Chapter 867
Rejection
After a moment of silence, the emperor shook his head: "I do not wish for you to perish here. Too many people have already died for me."
At this point, his eyes reddened slightly, "Sir...and Li Zhen and Fan Zhong, they all died for me."
Upon hearing this, Yun Yan's eyes reddened. Li Zhen was killed by the chaotic army while protecting the emperor during the retreat. Fortunately, he covered the rear, and he and Fan Zhong were able to take the emperor away in time.
As the number of people around him dwindled and the pursuers closed in, he took the initiative to lead a group to stay behind and cover the retreat. He was shot by an arrow, fell off his horse, and lost consciousness. When he woke up, he was surrounded by corpses.
He then searched for his way back to Datong, only to find that the emperor had been captured and Fan Zhonglian's body was nowhere to be found.
Fan Zhong was a guard general, while he was a commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The two always served the emperor closely and had a good relationship. At this moment, he couldn't help but ask, "Your Majesty, where did General Fan die?"
The emperor looked bewildered: "It's too chaotic, and it's always raining. I have no idea where we are. However, Fan Zhong died from exhaustion, and his body is still relatively intact. He was on a sheltered side of a small hill. If you look in the direction of Huailai, you'll eventually find him."
With a formidable enemy at hand, the group was still weeping and wailing. Pan Jun said irritably, "Don't you know that corpses can be exchanged for military merits? Fan Zhong is a general, and in the Oirat region, he can earn first-class military merits."
Upon hearing this, the emperor and several Imperial Guards all changed their expressions.
The scouts, annoyed by their dawdling, urged, "There's been no movement from inside the tent. We don't know how long they can hold out. We urge Your Majesty to make a decision soon."
The emperor was resolute: "I will not go with you; I cannot bring about your deaths."
Pan Yun handed him the sword with a stern face.
The emperor stared blankly at the sword before him: "This sword is useless to me, and Esen would never allow me to possess a weapon..."
“You can kill yourself.” Pan Jun interrupted him, her eyes flashing with a cold light, deep and sinister.
The emperor's heart pounded as he watched her, realizing that Pan Yun was not joking, but serious.
The emperor stared at her silently: "You..."
After their initial shock, the Imperial Guards whispered a rebuke to Pan Yun: "How dare you speak such nonsense to His Majesty!"
The scouts were also stunned as they stared at her.
Pan Yun stared at the emperor expressionlessly and said in a deep voice, "Do you know how many people die every day because of you? You asked the ministers to find a way to save you, which is to ask the court to agree to Esen's conditions? Do you know how many people will die once the Oirats cross the defense lines of Datong and Xuanfu?"
The emperor's heart clenched, and his face turned deathly pale. The question he had been deliberately avoiding was now laid bare before him.
"You pity our lives, do you think we'd be moved to tears?" Pan Yun cursed him in a low voice, "In my eyes, you're nothing but a coward who doesn't even have the courage to fight."
The emperor swayed precariously, but soon he looked up sharply at Pan Yun, his eyes flashing with anger and resentment. He asked in a low voice, "Is this situation entirely my fault? From the moment I personally led the expedition, all the officials have opposed me at every turn. In order to get me back to the capital, they did not prepare provisions, did not provide battle plans, and responded passively."
The Duke of Yingguo led a large army away from me, claiming he wanted to draw the enemy away, but he only gave me a thousand or so imperial guards. Only Li Zhen and Fan Zhong stayed with me. They said the Duke of Yingguo had arranged reinforcements in the direction of Huailai, and we could get them as soon as we reached the pass. Li Zhen was hacked to death while protecting me, and Fan Zhong helped me through countless hardships to reach the pass, only to find it guarded by an Oirat army. Where are the reinforcements? Where is my army?
He pressed Pan Yun relentlessly, asking, "Was it I who abandoned them, or were they who abandoned me?"
Tears welled in Pan Yun's eyes as he said in a deep voice, "It all started when His Majesty favored Wang Zhen... The military generals were the problem. In order to protect their lives and positions, they did not oppose Wang Zhen, so they obeyed Wang Zhen's orders in every way, even though he knew nothing about military affairs. The accompanying civil officials and censors were the problem. Since they could not see His Majesty, they should have collectively blocked the imperial carriage, even if it meant blocking the army on the road, so that their voices could be heard by the Emperor!"
Regarding the British public issue, he had already retired and, at the age of seventy, was still dragged along to accompany the emperor. He should have feigned illness to remain in the capital instead of accompanying you on your personal campaign; moreover, he shouldn't have assumed that Yang Hong's son could be just as capable as Yang Hong's, and agreed to let Yang Jun lead troops to support you..."
A fierce glint and mockery gradually appeared in her eyes as she said in a deep voice, "After all, if a son resembles his father, Your Majesty, you should have committed suicide when you were captured to uphold the integrity of our Great Ming! Now, the country will not be reduced to being threatened by a foreign race."
A strange light flashed in her eyes as she pushed the sword in another inch, pressing, "Is Your Majesty willing to commit suicide to save the nation from this crisis?"
The emperor's face was grim, his eyes filled with suspicion as he stared at Pan Yun: "You didn't come to save me, you came to kill me! Who sent you? Is there some unrest in the court? Who is plotting a rebellion? Is all of this his conspiracy?"
The emperor suspected everyone.
Since his arrest, he has been thinking every day about how he ended up in this situation.
In his view, this major battle was shrouded in mystery from the moment Esen marched south.
He believed that someone in the court must be colluding with Esen to deliberately lure him out of the capital.
Is someone secretly causing trouble?
The constant rebellions in various places over the past few years, especially the Deng Maoqi Rebellion in Fujian, were a thorn in his side.
The emperor believed that someone must be trying to replace the Zhu family.
He suddenly turned to Yun Yan and demanded, "They're one thing, but are you going to betray me too?"
Yun Yan was stunned, not understanding how the conversation had turned to this point. He immediately knelt down to show his loyalty: "Your Majesty, we have come to save you, we have truly come to save you!"
He glanced at Pan Yun and said anxiously, "Your Majesty, Master Pan is not a member of the court. He speaks and acts without any rhyme or reason, and his personality is unruly. You know this..."
Think back to when you two first met, she didn't seem to care much about your status.
Yun Yan shouted in his heart and continued, "No one in the court is causing trouble. After Your Majesty fell into trouble, Grand Secretary Cao, Lord Kuang, General Chen and others have all been trying to find a way to rescue you. They dare not provoke Esen. Your Majesty, you should have felt that."
The emperor scoffed, "Dare not? Several times I stood before the city gates, forced by Esen to order them to open them. Did they open them? Weren't they afraid that if they refused me, I would be killed in Esen's rage? Is this their loyalty?"
Yun Yan was stunned and speechless.
Does this mean he also supports Kuang Ye and Yang Hong's decision not to open the city gates?
After all, greed is insatiable. If Esen were to open these two city gates while holding the emperor hostage, wouldn't he be able to march south and open all the city gates?
What will happen to the people if the country changes hands? What will happen to the Ming Dynasty?
Yun Yan suddenly looked at Pan Jun, her lips trembling slightly, and at that moment she understood her. (End of this chapter)