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

Chapter 1216 Mang Bai's Thoughts

Mang Bai's words made Sha Dingzhou uneasy. Was this Mang Bai's true attitude or a test? According to their previous communication, Mang Bai had designs on Yunnan's territory; otherwise, Tang Jiabin would not have set his sights on Myanmar.

But now that Mang Bai has said these words to him, could it be that he thinks Sha Dingzhou is no longer viable and is starting to back down? Yes! That must be the reason. Thinking of this, Tang Jiabin felt that he had seen through Mang Bai's thoughts.

“Your Majesty need not test your foreign ministers. The fact that they have come to Ava in person demonstrates their utmost sincerity. Although my lord has ceded Kunming and it seems that the Ming army has the upper hand, this is not the case. This is something my lord has done on purpose.”

"There's such a saying? Then tell me in detail?" Mang Bai asked with great interest.

Tang Jiabin did not refuse and immediately began to speak eloquently. He told Mang Bai that ceding Kunming was merely a tactical strategy by Sha Dingzhou. Although the Ming army's counterattack was quite strong, Sha Dingzhou still had the advantage in terms of actual strength between the two sides.

Moreover, Sha Dingzhou had always planned to find an opportunity to lure the Ming army into a full-scale attack, and then set up a battlefield to fight the Ming army in a decisive battle and win. In order to implement this tactic, Sha Dingzhou deliberately made a bold move, using Kunming as bait to lure the main force of the Ming army to advance. He first retreated south, and then waited for the Ming army to gather before launching a decisive battle to annihilate the main force of the Ming army in one battle and completely resolve the war in Yunnan.

At this point, Tang Jiabin even used a fist analogy, saying that the principle is the same as throwing a punch. To hurt someone, you must first pull your fist back before you can gather strength for an attack. Sha Dingzhou is now employing this strategy. As for abandoning Kunming, that's also a strategic move. To catch a big fish, you must first offer bait; otherwise, why would the Ming army fall for it?

It must be said that Tang Jiabin's silver tongue was somewhat useful, and his sophistry was so eloquent that it made perfect sense. It was as if Sha Dingzhou had everything under control in Yunnan, and that Mu Tianbo and the other Ming armies were nothing but chickens and dogs, and that they could be wiped out with a wave of his hand.

"What you're saying sounds good, but who knows if it's true? Since you're so confident in taking Yunnan, why bother asking me for help?" Mang Bai asked with a smile.

“Your Majesty is mistaken!” Tang Jiabin said, “When we first started this uprising, my lord made a promise with you. How could he break his promise and abandon you now that the situation is so favorable? In this world, whether it is doing things or being a person, it all comes down to ‘trust’. My lord is a man of trust, and he will naturally not go back on his word. Therefore, inviting you to advance eastward and share Yunnan is also in keeping with our previous promise.”

“Yunnan will be divided…” Mang Bai shook his head and said, “If our country sends troops to Yunnan, we may be able to occupy western Yunnan, but we will also anger the Great Ming Dynasty. What if the Great Ming Dynasty holds us accountable afterward, or even sends troops to attack us?”

"Your Majesty need not worry about this matter. Your Majesty has entered Yunnan and occupied western Yunnan. My lord is in eastern Yunnan and will naturally stand in front of Your Majesty. If the court attacks, it will attack my lord first. As long as my lord is there, Your Majesty will naturally be safe and sound. The court's army cannot fall from the sky and bypass eastern Yunnan to attack western Yunnan directly, can it?"

"Furthermore, my lord has a strong army and deep roots in the region, commanding hundreds of thousands of troops. It won't be easy for the court to take him down. Has Your Majesty not heard of what happened in Bozhou back then? Moreover, my lord is far superior to the Yang family. It will be extremely difficult for the court to suppress him. Besides, my lord is not without other options. He only needs to find an opportunity to submit to the court and express his willingness to guard Yunnan for the court. The court's attitude will be another matter. Once the court goes along with it and agrees to let my lord replace the Mu family to guard Yunnan, wouldn't the overall situation be settled? At that time, Your Majesty will have nothing to worry about when you occupy western Yunnan."

“This…” Mang Bai pondered for a moment, then smiled and didn’t dwell on the topic. Instead, he asked about the specific situation in Shading Prefecture.

In response, Tang Jiabin boasted to Mang Bai, praising Sha Dingzhou as an unparalleled hero, a once-in-a-millennium figure. He also exaggerated Sha Dingzhou's strength and army, and went on to say many other things, the truth of which was hard to discern. It all sounded plausible, and some of the ministers who accompanied Mang Bai to meet Tang Jiabin showed some interest. However, just as one of them was about to say something, he was stopped by Mang Bai's gaze.

At the Burmese royal palace, Tang Jiabin stayed for more than an hour, and after much persuasion, he finally managed to get Mang Bai to show signs of being interested. However, Mang Bai did not express his opinion on the spot. He simply told Tang Jiabin that this matter was too big and he needed to consider it. In addition, he needed to see his elder brother, the king, before he could make a decision. After all, Mang Da was the king of Burma. He could only give Tang Jiabin a final answer in a couple of days.

Seeing this, Tang Jiabin was at a loss, and he also knew that he couldn't be too eager to urge them, otherwise it would backfire. So Tang Jiabin suppressed his anxiety, appeared calm and collected, nodded and smiled in agreement, then bowed to Mang Bai again and left the palace.

