The wind rises at the end of the Ming Dynasty

When people suffer a blow they have never experienced before, they fall into a state of immense fear.

This fear, like an icy tide, instantly overwhelms the banks of reason, severely damaging one's spirit and causing complete collapse.

Just as when the Spanish first brought firearms to the Americas, it was when the soldiers of the Inca Empire first saw them.

With a deafening roar and blinding flashes of light, thick white smoke billowed from the mysterious metal pipe, and the air was instantly filled with the pungent smell of sulfur.

They watched as their companion fell to the ground in the distance, blood gushing from his wound.

What took their lives was not the arrows or spears they were familiar with, but an invisible, tiny bullet carrying the scent of death.

They didn't understand what was happening; the unknown terrified them and led to their breakdown.

The Shun army's soldiers knew more than the Inca soldiers.

They knew what a musket was and what an artillery was.

However, their lifelong experience in warfare was insufficient to withstand the immense power of the steel storm before them.

When more than 700 cannons roared at the same time.

The deafening roar of cannons drowned out all the noise.

When countless shells streaked across the sky, creating a continuous, sharp whistling sound.

As countless shells roared in, causing massive damage.

I felt the scorching heat and fragments of death whistling past me.

The density and efficiency of this destruction exceeded the boundaries of their imagination.

Under this divinely inflicted bombardment, their bravery and discipline seemed pale and powerless.

Their once high fighting spirit dissipated quickly, like a campfire extinguished by a downpour.

Morale plummeted irreversibly towards the depths of despair.

In the Battle of Mengyuan Town, the main force of the Shun army collapsed completely under the unprecedented bombardment before they even engaged in close combat.

The more than 700 cannons mobilized by the Jingnan Army completely crushed the Shun Army's fighting will.

Even with these seven hundred or so cannons, the density of shells they could unleash was far less than that of an artillery regiment during World War I.

However, in this era, more than 700 field guns lined up and firing simultaneously were enough to crush any army in the world.

The armies of this era had never experienced such intense artillery bombardment, nor had they ever taken refuge in deep trenches.

They formed tight military formations, arrayed across the plains, and guarded their camps.

The collapse of the Shun army was largely due to their realization that they had no chance of winning.

The first to flee were the Mongol cavalry of the Khoshut Khanate.

Their fighting spirit was not high to begin with; they had only joined the Shun army for a better life and had never been loyal to Li Zicheng.

Then came the troops from various Qiang tribes.

They originally only chose to ally with Li Zicheng because they wanted to expand their power.

However, the situation worsened, and the Shun army suffered repeated defeats on the battlefield.

The bravery and ferocity of the Jingnan Army terrified them.

After the Khoshut Khanate's cavalry fled, the troops of the various Qiang tribes also began to flee.

Then came the local people who were forcibly conscripted into the Shun army, and the Ming soldiers from the Nine Garrisons who were forced to surrender...

The defeat of the army was like the collapse of a mountain.

In the end, more and more people fled in defeat.

Even though Li Zicheng tried his best to control the situation, he was ultimately unable to reverse it and was even nearly scattered by the fleeing troops.

Ultimately, Li Zicheng had no choice but to flee with the troops he could still control.

The collapse of the 140,000-strong Shun army was imminent.

Hu Zhiyi received the news much faster than Li Dingguo, who was at the heart of the battlefield in Mengyuan Town.

When the soldiers at the observation post galloped into the camp, panting heavily, they reported that the Shun army was showing signs of a complete rout.
Without any hesitation, Hu Zhiyi made a decisive order, commanding the cavalry of each division to launch an immediate attack.

The main force of the Shun army outside Mengyuan Town is currently collapsing much faster than Hu Zhiyi had predicted.

The cavalry of each division had already completed their assembly, and their original mission was to launch a pursuit immediately when the Shun army's lines collapsed at Mengyuan Town.

Therefore, when Hu Zhiyi's military order was delivered, the more than 30,000 Jingnan cavalrymen waiting on the second line of defense immediately moved into action.

Wherever the command flag was waved, a torrent of iron cavalry rose up in response.

Countless hooves trampled across the gentle slopes of the plateau, raising clouds of yellow dust that resembled an iron-gray tide washing over the battlefield that had just witnessed a bloody battle.

Most of the Shun army troops that were routed in the rear were panicked infantrymen.

They fled in disarray, abandoning their armor and weapons.

The galloping momentum of the warhorses was far beyond human capability, and in the blink of an eye, the vanguard of the cavalry had already approached the rear of the routed army.

The Jingnan Army's iron cavalry swept across the battlefield like a whirlwind, their hooves kicking up countless fine snowflakes.

In the Battle of Mengyuan Town, Li Zicheng gathered all his capable troops, but was defeated and killed in just two days of fighting.

On the main battlefield, the Shun army was defeated and fled. Hu Zhiyi then led his troops north to attack Zhao Jiadu.

Jiang Xiang was ordered to cross the river and attack. With the two forces attacking from both sides, the Shun army at Zhaojiadu suffered a great defeat.

