The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

On the open fields of eastern Jining, a black crow flaps its wings and soars through the sky.

Its sharp, raven-like eyes, like cold, dark crystals, took in the entire vast and brutal battlefield beneath its feet.

On the vast plains, five-colored waves surged wildly, the giant waves rising one after another, relentlessly crashing against the red reefs that stretched across the land.

The scene on both flanks of the battlefield was chaotic and intense.

Thick white smoke billowed up like a miasma, while the deafening sounds of battle echoed throughout the room.

The sounds of clashing swords and booming war drums mingled together, like a continuous rolling thunder.

Meanwhile, on both flanks of the main battlefield, the five-colored waves had completely converged and merged together, and launched another attack on the crimson reef.

The battle lines of both sides had long since become indistinguishable, and the two armies were completely entangled, with a dense mass of heads and wildly waving weapons.

Countless blood-stained bayonets and spears thrust out from the chaotic crowd, each flash of their cold light bringing a spray of blood.

Every moment, large numbers of soldiers fell, and the bodies of the dead piled up on both sides of the battle line.

The muddy ground was already soaked in blood, and every step splattered dark red mud.

In this brutal tug-of-war, every insignificant advance came at the cost of countless lives, and every forced retreat meant that another piece of ground was completely stained with blood and flesh.

The entire battlefield was like a giant furnace of flesh and blood, frantically devouring all life caught in its path.

On both flanks, the surging waves had converged, and the soldiers on both sides were completely entangled.

At the very center of the entire formation, the once majestic crimson reef was now almost cleaved in two by a single, sharp, bright yellow battle blade.

With their unparalleled charging power and resolute will to die, the heavy cavalry of the Qing army's Plain Yellow Banner had completely torn apart the Jingnan army's front-line defenses and were still relentlessly pushing forward.

Once they achieve a breakthrough, the Jingnan Army's main formation will be cut off, leaving the left and right flanks in a desperate situation of fighting independently, and the entire battle will be in danger of collapse.

A tremendous roar resounded, a thunderous sound as if a giant dragon was churning and roaring deep underground.

The black crow flapped its wings and took off again, the terrifying roar making it tremble and instinctively want to get away.

But at that moment, a huge and swift black shadow swooped down from the clouds above like lightning, and a pair of iron hook-like claws suddenly appeared in its field of vision.

The black crow let out a startled cry, flapped its wings even faster, and spun sharply to the other side, managing to dodge the attack from the dark figure at the last moment.

A loud eagle cry pierced the sky, and a magnificent falcon with a huge body and wings as sharp as knives suddenly appeared.

Many people may not have heard of the word "falcon".

However, most people are very familiar with its other name – the gyrfalcon!

This suddenly appearing gyrfalcon was exceptionally majestic, with feathers as white and flawless as fresh snow, sharp beak and claws like golden hooks, and piercing, murderous eyes.

Shandong is certainly not the habitat of the gyrfalcon.
This gyrfalcon came with Huang Taiji on his personal expedition. Since entering the Central Plains from the south, it has been carefully raised on a magnificent eagle perch with strict security in the rear. It was fed with live sheep and fresh deer and was taken care of by dozens of special attendants. It was extremely pampered.

It was Huang Taiji's favorite gyrfalcon, and he had dozens of servants to care for and raise it.

When Huang Taiji led his troops to the battlefield, he released it from its confinement, allowing it to soar through the sky once more.

The gyrfalcon, raised amidst the Changbai Mountains and Heilongjiang River, will eventually become the new overlord of China!

The life of the red tiger that had been guarding the world had come to an end; it was no longer able to protect its territory.

This vast territory is about to welcome a new master...

The snow-white gyrfalcon's sharp eyes had already locked onto the panicked black crow below, which was trying to escape, and regarded it as prey that had to be captured.

At this moment, it is gracefully spreading its snow-white wings, swiftly skimming across the azure sky.

The sunlight shone on its wings, like snow in the depths of winter.

It was as if, beneath wings, a mighty torrent surged forth!
Holding a sword, Huang Taiji led his galloping warhorse and his two thousand guards forward.

they.

They were the most valiant and invincible warriors of the Qing Dynasty, the sharpest blades forged in countless battles among the Manchu Eight Banners!
Along the way, they fought from Liaodong to the south of the Gobi Desert, from the Great Wall to the heart of Shandong, conquering north and south without ever suffering a defeat, and were defeated wherever they went!
The armor, as white as snow, gleamed coldly against the backdrop of the gleaming armor, resembling a moving steel glacier, carrying an aura of icy coldness and death that could crush everything.

