Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

Sicheng Prefecture (Gukan Cave) in Guangxi is a scenic spot, home to many of the famous Lingyun Twenty-Eight Scenic Spots. At the foot of Qinglong Mountain in the east of the prefecture city, where Dong ethnic soldiers patrol day and night, lies the former residence of the Sicheng Tusi (local chieftain). Since Cen Zhongxi served as the Pacification Commissioner of the Border Streams and Caves in 1053 and led his descendants into Guangxi, and then until Cen Numuhan took control of Sicheng Prefecture in 1344, the Cen clan had controlled this area for over 700 years, much like local emperors. It is no wonder that the area was heavily guarded.

"Sizzle~" Cen Jilu, the local chieftain of Sicheng, leaned back comfortably in his armchair, sipping the fragrant tea on the table. It was authentic Xinyang Maojian tea, said to be a tribute to the emperor. Good things should be shared; what the emperor had, the Cen family of Sicheng should naturally have as well. As the fragrant steam rose from the tea, Chieftain Cen fell into deep thought.

Twenty-six years ago, the young and ambitious Tusi (local chieftain) took over the post of Tusi (local official) of Sicheng from his uncle, determined to be a good Tusi who "serves the people and benefits the region." Since taking office, he has built roads and bridges, established schools, and developed water conservancy, bringing a rare period of peace and prosperity to Sicheng. He named the school he founded "Honggong" (黉宫), and although it only taught children of the Cen family, it still greatly increased the number of literate people in Sicheng. He organized the artificial digging of waterways to guide the Longyuan River around the government office, which not only facilitated drinking water for the people and beautified the environment, but also created two moats in front of the government office, forming a "double jade belt" of the Longyuan River and the Chengbi River flowing side by side. The streets of Sicheng were originally all dirt roads, becoming muddy and difficult to traverse after rain. He organized the people to quarry stones in the mountains, paving the main streets with double-track stone slabs and the alleys with stone slabs. The road was paved with single-track stone slabs, with river pebbles filling the seams and sides. Two small irrigation canals were also constructed along the longest north-south street in Sicheng, using bluestone slabs to guide the spring water from Chunxi Spring into these canals, which flowed through the county town from north to south. The water was cool and clear, and teeming with fish. The people could enjoy the scenery and use the canal water to wash dishes, clothes, and vegetables. Sicheng was crisscrossed by rivers: the Chengbi and Longyuan rivers flowed through the city, while the Longxi River flowed to the north and the Xixi River to the west, collectively known as the "Sishui River." To facilitate travel, he ordered the construction of three bridges across the Chengbi River section that ran through the city, and also built a "Jielong Bridge" on Jielong Street in the north of the city.

When the Jielong Bridge was being built, rumors circulated among the people that Lord Cen had consulted a feng shui master. The bridge, named Jielong Bridge, was said to connect the dragon veins of the two mountains, Lingxiao and Yinghui, to the north of the city, separated by the Si River. He chuckled upon hearing this. How could these ignorant people understand his grand ambitions? This bridge, along with other bridges and roads, would not only facilitate transportation, making it easier for merchants to move goods, but also facilitate the transport of troops. In the event of an invasion, the movement of troops from the city to various locations would be much faster. Furthermore, the "double jade belts" of the Longyuan and Chengbi Rivers flowing side-by-side in front of the government office were not only beautiful scenery but also two protective moats. If a powerful enemy attacked, they would first have to cross these two rivers. These things could not be explained by the word "feng shui." However, he did not prohibit these rumors. The concept of "dragon veins" was used for imperial families; in Sicheng, wasn't the Cen family the emperor? The more such legends that helped consolidate the Cen family's rule, the better!
In fact, Cen Jilu's greatest achievement was not his civil administration, but his military prowess. Since taking control of Sicheng, he had focused on training troops and preparing for war. Taking advantage of the ongoing conflicts between the Ming and Qing dynasties, the Northern Wei and Northern Zhou dynasties, he waged wars in various places, expanding his influence in the surrounding areas. When the Qing army marched south, he felt that the Southern Ming dynasty was insignificant and decisively sided with the Qing, sending troops to Yunnan and Guizhou to help the Qing destroy the Ming. This move yielded great results, not only expanding the Cen family's influence from Guangxi to Guizhou and Yunnan, but also gaining the favor of the Qing court, which issued an edict to upgrade Sicheng Prefecture to a provincial-level prefecture, making him the first native prefect of Sicheng. After becoming a native prefect, he no longer waged large-scale wars, but instead adopted a strategy of gradual conquest, annexing the territories of neighboring local chieftains who did not submit to him, while vigorously developing the economy and strengthening Sicheng's power. Although the world is in chaos, the Sicheng area has become a haven because it has not been affected by the war. The government warehouses are full of grain. The Tingmu system left by the ancestors has formed a hierarchical ruling structure of chieftains, heads, jiamu, and Tingmu in the whole city of Sicheng. It has also firmly confined the people to this land. They farm in peacetime and practice battle formations under the guidance of local officials during the off-season. As long as the Cen family is willing, they can mobilize an army of 100,000 at any time.

