I was living at the end of the Ming Dynasty, and I dealt a brutal blow to the Eight Banners!

On the south gate tower of Songshan City.

The extremely haggard Dorgon knelt before Huang Taiji and reported on the casualties inside Donghai Fort.

Huang Taiji sat in the head seat.

The other princes, banner lords, and beile sat below.

They won, because Donghai Fort was indeed captured by the Qing army, and the casualties were not as great as expected.

However, inside the military council hall, not a single person wore a look of joy after victory; on the contrary, everyone's expression was grim.

Because the Donghai Fort left to them by the Ming army was an empty fort, except for a dozen or so wounded and old soldiers who volunteered to stay, and countless gunpowder barrels.

They sacrificed thousands of elite Qing troops, only to receive ruins in return.

"A nobody Ming general not only captured Jinzhouwei, but also caused the deaths of thousands of our elite troops at Donghai Fort!" Huang Taiji angrily looked at Dorgon, who was kneeling there covered in dust, and rebuked him: "Why didn't you report to the Ming army sooner that there was such a capable person among them!"

Everyone in the hall lowered their heads and remained silent.

While it appeared that Huang Taiji was reprimanding Dorgon, he was actually alluding to everyone present.

With bandages wrapped around his forehead and his arm in a sling across his chest, Ao Bai said fiercely, "Your Majesty, Zhang Jingchuan is treacherous and cunning. If we allow him to grow powerful in Jinzhou Guard, he will surely become a major threat to our Great Qing in the future!"

“Heh,” Prince Zheng Jirhalang snorted, “Last July, this boy was just one of Wu Sangui’s personal guards, yet he led the already collapsed Ming soldiers to kill more than a thousand of my men. My commander, Enahai, died at the hands of this Zhang Jingchuan.”

And my deputy commander, Nabul, went to pursue and kill the Ming general Song Ben. In the end, the entire Niru (military unit) was destroyed by cannons and firearms. I suppose that was also Zhang Jingchuan's doing!

At this moment, Huang Taiji's face was somewhat pale, but also terrifyingly gloomy.

"Wu Sangui is indeed a fierce general, but he couldn't have trained a capable person like Zhang Jingchuan!" Huang Taiji said with a gloomy face, "Investigate, investigate thoroughly where this Zhang Jingchuan came from!"

Prince Li, Daishan, frowned and pondered, "That boy from the Tong family... might know some of Zhang Jingchuan's background..."

“Tong Puhan?” Huang Taiji looked coldly at his elder brother.

Daishan stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, over the years, Tong Puhan has been secretly engaging in smuggling business with some officials and generals of the Ming court. A few days ago, my good-for-nothing grandson mentioned in a letter that this Zhang Jingchuan had sold us a lot of grain."

"Oh?" Huang Taiji hesitated. "Such a thing is actually true?"

Dai Shan nodded and suggested, "Zhang Jingchuan is quite a talent. If Your Majesty is willing to offer him wealth, honor, high office, and generous salary to persuade him to surrender, not only will the Ming court lose a valiant general, but Your Majesty will also gain another hunting dog, won't you?"

"Persuade him to surrender?" Dorgon sneered, pointing at the battered and disheveled Ao Bai, and sneered, "Isn't this what happens when you try to persuade someone to surrender!"

"..." Ao Bai's face was extremely ugly.

Huang Taiji frowned slightly, glanced at the banner leaders before him, and said in a deep voice, "Then who among you is willing to go to Jinzhou Guard to kill Zhang Jingchuan!?"

The hall was completely silent.

Who was Prince Zheng, Jirhalang? Who was Prince Rui, Dorgon? And who was Aobai?

The first two were capable warriors who had expanded the territory of the Qing Dynasty and made numerous military achievements, while the latter was a brave warrior who was personally bestowed the title of the first Baturu of Manchuria by His Majesty. All three of them had suffered great losses at the hands of Zhang Jingchuan, so how could the others dare to show their faces at this time?

