Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

"In the Battle of Jigongbei, our army suffered 23,000 casualties. The false emperor Wu Sangui and 269 other false officials of the third rank or above were beheaded. 176 false officials of the third rank or above were captured. Over 46,000 were beheaded, over 49,000 were taken prisoner, and 11,200 warhorses and muskets were seized..." Listening to the report from Minister of War Halahuli on the Battle of Jigongbei, the Great Khan of Lotus smiled. Although his side suffered over 20,000 casualties, the main force of Wu's army was completely crippled. More importantly, Wu Sangui was dead. A snake cannot function without a head; the Wu-Zhou forces were now scattered and easily destroyed.

"Great Khan, some remnants of Wu Zhou's army have fled to various places. Should we send troops to pursue them?" Harahuli asked.

"Pursue them? No, let them escape. Wu Sangui is dead, why should I pursue them? Let them escape far away, let the news of Wu Sangui's death spread to all sides, and it will be easier for us to recruit the remaining remnants of the defeated army," Sultan smiled. Before marching south to destroy the Zhou dynasty, he had ordered the Wuyi Guard to collect a large amount of intelligence on the Zhou dynasty, and had a very clear understanding of the Wu Sangui group. The core of the entire Wu-Zhou group was Wu Sangui. Before the Wei army captured Beijing, Wu Sangui had sent people to the capital to bring back his eldest son, Wu Yingxiong. However, during the escape, Wu Yingxiong and his son were killed by the mutinous army, and now only his second son, Wu Yingqi, remained by his side. Although Wu Yingqi was brave in battle, he lacked strategy and the means to win people's hearts. Many high-ranking Wu army officials were not convinced by him. Once Wu Sangui was defeated and killed, Wu Yingqi, lacking prestige, would find it difficult to unite the people, and the entire Zhou dynasty would inevitably collapse. Therefore, upon seeing Wu Sangui's body, this war god ordered that the pursuit of the defeated soldiers cease, and instead sent people to spread the news of Wu Sangui's defeat and death, and to persuade the remaining Wu-Zhou forces to surrender.

As the Great Khan had predicted, General Yang Yingxuan, stationed in Guiyang, upon learning of Wu Sangui's defeat and death, immediately led his ten thousand-strong garrison to surrender, opening the gates of Guiyang to the armies of King Sumur of Liao, King Ergalang of Jin, and King Biligendalai of Zhao. Meanwhile, Luo Huijin, the Governor of Guizhou, and He Jizu, the General of the Imperial Cavalry, who were engaged in fierce fighting with the guards of King Meras of Qi in the Shangmaqiao area south of Guiyang, wept bitterly upon hearing of Wu Sangui's death. Before they could decide whether to fight or surrender, their subordinate chieftains, including Fang Zhenggang, Cheng Minxin, and Cheng Dengyun, the chieftains of Shangmaqiao and Xiaochengfan respectively, rushed to surrender to Meras with their troops. Soon, their forces were reduced to less than twenty thousand men, and they knew that further resistance would lead to certain death. Luo Huijin and He Jizu sighed deeply and had no choice but to strip naked and plead guilty before Meras. Melas, who was eager to expand his power, was naturally happy to accept.

Thus, except for Puan Prefecture, which had recently been occupied by the Wu army, all other areas of Guizhou fell into the hands of the Wei army. The ambitious Lianhua Khan met with the Liao, Qi, Jin, and Zhao kings in Guiyang, selecting 20,000 elite troops from the captured Wu soldiers to replenish their losses. After a brief rest, he left tens of thousands of elite troops to garrison Guizhou, and then personally led an army of 370,000 to Yunnan, determined to swallow up the remaining Wu Zhou territory in one fell swoop. Of these 370,000 troops, 70,000 were surrendered soldiers of Luo Huijin, He Jizu, and Yang Yingxuan, and local chieftains such as Mo Zigan, Mo Jin, Mo Zhilian, Long Lei, Fang Zhenggang, Cheng Minxin, and Cheng Dengyun. To win over the surrendered generals, Suletan appointed Luo Huijin as the governor of Guangdong, while the other newly surrendered Wu generals and chieftains retained their original positions.
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On December 16th, 1671 (the 28th year of the Qianyuan era), Wu Yingqi, the General of the Golden Guard, stood triumphantly atop the city wall, holding a bloodied severed head, gazing towards the direction of An'nan Guard. Just moments before, he had led his army to capture Pu'an Prefecture, personally beheading Liu Wenjin, the General of Qiyang Guard. Not only did he kill Liu Wenjin, but he also beheaded more than ten of Liu Wenjin's subordinates, including Xu Hongzuo, the native prefect of Shangying Prefecture; Li Ziyan, the native prefect of Anping Prefecture; and Zhao Guailong, the native prefect of Shangxia Dong Prefecture. The remaining remnants of his army fled in disarray. The swift capture of Pu'an Prefecture was not solely due to his bravery and skill in battle; a significant reason was that Liu Wenjin's force consisted of only two thousand combat soldiers, while the other thirteen thousand were troops from various Guangxi chieftains who had recently surrendered to the Wei Kingdom. Their fighting strength was low, and they were naturally unable to withstand the attack. Having gained one advantage, Wu Yingqi, with his ambitions unfulfilled, heard that the lord had ordered the veteran general Xirimo to lead 40,000 troops to reinforce Puan Prefecture, and that they had already reached An'nan City. Holding the head of the defeated general he had just cut off, he stared in the direction of An'nan, vowing to cut off the head of that so-called Oirat Wolf.

