Di Ming

Chapter 489 "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear!"

The Toungoo Dynasty of Burma had four capitals: Bago (Nanjing), the central Toungoo (birthplace), Ava (Beijing), and Bagan (former capital).

The Ming army has already captured Nanjing and Zhongjing in Burma, and now they have also taken Ava, Beijing.

Ava surrendered voluntarily. Shan general Suthit killed the Burmese city lord, Ava Martyr Mangtaigu, and opened the city gates to kneel and welcome Zhu Yin out of the city.

Suti launched a mutiny, killed the city lord, and surrendered to the Ming army not only because Ava City only had a few thousand weak soldiers who could not withstand the Ming army, but also because he was terrified by the massacres carried out by the Ming army in the royal city.

As a Shan, Suthit was not prepared to be buried with the Burmese nobility. He not only surrendered voluntarily, but also laid out a pontoon bridge and handed over an inventory of all the gold and silver treasures in the city.

Suti is a smart person.

After learning of the Ming army's actions in the capital, he concluded that Zhu Yin would not be satisfied with his surrender. If he did not voluntarily plunder the city's treasures and offer them up, even if he surrendered, Zhu Yin would find an excuse to kill him and then plunder Ava.

Therefore, he decided to "go all the way with the good guy" and "go all the way with the evil guy," offering up the city's treasures himself. Privately, this would please Zhu Yin and serve as a pledge of loyalty to the Ming Dynasty. Publicly, it would also prevent a massacre by the Ming army and save the lives of the Ava people.

Upon receiving the letter of surrender and a list of valuables personally presented by Suti, Zhu Yin secretly praised Suti for being sensible. He was also happy that he didn't have to attack the city, so he accepted Suti's surrender and entered Ava City as a conqueror.

When the Ming army entered Ava, Suti organized a welcoming ceremony for the city's residents, with drums and gongs beating and everyone in high spirits.

He's truly a talented individual.

Those who didn't know the situation might think it wasn't a welcome to the Ming army entering the city, but rather a welcome to the Burmese king's triumphant return.

Zhu Yin was naturally delighted. The list presented by Suti contained over ten million taels of gold and silver alone, with other valuables beyond estimate; ivory alone weighed over two thousand catties, and top-quality jadeite over eight thousand catties!
However, the nobles, wealthy households, and temples in the city suffered greatly, as they were almost completely looted by Suti and given as gifts to Zhu Yin.

Suti is so sensible, how could Zhu Yin not express his gratitude?
To reward Suti for his obedience and loyalty to the Ming Dynasty, the Regent announced at the city gate that Suti would be granted the title of Zhaoshun Nan and appointed as a guerrilla general.

Suti transformed himself into a nobleman and military general of the Ming Dynasty.

So this newly appointed Zhao Shunnan, the guerrilla general, took off his shoes and clothes, wearing only a pair of shorts, shirtless and bare-backed, and took the initiative to lead Zhu Yin's horse, leading Zhu Yin into the city like a front-line soldier!

...

Ava, located at the confluence of the Irrawaddy and Myitkyina rivers, controlled Burma's land and water trade and was a thriving commercial center. Its outer city walls, rammed earth and brick, reached a height of two zhang (approximately 6.6 meters) and featured thirty-six bastions equipped with breech-loading cannons.

The inner city is enclosed by teak walls, and each wooden stake is carved with a totem of the Naga serpent, which is very distinctive.

The moat of Ava City was fed by the Mi'e River and was inhabited by hundreds of crocodiles, making it impossible for people to swim across.

The city was bustling with all kinds of businesses, and stilted houses stood side by side, densely packed, surrounding the magnificent Buddhist temples and official residences. There was also more than one Catholic church built by foreigners.

Ava has a population of over 100,000 and is one of the major cities in the Indochina Peninsula. Of the four capitals of Myanmar, Ava is actually the most populous and prosperous.

