Di Ming

Chapter 493 "Issue the imperial decree! Qi Jiguang is old and incompetent; he is hereby dismissed from office!"

Suddenly, the Ming army's cannons fired simultaneously from their high ground, causing chaos and heavy casualties among the Burmese vanguard who were preparing for the attack!
"Ah—" Amidst the screams of the Burmese soldiers, ricocheting shells cleaved through the dense crowd, leaving trails of blood and gore wherever they went.

The Ming army's unique explosive shells and grape shells relentlessly reaped the lives of the Burmese army, unleashing a barrage of metallic thunderbolts that left them with heavy casualties.

In this single, devastating artillery barrage, the Burmese army suffered seven or eight hundred casualties, inflicting a major loss right from the start!

"What! The Ming army's cannons can hit that far? And be that powerful? How is that possible!"

Mang Yingli and the others were greatly surprised to see this.

They had fought the Ming army for many years and had always held the initiative. Especially in recent years, after hiring foreigners and purchasing Western firearms, they had become even more dismissive of the Ming army's firearms.

The Ming army had a wide variety of firearms, and they were constantly being updated, but neither the power of their cannons nor the quality of their muskets could match the Western firearms they had purchased.

The advantage of firearms was one of the reasons why they dared to launch a northern expedition against the Ming Dynasty.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so careless in planning the siege of Gangaoshan City today.

But who would have thought that the Ming army's cannons today would actually shoot farther and be more powerful than Western cannons?

And the number is certainly not small.

In just one volley of fire, seven or eight hundred warriors from the Great White Elephant Kingdom were killed or wounded, and even several Western cannons were overturned!

"The vanguard must not retreat!" Mang Yingli issued another order. "The Ming army is reloading their ammunition; we will take this opportunity to attack the city!"

"The rear guard should retreat and create distance!"

At a command, the Burmese soldiers of the Ghost Ape Camp let out a chilling shout, crouched low, and sneaked into the dense forest on both sides of the pass, quickly approaching the Gan Gao Mountain City on the cliff.

"Ready—Fire!" At the same time, the Western officers waved their hands, and the Burmese army's cannons roared and fired, sending rock fragments flying from the fortress and making the entire valley tremble.

The Ming army defending the city also suffered casualties. Nearly a hundred Ming soldiers at the forefront of the city were either killed or wounded under the salvo of Western cannons.

Although the Western cannons were not as advanced as those produced in Daishan, both sides were actually muzzle-loading smoothbore cannons that fired black powder. There was a generational difference, but the difference in range and power was not significant.

As soon as any Ming soldier at the forefront was killed or wounded, Mao Wenlong immediately ordered reserve troops to replace them. At the same time, the wounded were immediately sent to the field medical station at the rear for treatment.

Thanks to Ning Qingchen's efforts, the Ming army now possesses the world's most advanced modern military medical system. Wounded soldiers receive timely treatment, and most survive unless their injuries are severe.

Even so, Mao Wenlong still dared not be careless in the slightest.

He only had 10,000 troops at his headquarters, and every death reduced his forces. The Burmese army, on the other hand, numbered over 200,000. Even though Gan Gao Mountain City was easy to defend and difficult to attack, holding it would be by no means easy.

Several bloody battles are definitely necessary. The gain or loss of Gangao Mountain City is crucial to the overall situation of the Ming Dynasty's war in Burma, and it must not be lost.

Mao Wenlong deployed his troops, but the fortress was too narrow to accommodate a large force. He could only move the artillery positions back to make room for soldiers, but even then, he could only deploy about three thousand men. The rest of the troops were kept as a reserve force to replace them at any time.

To facilitate rapid replacements, Mao Wenlong specially built several narrow passages with bricks and stones. Although this took up some space in the battle positions, it allowed for a more orderly and rapid replacement.

"General! The Burmese have climbed up from the jungle on both sides!" the subordinate reported. "Is this proceeding as planned?"

Mao Wenlong smiled faintly, "No rush, continue loading the cannons and bombarding, and use arrows to launch them. Once more enemy troops have climbed up, then proceed according to plan."

His subordinate cautioned, "Isn't it a bit risky to let more enemy troops climb up? What if they actually manage to get into the city..."

Mao Wenlong shook his head, his resolute and heroic face showing no hesitation. "There's no such thing as a foolproof war. Only those skilled in offense can defend well, and only those skilled in defense can attack well. Don't worry, even if they manage to climb up, we can still kill them in the city. Just do as we say!"

