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

Chapter 1219 Public Intimidation
At first, Mang Bai was indeed furious, especially when his guards arrived and surrounded Zhang Xianzhong, who did not offer any resistance. Mang Bai wished he could order Zhang Xianzhong to be chopped into mincemeat.

You should know that he had set up a good show today, the purpose of which was to make Zhang Xianzhong and Tang Jiabin have a debate in front of everyone. Of course, the so-called debate was fake. His real purpose was to gain more benefits from the conflict between the two sides.

It doesn't matter who wins or loses the debate; what matters is how to gain the greatest benefit for oneself. Mang Bai arranged this whole thing with that in mind. But he never expected that, despite everything being arranged perfectly, things would take a completely unexpected turn that left everyone dumbfounded.

Outsiders were not allowed to bring weapons into the palace, not even Zhang Xianzhong. Therefore, both Zhang Xianzhong and Tang Jiabin entered the palace empty-handed, without any weapons. But who could have imagined that upon entering, Zhang Xianzhong first confirmed Tang Jiabin's identity, then, without a word, seized the guard's golden mace with his bare hands while everyone was off guard, and then, with overwhelming force, smashed Tang Jiabin to death in front of everyone?

It all happened so fast. From the moment Zhang Xianzhong made his move to the moment the dust settled, only a few breaths had passed. Not only did Mang Bai and the ministers not have time to react, but even the other guards in the hall didn't have time to react. By the time everyone came to their senses, Tang Jiabin was already a corpse, while Zhang Xianzhong, who had done all this, showed no fear whatsoever. Instead, he smiled and acted nonchalantly, simply throwing away his golden mace and standing there to be dealt with.

Looking at Tang Jiabin's corpse, Mang Bai was filled with shock and fear. He was shocked because he never expected Zhang Xianzhong to do such a thing, and he was afraid because if Zhang Xianzhong had aimed his hammer at him instead of Tang Jiabin, he would probably be the one lying on the ground now. Having walked on the edge of life and death so close, how could Mang Bai not be afraid?

In his initial shock, Mang Bai was consumed by rage. The Ming envoy had killed Tang Jiabin right before his eyes—wasn't that a slap in the face? Although Mang Bai wasn't yet the King of Burma, his power was practically indistinguishable from that of a king. How could a monarch be threatened like this within the palace? If word got out, how could he possibly save face?
In an instant, a murderous intent surged within Mang Bai, and he almost ordered Zhang Xianzhong's execution. But when Zhang Xianzhong uttered those words, it was like a bucket of cold water being poured over the top of Mang Bai's head, instantly sobering him up.

Zhang Xianzhong was right. He was an envoy of the Ming Dynasty, and also a dignified Earl of Dingbian and General of the Cavalry. Leaving aside his military status, the Earl of Dingbian was an earl of the Ming Dynasty. As a vassal of the Ming Dynasty, Mang Bai knew all too well how noble his status was.

In terms of status and position, Zhang Xianzhong was not only no less than Mang Bai, but even superior, and could even be considered an equal to King Mang Da. Moreover, today's arrangement was originally intended to profit from the conflict between Sha Dingzhou and the Ming Dynasty, but unexpectedly, Zhang Xianzhong's ruthless actions thwarted his plan. Now that Tang Jiabin is dead, Sha Dingzhou has been directly offended, and cooperation between the two sides is no longer possible. In addition, without Sha Dingzhou's envoy, Mang Bai has no channel to explain to Sha Dingzhou, let alone join forces to divide up Yunnan.

On the contrary, if the Ming envoy were to be killed now, wouldn't that offend not only Sha Dingzhou but also the Ming Dynasty, which is far more powerful than Sha Dingzhou? How could Mang Bai, who controls the government, be a brainless person? He carefully considered the implications and understood the situation. Therefore, it was absolutely impossible to kill Zhang Xianzhong. Not only could he not be killed, but now that Tang Jiabin was dead, it was impossible to cooperate with Sha Dingzhou anymore. The only remaining path for Burma was to surrender to the Ming Dynasty.

Not only did Mang Bai understand this principle, but the other ministers who had come to their senses also gradually realized it. They all looked at Mang Bai and kept giving him meaningful glances, telling him that he must not, under any circumstances, lay a hand on the Ming Dynasty's envoy! If he did, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"Step back!" After figuring it out, Mang Bai felt as uncomfortable as if he had swallowed a fly, but now he had no time to think about anything else, so he immediately shouted at the guards surrounding Zhang Xianzhong.

The guards were stunned when they heard the order, and for a moment they could not believe their ears. It wasn't until Mang Bai shouted again and waved his hand to signal them to all retreat that they released the encirclement of Zhang Xianzhong and retreated. Four of them even retreated to Mang Bai's sides, protecting him with extreme vigilance, for fear that Zhang Xianzhong might suddenly attack Mang Bai.

"Get out of the way..." Mang Bai waved them away, telling them not to get so close. Mang Bai was a smart man; he knew Zhang Xianzhong had a purpose in killing Tang Jiabin, but he would never kill him. This Ming envoy, though arrogant, rude, and even audacious, was definitely not brainless; otherwise, why would the Ming Dynasty send such a person to Burma as an envoy?

It's pointless to guard against them now. Since Tang Jiabin is dead, Burma only has one option: to side with the Ming Dynasty. Their previous plans have completely failed, and Mang Bai no longer needs to scheme.

