Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

It seems that Magistrate Chen already knew that General Liu had set up his central command tent at the Zhexian Tower, so he pulled Magistrate Hu aside to advise him. Concern for world affairs can lead to confusion. Ge Yuanfu assumed that Chen Xuan and Hu Jiying, like himself, were working tirelessly to protect the Zhexian Tower, unaware that Chen Xuan's trip with Hu Jiying to see Liu Chengyin was merely to deliver supplies to the army and also to remind them of the importance of river defense.

“Caishiji is a military stronghold. It is very wise of the General to deploy elite troops in Caishiji. However, there are many easy crossings in Taiping Prefecture. Besides Caishiji, the river at Banziji in Digang, Fanchang County is very narrow and small boats can cross. We must be careful!” After delivering the military supplies, Chen Xuan, the military commissioner of Taichi, told Liu Chengyin, the general of Taiping Town, about his worries.

Liu Chengyin chuckled, “The scouts report that the main force of the garrison is in Jiangpu, Guazhou, and Tongzhou. Our area is not the enemy’s main target. Therefore, Governor Lang only allocated 20,000 troops to this town. Adding the city garrison battalions of the three counties of Taiping Prefecture, the total force is just over 20,000. We can only choose key points to defend. Caishi is a key point of river defense. The Song and Jin dynasties fought fiercely here, and the Ming army also landed here to attack the Yuan. That’s why this town focuses on Caishiji as the key point of river defense. As for Banziji, I have ordered Deputy General Wang Yuncheng to lead 5,000 troops to garrison it. I don’t think there will be any problems.”

Caishiji, along with Yanziji and Chenglingji, is known as one of the "Three Famous Rocks of the Yangtze River," and has always been a crucial point for river defense. In 1161 AD, the Southern Song Dynasty and the Jin Dynasty fought a thrilling battle here. Facing an army of 400,000 (actually about 200,000) led by the Jin ruler Wanyan Liang, the Southern Song civil official Yu Yunwen, with only 18,000 soldiers, achieved a decisive victory, creating the world-famous "Great Victory of Caishiji." Later, when the Ming general Chang Yuchun attacked Caishiji, a large footprint embedded in a rock near the river was said to have been left by Chang Yuchun. Because of these major battles, it has always been a strategic location fought over by military strategists, which is why Liu Chengyin deployed his main force here.

“With a general stationed at Caishiji, we can rest easy. But Banziji is only defended by five thousand men, which is rather weak. Don’t forget that the Qing army landed at Banziji when they destroyed the Ming Dynasty,” Chen Xuan wanted to persuade him further.

Liu Chengyin frowned, and after a long while said, "What Lord Chen said makes sense. In that case, please lead a thousand garrison soldiers to reinforce Banziji. In addition, the naval battalion under General Baitala of Huiningchi is stationed in Tongling near Banziji. I will write a letter to Wang Dacheng, the adjutant of the naval battalion, and ask him to lead the navy to patrol the waterways near Banziji. In this way, there will be no chance of anything going wrong!"

"General, your considerations are thorough; I admire you!" Chen Xuan and Hu Jiying repeatedly expressed their respect.

At the beginning of the morning on the 21st day of the third month of the 27th year of the Qianyuan era (1670), fleets of warships sailed in an orderly fashion from the Niutun River naval camp towards the Yangtze River. Yang Laijia, the Vice Admiral of the Great Wei Kingdom and General of Xiangyang, had once served under Zheng Chenggong and possessed extensive experience in naval warfare, having traversed rivers and seas for many years. He had strategically placed the naval camp on the Niutun River, a tributary of the Yangtze, to both prevent enemy attacks from the main river and effectively block communication with his own forces. Now, the time had finally come to draw their swords!

"Pass on my military order: all ships shall advance bravely in the direction of the flagship. Anyone who fails to retreat will be executed on the spot!" Yang Laijia coldly issued the order, personally leading the flagship as the vanguard.

Suddenly a fast boat approached the flagship, and a general on board shouted, "Caishiji stands abruptly in the middle of the river, with sheer cliffs and swift currents. General, as the commander-in-chief, how can you risk your life? Please allow me to take your place as the vanguard!"

Yang Laijia gazed at the newcomer, recognizing Xie Si, his old comrade-in-arms and former deputy commander who had fought alongside him at sea. A surge of warmth welled up within him, and he replied in a resounding voice, "Precisely because Caishiji is so treacherous, it is all the more fitting that I, the commander, should lead the charge!"

"Does the commander-in-chief not trust his men? If I cannot capture Caishiji, I would rather die here!" Xie Si said angrily.

"If that's the case, then you may leave," Yang Laijia said, looking at Xie Si, and suddenly shouted, "Come back to this town alive!"

