The Revolt of the Three Feudatories: All-in at the start in Beijing

Guihua City covers an area of ​​100 acres and can block the southward advance of the Mongolians in the northern desert. After Huang Taiji killed Ligdan Khan, it became a trading place for Shanxi merchants and the Jurchens.

After the Manchus unified southern Mongolia and the Central Plains, Guihua City became part of the interior, and a large number of merchants came to the grasslands to trade with the Mongols.

Now that Wu Sangui has rebelled, the Qing government has not been able to control the area properly, so the Shanxi merchants have started to trade wildly, exchanging tea, salt and iron for livestock and furs, especially warhorses, which are in short supply in the south!

This caused Guihua City, which was originally only guarded by the Tumed and three thousand men on both flanks, to become extremely crowded. Merchants even set up stalls outside the city, and the Mongol soldiers collecting taxes at the gate were almost too busy to keep up.

"Clang clang clang." The Mongol sentries on the watchtower, though without binoculars, could still see the overwhelming cavalry two miles away, and picked up their iron hammers to begin striking.

"Quickly, enemy attack! Close the city gates!"

These warnings alarmed the merchants outside the city, who ordered their servants to wrap up their goods and rush into the city.

But the gate is only so big.

They immediately blocked the city gate.

Rumble, rumble, rumble.

Two miles, and the warhorses can charge in a short time.

Subutai was at the forefront. When he was 200 meters away, he leaned back and drew his 120-pound Ottoman horsebow to its full draw.

At a distance of 180 paces, the arrow was launched, and a merchant who was still squeezing through the door was instantly pierced through the neck.

"Murder! Let me in!"

"We belong to the Fan family, who dares to stop us?"

"Don't push, don't push!"

That khaki-colored cavalry regiment must have numbered at least tens of thousands; if they couldn't enter the city, it would be utterly hopeless.

Shhhhhh.

Another barrage of arrows came down, fired from Ottoman horse bows at a distance of a hundred paces, fast and ruthless.

These were all purchased by Galdan with money from unscrupulous merchants in the Ottoman Empire. They were better than traditional composite recurve bows for mounted archery, making them very suitable for mounted raids and kiting.

At this moment, the Mongol soldiers on the city wall were suppressed by the overwhelming rain of arrows. Subutai led three hundred personal guards, all of whom dismounted and rushed towards the city gate, quickly breaking through it.

"We are the reincarnations of the Mongol Living Buddha, the subordinates of Galdan Taiji. If you know what's good for you, lay down your weapons and surrender!" Subutai knocked away an arrow and then tried to persuade the Mongols on the city wall to surrender.

Now, both southern and northern Mongolia believe in the Yellow Sect. Galdan, as a Living Buddha recognized by Tibetan lamas, holds a higher position in the hearts of these Mongols than the Eternal Heaven.

As for whether it's fake?

Could it be that the 30,000 cavalrymen outside the city were also fake?

Of the two commanders defending the city, one should have been shot dead, leaving only one commander who stopped the soldiers from shooting arrows and voluntarily laid down his weapon and walked down the city wall.

Whether it was a genuine surrender or a fear of the besieging army, Subutai only wanted to quickly take control of Guihua City.

After having the surrendered soldiers detained, he led his army eastward, aiming for the Ulanqab camp, which consisted of the other three banners of Ulanqab.

These three tribes range in size from as many as 10,000 to as few as 4,000 or 5,000. Once these tribes are wiped out, apart from the Khorchin and some Mongols in Liaodong, southern Mongolia will be Galdan's prey.

The most crucial point is that the beacon fire in Guihua City has already been lit, and Emperor Kangxi in Beijing will surely receive the news immediately, so a swift victory is imperative.

Just as the 30,000 cavalrymen left, Galdan arrived at Guihua City with 10,000 infantrymen, one man and two horses.

