Who killed the Ming Dynasty?

"The Grand Canal stretches for three thousand miles, with Nanwang situated at its highest point."

Finally, Zhu Cilang's Haicang ship arrived at the "canal waterway" - Nanwang.

This is both the Nanwang Sluice Gate's water diversion point and the true midpoint of the thousand-mile-long Caohe River.

"Boats go up the mountain" is the brilliance of the Nanwang Irrigation Project.

It controlled the diversion of water between the north and south, allowing the Wen River to flow into the canal in different proportions in both directions.

Looking out from the railing, the willows on both sides of the canal sway gently in the wind, as if whispering secrets.

The Wen River surges and crashes against the "Stone Barrier," which splits the water in two, causing it to flow into the South and North Caohe Rivers respectively.

Just then—

"Report—!"

A roar tore through the evening breeze of the canal.

A night scout staggered over and knelt on one knee.

"Your Majesty, urgent news from the front: the Jurchen generals Bahana and Shi Tingzhu have arrived in Dezhou."

Zhu Cilang received the military report and simultaneously unfolded another proclamation bearing Dorgon's seal:

"By order of the Regent (Dorgon), troops from all regions are to assemble immediately and proceed to Shandong and other areas."

"Wherever the army passes, local officials and civilians must come out of the city to welcome it; anyone who dares to disobey will be punished as if they were defying the royal army!"

He knew perfectly well that Dorgon was employing a combination of soft and hard tactics, attempting to win over officials and civilians throughout Shandong without firing a single shot.

The fleet broke through the murky river water and continued northward.

The outline of Dongchang Prefecture faded into the twilight, while the lights of Linqing appeared and disappeared in the distance, and Dezhou was already within reach.

At this moment, a sense of tension gradually rose in Zhu Cilang's heart.

Just then, the "night scouts" delivered another urgent military report:

"The troops led by Bahana were stationed in Pingyuan County, Dezhou."

"Shi Tingzhu's banner was stationed in Linyi County."

As dusk deepened over the canal.

Zhu Cilang saw several dark figures flash across the distant embankment; they were the "Night Scouts" scouts hurrying towards him through the reeds.

These elite scouts, who had been active on the frontier since the Xuande reign, were called "capture the living" by the Mongols.

Like hunters, they gather intelligence using their keen sense of smell and agile skills.

These soldiers, who stayed away from their camp all night, had already escaped the north winds of the border town of Yulin and were now engulfed in the smoke of war spreading across the Central Plains.

Zhu Cilang urgently summoned Jingnan Earl Huang Degong, Xingping Earl Gao Jie, Governor-General of the Beijing Garrison Lü Daqi, Dengzhou and Laizhou Governor Jiang Yueguang, and others to the front lines to discuss strategies.

The candlelight cast a dim, yellowish glow on the map, revealing two dark dots: Pingyuan County and Linyi County, located no more than eighty li south of Dezhou.

Based on the military intelligence already gathered:

Bahana led 3,000 armored men of the Bordered White Banner and 3,000 servants, totaling 6,000 men.

Shi Tingzhu led 5,000 troops under the Bordered Red Banner, with Fang Dayou, a Ming dynasty official who had surrendered and served as the military supervisor, and Wang Aoyong, the vice minister of the Ministry of Works, as the vanguard.

They alternated between issuing proclamations to persuade people to surrender and massacring cities as a form of intimidation in Shandong's prefectures and counties.

Another proclamation was blown up by the wind from the corner of the desk, and Wu Sangui's name was clearly visible on it:

"By imperial decree, Prince Wu Sangui, who has received the Emperor's favor for generations... tearfully pleads for troops... vowing to annihilate the rebellious bandits... those who surrender will retain their former positions, and those who pledge allegiance will have their taxes and provisions waived..."

Another notice posted next to it bore the Regent's seal, its words dripping with ruthlessness:

The Regent selected hundreds of thousands of elite troops and marched south; Shandong quickly surrendered!

"Open the gates and surrender the city, and the soldiers and civilians will be spared; resist Heaven's will, and on the day the city falls, all officials will be beheaded, and the people will be enslaved."

Zhu Cilang stared intently at the map for a long time without uttering a word.

But Texas has not given in!

The two banners of the Jianlu were stationed only in the plains south of the city and in Linyi County, and did not dare to venture south rashly.

Meanwhile, Zhu Shuaiqin, who launched an uprising in Dezhou and was enthroned as the "Prince of Ji,"

Together with censors Lu Shique and Zhao Jiding, and other officials and gentry stood tall and resolutely defended the city walls.

