Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

"Dong Chongmin is known as a brave general, and Xiaoxianggong Ridge is a natural barrier. How did the guards cross the ridge?" After repelling the guards' attack again, Wu Zhimao did not look relaxed, but asked solemnly. There were about 50,000 enemies besieging the city, and there were only 16,000 of them. The enemy was outnumbered, and many of the enemies under the city were well-equipped guards of the country. Every time they attacked the city, the cold arrows shot by the Mongolian archers caused heavy casualties to the soldiers defending the city. After defending for half a month, about 4,000 guards under the city fell, and his own men also suffered about 3,000 casualties. It seemed that his casualties were less than those of the guards, but the number of the guards was more than three times that of his own. According to this loss ratio, Jianchang City could not hold out for long.

"I sent out night raiders to investigate and found that there were still shouts and screams on Xiaoxianggong Ridge. I think the guards surrounded General Dong and then crossed the mountain to Jianchang," replied General Han Jinqing.

"Well, with Dong Zongzhen's bravery, Xiaoxianggongling is unlikely to be conquered so quickly," Wu Zhimao nodded upon hearing this, deliberately avoiding the fact that the military rations stored on the ridge were only enough for more than a month, and slowly said: "But in this case, our army can only rely on Xu Zongzhen and Zhang Changguan!" The so-called "Xu Zongzhen and Zhang Changguan" refers to Xu Zhongming, the general of Huichuanwei (Huili), and Zhang Zhaoyuan, the governor of Weilongzhou. Xu Zhongming is a veteran of Wu's army, and Zhang Zhaoyuan is the first chieftain of Jianchang who defected to Wu Sangui. In his eyes, they are trustworthy forces.
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Thirteen thousand troops were marching slowly on the official road from Dechangso to Jianchangwei. In the front were the eight thousand local soldiers under the command of Zhang Zhaoyuan, the governor of Weilongzhou, and behind them were the five thousand troops under the command of Xu Zhongming, the general of Huichuan.

"Uncle, General Xu asked us to walk in front but he has ulterior motives. He wants us to explore the way for him," nephew Zhang Lianpeng said to Zhang Zhaoyuan dissatisfiedly.

"Yes, uncle, Mr. Xu wants to preserve his strength, so why should we help him to take advantage of the fire?" Another nephew, Zhang Lianchen, was also very dissatisfied.

"What do you know? If we hadn't surrendered to the Great Zhou, would our Zhang family have the current situation? General Xu is the general of Huichuan in the Great Zhou. Even if he wants us to help him, we have to obey his orders even if it means going through fire and water! Don't talk nonsense, pay attention to maintaining the marching speed, and the distance from General Xu should not exceed ten miles." Zhang Zhaoyuan rolled his eyes at his two nephews unhappily. He knew in his heart that his nephews were right, but the Zhang family was originally just a small chieftain in Weilongzhou. It was because he surrendered to the Great Zhou that he was able to dominate Weilongzhou and expand his influence to Pujisi, Changzhousi, Miyiso, and Malasi, and the number of troops also increased from a mere two thousand to more than eight thousand. Since he relied on the big tree of the Great Zhou, how could he not work for the Great Zhou? However, he was also more careful. Although he was in the lead, he did not walk fast, and always kept a distance of only ten miles from the rear team.

"Your Highness, the enemy's reinforcements are less than fifty miles away from Jianchang," the deputy commander of the army, Balbaci, respectfully reported to Jin Prince Ergalang. This man was Ergalang's confidant and belonged to the Torghut tribe together with Ergalang's mother.

"Don't worry, wait until the enemy reaches 30 miles away from the city and then stop them. Remember, the noise must be loud and the defenders in the city must be made aware that reinforcements are coming. Only after the defenders leave the city can the ambush troops attack them!" Ergalang gave the order calmly.

When the native troops led by Zhang Zhaoyuan reached 30 miles south of Jianchang City, they were stubbornly blocked by the native soldiers of Jianchang Guard Commander An Taining, Qiong Tribe Envoy Ling Fengqi, Lizhou Native Thousand Household An Meng, and Adu Tusi Ajiaziku. There were about 10,000 native soldiers. Although they were poorly equipped, their morale was extremely high. They relied on temporary fortifications and fought to the death. Ergalang ordered the chief of the thousand households, Ramadas, to bring 200 cannons to fiercely bombard the enemy reinforcements. The rumbling sound of the cannons could be heard even from the top of Jianchang City.

"General, reinforcements are coming!" Han Jinqing excitedly reported to Wu Zhimao.

"Have you sent anyone to sneak out of the city to investigate? Are they really reinforcements for our army?" Wu Zhimao was a veteran of many battles after all, so he asked calmly.

"The night soldiers I sent out reported that the flag that appeared in the south of the city was indeed our army's flag, and the guards were very stubborn in their resistance and refused to give an inch. They must be reinforcements without a doubt," Han Jinqing answered with certainty.

