Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

In May, the frozen Songhua River thawed, and the surging river water, with boundless momentum, first flowed from the Tianchi Lake in Changbai Mountain to the northwest of Sachhahewei (now Fuyu County), and then turned from west to east after merging with the Nenjiang River. More than a hundred large and small warships, in a fleet of eight large ships and ten small ships, patrolled the wide river, ready to destroy any enemy who dared to cross the river. Nearly a hundred ships of various types were moored at the water fort and dock in Jilin Wula on the other side of the river.

Jilin Ula was originally the royal city of the Fuyu Kingdom, with an ancient name of "Huicheng". During the Ming Dynasty, it belonged to the Ula tribe of the Haixi Jurchens. Because it faces Changbai River in the distance, surrounds Songjiang River nearby, controls the key points of water and land, and serves as a barrier to Liaodong, the Ming Dynasty set up a shipbuilding base here, and it was named "Shipyard" from then on. In the 1658th year of Shunzhi (), in order to resist the invasion of Tsarist Russia and strengthen the control over the land outside the Great Wall, the Qing court ordered Ningguta Angbang Zhangjing Sharhuda to resume shipbuilding and train the Eight Banners Navy here. Originally, the Jilin Navy Camp had nearly garrisoned bannermen, and then it continued to expand with the intrusion of the guards. Now there are naval forces and large and small warships. Although most of them are small wooden boats made in a hurry, they are already a large fleet of great scale in the north.

Since the fall of Hetuala, the Qing army outside the Great Wall has shifted its strategy from both offensive and defensive to defensive. Qing Ningguta Angbang Zhangjing Bahai paid special attention to the defense of Jilin Ula, considering it the key point on the Songhua River defense line. He ordered Ningguta Deputy Governor Nihari and Jala Zhangjing Anzhuhu to lead 4,000 naval forces to patrol the Songhua River day and night with the water fort of Jilin Ula as their base. Fengtian Deputy Governor Dadu led 1,500 Eight Banners soldiers and 3,500 Qiler, Feiyaka, Ewenki (Yakut), and Udehe tribes to build a city and defend it in Jilin Ulin; he ordered Deputy Governor Haita and the leader of the Wild Jurchen Huerha tribe Yine to lead 4,000 Eight Banners soldiers composed of Buddhist Manchus and Huerha, Woji, and Valka tribes to garrison the Sachha River downstream of Jilin Ula; the Bordered Yellow Banner Manchu Jala Zhangjing Zhanukabukto and Niulu Zhangjing Garu led 1,500 The Eight Banners Army composed of the Fu Manchus (the old Manchu Eight Banners formed during the Nurhaci period) and the Daur tribe was stationed in Helan City upstream of Jilin Ula; he himself, together with the Niulu Zhangjing Zhuerkengge, Taifeiying'a, the cavalry captain Sabusu, and Alanjika, led 5,000 troops to garrison Ningguta for support; he also ordered the Guolunda (the head of a tribe) Kuliha of the Hezhe Geyikele tribe to summon the 22 Mukuns (families) of the Hezhe people of the four surnames of Geyikele, Nuyele, Hushihalihara, and Shumulu living in the Songhua River and Mudanjiang River basins, as well as the troops of the Hurha tribes such as the Kusakali and Horfukuo to strengthen the defense.

At this time, Bahai had learned that the Wei army had sent a detachment down the Heilongjiang River to cut off his retreat, but he was not anxious or worried, and he did not even send reinforcements to the north. First, the speed of the Wei army's Orros army's attack on cities and territories was too fast, and there was no time; second, he did not want to retreat to the north at all. As the Angzhangjing of Ningguta, he would die in Ningguta if he could not defend Ningguta. What was the point of escaping to the place of the wild people in the northern mountains? However, he was not indifferent to the Wei army's move down the Heilongjiang River, but ordered the Huerha tribe's Ulaha clan's Halada Manzhuna and Tokoro clan's Halada Achuhun in the Ussuri River basin to organize the tribe's army to closely monitor the Wei army's movements and prevent them from going south to threaten Ningguta.

