Editing Tumu Crisis (section)

===Tumu debacle===
[[File:皇明九邊考宣府鎮土木之變.jpg|thumb|Map of the [[Xuanfu Garrison]] in the ''Huang Ming jiu bian kao'' ({{zhi|t=皇明九邊考}}), 1544. Location of the battle of Tumu on the map: [[File:Red circle thick.svg|15px]]]]
Esen dispatched troops to block Chinese access to the river south of their camp. By the morning of 1 September, the Mongols had surrounded the Chinese camp and offered to negotiate. Wang Zhen ignored their overtures and instead ordered the confused Ming army to advance towards the river. A battle ensued between the disorganized Ming army and the vanguard of the Mongol army, with Esen himself choosing not to participate.{{sfnp|Twitchett|Grimm|1988|p=324}} Only 20,000 Mongols were involved in the battle{{sfnp|de Heer|1986|p=18}} but the hungry and thirsty Ming soldiers were unable to put up much resistance.{{sfnp|Goodrich|Fang|1976|p=291}} The Ming army suffered a swift defeat, with nearly half of its soldiers lost and a significant amount of weapons and equipment seized by the Mongols. Among the casualties were high-ranking officials,{{sfnp|Twitchett|Grimm|1988|p=324}} including two dukes, two marquises, five counts, several generals, and hundreds of officials.{{sfnp|Goodrich|Fang|1976|p=291}} Notable figures such as the old general [[Zhang Fu]] and Grand Secretaries Cao Nai ({{zhi|c=曹鼐}}) and Zhang Yi ({{zhi|t=張益}}) were also killed.{{sfnp|Twitchett|Grimm|1988|p=325}} After reclaiming the area, Ming troops were able to gather tens of thousands of firearms, armor, and other equipment left behind by the defeated army.{{sfnp|Goodrich|Fang|1976|p=291}}

During the battle, the emperor's bodyguard attempted to remove him from the fighting, but were unsuccessful. In the chaos, one of the Ming officers killed Wang Zhen.{{sfnp|de Heer|1986|p=18}}{{efn|Historians Denis C. Twitchett and Tilemann Grimm cautiously approach the information about Wang Zhen's killing by his own officer, stating it as "according to some reports".{{sfnp|Twitchett|Grimm|1988|p=325}}}} The emperor was then captured and taken to a Mongol camp near Xuanfu on 3 September.{{sfnp|Twitchett|Grimm|1988|p=325}} Esen decided not to kill him and instead chose to inform the Ming side of the emperor's survival before deciding on his next course of action.{{sfnp|de Heer|1986|p=18}}