Chapter 56: The Defense of Beiping! Old Zhu Expresses Sheer Delight!

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Oirat took Zhu Qizhen to Xuanfu, Datong, and other places to demand entry, attempting to make the garrison open the gates and surrender. Meeting no success, they began trying to loot wealth, but the Great Ming had ancestral precepts and completely ignored him!
Aside from his Empress, Empress Qian, in order to welcome her husband back to the court, not only exhausted all her wealth but also sold all her valuable jewelry, leaving the dignified mother of a nation without even a decent set of clothes. Due to weeping day and night, her legs and eyes were damaged, and she was nearly blinded from crying!
In the sky, the image on the heavenly canopy showed Empress Qian sitting lonely in the palace, her hollow gaze looking toward the northern horizon as her tears flowed incessantly.
The people beneath the heavenly canopy felt deeply unsettled upon seeing this.
How could such trash deserve such a wife?
"Empress Qian is so virtuous, yet she met a miserable match, crying her eyes blind in vain for such trash!" Cao Cao felt inexplicably furious as he watched.
"Esen was somewhat smug at first about capturing the Emperor of the Great Ming alive, but now seeing that this emperor was of little use, he became rather anxious. After all, his massive army needed to be fed, and the losses from staying even a single day were not insignificant."
"He finally decided to lead his great army to attack Beijing!"
"On the other side, Yu Qian pointed out that 'the capital is the foundation of the realm.' The capital is the core of the country; once the court moves south, it will plunge the populace into panic and shake the foundations of the state, making it difficult to organize effective resistance again and causing the Ming Dynasty to repeat the tragic path of the Southern Song."
"Upon learning that Oirat was attacking Beijing, Yu Qian declared his capability to organize forces to defend the capital, actively dispatching troops and generals, preparing provisions, and reorganizing the capital's defenses. This allowed the court and the common folk to see hope for holding the line and strengthened everyone's confidence in defending Beijing."
"The state cannot be without a ruler for a single day. At Yu Qian's suggestion, Zhu Qiyu was enthroned as the new emperor, with the era name: Jingtai."
The Song Dynasty.
Zhao Kuangyin felt a bit panicked at this moment...
Seeing the mention of the Southern Song on the heavenly canopy, he felt an inexplicable sense of unease.
"Could it be that my descendants in later generations also fled south?"
"Or were they also captured by someone..."
...
At this moment, the image on the heavenly canopy shifted once again!
[The Defense of Beijing!]
In the image, the new emperor, Zhu Qiyu, stood atop the city wall, his gaze like torches, staring intently at the dense, oppressive enemy forces below his feet.
Although there was unease in his heart, he shouldered the heavy responsibility of protecting the capital and safeguarding the rivers and mountains of the Great Ming, leaving no room for the slightest retreat.
Beside him, Yu Qian wore a resolute expression. Holding a military manual, he methodically commanded the soldiers to reinforce the city's defenses.
"Your Majesty, although the enemy comes fiercely, our army has long been fully prepared. As long as we hold the city firmly, we will surely repel Oirat!"
Yu Qian's words were firm and powerful, injecting a shot of adrenaline into Zhu Qiyu and the surrounding soldiers and generals.
Outside the city, Esen rode a tall steed, pacing arrogantly before the formation.
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Looking at the fluttering banners of the Great Ming on the city tower, a cold smirk curled the corner of his mouth: "Zhu Qizen is already in my hands; this city of Beijing will sooner or later be mine for the taking!"
At his command, the Oirat army pounced toward the city walls like starved wolves, their battle cries shaking the earth.
Arrows fell like rain as Oirat soldiers raised scaling ladders, frantically climbing toward the battlements.
atop the city walls, the soldiers of the Great Ming gripped their weapons tightly, striving to push over the scaling ladders and hurling rolling logs and heavy stones down upon the enemy.
Screams rose one after another, and blood stained the earth beneath the city walls.
The thunderous roar of cannons echoed ceaselessly!
A young soldier, his face still retaining a youthful innocence, displayed exceptional bravery in the midst of battle!