After making these deployments, the battle-hardened general reluctantly put his mind at ease. According to the military report, due to weather conditions, the pseudo-Khan stayed in Hetuala to store grain and train troops throughout the winter, doing nothing. Haha, although this beast is good at using troops, he is too cautious. Although it is difficult to transport grain and fodder in winter and the logistics pressure is great, winter also freezes the water of the Songhua River and Mudan River, making it easy to cross the river. If he were to use his own troops, he would definitely send a small force to cross the Songhua River before the river thawed, and choose a favorable terrain on the other side of the river to defend, so that it would be easy to cross the river after the freezing period. But this beast would rather send a detachment to go around to his rear and go down the Heilongjiang River, but he was unwilling to send troops to cross the Songhua River. It was really a failure! The enemy's mind was very clear, trying to cut off the escape route from Ningguta to the north and annihilate his army. Haha, what a big appetite! But the Mongols were not good at water battles, so what was the use of having a large army?

"Fake Khan, fake Khan, I want to see how you cross the river." Bahai was thinking about the enemy's movements and began to talk to himself unconsciously.

"Marshal," a voice interrupted his thoughts. He looked carefully and saw that it was his trusted cavalry captain Sabsu.

"Sabusu, you've come at the right time. The memorial requesting merit for the generals has been drafted. I have recommended you to the emperor as Niulu Zhangjing. The other generals will also be rewarded according to their merits. The documents will arrive after the contact with the court is restored," he said to Sabusu with a smile, and he admired this brave and resourceful young general very much.

"Thank you for the promotion, Marshal. I came here because I have something uneasy in my heart, so I came to report it," Sabsu thanked him, but he did not look happy, instead he frowned.

"You and I are close friends, just tell me whatever you want to say." Seeing him like this, Bahai knew that he was worried.

"I wonder if the Marshal has noticed the detachment of the Wei Army that is attacking along the Heilongjiang River?" asked Sabusu.

"Haha, the pseudo-Khan wants to annihilate our army south of Heilongjiang, so he sent a detachment to cut off our retreat. But he doesn't know that I have never thought of escaping. If you can't defend Ningguta, Ningguta will be my coffin," Bahai laughed heartily, but there was a hint of sadness in his laughter.

"The Marshal is determined to fight the Wei Army to the death, and so are the Eight Banners soldiers, but what about those tribal soldiers? I heard that the Wei Army went all the way down the Heilongjiang River, and many of the Daur, Bilar, Udehe, and Hurha tribes were conquered. The territories of Halada Xiluganu of the Qiler tribe and Halada Suoduoerkai of the Udehe tribe in our army have been occupied by the Wei Army (at this time, the Qing army did not know that the Ewenki, Oroqen, Hezhe along the Heilongjiang River and the Feiyaka on Kuwu Island had also been conquered by the Wei Army). What should we do if their morale is shaken after they learn the news?" Sabsu asked anxiously.

"I have also thought of this, and ordered people to block the news early on. All the people who escaped from the coast of Heilongjiang River were detained in Yimahewei. It is far away from the Songhua River, and the news should not be leaked in the short term," Bahai said calmly.

"Even if it won't be leaked in the short term, it will be known after a long time. Do you have any good ideas?" Sabsu asked solemnly with a frown on his face.

"Not too long," Bahai smiled bitterly. "The fake Khan has delayed us for a whole winter and will never give us time to rest. I judge that the Wei army will soon force a crossing of the Songhua River. The day of the decisive battle is coming. If we win, the situation outside the Great Wall will improve. Why should we be afraid of leaks? If we lose, the Wei army will take all the land outside the Great Wall, and you and I will all die together. What's the harm even if it leaks?"

The clever Sabusu heard the meaning of dying on the battlefield from the commander's words, and respectfully saluted Bahai, "Thank you for your teachings, commander. Please let me lead my troops to reinforce Jilin Wula. If the guards want to cross the river, they will have to step over my body." (End of this chapter)