Just by looking at the prosperity of Ava, one can tell that the Toungoo Dynasty had a solid foundation and considerable power.

Myanmar is known as a Buddhist paradise, and Ava, as a city on par with Beijing, the capital of Myanmar, naturally has grand temples.

Maha Aung Myat is the largest temple in Ava, magnificent and resplendent like a royal palace, and the most prestigious building in the city. It is the grand temple of the Burmese royal family, housing the Sangha Court and possessing the power to print and sell indulgences.

Whenever the Burmese king visited Ava, he would use the Maha Aung My Temple as his temporary palace.

Zhu Yin was the regent of the Ming Dynasty and the commander of the Ming army. As soon as he entered the city, he unceremoniously moved into the Mah Aung My Temple and drove out all two thousand monks in the temple.

The Maha Aung Myat, which the Burmese revered as a sacred site, became Zhu Yin's shogunate.

Zhu Yin moved into the Maha Aung My Temple, where he processed intelligence sent from various places and ordered the Ming army to collect Burmese provisions, elephants, horses, mules, carts, and boats, and to capture young Burmese men to serve as military slaves.

Today is March 13th. It has been half a month since we entered Burma. The Ming army's offensive is raging. They have quickly occupied several major cities in Burma and collected tens of thousands of shi of grain from the enemy. They have also captured tens of thousands of young and strong Burmese and are transporting supplies day and night.

On the night of his arrival in Ava, Zhu Yin convened a meeting of the generals at the Mah Aungmye Temple.

The Sangha Grand Court became the temporary military council hall for the Ming army.

A huge military map hung in front of the Buddha statue. The ever-burning lamp in the temple illuminated the solemn faces of the Ming generals, making them appear unfathomable.

Zhu Yin sat in front of the Buddha statue, with the war god-like guard Lan Cha standing behind him.

Generals such as Li Rubai, Zhao Shuaijiao, Qin Liangyu, Cao Wenzhao, and Mao Wenlong sat in turn beneath the Yaksha statue.

The voice of the General Who Conquers the South echoed in the somewhat eerie Buddhist hall:
“Mang Yinglong should have received the news long ago. Although Burma does not have the Ming Dynasty’s 600-mile express courier service, it does have a 200-mile express courier service, so it’s not that it doesn’t have military relays. But it will take at least ten days for his army to return home.”

"We can't be idle during this time either. The Burmese army is large and well-equipped, with strong firearms, elephant troops, and cavalry. Mangyingli's army is almost entirely composed of elite troops, numbering as many as 200,000. Our army must not be careless in this battle."

In fact, Zhu Yin wasn't entirely confident about this battle.

Although the Jinghai Navy was very strong, it only brought 15,000 men, with another 5,000 professional naval personnel guarding the warships and spoils of war, and they could not go ashore.

He only had 10,000 Jinghai Eight Banners soldiers around him who were capable of fighting.

Although the Jinghai Army's firearms were superior to those of the West, its firearms-wielding soldiers were fewer in number than those of the Burmese Army. The Burmese Army had thirty to forty thousand soldiers equipped with Western firearms!

Limited by the scale of artisans on Daishan Island, the number of new firearms produced in Daishan was limited, and Zhu Yin was not yet able to equip more Ming troops with new firearms.

Today, the Ming army that has been re-equipped with firearms from Daishan only consists of a portion of the troops led by Xiong Tingbi, Mao Wenlong, and Cao Wenzhao, who are his trusted confidants.

The Ming army currently stationed in Ava City actually possesses a considerable number of firearms. However, half of them are old Ming firearms. The Ming army equipped with the new firearms from Daishan, including the Jinghai Army, numbers only 17,000 men.

While the Burmese army's Western firearms were not as good as those of Daishan, they were far superior to the Ming army's old firearms.

As a result, Zhu Yin's reliance on firearms had very limited advantage over the Burmese army.