The Shun army's commander-in-chief, Liu Tichun, died in battle.

The Jingnan army killed more than 3,700 Shun soldiers, and the rest of the Shun soldiers surrendered.

The seventh day of the eleventh month of the sixteenth year of the Chongzhen reign.

Upon hearing of Li Zicheng's defeat, General Qi, the commander of the Shun army stationed in Hancheng, was thrown into disarray.

Panic gripped the towns, and in the chaos, most of the soldiers in the camps fled.

Left with no other option, Chief Steward Qi submitted a letter of surrender requesting to submit to the Qing dynasty.

Wang Fuchen accepted the surrender document and took over all the Shun army that had marched north.

same day.

Two days after the Battle of Mengyuan Town, more than 30,000 Jingnan cavalry, led by generals Chen Ming and Chen Yongfu, rushed to pursue the fleeing Shun army.

The soldiers rode tirelessly for 240 li (approximately 120 kilometers), finally arriving at the city of Xi'an at dusk.

The city of Xi'an was in chaos, with flames shooting into the sky. The city was far from peaceful and seemed to be in the midst of a battle.

Instead of the Shun army's black banners, many red flags appeared on the city walls.

Upon seeing the arrival of the Jingnan Army's cavalry, the city's garrison soldiers surprisingly opened the city gates and requested the Jingnan Army to enter the city to quell the rebellion.

Chen Ming and Chen Yongfu were cautious and, to prevent any trickery, sent troops to take control of the city gates first, and then sent another part of their troops into Xi'an.

Only then did they learn that Li Zicheng had fled all the way from Mengyuan Town to Xi'an. Without the slightest hesitation, he led his troops into the city, headed straight for the national treasury, and took away a considerable amount of gold and silver. Afterward, he led his troops to continue their westward escape.

This caused many former Ming generals who had been forced to surrender to harbor rebellious intentions.

These generals secretly joined forces, attempting to ambush and kill Li Zicheng, but their plan was exposed prematurely.

Enraged, Li Zicheng took the initiative to attack. However, Li Zicheng had no intention of suppressing the rebellion. After leading most of his troops out of the encirclement, he headed west without engaging in any further conflict.

However, some Shun army troops were still putting up a stubborn resistance in Xi'an. The general elected by the former Ming generals who launched the uprising in Xi'an was Luo Guizhong.

Many people do not know the name Luo Guizhong.

But Chen Ming was the one who knew.

To be precise, anyone who lives in Hanzhong Town knows the name Luo Guizhong.

Luo Guizhong was originally the commander of the Xi'an Vanguard. When Chen Wang was first in Chunhua, the court sent Luo Guizhong to lead troops to support him.

Luo Guizhong, through his share of the spoils from his military achievements in Chunhua, was later promoted to commander of the Xi'an Vanguard and made connections with them.

When Chen Wang was in Hanzhong, he reorganized the Ordnance Bureau, but there was a lack of craftsmen.

They followed Luo Guizhong's approach and bought a lot of craftsmen.

Through his relationship with Chen Wang and the sharing of military achievements, Luo Guizhong rose through the ranks to become the Commander-in-Chief of the Shaanxi Regional Military Commission.

Luo Guizhong and Chen Wang have always maintained contact and have a very good relationship.

Li Zicheng captured Xi'an, and the Ming army was defeated too quickly.

Luo Guizhong was also trapped in Xi'an, and finally surrendered after Li Zicheng broke through the city.

Because Luo Guizhong was highly respected in the Shaanxi garrison and had volunteered to serve them, Li Zicheng kept Luo Guizhong and appointed him as a general.

The intelligence department later contacted Luo Guizhong and recruited him as an inside man.

However, like Jiang Xiang, Luo Guizhong did not have much real power and was unable to control any troops.

It wasn't until news of the Shun army's crushing defeat at Mengyuan Town arrived that this continued.

Everything has changed.

Due to his prestige, Luo Guizhong was pushed to the forefront by a group of former Ming generals and launched an uprising in Xi'an.

The two sides then engaged in a fierce battle in Xi'an.

With the assistance of the intelligence corps in Xi'an, Li Zicheng escaped the city, and Luo Guizhong also managed to barely control most of Xi'an.

After Chen Ming and Chen Yongfu made contact with the intelligence bureau's special agents, they received definite information.

Only then did he lead his troops to retake Xi'an and send troops to assist in clearing out the remaining soldiers in the city.

Later, they learned that Li Zicheng had not stayed in Xi'an.

After a brief discussion, Chen Ming and Chen Yongfu handed over the defense of Xi'an to Luo Guizhong and once again led their troops westward in pursuit.

November 9th.

Chen Ming and Chen Yongfu led their troops in pursuit and caught up with the fleeing remnants of Li Zicheng's forces.

Li Zicheng sought to survive by cutting off his own tail, so he sent Gu Kecheng to lead troops to cover the rear and intercept them, and a fierce battle broke out between the two sides.

Chen Yongfu killed Gu Kecheng in battle and scattered his troops, but he lost track of Li Zicheng.

November 10th.

