Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

Times change, and so do landscapes! During the Song Dynasty, the Eight Scenic Spots of Ganzhou were: Stone Tower, Zhanggong Terrace, White Magpie Tower, Soap Canopy Tower, Yugu Terrace, Mazu Rock, Chenwai Pavilion, and Peak Mountain. Today, they have evolved into Three Terraces Standing Tall, Two Rivers Flowing Around, Jade Rock Under the Moon, and others, but the number remains eight. The tradition left by our ancestors is one that future generations will never easily change. Hu Qitai, the Governor of Jiangxi, stood on the Eight Scenic Spots Terrace, gazing solemnly at the endless, ant-like swarms of warships of the Imperial Guard on the river. Ganzhou City has weathered countless storms and still stands strong; but now, an even greater storm is coming!
"Don't worry, General. Although the Imperial Guard is large, they'll have to break a few teeth before they can take Ganzhou!" said Li Xianzong, a trusted guerrilla general, nonchalantly.

Looking at his beloved general, Hu Qitai smiled slightly and instructed him: "You have always boasted of your martial prowess, so I will entrust Yongjin Gate to you. If the garrison ships fire their cannons, do not return fire to avoid exposing your positions. Wait until the enemy attacks the city before firing on their infantry."

"Rest assured, General, I will handle this matter well," Li Xianzong gladly accepted the order.
-
On December 26, 1670 (the 27th year of the Qianyuan era), the Battle of Ganzhou began.

Prince Nagat of Tucheng led his army to attack Baisheng Gate, and Wu's deputy general Ke Sheng led his troops to resist. The guards attacked the city wall several times but were driven back each time. In the fierce battle, Nagat's younger brother, General Harachi, was wounded by a stray arrow and was saved by his personal guards who risked their lives to protect him.

First-class Turpan Duke Xirimo led his troops to attack Xijinmen. The Oirat wolves were fierce and commanded their warships to rush straight to the city gate from the ferry crossing. Wave after wave, they came in an endless stream, but all of them were repelled by the Wu army guerrilla general Chen Sulun's troops defending the city.

When Bai Ligong Suhe, a first-class general, attacked Jianchun Gate, he was met with fierce resistance from Wu's guerrilla unit under Zhang Sheguang. When the battle was at its most intense, this fierce general personally attacked the city with a large axe. His subordinate Bai Yunming led five hundred elite soldiers to bravely climb the city wall and once gained a foothold, but they were hit by concentrated fire from Wu's muskets and died tragically on the city wall.

"The Great Khan is watching us, generals, strive on!" King Chuo Siji of Qin encouraged his troops. His words were few, but the generals all understood their weight, and they readily accepted the order to board the ships and command the battle. One warship after another sailed towards Yongjin Gate, like dark clouds surging on the Gong River.

"Fire!" At the command of Yang Laijia, the Jiangsu Admiral who was in charge of the naval battle on behalf of Chosiji, the garrison ships opened fire. Shells exploded one after another on the walls of Yongjin Gate, creating craters but failing to breach the iron-solid walls. Seeing that the enemy artillery seemed to be suppressed and was not returning fire, Chosiji gave the order to land and attack the city.

Henan Governor Cai Lu led his troops to land at the dock outside Yongjin Gate, where he methodically directed his troops to form ranks and prepare siege equipment. He summoned his deputy general Liu Bangzhu and adjutant general Niyaha, encouraging them, "Western Dalai Lama established his kingdom through military force. You two have only recently surrendered, so you must accumulate more military merits!" Liu Bangzhu and Niyaha were both sons of Liu Zhiyuan, the Qing general in charge of pacifying the seas. Their father had been stripped of his post by the Great Khan for resisting the imperial army, but the two brothers were both retained in their original positions.

"Rest assured, Commander, we will fight to the death!" The two brothers gladly accepted the order and led their troops toward the city wall.

"Chirp~ Chirp~ Chirp~" The dense and sharp whistling sound brought the call of the Eternal Heaven.

