Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

"General, the outlet of the Poyang River is just ahead. Our Poyang Lake Navy has been established for many years and its strength far surpasses that of the Imperial Guard Navy. I doubt anyone can stop our advance," Lin Guodong, the deputy commander of the Poyang Lake Navy, reported triumphantly as he arrived at General He Yi's flagship by fast boat.

"Although the Mongols are not good at naval warfare, they have recruited many soldiers and generals who are skilled in naval warfare. You must not be careless. Take eighty fast ships and occupy the two ports first. Once you control those ports, you can march straight into Poyang." He Yi had followed Zheng Chenggong across the seas and his long years of bloodshed had instilled in him a cautious and prudent character. He solemnly instructed him.

"I accept the order," Lin Guodong, an old comrade who had followed He Yi in making a living at sea, naturally understood what his commander was thinking and led his fast boat away like the wind. To his great surprise, when they reached the Shuanggangkou section of the river, a large fleet of Wei army ships appeared ahead, lined up in neat columns, their military bearing impeccable. He had assumed the Wei army was not skilled in naval warfare and did not have many warships, but he had not expected such a large number of warships! The enemy ships flew the "Yang" character general's flag as well as countless fishing rod and angling flags.

"Which general in the Imperial Guard is surnamed Yang? And he knows naval warfare? Could it be...?" Lin Guodong was taken aback, remembering his old acquaintance Yang Laijia. Yang Laijia had served as a commander under Zheng Chenggong, and He Yi and Lin Guodong, both former subordinates of Zheng, naturally recognized him.

"Is the visitor Brother Lin?" a voice suddenly called out from the front of the enemy ship.

Lin Guodong looked around and saw an old acquaintance, Xu Zhen. Xu Zhen was Yang Laijia's deputy general and also a former general of the Zheng family. After a moment of surprise, he cupped his hands and replied, "It is indeed your younger brother. It has been a long time since we last met. Brother Xu, you are still as dashing as ever."

“Time waits for no one, I’m getting old.” Xu Zhen sighed softly and advised, “David’s unification of the world is already a done deal, why should Brother Lin try to stop him? His Majesty the Qian Yuan Emperor has always valued talent, why not join David and share in his wealth and glory?”

"Brother Xu knows that I always only listen to Brother He. If Brother He agrees, I will agree; if he doesn't, then we can only disregard our past friendship and settle this on the battlefield," Lin Guodong replied with a smile, subconsciously touching the hilt of his sword.

Both sides reported to their respective commanders, and He Yi and Yang Laijia went forward to their ships to answer the questions. The two stood at the bow of their respective ships and first reminisced for a while, then each tried to persuade the other. One urged the other to uphold national righteousness and not become a lackey of the barbarians, while the other urged the Mongol and Han to be of the same bloodline and not to kill each other. Neither could convince the other.

He Yi suddenly sighed, “I heard that you once presented the Seven-String Bamboo from Wolonggang to Consort Dong (wife of Zheng Chenggong). The Consort was very pleased and often played the zither by the bamboo to encourage patriots not to forget the spirit of Zhuge Liang and to emulate his loyalty. This bamboo is still here, but you have become a subject of the barbarians. What a pity! What a tragedy!”

Upon hearing this, Yang Laijia's face turned red, and he angrily said, "The Lord of Wei is benevolent and has restored the Han people's clothing and customs. Moreover, the mother of Prince Qin is a daughter of the Ming imperial family. I am not surrendering to the barbarians, but to the Chinese! Since Brother He refuses to listen to my advice, our past friendship is over!" After saying this, he swung his knife and cut off a corner of his robe.

Seeing him sever ties by cutting his robe, He Yi also took his sword and cut his robe in the same way. The two returned to their respective fleets, leaving only the life-or-death struggle on the battlefield.

"Boom~Boom~Boom~"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The cannons roared continuously, and the fierce battle raged for seven days without ceasing. General Xu Zhen and General Lin Guodong both perished in battle. Yang Laijia remembered his promise and formed more than ten ranks. Despite suffering heavy casualties, he firmly controlled the Shuanggangkou waterway and did not allow a single small Wu army boat to pass.
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To establish military might, King Chuo Siji of Qin ordered his armies to launch repeated assaults on Poyang City, even at night with torches lit. The imperial guards' cannons were equally relentless, unleashing a fierce barrage at dawn, noon, afternoon, or night. The attacks were unpredictable, each volley claiming a life.

After more than ten days of continuous fighting, the defending troops finally could not hold out any longer. Zhang Wei, the deputy commander of the garrison and general of Tongzhou, was the first to scale the city wall and led his troops straight to the banner of Zhao Lai, the deputy general of the Wu army. Zhao Lai was also a fierce general. He led his men in a desperate battle and refused to retreat, eventually dying from exhaustion.

Poyang City fell, but Cheng Feng, the military commander of Raozhou, was not captured. This battle resulted in the deaths and injuries of eight thousand soldiers. How could His Highness the Prince of Qin spare him? He ordered a house-to-house search and finally captured General Cheng, dressed in civilian clothes, in a civilian's house.

