Chapter 838
Sick
On the 23rd day of the seventh month of the tenth year of the Zhengtong reign, the emperor decided to personally lead an expedition against the Oirat Mongols.
As soon as the news came out, regardless of the concerns of civil and military officials, the common people were overjoyed.
"I've long disliked these Tartars. I heard they send people to plunder Datong every year. His Majesty is benevolent and lenient towards them because of their poverty, but they are still not satisfied and dare to march south with a large army. This time, the court is finally a bit tougher."
"It wasn't the imperial court. I heard that all the civil and military officials were unwilling to send troops. It was only after the emperor argued his case and insisted on personally leading the expedition that they agreed to send troops."
"Like father, like son; this matter still depends on His Majesty."
The people in the capital were well-informed, and as soon as the news of the emperor's personal expedition came out, before anyone outside the capital knew about it, they were already discussing it enthusiastically.
Pan Yu heard the discussion as soon as he entered the city. He immediately clasped his hands in farewell to his colleagues and rushed home.
His colleagues, like him, rushed home.
When the emperor personally leads an expedition, he will certainly draw troops from the five armies in the capital to accompany him.
This spring, Pan Yu participated in the martial arts examination and won fifth place, becoming a glorious martial arts scholar.
His father didn't even have to spend any money; he himself entered the Left Wing of the Fifth Army Camp. They had just completed fifteen days of intensive training and had a day off today, so everyone went home.
Pan Yu rushed into the house excitedly, shouting as soon as he entered, "Father, I want to go on a personal expedition with the Emperor!"
Pan Hong, who was talking to Pan Yue, looked up at him expressionlessly.
Pan Yu sensed something was wrong, stopped in her tracks, blinked, and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"
Pan Hong said irritably, "Do you think your father is Wang Zhen? You can come in whenever you want and not come in whenever you don't want to?"
Pan Yu touched his nose and moved closer to Pan Hong: "Father, everyone outside is saying that the civil and military officials disagree with fighting the Oirats, is that right? Esen has already attacked our doorstep, yet they are still cowering. What are they planning to do?"
Pan Yue slapped him on the head with a book and said in a deep voice, "Don't believe everything you hear. Just listen to what's going on outside. Even if there's 10% truth in it, it's not a rumor."
Pan Yu covered her head.
Pan Hong sighed, “It’s not that the civil and military officials are unwilling to send troops. The Oirat army is marching south, and we have no choice but to fight them. None of us are cowards, so who’s afraid of whom? What everyone opposes is His Majesty’s personal command of the expedition.”
"Why oppose it?" Pan Yu was in support. He said loudly, "His Majesty led the expedition in person, and the morale was high. Even the people were excited. When I returned, everyone outside was praising His Majesty."
Pan Hong shook his head and sighed, "It's too dangerous. A wise man doesn't stand under a crumbling wall. Your Majesty has no heir; how can you risk your life?"
"Your Majesty doesn't need to charge into battle. Leave the frontline matters to us. Your Majesty only needs to stay in the rear and encourage the soldiers, and that will be as effective as a thousand troops."
Pan Yue sneered: "Are you underestimating His Majesty or overestimating the soldiers? The emperor is young and vigorous. Do you think he will obediently sit in the rear? Besides, Wang Zhen is also accompanying His Majesty on this expedition."
He tapped his younger brother's forehead, exasperated: "You're supposed to be a military strategist, yet you should seriously consider what's happening on the battlefield before you give me a reply. No wonder you only ranked fifth despite being first in the martial arts test. All that tutoring I gave you was for nothing."
Pan Yu opened his mouth, then imagined himself on the battlefield as the emperor and Wang Zhen, and his eyes widened immediately: "You, you're afraid that the emperor will seize command and not be able to command the army well?"
Pan Yue lifted his eyelids to look at him: "Keep your voice down. If the secret agents of the Embroidered Uniform Guard hear you, forget about accompanying the emperor on a personal expedition, your life will be in question."