The predecessor of the Manchu Eight Banners Guards was the White Armor Army.

The Eight Banners were organized into units called Niru, each Niru consisting of 300 men. Forty men were called Red Bayara, also known as Red Armor Soldiers, and ten men were called White Bayara, also known as White Armor Soldiers.

Out of three hundred men, only ten will be selected, and these ten will naturally be the most powerful men in each regiment.

The Korean historical record, the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, states: "Those who are specially trained wear mercury armor, making them easily identifiable among thousands of troops. They are positioned at the rear when marching and at the innermost part when in battle, and are specifically used for decisive victories."

Now is the moment of decisive victory.

These white-armored soldiers from various banners were the predecessors of the Imperial Guard.

Unlike the other soldiers who wore armor of the same color as their own banner, these guards were still dressed in bright armor as white as snow.

Huang Taiji selected the strongest soldiers from each banner to fill the Plain Yellow Banner, but he could only barely cobble together two thousand guards from the Plain Yellow Banner.

Two thousand people are indeed insignificant compared to hundreds of thousands.

However, it can play a crucial role in changing the outcome of a battle at critical moments.

A chilling killing intent flashed in Huang Taiji's eyes.

As they advanced deeper and made further progress, the Jingnan Army's lines began to crumble, and their once solid formation was almost completely breached.

The collapse at the front triggered a chain reaction, making it difficult for the Jingnan Army troops in the rear to stabilize their positions and fall into greater chaos, and they are now retreating continuously.

The cavalry covering the front of the Jingnan Army were utterly insignificant under the onslaught of the Imperial Guards' armored cavalry, like a mantis trying to stop a wheel, easily crushed to pieces.

Victory is within reach!
Huang Taiji stared intently ahead.

In his field of vision, the distance between the blood-red banner that was originally behind the Jingnan Army's formation and him was constantly decreasing.

Huang Taiji felt a chill in his heart; Chen Wang had always been like a dark cloud hanging over his head.

Long-suppressed resentment churned in Huang Taiji's heart.

This forced him to lead all his troops and take a desperate gamble to Jining.

But now, all of this is finally coming to an end.

No matter how many schemes and tricks are used, they will all be reduced to dust in the face of absolute power!
He wanted to use his sword to personally cut through this dark cloud and lay a solid foundation for the Qing Dynasty with a resounding victory!
The northern kingdoms have already submitted to the iron hooves of the Eight Banners.

And soon the Southern Kingdom, and even the entire world, will be his possession.

He will lead the Eight Banners' iron cavalry to conquer an unprecedentedly vast territory for future generations.

He wanted the Qing Dynasty to stand tall on the land of China.

He wanted to establish a nation stronger than the Jin Dynasty in history, and a dynasty more magnificent than the Mongol Yuan Dynasty of the past!

Huang Taiji raised his head, his heart filled with boundless pride.

The cold winter sun hung high in the sky, and the gyrfalcon he had always nurtured soared in the clear blue sky.

This place has become its new hunting ground.

And soon.

The whole world.

The same will be true!

In the near future, the gyrfalcon will be found all over China!
The dragon flag of the Qing Dynasty will surely be planted on every inch of the land.

However, just as Huang Taiji was feeling triumphant and envisioning his everlasting dynasty, an extremely sharp eagle cry suddenly rang out.

The sound was exceptionally piercing, unlike any ordinary cry. In an instant, it pierced through the heavy military formations and the clamor of the battlefield, clearly penetrating Huang Taiji's ears.

Huang Taiji's eyes suddenly narrowed, and his gaze swept quickly toward the sky.

He saw the gyrfalcon, which had intended to continue southward, suddenly change direction in mid-air without warning, no longer flying south, but instead swooping towards his direction.

It seems that he was either greatly frightened or driven by something.

A strong and ominous premonition, like a cold, venomous snake, suddenly coiled around Huang Taiji's heart, causing his boiling blood to stagnate.

"Could it be..."

Huang Taiji's heart began to pound uncontrollably, even though he was in the heart of a battlefield where thousands of horses were galloping and the sounds of battle were deafening.

He could even clearly hear the violent and panicked pounding of his own chest, like the beating of a drum.

The thunderous sound of horses' hooves echoed in Huang Taiji's ears.

Huang Taiji suppressed his heart palpitations and quickly scanned his surroundings.

