The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 336 Blitzkrieg in Qujing
Just as everyone in Qujing City was preparing to set off, Jiang Han's two armies from Guizhou and Sichuan had also assembled.

In this surprise attack, Jiang Han adopted a multi-pronged approach.

In Sichuan, Li Zicheng personally led 20,000 elite troops, who set off from Chengdu after a pledge ceremony.

The army marched south along the Min River, and after a brief rest in Xuzhou Prefecture, it turned southwest, entered the rugged terrain of Wumeng Prefecture, and then traveled to Wusa Prefecture.

Their main attack direction was clear: to launch a frontal assault on the northern gateway to Qujing—Kedu Pass—and the Zhanyi Prefecture behind it.

At the same time, in order to support the main attack and achieve tactical surprise, Li Zicheng also sent his nephew Li Guo to lead another detachment.

Li Guo's force totaled 20,000 men. They set off from the Sichuan Provincial Military Command, headed east into Dongchuan Prefecture, and then moved south along the Niulan River Valley.

This road is an ancient passage through the Wumeng Mountains, characterized by high mountains, deep valleys, and rugged terrain.

However, it can bypass the main defense line of the Ming army north of Qujing and directly penetrate into the hinterland between Zhanyi Prefecture and Qujing City, cutting off the connection between the two and disrupting the Ming army's deployment.

In Guizhou, Shao Yong dispatched his deputy general Liu Ning, along with guerrilla generals Ma Ke and Yu Chengye, leading 15,000 troops from Guiyang.

This Han army from Guizhou took the widest and most traditional official road from Guizhou into Yunnan.

The army marched out of Guiyang, passed through Anshun Prefecture and Yongning Prefecture, and headed straight for the eastern gateway to Qujing.

This road is relatively flat, which is conducive to the passage of large armies and supplies, and is a strategically important route that military strategists must contend for.

The Ming army, of course, also knew the importance of this place, and stationed a large number of troops at Pingyi Guard on the border line to guard this official road.

At this time, Li Zicheng and Li Guo's troops in Sichuan, as well as Liu Ning's troops in Guizhou, were all counting down the days.

According to news from Qujing, Gong Weihua's delegation has been in the city for eleven days, and the peace talks must have taken a significant turn for the better.

The date for launching the general offensive was set for the fifth day of the eleventh month.

The following morning, a thin layer of fog shrouded the border between Sichuan and Guizhou, making visibility somewhat hazy.

However, at the foot of the pass, Liu Zongmin, the vanguard under Li Zicheng, personally led an expedition to try to trick the pass into opening.

Since news of the peace talks had already spread, the Ming army at the pass was indeed unusually lax, with few scouts and the night watchmen all hanging their heads and looking listless.

Liu Zongmin carefully selected thirty agile and fierce soldiers, dressed them in prepared robes and ceremonial guards, and, carrying the imperial flag, swaggered to the foot of Kedu Pass.

"Listen up, you who are behind closed doors!"

"We are messengers sent by the imperial court to Qujing! We have urgent military matters to report to Eunuch Gong in person!"

"Please turn it on and off immediately!"

At the city gate, a soldier with a loud voice was imitating the tone of an official and announcing the gate's opening.

Soon, the garrison commander Ma Tao was awakened from his sleep. He put on his armor and climbed to the top of the city wall, looking down with sleepy eyes.

In the shadows, a group of people carrying the imperial flag could indeed be seen.

He was irritated, and because of the news of peace talks in recent days, he lowered his guard and only asked a couple of casual questions to brush it off.

After finishing the routine tasks, Ma Tao yawned widely and waved his hand impatiently:

"Switch the switch! Release them!"

"From now on, just leave this to Commander Wang. Disturbing people's sleep so early in the morning..."

After saying that, he turned around and prepared to go back to sleep.

However, as soon as he stepped off the city wall, a sharp-eyed centurion hurriedly caught up with him:
"Commander Ma, wait!"

"This humble general observes... something's not right with those people down there!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Tao stopped and frowned.
"What's wrong?"

The centurion pointed to the gate and whispered:

"Look at them, although they are dressed in the robes of envoys, they are all very strong and capable. They don't look like imperial messengers at all."

"Especially the robes these people are wearing, they look so awkward on them, like they were forcibly put on, and you can vaguely see the outline of their tight-fitting clothes underneath as they walk..."

Ma Tao felt a chill run down his spine, and his sleepiness vanished instantly. He quickly turned around and climbed back up the city wall, focusing intently on looking down.

