Di Ming

Chapter 490 I've read the Spring and Autumn Annals!

Zhu Yin personally went out of the city to welcome the King of Siam, because he had a good impression of Siam and also of Naresuan.

Choosing to meet outside the city not only maintained the dignity of the Celestial Empire's commander-in-chief but also demonstrated the magnanimity of the suzerain state through a seemingly equal but actually condescending attitude.

Siam was one of the few tributary states in history that consistently submitted to the Ming Dynasty. It adhered even more strictly to the tributary system than Annam, which called itself a "Little China" but was actually ambitious.

Just a few years ago, Siam petitioned Beijing, offering to send troops to fight against the Japanese pirates. Historically, it also allied with the Ming Dynasty against Burma.

Siam continued to pay tribute to the Ming Dynasty. It was still sending envoys to pay tribute during the Chongzhen era. At that time, of the 167 countries that had diplomatic relations with the Ming Dynasty, very few still sent envoys to pay tribute; Siam was one of them.

Even in the sixteenth year of the Chongzhen Emperor's reign, when Li Zicheng was close to Beijing, Siam still sent envoys to Beijing to pay tribute. In that same year, even Korea stopped paying tribute.

Siam was deeply influenced by the Ming Dynasty. Although it used the Buddhist calendar, it also used the Ming Dynasty's "Datong Calendar" and adopted the Ming Dynasty's standards for weights and measures.

During the Ming-Qing transition, the Toungoo Dynasty was influenced by Western technology and showed a strong momentum of rise, much like Goguryeo during the Sui and Tang Dynasties. If it weren't for the restraint of Siam, Toungoo might have taken advantage of the decline of the Ming Dynasty to invade the southwest and become a truly great power.

It can be said that Siam was the Ming Dynasty's most steadfast ally in Southeast Asia, not Annam.

Countries like Burma and Annam, which showed disrespect to the Ming Dynasty, had no reason to exist in the future. However, Zhu Yin did not possess the boundless greed for neighboring lands that Tsarist Russia had. The Southeast Asian countries—those that should be destroyed—should be destroyed, and those that should be spared—should be spared.

As long as Siam continues to be respectful, Zhu Yin intends to treat Siam differently and continue the policy of Taizu designating Siam as a "country not to be conquered".

The current King Naresuan of Siam is a very famous figure in Thai history. He is hailed by the Thai people as King Naresuan the Great and can be considered a wise ruler and a heroic figure.

At present, the Ming Dynasty has enemies on all sides, and Zhu Yin needs an ally like Nali Xuan as a subordinate.

The current Ming army consists mostly of northerners. Even with Ning Qingchen's medicine, the adverse effects of the climate and environment cannot be completely eliminated, making it difficult for them to remain in Burma permanently. They must withdraw before the rainy season arrives in June at the latest. Otherwise, an epidemic could easily break out within the army.

Zhu Yin planned to train a 100,000-strong Southern Army composed of soldiers from Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi, specifically for stationing in the Indochina Peninsula. However, this "Southern Army" was still just a concept at the moment, and it would be at least a few years before it could be put into use.

So how did the Southern Army control the Indochina Peninsula before its formation?

For the time being, we still need to rely on the troops of the chieftains and the troops of the vassal states.

According to Tiger Tooth Intelligence, Naresuan's army was not weak, with 50,000 to 60,000 elite soldiers. They were also native soldiers adapted to the Southeast Asian climate, which was of great value to the Ming Dynasty's strategy in Southeast Asia.

By making good use of the King of Siam, the Ming Dynasty could control Burma with a small number of troops stationed there, thus preserving the fruits of the Ming army's victory.

Therefore, Zhu Yin condescended to give Na Lixuan face.

The regent never did anything that was not beneficial to the Ming Dynasty.

As soon as Zhu Yin got up, all the generals followed him to greet the King of Siam.

……

In the heart of Myanmar, the hot wind carries the scent of dust and vegetation. The Ming Dynasty flag, now raised atop Ava, flutters in the air, announcing the change of ownership of this land.

Under the city.

A group of several hundred people stood silently.

At the forefront of the procession were dozens of ceremonial guards carrying long poles, with red flags embroidered with the golden mythical bird "Garuda" fluttering atop the poles. The bird, with its wings outstretched as if about to take flight, was a fierce symbol of the Siamese royal family.

Behind the banners were hundreds of dark-skinned, agile warriors. They walked almost barefoot, with bells tied to their ankles, wearing armor on their upper bodies and simple "panon" skirts around their lower bodies.

Their weapons are also quite distinctive. In addition to the common scimitars, they also have gleaming metal rings hanging at their waists with sharp edges. These are Siamese weapons that can be used for both throwing and close combat.

