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

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

On the tower of Fengji Fort, a Han Chinese woman, barely clothed, rushed out of the gate, crying and sobbing. Her exposed shoulders, back, and arms were covered in wounds.

The fort commander, pulling up his trousers, hurriedly chased after her, about to order the young woman to be brought back, when he saw billowing dust and thunderous hooves outside the fort.

The Ming army has arrived?

How could it be the Ming army?

Is the Haizhou Guard's army wiped out?

The troops of Dongningwei are also wiped out?

Or has Lianshan Pass been breached?

Although Basele was a fortress commander in Fengji Fort, he had heard from the grain transport officials in private that...

Speaking of our Great Qing Dynasty, we had tens of thousands of elite troops in Haizhouwei, Dongningwei, and Lianshanguan!

Damn it!

The battle has only just begun, how come they've suddenly attacked Fengjibao?

I heard that the Ming army only had less than 100,000 troops. Even if they were very capable, it would have been impossible for them to break through the defenses of tens of thousands of Qing troops so quickly, especially since the Qing army was defending the city.

Even though Basele had countless doubts in his heart, it did not change the fact that the Ming army cavalry had reached Fengjibao.

"Men, close the fort gates!" Basel shouted loudly.

This,

That's the only thing Basel can do right now.

Although the fortress walls had fallen into disrepair and collapsed in several places, it was still a good thing that they could delay the Ming army's cavalry from entering the fortress.

The garrison at Fengji Fort was small, numbering only fifty or sixty, and most of them were local Han Chinese.

The moment the enemy attack warning was given, these Han Chinese soldiers had already fled.

Apart from the dozen or so Qing soldiers guarding the warehouse inside the fortress, there were only five or six Qing soldiers guarding this side of the fortress wall.

Only under Baselle's orders did he grab his sword and run toward the fortress gate.

While dragging away the grain carts blocking the fortress gate, they also pushed open the heavy fortress gate.

Outside the fort gate,

"Uncle, the Ming army is here! You'd better run!"

Gou Danzi said anxiously as he tugged at Old Li's arm.

Although he had always looked down on his uncle for betraying his ancestors and becoming a lackey of the Qing dynasty, the other party was still his uncle after all.

these years,

The old man had always taken care of their family.

Although it couldn't provide them with a life of plenty, it at least ensured they had something to eat.

He knew in his heart that once the Ming army arrived, the Qing people in Fengji Fort, as well as their lackeys, would be killed.

Gou Danzi didn't want to see his uncle killed by the Ming army.

however,

Old Li swung his arm and pushed Gou Danzi to the ground.

He was also surprised to find that his uncle had such strength, and looked over in astonishment.

Old Li didn't look at Gou Danzi, but turned around and stared intently at the Ming army cavalry that was rapidly approaching.

His cloudy eyes revealed a complex mix of emotions, from initial disbelief to ecstatic joy, and finally, a sense of relief.

Subsequently,

He retracted his gaze.

When he opened his eyes again and looked at the Qing soldiers who were frantically pushing open the gate, something seemed to rekindle in his eyes.

His back was no longer hunched, and his eyes burned with a fiery passion.

He tucked the opium pipe into his waistband and reached for the knife he carried, a knife that no outsider had ever seen him draw.

"Chong-"

Under Gou Danzi's shocked gaze,

Old Man Li slowly drew a steel knife from its worn and rusty scabbard. The knife had a blade as clear as autumn water and a cold, gleaming light.

This is the steel knife he meticulously polished through countless sleepless nights.

Waiting,

It's just this one day!

"Li Chunsheng, Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Garrison of the Imperial Guard of the Ming Dynasty, Left Banner Officer of the Liaodong Thousand-Household Office!"

Old Li's eyes were fixed on the Qing soldiers guarding the fortress gate, his face contorted with rage and his eyes flashing with ferocity.

As he drew his sword, he strode towards the Qing soldiers guarding the front.

He continued in a loud voice:

"He recruited soldiers in the 40th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty and joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard the following year. During the Battle of Sarhu, he beheaded 38 Jurchens!"

He has been in hiding for 23 years and 5 months.

today,

I draw my sword once more to slay the enemy!

The sun, moon, mountains, and rivers will live on forever!

The Ming Dynasty will live on forever!

Facing the Qing soldiers charging towards them...

Old Man Li was not afraid at all and charged forward with his knife!

This scene,

This not only shocked Basel on the fortress wall, but even Gou Danzi, who was huddled in the corner, could not believe it.

