Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

One hundred thousand battle-hardened, well-trained guards marched in orderly fashion towards Mount Mufu. Along the way, aside from relaying orders, few spoke. Truly a powerful army! Yet, someone dared to raise a voice. King Zhao, Biligendalai, galloped up to King Qi, Melas, and said with a smile, “Second brother, it is said that Mount Mufu was formerly known as Tianyue Mountain. The local people say, ‘Beyond the Five Sacred Mountains lies Tianyue.’ Later, because the famous Wu general Taishi Ci of the Three Kingdoms period camped on the mountaintop to resist Liu Biao’s army, it was renamed Mount Mufu. The ‘Mufu Red Cliff’ on the mountain is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Pingjiang. Shall we go up the mountain for a stroll sometime?”

"Fifth brother, Father Khan has entrusted us with the important task of conquering Mount Mufu. We must not slack off. Let's talk about sightseeing after the war is over," Miras smiled slightly. His fifth brother was brave and good at fighting, but not very cunning. He was a good person to win over.

"Don't worry, Second Brother. Half of Wu's army on Mufu Mountain has been transferred back to Nanchang by Dong Weiguo. There are only a mere ten thousand troops on the mountain. You have also bypassed the main peak of Mufu Mountain and advanced through the gap between Mufu Mountain and Jiugong Mountain. With our strength, it will not be difficult to take it down," Biligendalai said with a nonchalant smile.

"Fifth Brother, since you're so confident, do you dare to sign a pledge?" Melas deliberately provoked him.

"What is there to be afraid of? If we fail to capture Mufu Mountain, we are willing to accept military punishment!" Biligendalai puffed out his chest and said loudly. After speaking, he cupped his hands to Melas, spurred his horse, and rode away.

“The Prince of Zhao is straightforward by nature. Your Highness can befriend him for future use,” said Chen Hongzhu, the trusted advisor and governor of Huguang, who had accompanied the army on the expedition, as he watched him walk away.

“What you say is very true, sir!” Melas nodded slowly. “This time, I sent my fifth brother as the vanguard because I wanted to befriend him. Not only for future strong support, but also because brotherly love is what Father Khan wants to see most.”

Upon hearing the last sentence, Chen Hongzhu felt gratified and sincerely exclaimed, "Your Highness possesses great strategic acumen; I admire you greatly!"

Biligen Dalai led 20,000 elite troops ahead and quickly arrived at Xiaoyue Mountain, Niuji Ridge, on the western slope of Jiugong Mountain in the middle of Mufu Mountain. This place was very famous. In May of the year Yiyou of the Shunzhi reign (1645), after Emperor Li Zicheng of the Great Shun Dynasty was defeated and fled Beijing, he led his remaining troops into Lijiapu in Jiugong Mountain. After being defeated, he fled alone on horseback and was killed by local militia, where he was buried. Since an emperor had died here, one would expect caution. However, Prince Zhao, who had signed a military pledge, was full of ambition and eager to take this mountain to show his brother his military skills. As soon as he arrived, he ordered his men to form a thousand-strong unit, each unit half a mile apart, to climb Xiaoyue Mountain. This was a good opportunity for an ambush, but the place was far from Mufu Mountain, and the Wu army stationed there numbered only a thousand or so. They were willing but unable to fight, and the Wei army captured the mountain in less than half a day. Upon hearing the report, Wu Jiujiang's deputy general Ouyang Kai, stationed at Laoyajian, the highest peak of Jiugong Mountain, was greatly alarmed. He led 5,000 troops down from Laoyajian in an attempt to stop the Wei army. But how could he possibly stop them? He fled back to Jiujiang in disarray.

The surging Wei army crossed Xiaoyue Mountain and circled around to the rear of Mufu Mountain. It was already evening, and Biligen Dalai ordered his soldiers to camp and rest in the dense forest, drinking spring water when thirsty and eating dry rations when hungry, and forbidding them from lighting fires. At dawn the next day, wisps of white mist rose from Mufu Mountain. Prince Zhao, wielding a short sword, led the way, inspiring his men. The thick fog effectively concealed the Wei army's movements. When the Wei army climbed the cliff, the Wu army on the summit was already preparing their breakfast.

With a "whoosh," Biligendalai drew his bow and arrow, shot down the sentry with a single arrow, and roared from his chest, "Warriors, follow me to kill the enemy!"

"Haorui~ Haorui~ Haorui~" Encouraged by victory, the guards cheered and rushed into the camp, hacking and slashing everywhere.

Han Shangliang, the garrison commander of Mufu Mountain and deputy commander of the right wing of Nangan Town, had just emerged from his military tent in a daze when he was surrounded and taken prisoner by several guards.