Upon closer inspection, the flaw was indeed discovered!
The group below had sharp eyes, and their glances revealed a hint of murderous intent. Their posture and gait were completely that of seasoned veterans, which was completely out of place with the demeanor expected of a court delegation.

Especially the burly man at the head, although he had his head down, his hands were already behind his waist, giving the impression that he was about to pounce.

"You are not envoys! Who are you?! How dare you deceive my pass!"

Alarm bells rang in Ma Tao's mind. He leaned out from behind the wall and let out a loud shout!
Upon hearing this shout, Liu Zongmin knew that his scheme had been exposed and he could no longer keep up the pretense.

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he abruptly ripped off the cumbersome scholar's robe, roaring sharply:
"Attack! Seize the pass!"

Having said that, he drew his short sword from his waist, swiftly slashed down the guard in front of him, and headed straight for the city wall!

He wants to capture the king first.

At the same time, the thirty elite soldiers behind Liu Zongmin also launched an attack, tearing off their robes, revealing their weapons, and rushing straight towards the Ming army guarding the pass!

Many Ming soldiers were still in a daze. Why did the peace delegation, who were supposed to be negotiating peacefully, suddenly start killing people?

Before he could react, he was hacked to death on the spot.

Several Han soldiers even took out thunderbolts from their waist bags, lit them with tinder, and threw them with all their might at the crenellations and city towers where the defenders were gathered.

boom! boom! boom!
Several loud explosions followed one after another, smoke filled the air, lead pellets flew everywhere, and screams filled the air, instantly throwing the area inside the pass into chaos.

Ma Tao was both shocked and furious. He tightened his armor while organizing his personal guards to try to resist.
"The bandits have tricked us into leaving the pass!"

"Hold it!"

He intended to lead his men down the city wall, but Liu Zongmin relentlessly pursued him, determined to kill him on the spot.

Ma Tao's personal guards fought desperately, but were entangled and killed one by one by the elite Han troops who surged in afterward.

Liu Zongmin seized the opportunity, lunged forward, and slashed down with his long sword, which whistled through the air.

Ma Tao couldn't block in time. With a "crack," half of his shoulder and head were slashed open, and blood gushed out instantly. He died on the spot!

At the same time, deafening battle cries rang out from beyond the pass!
Li Zicheng personally led his vanguard, and had already quietly approached under the cover of the morning mist.

Upon hearing the explosions and shouts of killing from inside the pass, he knew that Liu Zongmin had already made his move, so he immediately led his men to rush up.

In just that, in less than the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, Kedu Pass changed hands in an instant.

After capturing the pass, Li Zicheng left only a portion of his troops behind to guard the pass and accept the surrender of Ming soldiers.

The main force, without stopping for a moment, headed straight for Zhanyi Prefecture in the south!

Meanwhile, Li Guo's troops, another group responsible for infiltration, had also arrived at their designated positions.

Because of the long distance, Li Guo's troops chose to set off two days earlier.

The 20,000-strong army moved along the Niulanjiang River valley, hiding during the day and moving at night, successfully infiltrating into Qujing Prefecture without being detected by the Ming army.

Upon arriving at the designated area, Li Guo decisively divided his forces into two:
A unit led by his deputy general marched north to attack Zhanyi Prefecture, joining Li Zicheng's forces to besiege the garrison of Wusawei.
One unit, led by him personally, turned south and rushed straight to Qujing Prefecture, forming a pincer movement with the Guizhou Han army attacking from the east.

The Han army in the north broke through the defense line in two routes, while Liu Ning in Panxian County, Yongning Prefecture, set up his troops and used the Hongyi cannons to clear the way.

Guerrilla Marco led three thousand elite soldiers and, taking advantage of the darkness, stealthily approached and launched a sudden attack.

The Ming army was stunned by the sudden attack and offered almost no decent resistance. The first line of defense was easily breached by Ma Ke's troops.

Soon, the following army crossed the border and headed straight for Pingyi Guard in the rear.

"Oh no! The bandits from Guizhou are attacking!"

"Weren't we supposed to be negotiating peace? Why did we suddenly start fighting?!"

"A bandit is a bandit, a liar!"

The Pingyi Guard commander was both shocked and furious. He organized a resistance while sending a messenger to Qujing Prefecture City to request reinforcements.

"Quick! To Qujing!"

