Who killed the Ming Dynasty?

The night wind swept across the Xindu Plain, making Zhou Dingchang's skin feel tight.

His cavalry galloped along the official road, the moonlight reflecting off a thousand armored soldiers, their chilling presence pressing down on the front lines—Tianhui Town, the last checkpoint outside the north gate of Chengdu.

Wang Ermazi's face was still covered in blood and foam. He was stuffing half a burnt sausage into his mouth, chewing until his cheeks were bulging.

Before long, the watchtowers of Tianhui Town were already lit up with fire two miles ahead.

This is the last barrier to the north of Chengdu, guarded by 300 elite "Xiaoji Battalion", and is nine miles away from Chengdu.

"stop--!"

Zhou Dingchang slapped the cavalryman who was about to charge away with the back of his sword, causing the man to stagger and almost fall off his horse.

"Open your dog eyes and look—the sides of this official road are as flat as a woman's belly. Do you think these Western bandits would let you eat this piece of fat meat for free?"

He dismounted and used the tip of his knife to pry open a patch of turf, revealing the texture of the straw mat in the moonlight.

Five hundred light cavalrymen gasped in shock. Hidden channels had been dug out on both sides of the official road, and beneath the loosely covered straw mats, they were full of sharpened bamboo thorns.

"That 'Earth Dragon Formation' set up by those bastards from the Valiant Cavalry!"

Zhou Dingchang had already figured out the mechanisms of these checkpoints. He glanced at his soldiers:

"You little bastards, look carefully! Is this 'earth dragon formation' on both sides of the official road called the 'Horse-Trapping Canal'?"

Suddenly, the back of the knife lightly tapped Wang Ermazi's iron armor again, making a soft "clang" sound. This startled Wang Ermazi so much that the sausage almost fell out of his mouth.

"Wang Ermazi! Do you know how dangerous this 'Horse-Trapping Ditch' is?"

Wang Ermazi puffed out his cheeks and shook his head.

Zhou Dingchang looked at him and smiled:

"What are you thinking? If a warhorse gets stuck, a bamboo skewer can pierce its leg, and barbed wire can sever its hoof."

He pointed his knife at the right side of the official road.

"Once your warhorse gets stuck, bamboo skewers will pierce its legs, and iron caltrops will twist its hooves. Even if you were the Black Steed of Xiang Yu, the King of Western Chu, you would have to kneel down."

He straightened up, clearly having already made up his mind.

"A cavalry charge requires a width of twenty zhang, but this culvert has narrowed the road into a winding path—a direct assault is foolish; a gentler approach is better."

Before the words were finished, the knife tip pierced Wang Ermazi's face:

"Bring the man up here, and also put up Sun Kewang's dog-skin flag for me."

Wang Ermazi wiped the sweat from his forehead and hurriedly ran to the back of the group.

A soldier quickly unfurled the folded Great Western Army flag and held it high.

A moment later, Wang Ermazi and his personal guards escorted a skinny man.

The man had already lost his straw sandals, his toes were bleeding, and he had practically been dragged over; his legs were too weak to stand.

"Reporting to the commander, three horses escaped from the 'Horse Inspection Station,' but the sentries killed two and captured one alive!"

"Don't I know? Why are you being so nosy!"

Before Wang Ermazi could finish speaking, Zhou Dingchang grabbed the man by the back of the neck, and the skinny man groaned in pain.

He suddenly leaned closer, his hot breath hitting the other person's face:

"What's your name, you son of a bitch?"

"My surname is Chen, my nickname is Yaowa, and I feed horses at the Xindu Horse Inspection Station!"

Zhou Dingchang suddenly let go, allowing the other person to slump to the ground.

He untied the water pouch from his waist, tilted his head back, and took a gulp of water. Water dripped down his stubble. He appeared calm, but his mind was racing:

"Do you want to live or die?"

Chen Yaowa immediately scrambled to her feet and grabbed Zhou Dingchang's stirrups:

"Sir, you are incredibly brave! I, your youngest son, am willing to serve you like a slave, running errands for you until my legs give out!"

Looking down at him, Zhou Dingchang saw the survival instinct hidden in his panicked eyes—he knew this man knew the password.

The next moment, the embroidered spring knife had already lifted Chen Yaowa's chin:

"I'll give you a way out, just cooperate. When the fighting starts, run west, or the arrows won't have eyes."

Chen Yaowa, of course, wanted to live, and replied:

"Whatever the sir says, I'll do."

Zhou Dingchang turned and scanned the soldiers behind him:

"Brothers, keep a close eye on him! If this bastard tries anything funny, chop him up. If he behaves himself, let him be. Taking Tianhui Town is the real priority."

"Yes, sir!"

