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

Zhang Jingchuan stood on the Qing army's dragon flag, holding up the severed head of E'nahai, and roared at the surrounding Qing soldiers.

The death of Enai was a great surprise to the Qing soldiers. They never expected that their commander would die at the hands of an unknown Ming soldier.

Of course, these Qing soldiers were not only surprised, but also deeply shocked.

Because the Ming soldier in front of them was like a ferocious beast, charging left and right in their siege, leaving a trail of blood and gore wherever he went, and many Qing soldiers lost their lives at his hands.

I originally thought that even if we used sheer numbers to wear down such a formidable opponent, the end result would only be sending wave after wave of lives to their deaths.

The death of Enai was undoubtedly a huge blow to these Qing soldiers.

With the commander dead, the remaining three Niru Zhangjing were filled with unease. They rallied their troops to resist while slowly retreating.

On the battlefield, the key to fighting between two armies is momentum. When one side is losing ground, the other side will fight with increasing vigor.

After all, nothing could boost the morale of the Ming army more than the Qing army's retreat.

Zhang Jingchuan turned around and looked at the main force of the Ming army to the east, but it hadn't moved an inch. He couldn't help but frown.

Li Dani wiped the blood off his face and came to Zhang Jingchuan's side. Following his gaze, he looked at the main force of the Ming army and asked in confusion, "The Qing army is already unable to hold on. Why haven't the generals come to our aid yet?"

Just as Li Daniu and Zhang Jingchuan were wondering about this, the main force of the Qing army in the west sounded the bugle call.

"The Qing army has withdrawn?" Li Daniu asked in surprise.

Zhang Jingchuan turned to look at the Qing army slowly retreating to the west. His face did not show any joy, but instead became solemn.

For him, the real crisis did not come from enemies, but from within.

It is now the fourteenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, in the late Ming Dynasty, when the entire Ming Dynasty is in a state of internal and external troubles.

Internally, peasant armies led by Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong rapidly rose and grew in the heart of the Central Plains; externally, the Manchu Qing dynasty, under the leadership of Huang Taiji, gradually shifted from defense to offense.

Especially now, he is in the middle of the Battle of Songjin. When Huang Taiji captures Songshan City and takes the Ming army commander Hong Chengchou prisoner next year, the Ming Dynasty's nine border defense lines will be completely lost.

By then, the Ming Dynasty will have completely lost its northern barrier.

As a transmigrated person from another era with a system, Zhang Jingchuan was unwilling to let the Ming Dynasty perish, because he knew all too well the harm the Qing Dynasty had inflicted on the Han people and the enormous losses it had caused to the country during its more than two hundred years of rule.

The two Opium Wars nearly broke the backbone of the Chinese people.

Territorial cession, thought control, cultural destruction, and isolationism have caused China to fall behind the world by nearly a century.

Bringing his thoughts back to the present, he realized that he was merely a captain in the border army. To think that he could save the Ming Dynasty with his current strength was nothing short of a pipe dream.

But then again, I still have a system with me, so there's always a chance things will change.

"Brother," Li Daniu reminded him in a low voice, "the Qing army has withdrawn, we should go back too."

Zhang Jingchuan nodded, then looked around.

These Ming soldiers who survived the battle cheered and jumped for joy. Some hugged their comrades tightly, some collapsed to the ground and wept, and some knelt beside the corpses of their comrades, staring blankly.

It's July now, but the weather outside the pass is still cold.

The bleak, cold wind blew harder and harder, but it couldn't dispel the layer of gloom in the sky.

The Ming soldiers around him cheered and jumped for joy, but Zhang Jingchuan remained calm, his deep eyes showing no ripples.

At this moment, Zhang Jingchuan was like a solid rock on the beach, remaining as steady as a rock despite the wind and waves. Only he knew that every step he would take next would be as delicate as walking on thin ice, and that every step was to slowly pull the wheels of history off their predetermined track.

He carried Onahai's head in his left hand and a knife in his right, walking towards the Ming army formation to the west.

Blood dripped from his armor as he stepped over one corpse after another. When the Ming soldiers around him saw Zhang Jingchuan, they all gathered around him, their eyes filled with respect and admiration.

