Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

"Guizhou, formerly known as Guifang, is surrounded by Miao people on all sides outside the main roads and cities. They are skilled in fighting and killing, making them difficult to govern. Education is necessary. For education can be applied to any place, and customs can be changed in any region. I believe that all sons of local officials who reach the age of thirteen should be required to attend official schools. Their clan members who wish to study should be allowed to take the imperial examinations and serve in the same way as Han Chinese. Many local officials have private connections, unclear lineages, and disputes that lead to unrest. I suggest that at the end of each year, local officials should submit their family registers to the Provincial Administration Commission, which will then submit them to the Ministry. Those who dispute succession should be dealt with according to their family registers. The garrison system has become corrupt over time. The rebellious Hu garrisons in Pu'an have been suppressed; the garrisons here should be changed to prefectures, and the garrisons to counties. Guizhou has suffered from prolonged war, and the people are impoverished. We should recruit mountain people to cultivate the land."

Inside Puan Prefecture, Zhao Tingchen, the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou, was submitting a memorial to Emperor Wu Sangui of the Great Zhou Dynasty. His words, filled with sorrow and fervor, revealed his unwavering loyalty. Originally residing in Guiyang, the shrewd Wu Sangui, having decided to remain in Guizhou, ordered Zhao to lead 20,000 troops to garrison Puan Prefecture to prevent the retreat route to Yunnan from being cut off. Zhao Tingchen possessed a kind and benevolent appearance and treated his subordinates with gentleness, earning him the nickname "Zhao the Buddha." However, Wu Sangui knew that this man was skilled in military affairs and ruthless, killing without hesitation in battle. Only with him guarding Puan Prefecture could Wu Sangui feel at ease.

However, Wu Sangui's attention was currently focused on the garrison troops in Ligu Prefecture and Liping Prefecture to the east. Among these troops were the dragon and lion banners unique to the Great Khan of Lotus. Initially, Wu Sangui was somewhat suspicious when he saw that Prince Qi, Mailas, only had 50,000 elite troops. However, not long ago, Prince Liao, Sumur, and Prince Zhao, Biligendalai, led an army of 110,000 from Quanzhou to join them, greatly increasing the garrison's numbers. This only strengthened Wu Sangui's belief that this was the true army led by the false Khan. Furthermore, the troops of Prince Weijin, Ergalang, stationed in Dongchuan and Wusa Prefectures of Sichuan, were also a key focus for Wu's army. Therefore, of the 20,000 troops allocated to Zhao Tingchen, only 15,000 were combat soldiers; the remaining 5,000 were local soldiers conscripted from the commanders of Ninggu Village, Sha Yuqi, and Wen Jiegui.

"Your Excellency, Cen Jilu, the local prefect of Sicheng, has sent an envoy to request assistance. He says that Lianhua Khan intends to use Sicheng as a route to attack Puan Prefecture and has already surrounded Gukan Cave," Zhao Tingchen was writing furiously when Zhao Kexiu, the deputy general of the central army, rushed in to report.

"What! Lianhua Khan has led his army to besiege Gukan Cave? Isn't this chieftain currently locked in a stalemate with our army in Ligu Prefecture?" Zhao Tingchen was shocked upon hearing the report. After calming himself down, he hurriedly shouted, "Quickly summon that envoy to see me!"

After questioning the envoy, Zhao Tingchen couldn't help but sigh, "The Hu chieftain's military tactics are truly cunning! On the surface, he sent troops to attack Ligu Prefecture, but secretly he led his main force to Puan Prefecture to cut off our army's retreat. Such a hero has come from the barbarians; it is no blessing for China!"

"Supervisor, how should we deal with this?" Zhao Kexiu asked urgently.

"Immediately send a messenger on horseback to inform His Majesty: Lianhua Khan is not in Ligu Prefecture, but has gone to Guixi, intending to attack Puan Prefecture to cut off our retreat. Please send reinforcements immediately. You all follow me to lead the army to Dedushan to set up defenses. We should be able to hold out longer by defending the mountain. Order Bu Shigong to abandon Anlongsuo, Bulinying, and Huangcaobaying, and come to Dedushan to join forces with me." Zhao Tingchen calmly issued three orders in succession. Seeing the panic on Zhao Kexiu's face, he smiled slightly. "Although the Hu chieftain is cunning and resourceful, he underestimates the heroes of the world. Cen and Huang of Guangdong and Guangxi have dominated Guixi for seven hundred years. How can they be so easy to deal with? Especially those Sicheng wolves, they are extremely fierce. It will take the Wei army at least several months to capture Gukan Cave. Our army can make arrangements at its own pace and there is no need to panic."