Pan Yu immediately held it in.
But it's so painful.
He scratched his face, but couldn't help but whisper, "Has no one reminded the emperor? He's only eighteen, has never been on the battlefield, and probably hasn't studied military strategy much. How can he overstep the command of the generals and military governors? For such a major battle, we should invite generals like Wang Ji and Chen Huai to command."
Pan Hong took a deep breath and said, "The court has already drawn up a list. Duke of Yingguo, Zhang Fu, will accompany the army. In addition, there is Jing Yuan of the Imperial Guard, the newly appointed Minister of War, Kuang Ye, Minister of Revenue, Wang Zuo, Marquis of Taining, Chen Ying, Earl of Pingxiang, Chen Huai, and Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, Cao Nai."
Pan Yu became excited and exclaimed, "Then what is there to worry about? The Duke of Yingguo is the best in the world. With him accompanying the army, and with Prince Consort Jing and others following behind, what is there to fear from a mere Esen?"
Pan Hong remained silent.
Pan Yue said, "The premise is that the emperor will listen to the Duke of Ying."
Pan Yu opened her mouth, but didn't say anything.
He was just a nobody; if even his father wasn't sure, he certainly wouldn't dare say he was certain.
Moreover, this young emperor has always been fond of doing things his own way.
Pan Yue: "Unfortunately, the ministers in the court dare not voice their concerns, but only dare to use the excuse that the battlefield is dangerous."
Pan Hong glanced at him and said, "The battlefield is indeed dangerous. Even if His Majesty has the strength to lead the army personally, he should not. The mere Oirat are nothing to fear."
Many ministers in the court were still opposing the emperor's personal campaign, but unfortunately, the emperor had already made his decision. In just one day, not only was the list of those accompanying the emperor released, but various departments also began to mobilize to prepare for the emperor's personal campaign.
Pan Yu wanted to find out more details, but suddenly there was a loud knock on the door, and a soldier on horseback shouted to Pan Yu: "By order of the Five Armies Commander, all soldiers on leave must immediately return to their posts and obey orders."
Pan Yu solemnly agreed, and before he had even taken off his military uniform, he was ready to leave immediately.
Pan Yue quickly grabbed him and said, "It seems His Majesty's personal campaign was scheduled very urgently. Even someone like you who just took a break has been recalled. I'll give you some medicine and shoes and socks. I'm afraid you won't be able to come back for more things after this."
For soldiers, the most important thing is not clothes, but shoes and socks, especially socks.
Pan Yue quickly packed his luggage, and Pan Hong also slipped some money to his son: "You may not need it, but it's better to have money than nothing."
Pan Yue then took out three medicine bottles and handed them to him: "These are the hemostatic powder and internal medicine that my little sister brought before. You recognize them. This bottle was delivered just these past two days. She said it's medicine she made to strengthen the body. I was going to send it to your military camp, but I figured you'd be back today, so I didn't. You can take it when you practice your martial arts; it might be beneficial for you."
Pan Yu agreed, stuffed everything into his bundle, slung his broadsword over his shoulder, mounted his horse, and rode away.
Pan Hong and Pan Yue stood at the door watching him walk away, and sighed softly: "Although we should be loyal to the emperor and serve the country, at this moment, I hope he is not selected to join the army."
But the next day, Pan Hong received news that the emperor had mobilized 200,000 elite troops from three major camps—the Five Armies Camp, the Three Thousand Camp, and the Divine Machine Camp—along with more than 100 civil and military officials…
By the afternoon, news of the emperor's mobilization of 500,000 troops for a personal campaign had spread throughout the streets and alleys, and the news was also flying towards Datong.
Exaggerating troop strength is common practice; claiming 500,000 when deploying 200,000 is considered reasonable.
Pan Hong didn't know if he could scare Esen, but he certainly did.
He twitched his lips, his face filled with worry and fear: "Your Majesty has set the time too hastily. With such urgency, there is simply no time to prepare provisions. Is this a plan to send the army first and then prepare provisions later?"
