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Banners fluttered in the valley.

No longer the low-key "workshop" or "military training" of the past, a huge, blood-red flag fluttered wildly in the wind, and on the flag, a ferocious five-clawed golden dragon raised its head and leaped, as if it was about to break through the sky!

Under its command are thousands of elite troops, impeccably disciplined and completely silent.

They were dressed in uniform dark-colored outfits, and although their armor was not full-body heavy armor, it exuded a simple and practical killing intent. Their eyes were sharp, and their posture was like that of a pine tree, unlike any known army.

Su Ning, dressed in a black military uniform with a red battle robe over it, stood on a makeshift platform.

His gaze swept over the crowd below the stage, a force he had built from scratch, and a surge of pride welled up within him.

After lying dormant for so long, the hidden dragon is finally about to emerge from the abyss!
"Brothers!" His voice, amplified through a makeshift loudspeaker, resounded clearly throughout the entire area, its force as resounding as metal and stone. "The Tartars are wicked, they have seized the Central Plains, slaughtered my compatriots, and trampled on my civilization! Now, they are even more enraged by the heavens and the people, killing one another, causing the land to sink and the people to suffer!"

He swung his arm sharply, pointing south: "Right there! Jining Prefecture! The lifeline of the Grand Canal, where the Tartars bleed the blood of the Han people! There are piles of millions of shi of grain plundered from Jiangnan, which should belong to all the people of the land, but the Tartars use it to feed their hounds and prolong their tyranny!"

"Today, I, Su Ning, hereby swear an oath to 'expel the Tartars and rebuild China,' and officially raise an army! We are the Shandong Red Flag Army! Our red dragon flag will be dyed red with the blood of the Tartars, and we will burn a bright and clear world in this dark age!"

"Target: Jining!"

……

Jining is the "throat" of the Grand Canal. Controlling this place is tantamount to cutting off the vital artery of the north-south water transport that the Qing government relied on for survival.

Once the grain transport was cut off, both Aobai and Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang, who were locked in a standoff in the capital region, and the Qing army in various places, which was in chaos, would face an immediate food shortage. The shock effect would be far greater than the capture of ten ordinary cities.

The million shi of grain that were always stored in the Jining granary was precisely the "first pot of gold" that the Red Flag Army urgently needed for its rise.

With this batch of grain, not only can the army sustain long-term operations, but it can also provide large-scale relief to disaster victims, win over the hearts and minds of the people, and achieve snowballing development.

Compared to provincial capitals like Jinan, which are heavily fortified, Jining, as a hub for the Grand Canal, has a far greater economic function than a military one. Its garrison is relatively weak, and given the current chaos, its defenses are bound to be lax, making it an ideal target for a swift attack!

By capturing Jining, they would gain absolute initiative.

To the north, their military might could directly target Jinan, the capital of Shandong Province, and intimidate the Qing forces throughout Shandong; to the south, they could unite with the potential anti-Qing forces in the Jianghuai region; and to the west, they could leap into the Central Plains and vie for supremacy!

"Where the red flag points, nothing can stand in its way!" Su Ning drew his sword, pointed it straight to the sky, and roared across the land: "For China, advance!"

"For China! Drive out the Tartars!" Thousands of elite soldiers below the stage roared in unison, their voices like a tidal wave, shaking the mountains.

The crimson dragon flag fluttered fiercely in the gale, leading this nascent force like a wildfire, relentlessly attacking the Qing court's most vulnerable and vital point—Jining Prefecture!

A storm aimed at tearing apart the old order and reshaping China has finally swept out from the valleys of Shandong!

Its first goal was to make this already crumbling and vast empire feel excruciating pain and fear!
……

The canal in late autumn was shrouded in the heavy chill of the pre-dawn air.

As usual, Jining City was silent in the darkness before dawn, with only a few lights shining on the canal wharf and the listless figures of the guards patrolling the city walls.

They never imagined that a long-planned, devastating storm was already at their gates.

Suning divided his elite Red Flag Army into three routes:

The left-wing army, led by an AI instructor, consisted of two elite companies carrying grappling hooks and ropes. They moved silently to the southeast corner of the city wall, where the defenses were relatively weak, and were tasked with scaling the wall and launching a surprise attack to seize the city gate.

The right-wing army, a reinforced battalion, under the cover of night, infiltrated the outer perimeter of the canal dock area. Once a fire broke out in the city or the city gates were captured, they would immediately storm in, take control of the docks and granaries, and block any reinforcements that might come by land or water.

The central army, led by Su Ning himself, waited in the dense forest outside the city as the general reserve and the final decisive strike force, ready to surge into the city with overwhelming force after the city gates were opened to wipe out the remaining enemy.

At 3:45 AM, the operation begins!
The left-wing army, like ghosts in the night, took advantage of the shadows of the city wall and the gaps in the changing of the guards to quickly approach the base of the wall.

