The Ming Dynasty's Five Hundred Years

Chapter 125: Onon River
"Mingda, you have rendered a great service to the Ming Dynasty."

Yang Rong said to Li Xianmu with great admiration, "You are indeed worthy of being the son of Li Wenzhong, and you are a person who can exemplify the virtues of a sage."

This may sound a bit awkward, but the meaning is easy to understand.

The relocation of Daningwei to the south had major problems, and it wasn't just one person who noticed them, but who dared to bring them up?
Historically, it wasn't until Zhu Di's death and Zhu Gaochi's ascension to the throne in the first year of the Hongxi reign that someone proposed rebuilding the Daning Guard again. However, by then, the environment north of the capital had already undergone tremendous changes, and the opportunity to rebuild the Daning Guard had been lost.

As Li Qi watched this scene, he wondered if the Tumu Crisis would still occur if the Daning Guard was rebuilt.

"However, the Tumu Crisis should not have happened in the first place. It was mainly because Bao Zong and Wang Zhen were too outrageous. They insisted on doing things they didn't have the skills for. The general's incompetence led to the death of the entire army. Unless we can persuade him not to personally lead the expedition, we will still be doomed."

Zhu Di and Zhu Zhanji both personally led their armies into battle and achieved considerable success. Zhu Qizhen grew up listening to stories of Emperor Taizong and the previous emperor, and regarded the two emperors as his idols. How could he not follow suit and personally lead his army into battle?
There's simply no solution!

Li Qi shook his head helplessly. The power of role models is boundless. With Zhu Di and Zhu Zhanji as examples, it was perfectly normal for Zhu Qizhen to personally lead an expedition.

It's like having Li Shimin and Li Chengqian in front, followed by a group of emperors at Xuanwu Gate. Isn't that the family law of our ancestors?
Judging by his age, Li Xianmu should still be alive at that time. He wouldn't have died at Tumu Fortress like Zhang Fu, would he?
Li Qi frowned. He would have to ask Li Xianmu to stay in the capital through a dream. He had dug a big pit for the Ming emperor earlier, saying that "only the emperor's son can become emperor," which was prepared for Zhu Qizhen, Zhu Qiyu, and Zhu Jianshen.

If Li Xianmu dies at Tumu Fortress, wouldn't all his preparations be in vain?

"Zirong, you flatter me. As a subject, there are always things I should do."

"Yes, it is what should be said, but no one dares to do it. I am also one of those who choose to protect myself. That is why you are so rare, Mingda. Moreover, it is a miracle that His Majesty did not punish you."

From Yang Rong's change in attitude, Li Xianmu sensed what his father had said: when you do what others cannot or dare not do, your reputation will increase.

After the two entered their respective tents, Li Xianmu murmured to himself, "It's just because of this royal bloodline. It has limited me, but it has also given me more composure."

This is the truth.

Night fell.

……

The Tatar Khan Bunyashiri was probably a comedian.

Even before the Ming army arrived, they were already dreaming of restoring the glory of the Golden Family, attacking the Uriyangkhai in the east and the Oirats in the west, and in their dreams they had already reunified the Mongol tribes and once again ruled the world.

When news arrived that the Ming Dynasty had sent 500,000 troops to conquer the Mongols, they suddenly realized that their army was no match for the Ming Dynasty.

At this point, he remembered to contact the Uriyangkhai and the Oirats, saying, "We are all brothers of the Mongols. Can we just watch the Ming Dynasty attack us like this?"

What else could this be but a comedian?
Although the Uriyangkhai had ulterior motives, they were currently engaged in a fierce struggle with the Ming Dynasty, so why would they get involved in such a mess?

The Oirat Mongols had just accepted the title of Prince of Shunyi from the Ming Dynasty, and they were practically laughing out loud when they saw the Ming Dynasty attacking the Tatars.

Li Qi couldn't understand the thought process of the Tatar Khan Benyashiri after seeing it in history.

To be honest, the fact that the Oirats and Uriyangkhai didn't join forces with the Ming Dynasty to fight the Tatars is already quite a show of respect. To expect them to help him is just wishful thinking.

After failing to get any help, Benyashiri realized that he should run away as soon as possible; he had no intention of fighting back at all.

Fortunately, Zhu Di was unaware of their thoughts, otherwise Li Xianmu would have worried that Zhu Di would underestimate his enemy.

When you're down on your luck, even drinking cold water can cause problems.

Benyashiri dared not flee eastward because the Uriyangkhai were now vassals of the Ming Dynasty, and he feared that the Uriyangkhai would hand him over to the Ming Dynasty directly. So he fled westward, but he never expected what would happen.

They ran right into Zhu Di's army on the road!
Benjamin was completely terrified; the army stretched as far as the eye could see, like a mountain range.

And this was only the elite cavalry under Zhu Di's command!

Benjamin's encounter with Zhu Di could be seen as bad luck, but it could also be considered somewhat inevitable.

Because Zhu Di left the main army behind and only took the elite cavalry that were easy to move, he anticipated that Benyashiri would run away, so he came to the west to intercept him.

In this clash of ideas between the two, Zhu Di had a slight edge.

As a result, Benjamin's troops had barely finished assembling their formation when Zhu Di broke through their lines, forcing them to abandon all their baggage, gold, silver, and jewels and flee in panic once again.