"Your Highness, this scoundrel is vicious. To prevent the news from leaking, he slaughtered the entire family and threw their bodies into a well, then transformed himself into the appearance of a commoner," Sun Jiayin, the deputy general of Quzhou, reported to Zhuo Siji. "Your Highness, spare my life! I have a past relationship with He Yi, the commander of the Poyang Lake naval forces. I am willing to persuade him to surrender and atone for his crimes through meritorious service!" To save his life, Cheng Feng cried and kowtowed repeatedly.

“No need,” Chosgi waved his hand. “We, David, are a nation of propriety. How can we tolerate such wicked and cruel people as you? Drag him away and behead him as a warning to the public.”

After capturing Poyang, Chosiji ordered Cai Lu, the Henan Admiral, and Yang Laijia, the Jiangsu Admiral, to lead 30,000 naval troops and more than 500 ships of various sizes from the Poyang River into Poyang Lake to attack the Wu army's naval forces stationed at Kanglang Mountain, in order to eliminate any worries about their rear in the attack on Nanchang.

Cai and Yang, along with Wu Jun's Poyang Lake General He Yi, were all former subordinates of Zheng Chenggong. Now serving different masters, they fought each other without mercy, engaging in fierce battle on the lake for half a day. After defeating the main force of Wu's navy, they stormed into the water fortress and forced He Yi to the corner tower in the fortress.

“Brother He, you have done your best. Why should you remain loyal to that fickle scoundrel Wu Sangui? Surrender!” Yang Laijia shouted.

“Yes, Brother He, come down quickly. We’re brothers, we can talk this out,” Cai Lu also urged earnestly.

"I am not loyal to Wu Sangui, but to all Han people under heaven!" He Yi roared, then fell to the ground, his head hitting the ground first, his brains splattering everywhere.

Upon hearing that Poyang had fallen and the navy had been completely annihilated, Jiangxi Governor Dong Weiguo urgently dispatched Yuanzhou Deputy General Zhao Yingkui to lead troops to its aid, and also transferred General Hilgen and Deputy General Gente from Mufu Mountain back to Nanchang.

Wu Jun deployed defenses along the western shore of Poyang Lake, and the Wei army was repelled several times when attempting to land at places such as Zhao Jiawei. Qin King Zhuosiji was not in a hurry and ordered the Deputy General of the Eastern Expedition, Xi Rimo, to lead 70,000 troops to bypass Jinxian County in the southern part of Poyang Lake, and then cross the Wuyang River from Jinxian to directly attack Nanchang.

Knowing that Poyang Lake could no longer serve as a stronghold, Dong Weiguo withdrew his troops and relied on the fortified city of Nanchang to hold off the Wei army. He once again rushed to Wu Sangui and Hu Qitai for reinforcements. Hu Qitai, the governor of Jiangxi, ordered Zhang Sheguang, a guerrilla commander, to lead 5,000 troops to Fuzhou to join forces with General Wu Youming and Deputy General Ke Sheng to reinforce Nanchang. However, they were intercepted by Liu Chaofu, the general of Xuzhou, in Jinxian County.

"I did not expect the Eastern Route Army of the State Defense Army to advance so quickly!" Upon hearing the military report, Emperor Zhaowu of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Wu Sangui, looked up to the sky and roared. He was under great pressure from the Great Khan of Lotus and could not spare too many troops to rescue Jiangxi. However, if Jiangxi could not be defended, Huguang would also be difficult to defend in the end.

After much deliberation, he summoned his second son, General Wu Yingqi, and said, "The Eastern Route Army of the State Guard has besieged Nanchang, and Jiangxi is in grave danger. You have always been brave and skilled in battle, and you are a man I trust. Lead your troops, along with those of General Liu Zhigang of Changsha and General Liu Wenjin of Qiyang, to relieve Nanchang." Liu Zhigang and Liu Wenjin were originally generals under Tunqi, not Wu Sangui's direct subordinates. Fortunately, their families were in Changsha, so he was relatively at ease.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, I will certainly not fail in my mission!" Wu Yingqi gladly accepted the order.

“With the Wei army pressing on our borders, I simply cannot spare any more troops. I can only give you 30,000,” Wu Sangui sighed, patting Wu Yingqi on the back as he said, “You must not act rashly. If things go wrong, there is no need to fight to the death; you can retreat to Changsha. I will not blame you.”

Wu Yingqi was adopted by Wu Sanfeng, the elder brother of Wu Sangui, at a young age. He always felt that his father didn't like him, so he fought bravely in every battle to win his father's favor. Today, hearing that his father would rather lose Nanchang than let him die on the battlefield, he was deeply moved and said with red eyes, "I understand, Father, take care!"

Hearing the word "father," Wu Sangui's heart trembled violently. Since his second son had been adopted by his elder brother, he had always addressed him as "uncle," never calling him "father." Struggling to hold back the tears that threatened to spill, he turned his face away, letting his second son slowly retreat. (End of Chapter)