"Not good!" Cai Lu's expression changed drastically. A veteran of countless battles, he naturally realized that the enemy's refusal to retaliate under the enemy's cannon fire wasn't due to a lack of artillery, but rather because they were hiding their cannons and concentrating their fire on the infantry he was using to attack the city. How insidious! He involuntarily glanced at the Qin King's flagship on the river. The massive Fujian ship still flew its attack flag. He had no choice but to grit his teeth and order his men to continue sounding the attack horn, which meant the infantry would have to brave enemy fire to attack the city.

"Boom~ Boom~ Boom~" Shells exploded among the guards. In addition to solid shot and grapeshot, there were even a few exploding shells, which blasted the advancing guards into a rout.

"Soldiers, follow me!" Niyaha shouted, charging towards the city wall under the cover of the shield wagons. "Boom!" A cannonball shattered the shield wagons, and fragments tore his body apart.

"Third brother!" Seeing his younger brother's tragic death, Liu Bangzhu's eyes turned red, and he quickened his pace in the charge. Driven by revenge, he swiftly scaled the city wall, hacking down enemy after enemy with his sword. Seeing their commander's bravery, his men were greatly encouraged and followed suit, scaling the wall in droves.

"Hmph~" Wu Youji General Li Xianzong took the longbow from his back, nocked an arrow, aimed at Liu Bangzhu, and shot it. The arrow struck Liu Bangzhu squarely in the right eye, and he fell off the city wall and died a tragic death. With Liu Bangzhu dead, the morale of the guards plummeted, and they were quickly driven off the city wall.

Seeing that the offensive was going badly, King Chuo Siji of Qin finally ordered the retreat to be raised on his flagship. In this battle, Liu Bangzhu and Niyaha's 5,000 troops perished.

The fiercest battle raged at the south gate of the town. The Great Khan of Lotus personally oversaw the battle from this gate, while King Meras of Qi, eager to impress his father, concentrated all available artillery in a relentless bombardment, pinning down the cannons on the city walls. After three days of continuous bombardment, an ordinary city wall would have collapsed, but for Iron Ganzhou, although its exterior was riddled with holes, its sturdy foundation remained unshaken.

"Father Khan is right behind us. Whoever enters the city first will be rewarded with a thousand gold pieces, and I will recommend him as the Governor of Jiangxi!" Melas didn't mince words, directly stating the reward. These warriors desperately vie for titles and positions, and hearing of both wealth and official rank, Generals Zheng Guoyin, Li Yingming, Ma Zhilin, Zhong Jida, Ma Tengyun, Dang Shousu, and Yang Bingyin all had their eyes gleaming with greed. Especially Zheng Guoyin, Li Yingming, and Ma Zhilin, who had surrendered earlier and already held the rank of Deputy Governor, were truly envious of the opportunity to be promoted to Governor. However, the seven generals took turns attacking the city, but were all repelled. His Highness Prince Qi was not in a hurry, but patiently awaited news from underground.

"Your Highness, the tunnel is almost at the south gate of Zhennan, and it will be completed by tomorrow evening," the deputy general Ouyang Kai reported obsequiously. As a surrendered general, he volunteered to offer the method of digging a tunnel to blow up the city, which was approved by the Prince of Qin.

"Excellent! Tomorrow I will order my deputy general Xu Sheng to escort you in breaching the city. You will be credited with the greatest merit after the city falls!" Melas happily promised.

"Thank you, Your Highness!" Ouyang Kai was overjoyed, thinking he had seized an opportunity. Little did he know that Hu Qitai had already ordered his men to bury large urns along the base of the wall, and the tunnel was discovered as soon as it approached the city wall.

"Father, the enemy's tunnels are close to the south gate of the town. I have already ordered men to connect the water channel so that we can flood them at any time," Hu Shengzu reported to Hu Qitai.

"No rush. Wait until noon tomorrow, after the guards have gone deep into the tunnels, then pour the water in," Hu Qitai said after thinking for a while. "I expect the guards will fire cannons tomorrow to cover up the noise. There won't be too many enemy troops in front of the city gate. Tomorrow, you will take five hundred cavalrymen and take advantage of the gaps in the cannon fire to go out of the city and launch a surprise attack. After you have scattered the guards protecting the tunnels, return immediately."

"Yes!"

