Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

Chapter 641: Conquering Two More Prefectures in Sichuan (Part )
On the orders of Zhang Shiwei, the prefect, generals Xiong Zhensheng and Hong Tao rushed to Rongjing County with 3,000 elite troops at lightning speed. After cutting off dozens of heads, they effectively controlled more than a thousand of Xu Hanqing's troops. Down. The soldiers and horses they brought, plus Rongjing's local guards and Xu Hanqing's annexed men, the number of the army exceeded 5,000. The two men were setting up to defend the city. Batu Mengke, the vanguard of the guard army, led the generals Salaltu, Gesang, and Danbadarijie also arrived from Lizhou, captured Songping Guanzhai, and surrendered to the guard. Anmeng, the chieftain of Lizhou, suffered heavy casualties, but the casualties of the Guards were actually not large. There were only more than 200 casualties, and there were still 5,800 people.

"Fire artillery", as Batu Mengke coldly ordered, thirty cannons began to roar, kicking off the Battle of Rongjing. Xu Hanqing was a veteran general, and he laid out the defense facilities of Rongjing City very well. Sandbags were placed at the top of the city and curtains were pulled up. Light artillery such as piggyback cannons could not destroy the city walls, and the lethality of shells and fragments was limited. Offset with sandbags and curtains. The Guards fought fiercely for five days and suffered 600 casualties, but they still could not attack the city wall.

On the sixth day, Larmu, the commander-in-chief of Kangrong, led a large army to attack. He had more soldiers and more cannons. A total of five general cannons, ten thousand-jin Fran machine cannons, and fifty piggyback cannons fired day and night. The bombing continued for several days, and many gaps appeared in the southern city wall. Xiong Zhensheng, the regimental training officer, rushed to the south city to command the gap. Suddenly, there was a loud noise in the west city. The Tianquan native soldiers under Xu Hanqing mutinied, killed the guard sergeant, and opened the west city gate. The guards poured into the city like a tide. Xiong Zhensheng was defeated and died in the battle at the top of the city. Hong Tao tried to break out from the north gate, but was caught up by the guard general Salaletu and cut off his head with a knife.

The fall of Rongjing City meant that the guards had captured the gateway to Yazhou. After a day's rest, Lalm ordered the entire army to march north to Yazhou.
-
Diaomen, in the mansion of Tianquan Sixth Recruiting Envoy, Gao Jitai was holding a copy of "Yu Shi Ming Yan" uneasily and reading, when the housekeeper came to report, "Master, Mr. Fu is here."

"Which Mr. Fu?" Gao Jitai was stunned.

"Your old friend Mr. Fu Yuanxiu Fu," the housekeeper explained hurriedly.

"The war is in chaos, but he is still as unafraid of danger as before. Alas! What should come will come sooner or later, let him come in," Gao Jitai sighed.

"Brother Gao, you are not a friend enough! How can you abandon the friendship of life and death for many years and abandon the Ming Dynasty to join the army? This is equivalent to inserting a knife into the waist of Yazhou, where will the princes of Yazhou be left? And Yazhou and Tianquan Lips and teeth depend on each other. If Yazhou is lost, do you think David will still tolerate your position in Tianquan? I know that Brother Gao's surrender was forced by the strength of the guards. It is better to take advantage of the opportunity of the main force of the guards to be in Yazhou and return to the throne anyway. , how about driving the guards out of Tianquan?" As soon as they met, Fu Yuanxiu used his tongue to persuade Gao Jitai.

Gao Jitai smiled bitterly, "Brother Fu Xian, since the late emperor hanged himself, the Ming Dynasty has actually died. In the past, when the Western bandits entered Sichuan, I helped you resist the Western bandits because the Western bandits were cruel and harmed the people, but Emperor David was kind and treated the people well. The Western thieves are comparable, and David has strong soldiers and horses, so we are no match. War has been going on for many years, and the people have suffered terribly. How can I bear to let them get involved in another unwinnable war? In the current situation, we must fight against the Qing Dynasty and the Western Empire. Among the three parties, the thieves and David, only by choosing one side can you survive. The Qing Dynasty and the Western thieves are both cruel and ruthless, so the only way out is to surrender to David. My dear brother has always been wise, and he knows this truth, so he still stays with me. Go to the defense."

"Brother Gao~" Fu Yuanxiu wanted to persuade him again, but was interrupted by Gao Jitai with a wave of his hand, "I have made up my mind, brother, don't say anything anymore."

Fu Yuanxiu gritted his teeth and said, "In that case, I will take my leave."

"Forgive me, dear brother. I'm afraid Yazhou has been captured. If you go back now, you will definitely die. We have known each other for many years, and brother Yu can't bear to let my dear brother go to danger." Gao Jitai sighed and ordered his surroundings, "Come and take it!"

