued to carry out his duties as a general under such embarrassing circumstances.

  But Sun Hong finally restored his reputation. On that chaotic night twelve years later, he proved his courage with his actions and regained his reputation.

  Esan's second plan

  At this time, Ye Xian was on the run, behind him was a group of nearly crazy Ming soldiers, these people held machetes, shouting and killing, as if they would not rest until he was torn to pieces.

  He finally understood Shi Heng's pain, being chased after was really not a pleasant thing.

  Can't stay here anymore, might as well retreat back to headquarters.

  Esen's main base was in the earthen city on the outskirts of Beijing, which is still some distance from Beijing and was Esen's solid attacking base, of course, this was not long ago.

  When Ah Xian came here again, he deeply understood the pain of a leaking house on a rainy night. He was surprised to find that on his escape route, many residents along the way climbed onto their roofs and threw bricks at him without hesitation (competing to throw stones at him). For the first time, Ah Xian experienced the pain of being pelted with bricks.

  The earth wall can't stay either, let's get out of here quickly.

  He was thoroughly desperate, he came with high hopes, but ended up with such a result, his brother was killed by random gunfire, tens of thousands of troops were defeated and scattered, and he himself was also defeated by Shi Heng, his former subordinate, and ran everywhere, what a shame.

  From the initial swagger to the current disarray, for Ye Xian, this world has changed too quickly.

  It's actually time to stop now, and the wisest decision at this moment should be to lead his troops to withdraw.

  But this comrade is a very charismatic person, since he took charge, he has been invincible, rarely meeting his match. Having suffered such a great loss here, how can he just leave like that? Where will he put his face? How will he face his subordinates when he returns?

  He then decided to wait for five more days; if the attack was ineffective within those five days, he would change his plan.

  These five days were extremely difficult for Zhu Qizhen, who used the city's ruler to negotiate with the people inside. In fact, his demands were not excessive, and giving him some money and a way out would have been enough. However, Yu Qian, the commander of the city, completely ignored him, so he resorted to force, but was repeatedly defeated and forced to flee in disarray.

  Beating didn't work, talking didn't work either. They had been squatting outside the city for five days already. The October Beijing wind and sand were big, and they had been blowing northwest winds for a full five days, with nothing to show for it. Unable to bear it any longer, he decided to use the second set of plans.

  The second plan still relied on military force as the main approach, but this time his direction of attack was no longer the capital city, but rather Juyongguan Pass.

  Juyongguan is the gateway to Beijing, and whoever occupies Juyongguan can strangle the throat of the capital. After many days of probing and attacking, it has become clear that occupying the capital is no longer possible. Therefore, he decided to take a secondary approach, attacking Juyongguan, which would allow him to advance or retreat at will, making it a very good tactical consideration.

  Also reorganized the army, gathered all forces (historical records recorded about 50,000), turned to attack Juyongguan.

  It should be said that this decision was also correct. The Guyong Pass did not have as many troops as the capital, nor did it have solid city defenses. Although Also's army was frustrated, its combat effectiveness still existed. Under normal circumstances, the Guyong Pass could not withstand Also's attack.

  What was even more unexpected was that at that time, things were not normal.

  The general guarding the Youzhou Pass was named Luo Tong. As Yaxuan had expected, he did not have enough troops or strong defenses to withstand the Wuhuan army's attack. However, it seemed that heaven was not abandoning him, and just as all hope seemed lost for Luo Tong, a helping hand arrived - the weather.

  Because the first snow of 1449 came a bit earlier than usual.

  In October of the 14th year of Zhengtong (1449), the weather was already very cold, and Zhu Tong also made full use of his knowledge of physics. With a large army pressing in below the city walls, he remained completely calm, unhurriedly ordering the defending troops to continuously pour water over the city walls. Also Xian watched as the defenders carried out this action, but he was baffled, unable to understand what they were doing, and merely ordered his men to launch a full-scale assault on the pass the next day.