"Report to Prefect Song and Commander Xu that the rebel army has launched a major offensive, and the Pingyi Guard is in dire need of assistance!"

Liu Ning led the main force and artillery battalion to advance steadily, pushing the Hongyi cannons to the foot of the city and aiming them at the top of Pingyiwei City.

With Liu Ning's command, the cannons roared and the earth shook!
The cannonballs roared down on the Ming army's position. The defenders on the city wall tried to retaliate, but were blasted into pieces by the oncoming cannonballs.

Under the cover of artillery fire and smoke, guerrilla commander Yu Chengye led 3,000 elite cavalry and infantry, bypassing the main battlefield and heading straight for Qujing in the rear.

Their mission was to rush to the aid of the small Han army units in Qujing City as quickly as possible, regardless of the consequences.

Yu Chengye knew that speed was of the essence in war, so he ordered his troops to abandon all baggage and carry only rations and water, advancing swiftly and lightly.

If any small groups of Ming soldiers or local militia dared to resist along the way, they were to be swiftly and decisively annihilated with superior forces, leaving no prisoners, so as not to delay the time.

As for the Ming soldiers who surrendered, their horses were confiscated and their personnel were dispersed on the spot.

It's about 200 li from Pingyiwei to Qujing, and he has to get there in three to four days.

Otherwise, the hundreds of Han soldiers who had infiltrated Qujing City earlier would likely have been isolated and helpless, and would have been completely wiped out.

No matter how fast he ran, the marching speed of a large army could never match that of a messenger riding a fast horse alone.

Just as Yu Chengye's troops were rushing through the night, the Ming army messengers who had escaped from Pingyiwei had already arrived outside Qujing City ahead of them.

At the end of the official road, the dust kicked up by the fast horse drew nearer from afar. Upon seeing this, the guards at the city gate quickly formed a battle formation, attempting to stop the horse and question it carefully.

But the messenger merely reined in his horse, threw the warrant and tally from his bosom, and roared hoarsely:

"Military situation is urgent! Release them immediately, delay will be punished!"

The garrison commander at the city gate took the signal token, glanced at it briefly, and immediately gave orders to his men:

"Quickly! Pull back the barricades and let them through!"

The heavy barricades were quickly moved aside, and the messenger spurred his horse and charged straight into the city.

"Get out of the way! Get out of the way, everyone!"

"Eight hundred miles urgent!"

He galloped wildly on his horse, shouting at the top of his lungs, trying to drive away the pedestrians blocking his way.

For a time, chaos erupted throughout Qujing City.

Pedestrians scrambled to avoid the impact, vendors' goods were overturned, and some who couldn't dodge in time were knocked to the ground, screaming and unable to get up.

This commotion had already caught the attention of those who were interested.

In the crowd, two men dressed in coarse cloth coats, who looked like laborers, quickly exchanged a glance, then turned and hurriedly left.

These two were the scouts that Hei Zi had arranged near various city gates, gathering information day and night.

Seeing this, the two immediately realized that the army at the front had probably already started fighting.

The two dared not delay and rushed through the streets and alleys to return to the inn near the post station as quickly as possible to report to their superior.

Upon receiving the report, Hei Zi immediately summoned Feng Lao Er and Yu Hongchang: "They've finally arrived! Proceed according to plan!"

"Second brother, you take a team and are responsible for creating chaos in the city!"

"Burn or blow up the armory in the west of the city, the granary in the southwest, and the barracks at the north gate—the bigger the commotion, the better!"

"Hongchang, you take another team and are responsible for assassinating the city's key officials."

"Anyone who didn't go to the government office today, kill them all!"

"After you two succeed, quickly regroup towards the Drum Tower. I will come looking for you!"

Feng Lao Er and Yu Hongchang nodded and clasped their hands in greeting:
"Order!"

The two immediately rushed out of the room to gather their respective subordinates.

Feng Lao Er acted swiftly, leading eighty elite soldiers straight towards the armory in the west of the city.

After eliminating the nearby guards, Feng Lao Er led his men into the warehouse and set the entire ordnance bureau ablaze.

In an instant, thick smoke billowed from the west of the city, and flames shot into the sky!
Taking advantage of the chaos, the squad rushed to granaries, barracks, and other places, attacking and killing soldiers and setting fires everywhere.

Fires broke out in several key locations within Qujing City, and the sounds of gongs, shouts, and cries echoed throughout the city, throwing the defending soldiers and civilians into chaos.