"Yes," Zhao Kexiu replied, feeling much more at ease after being reassured by Zhao Foyi.

However, things rarely go as planned! Zhao Tingchen never imagined that the renowned "Cen and Huang of Guangdong and Guangxi" would crumble in just over ten days. Moreover, after capturing the ancient cave, the Great Khan of Lotus did not linger, appointing Tegus Chaoketu and Babai as his vanguard and continuing his advance up the Nanpan River. The Wei army's offensive was extremely fierce, quickly capturing Anlongsuo and Bulinying, and then defeating the Wu army at Huangcaoba, killing the adjutant Bu Shigong. Zhao Fu had hoped that Bu Shigong would come to Dedushan to join him, unaware that he was already a ghost in the underworld!

"Well done, Zhao Tingchen! He's quite decisive, actually willing to abandon so many places and concentrate his forces to defend the mountains!" After capturing Huangcaoba Camp, the Wei army successively captured Gouchang Camp, Maozheng Camp, Louxia Camp, Leminsuo, Annansuo, Guishun Camp, and other places, without encountering a single garrison. Originally, the Great Khan thought that the Wu army was afraid of his military might and had fled without a fight. However, when he reached the foot of Dedu Mountain and saw the well-organized and heavily guarded camps, he realized that Zhao Tingchen intended to concentrate his forces and defend the mountains. He couldn't help but praise him repeatedly. This self-proclaimed great Oirat war god respected heroes who dared to draw their swords and fight him to the death, and despised cowards who surrendered without a fight. Seeing that Zhao Tingchen's troops were few but still dared to fight, he greatly admired him.

"Our army has more soldiers than the enemy. The main force of the Wu army is currently at Dedu Mountain. Why doesn't Your Majesty divide your forces and send a detachment to bypass Dedu Mountain and attack Puan Prefecture through Pingyi?" Hu Lianqi, Minister of Revenue, offered his suggestion.

"Minister Hu has the same idea as me again," Suletan clapped his hands and laughed. He then ordered the chief of the Durbet tribe, Ebodui Wulanghai, the prefect of Donglan, Wei Zhaobi, and the prefect of Nadi, Luo Dezhong, to lead 15,000 troops to bypass Pingyisuo, while he himself led the main army to launch a fierce attack on Dedushan.

On October 21st, 1671 (the 28th year of the Qianyuan era), the Wei army began its attack on the mountain, but failed to capture it after three days of continuous assault. Mahada, the deputy commander of Huzhou, a former Manchu general who had surrendered, was eager to gain merit and led over a hundred elite soldiers to bravely storm the summit, where they clashed with the troops of Gu Weicheng, the commander of Wuning Valley. After two hours of fierce fighting, all his men perished. Mahada, embracing Gu Weicheng, fell off a cliff. After the battle, he was posthumously granted the title of Earl of Puan by the Great Khan.

On October 23rd, the Ebo Dui Wulanghai tribe arrived at Pingyi Fortress. Their rapid advance was largely due to the 4,000 local soldiers led by Wei Zhaobi, the prefect of Donglan. These soldiers, accustomed to mountain paths, traversed the terrain with ease, leaving the main force behind and reaching Pingyi Fortress in just three days. The city contained only 2,000 local soldiers under the command of Sha Yuqi, the commander of the Western Fortress, and Wen Jiegui, the deputy commander. Caught completely off guard, the Western Fortress soldiers were forced into hasty combat. In a short time, Wen Jiegui was cleaved in two by the eager-to-achieve-merit Wei Zhaobi, and Sha Yuqi fled back to Puan Prefecture in panic.

"We have received His Majesty's great favor, how could we not repay it with our lives?" Wei Zhaopi said to Luo Dezhong, the prefect of the local area. This time, the Wei family, with the help of the guards, reclaimed the three villages occupied by the Cen family, while the Luo family also recovered the two villages occupied by the Mo family. They were grateful.

"We are willing to fight to the death with Lord Wei!" Luo Dezhong shouted.

The two then led the armies of the various chieftains of Qingyuan directly to the walls of Puan Prefecture. At this time, Zhou Yinglong, the Wu army commander defending the city, had received a message from Sha Yuqi, the fleeing governor of Xibao, and gathered three thousand soldiers to defend the city. Although the local soldiers were brave, they lacked siege equipment and could not take the city immediately, so they had to wait for the army of Ebodui Wulanghai. (End of Chapter)