The specially made hook, with its oil-soaked rope, silently secured the top of the stack.

Dozens of agile Red Flag Army soldiers climbed upwards as quickly as geckos.

A yawning soldier on the city wall seemed to have heard some strange noise. He had just poked his head out when a crossbow bolt shot out with great accuracy pierced his throat. He collapsed to the ground without even uttering a sound.

"Enemy attack—!" Finally, some of the guards noticed the abnormality, and the shrill sound of the alarm gong broke the silence!
But it's too late!
The first Red Flag Army soldiers to scale the city walls had already leaped atop the walls, and in a flash of swords, several panicked defenders were instantly cut down.

They quickly formed a small combat formation and charged towards the city gate tower along the horse path!

The city walls were immediately plunged into chaos and shouts of battle.

"Quickly! Seize the city gate!" The AI ​​instructor's cold voice rang out over the walkie-talkie.

The Red Flag Army was equipped with advanced walkie-talkies, which naturally made the soldiers even more respectful, believing that Su Ning was a god descended from heaven.

Su Ning also took advantage of the superstition of the people to strengthen his rule and enhance the cohesion of the Red Flag Army. Now, his primary task is to establish a foothold in southwestern Shandong as soon as possible.

……

At the same time, upon hearing the alarm from the city walls, the right-wing army immediately launched a swift and fierce attack on the dock area like tigers released from their cages!
The small number of Qing soldiers and tax collectors stationed at the dock were almost unable to put up any effective resistance and were routed by the Red Flag Army's fierce offensive.

The granaries, docks, and cargo ships were quickly brought under control.

Inside the city, upon learning that the city walls had been breached and the docks had fallen, the prefect and garrison commander of Jining were terrified. They sent people to request reinforcements from outside the city while hastily organizing yamen runners, soldiers, and household guards to try to set up obstacles on the way to the prefectural government office and the main streets, putting up a stubborn resistance.

However, they were not facing traditional bandits or rebels.

When Su Ning personally led the main force of the Red Flag Army, pouring in through the open city gates like a red torrent of iron, the Qing army's will to resist completely collapsed.

The army's offensive tactics were unfamiliar and frightening to them: they did not prioritize individual bravery, but rather operated in squads and platoons, providing alternating cover, combining firepower with assaults, employing cunning routes, and targeting weak points.

The Qing army's usual formations quickly fell apart under the infiltration and division of small groups of enemy troops.

What chilled them even more was the crimson dragon flag that grew clearer and clearer in the morning light, and the figure beneath it who led the charge and whose swords stirred up a storm of bloodshed wherever they pointed—Su Ning!
"Expel the Tartars! Rebuild China!"

Those who kneel down and surrender their weapons will not be killed!

The deafening slogans, accompanied by the fierce offensive, steadily eroded the remaining morale of the Qing army. Many Green Standard Army soldiers and yamen runners were Han Chinese, and under the powerful military intimidation and political slogans of the Red Flag Army, they threw down their weapons and knelt down to surrender.

The fighting mainly took place near the prefectural government office.

The garrison commander's personal guard put up a desperate fight, but faced with the Red Flag Army's overwhelming numerical superiority and innovative tactics, their efforts were like ice and snow melting away under the sun.

The guard was pierced by several spears at the same time and pinned to the gate of the prefectural government office.

By early Chenshi (7-9 AM), the battle was basically over.

A crimson dragon banner fluttered high above the city walls of Jining!
The remaining Qing troops in the city were wiped out, and important facilities such as granaries, treasuries, armories, and grain transport ships all fell into the hands of the Red Flag Army.

The mountains of grain transported to the fields were especially inspiring to all the soldiers of the Red Flag Army!
Standing atop the city wall, Su Ning looked down upon the city, where the smoke of battle had not yet completely dissipated, and the canal that meandered outside the city, now under his control.

Sunlight pierced through the clouds, shining on the fluttering red dragon flag and reflecting a dazzling light.

"Pass down the order!" Su Ning said in a deep voice, "Post notices to reassure the people, open some of the granaries, and provide relief to the poor people in the city! Enforce strict military discipline; anyone who harasses the people will be executed without mercy! The entire army will rest for a day, and at the same time, scouts will be dispatched to closely monitor the movements of the Qing army in the Jinan and Xuzhou directions!"

"As you command."

……

The fall of Jining was like stabbing the already chaotic heart of the Qing Empire with another knife!

The news of the disruption of the canal transport will spread throughout the country at an unprecedented speed, accompanied by the fame of the "Shandong Red Flag Army" and the "Golden Dragon Red Flag," causing even more intense shocks.

The Red Flag Army's anti-Qing cause had finally taken its first step in seizing key strategic locations!
A true golden dragon has begun to display its majestic horns and its immense power to stir up the winds and clouds on this ancient land!
……

The news that the flags had been changed in Jining and that the golden dragon and red flags were flying high spread like a thunderclap, far faster than any previous rumor, through the Grand Canal as a communication channel.