"Your Majesty! I believe this matter is worthwhile!" No sooner had Tang Jiabin left than a minister eagerly suggested, "If our country advances eastward and occupies western Yunnan, it will greatly benefit Burma! Not only can we take advantage of the situation to advance eastward, but we can also plan to move northward in the future. Moreover, the land of the Ming Dynasty is rich and prosperous, far surpassing that of Burma. Once we take western Yunnan, our national strength will surely increase significantly. At that time, we will have the opportunity to either move northward or eastward to annex Shading Prefecture. If this matter can be accomplished, our dynasty will surely prosper greatly. At that time, we can unify the south and central regions to the south, and contend for the Central Plains to the north, thus achieving unparalleled feats!"

"Contending for the Central Plains? Hah, you really think the Ming Dynasty is a pushover?" Another minister laughed and shook his head. "That's incredibly arrogant. The Ming Dynasty is far stronger than Burma can match. To expect such a thing just by taking over western Yunnan is simply wishful thinking. But then again, if Your Majesty were to advance eastward and take over western Yunnan, it would be an opportunity. Even if we ultimately cede it under Ming pressure, so what? As long as we have western Yunnan, our dynasty can reap great benefits over the next few years. We can use western Yunnan to accumulate strength for our dynasty, and in the future, we will have substantial capital to revive our dynasty. Moreover, Sha Dingzhou is the first to bear the brunt in eastern Yunnan. With him blocking the way, Burma has room to maneuver and make preparations calmly. We don't need to worry about the Ming Dynasty attacking us directly." “I think it’s best to be cautious.” Another older minister frowned and said, “The news from the Ming Dynasty says that the situation in Shading Prefecture is not good, and it is not what Tang Jiabin said earlier. I think Tang Jiabin’s words are exaggerated, and Your Majesty should be careful. But then again, if it really succeeds, taking over western Yunnan would indeed be a good thing, but the scary thing is…”

At this point, he shook his head, looking worried.

The crowd started discussing the matter, and most people were inclined to send troops to Yunnan, taking advantage of the internal turmoil in Yunnan to occupy western Yunnan and thus turn western Yunnan into Burmese territory.

Watching the crowd argue, Mang Bai remained silent, simply sitting there with a smile, as if it had nothing to do with him.

After a while, everyone remembered that the final decision still rested with Mang Bai, and they hurriedly asked him what he thought.

Mang Bai pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "A few days ago, news came from the south that an envoy from the Ming Dynasty had arrived in Shalian and was heading north to see His Majesty. Where is he now?"

"Your Majesty, judging by the time it takes, we are already halfway there. We should arrive in a few more days," a minister replied.

Mang Bai nodded and said to everyone, "The matter in western Yunnan is not urgent for now. We can wait until the Ming envoy arrives before discussing it further. After the Ming envoy arrives, invite the envoy to the palace. Oh, and let Tang Jiabin come as well. What do you think the scene will be like when the two sides meet in my Burmese palace? What will happen?"

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances, unsure how to respond. It was a thin minister who was the first to react. He slapped his forehead in sudden realization and exclaimed to Mang Bai with immense admiration, "Your Majesty, this plan is brilliant! Brilliant indeed!"

"High? High in what way?" Before the others could react, the minister smiled and explained to them.

Mang Bai deliberately invited the Ming envoy and the envoy from Shading Prefecture to the palace together. When they met, they were sure to have a heated debate and expose each other's secrets. In this way, all the information about Yunnan would be clear, and they wouldn't need to guess what was true and what was false. Someone would naturally help them figure it out.

Moreover, whether it was an envoy from the Ming Dynasty or an envoy from Shading Prefecture, their purpose in coming here was simply to win over Burma. This demonstrates the immense influence Burma wields in the Ming Dynasty's Yunnan affairs. In other words, Burma's current stance significantly increases the chances of that side winning, highlighting its crucial importance.

Given this, why doesn't Myanmar play both sides and strive for more benefits for itself? Taking over western Yunnan would be ideal if it had the opportunity, but the consequences of occupying western Yunnan would be severe and the risks would be high. It might end up losing more than it gains. It would be better to assess the situation and go with the flow.

Even so, Myanmar can take advantage of the current situation to offer a series of conditions and gain some benefits from them. Therefore, doing so is the most advantageous option for Myanmar and can also avoid Myanmar's decision-making mistakes that could lead to a crisis. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?
Once everyone realized what was happening, they all agreed with Mang Bai's decision and rushed to flatter him, praising him as an unparalleled genius who could come up with such a brilliant idea.

"That's a brilliant move! That's ingenious!" Everyone was filled with admiration. In this way, Myanmar would be in an invincible position and could even use the other side's contradictions to gain greater benefits for itself. What could be more appropriate than doing this?
After meeting Tang Jiabin once at the palace, Mang Bai did not see him again for the time being. Tang Jiabin returned to his villa and felt as if each day was an eternity, growing increasingly anxious with each passing day. He had no idea what Mang Bai was thinking, or whether Burma would ultimately be willing to send troops. If Burma did not send troops and abandoned Shading Prefecture, then the fall of Shading Prefecture was only a matter of time. Once Shading Prefecture was destroyed, he feared that the Xiao Wan family he had left in Yunnan would also be lost, and he himself would be unable to return to the Ming Dynasty, destined to remain in Burma as a homeless dog.

Thinking of this, Tang Jiabin felt a pang of sadness, yet he was unwilling to accept this fate. No matter how small the chance, he had to try. So he waited, and on the fourth day, news finally came from the palace, summoning Tang Jiabin to enter the palace again.

(End of this chapter)