  The next morning, the answer to the strange behavior of the defending army was found. Overnight, yesterday's brick and earth structure of Juyongguan Pass had turned into a huge ice block. Not to mention attacking, there wasn't even a place to set foot. In this situation, Xi also ordered the halt of the attack and camped outside the city.

  Also Xian's will was close to collapse, summarizing his experience over a month, he painfully discovered that he was like an innocent child, being repeatedly manipulated by Yang Hong, Yu Qian, Shi Hen and Luo Tong. These people were very cunning, rarely confronting him directly, but always using various tricks to calculate against him. Unfortunately, his own brain was not up to par, and he was repeatedly taken advantage of, ending up in this awkward situation where he couldn't fight or retreat.

  Having fought to this point, he had long since dared not hope for the kind of dream of retaking Beijing and restoring the Great Yuan, because reality had shattered his dreams. In my view, what he needed was just an opportunity to step down with dignity.

  Whether to advance or retreat is a matter of face.

  Under this idea, he waited foolishly outside the Ju Yong Pass for seven days, hoping that the iceberg in front of him would melt, hoping that someone could give him a chance, give him an explanation, so as not to make his grand military action become a laughing stock in people's eyes.

  But what he got was only the arrows and fire guns shot from inside the city, as well as the ruthless ridicule of the defending army.

  It's really unbearable, let's just pack up and leave.

  Also, he ordered a retreat, and the 50,000-strong army of Wala began to pack up their things and prepare to return home.

  But Luo Tong was a hospitable person, he seemed to think that leaving Yexian, this guest, outside the city for several days without paying attention to him was a bit too much, so he ignored Yexian's opposition and insisted on sending fully armed soldiers to see off Yexian, thus "three defeats, countless beheads".

  Also Xian no longer cared about anything, he had realized that this time the trouble was big, if they didn't escape now, even their lives would not be spared. He took Zhu Qizhen and prepared to retreat outside the pass.

  On the road of defeat, I took a last look at Beijing City which was near yet far away, and sighed as I left.

  It seemed that in order to reminisce about his own unfulfilled dreams, he set up camp not far outside Beijing city and spent the last night of his time in the capital.

  He thought he would just sleep well, have a good dream, and then leave the next day. But he never expected that Yu Qian had already prepared a thick gift as a farewell gift for him.

  Yelian was also an experienced military commander, who had anticipated that the defending troops inside the city might launch a night raid, so he set up his camp at a certain distance from the capital. In addition, his army was mainly composed of cavalry, so even if the defenders came out to attack, he could react calmly and withdraw his troops.

  But this time, heaven played a big joke on him again. Because he didn't receive systematic science and technology education when he was young, Comrade is going to suffer a great loss again, suffering from the loss of being uncultured.

  He had thought of everything, but he had forgotten that Yu Qian had one weapon in his hand that could put him to death without approaching his camp, and this terrible weapon was the cannon.

  The large cannons of the Ming Dynasty originated from the Song and Yuan Dynasties, after a long period of improvement, by the time of the Yongle era of the Ming Dynasty, the large cannons already had a relatively far range and extremely great power. At this time, Yu Qian had prepared dozens of large cannons and aimed the cannon mouths at Esen's camp, preparing to use these unexpected gifts to send off Esen at night.

  That night, he once again gazed longingly at the capital with endless regret and sorrow. It was later proven that this was also his last glance at the capital. What he could never understand was that his own army was well-equipped, high in morale, and had strong soldiers, while the enemy's main force had been annihilated, their equipment was incomplete, their morale was low, and their soldiers were temporary recruits with no experience to speak of. With such a disparity in strength, no matter what method he used to predict and calculate, even if he conducted public opinion polls, he should have never failed.

  But in fact, he failed.

  He may not know how many earth-shaking events took place in the capital this month, but he can feel that in that seemingly precarious city, there is a force supporting the defenders, stubbornly resisting him, and it was this power that defeated himself and created miracles.

  This power we call courage.