The Burmese army numbered as many as 200,000, while China only had slightly over 100,000, with nearly half of them being Japanese pirates and surrendered Tibetan troops.

This battle is actually very difficult to fight!

The slightest misstep could lead to defeat. And now, deep in Myanmar, if defeat were to occur, it would be a devastating loss that could cost them their lives.

Zhu Yin continued, "As you've seen, places like Myanmar are full of jungles, rivers, and swamps. Marching routes and battlefields are very limited. Even if you wanted to fight in many places, the terrain wouldn't allow it; it can't be used as a battlefield."

Zhu Yin pointed on the map, marking the areas with red dots as swamps and old forests.

He suddenly pointed to a place: "The Gangao Pass, two hundred miles northeast of Ava City, is a vital passage connecting the plains and the Shan Plateau."

"About 100 kilometers southwest of Gangao Pass lies the Irrawaddy River bend, also known as Molok Township, a strategic location in Myanmar."

"Do you all know if this Moro military town is any different?"

Li Rubai began by saying, "There are no swamps there, but there are swamps on the east and west sides, and towering mountains to the north. Only the south is unobstructed. It is a good battlefield and will be advantageous to our army."

Zhu Yin nodded approvingly, "That's right. So this Molo Town is the decisive battleground! Molo Town belongs to Ava Prefecture and is less than two hundred miles from Ava City, making the transport of supplies very convenient. Our army can rely on Ava City to fight the enemy in Molo Town."

Mao Wenlong, like a jovial straight man, asked, "My lord, Molo Town is indeed a favorable location for our decisive battle. But how can our army force the Burmese army to fight a decisive battle in Molo?"

"Good question!" Zhu Yin pointed to the Gangao Pass. "The Burmese call this Gangao Pass the Gangao Pass. It is equivalent to Shanhaiguan Pass in the Ming Dynasty. At its narrowest point, it is only ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) wide. It is situated on high ground and its location is extremely important. I am sending you to lead 10,000 troops to take advantage of the situation and seize Gangao Pass. Before the Burmese army arrives, set up artillery emplacements and reinforce the pass."

"The most convenient route for the Burmese army to return home is from Longchuan to Mongpan, then to Lashio, and finally to Mandalay. This route requires passing through the Gangao Pass." "I can only give you 10,000 men and 100 artillery pieces. You must hold the Gangao Pass at all costs, guard the Shan State Plateau, and prevent the Burmese army from entering the country."

"Yes, sir!" Mao Wenlong accepted the order.

Upon hearing this, the generals understood Zhu Yin's strategy. Looking at the map, as long as Mao Wenlong could hold this "Shanhaiguan Pass" of Burma, the Burmese army, which had been unable to break through the pass, would have to take a long detour to return home, eventually ending up at Molok military town.

When the Burmese army emerged from the mountains and circled around to Molo town, the royal army was ready to wait in Molo town and block the Burmese army.

Therefore, the final battle can only break out in Morro Town!

Zhu Yin continued, “This will force the enemy to choose a battlefield that is favorable to our army. Why is Molo Town favorable to our army? Because although it is neither a swamp nor a mountain, it is a huge gentle slope, lower in the north and higher in the south, more than ten miles wide and twenty miles long. Although the slope is very gentle, the difference in elevation between the north and south is one mile. This difference in elevation is very favorable to our cavalry, but unfavorable to the enemy's war elephants.”

Upon hearing this, the generals couldn't help but admire Zhu Yin's detailed understanding of the enemy country's geography.

The enemy had several thousand war elephants, and they were trained with firearms. Once their eyes and ears were covered, they could charge forward under the control of the elephant cavalry!

When the Yuan army conquered Burma and when the imperial army conquered Vietnam in the early years of the Yuan dynasty, the northern cavalry suffered heavy losses due to war elephants.

The Regent's choice of Morro as the battlefield was indeed intended to weaken the enemy's war elephants and horses, and fighting in enemy territory would give him a geographical advantage.

