Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

On April 29, 1671, the Great Khan of Lotus led an army of more than 200,000 to Liuzhou. After joining forces with King Meras of Qi, the army numbered 330,000. On the other side, the Wu army had more than 310,000 troops. The two sides had similar numbers of troops and their commanders were all famous generals of the time. The contest was to see who made fewer mistakes and who had better luck.

"Little Erzi, tell me, what's the Wu army up to right now?" Having just arrived at the Wei army camp on the south bank of the Xun River, and without even having a sip of water, the Great Khan of Lotus asked Mairas about the battle situation.

"After Wu Sangui entered Liuzhou, he deployed troops on the north bank of the Xun River while concentrating his forces to launch a fierce attack on Guni Pass. I sent Zhong Jida, Ma Tengyun, Cao Chunzhong, Liu Hanchen, Xu Xueyi, and Yang Bingyin, six garrisons with 30,000 troops, to defend Guni Pass. The situation is extremely dangerous. Not long ago, a battle report came that General Yang Bingyin was killed by artillery fire," Mailas truthfully reported the military situation to his father, not daring to conceal anything.

The Great Khan glanced at the map hanging in the tent, then pointed heavily at the location of Guni Pass with his whip. "Wu Sangui concentrated his forces to attack this place because capturing it would eliminate any worries about his rear when crossing the Xun River to the south, and also allow him to use it as a base to bypass the Xun River and enter Guilin. Therefore, this place is the key to the entire battlefield. I have decided that the entire army will cross the Xun River and engage Wu's army in a decisive battle at Guni Pass. Which general is willing to be the vanguard?"

"This servant is willing to go! This humble general is willing to go!" A chorus of responses echoed from inside the tent.

Seeing that the army was in good spirits, the Great Khan ordered Cai Lu, the Henan Admiral, to lead 20,000 naval troops to escort Zhao Wang Biligendalai's 40,000 elite soldiers across the river first, while the rest of the army would wait until the vanguard had established beachhead positions before crossing.

On May 1st, the Wei army began crossing the river. Cai Lu led 400 warships in a wedge formation along the outer edge of the fleet, while in the center were over 600 civilian boats carrying Zhao Wang Biligendalai's troops. Seeing the enemy begin crossing, Wu's Imperial Guard General Du Hui immediately led 20,000 naval troops and 400 warships to attack. Imperial Guard General Xian Weiming and General He Jinzhong also led about 20,000 cavalry and infantry to form a battle line on the riverbank south of Guni Pass, attempting to block the Wei army's landing.

"Boom~Boom~Boom~"

The cannons of both sides began to exchange fire. Cai Lu and Du Hui had both been generals under the Zheng family in Taiwan and had a past relationship, but now, fighting for their respective masters, they were like enemies, locked in a life-or-death struggle. It was truly a cruel twist of fate! The two sides had roughly the same number of naval forces and warships, but because the Wei army's fleet included not only warships but also a large number of civilian boats carrying cavalry and infantry for the landing, its losses were far greater than those of the Wu army. Many brave land troops were unable to land in time, their ships sinking and their lives lost, becoming innocent souls on the river. Fortunately, King Meras of Qi was familiar with the local terrain and suggested that the section of the river where the Great Khan should land be only a hundred meters wide, and Cai Lu's naval forces, responsible for escorting the landing, were extremely brave. After suffering thousands of casualties, Biligenda's troops finally landed with their remaining forces.

"Da~da~da~" Wu Jun's General He Jinzhong led two thousand cavalrymen and charged towards the newly landed Wei army, attempting to use the cavalry's momentum to drive the enemy down the river.

Biligen Dalai's gaze sharpened. He had just landed, and in his haste, he had only managed to gather about three hundred cavalrymen around him. Although his cavalry numbers were fewer than the enemy's, the young and brave King Zhao did not flee. Instead, he held a gleaming silver spear and led his three hundred-odd riders in a courageous charge against the oncoming enemy.

"Bang~ Bang~ Bang~" The three-eyed guns equipped by the Wei army cavalry played a role in the close-quarters mounted combat. After three rounds of firing, more than a hundred Wu army cavalrymen fell.

"Awooo~ Awooo~ Awooo~" Sonam Tsering, the chieftain of Bukhara, spurred his horse over Biligendalai and charged towards the Wu cavalry, his target being He Jinzhong's banner. With his tiger-shaped trident, he thrust and smashed, and none of his men could withstand a single blow. In the blink of an eye, he penetrated deep into the enemy ranks and killed more than thirty riders.

Seeing the enemy drawing ever closer, He Jinzhong, unwilling to be outdone, raised his broadsword and slashed fiercely at Sonam Tsering. Sonam Tsering snorted coldly, raised his tiger-shaped fork to parry the broadsword, and thrust it upwards with a sudden force. He Jinzhong felt an immense force strike him, and his sword involuntarily jerked upwards. Sonam Tsering seized the opportunity, pulling back his tiger-shaped fork and swiftly thrusting it, knocking He Jinzhong off his horse.

