Ever since Emperor Taizu expelled the Northern Yuan Dynasty and drove the Mongols out of the Yinshan Mountains, the Ming Dynasty's defense line outside the customs has actually been in a state of continuous shrinkage.
Beyond the long Great Wall, the Yellow River rises from Ningxia and spirals around, forming an area called the Hetao outside the pass.
This plain has flat terrain, abundant water and grass, and stretches as far as the eye can see. For the nomadic people who live by the water, it is a God-given place to thrive.
However, for the Ming Dynasty, it was an extremely useless existence.
As early as when Emperor Taizu founded the country, he ordered two generals, Xu Da and Li Wenzhong, to take back the Hetao and set up five guard posts including Dongsheng to garrison it.
From a military point of view, controlling the Hetao can keep the enemy away from the Yinshan Mountains and ensure that the Ming Dynasty is in an advantageous position in border confrontations.
But at the same time, the price to be paid is also huge.
The entire Hetao, a plain with a radius of hundreds of miles, has no defensive fortifications like the Great Wall to rely on. To form a complete defense force, a huge amount of troops need to be invested.
The Ming Dynasty was essentially a farming civilization. For the nomads, this grassland was a God-given land, but it could not bring any output to the people of the Ming Dynasty.
On the contrary, in order to control the Hetao, Ming Dynasty spent a huge amount of military expenditure on the border every year.
So in the Taizong period, Emperor Taizong subdued the three guards of Duoyan and implemented the policy of restraining and placing them in the Hetao area to consolidate the defense line. However, the army of the Ming Dynasty Guards continued to shrink.
Later, the three guards of Duoyan surrendered and rebelled again. Although Taizong personally conquered them many times, they were not of my race after all, and it was difficult to make them sincerely surrender.
Until the reigns of Xuanzong and Renzong, although the Duoyan Sanwei nominally surrendered to the Ming Dynasty, in fact they had secret contacts with the Tatars, Walas and other tribes, gradually turning Hetao into a place of struggle between various Mongolian tribes.
By the time the emperor came to power, Hetao was basically completely out of Ming control, allowing the Mongols to come and go freely.
Not to mention anything else, this time the army will be sent south first. Its logistics location is Weining Haizi, located in the Hetao area near the foot of Yinshan Mountain.
This place is about five hundred miles away from Datong. With the full strength of the cavalry, it can be reached in one day.
On the endless grassland, along the winding and wide river, countless military tents are located here, dotted here, countless.
This is where Ye Xian’s army camped.
Among the countless military tents, there are three that are the largest and most beautiful. In the middle is Yexian's military tent, and on both sides are the military tents of his younger brother Boyantemur and Polo.
As the sun slowly set in the west, the army began to light fires for cooking, and lights lit up in various tents.
In the military tent on the left side, there is a tall man named Haming. He is the only one who survived to serve the emperor after Tumu. The other one is Yuan Bin.
Ha Ming watched the maid who came to deliver the meal leave, and then carefully tried the dishes on the table one by one with the silver needle in her hand. Then he came to the bed and said respectfully to the emperor in the blue dragon robe.
“Your Majesty, it’s time to have dinner.”
Zhu Qizhen was sitting on the couch. When he heard the call, he woke up. Looking at the flickering candlelight, he asked: "Ha Ming, what time is it now?"
“Return to the Emperor, it’s time for Xu.”
Ha Ming sighed softly in his heart, looking at the emperor's dazed look, he was worried.
Ever since the civil engineering incident happened, the emperor has been like this. He is in a daze every day, not knowing what he is thinking, and it makes people tremble with fear.
"Xu Shi...that day was also Xu Shi..."
Zhu Qizhen muttered silently, as if he remembered something, and a trace of pain appeared on his face. After a moment, Zhu Qizhen suddenly asked Ha Ming.
“Tomorrow is the first day of the new moon, right?”
Ha Ming nodded. They were counting the days every day these days. It has been half a month since the Civil War.
