Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 1199 Persuading to Leave
Sha Dingzhou's military force is strong and they have so many firearms. It seems that they are determined to kill me.

Mu Tianbo thought so in his heart, but he also knew that as long as he was alive, Sha Dingzhou would be uneasy. Although Sha Dingzhou had taken Kunming and occupied Wuding, including the entire eastern Yunnan area, Yunnan was not only the Yunnan of the Ming Dynasty, but also the Yunnan of the Mu family. As long as Mu Tianbo was there, Sha Dingzhou would never become the master of Yunnan.

If Sha Dingzhou wants to completely control Yunnan, Mu Tianbo's problem must be solved. As long as Mu Tianbo can be killed, Yunnan will basically fall into Sha Dingzhou's hands. As long as Mu Tianbo is alive, Sha Dingzhou will not be able to completely suppress the local area and control the entire Yunnan. Both Mu Tianbo and Sha Dingzhou know this.

“Haha, Sha Dingzhou has such a big appetite. He wants to capture Chuxiong and me with only 20,000 soldiers?” Mu Tianbo sneered, “I am not made of clay. I was caught off guard by him in Kunming before, but now I am in Chuxiong. I have your help and the soldiers in the city. I want to see how powerful Sha Dingzhou is!”

Mu Tianbo's expression was ferocious, and his eyes were red. His subordinates died, his old mother and wife also died, and even he himself was driven out of Kunming by Sha Dingzhou, like a dog that had lost its home. How could he not avenge such a great hatred? Sha Dingzhou had a lot of troops, but Chuxiong also had soldiers, plus the three thousand soldiers he brought with him, if Sha Dingzhou came to attack, Chuxiong would not have a problem relying on the city to defend. Mu Tianbo decided to lead the army in person to meet Sha Dingzhou here.

"I think it is inconvenient for you to stay in Chuxiong." At this time, Yang Weizhi spoke.

Mu Tianbo was stunned and frowned: "What does Lord Yang mean? Could it be that Lord Yang thinks that I am no match for Sha Dingzhou?"

"Don't misunderstand me, my lord. That's not what I meant." Yang Weizhi said seriously, "My lord is the Duke of Qian, and he ruled Yunnan for generations. How can Shadingzhou compare with you? With your ability, Shadingzhou is nothing but a piece of shit."

Seeing that Mu Tianbo's face had improved slightly, Yang Weizhi continued, "But the present is different from the past. If you are in Kunming, even if Sha Dingzhou is causing chaos in the local area, it will only be a minor problem. You will naturally be able to plan and eliminate his subordinates! But now Sha Dingzhou has mutinied in Kunming, and the entire eastern Yunnan has fallen into his hands. His power is already established. Moreover, his troops are numerous and strong. You are currently hunting in Chuxiong in the west, and you do not have enough troops. It is also difficult to mobilize troops from various places. As for the court, it is even more difficult to help. Under this circumstance, it is not so easy to defeat Sha Dingzhou in Chuxiong and recover Kunming."

"What on earth do you mean by saying this, Lord Yang?" Mu Tianbo looked unhappy. Although he admitted that what Yang Weizhi said was true, wouldn't it be like slapping him in the face to say these words at this time? He, the Duke of Qian, was driven here in a miserable state. Not only did he lose Kunming, but even his family was killed. Could it be that Yang Weizhi was taking advantage of his misfortune and making fun of him?
Yang Weizhi didn't care about Mu Tianbo's expression and continued, "I think the current situation is not optimistic. Although Chuxiong is a local prefecture, it is not a real strong city compared to other important cities in the Ming Dynasty. Now Sha Dingzhou is leading a large army to attack, and they are carrying a large number of firearms. Although Chuxiong has troops stationed, it is still unclear whether it can be defended."

"I am an official appointed by the court and the deputy envoy of Yunnan. It is natural for me to be loyal to the emperor and defend the country. If Shadingzhou attacks, I will definitely lead the soldiers and civilians of the city to resist the enemy and prevent them from advancing further. However, I think you don't need to take the risk of staying in Chuxiong with me. Your status is noble. The Qianguo Mansion has had a great influence in Yunnan for more than 200 years. Your presence is like a magic needle that can stabilize the overall situation. You don't need to take this risk. I think you should continue to travel west and temporarily retreat to Dali and Yongchang."

"What do you mean by saying this? Do you think I am a coward who is afraid of death?" Mu Tianbo said unhappily.

"How can you be such a person, sir?" Yang Weizhi said seriously, "I made this arrangement not only for your safety, but also for the overall situation of Yunnan! Now Sha Dingzhou wants to get rid of you as soon as possible, because Sha Dingzhou knows how important you are. As long as you are here, Sha Dingzhou will not be able to control the entire Yunnan, and will not be able to sleep or eat well."

"Besides, Yunnan is now in chaos because Kunming was destroyed. Although the court has issued an urgent report, the journey is long. Even if the court sends reinforcements, it will take several months. During this period, the affairs of Yunnan can only be entrusted to you. As long as you are safe, Yunnan will not fall into the hands of Sha Dingzhou. And as long as you are here, you can issue orders to the chieftains in Yunnan in the name of the Duke of Qian to contain Sha Dingzhou's troops and make them afraid to act rashly. Once you put yourself in danger and something happens in Chuxiong, the affairs of Yunnan will really be out of control."