With the "He" banner fallen, the morale of the Wu cavalry was dampened. Following behind, Mongol cavalry generals such as Wei Naiman Bo'ahan, Asuhou Saihan, and Arukorqin Bochui seized the opportunity, each leading several hundred cavalry to reinforce them. Seeing the ferocity of their own cavalry, General Baitalazhi of Huiningchi and Xu Shihua, the military commander of Chizhou, also gathered several thousand infantry to follow closely. This forced Xian Weiming to retreat a mile before regaining his footing. Biligen Dalai took the opportunity to establish a fortified beachhead on the riverbank.

Clad in golden armor and wielding the Ili Special Sword, the Great Khan of Lotus stood motionless, surveying the battle unfolding on the river. The previous landing was merely a probe, intended to test the strength of the Wu navy. Upon discovering that the Wu fleet numbered only four hundred ships, and that even their utmost efforts couldn't prevent his vanguard from landing, he finally felt relieved. "All troops, attack!" he commanded authoritatively. At this order, countless small boats and rafts surged into the water like dumplings being dropped into a pot. "Splash! Splash! Splash!" The oarsmen rowed steadily and powerfully, propelling the boats and rafts forward. "Horses' hooves clashed across the land, today we fight again before Jiangjin. The mighty river is no ordinary place, its surging waves flow straight down without turning back. The mighty warriors transform into dragons, their roars and howls soaring to the heavens. The wind carries me, I ride the wind, urging my boats like arrows released from the bow. Riding the wind and breaking the waves is the act of the brave, let the wind and waters sway as they will..." Someone began to sing "Riding the Wind and Breaking the Waves to Seize Jiangjin City." This song was composed by Fang Yuxuan, the governor of Yunnan, when he followed the veteran general Xirimoshun in capturing Chongqing along the Yangtze River. Originally a sycophantic song praising the military achievements of the Oirat Wolves, it eventually became the anthem of the Oirat navy. The song spread far and wide, and the warriors riding the waves used it to express their unwavering determination and bravery, as well as their indomitable spirit and resilience in the face of a powerful enemy. Their gazes were resolute, filled with a burning desire for victory.

Seeing that the number of landing troops was increasing and that the navy could no longer stop them, Du Hui had no choice but to abandon the interception and lead the warships back to the water fortress.

Outside the ancient Ni Pass, Emperor Wu Sangui of the Great Zhou Dynasty put down his telescope and sighed, "I thought the Wei army were all landlubbers, and that I could take advantage of their crossing of the river to inflict heavy losses on them. Who would have thought they would be so brave, crossing the Xun River in no time!"

"Father, shall we launch an attack?" asked Wu Yingqi, the General of the Golden Guard.

"Didn't you see that the vanguard of the Imperial Guard has already established a solid beachhead? The Imperial Guard inside Guni Pass is also eager to make a move. If we attack now, not only will it be difficult to drive the enemy down the river, but we will also be vulnerable to being attacked from both sides," Wu Sangui glared at him.

“The Wei army’s beachhead is already in place, but it may not be able to withstand our full force. I am willing to lead my troops in a charge and give it a try,” Wu Yingqi said, unconvinced.

"This humble general is also willing to lead his troops to assist the General in defeating the enemy!" General Ma Bao, the elite cavalry commander standing to the side, echoed and volunteered for battle.

"Since you are all willing to fight, then give it a try," Wu Sangui reluctantly agreed when he saw that Ma Bao also advocated for battle.

"Da~da~da~" Ma Bao raised his famous whip-wielding spear and led 10,000 cavalrymen to charge at the newly landed guards. Wu Yinglin led 15,000 cavalry and infantrymen to follow closely behind. Seeing that reinforcements had arrived, Xian Weiming also organized his men to launch a counterattack from another direction.

"Form ranks and block the enemy!" Upon seeing the enemy's attack, Biligendalai immediately formed ranks and organized his men to resist. Long spears were in front, swords and shields behind, flanked by muskets, with archers providing ranged attacks. Though the cavalry were brave, they could not break through the layers of spears. In the fierce battle, Ma Bao's youngest son, Ma Ziqi, was killed by a musket shot. Overwhelmed with grief at the loss of his son, the burly, red-eyed Ma Bao led his men in a retreat, using his longsword to slice down spear after spear.

Upon seeing the arrival of reinforcements, Zhong Jida, the garrison commander and deputy admiral of Guni Pass, ordered Ma Tengyun and Xu Xueyi to remain at the pass while he, along with Cao Chunzhong and Liu Hanchen, led over ten thousand troops to break out and provide support. However, they were intercepted by Wang Hui, the Right General of Wu's elite cavalry.

"Hmph~" Seeing that the enemy wanted to attack him as soon as he landed, the Great Khan of Lotus sneered and ordered, "Artillery battalion, fire! Archers, form ranks and launch volleys!"

Among the landing troops were over five hundred light, pack cannons unloaded from camels, which opened fire under the command of the veteran general Tarhun. These small cannons, used for siege warfare and not particularly powerful, were devastating weapons in open field battles. The Wei army's archers, in six horizontal ranks, launched barrages. The dense cannon fire and the overwhelming hail of arrows inflicted heavy casualties on the Wu army, blasting and felling them in droves.

Seeing that he could not gain the upper hand, Wu Sangui decisively ordered his troops to retreat to camp, where they confronted the Wei army at Guni Pass. (End of Chapter)