Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

The Jinsha River, the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, is named for the yellow sand in its waters. It is also known as the Shengshui, Yanshui, and Lushui Rivers. It flows through Qinghai, Tibet, Sichuan, and Yunnan, and is a mighty and magnificent river.

Prince Ergalang of Jin, seated astride a yellow horse, silently observed the great river and the Wu army camp on the opposite bank through his binoculars. Clearly, the enemy's camp had expanded. After returning to Yunnan, Wu Sangui reinforced his troops on the south bank of the Jinsha River. In addition to the existing forces of Zhang Guozhu and Wu Zhimou, he ordered Generals Wang Hui, Liu Zhifu, and Fang Xueqian to lead 30,000 troops to reinforce the south bank, bringing the total number of Wu troops on the south bank to 80,000. Wang Hui was Wu Sangui's favorite general, Fang Xueqian was the son of Fang Guangchen, and Liu Zhifu was the son of Liu Maoxia—all trusted men. In such turbulent times, it was essential to appoint capable generals.

"Is Your Highness worried that the Wu army has increased its troops and will find it difficult to complete the task ordered by the Great Khan to launch a large-scale offensive along the Jinsha River to disrupt the morale of the Wu army?" Tuoli, the Deputy General of the Western Expedition and First-Class Duke of Shu, guessed his thoughts and asked with a smile.

“Indeed, gazing at this mighty river, I feel powerless to use my strength. I only regret that the Mu clan of Lijiang and the Lu clan of Dongchuan harassed our flanks a few days ago, preventing us from crossing the river while the enemy was weakened! Now that reinforcements have arrived, it is too late!” Ergalang said indignantly. A few days ago, Mu Yi, the local chieftain of Lijiang, and Yong Sheng, the local chieftain of Dongchuan, sent troops to threaten the flanks of the Imperial Guard, forcing him to divide his forces to defend them. He was unable to take advantage of Wu Sangui's recent defeat to cross the Jinsha River, a regret he had always held. However, when news came that Wu Sangui had abandoned Huguang and retreated to Yunnan, Mu Yi clearly changed his attitude. He withdrew his eldest son Mu Jing's army from Yanjingwei, wrote a letter to Ergalang to express goodwill, and even sent a batch of grain to the Imperial Guard as a reward, which made Prince Jin both angry and amused.

"Your Highness, do not worry. The Khan has ordered us to launch an offensive along the Jinsha River, but he did not specify whether it should be on the south or east bank. There is no need to attack Kunming via Yao'an and Wuding; we can also enter Kunming through Xundian and Qujing," Tuoli suggested with a smile.

"Through Xundian and Qujing to enter Kunming?" Ergalang was taken aback, but then he understood. "You mean we attack the east bank of the Jinsha River, occupy Dongchuan and Wusa, and then make a move to march south to Xundian and force our way to Kunming?"

The Jinsha River makes a bend at Wuding Prefecture in Yunnan, changing its flow from east-west to north-south, flowing north through Dongchuan Prefecture and Wumeng Prefecture. Lu Yongsheng, the native prefect of Dongchuan, obtained his position through Wu Sangui's military connections. He was fiercely loyal to Wu Sangui and, relying on the combined forces of the garrison troops led by Shang Jianguo, the military commander of Guizhou, and the local Guizhou soldiers, frequently sent troops across the river to harass the garrison troops on the west bank. Removing this thorn in the side would allow the main army to advance south into Yunnan without any worries about its rear, and would also allow them to proceed south through Dongchuan Prefecture to Xundian Prefecture, and then directly to Kunming. It was truly a brilliant move!
Looking at the composed Oirat eagle, Ergalang felt admiration. He was indeed a veteran of the founding of the dynasty; his insight into problems was profound. His father, the Khan, wanted to threaten Yunnan; who cared which direction the attack came from along the Jinsha River? However, he still hesitated. "The lands of Dongchuan, Wumeng, and Wusa are high and rugged. If we send a large army, the transport of supplies will be difficult. But sending only a detachment is too dangerous!"

"The quality of an army is more important than its quantity. Please grant me 20,000 elite troops, Your Highness. I am willing to lead the army to attack Dongchuan," Tuoli confidently volunteered.

Ergalang had initially worried about his advanced age, but looking at the spirited Oirat Eagle, he saw no sign of being an old man at all. He finally nodded slowly.

Tuoli selected 16,000 elite guards and also chose 4,000 local soldiers familiar with the terrain and skilled in mountain warfare from the three chieftains of Zhenxiong Long, Yongning She, and Wumeng Lu who had submitted to the Wei Kingdom. To achieve a surprise attack, the veteran general had no intention of forcing a crossing of the Jinsha River, but instead bypassed it through Wumeng Prefecture, north of Dongchuan Prefecture. He ordered the entire army to abandon heavy supplies and advance lightly equipped.