At dawn the following day, Ouyang Kai led more than 300 soldiers down into the tunnel, wielding shovels and slowly approaching the south gate of the town. By noon, the garrison inside the city dug a tunnel in the opposite direction, diverting river water to flood it, and all 300-plus soldiers were submerged underground.

Xu Sheng, the deputy commander of the guards responsible for protecting Ouyang Kai, was shocked. But what shocked him even more was yet to come: the garrison, who had been cowering in the city like turtles, had taken advantage of a lull in the guards' artillery fire to open the south gate. Hu Shengzu led five hundred elite cavalrymen out of the city. Xu Sheng, despite having two thousand men, was caught completely off guard and was routed. Desperate, he turned to flee, but he couldn't outrun the Wu army's horses and was overtaken by Hu Shengzu, who cleaved him in two with a single stroke. After scattering the frontline guards, Hu Shengzu immediately led his men back into the city, infuriating Melas, who was utterly helpless.
-
He had thought that with an army of 400,000, attacking a small city, even if it was well-fortified, would surely be easy to conquer. However, after more than ten days of siege and over 20,000 casualties, they hadn't even managed to take a sliver of Ganzhou. The Great Khan was filled with frustration. His imperial dignity prevented him from returning defeated, and he secretly resolved to take the city even at the cost of over 100,000 lives. Yet, as a seasoned war god, he was unwilling to sacrifice so much for a single city. Therefore, even as evening fell, he remained deeply troubled.

Just as he was feeling annoyed, news arrived: Wu Xushun, Duke Shen Yongxing, and the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, Lu Xingzu, had led 50,000 troops to Shenxianling in Dingnan County, Ganzhou Prefecture, where they were engaged in fierce fighting with Zhao Wang Biligendalai, who was defending the ridge; Wu Fujian Governor-General Lin Tianqing had also entered Ganzhou with 26,000 troops, and after capturing the ancient city, he was fighting Liao Wang Sumur in Ruijin. "Hmph~" The Great Khan grunted and issued an imperial edict: "Order Sumur and Biligendalai not to let a single Wu soldier enter Ganzhou County." After finishing these tasks, he planned to take off his clothes and rest.

An uninvited guest suddenly appeared, "Your Majesty, Grand Secretary Liu Haogu requests an audience," a guard reported.

Looking at the old minister before him, Sultan's eyes gleamed. "Master Liu, is there something important that you need to see me so late at night?"

"I have been studying the 'Gazetteer of Ganzhou Prefecture' and consulting with local elders these past few days, and have come up with a way to breach the city walls. I have come to report this to Your Majesty," Liu Haogu replied respectfully.

"Oh, Master Liu's idea must be excellent. Tell me about it immediately," Sultan said with great joy.

"Has Your Majesty ever heard of Liu Yi of the Northern Song Dynasty and the Fushou Canal he built?"

“A few days ago, Master Liu told me that it was this man who dug the Fushou Ditch, which is more than 25 li long, under the city. The water discharged from the streets and alleys flows into the Fushou Ditch and then into the Gan River, so there is no fear of flooding,” Suletan replied.

"Your Majesty has a good memory. I believe the key to breaching the city lies in this Fushou Ditch," Liu Haogu said, then proceeded to explain the design of the Fushou Ditch to his disciples. "The ditch's shape resembles the characters for 'fortune' and 'longevity.' The northern section is the 'Longevity Ditch,' and the southern section is the 'Fortune Ditch,' connecting nearly a hundred ponds of varying sizes. The city's water is first drained into the ponds, where it settles slightly before flowing through the water gates (drainage outlets) into the Gongjiang and Zhangjiang Rivers."

Upon hearing this, the astute Khan immediately understood his meaning and interrupted his teacher, "Master Liu, do you want me to send assassins to infiltrate through the water window? Hmm, that's a good idea! Do you know where the water window is?"

Liu Haogu smiled slightly, “I have carefully studied the ‘Gazetteer of Ganzhou Prefecture’ and learned that there are twelve water windows in the city. Although they are not very large, they can accommodate one person to crawl through. However, their exact locations are not easy to find. After asking local elders and sending people to investigate, we finally found a water window outside Yongjin Gate.”

"Excellent! I will send brave warriors to infiltrate the city and, with the help of both inside and outside, smash this iron walnut (referring to Ganzhou City)," the Great Khan said, beaming with delight.

