Chapter Five: The Strange Occurrence in Tianzhen

At this moment, Guo Eunuch had no idea where the imperial entourage had reached, but instinctively his mind went to the place called Tianzhen. Tianzhen was a small town forty li from Yanghe Pass, an unavoidable stop on the road from Xuanfu to Datong. Since the whereabouts of the imperial retinue were still unconfirmed, Guo Eunuch reasoned that heading to Tianzhen first could not be wrong. His thinking was clear: if the imperial party had exited Juyongguan, passed through Huailai to Xuanfu, and was on its way to Datong, then wherever they were, Tianzhen was a place they would have to pass through. If he could reach Tianzhen, he could first make contact with Xuanfu and inform Yang Hong to prepare; secondly, there was a chance he might run into envoys from the imperial camp, which would save much trouble. If he could inform Eunuch Wang of the defeat before Datong, and then have Wang explain the situation to the Emperor, perhaps the Emperor would not lay the blame on him.

With these advantages in mind, Tianzhen was a must. Besides, where else could they go if not Tianzhen? It was uncertain whether Datong had already been surrounded by the Mongols; if they rashly stumbled into them, all the suffering of the previous night would have been for nothing, and their lives would be thrown away in vain.

Guo Eunuch made up his mind to go to Tianzhen first, but he still sought Lu Qing's opinion.

Whether or not they could contact Xuanfu, or encounter the emperor’s envoys, mattered little to Lu Qing. But he knew that Tianzhen had border army relay stations, where they could get horses to ride, saving them from having to walk any further. He was young, but this long trek had exhausted him, and he was also a bit hungry. Getting food and rest in Tianzhen could not be better, so he raised no objections. After a short rest, he led Guo Eunuch towards Tianzhen.

Forty li was neither far nor near. On horseback, it was an hour’s journey; on foot, it would take several hours. Guo Eunuch was old, and despite his best efforts, their stop-and-go pace burned through much of their time. In the end, Lu Qing was nearly carrying him.

By midday, they had covered less than half the distance, both utterly exhausted. Guo Eunuch’s face was drained of color, while Lu Qing panted heavily, his legs leaden as if weighed down with iron, each step requiring all his strength.

Fortunately, the route was lined with woods planted to hinder Mongol cavalry. When they could walk no further, they sat in the shade to catch their breath. Without this respite, the sun alone would have given them heatstroke or dehydration.

There had once been several garrisons of Ming troops in the area, but they now stood deserted. It seemed the soldiers, knowing the Mongols had invaded and the border forces had been routed at Yanghe Pass, realized they could not resist the enemy and fled with their entire garrisons.

Since the reign of the founding emperor Hongwu, Xuanfu and Datong had been key border towns, their inhabitants mostly military households engaged in farming. In times of war, they fought; in peace, they farmed. Each was stationed at a garrison. According to the law, abandoning a garrison during war was a capital crime. However, after the devastating blows dealt to the Northern Yuan during the Hongwu and Yongle reigns, the remnants posed little threat, rarely daring to invade. The prosperous reigns of Hongxi and Xuande brought decades of peace to Ming’s northern frontiers.

Since the current emperor’s accession, aside from the occasional tribute mission from the Oirat stirring up border trouble, the northern borders had seen little warfare. As a result, the military households had grown slack, forgetting their duty to defend the land. The distinction between soldier and civilian had blurred; these so-called soldiers were more like civilians, and officers treated the troops as their own tenant farmers. The soldiers became sharecroppers, the officers landlords—the system left by the founding emperor had all but vanished, so nothing much could be expected of them.

Lu Qing, being a member of the border army and an imperial guard, naturally knew all this. Guo Eunuch, as the supervising eunuch of Datong, knew it even better. So neither was surprised to see the abandoned garrisons. If Datong’s forty thousand elite border troops could not stand against the Oirat cavalry, how could these scattered garrisons possibly resist?

In one abandoned stronghold, they found a well and some food left behind by the locals. After resting half an hour, Lu Qing supported Guo Eunuch and they pressed on. Before long, they saw two large wagons ahead.

Guo Eunuch had long since exhausted his energy, moving forward only by sheer unwillingness to accept a disgraced old age, and with Lu Qing’s support. He was determined to reach Tianzhen no matter what.

He had expected nothing, so the sudden sight of the wagons filled him with excitement. He pointed ahead, trying to speak, but his parched throat could only make hoarse, urgent sounds.