Most striking were the twenty-odd war elephants in the procession, clad in colorful fabrics and rattan armor. These enormous creatures had long, curled trunks, metal sleeves inlaid on their tusks, and soldiers carrying spears or blowguns carried on their backs in elephant saddlebags.

The deep moans of elephants intertwined with the crisp ringing of bells on the ankles of warriors, creating a rhythm that was both exotic and powerful.

Beneath the banner of the Garuda divine bird, a pure white warhorse stands out.

The man on horseback was about forty years old, with a strong and upright physique, and a pair of sharp eyes like an eagle on his bronze face.

He wore a tower-shaped golden crown, a deep red velvet battle robe, a magnificent gold necklace hanging on his chest, and a jewel-encrusted iron sword at his waist. He looked both the nobility of a king and the sharpness of a warrior.

This person was none other than King Naresuan of Siam.

Behind Naresuan was an elephant draped in colorful silk and adorned with elaborate decorations. On its back sat a lotus-shaped palanquin, inside which sat a Siamese girl.

This girl is at most fourteen or fifteen years old, and she is beautiful and charming.

The girl's wheat-colored skin was smooth and radiant, her slightly sunken eye sockets were adorned with Siamese gold powder Bodhi flower decorations, and her long, curled eyelashes set off her dark pupils, which resembled the waters of a lake after the rainy season.

She wore her hair in a thousand-petal Bodhi bun, with a golden jubilee flower tied to her hairband to ward off poison. She wore a seven-treasure necklace shawl, a crimson Thai brocade bodice, nine-headed snake gold armlets on her lotus-root arms, gold bracelets on her wrists, and sparkling anklets on her ankles. Her toes were also painted with nail polish.

This girl was like a green and noble persimmon, or a pure and innocent water lily.

This girl is Princess Dewi, Nariel's most beloved daughter.

Following Princess Dewi was another elephant carriage carrying a young man with a worried expression and a sorrowful face. Judging from his attire, he was a member of the Burmese royal family.

This young man was Mangluo, born into the royal family of Toungoo, the grandson of Mangyung Long and the nephew of Mangyung-ri. His father, Mangzhuo, was Mangyung Long's most beloved son.

After Mangyinglong's death, Mangyingli succeeded him to the throne. Rumors circulated that Mangyinglong was poisoned by his son, and that Mangyingli might have been the patricide. Upon ascending the throne, Mangyingli immediately killed nine of his brothers who threatened his rule, including Mangzhuo.

The Ming court and the Wanli Emperor condemned Mangyingli for "murdering his father and killing his brothers, behaving like a beast," and refused to recognize his throne or grant him tribute and trade.

After Mang Zhu was killed, his young son Mang Luo escaped from the capital under the protection of his trusted retainers and sought refuge in the enemy country of Siam. He was taken in by King Naresuan of Siam and has been there for more than ten years.

This time, the King of Siam took him back to Burma, which made him uneasy, knowing that Naresuan intended to offer him to the Ming army as a pledge of loyalty.

Prince Manglu looked at Princess Devi, who sat quietly on the elephant carriage in front of him, and couldn't help but sigh softly.

Princess Devi was Narixuan's darling daughter, and even she was to be given to a noblewoman of the Ming Dynasty, let alone a down-on-his-luck prince living under someone else's roof. Narixuan would never care about him.

He had been a pawn of Naresuan before, and now he would be a prisoner of the Ming army.

“Prince Mangluo.” Naresuan suddenly turned around, her bright and sharp eyes fixed on Mangluo. “You must remember, although the Ming Dynasty is an enemy of Burma, it is your benefactor! Without the Ming Dynasty, you would never have had the chance to avenge your father, and my Siam would never have had the chance to avenge our grievances.”

"Therefore, I hope that when you meet the Regent of the Great Ming, you will show sufficient piety and respect. From this day forward, your life, death, honor, and disgrace will not be decided by Burma and Siam, but by the Regent of the Great Ming. Do you understand?"

Mang Luo clasped his hands together and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Your Majesty. I dare not forget."

Nali Xuan nodded, looking at Ava City again with a mixture of joy and complexity in her eyes.

Ha! Mangyeongri, you've finally met your match? Your two capitals, North and South, are gone. How do you feel? You slaughtered my Siamese people and annexed my three northwestern prefectures. I will repay you tenfold!

Although she felt very pleased, Nali Xuan was also very frightened.

The reason he rushed to see Zhu Yin in person was not only to form an alliance with Zhu Yin and join forces with the Ming army to attack the Burmese army, but also because he was frightened by Zhu Yin.

The Ming army actually took such a long detour by sea, landing in Burma like a divine army descending from the sky. They swept through Burma with lightning speed and even massacred the city of Pegu.

Not long ago, the Ming army also captured Malacca, which was occupied by Westerners, and slaughtered them all!
The strength and dominance of the Ming army made him even more in awe of the Ming Dynasty.

