Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 391 The General is absolutely right! The Ming Dynasty Court: the key to compensation!

Upon hearing this, Ramaputra II initially looked bewildered, but then his eyes sparkled with starlight-like surprise and curiosity.

He truly hadn't expected that this seemingly rough and unrestrained Ming general could utter such philosophical words.

Of course, Ramaputra II had no idea what these words actually meant.

Ayutthaya is known as the "Buddhist Kingdom on Earth." As a member of the royal family, he devoted himself to studying Buddhist scriptures from a young age.

He was thoroughly familiar with the knowledge in Buddhist scriptures.

However, Ayutthaya venerates and practices Theravada Buddhism.

This is what people often refer to as Theravada Buddhism, or Southern Buddhism.

This is quite different from the Mahayana Buddhism prevalent in the Central Plains, especially the Zen school, which favors witty and philosophical discussions.

Moreover, what Zhu Shou said was not a witty remark from Zen Buddhism, but rather profound knowledge from Taoist classics.

During this period, with the formation of an alliance between the Ming Dynasty and Siam, a wave of enthusiasm for learning Ming culture swept through Siam.

As a king striving for "wisdom," Ramaputri II naturally joined in, not wanting to fall behind.

His palace was already filled with various Confucian classics carefully collected from all over the country, as well as gifts specially presented to him by the Ming Dynasty delegation.

The number of Taoist classics is also considerable.

Unfortunately, the time I have spent studying this subject is still short, and I haven't had time to delve into many areas of knowledge.

Therefore, Ramaputra II felt that Zhu Shou's words were full of philosophical meaning, but he did not understand their significance.

As expected of "civilized people" from the Ming Dynasty!

Even a seemingly "rough" military general could utter such exquisite words.

They were a thousand times, ten thousand times stronger than the military commanders of Siam.

In that instant, the Siamese king's admiration and longing for the Ming Dynasty suddenly intensified.

Those Ming Dynasty officials kept claiming that they had been taught by sages and were incomparable to the barbarians overseas.

These words were quite jarring to hear, and made the King of Siam feel rather uncomfortable.

But upon closer examination, it does seem to make some sense.

Siam should indeed learn more from their "words of the sages," and perhaps in the future they can become as "civilized" and "wise" as the Ming Dynasty.

Rama Bodhi II was already secretly planning that the effort to learn from the culture of the Ming Dynasty must be further intensified.

The Siamese court must make every effort to promote this initiative, not only encouraging nobles and officials to participate, but also involving ordinary people in studying the culture and knowledge of the Ming Dynasty.

Especially those "words of sages" that contain wisdom.

Officials who are stubborn and cling to outdated and corrupt Siamese history and culture, and who deliberately obstruct the process of learning from the Ming Dynasty culture, must be severely punished without exception.

Of course, Ramaputra II would never admit that he only had a superficial understanding of Zhu Shou's words.

In his view, if he admitted that he did not understand, wouldn't that make him, as the king, appear ignorant and foolish?
If he is not even as good as a military general of the Ming Dynasty, then where is his dignity and prestige as the King of Siam?

This is something he absolutely cannot tolerate.

Ramaputra II then composed himself and pretended to be deep in thought.

After a moment, he nodded repeatedly and said loudly, "What the General said is absolutely right, and it is exactly what I thought!"

Zhu Shou slowly turned around, his gaze sharp and intense as he looked intently at Rama Bodhi II.

His lips curled up slightly uncontrollably, but he quickly suppressed it. He put his hands behind his back, stood proudly against the whistling wind, and struck a pose that was unfathomable and otherworldly.

In fact, he had just humbly consulted the scholars in the accompanying diplomatic corps, just to show off his knowledge in front of the King of Siam and make a good impression.

Although Zhu Shou knew a little about writing, he was ultimately just a rough man who hadn't read many books.

He himself was completely baffled by the deeper meaning of what he had just said.

These days, Zhu Shou saw that his entourage was making every effort to spread the culture of the Ming Dynasty and successfully establish a civilized and cultured image in the hearts of the Siamese people, which made him somewhat anxious.

As the Marquis of Zhulu of the Ming Dynasty, a high-ranking military minister, and the supreme commander of the Ming expeditionary force, he could not allow the Siamese to regard him as an uncultured brute, thereby belittling him and, consequently, the entire Ming Dynasty.

After much deliberation, Zhu Shoucai finally decided to seek advice from a scholar, who imparted to him a few profound and enigmatic sayings that no one else could understand.

He seized the opportunity to "show off" in front of the King of Siam.

Judging from Ramaputra's expression and demeanor at this moment, the "performance" was remarkably effective.