In the capital, the two Yellow Banners, who were fighting to the death, heard the devastating news that their supply lines had been cut off, and their morale was shaken.

In Nanjing, the Jiangnan gentry who were watching from the sidelines and the Qing officials who were filled with anxiety felt the pain that came from the north.

In Kunming, Wu Sangui clapped his hands and laughed, delighted to see the Qing court besieged on both sides;
Even the Heaven and Earth Society, which operated sporadically in various places, took notice of the Shandong Red Flag Army, and its leader, Chen Jinnan, sent an envoy to contact the Red Flag Army.

Of course, his goal was to unite the Shandong Red Flag Army under the banner of Zhu San Taizi, and this force had already successfully stirred up the general trend of the world.

Deep within the Forbidden City, both Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang and Aobai had to shift some of their attention from their immediate mortal enemies to the sudden, unfamiliar red storm that had risen in Shandong.

However, just as all the forces in the world were speculating whether this audacious "Red Flag Army" would head north to threaten Jinan or sweep south across the Jianghuai region, and preparing to react accordingly, Su Ning made a decision that surprised everyone...

The troops, carrying large quantities of captured grain, fodder, and military supplies, quickly advanced westward and southward, their targets being Qufu, Sishui, and Mengyin, before turning into the Yimeng Mountains!

This move was a stroke of genius.

Although Jining is a strategic location, it is situated on a plain, making it a place of constant warfare, easy to attack but difficult to defend.

Given the Red Flag Army's current strength and resources, if it were to hold onto the isolated city, it would inevitably become a prime target for the Qing court and the Three Feudatories, leading to an endless war of attrition.

The Yimeng Mountains, with their towering peaks and deep ravines, are easy to defend and difficult to attack, which could offset the Qing army's possible numerical advantage.

The mountainous area is vast, making it easy to maneuver and effectively avoid encirclement and suppression by the enemy's main force.

The mountains are rich in water, timber, and arable land, providing a solid foundation for long-term sustainability.

People in mountainous areas have historically suffered from severe oppression and are relatively isolated, making them easy to mobilize and organize.

They acted swiftly like the wind, and their attacks were as fierce as fire!
The main force of the Red Flag Army did not linger in Jining for long; after completing the transportation of supplies and necessary propaganda, it withdrew in an orderly manner.

They split into several groups, like red streams, and quickly seeped into the hilly and mountainous areas of central and southern Shandong.

The next step is to quickly establish a foothold in southwestern Shandong and then withstand the first wave of attacks from the Manchus.

……

Qufu, home to the Confucius Temple, holds immense symbolic significance.

A unit of the Red Flag Army arrived lightly equipped and did not attack the Confucius Mansion. Instead, they posted notices declaring "respect for sages, expulsion of the Manchus, and protection of culture and education." This move greatly eased the resistance of the local gentry and even secretly won the sympathy of some scholars who were dissatisfied with the Qing court.

The Qing troops in counties such as Sishui and Mengyin were already weak. Seeing that even important towns like Jining had been easily captured, the Red Flag Army's forces mostly collapsed at the first touch or fled at the first sign of trouble.

Su Ning made full use of this time difference and the valuable window of opportunity presented by the Qing court's internal chaos and slow response.

The army under his command demonstrated its unparalleled organization and execution capabilities at this moment.

It only took a week, just seven short days!

While the Qing troops in nearby Jinan and Yanzhou were still arguing about who should send troops and how to suppress them, the Red Flag Army had already completed its strategic transfer and initially established a foothold in the Yimeng Mountains.

With Mengyin as its core, it established a stable base.

They controlled several key mountain passes and narrow roads between Qufu and Mengyin and Sishui, thus constructing an outer defense line;
The massive amount of grain, silver, and military equipment seized were successfully transported into the mountain warehouses;
They dispatched numerous work teams to go deep into mountainous villages to promote the idea of ​​"expelling the Tartars, equalizing land distribution and exempting taxes," and began to establish grassroots governments and recruit new soldiers.

Within a week, Jinlong not only revealed its sharp claws, but also completed the crucial transformation from "surprise attack" to "establishing a foothold".

It is no longer a rootless duckweed, but a dragon's nest located in the easily defensible and difficult-to-attack mountains and valleys.

People then realized that the "Shandong Red Flag Army" was no ordinary bandit or rebel army, and its leader was a formidable strategist who was well-versed in the strategy of "building high walls, storing up grain, and delaying the proclamation of kingship."

A true dragon has already entered the abyss, accumulating the power for its next soaring flight, a power that will surely be even more earth-shattering!

The Yimeng Mountains, this ancient land, is about to become a red cradle that buries the old era and nurtures a new order.

...(End of chapter)