Suddenly, Qin Liangyu frowned slightly. "General, what if the enemy reaches Molo and encounters our army, but they know they have no advantage in terrain and are unwilling to engage in a decisive battle?"

She pointed to the southwest corner of the Shan Plateau on the map, her tone questioning: "What if they don't fight, but instead retreat? They could easily detour north, go through Myitkyina, and come out from there. Looking at the map, that would only add seven or eight days to the journey. Would Mangyung-ri rather take an extra seven or eight days than engage in a decisive battle in Molo?"

Upon hearing this, all the generals nodded slightly.

Yes. Even knowing that a decisive battle at Molo would be unfavorable, the Burmese army might avoid fighting and retreat, detouring north to Myitkyina, and then heading south along the Irrawaddy River?
The Burmese army carries enough food to last a month. It can certainly support their detour.

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "General Qin is right. There are wise men in the Burmese army who may not necessarily fight a decisive battle in Molo. Retreating north and going around to Myitkyina would be a wise move for them. But in reality, they can't go that way, and in the end they will still turn back and obediently return to Molo!"

Qin Liangyu cupped her hands in greeting, "Please enlighten me, General."

Zhu Yin pointed to the location north of Myitkyina, "Gentlemen, where is this? It's the Mengyang Pacification Commission. According to my latest military intelligence, the Mengyang leader, Siyuan, has always wanted to avenge Mangyingli for killing his father."

“A few years ago, the Burmese king skinned his father, Si Hun, and hung his skin on the gate of Ava City with straw as a curse to suppress him. His skull was inlaid with silver and made into a wine vessel. The Burmese king also used the pretext of rebellion to kill 37 members of Si’s family, almost wiping out the Si clan.”

"Siyuan barely managed to escape back to Mengyang and temporarily saved Mengyang during the war between Burma and Siam, but it is now in a precarious state and its future is uncertain."

"This time, the Burmese king was also worried that Mengyang would take advantage of the situation to launch an attack, so he specially left 30,000 elite troops at the eight passes to guard against Mengyang chieftain Siyuan!"

"If our army hadn't invaded Burma, Siyuan wouldn't have dared to avenge his father. But now that our army has captured the three capitals of Burma—north, south, and central—we're moving through Burma as if it were empty. The Burmese king has abandoned Yunnan and hastily withdrew his troops. Would Siyuan let go of such a good opportunity for revenge?"

Qin Liangyu understood. "Siyuan has already agreed to send troops?"

Zhu Yin said, "I have received Si Yuan's letter of allegiance. He told me that the Mengyang Pacification Commission still has 15,000 elite soldiers loyal to the Si clan who request to go south to join the war."

“I replied to him that there was no need to lead the army 700 li south. We only needed to station troops in Myitkyina and firmly guard the Jiangxinpo Pass in the Nmai-Khai River Grand Canyon to prevent the Burmese army from entering Myitkyina. That place is very dangerous, but it is truly easy to defend and difficult to attack. With 15,000 elite troops from the Mengyang Pacification Commission, it is enough to hold the position for two months.”

"The Burmese army's rations can only last for a little over a month at most. How could Mang Yingli risk running out of food by launching a direct attack on Jiangxinpo, which is defended by Siyuan? His wisest choice would be to turn back and go back to Molo, and obediently fight our army."

"Furthermore, the three capitals of Burma are all in our hands, and the royal family and nobles are all prisoners of our army. Mang Yingli is furious. How could he keep avoiding battle? He has no choice but to fight me in Moro. Otherwise, there would be no need to fight at all; his morale would be ruined."

At this point, Zhu Yin couldn't help but smile.

The Burmese army numbered 200,000, possessed a large number of Western firearms, a newly trained army by foreigners, and Western mercenaries; it was indeed very powerful.

