Chapter Ninety: Sudden Changes in the Wind and Clouds

The Mongol Khorchin tribe roamed the vast grasslands east of the Erden Sea.

As stated earlier, the Khorchin were the first to forge marriage ties and an alliance with the Jurchens. Zhuang Fei Bumbutai, who had already been carried off to the central plains by Wang Pu, as well as Chen Fei Hailanzhu and Empress Zhezhe, were all Khorchin women.

The Khorchin tribe was now divided into four branches.

These four men were brothers, from eldest to youngest: Prince Heshuo Joriktu Uksan, Beile Chahan, Junwang Sonamu, and Prince Darhan Baturu Manjushili. Because the Khorchin had given the Jurchens such wholehearted support, after Hong Taiji conquered the Mongols he bestowed upon them all the immense grasslands stretching from the Songnen Plain to the Xiramuren River. Thereafter, that region came to be broadly known as the Khorchin Grassland.

Prince Darhan Baturu Manjushili even had his khan's camp set up at Changshan, less than a hundred li from Shengjing.

It was this very Manjushili with whom Wang Pu had already crossed paths during his surprise raid on Shengjing, and it was Wang Pu himself who had wiped out Manjushili's three thousand elite guards.

Roaming the grasslands east of the Erden Sea was Prince Heshuo Joriktu Uksan, whose khan's court stood at Sanbulachuan, some five hundred li or so from both Guihua and Datong.

One crucial reason Wang Pu's four thousand cavalry had been able to appear outside Guihua City without anyone noticing was that he had made ample preparations: he had sent Big Beard, Scarface, and Monk Zhang to each lead two hundred horsemen disguised as Jurchen elite cavalry, and any Mongols they encountered along the way were caught completely off guard and eliminated on the spot. Another reason was that all four thousand cavalry were light horsemen, each man carrying only seven days' rations, unburdened by provisions or baggage.

But Zhang Zian had made no such preparations.

Moreover, Zhang Zian led an army of more than ten thousand cavalry, laden with large quantities of supplies and baggage, an imposing force indeed.

As a result, the Khorchin spotted Zhang Zian's army the moment it left the Great Wall. They then sent the news at once to Uksan's court at Sanbulachuan. Almost on the very day Zhang Zian's army reached the Erden Sea, Prince Heshuo Joriktu of the Khorchin had already received word.

The Khorchin discovered the Ming army a full three days earlier than Wang Pu had expected.

In other words, Prince Heshuo Joriktu gained three full extra days to summon his people. The Khorchin were far stronger than the Tumet. Under Prince Heshuo Joriktu alone, there were three thousand standing elite horsemen; within three days he could gather at least another eight thousand cavalry, and within ten days at least thirty thousand!

Now Wang Pu and Zhang Zian were in serious trouble.

Sanbulachuan. Uksan's khan's court.

As the tent flap lifted, Uksan's three sons—Banktu, Sogar, and Tagar—strode in with heads held high, then knelt on one knee and placed a hand over their chests in salute.

"Your sons pay respect to Father Khan."

Though the Mongols had already submitted to the Jurchens, Jurchen rule over the Mongols was only nominal. In truth, given the conditions at the time, the Jurchens were simply not capable of directly ruling the vast Mongol lands. Thus the Mongol tribes still preserved the custom of calling themselves khans.

"Rise," Uksan said gravely. "All of you, rise."

The three stood. Uksan then beckoned them to gather around the brazier.

From his robes Uksan took out a letter on yellow paper and said solemnly, "The two regent princes have sent an urgent secret dispatch. They want all the Mongol tribes to make preparations in advance. As soon as the snow melts next spring, the Great Qing will send all its elite cavalry by way of Mongolia, cross the Great Wall from the Erden Sea region, and go straight for Datong."

The eldest son, Banktu, asked, "Does Father Khan think this campaign by the Great Qing is to avenge the late emperor, or, as before, merely to seize people and goods from the Ming?"

Uksan thought for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "With its current strength, the Great Qing cannot yet destroy the Ming. But this campaign is certainly different from the previous ones. The earlier expeditions were only meant to probe the Ming army's true strength and, incidentally, plunder people and wealth. This time, however, it is for revenge."