"Your Majesty, please do not rush. We cannot enter the city yet."

"Why?" the Great Khan asked.

"Liu Yi is extraordinary. When he was building the Fushou Canal, he specially designed a water-powered device on the sluice gates to prevent the river water from flowing back into the city. When the river water level exceeds the city's water level, the sluice gates will automatically close; only when the city's water level exceeds the river water will the sluice gates open to drain water. There has been no rain for the past few days, and the water level in the city is low, so the assassins cannot sneak in."

"Ah~ So these water windows are only opened when it rains. It's already winter. It might snow, but who knows when it will rain again?" The Great Khan was disappointed upon hearing this.

Liu Haogu was delighted. “I observed the celestial phenomena last night, and there will be continuous light rain in the next few days. This will allow the water gates to open and make it easier for our army to dive in.”
-
It's raining! A gentle drizzle falls softly on Ganzhou City. The soldiers and civilians inside the city are completely unconcerned. Since the construction of the Fushou Ditch, the city has never experienced flooding in hundreds of years. Even torrential rains cannot cause water accumulation in the city, let alone such a light drizzle. Some of the defenders even believe that the rain will reduce the firepower of the cannons and muskets, and that the enemy will not attack on rainy days, thus lowering their guard.

The Oirat war god insisted on sending his army through wind and rain. Warships quietly docked at the pier outside Yongjin Gate. The fierce general of the Oirat army, Mandulatu, led 10,000 elite cavalry in formation at the front, while Prince Qin, Chosiji, led 20,000 elite infantrymen in formation at the rear. On the river, there was an endless Oirat fleet of ships like dark clouds.

"Infiltrating Ganzhou is extremely dangerous. As the admiral, why must you go in person?" Looking at Cai Lu, the admiral of Henan, who was wearing a diving suit (made of fish skin, sea dragon skin, or shark skin in ancient times), the Great Khan was both moved and worried.

"Your Majesty has shown me great favor, and today is the time to repay you with my life! Moreover, the five hundred warriors sent into the city are all old brothers who have fought alongside me for many years, sharing life and death. I do not wish for them to die alone!" Cai Lu declared passionately. Upon hearing this, the five hundred old brothers from Fujian who had followed Admiral Cai across the seas to make a living were deeply moved and were all willing to die for him.

Even the Great Khan of Lotus, who had killed countless people and was as hard as stone, was moved and, with tears in his eyes, ordered, "Go, I want you to come back alive."

Cai Lu led 500 men from Fujian in dozens of small boats, slowly approaching the Yongjin Gate water window. They jumped into the water like dumplings being dropped into a pot. The water window was indeed open; because of the light rain, the water flow was not rapid, making it easy to sneak in. The soldiers inflated cleaned pig bladders and connected reed tubes to their mouths and noses to prolong their breath-holding time. One by one, they entered the Fushou Ditch and quietly crawled out.

After assembling his troops, Cai Lu led his elite soldiers straight to the gate of Yongjin Gate. Most of the defending soldiers were still asleep and were scattered in a daze, and the city gate was forcibly opened. Because there was no barbican, as soon as the city gate was opened, the guards who had been waiting outside the city swarmed in.

Upon hearing the news, Li Xianzong, the garrison commander of Yongjin Gate, hurriedly ordered his men to intercept him, but his skull was smashed by the spiked club in the hands of Mandulatu, the commander of the Imperial Guard.

Seeing that they had control of the city gates, the Great Khan immediately ordered the follow-up troops to land and enter the city. More and more guards poured into the city. Wu's guerrilla commanders Chen Sulun and Zhang Sheguang were killed in battle, and his deputy general Ke Sheng surrendered. Hu Qitai and his son Hu Sheng led a small number of remaining soldiers to break out from the south gate of the town, but were killed by cavalry led by Chahar Governor Alinbao and Commander Ada.

The impregnable Ironclad Prefecture of Ganzhou was captured in just twenty-three days. Overjoyed, the Great Khan of Lotus ordered a reward for the army, promoting Cai Lu to the rank of Second-Class Earl of Linzhang, and bestowing upon him a thousand taels of gold and a hundred fine horses. (End of Chapter)