He never expected that

The old man who usually bowed and scraped to the Qing people was actually the chief flag officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and he had killed so many Qing people in the Battle of Sarhu.

It was that Qing lackey, whom he usually looked down upon, who was taking care of him and those Han people who had no food.

His humble act sustained the impoverished Han people in Fengjibao.

this moment,

His eyes welled up with tears, and his vision blurred.

……

More than 20,000 Liaodong cavalrymen stormed into Fengjibao.

This dilapidated camp was no match for the cavalry.

After abandoning Zheng Chenggong's 5,000 Japanese soldiers, Zhang Jingchuan led his personal guard battalion to join forces with Cao Mingsheng's cavalry.

During the day,

They lay in ambush in the woods.

As night fell, scouts and rangers led the way with torches, and more than 20,000 Liaodong cavalrymen thus arrived at Fengjibao undetected.

Further ahead is Baitabao, and then Shengjing.

The reason for choosing Fengjibao was that a Jinyiwei spy was lurking there and reported that Fengjibao was a transit point for the Qing army's grain and supplies.

immediately,

Zhang Jingchuan then decided to capture the dilapidated camp, resupply with the grain and supplies inside, and then bypass Baitabao and head straight for Shengjing.

Because Baitabao is so close to Shengjing, there's a good chance there might be a Qing army garrison there. What if news of the attack leaks out during the assault?

With an extra day to prepare, Shengjing would be unable to achieve the effect of catching the enemy off guard.

Zhang Jingchuan rode his horse to the fortress gate, dismounted, and walked towards the old man dressed in Qing army uniform.

During the charge

Zhang Jingchuan naturally witnessed the old soldier drawing his sword to fight the Qing army guards.

Before sending troops,

Li Ruolian had once told him that the Embroidered Uniform Guard had a spy lurking inside Fengji Fort, ostensibly a guard within the fort.

They will meet me at Fengjibao.

At this moment, Old Man Li slumped in the corner, his face pale and his gray hair disheveled.

Gou Danzi was pressing his wound with his clothes, his cheeks streaked with tears.

Zhang Jingchuan walked to Old Man Li's side, half-squatted down, and glanced at the injuries on the other man's body.

He had multiple stab wounds, the most fatal being the one on his lower abdomen, where blood had stained Gou Danzi's clothes.

Gou Danzi looked up at the Ming general in front of him, his eyes filled with tears and a hint of expectation, hoping that this man could save his uncle.

Zhang Jingchuan frowned, sighed, and shook his head.

Dog Egg's eyes dimmed, he lowered his head, and remained silent, letting his tears fall in a steady stream.

Old Li looked at Zhang Jingchuan, and although there was a hint of pain between his brows, he still managed a grin.

then,

He opened his mouth and said:

"Your humble servant... is a member of the Imperial Guard in the north..."

“I know you!” Zhang Jingchuan said, “You are Li Chunsheng, the flag officer of the Liaodong Left Thousand Household Office of the Ming Dynasty’s Embroidered Uniform Guard. You were recruited in the 40th year of the Wanli reign and joined the Embroidered Uniform Guard the following year. In the Battle of Sarhu, you beheaded 38 Jin bandits.”

After the war, you volunteered to become a secret agent and stayed in Zhongwei, Shenyang, where you have remained for twenty-three years.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards have not forgotten you!

The Ming Dynasty has not forgotten you!

Your deeds will be recorded in the annals of Liaodong heroes. After this battle, I will build cenotaphs for you heroes in Liaodong so that future generations may pay their respects!

Old Li smiled, a smile as bright as a child's.

His eyes were unfocused, as if he were seeing the Ming Dynasty's iron cavalry trampling through Shengjing.

Old Li reached for the opium pipe at his waist, but it had already been broken in two during the fight.

Zhang Jingchuan took out a cigar from his pocket, blew on the tinderbox to light it, and just as he brought the lit cigar to Old Li's lips, his hand froze.

Old Li's body lay there quietly, as if it had become a silent sculpture.

His life,

At this moment, time has frozen the moment.

I do not know how long it has been,

Cao Mingsheng approached Zhang Jingchuan and said respectfully, "My lord, the provisions and supplies will be replenished before nightfall. What should we do next..."

Zhang Jingchuan carefully placed the extinguished cigar in his hand into Old Li's arms, and then gently patted the other man's chest.

He stood up,

He stared at Old Li.

a long time,

Calmly said:

"As you wish, our horses will trample Shengjing!"

……