The second son, Sogar, said with feeling, "One can only imagine that once the Qing troops break through the passes, the central plains of the Ming will be strewn with corpses and rivers will run red with blood. Especially the people of Shanxi and Datong—because of Wang Pu, the general of Datong, they may well be slaughtered to the last chicken and dog..."

The third son, Tagar, suddenly said, "Father Khan, I have heard that Wang Pu has already returned to Datong."

"Oh?" Uksan said. "From whom did you hear that?"

Tagar replied, "A caravan of horse traders from Shanxi passed through Sanbulachuan a few days ago. That is what they said."

Uksan said, "This news is important. It must be reported at once to the two regent princes."

"Great Khan!" he had just finished speaking when the captain of the guard hurried in, knelt, and reported, "A herdsman has come on horseback with word that a large Ming force has been sighted at the Erden Sea!"

"What!?"

At the sudden news, Uksan and his three sons all sprang to their feet and asked in unison, "What did you say?"

The captain of the guard reported again, "Great Khan, a herdsman has come on horseback with word that a large Ming force has been sighted at the Erden Sea!"

"The Ming army!?" Uksan said in disbelief. "You mean the Ming troops have crossed the Great Wall and reached the Erden Sea?"

The captain of the guard said, "Exactly."

"Impossible," Uksan said with a frown and a shake of his head. "Have the Ming troops grown so bold that they dare send an army against us Mongols at a time like this?"

"Father Khan," Tagar suddenly reminded him, "do not forget that Wang Pu has already returned to Datong!"

"Yes," Banktu chimed in. "That Wang Pu took only a thousand cavalry to launch a surprise attack on Shengjing. No one imagined he would dare do such a thing, and in the end not only did he take Shengjing, he even captured the late emperor and the two imperial consorts! What in this world is there that Wang Pu would not dare to do?"

"That is true enough. Wang Pu really is the sort who fears neither heaven nor earth. In that case, the Ming really may have launched an expedition?" Uksan's expression changed. Turning back, he asked the captain of the guard, "Do we know how many men the Ming has brought? Have the armies from the Three Frontiers of Shaanxi and the troops of Shanxi all come as well, or is it only the Datong garrison?"

The captain of the guard said, "That herdsman said there are roughly ten thousand or so Ming troops."

"Ten thousand?" Uksan said. "Then it seems only the Datong garrison has come."

"Father Khan," Sogar cried, "if we can defeat the Ming army at the Erden Sea this time and capture Wang Pu alive, that would be an immense achievement. The newly enthroned emperor and the two regent princes will all be deeply grateful to us, and our Khorchin tribe's standing will become even more exalted!"

Banktu and Tagar echoed him, saying, "This time, we must not let Wang Pu return alive to Datong."

Uksan pondered for a moment, then cried out, "Banktu!"

The eldest son hurried forward and answered loudly, "Your son is here."

Uksan said, "Take three thousand elite guards and ride at once to the Erden Sea. Once you arrive, do not engage the Ming in decisive battle. Your task is only to pin them down and do everything possible to delay their movements. Above all, you must not allow them to slip back into Datong. You must buy time for the main force to reach the Erden Sea!"

Banktu answered sharply, "Your son obeys."

Uksan then said, "Sogar!"

Sogar answered, "Your son is here."

Uksan said, "Take my command arrow and immediately summon the herdsmen of Sanbulachuan. Within three days gather eight thousand cavalry, then ride without pause to the Erden Sea."

Sogar said, "Your son obeys."

Uksan then said, "Tagar!"

Tagar answered, "Your son is here."

Uksan said, "Take my command arrow and go to the eastern bank of the Xiramuren River to summon our people. You are to gather thirty thousand cavalry within ten days, then hurry to the Erden Sea as fast as you can."

Tagar said, "Your son obeys."

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and soon it was the sixth day of the first lunar month in the fifteenth year of Chongzhen.