Meanwhile, Yu Hongchang led another group of skilled men, who, according to the addresses they had found out beforehand, split up and rushed towards the residences of high-ranking officials such as the Assistant Magistrate, the Prefectural Magistrate, and the Garrison Commander.

They were ruthless and swift, taking advantage of the chaos in the city to carry out a series of attacks, resulting in the deaths of several important officials in Qujing Prefecture.

Meanwhile, Hei Zi personally led his main force of over a hundred men straight to the government office in the city center.

He Hong is still inside the government office, drinking and socializing with Prefect Song Wenbo and other officials and gentry. We must bring him out!
However, he was still a step too late.

Before he even arrived at the government office, the messenger who had escaped from Pingyi Guard had already rushed into the office.

"Something terrible has happened! Prefect Song, Eunuch Gong!"

"Bandits...bandits are attacking from Guizhou! The Pingyiwei defense line is in imminent danger!"

"Please give the order immediately to organize manpower to support the front line!"

Upon hearing this, the group of officials and gentry who had been talking loudly suddenly fell silent, as if their throats had been grabbed.

Everyone was stunned, and Prefect Song Wenbo turned deathly pale.

He rushed to the messenger and grabbed him by the collar:

"Nonsense! Where did these bandits come from?!"

"Eunuch Gong, sent by the inner court, is here, as is Physician He from Sichuan, who is also here negotiating peace!"

"How could there be enemy soldiers attacking?! How dare you give false military intelligence?!"

The messenger cried out, his voice trembling with tears:

"Prefect Song! It's absolutely true!"

"We...we've all fallen for the villain's scheme!"
"That envoy is a fake, and the peace talks are a sham! The enemy troops have already attacked!"

Upon hearing this, Gong Weihua, who had been maintaining a haughty demeanor, was struck dumb.

He suddenly stood up, looked around, and shrieked:
"not good!"

"That guy surnamed He...that guy surnamed He has disappeared!"

Everyone suddenly came to their senses, looked around the hall, but He Hong was nowhere to be seen!

Just as the messenger rushed in, drawing everyone's attention in the chaos, He Hong had already made an excuse to urinate and slipped away quietly!

Song Wenbo was trembling with rage, his face turning ashen.

"How dare you, you scoundrel, bully me!"

"Quick! Search him! He can't have gone far!"

As he expected, Stanley Ho did not go far.

Under the cover of two guards, he tried to slip away from the backyard of the government office, but the backyard was too complicated and he couldn't find a way out.

Soon, the group was discovered by the guards and cornered under a corridor.

"it's here!"

"The traitor surnamed He is here!"

The Ming soldiers shouted loudly and surrounded them with their swords.

He Hong's guards drew their swords and fought back fiercely, but they were not wearing armor and were no match for the many hands that were at stake. The three of them soon found themselves in danger.

Just at this critical moment, several explosions suddenly came from outside the government office gate, followed by the clanging of weapons and screams.

Song Wenbo, Gong Weihua and the others looked over and saw a group of bandits rushing in, with more than a dozen corpses of the guards lying haphazardly on the ground.

"Oh no! The enemy soldiers have broken in!"

"Quickly, push it up!"

Upon seeing this, Song Wenbo was both shocked and furious, and he gave a hoarse order.

The officials in the yamen were terrified and hid behind the pillars, while the guards and yamen runners rushed forward to try to stop the bandits.

What greeted them was a dense volley of short guns!

Caught off guard, the Ming soldiers charging ahead lost about ten men in an instant.

"A musket?!"

"Where did the thieves get their muskets?!"

Once the smoke cleared, the officials of Qujing Prefecture could see that what these people were holding were not long-handled muskets or three-barreled muskets, but a kind of short-handled firearm with a unique design.

Although this musket has a short handle, in terms of firepower density, it is even superior to the Five Thunder Divine Machine.

This is the same short-barreled flintlock gun that the Ministry of Works had previously modified. Although it has a short range and slow reloading, it is perfect for ambushes and assassinations.

Before anyone could react, Hei Zi took the lead and rushed into the hall with his men.

He had already identified the prefect, Song Wenbo, as the person in charge.

"To catch the thief, first catch the king." Without hesitation, Hei Zi raised his pistol, aimed it at Song Wenbo's face, and pulled the trigger forcefully!
"boom!"

With a loud bang, before Song Wenbo could even beg for mercy, his face was covered in a dense network of bloody holes.

