Who killed the Ming Dynasty?

The wind, carrying the smell of burning, burst open the palace doors and billowed his battle robes.

Zhang Xianzhong took a deep breath, as if he could smell the fresh fragrance of new wheat.

He grabbed the cracked gold seal from the desk and spat bloody phlegm onto the crack:

"Shi Kefa said I wanted to be emperor? What a load of bull!"

He suddenly sprang up and smashed the seal against the bronze crane lamp.

"clang--!"

His roar echoed from the flying sparks:

"I will erect twelve towering steles in Chengdu!"

"In the east, it is hoped that the land will be allocated."

"Nan, Wenxiu was in charge of minting coins;"

"In the north, Neng Qi is in charge of killing officials;"

"west, Dingguo is in charge of shipbuilding!"

"Once we've slaughtered all the wealthy and powerful families in the land, we'll go back to our old home in northern Shaanxi!"

When he said the word "hometown," his voice suddenly choked, as if something was blocking his throat.

Ai Nengqi looked up sharply—and saw a single tear rolling down the scar on Zhang Xianzhong's face.

His voice was hoarse, but every word struck like a hammer blow:

"Back in Xiangyang, I distributed 'Equalization Tokens' to the refugees—whoever held one of these tokens was free to not kneel before officials, could kill any gentry, and could decide their own weddings and funerals!"

He suddenly pointed his finger eastward:

"How could those people in Nanjing, dressed in silk and satin, know that this invitation is soaked in the blood of three hundred scholars?"

"Without human stakes to lay the foundation, can this new world stand?"

Just then, the waning moon broke through the thick clouds.

The cold light poured down, illuminating the broken gilded roof tiles, making them look like stark white bones.

The Great Western King glanced in the direction of Chongqing Prefecture, took out a buckwheat pancake from his robes, and tore off half of it fiercely.

He silently chewed the cold, hard crumbs of bread; the taste was exactly the same as when he fled famine twenty years ago.

"Beat the drums!"

His voice was like thunder, piercing through the palace.

"Let the Zhu family see what it means to determine the fate of the land with mere measurements—this empire deserves to be gnawed at again with the teeth of a hungry ghost!"

......

North of the city, Da'anmen.

Inside the Arrow Tower Commander's Headquarters (Command Center).

Zhu Cilang stared intently at the south side of the door, where he saw smoke billowing in the sky and the firelight casting flickering shadows on his face.

Lieutenant Li Yan stood to one side, his expression tense.

"Report—!"

The brass-nailed door was violently kicked open, and a messenger stumbled in, half his face smeared with kerosene:

"Reporting to the Commander-in-Chief! All units are following the Commander-in-Chief's orders and have successfully blocked enemy reinforcements, and have already defeated several enemy forces."

He hurriedly reported the results of the battle:

"The left and right wings inflicted heavy losses on the Western rebels at Qinglong Bridge and Gongbei Bridge. Several hundred enemy soldiers have already fled from the East and West gates."

His tone shifted to anxiety:

"General Wang Jing's assault on the Shu King's palace was thwarted. Oil spilled from the palace walls, and arrows rained down upon them."

Zhu Cilang suddenly turned around, pointing his finger heavily at the location of the Shu Prince's Palace, and a dark red fingerprint immediately appeared on the map.

"Order all battalions to disregard the routed soldiers and hold their ground!"

"Yes, sir!"

Zhu Cilang's eyebrows and eyes flickered in and out of focus in the lamplight.

His previously devised "heart-piercing strategy"—to use three armies to contain reinforcements while elite troops directly attack the core of the Shu King's Palace, ultimately aiming to penetrate the heart of Shu.

At this moment, the oil beneath the palace walls has probably already seeped over the giant dragon pillars.

Outside the arrow tower, murky clouds pressed down on the city, and the surging red waves of the Jinjiang River tore the sky in two.

Suddenly—the bronze bells on the eaves stopped abruptly, as if they had been choked by an invisible hand.

A foul stench filled the arrow tower; it was the smell of sulfur mixed with burnt flesh.

"Report—!"

Another urgent report ripped through the deathly silence!

The messenger who burst in had half an arrow stuck in his throat and was clutching half a command flag tightly in his left hand.

"North...the north gate barbican...enemy troops stand like a forest of fortifications. Siege ladders are pressing against the city!"

He struggled to squeeze out the words, blood and foam gushing from his throat.

Almost simultaneously, a plume of blood-red smoke rose into the sky outside the arrow tower.

Zhu Cilang's pupils suddenly contracted:

"The siege ladders are pressing down on the city!"