Seeing that none of his fierce generals volunteered to fight, Huang Taiji was so enraged that he spat out a mouthful of blood, his vision went black, and he fainted.

……

The scouts from Xingshan sped along the mountain path. When they approached the Ming army's encampment, they did not dismount or slow down. Under the astonished gazes of the guards, they charged directly into the camp.

"Great victory! Great victory! Great victory!"

The scouts shouted all the way, attracting the attention of all the soldiers in the camp.

In front of Wu Sangui's military tent,

The scout dismounted, knelt on one knee, and shouted:

"Great Victory at Jinzhouwei! General Zhang Jingchuan of Liaodong has captured Jinzhouwei! Great Victory at Donghaibao! General Zhang Jingchuan of Liaodong has annihilated thousands of enemy elites at Donghaibao!"

Wu Sangui strode out of the military tent, grabbed the scout and pulled him up, exclaiming in surprise, "What did you say?! Say it again!"

The scout repeated what he had just said.

Wu Sangui was shocked. If the scouts hadn't repeatedly assured him of the intelligence's authenticity, he simply wouldn't have believed his ears.

Where is Jinzhouwei? It's deep in the heart of Qing territory, separated from Jinzhou by the Liaodong Bay. Zhang Jingchuan managed to cross the sea and capture Jinzhouwei with just a few ships from Donghai Fort!

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

It would be impossible to bring so many soldiers to Jinzhouwei without dozens or even hundreds of warships. Could it be the Ming Dynasty navy that could mobilize so many warships?

There must be a powerful figure behind Zhang Jingchuan helping him!

Could it be Chen Xinjia, the Minister of War?!

Because he had targeted Zhang Jingchuan, he gradually pushed Zhang Jingchuan to the side of Zhang Ruoqi and Ma Shaoyu, who were the confidants of Chen Xinjia, the Minister of War.

Haha, Zhang Jingchuan, you've really found yourself a great backer!

Wu Sangui's former subordinate, Hong Chengchou, the governor of Jiliao, had already surrendered to the Qing. It was Wu Sangui who was blind, followed the wrong person, and chose the wrong side.

And then there's Donghai Fort. Although Donghai Fort had an outer city wall, it was astonishing that it could inflict such a heavy price on the Qing army's elite troops with just a dozen or so wounded and old soldiers and a large amount of gunpowder.

Making noises in the east and attacking in the west?

Please enter the urn?

"Hehehehe..."

Wu Sangui laughed, laughing so hard he bent over backwards, his eyes reddening, tears streaming down his face.

Perhaps the soldiers around him thought Wu Sangui was weeping with joy for the Ming army's victory, but in Wu Sangui's heart, there was only bitterness.

Zhang Jingchuan was a capable man, as Wu Sangui had long recognized, but such a person could not be used by him, so from the beginning he never considered Zhang Jingchuan as one of his own.

From last year to now, Zhang Jingchuan has repeatedly made meritorious contributions, rising from a lowly soldier to the position of General of Liaodong. In terms of military rank, Zhang Jingchuan is of the same rank as him, but in terms of the number of troops under his command, Zhang Jingchuan far surpasses him.

If Wu Sangui had entrusted Zhang Jingchuan with important responsibilities and treated him sincerely, he would have certainly contributed to Zhang's achievements, and he wouldn't be envious from an outsider's perspective like he is now.

Thinking of this, Wu Sangui felt even more jealous and resentful.

Wu Sangui's feelings at this moment were extremely complicated. He was happy and excited about the Ming army's victory, jealous and envious of Zhang Jingchuan's achievements, and resentful of his current situation.

While the soldiers in the camp were cheering and jumping for joy at the news of victory,

With a somewhat gloomy expression, Wu Sangui began to forcefully lift the weight.

On the face,

She forced a smile.

Simultaneously,

shouted:

"Well done, Zhang Jingchuan! You truly deserve to be called a valiant general of our Great Ming Dynasty!!!"

……