Lu Chengjue, the prefect of Wumengshi, was a coward. He first surrendered to the Qing, then to the Wei, and finally to Wu, siding with whichever side was most powerful. Recently, when the Wei army gained strength and killed Zhang Zhaoyuan, the governor of Weilong Prefecture who was close to Wu Sangui, Lu Chengjue, seeing the situation was unfavorable, decisively returned to the Wei Kingdom's embrace. This time, when the Oirat Eagles invaded Dongchuan through his territory, he not only provided a large amount of supplies for the army but also volunteered to act as guides with his two sons, Lu Tiande and Lu Tianlun. "My lord," Lu Chengjue said obsequiously, pointing to a small river in front of him, "this river is called the Niulan River, a tributary of the Jinsha River. Its current is much gentler than the Jinsha River. Beyond this river lies Dongchuan territory. According to my men, only my fifth brother, Lu Yonggao, with two thousand men is stationed on the other side."

"Yes, cross the river!" Tuoli ordered Lin Xuanfu Shi She Baoshou, Zhenxiong Xuanfu Shi Long Hongxun, and Wumeng Tu Zhifu Lu Chengjue to lead 4,000 local soldiers across the river first, while he himself led 16,000 main force soldiers across the river later.

To gain favor with the true Mongol general, the local soldiers fought with extraordinary ferocity. The She clan of Yongning had been stripped of their hereditary titles and reinstated by the Ming Dynasty due to the She An Rebellion, but later, after She Baoshou defected to the Great Wei Kingdom and was appointed Pacification Commissioner of Biaolin, they were able to rise again. Among the various chieftains, he was the most loyal to the local leaders, leading his two sons, Shewen and Shewu, and over a thousand soldiers to be the first to land and charge. Seeing his brother-in-law fighting so desperately, the Pacification Commissioner of Zhenxiong, Long Hongxun, also led over a thousand Long clan soldiers in small boats to follow closely behind. At the very back were Lu Chengjue's thousand-plus subordinates.

Wu Jun's garrison commander, Lu Yonggao, had only two thousand mediocre soldiers under his command. Caught off guard, they were quickly defeated, and Lu Yonggao's head became part of She Baoshou's military achievements.

Dongchuan Prefecture is located at the main peak of Wumeng Mountain, with treacherous terrain and mountains beyond mountains, but this did not deter the well-prepared Wei army. With the help of the local troops, they crossed mountains and ridges and quickly arrived at the city of Dongchuan. At this time, there were two thousand Dongchuan local soldiers under the command of Lu Yongbang, the third brother of the Dongchuan local prefect Yongsheng, as well as three thousand Guizhou local soldiers led by the newly added pacification commissioners Song Hongji and Song Zhiyin, the pacification commissioner of Longli.

To demoralize the enemy, Tuoli ordered his men to display more flags, making his 20,000 troops appear as an army of 100,000. This tactic was very effective. The Guizhou soldiers led by Song Hongji and Song Zhiyin, who were already unwilling to fight in Sichuan, actually fled through the city gates when they saw the enemy's overwhelming strength. The imperial guards seized the opportunity to storm in through the open gates, and Lu Yongbang lost his life in a daze.

The eagle of the guard, Ling Wei, was overjoyed at the easy capture of Dongchuan City, but on the surface he remained calm and composed. He ordered his men to rest for a while before going out of the city to form a battle formation. He also ordered the commanders of the thousand households, Gerlutu and Tuocha, to each lead two thousand cavalrymen to lie in ambush in front of the formation.

As expected, after receiving news from the defeated army that the Wei army had bypassed Wumeng Prefecture and marched south to seize the prefectural city, Wu's main general, Shang Jianguo, the commander of Guizhou, and Yongsheng, the local prefect of Dongchuan, led 20,000 troops back from the east bank of the Jinsha River in an attempt to retake Dongchuan City.

At the very first engagement, the veteran general Tuoli led his troops straight towards the Wu army's banner, while the commanders of the three thousand households, Gerlutu and Tuocha, each led their cavalry out from the flanks of the battle formation. Seeing the Wei army's ambush, the Guizhou chieftains, including Wang Shiru, the head of Yang'e Village, Yang Maogong, the head of Fengning Village, and Gu Weicheng, the head of Ninggu Village, who wanted to preserve their strength, hurriedly led their troops to flee. Tragically, Shang Jianguo and Yongsheng, who were at the forefront of the charge, were unable to escape and were surrounded by the Wei army, dying tragically in the chaos. (End of Chapter)