However, under the siege of the enemy, his strength gradually failed him. An Oirat commander slashed his arm, and blood gushed forth.
Yet he did not retreat; he still clenched his teeth and continued fighting until his strength was exhausted and he fell.
Yu Qian personally beat the war drum to boost morale!
The stirring sound of the drums echoed across the skies of the capital, inspiring the fighting spirit of every single soldier and general.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!" The battle cries of the troops shook the heavens; every single one of them fought with the prowess of a hundred men!
Night fell, and burning torches were everywhere. The roar of cannons remained loud, and the battle continued.
The torches atop the city walls illuminated the entire battlefield as bright as day. The Oirat army launched wave after wave of charges, only to be repelled each time by the soldiers and generals of the Great Ming.
Seeing that the city could not be taken despite prolonged attacks, Esen grew increasingly anxious. Yet, unwilling to give up so easily, he could only continuously send reinforcements, attempting to crush the city of Beijing with sheer numerical superiority.
Inside the city, the common people voluntarily organized themselves to transport provisions for the defending troops and treat the wounded.
An old village physician, accompanied by his apprentice, shuttled among the wounded soldiers, ignoring his exhaustion as he applied medicine and bandages for them.
Watching one young life after another fall in pools of blood, his eyes were filled with sorrow and pity: "These children are all the backbone of the Great Ming!"
Thus, the two sides fell into a fierce war of attrition.
Seven days and seven nights passed. The Oirat army suffered heavy casualties, yet the city of Beijing still stood tall and unshaken.
Esen finally realized that this city was not as easy to conquer as he had imagined.
Coupled with news coming from the rear that Ming reinforcements from all over were arriving successively, he had no choice but to reluctantly order a retreat.
Under the leadership of Zhu Qiyu and Yu Qian, this battle ended in victory!
Beneath the heavenly canopy, the Old Zhu family finally saw something to their liking.
The Hongwu era of the Great Ming.
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Old Zhu let out a long breath.
"Ah! Refreshing! We finally get to see what the Great Ming is supposed to look like!"
"What a magnificent Yu Qian; our Great Ming needs talents like this."
...
Zhu Di wore a look of immense pride, slammed his hand heavily onto the table, and loudly cheered: "Good! What a magnificent Yu Qian, what a magnificent Zhu Qiyu! The sons of my Great Ming should all be like this!"
The previous scenes had been too stifling for him. Winning a hard-fought battle like this made him happier, honestly speaking, than winning a personal military victory himself.
...
At the same time, the narration of the heavenly canopy sounded!
"After the Defense of Beijing, Esen took Zhu Qizhen back to his hometown. Everyone must think Zhu Qizhen's life as a captive was extremely bitter!"
"Let me tell you, far from being bitter, the man lived quite dashingly."
"Diplomatic genius and Oirat international student—this title wasn't given for nothing!"
"The meat he ate was of the grade only top nobility could consume, the clothes and utensils he used were all reserved for aristocrats, and even the women he slept with belonged to Esen's own family!"
"After half a month, the man even gained a layer of weight."
Even Esen's own younger brother admired this fellow immensely, following behind Zhu Qizhen every day acting like his little brother!
He treated him even better and with more respect than he did Esen.
Esen's younger sister was even willing to warm the bed for this fellow. Just imagine, could this kind of treatment ever be that of a prisoner?
Esen's own mother even declared that if Zhu Qizhen suffered even the slightest scratch, she would commit suicide on the spot!
At this moment, Esen on the heavenly canopy stared blankly at the sky with lifeless eyes... completely speechless and on the verge of tears.
Esen stood disheveled in the wind, practically on the brink of a mental breakdown...
Esen: "Damn it all! What kind of creature did I capture?! If anyone understands my plight, my position as Khan is about to be lost."
Apart from him as the chieftain, everyone else in his damn family had defected... How is one supposed to play this game?
...
(Humbly begging once again for five-star book reviews! Dear lords, please bestow some upon this child!!)
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