Now, the Cen clan has been revived under his leadership, with half of Guangxi and a small part of Guizhou under his command, and even some chieftains in Yunnan following his lead. It is comparable to the peak of the Cen clan during the time of "Sibo Tianyang and Liangguang Cen Huang". How could he not be proud?
However, Cen Jilu was well-versed in literature and knew the saying "there are always people more capable than you, and the sky is always higher than the earth." A few years earlier, when Lianhu Khan sent his veteran general Xirimo south, Cen Jilu, seeing the strength of the Wei army, decisively sent envoys to form an alliance with the Wei Kingdom. Later, the Wei army was defeated in the Battle of Bulong City, and Cen Jilu, feeling that the Wei Kingdom was finished, returned to the embrace of the Qing Dynasty. To appease the Qing and expand his territory in Guizhou, he not only sent troops to invade Guizhou but also personally led a large army to try and cut off Xirimo's retreat route north. The result? A crushing defeat by the Oirat wolves! Not only did he lose most of the newly acquired Guizhou territory, leaving only a dozen or so villages, but he also offended the powerful Wei Kingdom. After this battle, he witnessed the Wei army's formidable fighting power and secretly sent envoys to repair relations. Fortunately, in recent years, the Wei Kingdom's power has grown stronger. News has just arrived that Emperor Zhaowu of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Wu Sangui, led his army to aid Guizhou but was defeated by the Wei army at Guni Pass. The Great Khan of Wei, Lianhua, sent an envoy with a message, saying that he would personally lead a large army to pass through the territory of the Cen family to attack Wu Sangui, clearly intending to destroy Zhou in one fell swoop. If he hadn't been quick to foresee the situation and offended such a powerful enemy, he would probably have been doomed soon!

However, borrowing a route was extremely risky. History is replete with examples of using a route to attack another state. If they borrowed the route, what if the Wei army passed through their territory and refused to leave? If they refused, what if they angered the Wei state and the Wei army attacked? Cen Jilu was caught in a dilemma. One person's plan is short-sighted, but two people's plans are long-term. He thought of his good friend, Huang Daiqian, the local prefect of Siming. The Cen and Huang families of Guangdong and Guangxi were always closely connected; how could they not discuss such an important matter together? Therefore, he sent someone to Siming Prefecture to invite Huang Daiqian. Today, enjoying tea in the study was a pretext; the real purpose was to wait for Master Huang to come and discuss matters.

"Bo (same as 卜, father), Uncle Huang is here," just as I was getting impatient, my eldest son Cen Qidai came to report.

"Please come in quickly!" Cen Jilu's face lit up with joy.

Huang Daiqian, the local prefect of Siming, was also a learned scholar with a long goatee, known for his wisdom and resourcefulness. Hearing Cen Jilu express his concerns, he pondered for a long time before saying, "Brother Cen, do not worry. The imperial guards must pass through Qingyuan Prefecture before reaching Sicheng. Let's not rush to express our opinions; let's observe the movements of the Wei and Mo families first. Furthermore, we should gather all our armies in Sicheng, just in case." (End of Chapter)