They were waiting, waiting for support from Nanjing, waiting for the beacon fire brought by Zhu Cilang.

Amidst the clamor of armored soldiers, Gao Jie, sword in hand, strode forward:

"Wu Sangui, that scoundrel, wept for the late emperor one minute and then bowed to Dorgon the next. What a loyal and filial Prince of Pingxi!"

He pushed the mountain in a salute, his armor blades gleaming.

"Your Majesty's judgment! The city walls of Dezhou are over five zhang high, and the granaries are sufficient to support a season's worth of troops."

"This humble general requests that his men first occupy the four gates of the barbican, thus conserving their strength and waiting to see what tricks the Tartars can pull."

As the candlelight flickered, Zhu Cilang looked at Gao Jie.

Gao Jie's strategy was to take advantage of Dezhou's high altitude and ample supplies, allowing the army to hold the city and refrain from attacking for the time being, while waiting to observe the strengths and weaknesses of the Jurchens and their movements before making a move.

He did not respond immediately, but instead looked at Huang Degong beside him.

Huang Degong took a half-step forward with his right hand on his knife:

"The territory of Pingyuan County is only the size of a palm, and the six thousand Tartar soldiers of Bahana are nothing but chickens and dogs."

"His Majesty!"

Huang Degong clasped his hands in a fist salute, his voice booming like a bell.

"This humble general requests permission to quickly besiege Pingyuan County. We should employ a strategy of encirclement without attack, thus luring Shi Tingzhu's troops from Linyi to hastily come to our aid."

He pressed his finger hard on the location of Pingyuan County.

"At that time, our elite troops will ambush them on the key roads, and when they are halfway across the river, we will attack them and annihilate the enemy cavalry, kill their generals and seize their flags."

Zhu Cilang remained undecided, turning his gaze to Lü Daqi and Jiang Yueguang, seemingly weighing the strategies of each party.

Lü Daqi's voice was steady, powerful, and clearly articulated:

"Your Majesty is wise; I request that defenses be deployed along three routes."

"One stationed in Yucheng, one occupied Gaotang, and one controlled Xiajin."

"The three cities and Dezhou form a strategic triangle, perfectly embodying the principle of 'interconnectedness of Quzhou and other strategic locations'."

He looked at the three cities on the map.

"This arrangement can force the Jurchens to divide their forces to deal with the situation, weakening their main offensive, while also allowing our army to support each other in the city and move freely in and out of the city."

He traced an invisible iron chain between the three cities on the map with his finger.

"If the enemy attacks one side, they will inevitably be attacked from both flanks."

"If they divide their forces to attack, they will be trapped in our encirclement."

"Whether advancing or retreating, the strategic planning is entirely within my grasp."

"Your Majesty, I second that proposal!"

Before the echoes of Jiang Yueguang's seconding had faded, Zhu Cilang's attention was already focused on the location of "Wucheng," and he was considering the possible range of activity of the Bordered White Banner cavalry.

"Wu Sangui's treacherous words of persuasion to surrender are nothing more than a fig leaf to cover up the fact that the Eight Banners' military strength is insufficient."

He tapped his finger heavily on the spot where Wu Cheng was, indicating that he already had a different plan.

"I have decided to personally lead the Beijing Garrison to garrison Wucheng!"

The finger pointed between Takeshi and Natsumi.

"General Huang set up camp at Zuowangzhuang, between Wucheng and Xiajin, to support the right flank of the Beijing garrison."

"General Gao is stationed in Yucheng as a scout, waiting for an opportunity to act and awaiting orders."

This decision made the generals in the tent tense up.

His Majesty actually intends to personally take command at the forefront? Wucheng, that's extremely close to the Bahana army's advance!

Zhu Cilang suddenly turned his head, his gaze locking onto Jiang Yueguang:

"Jiang Qing! Tell Lu Shique to raise the 'Ji' banner even higher. Since Dorgon loves watching plays, I will present him with a grand performance."

Wucheng is located southwest of Dezhou City and east of Pingyuan County, adjacent to the Grand Canal, and enjoys convenient transportation.

However, this place is not far from the Bahana tribe, which is a place where "victory can be achieved in danger" in military strategy.

Clearly, Zhu Cilang already had his own battle plan.

The candlelight suddenly flickered, illuminating Zhu Cilang's resolute profile, adding a touch of coldness to his expression.

He raised his hand and lightly tapped the map, beginning to elaborate on his plan. His voice was deep and resonant, like the clanging of metal, dissecting the series of deadly traps layer by layer.

As the details unfolded one by one, Huang Degong's brows furrowed more and more tightly.