Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

South of the Dajia River and north of the Zhuoshui River in Taichung, stood a majestic kingdom, the Dadu Kingdom, composed of the Babula, Babusa (Maowusao), Bazehai, and Hongya peoples. The beautiful Dadu River flowed gently, forming fertile mudflats where countless birds gathered. However, the guards, swords in hand, had no time to appreciate the scenery, remaining vigilantly on guard. With the invading army's entry into Taiwan, the palace's security tightened considerably.

"Your Majesty, the envoy from Lahuyilaqin has been here for two days. I have heard that the various tribes in Taipei—the Atayal, Saisiyat, Bunun, Seediq, Ketagalan, and Daokas—have all risen up in rebellion against Wei. The allied forces number over ten thousand, and all tribes hope that we will join them," said the old and frail Trober, panting heavily as he held his cane.

"Over ten thousand? Hah, how many people are there in all these tribes? In my opinion, six or seven thousand is the limit," King Maro, the big-bellied king, glanced sideways at his stepfather. He was the nephew of the former king, Ganzaiha Alami. When he ascended the throne, he was too young, and the actual power was in the hands of his maternal grandmother, while his stepfather, Trober, represented him in foreign affairs. He only truly took power after his grandmother's death. The young and ambitious King Maro had his own ideas about handling government affairs, and even his stepfather dared not disobey him.

“Your Majesty, this is a great opportunity! We can expand our power and gain Dongning’s favor,” Trober said in a low voice, his eyes gleaming.

"Dongning? Hmph~," Maro sneered, "Have you forgotten the grudge of Liu Guoxuan's massacre of the Shalu tribe? Only six people remain in the entire tribe~"

The Ming-Zheng regime implemented a policy of "integration of military and agricultural affairs," dispatching its troops to various regions for land reclamation. This encroached on the living space of the indigenous people, leading to frequent armed conflicts between the Zheng army and the Da Du Kingdom. In 1670, the Sha Lu community under the jurisdiction of the Da Du Kingdom rose in resistance, but was forcefully suppressed by the Ming-Zheng general Liu Guoxuan, who massacred only six people.

Upon hearing this, Trober lowered his head and asked, "What does Your Majesty think we should do?"

Marlow sneered, "The Wei army is coming for Dongning. We just need to sit back and watch the battle between the Wei army and Dongning. We'll support whoever is stronger. As for the various tribes in the north rebelling against the Wei, what does that have to do with us? Tell the envoy that I'm seriously ill and can't get out of bed. Tell him to go back first and come back when I'm better."

"Great Chief, King Maro, the big-bellied king, is using his serious illness as an excuse to refuse to join us in the defense. What a despicable man!" said Yuhani Iska Kaft (name, clan name, birthplace) to Lahuilaqin, the great chief elected by the allied forces.

"Shortsighted fools, not worth mentioning," Lahuyilaqin sneered. "The false Han king's army is already approaching Zhuqian. We can't win a direct confrontation. Let's take all our people to the mountains. Scorched earth, don't leave a single grain of food for the Wei army!"

When King Han, Luo Buzang, and Shuoqi arrived at Zhuqian with over 14,000 troops, the barbarian army, along with the civilians, hid in the mountains and couldn't find a single person. They grew anxious, thinking, "These vast mountains make it extremely difficult to spot the enemy. Our army has come from afar, and our food supplies are limited. If this drags on, we fear we won't be able to sustain ourselves!"

"Your Highness, I have heard that the rebellion in Zhuqian, Xingangzai, Humaozhuang, and Nankan was caused by the extortion and levies imposed on the aboriginal people of Nankan and Humaozhuang by Jiang Maoxun, the military commander of Chuzhou. Why not behead Jiang Maoxun and appease the aboriginal people?" Guo Yi, the admiral of the Huguang Navy, offered his suggestion.

Lobsang and Shuoqi frowned. "I already know about this matter. If it had been handled this way before the rebellion started, it would have been able to quell the rebellion. But now that the rebels have gained power, killing Jiang Maoxun will probably not only fail to quell the rebellion, but will also embolden them and make the chieftains mistakenly believe that David is afraid of them."

"This humble general intends to feign weakness to the rebels in order to lure them out. If the local chieftain sees Jiang Maoxun's head, he will surely become arrogant. You can then spread the word that you are going to cross the sea to launch a distant expedition to Dongning. When they hear that you are leaving, they will surely come out of the mountains to attack Danshui City. If you then return, you will surely be able to annihilate them in one fell swoop," Guo Yi said with a smile.

It's a pity that Jiang Maoxun had previously distinguished himself in battle, yet now his head is being used as bait to lure the enemy! Luo Buzang and Shuoqi felt some pity for Jiang Maoxun, but then they remembered their father's teachings before his departure: "Compassion doesn't lead to war, and righteousness doesn't generate wealth. This is your first time commanding an army, and some will inevitably be disobedient. The best way to establish authority is to kill. Choose one or two who have violated military law and execute them. A few bloody heads will be enough to make the army obey." Finally, they slowly nodded, "That's how it will be handled." Then they sighed, "And send someone to deliver a thousand taels of silver to Jiang Maoxun's family."

