Ming Dynasty: Ask Zhu Yuanzhang to abdicate at the beginning

Chapter 394 A Shameless King? I am willing to give everything to repay the Great Ming's kindness!

"Hey~"

"Hey~"

"Hey~"

A series of sharp whistles, like rapid drumbeats, suddenly rang out incessantly.

This was an emergency signal issued by the Ming soldiers.

The sound pierced the sky, carrying an undeniable urgency.

At the same time, the Siamese army also reacted as if waking from a dream. In an instant, the dull sound of gongs rang out all around, intertwining with the whistles of the Ming army, forming a chaotic rhythm.

At this moment, the gap between the Siamese army and the Ming Dynasty expeditionary force was clearly revealed, as if magnified.

When the alarm of an enemy attack suddenly sounded, the soldiers of the Ming Expeditionary Force, like incredibly precise machines, began to operate swiftly and in an orderly manner.

A group of soldiers marched steadily and methodically toward their pre-assigned combat posts.

More soldiers assembled at lightning speed, their movements swift and decisive. They gripped their muskets tightly, their eyes revealing calmness and determination, ready to engage in fierce battle at any moment.

Throughout the entire process, no one panicked or lost their composure, and not a single scream broke the tense order.

In contrast, the Siamese army presented a completely different picture.

As the whistles and gongs blared, the Siamese soldiers were instantly thrown into extreme panic.

Some people screamed in terror, their voices filled with fear and helplessness.

Some people thought the enemy was already upon them and fled in terror.

Some even desperately fled out of the military camp.

The performance of the Siamese generals was also uneven.

Some generals shouted themselves hoarse, trying to get the soldiers to assemble quickly.

But his voice was quickly drowned out in the chaos.

Some generals were so frightened that they trembled all over, their faces as pale as paper, and they secretly hid away, completely losing their usual imposing manner.

Some generals, disregarding their subordinates, would pick up their weapons and charge out like wild horses... However, this seemingly brave act was actually very reckless, because they had no idea which direction the enemy was in.

In short, the entire Siamese military camp was in complete chaos.

Chaos was raging everywhere, with chickens and dogs running rampant.

Standing on high ground, Rama Bodhi II took in the entire scene, and a slight blush appeared on his face.

It was a color of embarrassment and shame.

He subconsciously glanced at Zhu Shou, who remained calm and composed beside him.

Zhu Shou remained calm, his gaze sweeping over the situation with a composed expression, as if everything was under his control.

Looking down at the Ming army camp, and observing the performance of the Ming soldiers, Ramaputra II couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "This is truly an elite army!"

Not to mention that they were equipped with firearms and cannons that were far more advanced and powerful than those of the Siamese soldiers.

Even if both sides used swords, spears, bows and arrows, judging from the calm reaction of the Ming soldiers when they were attacked, their combat effectiveness was more than ten times that of the Siamese army.

"Brother, the enemy is attacking. You probably need to go down and command the battle, right?"

The brief awkwardness dissipated like smoke, and Ramaputta II quickly regained his composure and began to speak.

As king, although he accompanied the army on campaigns, he never directly intervened in the army's combat command.

The Siamese army had its own commander, and all combat operations were directed by that commander.

But Zhu Shou was different.

As the commander-in-chief, he directly controlled the command of the Ming army.

In reality, although the Siamese army outnumbered the Ming army by ten times, the Ming army was undoubtedly the core force in this military operation, while the Siamese army played a more supporting role.

Furthermore, the Siamese army would also obey the orders of the Ming army commander, Zhu Shou.

"We do need to go down, but not to command the battle."

Zhu Shou's lips curled up slightly, revealing a confident smile, and he said leisurely, "Bago has long been terrified by the formidable reputation of my Great Ming army. At most, they will set up defenses within their own territory. How could they dare to send troops to provoke my Great Ming army?"

Upon hearing this, King Ramaputra II was taken aback and asked with a puzzled expression, "It wasn't the Pegu army that attacked? Then what exactly happened? And what made you make that judgment, brother?"