But so what?
Many factors that determine victory or defeat do not occur on the battlefield!
Having operated in Myanmar for so long, how could Huya's reliance be limited to just a hundred thousand troops?

Siyuan was just one of the pawns he had set up. In other words, if it weren't for Huya's secret help, Siyuan would have been killed by the Burmese King. How could he have saved Mengyang and more than 10,000 elite troops?

"Jiangxinpo Pass?" The generals looked at the location of Jiangxinpo on the map and suddenly understood.

That's it!

The generals were now even more impressed with Zhu Yin. This was a brilliant strategy that killed two birds with one stone!

Not only did they ultimately force the Burmese army to fight a decisive battle at Molo Town, which was advantageous to the Ming army, but they also made the enemy army repeatedly travel more than a thousand miles of unnecessary detours!
The Burmese army's back-and-forth detours will take at least half a month longer, and their food supplies will also be consumed for another half a month.

Even the most elite troops were exhausted.

When the decisive battle comes, the enemy's situation will become even more passive!

This strategy, seemingly simple at first glance, was extremely detrimental to the Burmese army. It was a meticulously planned, step-by-step process, gradually eroding the Burmese army's advantage.

Although the decisive battle has not yet taken place, it has already begun in the Regent's plans.

"General, this is an unparalleled strategy that is almost a brilliant open scheme. It seems simple, but it is the ultimate truth!" Li Rubai couldn't help but praise, "Throughout history, how many famous generals have used troops with such ruthlessness and prudence, combining orthodox and unorthodox tactics as you, General!"

Qin Liangyu and the others were even more impressed.

Zhu Yin remained unmoved by the praise from the crowd. He had only mobilized the enemy forces twice. Later generations had a military strategist who would be remembered for all time, who could repeatedly mobilize the enemy forces, dragging the strong to the weak and the weak to their deaths.

He, Zhu Yin, is far inferior.

At this point in the military council, General Cao Xin of the Jinghai Army suddenly said, "My lord, is it possible that the King of Annam, Zheng, might suddenly advance westward and join forces with the Burmese army to deal with our army?"

"After all, both Laos and Babai were conquered by Burma, so they dared not refuse passage. It would take the Vietnamese army at most twenty days to reach Burma."

Zhu Yin nodded, "That's for sure. The two families are related by marriage, and both are enemies of the Ming Dynasty. Zheng Song has already offended the Ming Dynasty to the core. How could he not be afraid when he learns that I have suddenly invaded Burma? Even if it's just to protect himself, he will definitely send troops!"

"The King of Burma sent a letter to Lord Zheng five days ago. Lord Zheng should receive the letter soon."

Cao Xin frowned and said, "My lord, the Trinh lord of Annam is very powerful. If he sends troops immediately, the Vietnamese army will appear in Burma within a month."

"By then, our army will be facing off against the Burmese army. If the Vietnamese army suddenly appears, our army will be attacked from both sides. Our army is already outnumbered..."

Zhu Yin looked approvingly at Cao, "Brother Cao's thinking is very thorough. The Vietnamese army is indeed a major ally of the Burmese army, and they will definitely send troops to help us, barring any unforeseen circumstances. However, our army also has a major ally! We can take them out together with the Vietnamese army, killing two birds with one stone!"

"Who?" The generals' expressions brightened.

Just then, Emperor Kangxi entered and reported: "Your Majesty, King Naresuan of Siam has personally arrived in Ava City with generous gifts, saying that he wishes to come out of the city to pay his respects to Your Majesty!"

Zhu Yin laughed heartily and said, "Speak of the devil, and he appears!"

"Gentlemen, our reinforcements have arrived! It is none other than the King of Siam... Naresuan!"

"Since he's so sensible, let's give him face and go greet him ourselves!"

...

P.S.: Naresuan has arrived! Everyone, please give a vote to welcome the King of Siam. Feel free to comment, what do you think of the little tiger's strategy? Thank you, goodnight!

(End of this chapter)