Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

On the morning of April 23, 1673, the docks of Kinmen Island were crowded with ships that had already raised their sails. In accordance with the military order of Prince Yanping, these ships were not only to carry soldiers and supplies, but also to take away the people of Kinmen. To some extent, this reflected the signs that Zheng had given up on counterattacking the mainland.

“Brother, it’s time to set sail,” the third brother, Zheng Ming, asked Zheng Jing cautiously.

Looking across the strait, Zheng Jing's face was filled with reluctance. That was his hometown, a place he had longed for countless times! But he had ultimately lost and could only retreat from this continent. And he had to be quick, as the Wei Army Navy had already appeared in Penghu, and he had to return to rescue them as soon as possible!
"Let's set off~" After uttering these three words, King Yanping seemed to have all his strength drained away. This time, he had almost used up all of Dongning's strength, yet he still ended up in defeat and retreat. How could he face the elders of Dongning?
Nearly 45,000 Zheng soldiers and 10,000 Kinmen civilians sailed to Penghu. By the time they reached Huayu Island, the fighting on the Penghu Islands had reached an extremely fierce stage. After landing at Longmen Port, Su He, the Governor-General of Zhejiang and Fujian, launched a fierce attack, personally leading nearly 10,000 soldiers to assault Penghu City. The defenders' situation became increasingly difficult. Seeing the unfavorable situation, Lin Sheng, the commander of the Zheng army, launched a night attack, but Su He was prepared. The Zheng army not only failed to break through the guards' camp, but also lost Zhan Liuqi, the deputy commander of the Penghu Navy. Zhan Liuqi's death was like losing an arm for Lin Sheng. Soon, more bad news arrived: Cai Lu, the Henan Admiral of the Guards, took advantage of the Zheng army's full defense of Penghu City and led a hundred warships to capture Xiyu Island in the northwest of Penghu. Helpless, Lin Sheng had to abandon Penghu City and Hujing Island and retreat to several large islands in the southern part of the Penghu Islands, such as Huayu Island, Bazhao Island, and Ganju Island, to continue the stalemate with the Guards.

"This humble general failed to defend Penghu City, please punish me, Your Majesty!" Right Guard Lin Sheng, with tears in his eyes, knelt before Zheng Jing to beg for forgiveness.

"General, with only ten thousand troops, you've faced an enemy twice your size. To have held out this long is truly commendable. What crime have you committed?" Zheng Jing helped Lin Sheng up and comforted him gently, deeply moving the valiant general.

"By my orders, Wu Shu and Lin Wanhou will lead two hundred ships and ten thousand naval troops to patrol the southern part of Penghu. Fang Qi will escort the people of Kinmen to Dongning for resettlement. The rest of the troops will follow me to retake Penghu City!" Zheng Jing issued the orders through gritted teeth.

Because of the repeated defeats in the war on the mainland, the Zheng army was filled with resentment. Knowing that a desperate army is bound to win, the battle began immediately. General Zhang Jie's warship was sunk in the naval battle by the Zheng army's vanguard, the fleet of Liu Guoxuan, the Earl of Wuping, and Zhang Jie himself drowned. Taking advantage of the situation, the Zheng army captured Hujing Island and then landed on the beach south of Penghu City.

Upon landing, Cai Lu, the Admiral of the Henan Garrison, led 120 warships to attack Zheng's army. They were intercepted by Zheng's forces under He You of the Left Martial Guard, Jiang Sheng of the Left Tiger Guard, and Lin Sheng of the Right Martial Guard, leading to a second naval battle. During the fierce fighting, the warships of Huang Hao, the Vice Admiral of the Henan Garrison, and Zheng Shihong, the Vice Admiral of Zheng's army, collided, and both ships sank. Cai Lu's flagship was hit by cannon fire and caught fire, but he refused to retreat, changing ships to continue the battle. Only when Zheng Jing's third brother, Zheng Ming, and Vice Admiral Gao Kui's naval forces arrived as reinforcements, and seeing that they were outnumbered, did Cai Lu finally retreat.

Under the command of Liu Guoxuan, Zheng Jun's troops launched a fierce attack on Penghu City. Su He, the First-Class Duke of Baili and Governor-General of Zhejiang and Fujian, was inspired to fight fiercely and personally led his troops to defend the city, fighting to the death.

"My lord, Zheng's army is numerous. I am willing to lead my elite troops out of the city to launch a surprise attack and crush their morale!" Seeing the enemy's overwhelming strength, General Chen Zong requested permission to fight.

"Well, be very careful. If you succeed, I'll treat you to a drink!" Su He patted him heavily on the shoulder.