Even a censor who knew nothing about warfare knew that this would lead to a major disaster. Was there no one in the court to advise the emperor?
Unbeknownst to Pan Hong, at that moment, the Duke of Yingguo was being helped out of the palace, his face showing a weariness that even the darkness could not conceal.
Yu Qian cursed under his breath in anger: "That old eunuch, he'll stop at nothing to please His Majesty. He blindly obeys even on such a momentous occasion as the personal expedition, without any sense of order or strategy. Grand Tutor..."
The Duke of England wearily raised his hand to stop him, and said in a low voice, "I will do my best to coordinate the troops. I also ask Minister Chen and Vice Minister Wang to procure provisions as soon as possible. Starting tomorrow, once we have procured one hundred units of provisions, we should set off. The sooner we can transport them, the sooner we can." Chen Xun nodded, "I already ordered all regions to procure military provisions yesterday and informed them of His Majesty's personal expedition. All regions should be prepared. If the provisions from the capital are not delivered in time, the army can temporarily use them from the local areas."
The Duke of England remained silent with a sullen face. He did not intend to open this door, because once it was opened, it would be difficult to control the 200,000-strong army. If the soldiers disturbed the people, it would be a catastrophic disaster for the local population.
He would never allow his soldiers to replenish their rations on the spot unless absolutely necessary.
“Let all the prefectures and counties prepare. I will enforce strict military discipline and order the army not to disturb the people,” the British said fairly. “But you also know that when people are starving, they are capable of anything.”
Chen Xun nodded worriedly.
Yu Qian was so angry that he fell silent: "The army hasn't even set out yet. What we're worried about isn't the battle itself, but the food and supplies during the march. How can we win a war like this?"
The Duke of England rubbed his forehead and countered, "Can you persuade His Majesty to cancel the personal military campaign?"
Yu Qian fell silent; he didn't have that ability.
"In the world, only two people have this ability: one is the late Empress Dowager; the other is Wang Zhen, who is currently serving His Majesty."
Forget it, how could Wang Zhen possibly help them persuade the emperor?
Seeing that they had all resigned themselves to their fate, the Duke of England nodded and said, "Everyone, go and prepare yourselves. Don't be discouraged. What storms haven't we weathered? We still have an army of 200,000 and high morale. Defeating the Oirat is not a problem."
With the British president's confidence, everyone calmed down and felt less upset.
Thinking about it, it makes sense. Although the emperor is disobedient, they have an army of 200,000 and so many veteran generals and brave soldiers. Victory is not a problem.
Everyone dispersed to prepare.
When the Left Commander of the Five Armies went to the camp, he made a selection, and Pan Yu was included in the personal expeditionary force.
This is far too easy.
Of the three major battalions, the Three Thousand Battalion consisted of cavalry, one-third of whom were from ethnic minorities, while the Divine Machine Battalion was the elite of the elite, with a small number of personnel.
Only the combined infantry and cavalry of the five armies had the largest number of troops, 200,000 in total. Most of them were drawn from the five armies, and it was too easy for Pan Yu to be drawn into them.
Pan Yu happily returned to camp to pack her luggage.
His colleagues were overjoyed, feeling that their chance to make a difference had finally arrived.
"I thought I'd be spending the rest of my life training troops in the Five Armies. I never expected we'd be so lucky. We'll be able to go on a campaign with His Majesty right after the martial arts examination. If we can make a name for ourselves on the battlefield, I'll truly bring glory to my ancestors."
Just thinking about it makes me feel beautiful.
Pan Yu also said: "I never thought that I would not only become an official before my brother, but also have the chance to make meritorious contributions before him. If I can kill a Oirat general on the battlefield, I might be able to gain some merit."
"Others may not be able to do it, but Pan Yu, you really have the potential. You wield that broadsword very well, especially when you channel your inner strength, it has the force of ten thousand jun. Last time I fought you, the moment the sword touched, I felt a sharp pain in my tiger's mouth."
