Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

"Not good! Wu's army has hidden cavalry behind their lines!" With a shout from Grand Secretary Bobei, the Great Khan of Lotus changed his expression drastically. Before his eyes, the Wu army's front-line infantry suddenly moved in unison to the left and right, revealing passages. Mugur led a thousand fierce Solon cavalrymen, followed by ten thousand light cavalry under Yu Youde's command. At the very center of the cavalry appeared Wu Sangui's great yellow dragon banner. Beneath the banner, the Great Zhou Emperor Zhaowu, clad in silver armor and a white robe, rode his horse at full gallop.

"Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor! Long live the emperor!" Cheers of the Wu army rang out all around. Encouraged by the emperor's personal campaign, Wu generals such as Wang Pingfan, Hu Guozhu, Li Benshen, Wang Gongliang, Liu Zhifu, and Fang Xuefan led their troops to charge behind the cavalry.

The commanders of the Imperial Guard, Urgendalai and Orros, led their cavalry to block the Wu army's cavalry. However, after half a day of fierce fighting, their horses were exhausted and they were at a disadvantage in the cavalry duels, unable to break through the enemy's well-rested forces. Urgendalai's commander of a thousand households, the fierce general Tangut Erdeni, who came from the Khalkha Mongol Chechen tribe, was killed by the ruthless Mugur with a single blow to the head from a spiked club.

"Soldiers, follow me to kill the enemy!" Wu Sangui, showing no signs of aging, wielded his crescent-shaped blade, cutting down enemy guards with a loud shout. The morale of Wu's army soared. Following their emperor, they broke through the cavalry of the Teguschoktu, Babai, Jambi, and Bayar tribes, as well as the infantry of the Cai Lu, Xuan Youcai, Zhang Wei, and Deng Junbi tribes, approaching the banner of the Great Khan of Lotus.

"Kill the Lord of the Guards and be granted the title of Marquis of Ten Thousand Households!" Mugur roared, brandishing his spiked club with fierce force as he headed straight for the massive dragon and lion banner.

"I regret that I transferred the musketeers of the Yusten tribe to the left flank. With them there, the Wu army's cavalry would never be able to break through!" The Great Khan of Lotus muttered to himself, his expression grave as he watched Sonam Tsering, the head of the Bukhara tribe responsible for guarding the Khan's carriage, lead his troops to meet the Wu army. Even with Sonam Tsering's bravery, he was still holding out in a precarious situation, and it seemed that he would not be able to hold out for long.

"Hoo~" Sultan let out a long sigh, gazing at Galdama, the commander of the thousand households standing beside him, and the two thousand imperial guards he commanded as his personal bodyguards. The young Galdama was the second son of Echirtu Khan of the Khoshut tribe, and also the adopted grandson of the Great Khan, and had always been extremely loyal.

The Great Khan ordered the rear guard to move quickly toward the central army to stabilize the battle line. Then he roared at Galdarma: "Galdarma, gather your men and advance with me!"

"Yes!" Galdarma didn't waste any words and quickly ordered the guards to form a battle formation.

Sultan stepped down from the imperial carriage, mounted his steed Chasing Wind, and his golden armor, bright silver spear, and crimson Chasing Wind complemented each other, making him exceptionally dazzling.

"Warriors, your sabers have defeated one powerful army after another, your hooves have conquered one country after another. Though the enemy is fierce, it is but the last struggle of a wild beast in its death throes. I command you to follow my spear and advance bravely, like hunters hunting their prey, defeat them and crush them!" With that, he spurred his warhorse and led two thousand men as if leading an army of one hundred thousand to the front lines to reinforce Sonom Tsering. Yarkand Governor Toroshhu and Deputy Commander Shrab also led the rear guard to reinforce the central army.

Seeing the dragon and lion banner move forward, the morale of the guards soared. Sonam Tsering faced Mugur, the military commander of the Wu army's Solon camp. He knew clearly that this man was the most ferocious, and killing him would definitely affect the morale of the Wu army.

"Bang~ bang~ bang~" After seven or eight consecutive blows, Mugur's spiked club failed to knock away the heavy tiger fork in Sonom Tsering's hand. Instead, he was caught off guard and had his throat pierced by the tiger fork.