"Yes, sir!" The subordinate accepted the order and left.

At this time, the Burmese army's rear guard and artillery units also adjusted their positions. With the help of elephants, the heavy field artillery was easily pulled to the gentle slopes and high ground of the jungle on both sides—the best artillery positions for them. This not only raised their positions but also provided cover from the Ming army's shells.

The Ming army's cannons roared once more. But this time, the Burmese army had kept their distance and were prepared, so their casualties were minimal, with only a few dozen dead or wounded.

In particular, the dense jungle on both sides prevented the Ming army's shells from bouncing around, greatly reducing their lethality.

"Fire!" The Burmese artillery, which had been moved to the jungle highlands on both sides, also fired under the command of the Western officers.

"They've made it up!" Mang Yingli and the others saw that at least three thousand Ghost Ape Soldiers had successfully climbed the rocky cliff, and a large, densely packed group was about to scale the city wall, while the Ming army's arrows were unable to stop them from getting closer.

These ghost ape soldiers are truly formidable, befitting the foundation upon which the Su clan of the Shan people rely. They are as agile as apes and as strong as ghosts, carrying curved swords on their backs and shields in one hand while climbing, leaping and darting between rocks using vines!

Most of the Ming army's arrows were blocked by their shields.

"It was the Buddha who bestowed upon them power!" said the Venerable Zhiguang, "Like fearless Yaksha soldiers (Hinayana Vajrasattvas), they are about to vanquish demons and monsters!"

"Victory is certain!" the Burmese generals shouted in unison, their expressions radiant with excitement.

Suren, the leader of the Ghost Ape Camp, also felt very honored. His warriors had made such a spectacle in front of the army, enhancing the prestige of the Su clan and making him very proud.

However, at that moment, a large amount of black liquid suddenly poured out from the rock walls on both sides!

On the city wall, five hundred Ming soldiers were carrying wooden buckets and pouring barrels of kerosene down the wall.

At this very moment, the Western cannons had just fired and were now being reloaded with gunpowder.

Taking advantage of this moment, Mao Wenlong suddenly ordered the pouring of kerosene.

"Oh no!" Colonel Guter exclaimed in alarm, "That's oil!"

"Oil!" The Burmese king's expression changed drastically. "This is a Ming army plot! Withdraw! Withdraw!"

But is it too late?
Before the Burmese king could finish speaking, a dazzling flash of fire suddenly appeared on the rock face, followed by a loud "boom" of explosion.

In an instant, the rock walls on both sides burst into flames, and thousands of ghost ape soldiers climbing the rock walls were instantly engulfed in the sudden inferno.

Oil is highly flammable, and since the ghost ape soldiers wore oil-soaked rattan armor, which was also highly flammable, it was immediately ignited.

"Ah—" The screams of thousands echoed through the valley, accompanied by the sound of people falling off the cliff, a truly horrifying sound.

More than three thousand ghost ape soldiers who had already climbed the rock wall were engulfed by flames and met with annihilation!
The burning ghost ape soldiers fell like raindrops, resembling a meteor shower.

"Hahaha!" The Ming soldiers on the city wall laughed heartily at the sight of such a magnificent scene.

The subordinate flattered Mao Wenlong, saying with a smile, "General, today you burned the rattan armor soldiers, killing thousands of enemy soldiers in one fire. You are truly a reincarnation of Zhuge Liang!"

Looking at the raging fire on the rock face and listening to the earth-shattering screams, Mao Wenlong said without changing his expression:

"It's just a trivial trick of copying others' ideas. What does it amount to? How can it compare to Zhuge Liang? The real battle is yet to come. Don't be too happy."

King Mangyeong of Burma and his entourage were all stunned.

The Burmese army seemed to have been collectively silenced, remaining completely still and speechless as they stared dumbfounded at the sea of ​​fire on the rock face and the falling ghost ape soldiers.

The Burmese army's warhorses and elephants, however, were terrified. They had been trained and were accustomed to the roar of firearms, but they were still afraid of the fire.

As the flames on the entire rock wall gradually died down, it turned into a huge, red-hot rock, radiating intense heat and billowing smoke.

A strong and eerie aroma of roasted meat, mixed with an indescribable stench, filled the entire valley, making people feel nauseous!
"Ah!" Suddenly, Suren cried out, his eyes wide with rage, stamping his feet and pounding his chest as he wailed, "My Ghost Ape Camp! I am in so much pain! I am in so much pain!"

After saying that, everything went black and he fell backward!
"Your Majesty!" The Su family retainers rushed forward, supporting Su Lun as he swayed.