When Li Zicheng led his troops to Baoji, he was horrified to find that Baoji had already changed hands.

On the eighth day, Zuo Guangxian led his troops to break through Dasanguan Pass, and then marched into Baoji, Fengxiang Prefecture. On the ninth day, the Shun army garrison in Baoji Prefecture surrendered.

Zuo Guangxian also discovered Li Zicheng's escape. However, Zuo Guangxian was unaware of the battle situation in Mengyuan Town and mistakenly believed that it was a force sent by the Shun army to reinforce Fengxiang Prefecture. Therefore, he initially chose to cautiously close the city and hold it, without taking the initiative to attack.

It wasn't until the two sides' outposts made slight contact that Zuo Guangxian noticed something amiss from the enemy's hurried movements and disorganized formation.

The Shun army unit that was discovered appeared to be fleeing in disarray.

After realizing what was happening, Zuo Guangxian immediately dispatched troops out of the city to intercept them.

However, Li Zicheng seized this fleeting opportunity. After a brief encounter with Zuo Guangxian's troops, he dared not linger in battle and immediately led his core forces to bypass the city and continue his desperate westward escape.

Shortly thereafter, Chen Ming and Chen Yongfu led their weary pursuers to Baoji.

Upon learning that Li Zicheng had fled west again, the two were anxious. They only rested briefly in Baoji and replenished some vital supplies before deciding to continue the pursuit.

Zuo Guangxian knew that the opportunity was too good to miss, so he immediately handed over the military tally that allowed him to mobilize the troops at the front, so that Chen Ming could control the pursuing cavalry he had sent out earlier, unify his commands, and work together to pursue and annihilate them.

This continued until November 17th.

A long chase spanning across prefectures unfolded in Longxi.

Chen Ming and Chen Yongfu led their troops in hot pursuit of Li Zicheng's remnants, passing through Fengxiang Prefecture and penetrating deep into the western part of Gongchang Prefecture. Finally, at Zhang County, where Gongchang Prefecture and Lintao Prefecture meet, they caught up with the desperate Li Zicheng once again.

After repeated pursuits, soldiers kept falling behind. Even after several resupply runs, the Jingnan Army cavalry that finally caught up with Chen Ming and Chen Yongfu numbered less than 15,000. The rest of the troops remained along the way for various reasons.

However, Li Zicheng's situation was even more miserable.

When he fled Mengyuan Town to Xi'an, he gathered about 30,000 to 40,000 cavalrymen who still followed him.

When he fled in haste during the Xi'an turmoil, the troops following him had been reduced to 15,000 cavalry.

Baoji was intercepted by Zuo Guangxian, and after a conflict, four or five thousand cavalrymen were scattered.

After that, they were constantly pursued and harassed by the Jingnan Army, and another four or five thousand cavalrymen were either killed, scattered, or surrendered.

When Li Zicheng was finally caught up by Chen Ming and Chen Yongfu in Zhang County, he had less than 5,000 cavalrymen left.

The pursuers were already upon them, and there was almost no way to retreat.

Knowing he had nowhere to escape, Li Zicheng was forced to gather all his remaining troops north of Zhang County, determined to make a final stand and try to fight his way out.

In the midst of the chaos, Chen Yongfu shot Li Zicheng in the left eye with an arrow, causing Li Zicheng to fall from his horse.

Only through the desperate efforts of the old camp followers to cover him were they able to finally rescue Li Zicheng.

However, the commander's serious injury and fall from his horse caused the already low morale of the Shun army's remnants to collapse completely.

The tide of battle turned completely in favor of the Jingnan Army. Chen Ming and Chen Yongfu seized the opportunity to launch a fierce attack and inflicted a major defeat on the Shun Army.

Li Zicheng's army was almost completely wiped out, with only less than a hundred cavalry remaining.

Only a hundred riders remained, and they followed Li Zicheng into Shouyang Mountain, located between Lintao Prefecture and Gongchang Prefecture.

Thus, Li Zicheng's whereabouts were lost.

Chen Ming and Chen Yongfu dispatched troops to search the mountain several times, but all their efforts were in vain. They could only guard the key roads to prevent him from escaping out of the mountain.

but.

Whether Li Zicheng is alive or dead.

These measures have no impact on the overall situation now.

While Chen Ming and Chen Yongfu were pursuing Li Zicheng.

Hu Zhiyi had already led his army to recapture Xi'an.

Upon hearing of the great defeat at Mengyuan Town, all the prefectures and counties in Shaanxi Province surrendered without resistance.

Good news has also come from Sichuan.

Ma Xianglin, in Mianzhu, Deyang, the same place where Deng Ai defeated Zhuge Zhan during the Three Kingdoms period, led his troops to a great victory over the main force of the Sichuan Shun Army led by Liu Zongmin.

The Shun army suffered a major defeat. When the chieftains of western Sichuan heard that Ma Xianglin's army had approached Chengdu, they were all terrified and submitted memorials, declaring that they would forever be subjects of the Ming Dynasty.

Within ten days or a month.

Both Shaanxi and Sichuan provinces have been liberated. (End of Chapter)