Feeling the stares of those around him, Zhang Jingchuan turned his gaze to them, to his comrades who had fought alongside him through countless life-or-death experiences.

At this moment, those who survived may have become different from before; their eyes are more determined, and the murderous intent on their faces is more intense.

Facts have shown them that as long as they are willing to risk their lives, the valiant Qing army is not invincible!

Zhang Jingchuan stepped out of the crowd, facing east.

His eyes were fixed on Hong Chengchou a thousand paces away. He slowly raised the head of E'nahai in his left hand, took a deep breath, and roared, "The Ming army is mighty!"

"The Ming army is mighty!"

The remaining hundreds of soldiers in the vanguard battalion responded wildly, shouting excitedly!

Zhang Jingchuan's actions were a message to everyone: their vanguard battalion had won, and if the commander-in-chief did not reward them accordingly, he would find it difficult to gain the respect of the troops in the future.

They stopped when they were a hundred paces away from the main Ming army formation.

When Zhang Jingchuan saw Hong Chengchou in front of the "Hong" flag and Wu Sangui in front of the "Wu" flag, he couldn't help but smile bitterly. Both of them were great traitors who betrayed the Ming Dynasty and surrendered to the Qing Dynasty.

The vanguard battalion he was in was under the command of Wu Sangui, the general of Ningyuan.

On the way here, Zhang Jingchuan had already figured things out.

Hong Chengchou and Wu Sangui may defect to the enemy in the future, but at least for now, they are still loyal ministers and generals of the Ming Dynasty. Zhang Jingchuan's most pressing need is to use these two men to enhance his own strength and build his own power within the limited time available.

Seeing Wu Sangui dismount and walk towards him with a smile, Zhang Jingchuan quickly went to greet him, bowed, and said, "This humble one greets the General!"

Wu Sangui strode forward, grabbed Zhang Jingchuan's hands, and asked in a low voice with a hint of meaning, "How come I've never seen you before?"

Zhang Jingchuan bowed his head and said, "I am Zhang Jingchuan. I was originally a junior officer in Ningyuan Guard. After being assigned to the vanguard battalion, I served as the captain."

"Captain?" Wu Sangui was slightly surprised, then laughed heartily and said, "With your skills, it's really a waste of your talent to be a captain."

"I wouldn't dare!" Zhang Jingchuan bowed his head again.

Wu Sangui lowered his voice, leaned close to Zhang Jingchuan, and whispered, "If anyone asks, just say that you are my personal guard, Wu Sangui's personal guard!"

"???" Zhang Jingchuan didn't understand, but he didn't ask.

Wu Sangui took Zhang Jingchuan's hand and led him to Hong Chengchou, urging, "Hurry up and pay your respects to the Governor-General!"

Zhang Jingchuan looked up at Hong Chengchou, the thin Governor-General of Jiliao, who was sitting on his warhorse, and bowed, saying, "This humble one, Zhang Jingchuan, pays his respects to the Governor-General!"

Hong Chengchou looked at Zhang Jingchuan with great satisfaction and nodded slightly, saying, "He turned the tide and captured the flag; he is a talented general."

Zhang Jingchuan said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "This small victory is entirely due to the careful guidance of my lord, the General."

As for merit, if the higher-ups say you have it, then you have it. Since you want to use Wu Sangui to rise to power, you naturally have to do some social niceties.

Sure enough, Wu Sangui, who was standing to the side, grinned from ear to ear when he heard Zhang Jingchuan's words. He hadn't expected Zhang Jingchuan to be so good at handling people.

Although everyone knew in their hearts that the vanguard battalion's victory over the Qing army of over a thousand men had nothing to do with Wu Sangui, they still remembered to praise their superior after making a great contribution. Who wouldn't love such a subordinate?

A person who is courageous, resourceful, and knows how to get along with others is in high demand anywhere.

Hong Chengchou, also intrigued by the prospect of acquiring talent, asked with a smile, "Would you be willing to serve under me?"

Zhang Jingchuan's heart skipped a beat, his eyes flickered, and he immediately made a plan.

He turned his head to look at Wu Sangui, who was standing to the side with an embarrassed expression, and winked at him.

The meaning is obvious: your boss wants to poach me, and if you don't want me to be poached, you'd better offer me a huge reward!

……