"General, something terrible has happened!" Just as he was feeling smug, Zhang Guozhu, the General in charge of Yunnan Road and the General of Dingyuan, came to his ear and whispered, "News has come from the front: His Majesty was defeated and died at Jigongbei!"

"What!" Wu Yingqi was shocked, unable to believe it. After a long while, he slowly asked, "Is the news true?"

"Indeed, the men we sent to Guiyang witnessed the battle and risked their lives to escape back and report. They said that His Majesty was seriously wounded after the defeat and was left with only one person. He hid in a cave, but when he was discovered by the guards, he refused to be captured and humiliated, and committed suicide."

"Father Emperor~" Tears streamed down Wu Yingqi's face as he wept bitterly.

"General Hou, now is not the time to grieve, we must make arrangements immediately!" Zhang Guozhu stamped his feet anxiously.

“Chief Steward Zhang, you are an old servant of my father’s side. He trusted you the most when he was alive. Now I am at a loss and ask for your guidance,” Wu Yingqi asked humbly.

“We must return to Yunnan immediately before the soldiers are aware of His Majesty’s defeat and death. The soldiers’ families are all in Yunnan; once we return, the army’s morale will be restored,” Zhang Guozhu said. “But Father has already been defeated. Can the Yunnan army alone withstand the Weiguo army?” Wu Yingqi asked with some doubt.

“The Wei army has won consecutive victories and is at the height of its power. If you surrender to the Wei at this time, you will likely not have a good end. Yunnan has a rugged terrain that is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and it is adjacent to countries such as Myanmar. After returning to Yunnan, General Hou can rely on the terrain to defend it. If you can hold it, you can use Yunnan as the foundation for the restoration of China. If you cannot hold it, you can retreat into Myanmar and plan for the future,” Zhang Guozhu said confidently.

"Yes, I will follow your orders," Wu Yingqi said, making up his mind. He immediately led his army to abandon Puan Prefecture and retreat into Yunnan. Xi Rimo, upon hearing the report, led 40,000 guards from An'nan to pursue them, but Wu's army retreated too quickly, and he could not catch up.

After entering Qujing Prefecture in Yunnan, Wu Yingqi and Zhang Guozhu convened a meeting with their generals, including Zhang Zufa, the Left General of the Imperial Guard, Wu Zhimao, the Governor of Sichuan, Han Tianfu, Song Guofu, the General of Yongning, Han Tianfu, the General of Wuding, Li Famei, the General of Heli, and Li Yubin, the General of Lin'an, to announce the news of Wu Sangui's death in battle.

"What! His Majesty has passed away?" The generals were stunned.

"Before my father died in battle, he sent word that the people of China must never kneel before the barbarians. He ordered me to immediately lead the army back to Yunnan, hold the strategic positions, and plan for a future uprising," Wu Yingqi said loudly, scanning the generals with his piercing eyes.

"His Majesty sacrificed himself to protect the country and its people. We should support the General and ensure his succession to the throne. What do you say?" Zhang Guozhu asked the generals, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

Seeing this scene, everyone knew that if they dared to utter even a single word of "no," they would immediately be splattered with blood. Zhang Zufa and Wu Zhimao, both confidants of Wu Sangui, were willing to support Wu's descendants. They exchanged a glance and loudly replied, "Chief Steward Zhang's words are the right thing to do, and it should be so!" With them taking the lead, Song Guofu, Han Tianfu, Li Famei, Li Yubin, and others immediately echoed their sentiments.

Wu Yingqi appointed Zhang Zufa as the General Who Breaks Through the Shuo, ordering him and Wu Zhimou to lead 40,000 troops to blockade the Yunnan-Guizhou border and hold the strategic positions to block the Wei army. Wu Yingqi himself, along with Zhang Guozhu, led 30,000 elite troops to Kunming at full speed. (End of Chapter)