"Well, I will lead 10,000 people out of the city to meet reinforcements, and you will lead the remaining troops to defend the city. There must be no mistakes!" Wu Zhimao made up his mind after hearing this.

The south gate of Jianchang was opened, and Wu Zhimao led 10,000 troops out of the city. Knowing that reinforcements had arrived, the army's morale was boosted, and the guards outside the city could not resist and were quickly killed and dispersed.

"Quick! Hurry up and bring the reinforcements into the city!" Wu Zhimao, who had experienced many battles, quickly caught the "opportunity" and led his troops to rush south. The 10,000 local troops under An Taining's command were already somewhat unable to hold on under the joint attack of Xu Zhongming and Zhang Zhaoyuan. Seeing another enemy coming from the direction of Jianchang, he decisively ordered a retreat. Hearing the military order, the warriors shouted and fled in all directions. They grew up in the mountains and ran very fast on the mountain roads, and soon ran away without a trace.

Wu Zhimao successfully joined forces with Xu Zhongming and Zhang Zhaoyuan, but he felt a little uneasy. The Wei army retreated in a hurry but not in a disorderly manner, as if they had been prepared in advance. "Not good! Go back to the city!" The veteran general sensed the danger.

"Boom~Boom~Boom~" Shells rained down on the Wu army. The head of the army, Sebuteng, led 10,000 cavalry on the left, and the prince of Khorchin, Dushihuoer, led 10,000 cavalry from the right. The Shaanxi governor, Sandan, led his army to cut off the Wu army's way back to the city, and the Sichuan governor, Jiancun Jiangqu, led his army to cut off the Wu army's escape route to the south. For a moment, the guards were everywhere. The Wu army was in chaos and the formation collapsed.

"Hurry~ back to the city!" Wu Zhimao's hair and beard were fluttering, and he wanted to fight for his life. Under his command, the Wu army desperately broke through to the north and tried to fight their way back into the city.

"Pass on my military order. Anyone who takes a step back without permission will be killed!" The Shaanxi Admiral Sandan drew his sword and stood up, full of murderous intent. His subordinates were frightened by his power and fought to the death.

After a fierce battle for half an hour, the Wei army commanders Omuzhuomu, Gelutu, Tuocha, and Baibo were ordered to come to the rescue. Seeing that they could not fight back to the city to the north, Wu Zhimao had to order his men to turn around and break out to the south. "Soldiers, our army has been surrounded. If you want to live, follow me and fight!" After shouting this, he jumped on his horse and raised his sword to break out first. At this time, the Wu army was in a desperate situation. With the will to survive, they followed the commander and risked their lives.

The south was the escape route that Jin Wang Ergalang had deliberately left for Wu Jun. If the 20,000 enemies were surrounded too tightly, they would fight desperately, so he only left 5,000 soldiers under Sichuan Admiral Jiancun Jiangqu in the south. Seeing that Wu Jun was rushing towards him like crazy, after resisting for a while, Jiancun Jiangqu ordered to make a gap to let Wu Jun escape. Seeing that there was hope for survival, Wu Zhimao did not dare to fight and led his men to run desperately south. The guards followed Wu Jun and chased them. Those who escaped slowly were either killed or captured.

After a day and a night of pursuit, the Wu army fled to 30 miles north of Lumayi. Wu Zhimao saw that his men were exhausted and had traveled all night to temporarily get rid of the pursuers behind them, so he ordered them to rest for a while. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a cannon, and another guard army rushed out. It was Ergalang who ordered Gansu Admiral Sabir and Xining Deputy Admiral Qi Xingzhou to lead 10,000 troops to ambush here. "It's bitter!" Wu Zhimao felt bitter. At this time, although there were still more than 10,000 defeated soldiers in the Wu army, they were exhausted. How could they defeat the guard army that was waiting for them to tire? It was useless to be afraid, so he had to order to continue to break out.

Sabir was eager to make a contribution, so he rushed towards Wu Zhimao's flag. Xu Zhongming, the general of Wu's army, tried to stop him with his troops, but was slashed off his horse by Sabir. In a panic, Wu Zhimao had to change into a soldier's uniform and escape.

In this battle, the Wei army suffered only 3,000 casualties and achieved the record of annihilating more than 15,000 Wu troops. Wu Zhimao gathered only more than 5,000 defeated soldiers, and did not dare to stay in Sichuan, and wanted to flee back to Yunnan. Unexpectedly, as soon as the military order was issued, Zhang Zhaoyuan, the governor of Weilong Prefecture, left without saying goodbye with 3,000 local soldiers. It turned out that the Zhang family had lived in Weilong Prefecture for generations, and they were unwilling to give up their territory and flee to Yunnan. A forced melon is not sweet, and a phoenix that has fallen to the ground is not as good as a chicken. At this time, Wu Zhimao had no way to deal with these local troops, so he had to cross the Jinsha River with more than 2,000 defeated soldiers and retreat to Yuanmou. While strengthening the city, he kept sending people to ask for help from Zhang Guozhu, the general manager of Yunnan Road and the general of Dingyuan.