Having easily breached the Mufu Mountain defenses, which had previously proven impenetrable, King Milas of Qi triumphantly led his army towards Ningzhou. At the city walls of Ningzhou, he encountered an allied force: Xuan Youcai, the Governor of Anhui, was besieging Ningzhou with an army of 30,000.

"This humble general greets Your Highness!" Upon learning that the Prince of Qi had arrived, Xuan Youcai hurriedly paid his respects.

"Why are you here?" Melas asked curiously. "His Majesty ordered His Highness the Prince of Qin to send troops to feign an attack on Ningzhou to help you seize Mufu Mountain. His Highness the Prince of Qin entrusted this task to me," Xuan Youcai replied respectfully.

No wonder our army captured Mufu Mountain so easily; it turns out another batch of enemy troops on the mountain had been transferred to Ningzhou! Melas admired his father's foresight and smiled at Xuan Youcai, saying, "I've heard you are a valiant general under my sixth brother. Tomorrow, when we attack the city, I wish to witness your might." Sending Xuan Youcai's troops to lead the attack on Ningzhou wasn't just about preserving strength; it was also about testing his sixth brother's capabilities. He'd heard that since his southern campaign, his sixth brother had recruited a large number of surrendered soldiers and generals, now commanding over 200,000 troops. He wanted to know the fighting strength of his sixth brother's army.

"This humble general will certainly live up to Your Highness's high expectations!" The honest and simple Xuan Youcai did not know what his superior was thinking, but instead thought that His Highness Prince Qi valued him, and was extremely excited.

The following morning, after the thunderous cannon fire subsided, Xuan Youcai led 30,000 troops to attack the city. The infantry scaled the walls using siege ladders, while archers, in groups of three to five, ambushed the defenders below. The fighting was highly disciplined, and they successfully breached the city walls several times. Although each attempt was repelled by the defenders, it was clear to any discerning observer that Ningzhou City was in grave danger.

Unexpectedly, his sixth brother's troops are so capable of fighting; the little tiger has unknowingly grown tiger claws! Melas, after reading this, looked grave but forced a smile. He offered Xuan Youcai a few words of encouragement.

Three days later, Ningzhou fell, and Wu's deputy general Zhao Yingkui and guerrilla commander Yang Yisong were killed in action.

"Send the order: the entire army must proceed to Nanchang!" Melas gave the order triumphantly.

"Wait a minute," Chen Hongzhu quickly stopped him.

"What do you mean by this, sir?" Melas asked, puzzled.

"Doesn't Your Highness think that the Prince of Qin's power is growing too fast?" Chen Hongzhu said leisurely. "Nanchang is a fortified city. The Governor of Jiangxi, Dong Weiguo, still has tens of thousands of elite troops under his command. They will certainly not surrender easily. We can use this fortified city to weaken the Prince of Qin's power. Moreover, Wu troops are still entrenched in Nankang and Jiujiang prefectures. Now that they are in a precarious situation, they will certainly not dare to block our advance. You might as well go north to these two prefectures, incorporate the surrendered troops, and expand your power."

Upon hearing this, Melas pondered for a long time before finally nodding slowly. He then led his army eastward to attack Wuning, where the Wu army's deputy general, Xu Sheng, surrendered without a fight. Next, he attacked Jiujiang, where the deputy general, Ouyang Kai, was terrified by the Wei army and raised the surrender flag, opening the city gates. The garrison of Nankang Prefecture did the same, surrendering without firing a single arrow. This offensive was like a leisurely journey; not only did it not result in the loss of a single soldier, but it also attracted the surrender of over 15,000 troops.

While trying to win over the surrendered troops, Melas reported his victory to the Great Khan of Lotus, and deliberately stationed his troops at Xingzi City in Nankang Prefecture, watching as the Prince of Qin attacked Nanchang. Just as Chen Hongzhu had predicted, Nanchang was well-fortified. The Prince of Qin attacked Nanchang for two whole months, losing more than 10,000 soldiers, but gained nothing.

Xingzi City, near Poyang Lake, is a beautiful place, but even the best scenery can only be enjoyed for a short time. Military news arrived that the Great Khan of Lotus was leading a large army across the Mufu Mountains towards Nanchang. Knowing he could no longer linger in Xingzi City to admire the scenery, Mairas immediately led his army south from there.

On October 6th, 1670 (the 27th year of the Qianyuan era), King Meras of Qi and King Chosji of Qin joined forces in Nanchang; on October 15th, the army of the Great Khan Lianhua arrived at the walls of Nanchang. A full 500,000 guards completely surrounded the city. (End of Chapter)