When he received the head of Jiang Maoxun, the military commander of Chuzhou, sent by the King of Han, Lahuyilaqin couldn't help but laugh heartily, "Even though the Wei army is strong, it can't do anything to these vast mountains!"

“Great Chief, I heard that the prince who commands the guards is eager to cross the sea to attack Dongning and compete with his brother for credit, so he killed Jiang Maoxun to appease us,” Ma Yao Gumu, the Saixia chieftain, interjected.

“In that case, why don’t we just go with the flow and accept the Wei army’s offer of amnesty?” said Rambo Sinan, the Seediq leader.

"No! Have you forgotten the hatred for the Wei army's massacre of my people? The Wei army is brutal; appeasement is merely a delaying tactic. Even if we want to appease them, we must first inflict heavy damage on them!" Xiaman Xinan, the leader of the Ze'aolie tribe, loudly retorted to Lanbo Xinan. Lahuyilaqin smiled at everyone, "Chief Xiaman is right. If we don't inflict heavy damage on the Wei army, we risk future retaliation. Since that King Han intends to cross the sea to attack Dongning, let's take advantage of his departure and seize Danshui City!"

Soon, news arrived that King Han, Lobsang, and Shuoqi had led a large army across the sea to conquer Dongning, leaving only a thousand or so defenders in Danshui. Lahuyilaqin was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately mobilized all his forces, leading 6,500 warriors to attack Danshui. After two days of continuous assault, the city was on the verge of collapse.

"Warriors, the guards have invaded our homeland and treated us as slaves. The time for revenge has come! Charge into the city and kill them all!" Lahuyilaqin shouted excitedly to his men.

"Nunu~ Huhu~ Houhou~" The barbarian soldiers roared in their respective tribes as they frantically climbed the city wall, completely unaware of the danger that was approaching.

After hiding at sea for two days, the King of Han's fleet returned to Danshui. Lobsang and Shuoqi ordered Admiral Guo Yi and General Wang Guotai to flank the enemy troops from both sides, while Lobsang personally led an army to tighten the encirclement.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" A powerful cannonball came suddenly. Before the Saisiyat leader, Mayo Gumu, could react, he was blown away by the cannonball and lost consciousness.

The Bunun chieftain Yuhani Iska Kaft was killed in battle by Guo Yi, and the Seediq chieftain Lanbo Xinan was captured by Wang Guotai. One after another, the barbarian armies were annihilated. Soon, only a little over a thousand Atayal warriors remained from the Lahuyilaqin and Xiaman Xinan tribes.

"Yaaaa!" Xiaman Xinan cried out, leading hundreds of Ze'aolie warriors in a breakout.

"Bang~ Bang~ Bang~" "Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh~" Arrows rained down, and the Ze'aolie men fell one after another until the last warrior died.

The warriors of Simakus formed a circular formation, protecting Lahuyilaqin in the very center. Watching the warriors fall one after another to shield him, Lahuyilaqin's heart ached. He pushed aside his guards and walked towards the army, shouting as he went, "I am Lahuyilaqin, the great leader of the allied forces. Kill only me; do not implicate the others!"

“You are Lahu Yilaqin? What a hero! I promise you, if you can persuade the tribesmen in the mountains to surrender, I will only kill you and spare the rest of the people.” Lobsang Heshuoqi readily agreed.

The massive Taipei Uprising was suppressed, and the Imperial Guard completely controlled Taipei and parts of Taichung. Things were turning around; not long ago, King Han, Lobsang and Shuoqi, were overwhelmed by rebellions from various tribes, but now good news kept arriving.

Magistrate Zeng Zhenchuan successfully completed the task of pacifying the various tribes in Taitung and Taichung, and led thirty-three tribal elders, including Amis leader Shumai Kazhao, Paiwan leader Ligala Awu, Puyuma leader Mara Os, and Sakilaiya leader Xiaben Rongbo, to Tamsui to accept the pacification.

Lobsang and Shuoqi were overjoyed and ordered a banquet to be held for the elders. After the meal, His Highness the King of Han had his eyes opened and learned a great deal about the customs of the various tribes of Taiwan. For example, the Amis people like to wear lover's bags, the Paiwan people love to wear snake-patterned headdresses, and the Puyuma people love flower garlands, and so on.

To his further delight, King Malo of Dadu, who ruled over a vast territory south of the Dajia River and north of the Zhuoshui River, also sent his stepfather, Trobo, to present a letter of surrender. After bestowing upon Malo the title of Tu Qianhu in the name of his father, Khan Lobsang Khoshuk excitedly ordered his entire army to attack Dongning through the territory of the Dadu Kingdom.

"Brave warriors, the glory of conquering Dongning cannot be enjoyed solely by the navy! Follow me, advance towards Dongning, and the day will come for your wives and children to be rewarded!" The young prince shouted excitedly to his subordinates, completely unaware that his sixth brother, Prince Qin, Zhuosiji, had already captured Dongning City. (End of Chapter)