  As a loser, Yeshen would naturally have many thoughts, but the winner Yu Qian didn't have such leisure at this moment. He was busy gathering cannons and aiming the dark cannon mouths at Yeshen's camp, preparing to hold a grand fireworks farewell party for Yeshen in the night.

  Now, some careful readers may have noticed a contradiction here. Since Yu Qian had big guns, why didn't he use them at the beginning? Why did he wait until Also First set up camp outside the city at night and prepared to retreat before taking action?

  There is still much mystery in this.

  In our impression, Yu Qian is a straightforward and brave man, which is indeed the case, but we often overlook the fact that Yu Qian is also a seasoned politician with great tact. The reason he did not use cannons in the initial stage of the battle was because there was a person with a special identity in Also's team - Zhu Qizhen.

  Although Zhu Qizhen is no longer the emperor, if he were to be killed by cannons in a battlefield, under the watchful eyes of everyone, and in broad daylight, it would have a very bad influence, and the pressure from public opinion would be too great, so we cannot take action lightly. We also mentioned before that whether Zhu Qizhen is dead or alive is not actually important; this person is important only because people know he is the retired emperor. It is precisely for this reason that cannons were not widely used in the early stages of the war.

  But Yu Qian would absolutely not give up using this weapon because of this, he fully played out his flexible ability to handle problems and solved this difficult problem.

  Since it can't be used in broad daylight, wait until you're far away and then use it. Even if you get bombed to death, it's out of sight, out of mind; since it can't be done under the bright sun, wait until nightfall to take action. Cannons have no eyes, and when the lights are off, even if there's an "accidental injury" or "accidental killing" of His Majesty, that's also understandable.

  Finally, if Mr. Zhu's body is found on the battlefield, a name will be given to him, and some words such as "dying for the country, bravely sacrificing himself" will be written in history books, publicizing Mr. Zhu's heroic deeds of fighting against the enemy, being outnumbered and killed by the enemy army, inspiring future generations and enlightening later generations, thus completing the great achievement and fulfilling the merits.

  That night, when Altan's soldiers entered the dreamland, the camp was quiet, and the Ming army's cannons began to roar violently in the distance. Tens of thousands of cannons were fired at the same time, and Altan's camp was suddenly plunged into a sea of fire. Countless Wa soldiers were killed in their sleep, and the rest fled in all directions. Altan woke up from his dream, drew his sword out of the camp to prepare for resistance, but surprisingly found that there were no enemies in front of him, only those deadly gifts falling from the sky.

  The Wala army camp was in a mess, while the Ming army artillery in the distance was calm and unhurried, treating the Wala soldiers as moving targets, taking aim and firing at will, which was also a practical lesson in artillery aiming training.

  It has come to this point, and there's nothing more to say. The Wa-la army camp was engulfed in a sea of flames, suffering heavy losses (firing large cannons at their camp, killing tens of thousands), yet not a single enemy was seen. Comrade Ai led his comrades, still with unfinished beautiful dreams, to leave this sorrowful place under the cover of night.

  Thus ended the Battle of Beijing, with the Ming dynasty emerging completely victorious.

  The Defense of Beijing was a very important battle in Chinese history. If this battle had failed, Chinese history would have been rewritten, because once the capital fell, the north would have been defenseless and half of the empire would have been lost. The fate of the Ming dynasty would also have been changed. In this decisive war for history, the Ming government adopted the correct military and diplomatic strategies under the circumstances of its main force being annihilated, the emperor being captured, insufficient troops, and no morale, ultimately defeating the invading Mongolian army and preserving the empire's northern territory, achieving a final victory.

  From a plate of loose sand, on the verge of collapse to a united city, as solid as a rock, from a sky full of dark clouds, with the enemy at the gates to the clouds dispersing and the fog lifting, defeating the enemy thousands of miles away, the Ming Empire finally turned danger into safety. The Battle for the Defense of Beijing created a miracle that reversed the tide. And the creator of this miracle was Yu Qian.