"Yes, yes, Pan Yu, isn't your family civil officials? Who taught you martial arts?"
Pan Yu proudly said, "I learned it from my sister."
After Pan Yu finished boasting and packed his important luggage, his colleagues dispersed. He took out three bottles of medicine, looked at them, and then stuffed the hemostatic powder and oral wound medicine into his bundle. He carefully hid the other bottle in the cabinet.
My younger sister once said that when practicing martial arts, especially cultivating internal energy, one must have a calm mind. Since his mind is not calm now, taking this medicine will not help him practice martial arts. It would be better to save it until he returns and takes it at a suitable time.
Pan Yu was overjoyed. His older brother always said that he could never learn from his mistakes and could never change no matter how many times he suffered. This time, he was determined to prove that he could change his bad habit of being easily tempted and having low self-control.
Pan Yue was unaware of Pan Yu's thoughts. Pan Yun sent them three bottles of medicine, seemingly worried that they wouldn't be willing to take them. In her letter, she emphasized that the medicinal materials needed for the pills were not expensive, and she would have more after they were finished.
Because it was a medicine to strengthen the body, Pan Yue and Pan Hong also took it, especially since it was the busiest time for the court and the Imperial Academy.
Because of preparations for the emperor's personal expedition, officials in the capital were working non-stop, and officials in the Court of State Ceremonial were no exception.
Students in the Imperial Academy were also conscripted and assigned to assist officials.
After two busy days, both father and son fell ill.
Their faces were pale, and cold sweat beaded on their foreheads. They looked as if they were about to faint at any moment. Their superiors, who were so busy that bubbles were forming at the corners of their mouths, couldn't help but give them a day off and let them go home to rest.
Pan Hong was practically carried back to the Pan family home.
The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies sighed, "I was originally thinking of having him accompany the army. We could arrange something after we captured the Oirat people. Oh, right, what about Yang Shan? Let him accompany the army."
"But what about Master Wang..."
“The person is so ill. If we force him to go to the army, he will probably die before he even leaves the capital. Isn’t that bad luck? His Majesty will be angry if he finds out, and Wang Zhangyin will not let His Majesty be angry.”
Besides, Pan Yun was not someone to be trifled with.
The people below didn't know Pan Yun, but he did.
Yang Shan mentioned this when he returned from Japan: the girl was young, but she was quite ambitious.
"I heard that Pan Yun's second brother is in the Fifth Army and has already been selected to join the army?"
"Yes. The Ministry of Rites also selected some outstanding students from the Imperial Academy to accompany His Majesty, reading to him and answering his questions along the way."
"The Hanlin Academy has all the answers and explanations; why would we need students from the Imperial Academy? Isn't Pan Yun's elder brother at the Imperial Academy?"
"Yes, I heard he's on the transfer list too."
The Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies said quietly, "This is an attempt to wipe them out completely."
Unbeknownst to him, the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy was at that moment crossing Pan Yue's name off the list and replacing it with the name of another student.
"He's fainted, and look at his face! Do you dare carry him into the army? What if it's a contagious disease? His Majesty is in the army!"
So, Pan Yue was carried back to the Pan family home by his classmates.
Upon hearing the news, Yin Song rushed to the Pan family and carefully examined their pulses. He then sighed and said, "Let's ask the doctor from Huichuntang to take a look."
The Pan family only had two servants, an elderly couple who had come from their hometown to serve them after Pan Hong was exonerated. Upon hearing this, they knelt down with a thud, crying in fear, "Please, sir, save my master and eldest son! The second young master and young lady are not here. If anything happens to my master and eldest son, how can we explain it to our family?!"
Yin Song thought, "I don't need you to explain. If anyone should explain, it's Pan Yun."
Yin Song comforted the old servant, gave the two men acupuncture, and then went to fetch a doctor from Huichuntang to examine them. (End of Chapter)