He was merely a newly surrendered general; to have taken a blow from Duke Wei was an immense honor! Filled with gratitude, Chen Zong led eight hundred elite soldiers out of the east gate, charging straight at Liu Guoxuan's troops. This move caught the Zheng army off guard, throwing Liu's forces into chaos. Fortunately, his personal guard deputy, Wang Yipeng, fought desperately to hold them off, giving them a chance to regroup.

"Take this!" Chen Zong viciously swung his sword at the exhausted Wang Yipeng. It was this man who had blocked his way, preventing him from disrupting Liu Guoxuan's central army. How could he not kill him to vent his anger?

With a "thud," Wang Yipeng's head fell to the ground, but... that head was actually smiling.

"Da da da~ da da da~" Zheng Jun's valiant general, Right Tiger Guard Xu Yao, led more than 600 cavalry to charge in, disrupting Chen Zong's troops who were unable to retreat, and then killing them one by one.

With a whistling sound, the saber fell, and Chen Zong's head fell to the ground. "Chen Zong, you are a hero—a true warrior!" Seeing this, Su He slammed his giant axe heavily against the wall bricks, muttering to himself. Experience told him that the city could not be defended, and continuing the fight might result in the annihilation of the entire army; an immediate retreat was necessary.

"Lin Xian will lead the rearguard, the rest of the troops will follow me to Longmen Port; send a signal to Admiral Cai, instructing him to lead his naval forces to retreat to Longmen Port as well!" he shouted, personally wielding a giant axe to clear the way and leading his troops out of the city. However, the entire force of Lin Xian, the deputy general in charge of the rearguard, perished in the battle.

After meeting up with Cai Lu's navy at Longmen Port, Suhe took stock of his troops. Of the more than 20,000 men who had set out, only 10,000 remained. "Heavens above! You promised to attack Penghu from two directions, but where is Mandulatu?" the fierce general roared to the sky.

The Eternal Heaven seemed to hear his cry and immediately summoned Mandulatu.

After annihilating Zheng Zheshun's navy, Mandulatu's 20,000-strong Guangdong navy veered off course. By the time they realized their mistake, time had already slipped away. They finally reached Huayu Island in southwestern Penghu, where they encountered Zheng's Wu Shu navy. A fierce battle ensued. The Guangdong navy outnumbered Zheng's forces by two to one, and outnumbered, Wu Shu was forced to abandon Huayu Island.

"Warriors, follow me to Penghu!" Mandulatu shouted excitedly upon seeing the victory in the first battle, his mind filled with the encouragement from the imperial edict: "I have sent you and Suhe on this sea expedition to prove to the world that our Mongol warriors can not only dominate on land, but also conquer the sea! Do not fail my expectations!"

“If we attack Penghu City directly, Zheng’s army may harass our rear via Bazhaoyu Island. I believe we should occupy Bazhaoyu Island first and then attack Penghu City. In addition, we should send fast ships to Fujian to inform them that our army has captured Huayu Island and that the Fujian Navy is fighting Zheng’s main force on Penghu Island, so that they can send reinforcements to Huayu Island as soon as possible,” suggested Zhang Guoxun, the general of Chaozhou.

Mandulatu glanced approvingly at Zhang Guoxun. He himself was not skilled in naval warfare, and it was thanks to this man's command that the landing was successful. He said generously, "Well, it will be as you say. Gao Liangfu will stay and guard Huayu Island, and the rest of the troops will follow me to seize Bazhao Island. Whoever lands on the island first will be promoted one rank and rewarded with a thousand taels of silver!"

At this time, most of the garrison on Bazhao Island had already followed Zheng Jing in attacking Penghu City, leaving only a thousand soldiers and two thousand craftsmen brought by Xie Xian, the Minister of Works, on the island. Xie Xian had been ordered by Zheng Jing to build a castle on the island, but now he had become the backbone of the group.

"Lord Xie, the guards have landed on the island. What should we do?" The crowd anxiously asked him for advice.

Xie Xian drew his sword. "Most of the warships have been taken away by the vassal lords. There's no escape now. It's either fight or surrender. Although I am a civil official, I know I am a dignified Han Chinese and will never be a subject of the barbarians. I choose to fight. Whatever choice you gentlemen make is entirely up to you!"

"We are willing to fight to the death with Lord Xie!" Seeing his courage, everyone was inspired. A thousand soldiers and two thousand craftsmen used the still unfinished Bazhaoyu Fortress as a stronghold to fight the landing guards to the death. Even though they were outnumbered, no one was willing to surrender. After suffering nearly two thousand casualties, the guards finally captured the island.

"I thought the Southerners were weak and incapable of fighting, but today I've seen how wrong I was!" Mandulatu sighed after the battle. (End of Chapter)