As expected, barbarians are barbarians after all.

How could they possibly grasp the essence of the profound Central Plains culture?
He pretended to know everything even though he clearly didn't, which made Zhu Shou want to laugh out loud.

But at this moment he was playing the role of a "master", so he could only suppress his laughter and hide his pride in his heart, while still putting on a mysterious and unfathomable appearance on the surface.

In fact, Zhu Shou had already carefully considered and planned why he did not send troops immediately.

These barbarians are nothing but a group of uncivilized and ignorant fools. How could they possibly understand the true art of warfare?
The fighting strength of the Ming Dynasty's expeditionary force was naturally unparalleled and unstoppable.

However, this area is full of dense forests, with lush trees and rampant vegetation, forming a complex natural barrier.

The Ming army had been in Siam for some time, and the well-informed Pegu must have already learned of the Ming army's movements and was certainly aware of the strength of the Ming army.

Unless the general in charge of Pegu was a complete idiot, he would never repeat the mistake of Siam and rashly send a large army to engage in a direct "decisive battle" with the Ming army.

The wisest strategy would be to disperse the army, hide it in the forest, and take advantage of the terrain to attack from a distance with arrows or launch surprise attacks to constantly harass and raid the Ming and Siamese armies.

In particular, they attacked the army's logistical supply lines, such as food supplies, on which the army depended for survival!

Once the supply lines are cut off, the army will be unable to obtain the food and other supplies it needs, and the entire war will be doomed, with unimaginable consequences.

Truly experienced generals understand that war is fraught with danger and unpredictability; one should consider defeat before victory.

This is the fundamental principle of war, and a crucial consideration for life and death.

Zhu Shou, a veteran general who had led troops for many years, was extremely experienced in battle and was well-versed in this matter.

When formulating plans before the battle, he would never be careless or underestimate the enemy, nor would he imagine the enemy's commander as a fool without any strategy.

Instead, one should imagine the enemy's generals as the most astute and cunning opponents.

Every plan and every simulation is based on the premise of dealing with such a powerful enemy, and every war plan is carefully prepared.

Of course, when it comes to close combat on the battlefield, if the enemy shows a weakness or the enemy general makes a foolish move, Zhu Shou will seize the fleeting opportunity without hesitation and deliver a fatal blow to the enemy.

But before the battle began, he always kept a clear head and took his opponent very seriously, never daring to be the slightest bit careless.

Even a lion or tiger must exert its utmost effort to catch a rabbit, let alone when facing an unknown enemy. To ensure the uninterrupted logistical supply of the army after it penetrates deep into Bago, it is essential to stockpile a large amount of war supplies along the border between Siam and Bago in advance and make thorough preparations.

Therefore, Zhu Shoucai decisively ordered his troops to set up camp here. His purpose was clear: to wait for more food and other supplies to be continuously transported to the front line and to properly store them here.

In this way, the distance of the supply line will be greatly shortened.

Moreover, if the supply lines are unfortunately cut off after entering Bago territory, the army can quickly divide its forces to turn back and clear the area, or simply withdraw as quickly as possible to preserve its strength and wait for an opportunity.

In addition, there is a second crucial reason.

As a hostile country that had been at war with Siam for a long time, Zhu Shou firmly believed that Bago must have built its own vast and secretive intelligence network in Siam.

They must have been fully aware of the outcome of the battle between Siam and the Ming army, and they also knew why Siam had so quickly formed an alliance with the Ming Dynasty.

The formidable fighting power of the Ming expeditionary force has undoubtedly become a heavy psychological burden in the hearts of the Pegu court.

For this deterrent effect to spread widely and take root in people's hearts, time is essential.

The longer the time goes on and the wider the spread, the greater the pressure on them.

Moreover, Zhu Shou had only been leading his army to Siam for a short time when, thanks to his keen sense of smell and efficient action, he quickly made contact with the intelligence agents of the Ming Dynasty's intelligence agency, who had already been carefully deployed there.

The Military Intelligence Bureau, under the Military Affairs Department, was also busy.

They are like a group of skilled hunters hidden in the shadows, moving about everywhere.

Among the people and soldiers of Pegu, they cleverly used various means to spread the great propaganda of the Ming army's invincible might.

The Ming army's formidable reputation swept through Pegu like a storm.

If we can instill fear of the Ming army's power in everyone in Pegu, from high-ranking officials in the court to ordinary people in the city and soldiers in the army, and prevent them from easily engaging in war with the Ming army, then we can achieve the result of subduing the enemy without fighting.

Why not do something so efficient and effective?

At this time, Zhu Shou knew very little about the specific situation within the Pegu court.

