Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

In the early hours of the morning, Lang Tingzuo, the Governor-General of Jiangnan and Jiangxi, woke up early. For some reason, he had been feeling restless and unable to sleep soundly lately.

"Governor-General Hui says there is urgent military news," a trusted attendant suddenly reported.

"Quickly call him inside!" Governor Lang jumped out of bed.

General Hui Zhanchun of Jiangning rushed into his study in a flurry of activity and anxiously reported: "Governor, cavalry of the Imperial Guards have been spotted outside Jiangning City."

"What!" Lang Tingzuo was stunned. "The Wei army has crossed the river? Why haven't we received any battle reports from Geng Jingzhong?"

“The Wei army did not cross the river from here, but came from the direction of Dasheng Pass. Some defeated soldiers fled back and said that Taiping Prefecture and Dasheng Pass had both fallen, and Liu Chengyin had died in battle.”

"You mean the main force of the Guards landed at Taiping Prefecture? Who led the army? How many troops did they have?" Lang Tingzuo suddenly realized that the Guards' previous attacks on Jiangning, Zhenjiang, Suzhou and other places were all feints, and Taiping Prefecture was the real target.

"I heard that the false Khan is personally leading the army, numbering over 200,000, with 50,000 enemy cavalry outside the city alone." In their haste, accurate intelligence was hard to obtain, and deserters spread rumors, exaggerating the number of the guards to over 200,000 and the number of cavalry outside the city to 50,000. Lang Tingzuo was terrified and shouted, "Order the garrison outside the city to immediately enter and garrison the city, and conscript all men aged fourteen to sixty from the city to climb the city walls to assist in the defense!" At this time, the main force of the Jiangning garrison was on the riverbank, and there were only 10,000 troops inside the city, so the governor could not help but be anxious.

“Governor, the main force of the Imperial Guard has not yet arrived. There are only 50,000 cavalry outside the city. It’s still not too late to leave the city now,” Hui Zhanchun mumbled, already harboring thoughts of escaping.

“Alas! It’s not that I don’t want to leave, but there are only 10,000 garrison troops inside the city, while there are already 50,000 cavalry outside. How can infantry outrun cavalry? Once discovered, the odds are against us. It would be better to gather the troops outside the city, defend the city, and observe the situation,” Lang Tingzuo sighed. This governor also wanted to leave, but he was afraid that he wouldn’t be able to protect himself with so few troops.

Upon receiving the order, Wu Jun rushed back to defend the city. Gradually, the number of troops inside the city increased to 30,000. Adding the 20,000 Jiangning civilians forcibly conscripted to assist in the defense, the force suddenly swelled to 50,000, a formidable sight indeed. Lang Tingzuo, however, was not happy. He climbed the city wall of the water gate, holding a telescope and anxiously watching the river. He was waiting for someone—the heir apparent of the Jingnan Prince, Geng Jingzhong, to lead his troops into the city. This time, Geng Jingzhong brought 20,000 elite Fujian naval troops to reinforce Jiangning, a force not to be underestimated.

"Governor, Prince Geng has returned to Fujian!" Just as I was eagerly waiting, Vice Admiral Dong Cizhong stumbled over. He had been ordered to lead the Jiangning Navy to fight alongside Geng Jingzhong.

"What! Didn't he receive my orders?" Lang Tingzuo was furious.

"After receiving the military order, Prince Geng learned that the false Khan had landed in Taiping Prefecture. He immediately ordered the navy to return to Fuzhou. I tried to persuade him, but he ordered his men to drive me out of the naval camp. Only four thousand Jiangning naval troops followed me into the city," Dong Cizhong said with a bitter face.

"I am allied with the Geng family through marriage, but I never expected that this brat would abandon me and flee for his life alone~" Lang Tingzuo sighed. The reason he dared to hold Jiangning City was that he still had the intention of going to the Yangtze River via the Qinhuai River or Jurong by land if he could not hold it. Without this elite navy, the risk of escaping would be much greater.

Just as he was getting angry, Hui Zhanchun approached again, his face grave and his body tiptoeing. Lang Tingzuo's heart skipped a beat. These past few days, while outwardly overseeing the city's defenses, he had secretly ordered this man to prepare small boats and supplies, planning to open the water gates and escape by boat should the situation turn against them. To avoid demoralizing the troops, everything had to be done discreetly. Judging from this, it seemed there was more bad news.

“Governor!” Hui Zhanchun said in a low voice with a mournful face, “The Wei army has blocked the waterway of the Qinhuai River with boats, and our boats cannot sail out of the Qinhuai River.” “Bang!” Lang Tingzuo’s hand suddenly trembled, and the telescope fell to the ground.
-
"Vice Commander, you ordered me to search for ships, but we are all cavalry, what use are ships to us?" Outside Nanjing, Tegus Chaoketu asked Xirimo, the Vice General in charge of the Eastern Expedition, with a puzzled look.