As for Zhu Yin... he was certainly no stranger to him!
I had heard merchants talk about Zhu Yin many times before. He was a legendary figure who was a household name in the Ming Dynasty and was extremely young. It was rumored that he was a star deity descended to earth.

The powerful Japanese kingdom was also defeated by Zhu Yin.

My cousin, who was studying at the Imperial College in Nanjing, wrote to me, describing Zhu Yin in detail.

He then learned that Zhu Yin was a descendant of the Jianwen Emperor, a member of the Ming imperial family, and had been enfeoffed as the Prince of Wu. Zhu Yin seized power in the Southern Ming, eliminating She Chongming and An Bangyan. He was also the one who seized Luzon Island from the foreigners.

Luzon Island had become part of Jingzhou Province under the Ming Dynasty, and was not far from Siam by sea.

One incident after another made Naresuan even more wary of Zhu Yin. After much deliberation, he slowly came to a conclusion: Zhu Yin was someone he absolutely could not afford to offend. Only by cultivating a good relationship with Zhu Yin and acting with utmost discretion could he protect Siam. It must be said that Naresuan was a wise and decisive monarch. Once he understood this, he immediately took action, visiting Zhu Yin with utmost sincerity.

Naresuan had no psychological burden. After all, Siam was originally a tributary state of the Ming Dynasty.

Speaking of which, the name Siam was bestowed by the Ming Dynasty's Hongwu Emperor.

According to national history, in the tenth year of the Hongwu reign, King Zhaolu came to the court and personally went to Nanjing, the capital of the Ming Dynasty, to pay homage to the Hongwu Emperor. The Hongwu Emperor bestowed upon him an imperial seal inscribed with "Seal of the King of Siam," and from then on, Siam was officially recognized as the kingdom.

Unlike other tributary states, Siam was of a similar status to Korea, allowing it to pay tribute once or even twice a year without restrictions on the number of missions, thus receiving substantial rewards. Siam's treatment was among the best of all tributary states. Furthermore, Siam was the first tributary state to obtain a trade agreement from the Ming Dynasty.

For over two hundred years, Siam has served the Celestial Empire and been a subject of the Ming Dynasty, a tradition that has been upheld by successive kings.

Siam was one of the fifteen countries designated as "non-conquerable" by the Hongwu Emperor.

What Naresuan wants now is to solidify the tributary relationship with the Ming Dynasty, so that Siam will forever remain a "country that cannot be conquered".

At the very least, Siam cannot become a second Myanmar!

“Father,” Princess Dewi suddenly interrupted Naresuan’s thoughts, “I want to go back to Siam. I don’t want to see the Regent of the Ming Dynasty.”

The girl was on the verge of tears. "I can't bear to leave my father. Father, are you really so heartless as to abandon me?"

"Stop fooling around, Daisy," Nali Xuan sighed. "You are my most beloved daughter. That's why the Regent of the Ming Dynasty can see my sincerity. You're going to marry anyone anyway, so why not marry a great hero?"

"Besides, even if I gave you to him, he might not want you. He is a noble and proud man, like a peacock in the clouds. Even if you were my daughter, a princess of Siam, I'm afraid he wouldn't be tempted."

"He wouldn't want me?" The Siamese princess suddenly sneered, her face full of indignation. "Father, I don't believe it. Isn't he a man?"

The Siamese princess proudly raised her swan-like neck, "As long as he is a man, he will not be unmoved by me."

"Haha!" Nali Xuan couldn't help but laugh. "My Dewi, I hope you're right."

Dewi pouted, "But I'd rather he wasn't interested in me. I don't like older men, no matter how powerful they are."

Nali Xuan smiled wryly and said, "I've already said it, the Regent of the Ming Dynasty is still a young man, not much older than you, not an old man."

"I don't believe it. Father loves to lie." Daisy sneered. "How could the Regent of the Celestial Empire, who can lead a large army and wield great power, be a young man? Father, do you think I'm stupid?"

As she was speaking, suddenly the sound of drums and music rang out from the city, followed by shouts, and then the city gates were opened wide.

Seeing this, Nali Xuan quickly gestured for her daughter to be quiet, then immediately jumped off her horse and had her daughter and Prince Mangluo also dismount from the elephant, waiting respectfully at the city gate.

A large group of Siamese warriors prostrated themselves on their knees.

Immediately afterwards, a large group of Ming soldiers in bright armor appeared on the city wall, escorting the honor guard.

Zhu Yin, dressed in the magnificent armor of a Ming Dynasty prince, led his generals out to greet him with a swaggering gait, his smile as radiant as the sun in the sky.

This esteemed figure from the Celestial Empire was as warm and familiar as an old friend at that moment.

"King Narixuan!" Zhu Yin chuckled, "You must be tired from your long journey! Please come into the city!"

He doesn't speak Siamese; he speaks Chinese.