Everything seemed to be normal.

The Jingnan Army's lines were becoming increasingly thin, melting away rapidly under the onslaught of the Imperial Guards' armored cavalry, like snow melting under the blazing sun.

The Jingnan Army's lines on both sides were still collapsing, and the Jingnan Army soldiers were abandoning their armor and weapons, fleeing in disarray in the east and west like a tide.

everything……

There doesn't seem to be anything wrong...

"wrong!"

Huang Taiji shuddered, a bone-chilling cold rushing from his spine to the top of his head.

He felt as if his heart was being gripped tightly by an invisible, cold hand, almost stopping its beating.

The sound of his rapid heartbeat vanished from his mind.

He realized the crucial, extremely unusual thing that he had overlooked.

The collapse of the Jingnan Army was far too rapid.

Apart from the initial fierce resistance, the subsequent advance encountered almost no truly effective resistance.

After the initial excitement subsided, reason returned to Huang Taiji.

It was at this point that he realized there were many doubts about the progress of the battle.

Everything was going so smoothly that it was unsettling.

The Jingnan Army, the army that once won great prestige on countless battlefields in the north, in Huguang, and in southern Zhili.

How could they be so easily defeated...

Chen Wang was renowned in his time, having already proven his talent with bloody military exploits; he was indeed a famous general of his era.

Why was the first line of defense of the Jingnan Army breached after the vanguard was defeated?

He failed to organize any effective defense or establish any new lines of attack.

Huang Taiji gripped the sword in his hand tightly.

If Huang Taiji were in Chen Wang's position, he would definitely do the same.

This is a basic strategy that any competent commander would adopt.

Huang Taiji looked towards the east and west again.

This time, he finally sensed that something was amiss.

If he were in command of the Jingnan Army, he would take into account the possibility that the first line of defense of the central army would be breached, and set up a second line of defense in advance to stop the enemy's advance.

At the same time, he ordered the reserves on both flanks to move towards the center and rebuild an arc-shaped defensive line.

We will never allow the enemy to break through the entire central army formation so easily.

Huang Taiji's gaze froze.

Looking to the east and west again, he also discovered that the Jingnan Army, which he had previously seen as collapsing, actually possessed a certain order amidst the chaos.

They didn't seem to be fleeing aimlessly; rather, they appeared to be following some kind of command, orderly clearing the central passage to the flanks.

This doesn't seem like a collapse.

It was more like... a deliberate concession?
This terrifying thought struck Huang Taiji like a bolt of lightning.

Extreme fear was growing wildly in Huang Taiji's heart.

A headwind blew in, and the damp, cold air lashed against Huang Taiji's cheeks.

Huang Taiji felt a chill run through his body, as if his blood had been frozen instantly.

He froze on the horse, his muscles tense and stiff.

Huang Taiji stared blankly ahead.

At the front and rear of the Jingnan Army, the last unit that tried to stop them, carrying a tattered flag, was finally swallowed up and crushed by the surging armored cavalry in front of him.

However, Huang Taiji felt no joy whatsoever.

His lips were pale, and his whole body was trembling.

Because he knew.

He made a terrible mistake.

And this mistake will destroy everything he has, destroy the entire Eight Banners, destroy the entire... Qing Dynasty...

As the cavalry leaped and undulated, the gaps between the countless figures of the Plain Yellow Banner armored cavalry galloping ahead were being filled with countless shades of crimson.

An unusual commotion and commotion arose from the very front of the cavalry formation.

The next instant, a melodious swan-like cry soared into the sky and clearly reached Huang Taiji's ears.

The once unstoppable charge of the cavalry began to slow down involuntarily.
Huang Taiji did not slow down his horse. Instead, he spurred the horse forward and galloped away. Even the desperate attempts of the attendants around him to stop him were to no avail.

"Go away!"

He had to see for himself what was happening ahead!
As he moved forward, the guards and armored cavalry who had been protecting him dared not stop him and parted to the sides as if waves were parting.

When Huang Taiji finally spurred his warhorse, breaking through layers of obstacles, and arrived at the very front of the entire cavalry formation.

His vision suddenly opened up, but the scene before him plunged him into utter despair.

On the once vast horizon ahead, countless crimson banners fluttered in the strong wind, forming an endless wall of death, like a raging fire burning across the plains...

From beginning to end.

What he saw was not the end of victory.

Rather, it was the beginning of destruction. (End of Chapter)