"Second brother, look." Zhu Shou's smile remained unchanged, his expression relaxed. He slowly stretched out his hand and pointed to the lush forest in the distance.

That was precisely the direction from which the so-called "enemy" forces were attacking.

Looking out, one could vaguely see a large group of people moving about in the woods, with dust flying everywhere, as if a large army was slowly approaching.

Rama Bodhi II stared intently for a long time, but was still completely bewildered and couldn't figure it out at all.

In the past, to maintain his dignity, he would have pretended to have "suddenly realized" something, so as not to let others see his ignorance and lose face.

But now that he has become sworn brothers with Zhu Shou, he feels there is no need to put on such a pretentious act anymore.

At that moment, Rama Bodhi II gave a helpless wry smile and frankly said, "I really don't understand. Please explain it to me in detail, elder brother."

"Whenever troops are sent to attack the enemy camp, the most important thing is to conceal their movements. First, they should quietly sneak up close and then launch a surprise attack to catch the enemy off guard. Only in this way can they achieve remarkable results."

Zhu Shou explained, "This area is full of dense forests, so it is not difficult for a large army to conceal its movements."

“But look at this army. They didn’t disperse to hide and approach silently. Instead, they gathered together openly and brazenly. This is really not in line with the usual practice of attacking the enemy.”

"Furthermore, after our army issued the alarm, they did not react at all. Instead of taking advantage of our army's emergency response and the resulting chaos, they continued to advance at a leisurely pace, which was even more suspicious."

"There's a third point. Take a closer look at the enemy's flags. There are several large white flags among them."

"What kind of military campaign would involve flying a white flag?"

"Judging from these signs, this so-called Pegu army should have come to surrender to our army."

Ramaputra II was stunned, his eyes wide with shock and astonishment.

He never imagined that Zhu Shou could discern so much from these seemingly ordinary movements with just a few glances from afar.

Looking at myself, standing aside, I was completely oblivious and unaware of anything unusual.

After listening to Zhu Shou's detailed analysis, he looked up again and was surprised to find that everything was exactly as Zhu Shou had said.

The so-called "enemy army" was advancing at a leisurely pace.

In the dense woods, several white flags could be vaguely seen moving slowly.

However, due to the tall trees and dense forest, even if Zhu Shou had strained his eyes, he would not have been able to see these details so clearly unless Zhu Shou had specifically reminded him.

Sure enough, I had greatly underestimated this "elder brother" I had just sworn brotherhood with.

When I first met Zhu Shou, I thought he was just a reckless and impulsive "crude warrior" who acted rashly, spoke loudly, and only knew how to brandish swords.

My impression of him changed after hearing his profound and mysterious pronouncements.

The reason for forming a sworn brotherhood with him was to cling to his coattails, seek the protection of the Ming Dynasty, and consolidate their own rule.

But only now, after hearing his "elder brother's" insightful explanation, did he understand that Zhu Shou's ability to become a great general of the Ming Dynasty, commanding thousands of troops, was indeed due to his true abilities.

Such keen insight and accurate judgment were unmatched among Siamese generals. In fact, for Zhu Shou, this was nothing more than a piece of cake, nothing to boast about.

Observing enemy formations was a mandatory course for every general of the Ming Dynasty.

When facing the enemy, generals need to carefully observe the enemy's formation to gain a deep understanding of the enemy's troop deployment, morale, equipment quality, and other factors, so as to accurately assess the enemy's strength and truly "know yourself and know your enemy".

A general who cannot observe the battlefield is not qualified to be the commander of an army, let alone be appointed by the court to lead troops into battle.

Of course, the ability to observe formations varies from person to person, with some being more skilled and others less so.

Some people can see through the enemy's strengths and weaknesses at a glance and understand their strategic intentions.

Some people can only get a general idea, and their understanding is superficial.

The difference lies in both talent and experience, and it best reflects the true level and ability of a general.