Zhu Di naturally pursued relentlessly, giving Benyashiri no chance to survive, not even allowing him to rest.

At the same time, he ordered the troops behind to catch up to prevent any problems with the elite cavalry.

The pursuit only stopped when they reached a gently flowing river.

This is the Onon River!

In Mongolian history, this is a sacred river, comparable to the Banjul River. On the Banjul River, Genghis Khan made a vow to share wealth and honor with all people, and he later fulfilled that vow. Everyone who participated in the oath eventually achieved great success, and their names were engraved in history.

The Onon River is where Genghis Khan unified Mongolia.

After Benyashiri fled here, he was in tears and said to all the Mongols, "This is the holy land of Mongolia. Are we really going to be driven out here by the Han people who are like slaves?"
Just like how we drive livestock!
right here!

"Great Eternal Heaven, great Genghis Khan, will protect us and defeat those despicable Han people! I am the Great Khan, surrounded by the sun and moon, the protector of the Eternal Heaven! Warriors, follow me into battle!"

The morale that had been waning during their escape was reignited on the banks of the Onon River.

"This is the Onon River."

Zhu Di squinted at the Tatar army, whose morale had been rekindled. "No wonder those Mongols suddenly stopped fleeing and even dared to fight back! Unfortunately, one must eat one bite at a time."

An army is forged through repeated trials and tribulations.

A weak Mongol Empire cannot cultivate a powerful army, while my Great Ming Dynasty is at its peak!

Zhu Di raised his sword high and shouted fiercely!
"Soldiers!"

"This is the Onon River!"

"It is one of the holy sites that the Mongols regard as sacred sites."

“Since the Tang Dynasty, no Han Chinese have reached this place for five hundred years.”

“The King of Kaiping, the King of Zhongshan, and Lan Yu have never been here before, but now you are setting foot on land that has not been set foot on for five hundred years.”

Zhu Di was also adept at boosting morale. During the years of defeat and hardship in the Jingnan Campaign, he was able to persevere because of his strong will, and the soldiers were able to persevere because he instilled that strong will in everyone.

"The Tatar Khan is right across from us, trying to provoke our Great Ming army. Tell me, what should we do?"

"kill!"

"kill!"

"kill!"

A series of increasingly loud voices resounded, even causing the clouds in the sky to disperse due to the malevolent energy.

"The Ming army is mighty!"

"The Ming army is mighty!"

Zhu Di, clad in black armor, galloped among the troops, and wherever he went, thunderous cheers resounded.

The Tatar cavalry roared in, but what greeted them was not the Ming cavalry, but the Shenji Battalion, one of the three major battalions!

Three-section muskets and cannons!

During the Jingnan Rebellion, the Yan army had an absolute cavalry advantage, which the imperial army could hardly resist. At first, the Yan army was indeed invincible, but it was soon defeated by Tie Xuan, Sheng Yong and others with firearms, and even lost in open field battles.

After that, Zhu Di improved his tactics.

These are the three major camps!

The three battalions are naturally the three battalions.

The Five Armies were a mix of cavalry and infantry, and they were the main force of Zhu Di's attacks.

The Three Thousand Battalion, with three thousand Mongol cavalry as its backbone, was the strongest cavalry force.

The Shenji Battalion, one of the three major battalions, was the firearms battalion, which was the first line of defense against cavalry.

First, the Shenji Battalion bombarded the cavalry, then the Wujun Battalion blocked them from the front, while the Shenji Battalion retreated to the rear and flanks to continue the attack, and the Sanqian Battalion also followed suit.

It sounds simple: first bombard with firearms, then charge with cavalry, and finally send in the infantry, but it places great emphasis on the commander's ability.

Another very famous figure in later generations was skilled in this tactic of combining firearms and cavalry; his name was Napoleon, who conquered most of Europe.

Zhu Di was undoubtedly the best of the best!
Just two hours earlier, Benyashiri, who had vowed to restore the glory of Mongolia, instantly forgot all his grand ambitions in the face of the collapsing army.

They say the Onon River is a sacred place, and they don't want to run anymore.

It was all just empty talk. He spurred his horse and galloped away, comforting himself, "No one would actually go to their death willingly, would they? That would be too stupid. The men of the grasslands never lack the courage to start over."

Zhu Di slowly stopped riding his warhorse, which was panting heavily. The beautiful banks of the Onon River were littered with corpses and blood, which even stained the river red.

ended.

The setting sun hangs in the sky.

From a distance, green grass has already sprouted on the ground.

Green and red intertwine in everything.

Beautiful and strange.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Amidst the swirling sandstorms, nestled among rolling hills, and along the beautiful Onon River, this place was once the sacred land where Genghis Khan unified Mongolia. The Mongol Empire swept across Asia and Europe, reaching almost every civilized world in the East and West!
Two hundred years later, a Han Chinese emperor, leading an army stronger than ever before since the Tianbao era of the Tang Dynasty, reigned supreme here and defeated the descendants of Genghis Khan, the Khan of the Golden Family!
This is the great Han civilization, a true darling of heaven. Even when it falls into the abyss, it never lacks vitality. No matter how long it takes, there will always be a great, unique, and divine being who will lead the nation to rejuvenation!

In this era, he is called—

Emperor Taizong of Ming!

Zhu Di! —From "These Things About the Ming Dynasty"

(End of this chapter)