No wonder Suren fainted from heartache; that insidious and vicious fire burned at least three thousand ghost ape soldiers to death!

It cost us a fortune!
The monks in the army, including the Sangharaja, were all ashen-faced as they sat down together to perform rituals and chant sutras to help the souls of those who had been burned to death.

The Burmese king stared at the still-smoking rock wall with a livid face, smelling a nauseating and eerie fragrance, his hand gripping the knife with bulging veins!

He stared intently at the figure of the Ming general on the city wall, his killing intent almost tangible.

A crushing defeat in the first battle!

In such a short time, they have already lost three or four thousand soldiers!

However, if he does not capture Gangaoshan City, he will have to take a long detour to enter the pass. When will he be able to return to the capital?
After a long while, he exhaled a heavy breath and ordered in a chilling tone: "Continue the attack! Attack from the northern slope. I don't believe they can pull this trick a few more times!"

The Burmese army has extremely strict military discipline; once an order is given, there is no turning back. Those who are cowardly will be cursed by Buddhist teachings and condemned to hell, never to be reborn.

Soon, the Burmese army launched another attack, but changed their position, abandoning the eastern cliff and instead attacking the steep northern slope. There, the drop was greater and the valley deeper, making fire attacks less effective for the Ming army.

"Kill!" Thousands of Burmese soldiers launched an uphill attack, while Burmese artillery on the high slopes on both sides roared.

The real battle has finally begun.

At the very front were thousands of Yaksha soldiers wearing consecrated Buddhist beads and swastika armor. They were warriors who had been baptized with Buddhist teachings and would surely enter the Western Paradise and be bathed in the Ten Great Lights if they died gloriously in battle.

In Theravada Buddhism, Yakshas are not evil spirits, but rather righteous guardian deities, which are the Vajras of Mahayana Buddhism.

These "Yaksha soldiers," who are fearless after being "enlightened," number as many as 20,000 in the Burmese army. They all belong to the "Royal Army (Imperial Guard)" and are one of the elite forces of the Burmese army. They are most skilled in close combat and have made numerous military achievements since the founding of Toungoo. They are extremely brave and good at fighting.

Thousands of Yaksha soldiers served as the vanguard of the attack, followed by a large contingent of musketeers, carrying matchlock guns, who slowly climbed up the hill.

Although they were Burmese, they had been trained for several years by Western instructors and used Western drill commands, making them highly disciplined. This drill manual had only been around in the West for less than ten years.

They would not fire their muskets unless the target was within effective firing range. The Western instructors, crouching low and holding swords, followed behind, shouting slogans to maintain order. Portuguese, Spanish, Italian, and Dutch rang out in rapid succession.

In reality, the Burmese army's most formidable forces are war elephants and musketeer cavalry, but this hillside is too steep, rendering the war elephants and cavalry useless.

Seeing the enemy's fierce advance, Mao Wenlong immediately transferred the only two thousand soldiers in the entire army equipped with Daishan firearms to the north for defense.

All the archers were also transferred there.

"kill!"

"Bang bang bang! Boom boom—"

"Whoosh whoosh!"

The Ming army rained down musket pellets, cannonballs, and arrows, causing the approaching Yaksha soldiers to fall like soldiers and horses.

But the Yaksha soldiers were indeed fearless and utterly undaunted by death; some even smiled before they were killed.

Their poisoned arrows rained down like raindrops; those arrows, coated with various deadly poisons, could easily kill even a tiny scratch.

The Ming soldiers on the fortress, though seasoned veterans, screamed in agony as they were struck by arrows. The Burmese army's poisoned arrows were soaked in highly venomous substances unique to Burma, such as scorpion seeds and cone snails. The wounds caused excruciating pain, akin to torture, as if the flesh were being corroded.

Even Ning Qingchen's medicine could hardly stop the excruciating pain.

Fortunately, the Ming army was well-armored, and not many soldiers were hit by arrows.

Mao Wenlong calmly responded and commanded with composure, ordering the archers to fire densely to cover the firearmsmen. Then, behind the protective formation, he deployed shield wagons, with spearmen and swordsmen behind them.

"Bang bang bang—" The Ming army's muskets inflicted heavy casualties on the Yaksha soldiers, once again shocking Mang Yingli and the others.

The Ming army's firearms were so sharp!
Western cannons and muskets are no match for the Ming army today?
This fact is difficult for not only the Burmese to accept, but also for the Western instructors and mercenaries.