After thinking about it, Ha Ming still said: "Your Majesty, you don't have to worry too much. The last time Yue Qian and the others came over, they told me that the Queen Mother had received the news and would try her best to make things right. As long as you keep your spirits up, you can't get through it."
How long will it take for you to return to the capital? The whole court is still waiting for you to go back and avenge this arrow!"
An enemy with one stone?
A bitter smile appeared on Zhu Qizhen's face, and he said: "I have already fallen into this situation, so why do I want to take revenge? It's just a precarious situation."
Looking at the emperor's lonely appearance, Ha Ming couldn't help but feel anxious.
He also knew that the Civil Engineering Incident had a huge impact on the emperor, almost abruptly breaking all the emperor's pride.
The current emperor is not as ambitious as he was when he set off for the expedition. He just wants to get through one day at a time and live in a muddleheaded way.
But we can’t go on like this!
If this continues, if the Emperor has something he can't think of, won't those who follow the Emperor also lose their lives?
With his mind spinning, Ha Ming said: "Your Majesty, I dare to say that even if you don't think about yourself, you must still think about the Queen Mother and the Empress in the palace."
Hearing this, Zhu Qizhen's expression moved, but he did not speak.
There is a door...
Seeing this, Ha Ming hurriedly said: "Your Majesty, please think about it. Although we have not seen any envoys these days, everything the Queen has sent, including winter clothes and python robes, are all knitted by her own hands. It shows that the Queen has always cared about you."
!”
"Besides, there is the Queen Mother. She only has your son. If you can't go back, won't she be alone for the rest of her life? So even if it's for the sake of the two queens, you have to be careful!"
Zhu Qizhen was stunned for a long time, and finally turned into a sigh and said: "You don't have to say it, I understand, I have already failed the country, how can I fail my mother and the empress again? In this way, doesn't it mean that I am an unfilial and unkind person?"
Seeing that the emperor finally regained some of his energy, Ha Ming slowly relaxed and continued to persuade.
"Your Majesty, the sage said, when Heaven assigns a great responsibility to this person, he must first work hard and work hard on his body and mind. This may be because God is testing you. After this experience, you will definitely achieve great achievements.
"
Zhu Qizhen nodded and said: "Don't worry, if I can return to Beijing, I will not treat you and Yuan Bin badly."
Ha Ming then prostrated himself deeply: "I thank you, Your Majesty."
After this conversation, most of the candles were burned. Ha Ming stood up and waited on Zhu Qizhen to have a meal in front of the table.
Zhu Qizhen picked up his chopsticks and took a few bites, then heard a commotion outside, and then the big tent was opened, and a man with a gloomy face and the appearance of a chamberlain wearing a python robe walked in.
"I am pleased to be with you. Please send my regards to your Majesty."
Although the servant in python robe said greetings, his face was arrogant and he only raised his hands without any real intention of greetings.
Zhu Qizhen’s face was a little ugly, but he also understood that people had to bow their heads when under the eaves.
Although Xi Ning was an eunuch in the palace before, now that he has taken refuge with Ye Xian and is deeply trusted, he becomes even more rude in front of him.
Hibernating not to have an attack, Zhu Qizhen put down his chopsticks with a cold face. He didn't bother to talk nonsense and asked directly: "What's the matter?"
Xi Ning looked at the way the great emperor wanted to have a seizure but had to endure it, and felt so comfortable in his heart.
More and more, he felt that it was right for him to seek refuge first. Otherwise, he, a humble eunuch, would not have had the chance to see the mighty Emperor of the Ming Dynasty begging for compromise in front of him.
"Your Majesty, your Majesty, I am here. I have something happy to say to Your Majesty."
Two steps forward, Xi Ning sat down, thinking about himself, and then said with a smile on his face.
"The Emperor is now invited by the Grand Master to be a guest. It is a good opportunity for Daming and Wala to get to know each other. The Grand Master has always admired Daming, so he decided to marry his own sister to you. The Grand Master said that he will only wait for the marriage.
Send the emperor back to Beijing immediately. Don’t you think this is a great event?"