Zhu Shou was a veteran general who had led troops for decades. He was experienced in many battles and had a wealth of knowledge.

If one cannot even discern such obvious enemy circumstances, how could one possibly achieve repeated military exploits on the battlefield and become the founding marquis of the Ming Dynasty?
However, in the eyes of Ramaputra II, this barbarian king, Zhu Shou's abilities were simply as miraculous as those of an immortal.

After all, the tactics and strategies of the barbarian lands were far inferior to those of the Central Plains.

They mostly relied on brute force and simple tactics to charge into battle, completely unaware of the profound wisdom passed down for thousands of years.

With a confident smile on his face, Zhu Shou said, "Let's go down and see which Pegu army has come to surrender."

Having said that, he took steady and powerful steps and led the way towards the military camp below.

Seeing this, Ramaputra II dared not delay for a moment, and hurriedly followed Zhu Shou's steps.

Before long, the two arrived at the Ming army camp.

There stood a boy, shirtless, his hands tightly bound behind his back with rope, and thorns tied to his back, looking extremely disheveled.

"King Binyaho of Pegu has come to apologize to the Ming army!"

Just as the two were filled with curiosity, wondering who the newcomer was, the man saw Zhu Shou arrive and, judging from the respectful reactions of those around him, astutely deduced Zhu Shou's identity. He immediately knelt down with a thud and performed a grand salute.

"Binyaho?" Ramaputra II was shocked upon hearing this, his face filled with astonishment and disbelief.

He had never met this person before, but the name was all too familiar to him, like a thunderclap.

After all, it was the name of the king of Pegu.

Bago and Siam have quite similar systems, both being countries where theocracy and monarchy are highly integrated.

In the official propaganda of Bago, the king of Bago was the embodiment of "god" on earth, possessing supreme status and majesty.

King Ramaputra II never imagined that this dignified king of Pegu would disregard his status and, in order to save his own life, would personally come to the Ming army camp and appear in such a humiliating manner as "bearing thorns to apologize."

Ramaputra II was already secretly cursing Binyaho's shamelessness in his heart.

How could a king be so utterly shameless and disregard his noble status?
Where does his action place the dignity and prestige passed down through generations of the Bago royal family?
Was he not afraid that once the people of Pegu learned of this, their once incredibly devout worship of the king would instantly crumble and vanish into nothingness?

By then, what right will he have to rule over the millions of people in Pegu?
How can he command the people of Pegu and make them obey his every command?
And what about the dignity of the ancestors of the Bago royal family?
This person is a complete and utterly unfilial descendant!

He should have held out to the very end and refused to surrender.

He should wait until the allied forces of the Ming Dynasty and Siam invade Bago before bravely facing death, upholding the principle of "better to die a glorious death than live a shameful life." Only then would he be worthy of his status as the King of Bago.

But now they kneel down so easily, and so quickly and so thoroughly, it is truly despicable.

Most importantly, if Pegu surrenders, then Siam's plan to use the strength of the Ming Dynasty army to wipe out Pegu in one fell swoop will be ruined.
No wonder Ramaputra II held Binyaho in utter contempt in his heart!
However, while he felt contempt, Ramaputra II was secretly overjoyed.

Fortunately, he acted decisively and took the initiative to become sworn brothers with Zhu Shou.

Otherwise, judging from Binyaho's shameless and begging attitude, he might have resorted to any means to curry favor with the generals and officials of the Ming Dynasty.

They were even willing to betray their country for personal gain, just to win the forgiveness and praise of the Ming Dynasty.

At that time, Siam, as Pegu's long-standing "enemy state," would be in danger.

They are very likely to suffer a great loss.

In particular, he, as the King of Siam, might be perceived by the Ming Dynasty as less "obedient" than King Binyaho of Pegu, thus incurring the Ming Dynasty's displeasure and bringing trouble upon himself.

Fortunately, he has now become sworn brothers with Zhu Shou, who has taken the lead, and has a "protective umbrella" for him!
"Are you King Binyaho of Pegu?"