As expected, upon seeing Mugur's death, the Wu army's vanguard's morale plummeted, and they could advance no further than three arrow-lengths from the banner. Seeing this, Wu Sangui abandoned his cavalry assault and instead ordered his infantry, led by Wang Pingfan, Hu Guozhu, Li Benshen, Wang Gongliang, Liu Zhifu, and Fang Xuefan, to launch successive attacks. At this point, the enemy's central force was in disarray, and the Wu army possessed numerical superiority on the front. If they could kill the false Khan or cut down their dragon-lion banner, the Wei army would surely be defeated!
After wave of attacks, just as Wu Sangui had predicted, the numerical superiority of the Wu army proved effective. Despite the desperate resistance of the guards, the Wu army drew ever closer to their Khan's banner. Arrows rained down on Sultan, and his guards hastily raised their shields to block them. The Great Khan, however, remained unmoved, his face ashen, with only one thought in his mind: Had the Eternal Heaven abandoned Great Khan? Was the invincible Emperor to be defeated by a mere Wu Sangui? No! I refuse to accept this! I refuse to accept this!
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The entire army had pressed towards the enemy's center. In the rear of the Wu army, General Lu Daoqing, with over eight hundred cavalry and more than two thousand supply troops, nervously observed the battlefield ahead. His original force consisted of two thousand light cavalry, but in the previous brutal skirmish, they had suffered over one thousand one hundred casualties and had to withdraw for rest and reorganization. After the general offensive began, Emperor Zhaowu ordered him and the supply troops to guard the rear.

This was supposed to be an easy task, with the long Baishui River behind them. Where would the enemy come from? But the omnipotent Changshengtian just had to play a joke on them. Tuoli, the deputy general of the Western Expedition of the Great Wei Kingdom and the first-class Duke of Shu, led 20,000 cavalrymen to secretly cross the Baishui River and appear behind the Wu army.

Tuoli originally led 40,000 troops to garrison the Dongchuan, Wusa, Bijie, and Chishui line. Like Bals and Erke, he was a senior minister of the Great Wei Kingdom. Seeing Bals granted the title of Prince of Hezhou and Erke the title of Prince of Longxi, while he remained only a First-Class Duke, he grew anxious. Rumors circulated that the Great Khan intended to choose one of him and Xirimo to be granted a title during this southern campaign. Upon hearing this, Tuoli became restless, sending scouts daily to monitor the enemy's strength. Recently, news arrived that due to the escalating war at the front, Wu Sangui had transferred Liu Zhifu's troops, originally stationed in the southern part of Shuixi, to An'nanwei to reinforce Ma Bao, leaving the south bank of the Gulong River vulnerable. The Eagle of the Oirat was overjoyed and immediately dispatched 20,000 troops to garrison the Dongchuan, Wusa, Bijie, and Chishui line, while he personally led 20,000 cavalry across the Gulong River at eagle-like speed, entering the territory of the Xibao chieftain. While at Xibaosi, he received news of a major battle between the Wei and Wu armies at Jigongbei. The veteran general immediately seized the opportunity, led his troops across the Baishui River, and appeared on the flank of Jigongbei.

"Warriors, follow me to kill the enemy!" The old general braced his legs against his horse's flanks, drew his bow and arrows, and fired as he rode, each arrow hitting its mark, felling several men in quick succession. Seeing their commander's prowess, the guards were roused and fought valiantly behind him. The charging guard cavalry caught Lu Daoqing off guard. Even with his preparations, his mere eight hundred cavalry and two thousand supply troops were no match for twenty thousand cavalry. In a single charge, he was cut down by the guards.

"Haorui~Haorui~Haorui~" After annihilating Lu Daoqing's troops, Tuoli's troops charged into the Wu army's formation, hacking and slashing indiscriminately, throwing the originally tight Wu army formation into chaos.

"What's going on? Where did this garrison come from?" Looking at the enemy that had suddenly appeared behind him, Wu Sangui's face turned pale. He looked up to the sky and sighed, "Heaven has forsaken me! It's fate!" (End of Chapter)