Lu Qing understood at once, motioned for him to stay calm, and without further ado ran toward the wagons, shouting as he went.

Hearing shouting behind them, the wagons stopped. The driver of the rear wagon jumped down, eyeing Lu Qing warily as he approached. Seeing Lu Qing’s border army uniform, the man’s expression eased slightly.

When Lu Qing reached him, the man asked, “You escaped from Yanghe?”

The question caught Lu Qing off guard, but he replied, “Yes, by sheer luck.”

The man was not surprised by this. Glancing at the staggering Guo Eunuch, he asked, “And that one too?”

Lu Qing nodded, “Yes, we escaped together.” As he spoke, Guo Eunuch caught up, gasping for breath, face flushed, unable to speak.

Noticing Guo Eunuch’s white hair, beardless face, and filthy red robe, the man was puzzled, unable to guess his identity. But having spent long years at the border, he knew what to ask and what to leave alone. Without prying further, he asked, “Are you heading to Tianzhen?”

Lu Qing did not answer directly, but glanced at the crowded wagon and asked, “We really can’t walk any further. Could we squeeze in?”

Guo Eunuch looked on hopefully, patiently waiting for the man’s response, making no attempt to use his status to intimidate.

The man was forthright, waving a big hand, “If you don’t mind the crowd, climb aboard.”

Lu Qing and Guo Eunuch were overjoyed, the latter secretly sighing in relief.

The wagons were piled high, leaving barely enough room for them to squeeze onto the edge. Even so, they felt deeply fortunate. The man said nothing more, focusing on driving. Since the man was taciturn, Lu Qing kept quiet as well. From his bearing, the man was clearly not to be trifled with—perhaps a man who had lived by the knife. Guo Eunuch, noticing the same, was all the more cautious, keeping silent and making no attempt to assert himself. Out here in the wilderness, rank meant nothing; a knife in the night and no one would know if the “Supervising Eunuch” or a general had been fed to the dogs.

After a while, Lu Qing noticed three people riding in the forward wagon—a man and two women. The man, equally reserved, drove the wagon without so much as a glance back. The two women, facing away, could not be seen clearly, but judging by their figures, they seemed much alike—perhaps sisters.

Lu Qing quickly averted his gaze. There was no sense in staring at women who might attract the wrath of these men. Guo Eunuch, for his part, closed his eyes to rest, not giving the women a second glance.

As they drew closer to Tianzhen, more and more people appeared along the road—mostly military households traveling with their families, interspersed with some civilians and a few border traders. But none seemed unfamiliar with the spectacle of mass flight, nor were they especially frightened. On the contrary, laughter broke out frequently along the road; the atmosphere was far from the misery of true refugees.

Occasionally, someone would glance at Lu Qing’s wagon, but only in passing. No one showed special interest in the border soldier or the beggar-like Guo Eunuch.

The closer they got to Tianzhen, the more crowded the road became. By the time they reached the town, the way was nearly blocked with people, and only the skill of the lead driver kept the wagon from being trapped in the throng.

But the livelier the crowd, the more uneasy Lu Qing and Guo Eunuch became, for they realized that, apart from themselves, not a single government soldier could be seen along the entire route, nor even a trace of a fast courier delivering urgent news.

Could it be that Datong had truly descended into chaos, and news of Yanghe’s defeat had not reached them?

Guo Eunuch looked at Lu Qing with deep concern, and Lu Qing too was troubled. The common people all knew of the defeat at Yanghe and were fleeing, yet the authorities seemed to show no alarm. By rights, after a day and a night, the road from Tianzhen to Datong should be crowded with messengers and dispatch riders. Instead, aside from refugees, not even a single fast horse had passed. Could it be, as he suspected, that Datong had sent no one to report the defeat to the imperial camp?

As they puzzled over this, the wagon driver suddenly turned and said, “This is Tianzhen. We’re heading elsewhere—you’d best get off here.”

“Ah?” Lu Qing started, then quickly clasped his hands and said, “Thank you, brother. Someday I’ll buy you a drink in gratitude!”

“It’s nothing, no need for thanks.”

The man nodded curtly. Lu Qing and Guo Eunuch climbed down, watching the two wagons turn off toward the southeast of town. After a moment, Lu Qing asked, “Eunuch, what should we do now?”

“To the relay station!”

Guo Eunuch’s face had regained some color after the rest in the wagon. Though his clothes were filthy, his bearing now showed the traces of a man long accustomed to authority.

...

Urgently in need of collections and recommendations—new book, desperately needed!