He cried out in agony, clutching his face, and collapsed to the ground. After a few more screams, he was completely lifeless.

"Prefect Song!"

Upon seeing this, the surrounding guards and officials were immediately horrified.

Without even glancing at Song Wenbo's corpse, Hei Zi darted forward, grabbed the terrified Gong Weihua, and pressed the pistol against his waist.

"Don't even move!"

"Anyone who dares to step forward, I'll kill this damned eunuch on the spot!"

Gong Weihua then realized what was happening and screamed to stop the Ming soldiers who were trying to advance.

Seeing that everyone was hesitant to act rashly, Hei Zi led He Hong and the others, slowly retreating from the crowd's encirclement.

Taking advantage of the Ming army being intimidated by the hostages, he led He Hong and the Han soldiers along the pre-planned route towards the Drum Tower in the city, in order to rendezvous with Feng Lao Er and Yu Hongchang's troops.

The fires inside the city and the farce at the government office finally brought the chaotic Qujing garrison to their senses: the rebels were planning a coordinated attack from within and without!
Commander Xu Ming sent people to Kunming for help, while at the same time gathering the defeated soldiers and garrison troops in the city to organize a counterattack and try to annihilate the small groups of Han troops in the city.

Thanks to his efforts, the Ming army in Qujing gradually stopped their riots and, taking advantage of their numerical superiority, began to surround the Drum Tower.

Meanwhile, Hei Zi had joined forces with Feng Lao Er and Yu Hongchang's troops, totaling more than two hundred men, and occupied the area near the Drum Tower in the west of the city.

This area is a residential area, which makes it easy to hide and hold out for reinforcements.

Xu Ming led the Ming army to surround Gulou District, where he was located, and launched a continuous and fierce attack.

The two sides engaged in a fierce battle around every street and alley and every dwelling in the Drum Tower area.

Although the Han soldiers were elite and brave, and had firearms such as muskets and thunderclaps, they repelled the Ming army's attacks time and time again.

But after all, this was Ming territory, and the Ming army had a numerical advantage.

The battle lasted for two days and nights. Although the Ming army suffered heavy casualties, the Han army was not having an easy time either.

Although not too many soldiers died in battle, almost all of the remaining soldiers were wounded. They had long since run out of arrows and gunpowder, and their physical strength and energy were far from what they used to be. The situation was extremely precarious.

Near the Drum Tower, corpses lay strewn about, and every step left a trail of muddy bloodstains.

Feng Lao Er, his arm wrapped in gauze, panted heavily as he said to Hei Zi:

"Boss, the brothers can't hold on much longer!"

"Reinforcements... if reinforcements don't arrive soon, we're really going to be done for!"

Kuroko leaned against the back of a house, licked his chapped lips, and comforted himself:
"They'll be here soon! We've been holding out for two days, and reinforcements should be arriving soon!"

"Tell the brothers to hold on a little longer!"

Meanwhile, Xu Ming in the city knew that he could not delay any longer. He mobilized almost all the forces in the city and prepared to launch an attack from three sides at the same time to capture the Drum Tower in one fell swoop.

Before he could give the order, shouts of battle came almost simultaneously from the east gate, Legeng Gate, and the north gate, Ying'en Gate, of Qujing City.

"Report——!"

"Commander Xu, the East Gate... the East Gate has been breached by the enemy!"

"A large number of bandits have been spotted heading towards the North Gate, carrying a banner with the character 'Li' on it!"

The successive bad news was like the last straw, completely crushing the morale of the Ming army in the city. Some even quietly withdrew from the battlefield, ready to surrender at any time.

Upon hearing this news, Xu Ming felt as if he had been struck by lightning. A perfectly secure and important location had been lost in less than five days.

"Eunuchs ruin the country...eunuchs ruin the country!"

With things having come to this point, the fall of Qujing is imminent.

He suddenly drew his sword, held it across his neck, and amidst the terrified shouts of his guards, pulled hard, then committed suicide to die for his country.

With their commander dead, the Ming army in the city was leaderless and their morale completely collapsed.

Seeing that the number of Han troops outside the city was increasing, the vanguard had already rushed into the city and joined up with the Han army squads from the direction of the Drum Tower.

The remaining Ming soldiers completely gave up resistance, dropped their weapons, and knelt down to surrender.

Thus, the eastern gateway to Yunnan finally changed hands, and the Han army successfully opened a strategic passage into Yunnan, laying a solid foundation for the pacification of the entire province.

(End of this chapter)