Zhu Shou's eyes were sharp as he scrutinized the trembling king of Pegu kneeling on the ground. Suddenly, his expression hardened, and his voice boomed:

“Binyaho, as the King of Pegu, you should have protected the territory and its people. However, you chose to turn a blind eye to the evil deeds of the warlords in your territory who sheltered bandits and wantonly harmed the people of the Ming Dynasty, allowing the situation to develop and causing countless people of the Ming Dynasty to suffer persecution.”

"Now that the Ming army is at the gates of the city, you have only come out to beg for forgiveness in disgrace because of the might of Heaven. Don't you think it's all too late?"

These words were almost roared out of Zhu Shou's chest.

The sound was like rolling thunder, exploding in everyone's ears.

The overwhelming aura caused the eardrums of everyone around to ache slightly, filling them with shock and fear.

The roar terrified Binyaho so much that his legs went weak, he trembled like a leaf, and he almost collapsed to the ground.

He hurriedly kowtowed repeatedly, his forehead hitting the ground with a dull thud, and pleaded in a tearful voice, "General, spare my life! I swear to heaven, I have no evil intentions to harm the people of the Ming Dynasty."

"All of this is due to the reckless actions of those local governors. They collude with ruthless human traffickers and bandits, completely disregarding me as their king and utterly ignoring my orders!"

As he spoke, he broke down emotionally, tears and snot streaming down his face, and his lower body became soaked without him even realizing it.

It turned out that he was so terrified that he wet his pants.

Zhu Shou took in this disgusting scene and sneered inwardly.

It turns out that this young king of Pegu was so timid and cowardly.

Since that's the case, we should frighten him even more, plant a deep fear of the Ming Dynasty in his heart, and from then on dare not have the slightest disobedience.

This would pave the way and create favorable conditions for the subsequent peace talks between the Ming Dynasty and Pegu.

"Hmph, as the King of Pegu, you are unable to control those governors, allowing them to act recklessly. Isn't this a dereliction of duty on your part?"

Zhu Shou glared angrily and shouted again, "Do you expect my Great Ming army to penetrate deep into Bago territory to wipe out those local warlords who are committing crimes for you?"

Binyaho's face turned pale, and he hurriedly replied, "The King has already mobilized a large army and is preparing to send troops to rescue the Ming people who have been imprisoned as slaves."

"Having heard that the Ming army has reached the border, I know my sins are grave, and I have come here to plead guilty and beg for the General's forgiveness."

"Please rest assured, General, no matter the cost, my country, Pegu, will do everything in its power to rescue the people of the Ming Dynasty."

Zhu Shou looked at him coldly, a hint of scrutiny in his eyes, and asked slowly, "Then tell me, how long will this take?"

"This...this...this...well..." Binyaho was instantly covered in cold sweat, large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. He opened his mouth, but couldn't say a specific time.

Binyaho knew that the situation of warlord separatism in Pegu had a long history. If the central dynasty really had the ability to unify the whole territory and eliminate the warlords in various places, how could it have dragged on until today and allowed these warlords to continue to occupy their own territories and do whatever they wanted?
"Fine, since you can't do it yourselves, then why don't we send our Great Ming army to punish you? You just need to assist from the sidelines. What do you think?"

Zhu Shou paused briefly, then added, "However, our Great Ming Dynasty has launched a long and arduous expedition, incurring enormous expenses. The military expenditure required is no small sum. Surely this money should not be borne by our Great Ming Dynasty?"

Binyaho originally thought he would be punished by the Ming general, severely beaten with thorns, or even beheaded. But at this moment, he was overjoyed to hear that the Ming was willing to send troops to help Pegu to suppress the local separatist warlords.

His previously dull eyes instantly lit up, and he said repeatedly, "If the Ming Dynasty army is willing to help my country, Bogu, accomplish this, I, Bogu, am willing to give everything to repay the Ming Dynasty army's great kindness."

……

(End of this chapter)