Before he could finish speaking, a loud bang came from outside the window!

The burning remains of the watchtower swept past the carved windows, instantly illuminating the lifeless face of the messenger.

Before he could catch his breath, another hoarse, urgent report pierced the air:

"Report—!"

"The left and right military headquarters were under fierce attack by the enemy. The various camps were routed and retreated, and it is suspected that a large army is coming to their aid."

Zhu Cilang tore off the scarlet cloak and gently covered the faces of the fallen soldiers.

Just then, the sound of a horn ripped through the air outside the arrow tower, and a slight tremor came from the floorboards beneath their feet.

He strode up to the highest observation platform and looked southwest, where he saw a huge black banner piercing through the smoke of battle.

In the center of the flag, a ferocious "Li" character looms menacingly amidst the smoke of battle.

"General Dingxi—Li Dingguo!"

His voice sounded calmer than I had expected.

"How did he get back?"

Li Dingguo's sudden return to Chengdu must have been due to sensing something was amiss. This completely disrupted his plans.

"Commander!"

Lieutenant General Li Yan knelt on one knee.

"Li Ni's reinforcements have already swept across the northern suburbs. After carefully examining the banners and formations, I can tell that the enemy numbers are no less than 30,000."

The fire outside the observation platform exploded again, illuminating Li Yan's anxious face.

"Commander, you are wise! The enemy's defenses at the north gate are weak; our army can defeat them in one battle."

Zhu Cilang hurried back to the arrow tower. In his haste, Li Yan, the adjutant, rushed forward and said:

"This humble general requests to lead three hundred elite soldiers straight to the north gate, and to ensure the commander-in-chief's breakout before 3:45 AM!"

Zhu Cilang's gaze swept over the burning city:

"Break through."

He repeated it in a low voice, as if weighing his options.

Another section of the burning beam swept past, the sound of explosions mixed with the stench of burning flesh.

The hurricane flipped up the map on the table, and he abruptly pressed down on one corner:

"The southeast wind that blows at three-quarters past the hour of Yin should be reaching Chengdu by now."

Zhu Cilang's gaze swept across the three gates—east, west, and south—on the map, and he said coldly:

"He didn't leave the city gates which were open on three sides, but instead sent troops to attack the barbican—this is a trap set to lure the sparrows."

"The north gate was the bait to lure me into a trap. Li Dingguo's military tactics are indeed ruthless and precise!"

Lieutenant General Li Yan was so anxious that his face turned red:

"Commander! The most urgent task is to break through the encirclement. I guarantee with my life that I will tear a gap before the enemy can completely surround us."

Zhu Cilang suddenly tapped the map lightly with his index finger, pointing towards the north gate:

"What a cunning scheme to throw me into disarray and leave me leaderless!"

He turned abruptly and looked towards the direction of the Shu King's Mansion.

"What Li Dingguo wants is for me to break out of the encirclement in a panic and abandon my position. At that time, the morale of the army will collapse, and the entire army will be easy prey!"

The sound of roof tiles cracking came from above, and the burning debris streaked across the sky, leaving a fiery red mark in Zhu Cilang's eyes.

He seemed to have made up his mind, and suddenly grabbed the command token:

"Send the order to all battalions!"

"The three armies abandoned their defenses on the outskirts and marched straight towards the palace."

"The commander-in-chief must not!"

This was an unexpected contrarian way of thinking, and Li Yan hurriedly tried to dissuade him.

"The palace is ablaze on all sides; if Li the rebel surrounds it..."

Zhu Cilang abruptly waved his hand to interrupt him:

"I will cut off the head of the Eighth King's golden crown and hang it high at the Duanli Gate."

"Look at those 30,000 Western bandits. Whether they kneel or not, their morale will surely collapse!"

The order was given and the mission was launched immediately.

The second quarter of the hour of Mao (5-7 AM).

When Zhu Cilang's black horse crossed the gap in Zunyi Gate, the smoke and dust inside the gap had not yet dissipated, and severed limbs, broken blades, and charred beams were mixed together in a mess.

On the distant palace wall, ten feet high, the tung oil poured out by the eight kings' personal guards congealed into a winding red snake below the city.

The walls of the Shu King's palace were far higher and more secure than the surrounding walls.

The enormous battle flag bearing the character "Li" fluttered amidst the smoke of battle on the north bank. Li Dingguo's ten thousand horses, their hooves pounding the night dew, surged towards the breach where Zhu Cilang was located.

The tide of battle turned in an instant. This time, it was Zhu Cilang's turn to defend the breach.