Under the frantic driving of Wang Pu's four thousand horsemen, the women, children, and elderly of the Tumet, along with more than a hundred head of cattle, sheep, and other livestock, had already appeared on the outskirts of the Erden Sea. By then, Zhang Zian had led his force of more than ten thousand mounted and infantry troops to hold the line at the Erden Sea for a full two days. Banktu's three thousand Khorchin elite cavalry were already only fifty li away, eight thousand Khorchin horsemen had assembled in Sanbulachuan, and even more Khorchin cavalry were gathering on the eastern bank of the Xiramuren River.

Erden Sea, Zhang Zian's command tent.

Zhang Zian was gathering the several deputy generals, subordinate commanders, and cavalry commanders of Datong Garrison inside his own tent for a stern lecture.

"Listen carefully, all of you," Zhang Zian said in a cold, sinister voice. "This expedition to the Erden Sea concerns the safety of Datong Garrison, the safety of all the garrisons along the Nine Frontiers, and the safety of the Great Ming itself. It is a matter of grave importance. From this moment on, if anyone dares speak of retreat and disturb the army's morale, then do not blame this servant for turning on him without mercy!"

The senior generals of Datong Garrison wore bitter expressions.

No matter how hard they tried, they could not understand why Zhang the Eunuch, who usually seemed more afraid of death than anyone, had suddenly become so warlike. In a situation where Datong Garrison was already stretched so thin, to march on the Erden Sea was unthinkable enough, but now this old eunuch actually intended to wait there as well. Was that not simply inviting the Mongol cavalry to arrive and annihilate the Ming army?

Yet now that Zhang Zian had spoken as he had, no one dared advise him again.

In truth, Zhang Zian was afraid of death too, but he had no choice. An imperial oral decree from the Chongzhen Emperor and a secret letter from Wang Chengen had driven him to the brink. If he could not seize the million cattle, sheep, and horses from the Tumet and drive them back to Datong this time, then his career as the eunuch in charge of Datong would be over, and another wronged soul would be added to some dry well within the Forbidden City.

To preserve his own life and wealth, Zhang Zian had no choice but to take the risk.

"Report..." Just as Zhang Zian was growing too anxious to sit still, Zhao Xin, the thousand-man commander from Datong, suddenly entered the tent and reported loudly, "Eunuch, the scouts have returned with word. Ten li west of the Erden Sea they found a great mass of Mongols. Strangely enough, though, they are all women, children, and old people, driving tens of thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands, of cattle, sheep, and other livestock toward the Erden Sea in a panic."

"Good!" Hearing this, Zhang Zian was overjoyed. "The son-in-law truly has not disappointed me!"

The several Datong generals standing stiffly on either side exchanged glances, each showing a bewildered expression.

In truth, Zhang Zian the old eunuch had done an excellent job of keeping things secret. Even now, these senior officers of Datong Garrison still did not know where Wang Pu had taken those four thousand horsemen, or what he was doing.

"Eunuch, what is going on with these Mongol women, children, and old people?"

"Eunuch, had you and the son-in-law already planned this long ago?"

Seeing events take a turn beyond expectations, these senior generals immediately shifted with the wind and began flattering Zhang Zian instead. Zhang Zian gave a smug laugh and said, "To tell you the truth, over a month ago this servant had already planned this military operation together with the son-in-law. The purpose was to annihilate the Tumet tribe in the lower reaches east of the Yellow River."

"Eunuch, your grasp of warfare is divine. We are in awe."

"Even if the reincarnation of Zhuge Liang were here, he could scarcely do more. What do you all say?"

The senior officers showered him shamelessly with praise. Zhang Zian, however, stepped behind the table, planted himself there, and screeched, "All generals take orders!"

The officers and Zhao Xin straightened at once into two neat rows and answered loudly, "Your humble servants await commands."

Zhang Zian adjusted the brocade robe on his body, his ambition now in full bloom, and shouted, "The time has come to win merit for His Majesty and for the Great Ming. Leave two thousand men to guard the camp, and send the rest out at once. Wipe out the remnants of the Tumet in one blow, and drive all their cattle and sheep back to Datong!"

"Yes!"

The generals roared their assent and turned away in high spirits.

The scouts had just reported that only the old, the weak, the women, and the children of the Tumet had fled to the Erden Sea. This was nothing less than a heaven-sent chance to win glory. If they did not seize the merit now, then even their ancestors eighteen generations deep would weep in their graves.