  When almost everyone else had given up hope in the current situation, he stood out and took on the heavy responsibility of saving the country from its desperate plight.

  When things were chaotic and desperate, he took it upon himself, struggling hard until victory arrived.

  No matter how complex and difficult the situation is, no matter how dark the prospect is, he has never given up hope, always adhering to his efforts and struggles.

  So, in my view, the Defense of Beijing is not just a war between certain forces on a certain day in a certain month and year recorded in history books, nor is it just a win-or-lose relationship written by the victor and vanquished. Behind these formulaic words lies the radiance of humanity.

  This war is actually telling us a story not about the great achievements of kings, generals and ministers, but a story about courage and determination, a legend that persists in its beliefs even in desperate situations.

  No matter how desperate the situation is, don't give up hope and stick to it, you will surely create a miracle.

  Yu Qian proved this truth with his actions.

  Esan's Second Enemy

  Esun also retreated from Guanwai, but did not admit his own failure. He hoped to reorganize the army and attack the capital again. However, at this time, a hidden enemy appeared, disrupting Esun's plan. This enemy was more terrifying than the Ming army because he suddenly appeared behind Esun.

  Toghon Temür was the heir of the Yuan dynasty, and also the Khan of Mongolia promoted by Esen. In other words, he was the leader of Esen, but this leadership was really frustrating because he himself did not have enough military power, so in front of his name, people always added two prefixes - puppet.

  It is proven that Genghis Khan's descendants are generally not mediocre, at least this Toghon Temür is not. According to historical records, he was a very astute and capable person who was extremely dissatisfied with his current status but had no sufficient capital or military power to challenge Yesün Temür, so he could only endure in silence.

  It's not surprising that the third-in-command of the Wa La tribe, Zhiyuan Alu, was also dissatisfied with Yesen. People like Yesen who are so powerful naturally think they are the best and don't put others in their eyes. Just like this, a serious crack appeared within the seemingly invincible Wa La, and Yesen was also aware of these situations in his heart. However, he relied on his large army and didn't take Tegus Khatan and Alu seriously, treating them as extras who could be ordered around at will. But what he didn't expect was that this crack would completely destroy his grand ambitions.

  These struggles within the Wa-la naturally did not escape the eyes of the Ming ministers, who made full use of this and expanded the contradictions between them. The one in charge of this hidden front was the old underground worker Hu Mian. In fact, his work was highly effective.

  Also, just after leaving Guanwai, there was still some expectation, because before departure, he had issued an order, ordering Longta Jia Tudunhua and Longta Yi Alacheng to station troops outside the pass. Once his own battle situation is unfavorable, he will immediately enter the pass and join forces for a decisive battle. However, when he really issued the order to join forces, he was surprised to find that these two dragon brothers had disappeared without a trace.

  It turned out that these two gentlemen had already made their calculations before the attack, they thought that even if they won, it would be also's credit, and they wouldn't gain anything, while if they lost, they would suffer losses, this business was not worth doing (the benefits go to Also, the harm is shared), so they were happy to follow Also's orders, indicating that they were willing to serve as a reserve team, waiting outside the pass.

  When they heard that Esen had failed, they were overjoyed and celebrated wildly. Moreover, the Ming government was fanning the flames on one side and making great efforts to win them over. Before Esen even withdrew from the passes, they had already become envoys of peace, sending emissaries to the Ming court to sue for peace and presenting horses as gifts.

  Now the comrades are in big trouble, not only were they beaten and fled in disarray, but even after escaping from the pass, there was no one to respond. To describe it as miserable is not an exaggeration, but these are just small problems. The bigger problem is that he is only the Taishi of Wala, Toghon Temür may be a puppet, but after all, he is still the nominal leader. Now that the leader has already surrendered, how can this Taishi continue to fight?

  After much thought, with no way out, the treacherous and isolated one could only reluctantly sheathe his sword, return home to tend to his pastures, and his dream of unifying the world was forever shattered.

  History has repeatedly proven that aggressors who provoke wars will ultimately fail.