As soon as they arrived at the city gate, a burly Mongolian man, nearly thirty years old, with a scar on his left cheek, took the initiative to step forward and pay his respects.

"Agula pays respects to the Living Buddha Wensa!"

Galdan habitually touched his nose. He really hadn't expected that the identity of a Living Buddha would be so useful. He was quite curious to see Agula wearing a dark blue flag armor!

"You four tribes of Ulanqab, incorporated into the Manchu Plain Yellow Banner, surrendered to me so easily?"

Galdan's meaning was, "The Qing Dynasty has given you such good treatment, why surrender without a fight!"

Agula stood up upon hearing this, touching the scar on his face, his tone almost clenched through gritted teeth.

"I drew this scar myself. I, Agula, swear I will never join the banner; I will wait for our own Mongol Khan, and for the brothers under my command!"

After Agula finished speaking, at least five hundred Mongolians behind him stood up excitedly.

"We want our own Khan!"

"Yes, we want our own Great Khan!"

Galdan stepped forward and patted Agula on the shoulder, then glanced at the more than 500 Mongols. Almost all of them were battle-hardened soldiers, and they were definitely qualified to join the banner. He was absolutely not lying.

"Agula, the Great Khan of the Mongols, will be here soon. From now on, you will serve by my side!"

"Untie them and prepare some good food!"

With Agula as the commander-in-chief, Galdan quickly understood the situation in southern Mongolia, and all the elite Mongol troops near Beijing were transferred to the south by Emperor Kangxi.

Zhangjiakou was only guarded by three thousand Green Standard Army soldiers and a Bordered Yellow Banner of a Niru (a military unit), so the defenses were not very strict.

Just as Galdan was looking around Guihua City, his personal guards entered the governor's mansion. "Taiji, a merchant is requesting an audience. He claims to be from the Fan family of Shanxi!"

Galdan smiled upon hearing this.

It seems the Fan family has taken the bait.

Three months ago, when the army set off, Galdan sent his confidant ahead to tell him that after Wu Sangui rebelled in November, he would convey the news that Galdan's army was advancing eastward.

The Fan family, being a merchant family, always hedged their bets on two or three fronts. When Wu Sangui conquered Hunan the following year, they would start supplying him with warhorses again.

Therefore, Galdan was not afraid of the Fan family informing on him at all.

Soon a handsome man, nearing thirty and dressed in a qipao, entered the hall and bowed.

"I am Fan Li, the manager of the Fan family in Guihua City. The head of the family has already instructed that everything has been placed in the city, and we have even prepared a gift for you!"

Galdan needed tea, salt, grain, and gunpowder raw materials.

In preparation for this all-out attack on Beijing, in addition to 30,000 cavalry and 10,000 infantry, there were also 60,000 Dzungar herdsmen. They brought 200,000 Mongolian horses and supplies, and their speed was half a month slower than that of the regular army.

Sixty thousand people without cattle or sheep came to southern Mongolia. If they didn't have enough food, they wouldn't survive the winter.

"The Fan family is indeed very generous. Go back and tell your patriarch that my 100,000-strong army from the Dzungar Khanate will arrive by the end of next month. Just tell me what you want!"

Upon hearing that Galdan had an army of 100,000, Fan Li also showed a look of fear. He thought that Galdan had come to rob them, so that his Fan family could profit from the situation, just like at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

I never expected they came to rob my nest.

Perhaps the north will change hands again.

Thinking this through, Fan Liwei had no intention of staying any longer and clapped his hands towards the door. "Taiji, I hope you like this gift!"

A short while later, a pretty woman, about eighteen years old and dressed entirely in a black robe, was brought in.

The woman was also obedient. She took the initiative to face Galdan and performed the Mongolian chest-touching salute, which is to place the right hand on the chest, let the left hand hang naturally, and bend the waist slightly.

"Borjigin Uyun greets the Taiji!"

Damn it.

Upon hearing this, Galdan immediately stood up!