Chapter Eighty-Eight: The Han Cannot Be Trusted

Enhesen dared not waste any time, for fear the Ming soldiers might mistake their intentions and launch an attack. So, he quickly shouted in a hoarse voice toward the Ming troops gathered on the riverbank, “General of the Ming, we Asut people have no desire to fight your army. We hope you will leave this place; I assure you I will not send any men to attack you. If you need assistance, we will help you as much as we can!”

There were about a hundred Ming soldiers, led by a man who was at most a centurion. Yet, out of respect, Enhesen addressed him as ‘General,’ believing that Ming officials delighted in flattery—the higher their titles were called, the more pleased they became. Even an ordinary soldier would be delighted to be called a hero.

After hearing Enhesen’s words, the Ming soldiers across the river fell silent for a while. The leader spurred his horse forward from the ranks, stopping about a hundred paces from the fortress wall, raising a flag embroidered with the sun and moon in his right hand.

Enhesen signaled to his clansmen atop the wall not to act rashly. From his experience, the fact that the Ming had sent an emissary meant they intended to negotiate, perhaps truly just passing through without wanting to fight the Asut.

Under the gaze of the Asut youth, the Ming leader thrust his banner firmly into the ground, then shouted loudly toward the fortress, “Hear me, all within the fortress! The land beneath your feet belongs to the Great Ming. Everything on this land, living or dead, even the birds in the sky and the fish in the water, is ours! You stand on our land without the Emperor’s permission; you are enemies of Ming. I order you to surrender immediately. I guarantee your lives and even allow you to take your property with you. If you refuse, we will storm the fortress and kill you all!”

“What!”

The Ming’s forceful declaration sent a wave of outrage through the Asut youth atop the wall. The Ming were far too arrogant—did they really think they could breach the fortress?

Enhesen was stunned, the hostility in the Ming leader’s words unmistakable. This was no passing army; they had come for them.

Where had this Ming force appeared from? Had the Oirat been defeated? Otherwise, how would the Ming dare attack them?

Enhesen was filled with suspicion and dread. If the Oirat were defeated, their small tribe would be no match for the Ming, who would surely exact terrible revenge.

Surrender, and they could live—perhaps keep their property?

The disparity in strength made Enhesen instinctively want to accept the Ming’s terms, for he lacked the courage to oppose them. Yet he feared the Ming might slaughter them after they surrendered, leaving him frozen, unable to decide.

Seeing his grandfather cowed by the Ming, Zatu, terrified he might surrender, shook him urgently and shouted, face flushed, “Grandfather, don’t trust these Han men’s lies! We cannot surrender! Father will return soon. We only need to hold out for a while; the Han can do nothing to us!”

“Yes, Chief. We raided the border with Master Ara and killed many Han. They will surely want vengeance!”

“Chief, we must never surrender. Erdeni and the others will be back soon. The Ming are few; we can hold them off until Erdeni returns. Then they’ll retreat!”

“If we surrender, the Ming will kill us and take our women and livestock! That would destroy our tribe!”

“Chief, let’s fight—let’s battle the Han!”

“Yes, fight the Han! We are not afraid to die!”

“...”

...

Though Lu Qing could not understand what the barbarians atop the wall were shouting, he knew they were not discussing surrender. He could see some aiming their bows at him; if he were any closer, he’d surely be riddled with arrows.

Examining the sparse defenders on the fortress wall, Lu Qing’s lips curled into a grin. Fan Ruo had scouted correctly—this was indeed a small tribe, weak in strength. Today promised another fruitful victory.

Indeed, this was the fourth Mongol tribe Lu Qing had led his soldiers to attack in three days. Before this, he had already assaulted two small tribes and a patrol of Oirat scouts numbering over ten men, winning every battle, slaughtering the opportunistic bandits, and capturing over a hundred warhorses. With these spoils, he could deploy more men to sweep out the Oirat’s scattered bands and these secondary tribes.

After Eunuch Guo departed with the main force, Lu Qing was far from idle. With the support of Jiang Tong, Fan Ruo, and Zheng Xiu, he mobilized everyone—including the women—to reinforce the defenses of Jin Family Fortress. He also sent patrols across the surrounding area to find any Ming stragglers, bringing them back to the fortress and immediately rearming them.

Upon discovering small groups of barbarians near the fortress, Lu Qing decided to strike first, sweeping these weak tribes for urgently needed weapons and provisions, while also training the Ming soldiers who had just suffered defeat, reviving their morale through combat. Through these successive battles, Lu Qing’s authority and command grew immensely. Now, he was the heart and soul of Jin Family Fortress’s three hundred Ming soldiers and had confidently assumed leadership of the new force, abandoning his former reluctance.

To ensure the success of the assault on the new garrison, Lu Qing brought every warhorse and mounted soldier from Jin Family Fortress. Though his numbers were not many, they were overwhelming compared to these small tribes lacking horses and able-bodied men.

Within the fortress, the Asut chief Enhesen prepared for battle, instructing Zatu to gather everyone who could fight on the walls, regardless of age or gender. Anyone capable of wielding a weapon or carrying stones was called to defend.

This was a battle for the survival of the entire tribe. Though both sides had pitifully few men, the outcome would determine whether the Asut endured.

The Han could not be trusted; only by fighting could they survive!

Having made his decision, Enhesen felt a strange calm. He glanced southwards, silently praying for Erdeni’s swift return. As long as Erdeni and the young warriors he led made it back in time, the Ming would surely retreat when faced with resistance.

(To be continued...)