Naresuan quickly adjusted her crown and knelt down, saying, "The King of Siam pays respects to His Highness the Regent! May Buddha bless His Highness!"

He didn't speak Chinese, but rather Siamese. However, he knew that the incredibly young and important figure before him was the Regent Zhu Yin, and that Zhu Yin was welcoming him.

He hadn't expected that Zhu Yin would personally come out to greet him.

This made him feel somewhat flattered.

As soon as Naresuan finished speaking, a refined-looking Siamese nobleman beside him bowed deeply to Zhu Yin and said in fluent Mandarin:

"Your Highness, the Regent, my king pays his respects and prays for the Buddha's blessing upon you."

Then, the translator said to the King of Siam, "Your Majesty, His Highness the Regent welcomes you and says that you have had a long journey. Please come into the city!"

Then, the Siamese nobleman bowed to Zhu Yin again:
"Your Highness, Regent of the Celestial Empire, I am Phiya, and I once had the privilege of studying at the Imperial Academy of the Celestial Empire. Now, by the order of my Lord, King Naresuan of Siam, I serve as your interpreter. My Lord says..."

The interpreter paused briefly, listened intently to a short, rhythmic sentence spoken by Naresuan in Siam, and then relayed it:

"To see the Regent of the Celestial Empire is like seeing the sun and moon in the clouds. The victory of the Celestial Empire in Burma is the punishment of the disloyal and rebellious by the Celestial Empire's army, and the whole nation of Siam rejoices over it."

The Ming Dynasty's Bureau of Foreign Languages ​​trained many translators who were fluent in dozens of languages. This Siamese nobleman spent several years at the Bureau of Foreign Languages.

While the interpreter spoke, Naresuan kept her eyes respectfully on Zhu Yin and, in accordance with the etiquette of Siamese audiences with superiors, clasped her hands together in front of her chest and nodded slightly.

His Siamese was spoken in a steady tone, with the composure of a king, yet revealing ample respect.

When he met Zhu Yin, he was immediately captivated by Zhu Yin's demeanor and bearing.

The Regent of the Ming Dynasty truly lives up to his reputation; he is indeed a dragon among men, a celestial being of the superior nation!
Putting everything else aside, the regent's demeanor and bearing were unlike anything he had ever seen before.

Princess Dewi of Siam, who was prostrate behind him, couldn't help but freeze when she stole a glance at Zhu Yin.

Huh? The Regent of the Ming Dynasty is really that young? This… although he looks very imposing and noble, he doesn’t seem to be much older than me!

Furthermore, he is not an old man at all, but rather very handsome!
So, my father wasn't lying to me this time.

Zhu Yin was a top-notch spy with a keen sense of perception. He immediately noticed a gaze scrutinizing him, a gaze that was rather bold.

Zhu Yin caught the girl's curious and surprised gaze with a quick glance, only to see the Siamese girl's eyes darting away like a deer.

Princess Devi's heart pounded when she realized she had been spied on. That one glance from the other person seemed to have seen right through her, leaving her both flustered and ashamed.

Zhu Yin paid no attention to the Siamese princess. He listened to the translation with a smile, quite pleased with the Siamese king's respectful demeanor. He returned the greeting with clasped hands:

"Your Highness has come from afar; you must be tired. Please come into the city for a chat."

After listening to the translation, Narixuan once again clasped her hands in greeting and said through the interpreter, "Your Majesty, please go first, I will follow. However, please allow me to introduce two people."

"Dewi, Prince Mangluo, why haven't you paid your respects to the Regent yet?"

Upon hearing this, Mangluo quickly prostrated himself forward and respectfully bowed, saying, "I am Mangluo, an unlucky person of the Burmese royal family, paying my respects to Your Highness the Regent!"

Zhu Yin narrowed his eyes, looking down at Mang Luo with a deep and unfathomable gaze.

Is this the prince who fled to Siam? Very good, a rare find. Naresuan is very sensible.

Before Zhu Yin could speak, Princess Daiwei, her face flushed with embarrassment, bowed and said in a trembling voice:

"Princess Dewi of the Lower Kingdom greets His Highness the Regent of the Upper Kingdom..."

Her figure was graceful, her steps light and lithe, and the sound of her anklets was clear and melodious. She was like a blue lotus, or perhaps a flying apsara descending from a Buddhist painting in Ayutthaya Palace!
Zhu Yin chuckled inwardly upon seeing this.

Ha ha.

Is this the Siamese princess? Tiger Tooth's intelligence was indeed correct; Naresuan really did bring her daughter.

Are you planning to use your beauty to seduce someone?
The problem is, I've read the Spring and Autumn Annals!

……

P.S.: That's all for today, thank you, goodnight! Don't rush! Please vote. The little tiger is reading the *Spring and Autumn Annals*.

(End of this chapter)