It was too late, but soon, several sturdy men stepped forward and tied Fu Yuanxiu tightly.
-
Yazhou is located in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and the western edge of the Sichuan Basin. It borders Chengdu to the east, Garze to the west, Liangshan to the south, and Aba to the north. It is known as the "Throat of Western Sichuan" and the "Gateway to Tibet". If Weiguo wins this place, it will be equivalent to installing an extra wall for Lhasa and establishing a stable forward base for seizing Sichuan. The military significance is self-evident. Although Yazhou was not included in the betrothal gift, unlike Tianquan 6th Fan and Lizhou, Suletan still risked offending his family grandson and agreed to Larmu's seizure of Yazhou.

This battle is inevitable!

Hearing that the guards had captured Rongjing and were heading to Yazhou, Zhang Shiwei, the governor of Yazhou, did not say much and only silently recruited the young men in the city to defend the city with Hong Qiren, Pan Lin and others. Many of the elite soldiers in the city were buried in Rongjing. In total, there were only 6,000 soldiers and horses. With the more than 7,000 young men recruited, the number of troops was still more than 10,000. In terms of number, it was as much as the more than 17,000 guards outside the city. It doesn't seem to be much different. But the opponent was a well-trained soldier, but more than half of the people in the city were untrained ordinary people. The combat effectiveness of the two was incomparable. More importantly, the alliance's Tianquan Sixth Division and Lizhou have fallen into the hands of the guards, Rongjing County has also been lost, Yazhou has become an isolated city, and the morale of the soldiers and civilians is low.

Lalm is experienced in fighting and is in no hurry to attack the city. Instead, they first captured Lushan County and Linguan in the north of Yazhou, and Mingshan County in the northeast. The defenders in these places have been transferred to Yazhou, and only some government officials and civil servants were taken down without any effort, turning Yazhou into an isolated city.

The cunning Lalm brought the captured magistrates of Lushan and Mingshan counties to the edge of the city and forced them to surrender. Seeing this, the morale of the troops in the city became increasingly disorganized.

On this day, Lalm was dealing with military affairs, and suddenly an arrow seal was shot down from the top of the city. His subordinates showed him a letter of surrender written by Pan Lin, the garrison of Hongya County. In the letter, Pan Lin was willing to open the north gate and surrender for internal affairs. "Tell me, is Pan Lin really surrendering or pretending to surrender?" Lalm asked his subordinates.

"This must be true. Why should the commander doubt it?" Yang Xianzhu, the deputy envoy of Tianquan Sixth Division who was accompanying him, said.

"Oh? Why do you see it?"

"Pan Lin is the garrison of Hongya, not the garrison of Yazhou. How can he die for Yazhou? For one thing; in today's situation, if you want to survive, you have to surrender the Western bandits if you don't surrender the guards. Pan Lin is the Western bandits and rebel general, so he doesn't dare to To bring down the Western bandits, we can only bring down David, that’s the second one.”

Lalm nodded, "What Vice Ambassador Yang said makes sense."

It was getting dark, the appointed time came, and Pan Lin opened the north gate as promised. A group of soldiers and horses entered first, and the leader was none other than David's third-class Paribopara Gesang. Lalm kept in mind the secret decree of the Lotus Khan to make good use of this person, and intended to let him achieve great success.

"Where is Zhang Shiwei, the governor of Yazhou?" Gesang pointed the Tibetan knife in his hand at Pan Lin and asked arrogantly.

"The magistrate is in the magistrate's mansion in Nancheng," Pan Lin accompanied him and answered carefully.

"You will lead the way," Gesang said with a grim smile.

Once you betray your friends for glory, you can't go back. Pan Lin took heart and led the guards to Zhizhou Mansion.

After a busy day, Zhang Shiwei was preparing to take a rest when suddenly there were shouts of killing and there were guards all around. He raised his sword and fought out, and met Pan Lin who was leading the guards into the mansion. When he saw him, he pointed out to his master, "That is Zhang Shiwei, the governor of Yazhou."
"A dog thief! Worse than a beast." Zhang Zhizhou couldn't help but burst his eyes and rushed towards the traitor with a knife.

"Poof", an arrow hit his heart, killing him with one blow. Gesang put down his long bow and sneered, "The first victory in this battle belongs to me."

"General, there is another great achievement. Hong Qiren, the leader of Yazhou Shilin, is on the wall not far away." Selling one person is not much different from betraying ten. At this time, Pan Lin let go completely and led the guards to arrest Hong Qiren.

The guards surrounded Hong Qiren near the city wall. Pan Lin urged, "Mr. Hong, the situation is over. Our generals have surrendered, why would you, a scholar, sacrifice your life for the Ming Dynasty? Surrender. Emperor David is a wise man and will definitely use Sir." His words of persuasion to surrender came from the bottom of his heart. Once Gai Ren surrendered, he hoped that more people would imitate him, so that his surrender would appear less cowardly.

"Hahaha", Hong Qiren laughed with ridicule in his eyes, "Pan Shoubei does not need to be Pan Shoubei (of the Ming Dynasty), but Hong Juren does not dare to be Hong Juren (of the Ming Dynasty)". After saying this, he wiped his neck with the knife, and his body fell under the city.

(End of this chapter)