"Yes, sir, Lord Yang is right. Isn't there a saying that a gentleman does not stand under a dangerous wall? With you, sir, we have a backbone, and the various tribes in Yunnan will not all surrender to a villain like Sha Dingzhou. I think Lord Yang's suggestion is correct. Please don't put yourself in danger, but go west to Dali or Yongchang for resettlement, and then make plans, send orders to all parties, reorganize the military, and defeat the bandits again!" Long Zaitian dissuaded him, and Lu Yongming also tried to persuade him. Not only them, but even several other officials who accompanied them expressed the same idea, and advised Mu Tianbo to leave Chuxiong as soon as possible and go to Dali, or even retreat to Yongchang.

Everyone had the same idea, and they all thought that the most important thing for Mu Tianbo now was not to lead the army and fight a decisive battle with Sha Dingzhou in Chuxiong. After Sha Dingzhou took Kunming, his strength increased greatly, and he was in the limelight. Moreover, the army under Sha Dingzhou was stronger than the army of Chuxiong in terms of equipment and combat effectiveness. Although Chuxiong had about 10,000 troops, only a few thousand people under Long Zaitian and Lu Yongming could really fight, and the rest were local guards. These soldiers were no match for Sha Dingzhou in field battles, and they were only so-so in garrisoning in cities.

The same is true for the 3,000 Wuding soldiers that Mu Tianbo brought with him. They are all second-line troops and are no match for Sha Dingzhou in a head-on battle. If all these troops were placed in Chuxiong and Mu Tianbo personally defended the city and fought head-on with the enemy, Yang Weizhi would have little chance of winning.

Just as Yang Weizhi said, although Chuxiong is a provincial capital, it cannot compare with the important towns in the Central Plains and the Nine Borders of the Ming Dynasty. Now Sha Dingzhou has obtained a large number of firearms from Kunming, including many cannons. Under the attack of these firearms, once Chuxiong is captured by the other side, everyone will be in desperate situation.

It would be fine if Yang Weizhi died in battle. He was only the deputy envoy of Yunnan, and his position was not high. He would get what he wanted if he died in battle for his country. But Mu Tianbo must not die in Chuxiong. If he died here, Yunnan would be completely hopeless. Once Mu Tianbo died, those local chieftains and some officials who were watching would be terrified and might even submit to Sha Dingzhou. By this time, Sha Dingzhou would have no problem taking over the whole of Yunnan and becoming the true ruler of Yunnan.

Yang Weizhi was very clear-headed. He knew that no matter what, the most important thing was to save Mu Tianbo. As long as Mu Tianbo was alive, the Duke of Qian's Mansion would be there, and he could continue to command and mobilize the various tribes in Yunnan in the name of the Duke of Qian and the General of the Southern Expedition. Even if some of them had already surrendered to Sha Dingzhou, there were still many people who were loyal to the Ming Dynasty.

Coupled with the influence of the Duke of Qian in Yunnan, Sha Dingzhou will not be able to occupy the entire Yunnan in a short time. As long as Yunnan continues to resist and Mu Tianbo is still alive, and the imperial army can wait for the rescue, the situation in Yunnan will have a chance to turn around.

Facing the dissuasion of the crowd, Mu Tianbo was also hesitant. In his heart, he wanted to stay in Chuxiong and fight a big battle with Sha Dingzhou. It would be best if he could defeat Sha Dingzhou in Chuxiong, then march eastward, recapture Kunming, and finally capture Sha Dingzhou to avenge his hatred.

But reason also told Mu Tianbo that Yang Weizhi's suggestion was right. Even if he stayed in Chuxiong, with the current strength and actual situation of Chuxiong, he could not defeat the enemy, and he might not even be able to save Chuxiong. If Chuxiong was conquered by Shadingzhou, he would probably die in this battle. It would be fine if he died, but the key point was that if he died, how would he avenge this blood feud? Not to mention that the reputation of the Duke of Qian for more than 200 years would be destroyed in an instant. How could he face his ancestors down there?
After hesitating for a long time, and with the earnest persuasion of Yang Weizhi and others, Mu Tianbo finally sighed, agreed to Yang Weizhi's request, left Chuxiong and continued to retreat westward to Dali.

Seeing that Mu Tianbo finally agreed, Yang Weizhi was relieved. Although his reasons for dissuading him were legitimate, he also thought so in his heart, believing that as long as Mu Tianbo was alive, the situation in Yunnan would not develop in the worst direction. Once Mu Tianbo died, the entire Yunnan would completely collapse.

In addition, Yang Weizhi had decided to personally lead his army to Chuxiong to resist Sha Dingzhou's attack, and he did not want Mu Tianbo to stay here at this time. After all, Mu Tianbo was the Duke of Qian, the General of the Southern Expedition of the Ming Dynasty, and the highest military commander in Yunnan in name. As the deputy envoy of Yunnan, Yang Weizhi's official position and rank were far inferior to Mu Tianbo. Once Mu Tianbo made inappropriate moves in Chuxiong because of hatred, it would inevitably affect the defensive battle he had prepared long ago, and would also cause unnecessary trouble on the battlefield.

Therefore, persuading Mu Tianbo to leave was not only for Mu Tianbo's safety, but also for the war that was about to break out.

Just like that, Mu Tianbo left Chuxiong the second day after he arrived there. Yang Weizhi asked Mu Tianbo to take the 3,000 troops he brought from Wuding to accompany Mu Tianbo on his journey west. At the same time, he also incorporated some of the people, the elderly and the weak in Chuxiong into the team and let Mu Tianbo take them away.

After Mu Tianbo and others left, Yang Weizhi withdrew his gaze from the distance, and gave orders to his subordinates with a firm look. The entire Chuxiong immediately moved, and all units were in good order and ready to face the upcoming battle.

(End of this chapter)