After making the arrangements, Zhou Dingchang poked Chen Yaowa in the back with the tip of his knife:

"Lead the way."

Fifty riders formed a vanguard line and slowly advanced along the narrow path in the middle of the official road.

Ahead, the triple-eaved watchtower was faintly visible in the shadows of Phoenix Mountain.

The flickering torches upstairs cast long, distorted shadows of the sentries onto the official road, making them appear like ghosts.

Zhou Dingchang squinted, and could clearly see the swaying black shadows behind the arrow holes and the occasional glint of weapons.

Tianhui Town is located at the northern end of the Chengdu Plain, at the throat of the Jinniu Road (Sichuan-Shaanxi Post Road), with Phoenix Mountain to the north and Shahe River to the south, forming a natural barrier.

This "mountain-backed and water-side" terrain makes it a natural pass for Chengdu's northward defense.

Zhang Xianzhong used a gate made of century-old wood to block the Jinniu Road, truly making it a formidable stronghold.

The group slowly approached the gate of the ancient wooden village when a shout suddenly came from inside:

"Which mountain's kite comes from? Daring to flap its wings at Phoenix Mountain!"

Zhou Dingchang replied in Sichuan dialect:

"General Sun's cavalry has returned to reinforce Chengdu; those scoundrels, don't fall for the trap of luring the tiger away from the mountain!"

A three-barreled gun protruded from the arrow slit of the village gate, and the garrison commander swept the tattered Big Dipper flag through the slit:

"An incision at 3:45 AM?"

Zhou Dingchang slammed the back of his knife against Chen Yaowa's spine. Chen Yaowa jolted awake and shouted in his hoarse voice:

"The Seven Stars Lantern Illuminate the Donghua Gate!"

"Chongqing garrison rebels and seizes the horse farm! General Sun is going to chop off their heads!"

The sound of a bolt being pulled open came from behind the gate, as if they had matched up. But the creaking sound stopped abruptly.

"Wait!"

The garrison commander suddenly poked half his face out from behind the arrow slit, his suspicions still lingering.

"Since you are General Sun's personal guard, do you know what kind of horse is tied up in the third pen on the west side of the horse farm?"

Zhou Dingchang's knife tip was already pressed against Chen Yaowa's back. With a slight exertion, the horse feeder cried out:

"A...a Wumeng Mountain earth dragon, a white-hoofed crow with a night-seeing eye on its left forehoof!"

The three-barreled gun with the arrow slit suddenly turned towards Chen Yaowa, and the captain pressed for more details:

"What feed did you give the white-hoofed crow last month?"

"Black beans mixed with Cnidium monnieri!"

Chen Yaowa, as if afraid of answering too slowly, proactively added,

"General Sun said... said that breeding is an aphrodisiac! I was the one who shoveled the horse manure!"

The torch was suddenly lowered, illuminating Zhou Dingchang's face as the garrison commander's arrow slit turned towards him:

"Since they were under General Sun's command, how many brothers were lost in the ambush the night before?"

"May your ancestors be ruined!"

Zhou Dingchang suddenly roared, reacting extremely quickly, and forcefully pushed the question back.

"That bastard Zhang Guangcai lost two thousand shi of grain at Jianmen Pass, and he has the nerve to ask me about our losses?"

The sound of armor plates clashing came from behind the arrow slit, as if someone was whispering urgently. Zhou Dingchang's palms, which were gripping the knife, were sweating.

A moment later, the overall tone changed abruptly:

"Since we're family, report the secret order given at midnight today!"

Out of the corner of his eye, Zhou Dingchang noticed that Chen Yaowa's crotch was wet and a foul odor was spreading. He knew that this man had reached his limit and could not be delayed any longer. He then stabbed Chen Yaowa in the waist with the scabbard of his embroidered spring knife.

Chen Yaowa cried out in pain:

"At midnight, the gong sounds; the warhorses of the western stable are moved across the eastern hill!"

The door creaked open again, the heavy wooden door opening a crack. More firelight and voices shone through the crack.

Just as the door was about to open slightly, the captain suddenly shouted:

"Wait a minute! Why is the Big Dipper flag you're carrying edged in blue?"

Wang Ermazi nearly broke the reins, his heart pounding in his chest, when he heard Zhou Dingchang burst into loud, confident laughter:

"Did a dog bite your eyeballs, you bastard? This is the blood of the righteous army stained with the blood of the Battle of Tongguan!"

Suddenly, he tore off the flag, crumpled it into a ball, and threw it at the arrow hole.

"Smell this blood!"

A series of low gasps and groping sounds came from behind the door.

Time seemed to freeze for a few moments, then a hoarse old soldier's voice cursed:

"Damn it, it's one of our own brothers! Open the door quickly! It's General Sun's old comrade!"