"Boom~boom~boom~"

Seeing the Wei army approaching menacingly, the Wu army's river defense artillery immediately opened fire, especially the forts positioned on Cuiluo Mountain, which had a commanding position and could fire from a great distance. Warships were constantly hit and caught fire, but Xie Si ignored them, urging his flagship to dock, lower planks, and leading a hundred soldiers in formation to leap ashore and rush towards the riverbank. One warship after another braved the intense cannon fire to land, and wave after wave of warriors charged ashore to fight fiercely.

A long trench blocked the warriors' path. Xie Si didn't waste any words, taking a small shovel from his back and shoveling soil to fill the trench. His personal guards raised large shields to protect him from the rain of arrows. The well-trained guards worked in pairs, one holding the shield while the other filled the trench, and little by little, the trench was filled in.

"Fire!" General Liu Chengyong, the vanguard commander of the Wu army, issued the order.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Gunfire roared like a tide, and the soldiers of the Imperial Guard fell one after another.

Xie Si acted as if he hadn't seen anything, focusing solely on directing his men to fill the trenches. As soon as they were finished, he grabbed his two swords, leaped up, and charged straight at the Wu army behind the trenches, cutting down enemy soldiers like vegetables. "You dare to do this, you brat!" Liu Chengyong, Liu Chengyin's cousin, thrust his spear at him; he was renowned for his bravery in the army.

"Die!" Xie Si gripped the gun barrel with his left hand and swung his knife with his right, striking Liu Chengyong squarely in the face.

With General Liu's unwilling fall, the Wu army's defenses in front of Cuiluo Mountain were completely destroyed. Xie Si then led his troops to charge towards the Wu army's main camp on Cuiluo Mountain.

"Xie Laosan (Xie Si's nickname) is a real man! Charge!" Yang Laijia was overjoyed and shouted as he lowered his binoculars, "All troops, land!"

Upon receiving the order, the veteran comrades Xu Zhen, Li Sizhong, and others bravely led their respective units ashore and charged towards Cuiluo Mountain. If they could capture the Wu army's main camp, Caishiji would fall!

A large "Xie" banner flew from the foot of the mountain to the mountainside and then to the summit. Liu Chengyin, the general of Taiping Town, silently observed the movement of the banner, remaining motionless, with a thousand heavily armored warriors behind him. The enemy drew closer, their faces becoming clearer and clearer.

"Soldiers, follow me and kill!" With a sudden roar, Liu Chengyin charged out with his broadsword in hand, followed by a thousand carefully selected warriors.

The Wu army's fearless charge caused the Wei army's offensive to falter. Xie Si's men had been fighting fiercely for half a day, relying entirely on their fighting spirit. However, when they encountered the Wu army, which had been conserving its strength, they were immediately overwhelmed.

Xie Si gritted his teeth, brandished his twin swords, and charged toward Liu Chengyin. To capture the enemy, one must first capture their leader. As long as the leader is killed, Cuiluo Mountain will surely fall.

"Bang~ Bang~ Bang~" Sparks flew as the twin swords struck Liu Chengyin's body, but they couldn't penetrate his heavy armor.

"Pfft~" Taking advantage of Xie Si's daze, Liu Chengyin slashed upwards with his blade and pierced into Xie Si's chest.

The "Xie" flag fell, and Yang Laijia, enraged, urged his men to continue their fierce attack on Cuiluo Mountain. However, the Wu army held a strategic position, making it difficult to break through quickly. In the ensuing battle, another veteran, Li Sizhong, a lieutenant general, was killed. The heavy casualties brought Yang Laijia back to his senses, and he ordered his men to set up camp at the foot of Cuiluo Mountain and confront the Wu army.

"You are to write a letter of victory report to Governor Lang on behalf of this town. Over 40,000 troops attacked Caishiji, but were intercepted by our army at the foot of Cuiluo Mountain, where nearly 5,000 officers and soldiers of various ranks were killed. In addition, please request Governor Lang to send reinforcements immediately." After repelling the enemy attack, Liu Chengyin triumphantly summoned the army clerk and gave him these instructions. Upon hearing the order, the clerk picked up his brush and wrote the report in large characters.

"Military report! The false Khan led his army to cross Banziji from Wuwei Prefecture. Wang Furong and Chen Daotai died in battle!" Just as I was feeling smug, my confidant rushed in with the report.

"The False Khan forced his way across Banziji? Wang Yuncheng and Chen Xuan are dead?" Liu Chengyin was stunned for a long time before shouting, "How many men did the False Khan bring across the river?"

"No... I don't know. The messenger said... the banners blotted out the sun, countless in number..." the confidant replied, his voice trembling. (End of Chapter)