One can only rely on the rich experience accumulated over many years of leading troops in battle to make judgments.

Previously, the Ming Dynasty's war against the three Jurchen tribes had provided him with valuable operational strategies.

In that battle, the three Jurchen tribes were overwhelmed by the might of the Ming army, and their morale was thrown into chaos.

In the end, it turned into a "welcome" for the Ming army.

Perhaps, like the three Jurchen tribes, the Pegu tribes would be terrified by the overwhelming power of the Ming army and choose to surrender!

In any case, it was already a given that the army would stop to wait for the food supplies to be delivered. Taking this opportunity to let the news spread fully and test the reaction of Pegu was just a side effect and would not affect the overall battle strategy.

Although the Ming army was experienced in many battles and was not afraid to confront Pegu head-on, Zhu Shou would have been eager to win without losing a single soldier or engaging in battle.

As Zhu Shou pondered this, his gaze slowly fell upon the lush, verdant forest.

He did not continue to mention the war, but changed the subject, revealing a meaningful smile on his face, and said, "Your Siam is rich in pepper and sappanwood, which are precious resources that my Great Ming Dynasty needs very much."

"If you are willing to sign a long-term trade contract with my Ming Dynasty company, you can use these local specialties as collateral to apply for a loan from the Ming Dynasty Bank."

"Firstly, this loan can be used to compensate for the military expenses of our army's expedition."

"Secondly, it can also provide essential financial support for the development and construction of Siam, helping Siam to embark on the road to prosperity and strength as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Ramaputra II was startled, a look of surprise flashing across his face, his eyes filled with doubt. He couldn't understand why this great general of the Ming Dynasty would suddenly bring up something completely unrelated to the war.

However, he reacted very quickly. In an instant, his mind raced and he realized what was happening. He was overjoyed.

Since the signing of the Ming-Siam Friendship and Mutual Assistance Agreement, both sides have been working diligently to promote the specific implementation of the treaty.

The officials of the Ming Dynasty acted swiftly and decisively, and quickly established a special court for handling such cases.

This court has a special mission: to adjudicate cases involving people from the Ming Dynasty and Siam.

Previously, the convictions of Siamese slave owners who persecuted the people of the Ming Dynasty were mostly handled by the Ming courts.

Even if the Siamese government had completed its trial first, as long as the case involved citizens of the Ming Dynasty, the case files had to be transferred to the Ming Dynasty's judicial court for rigorous review.

Even when necessary, the Ming Dynasty's courts would personally retry cases.

According to the provisions of the "Ming-Siam Friendship and Mutual Assistance Agreement", the trial results of cases involving Ming people shall be subject to the official judgment of the Ming government.

The Siamese government had no authority to try or convict any Ming Dynasty citizen.

If a citizen of the Ming Dynasty violates the laws of Siam, they can only be handed over to the Ming Dynasty for trial according to its laws.

The cases tried by the Siamese government were all cases in which the Siamese government convicted its own people.

Even in cases like this, the Ming Dynasty would still intervene, because although the convicted person was a Siamese, one of the parties involved in the case was a Ming citizen.

It is said that the courts of the Ming Dynasty placed great emphasis on evidence when handling cases, and upheld the principles of fairness and impartiality in their judgments, without favoring the people of the Ming Dynasty.

If the people of Siam felt oppressed by the Ming Dynasty, they also had the right to file a complaint in the Ming court.

However, such a situation has never occurred before.

These matters were implemented swiftly; however, negotiations between the two sides progressed extremely slowly on issues such as military compensation to the Ming army and loans provided by the Ming to Siam.

Siam was truly surprised that although the Ming army was not large in number, its military expenditure was so high.

However, the Ming side listed every expense clearly and logically, which did not seem to be an attempt to make things difficult or "extort money."

However, the Siamese court's financial resources simply did not allow for such a large sum of money.

Not to mention, there was also compensation for the Ming people who had been forced into slavery.

According to the Ming Dynasty's calculation method, compensation included not only the wages due during the period of slavery, but also compensation for physical injuries.

Even the psychological trauma suffered by slaves was compensated, with the aim of comforting these people of the Ming Dynasty and helping them smoothly return to normal life.

The Siamese court did not object to this and promised to pay compensation.

In just a short time, it was impossible to raise enough money.

Therefore, the only solution was to follow the suggestion of the Ming envoy, borrow money from the Ming Bank, repay it in installments, and pay interest.

Siam did not object to this.

However, the loan required collateral, and the negotiations between the two sides reached a stalemate on the crucial issue of what to use as collateral, with no progress made.

……

(End of this chapter)