Once the guards around him were a little further away, Mang Bai gave Zhang Xianzhong a forced smile: "What the angel said earlier is right, such traitors deserve to die! Actually, I didn't need the angel to do it; I had wanted to do it for a long time. However, I didn't expect the angel to be so decisive, which really surprised me!"

"What's so surprising?" Zhang Xianzhong said casually, "You're so slow at killing people, isn't that like a woman? Just kill these traitors, why make such a fuss?" Mang Bai was taken aback by these words, but his expression remained unchanged as he continued to laugh, "I was just considering what intelligence Sha Dingzhou might have, or perhaps some other scheme. I originally planned to get information out of them..."

“There’s no need for that!” Zhang Xianzhong waved his hand and said, “What schemes could a mere chicken or dog possibly have? What intelligence could it possibly possess? Once my Great Ming army arrives, Sha Dingzhou will surely be annihilated. What’s the point of keeping this guy alive? It’s much more satisfying to kill him.”

"Yes, yes, yes, this was my oversight. Your Excellency acted decisively, and I should thank you." Mang Bai nodded in agreement, then looked at Zhang Xianzhong and asked hesitantly, "Would Your Excellency like to go and change your clothes? This blood is not good for your appearance."

"No need for such trouble. It's just flesh and blood, what's the big deal?" Zhang Xianzhong reached out and wiped his face. It would have been better if he hadn't wiped it, because as soon as he did, the bloodstains on his face were wiped away, and his originally sallow face instantly turned bright red. Coupled with the brain matter and other substances smeared on it, it was a horrifying sight.

That wasn't all. After wiping his face, Zhang Xianzhong looked at the residue on his fingers, flicked them outwards, and sent several pieces of flesh flying far away, as if he hadn't had enough. This not only frightened everyone who saw it, but also disgusted them to the extreme. One minister couldn't help but vomit on the spot, and several other ministers couldn't help but vomit as well. The pungent smell instantly filled the hall.

Zhang Xianzhong looked at them with disdain and shook his head, saying, "Back when I was fighting, I killed thousands, if not tens of thousands. What is this mere blood? When I got into the heat of battle, it was common for me to rip out human hearts, chew them up, and eat them. You guys are so afraid of a dead body? It's really..."

Looking at him like this, Mang Bai cursed inwardly. Could this guy be a born killer? He has killed countless people and even eats human hearts? No matter what, the Ming Dynasty is still a celestial empire. Even if they didn't send a civil official to Burma, they could have sent someone who is well-mannered and knows etiquette. Why did they send such a nobleman?
Moreover, judging from Zhang Xianzhong's demeanor, it seemed he wasn't lying. Perhaps this guy really had tasted human hearts. It was truly unlucky for such an envoy to come to Burma. If he had known the other party was this kind of person, he shouldn't have let Tang Jiabin meet with him today. If Tang Jiabin hadn't died, Mang Bai could have used both sides to gain benefits for himself. But now that Tang Jiabin had been killed, all his plans had come to nothing.

Mang Bai was not clear about Zhang Xianzhong's background. Although Zhang Xianzhong was a rebel leader who was once almost equal to Gao Yingxiang and was "famous" in the Ming Dynasty, how could a remote vassal state like Burma know anything about the affairs of the Ming Dynasty? Not to mention Zhang Xianzhong's specific situation.

Zhang Xianzhong wasn't deliberately trying to scare Mang Bai or boasting; what he said was indeed true. Back when he was a rebel leader, Zhang Xianzhong had killed countless people, and he had done other things as well. However, in recent years, as a member of the Ming Dynasty's nobility, he had become much more low-key and different from before. But this time in Burma, Zhang Xianzhong's actions were deliberate. Despite his humble origins, Zhang Xianzhong was quite shrewd, and his actions were often unconventional and unexpected, like his sudden killing of Tang Jiabin in the main hall today—this was something Zhang Xianzhong had planned beforehand.

Zhang Xianzhong knew perfectly well that he might not be able to out-argue Tang Jiabin with mere words, and he also understood Mang Bai and his group's intentions: to use the conflict between the two sides to benefit Burma. No matter how Zhang Xianzhong and Tang Jiabin debated, Mang Bai would ultimately be the one to profit. If that were the outcome, even if they succeeded in their mission and prevented Burma from sending troops, the imperial court would certainly have to pay a price to Burma, which Zhang Xianzhong considered a losing proposition.

It is absolutely unacceptable for a mere vassal state to harbor ambitions of becoming the suzerain state. If this were to happen, Zhang Xianzhong's boast before the emperor would have been in vain, and even if he had accomplished his mission, he would not have achieved complete success, which would be a regrettable outcome.

Therefore, after understanding all this, Zhang Xianzhong decided to launch a surprise attack and directly solve the biggest problem by force: to kill Tang Jiabin with a single blow. Once Tang Jiabin was dead, Mang Bai would lose his bargaining chip, and Mang Bai would most likely not dare to attack him, because he represented the Ming Dynasty. If he were killed, the Ming Dynasty would definitely take action against Burma, unless Mang Bai dared to take that huge risk.

As long as no one dares to lay a hand on him, Mang Bai will have no choice but to submit to the Ming Dynasty after Tang Jiabin's death and do what the Ming Dynasty tells him. In this way, he can complete his mission smoothly and also take this opportunity to warn Burma, so that they know their own status and not to have any improper thoughts.

From the current perspective, everything is within Zhang Xianzhong's expectations. As Mang Bai's attitude softens, Zhang Xianzhong is even more reassured, and his words become increasingly arrogant. This attitude, in turn, makes Mang Bai and the Burmese officials completely submit.

(End of this chapter)