"Teguschoktu, you're a fierce general, but it's a pity you don't use your brain," the Oirat Wolf chuckled. "What are the military orders His Highness gave us?"

Teguschoktu scratched his head. "His Highness ordered us to advance swiftly along the river to pursue the fleeing enemy, but what does that have to do with finding a boat?"

"You blockhead!" Xi Rimo laughed loudly. "Southerners are different from us northerners; they're skilled at using boats. We must guard against them escaping by water. Once we find boats, chain them together and sink them into the river, blocking both ends of the Qinhuai River. That way, even if those southerners have boats, they can't escape! Hahaha~"
-
"Boom boom boom~ boom boom~ boom~" The sound of cannon fire gradually subsided as Geng Jingzhong, the heir apparent of Prince Jingnan Geng Jimao, led the Fujian navy in a desperate retreat, finally shaking off the pursuit of Liu Chaofu's troops in Xuzhou, the capital of the Wei Kingdom. Liu Chaofu, newly surrendered to the Wei Kingdom and eager to prove himself, heard from a scout ship that the Qing navy was trying to escape and immediately ordered a pursuit. The chase lasted a full day and night, during which they sank or damaged more than thirty ships of various sizes belonging to the Fujian navy.

"Phew~ That Liu Chaofu is a real scoundrel, taking advantage of my misfortune! If I hadn't been in such a hurry to get back to Fuzhou, he wouldn't have had the audacity to act so arrogantly!" Geng Jingzhong took a deep breath and spat into the sea. He was indeed aggrieved. Originally, his navy was stronger than Liu Chaofu's, but this scoundrel took advantage of his eagerness to escape and caused him a great loss. How could he not be angry?

"Your Highness, Zhenjiang is just ahead. Shall we dock and rest for a while?" asked Commander Zheng Geng. This man was a surrendered general of the Zheng family in Taiwan, and was brave and skilled in battle.

“No, there is still the garrison and navy at Guazhou,” Geng Jingzhong said with a grim face. “Issue the order that the entire army must not go ashore, but sail at full speed along the Yangtze River until Songjiang, where they may rest.”
-
On April 1, 1670, General Zhuo Siji, the Prince of Qin and General of the Eastern Expedition, led an army of over 110,000 to Nanjing. Liu Chaofu, the General of Xuzhou, also led nearly 20,000 troops across the river to join them. The total strength of the garrison exceeded 130,000, claiming to be 500,000. Their banners covered the sun and stretched endlessly, completely surrounding the city of Nanjing.

A team of elite armored soldiers arrived at the gates of Nanjing. Each of them had a serious expression and a murderous aura, but the two at the front were relaxed and chatting.

“Your Highness, the two counties of Jiangning and Shangyuan together form Nanjing, which is where the Ming Taizu established his capital. It has four layers of walls: the palace city, the imperial city, the inner city, and the outer city. There are thirteen inner city gates and eighteen outer city gates. The city stretches forty li, and a complete circuit around the city is more than one hundred and twenty li. It is very fortified,” the old general Xirimo said to Zhuosiji.

Despite his youth, Chosiji was quite insightful. He replied with a smile, "What formidable city could possibly hold back our Oirat wolves? You must have already devised a plan to breach the city."

"Hahaha~ This old minister does indeed have some ideas to discuss with Your Highness," Xi Rimo was beaming with joy after being subtly flattered by Prince Qin. "Nanjing has been ravaged by war, and its outer city walls are in ruins. We can first break through the outer city walls and then set up cannons on high ground such as Zhongshan (Zijin Mountain) to bombard the inner city. This city will surely fall."

“You are right,” Chosiji nodded in agreement, then suddenly changed the subject, “Nanjing is a fortified city, and a direct assault would result in heavy casualties. Why not besiege this isolated city and wait for the enemy to surrender?”

"No!" Xi Rimo exclaimed suddenly, "That Lang Tingzuo participated in Zheng Chenggong's Northern Expedition to Nanjing. Has Your Highness not heard of Zheng Chenggong's past deeds?"

Chosiji suddenly realized. Back then, Zheng Chenggong led a large army on a northern expedition, winning battle after battle until he reached the gates of Nanjing. Just as the city was about to fall, he fell for Lang Tingzuo's feigned surrender, wasting precious time and ultimately failing. He absolutely could not repeat that mistake! Raising his arms, he shouted, "I will never follow in Zheng Chenggong's footsteps! Within ten days, I vow to take Nanjing!" (End of Chapter)