Yesen had not been so easily defeated. Capturing the emperor had been an unexpected delight; now that the emperor had met with disaster, they had merely returned to where they had begun.
Yesen had unified the tribes across the grasslands. This was precisely when their fighting spirit was at its fiercest. Coupled with the Mongol cavalry's invincibility beneath heaven, Yesen's mobile cavalry tactics were the finest among the Mongols.
Having emerged from the slump of losing Zhu Qizhen as a hostage, Yesen swiftly adjusted his tactics. Exploiting his cavalry's mobility, he once again slipped behind the Ming army and launched a pincer attack from front and rear...
Beyond that, the cavalry harassed the Ming army in batches, striking and fleeing, fleeing until the Ming army could not catch them. Once the formations began to scatter, either the infantry charged out to reap the harvest, or the cavalry wheeled around and pierced through them again, thoroughly breaking up the Ming army.
For five consecutive days, the Ming army suffered more defeats than victories. Their morale, which had soared after recovering the emperor's body and driving the Oirats back fifty li, took a severe blow.
It was at this time that Zhu Qiyu arrived at Datong Prefecture with the great army.
When Kuang Ye and the other ministers saw Zhu Qiyu among the reinforcements, their eyes nearly popped from their sockets. They all dropped to their knees. "His Majesty—why have you come here? The late Emperor's fate should serve as a warning..."
Zhu Qiyu's eyes reddened slightly. He hurried forward to help them up. "My elder brother's great vengeance remains unavenged. How could I sit safely in the Capital City?"
Zhu Qiyu had not yet ascended the throne. He postponed the coronation, deciding to take the throne only after this battle was