Seeing that it was too late to pursue, Ergalang led his troops back to Jianchang City without panic. He did not order an attack on the city, but only sent people to persuade them to surrender. At this time, there were only more than 3,000 troops under Han Jinqing, the general of the Wu army, left in the city. Seeing the Wu army's flag and Xu Zhongming's head sent into the city by the guards, Han Jinqing knew that the city could not be defended. He had to make a choice between dying for the Great Zhou or surrendering. Looking at the faces of his subordinates who were begging for life, the veteran sighed. The morale of the army had been dispersed. Even if he wanted to die for the country, how many people would follow him? In desperation, he opened the city gate and surrendered. He thought he would be humiliated, but unexpectedly, King Jin Ergalang treated him very kindly, still appointed him as the general, and even hosted a banquet for him. Although he knew that this meant buying horse bones for a thousand gold coins, Han Jinqing still felt a little grateful.
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Some were unwilling to die for their loyalty, and some were willing to die for their loyalty. At this time, the Xiaoxianggongling Pass was at the end of its rope. The military rations in the city were only enough for one and a half months. After the rations ran out, Dong Chongmin ordered a breakout. However, the commander of the siege army, Bayar, was a veteran general who had dug many trenches outside the pass, planted wooden fences, and built barriers. No matter how hard the defenders tried to break out, they could not.

In desperation, Dong Chongmin had to order his men to defend the city. When there was no food, they killed horses to fill their stomachs. After another month, all the horses were killed, and the starving defenders had to eat snow. But snow could not replace food, and people continued to die of hunger and cold. Some soldiers who were crazy with hunger began to cook and eat corpses, and the horrible smell of death spread throughout the city.

"General, our army is in a desperate situation. Why don't we surrender?" Lu A'ge, a captain of Zhebaotu, stammered as he persuaded the commander to surrender.

"镲~" Dong Chongmin raised his crescent-shaped sword and glared at Lu A'ge, "I am the General Xuanwei of the personal army appointed by His Majesty himself, and you also eat Zhou's salary, how can you surrender to the enemy? If you dare to shake the morale of the army again, you will be executed immediately!" Lu A'ge hurriedly apologized and left.

"Ada (father), what happened?" Lu Jingyao asked when he saw his father coming out.

"The general won't allow it, alas~" Lu A'age sighed.

"If you don't surrender, you will die. Why don't we contact the guards ourselves and open the city gates at night?" Lu Jingyao said gritting his teeth.

"No, last time we were surrounded outside the city by the guards, and we were able to survive only because of the general's rescue. How can we do such an unjust thing?" Lu Ager refused.

"You are so stupid. What's the point of talking about gratitude in such troubled times? If my father and I die here, the Paul family will be finished!" Lu Jingyao was so anxious that he jumped up and down.

Lu Ager was finally persuaded by his son, and he ordered his men to open the city gates at night, and the guards rushed in.

"General Dong Chongmin of the Great Zhou Army is here!" After receiving the alarm, Dong Chongmin was not afraid at all, holding up his crescent-shaped sword and bravely fighting. Gradually, he was the only one left. After killing dozens of people, this fierce general finally ran out of strength, let out a long roar, and shot himself.
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The defeat of the Wu army triggered a chain reaction. Lu Zhao, the governor of Changzhou, who was originally affiliated with Zhang Zhaoyuan, the governor of Weilongzhou, and A Tu, the governor of Malan, submitted their surrender letters to the David Kingdom.

Jin Wang Ergalang led his army along the Ningyuan River and attacked Weilong Prefecture. Seeing the overwhelming force of the Wei army, Zhang Zhaoyuan lost the courage to resist and sent an envoy to offer a large amount of treasures to surrender.

Looking at the dozens of boxes of treasures brought by the messenger, Ergalang smiled and said to the messenger: "Go back and tell your master that after you surrender, I promise to let him rule Weilong Prefecture for generations."

After hearing the envoy's words about the attitude of His Royal Highness Prince Jin, Zhang Zhaoyuan was overjoyed. Together with his nephews Zhang Lianpeng and Zhang Lianchen, he led his men to welcome the "King's Master". Unexpectedly, as soon as he knelt down to salute, he was tied up by the fierce guards, and his men were also disarmed by the guards.

"Didn't Your Highness promise us to rule Weilong Prefecture for generations? As a king, how can you break your promise?" Zhang Zhaoyuan shouted angrily.

"I promised you that you would rule Weilong Prefecture forever, but you are a dead man, not a living one! Over the years, you have helped Wu's army to commit crimes in Jianchang and killed so many of our soldiers. How dare you dream of living now?" Ergalang sneered, "Behead this man and bury his body in the backyard of the Weilong Chief's Office. You will rule Weilong Prefecture forever!" (End of this chapter)