Fortunately, the Ming army didn't seem to have many of those powerful firearms, and the Yaksha soldiers were indeed fearless, so their attack continued.

When the Yaksha soldiers, having suffered heavy casualties, reached the battlements, Mao Wenlong immediately withdrew his firearms troops. Shield wagons then moved forward, followed by a large contingent of spearmen and swordsmen. At the forefront were a thousand heavily armored infantrymen, meticulously trained by Mao Wenlong. All were elite troops from the Nine Garrisons, clad in fine heavy padded armor over iron armor—two layers of armor weighing over forty pounds each—and wearing face shields. They wielded tiger-spears, maces, longswords, and other weapons, making them an unstoppable force.

"Kill!" A thousand heavily armored infantrymen pressed down from their high ground, blocking the Yaksha soldiers who were climbing up.

The moment the two sides met, a bloody battle ensued. The formidable Yaksha soldiers, encountering the impenetrable Ming heavy infantry, could no longer advance.

"Pfft! Pfft!" Large numbers of Yaksha soldiers were killed, but the Ming army's casualties were less than half.

The incredibly fierce hand-to-hand combat left the Burmese king and his officials watching from below the mountain terrified.

Even though the Yaksha soldiers were fighting hand-to-hand, they still couldn't break through!
The Burmese army's musketeers followed behind, but were unable to fire because their view was blocked by the Yaksha army.

When the Yaksha army at the front suffered heavy casualties and the ranks became very sparse, just as the Burmese musketeers were about to fire, a series of urgent whistles sounded from the fortress. The Ming heavy infantry who had just been fighting in close combat suddenly retreated, and a large group of Ming firearms soldiers reappeared in front of the fortress.

"Bang bang bang—boom boom boom!"

The two sides' firearms soldiers were only twenty paces apart, yet they were fighting face-to-face, as if they were being executed in a line.

With the city walls providing protection and the high ground offering a commanding view, the Ming army's firearms, manufactured in Daishan, were of superior quality and rate of fire, immediately overwhelming the Burmese firearms troops.

Amidst the billowing smoke, the roar of muskets shook the mountains, accompanied by the screams and cries of those wounded.

Large numbers of Burmese artillerymen were killed. However, the Ming soldiers on the city walls also suffered heavy casualties. At such close range, ordinary armor could not stop bullets.

Mao Wenlong's Ming army was not the Jinghai Army. Among them were two thousand firearms soldiers who had only been equipped with Daishan firearms for a few months; before that, they were infantry, not firearms soldiers.

The Burmese army's firearms soldiers, however, had trained in firearms for several years and were more familiar with firearm tactics. Unfortunately, the loading speed of the Western-style matchlock musket was not as fast as that of the Daishan-made musket.

With the Ming army holding a significant geographical advantage, the Burmese musketeers suffered heavy losses. In reality, how could musketeers possibly scale the city walls?

The vanguard of several thousand Yaksha soldiers was almost entirely wiped out.

After several rounds of firing, Mang Yingli finally ordered a halt to the attack and retreated.

The Burmese army's second attack, which resulted in thousands of casualties, failed once again.

The Ming army suffered over a thousand casualties, but they were still able to hold out.

"May the Great Ming be victorious!" Cheers from the Ming army echoed from the fortress once more.

Mang Yingli looked at the wailing wounded soldiers and the Ming army with its high morale, his face extremely gloomy.

But they could only look at the pass with longing.

The Ming army's strength and the effectiveness of their firearms greatly exceeded his expectations. Taking this pass would likely come at a heavy price!

"Your Majesty!"

The wise man, the king's uncle, and the Marquis of Bimbisara advised, "Let's give up the attack on Gangao Pass. We've already lost six or seven thousand men in just half a day! If we continue to waste time here, even if we manage to take it, we'll suffer heavy losses and our morale will be low."

"No!" Mang Yingli roared. "It is precisely because of the six or seven thousand casualties that I must continue the fight!"

"Order the troops from the wagon to attack again!"

The Burmese military commanders dared not offer any further advice, lest they anger the king.

They then launched several more attacks, and by the afternoon of the following day, the Burmese army had suffered thousands more casualties, but still could not capture Gangao Pass.

In just two days, the Myanmar army suffered over 10,000 casualties at the foot of the pass!

Although the Ming army was the defending side, it also suffered two thousand casualties.

"Your Majesty!" Deda knelt down, "We cannot linger here any longer. To take this pass, we fear it will be several more days of fierce fighting, and tens of thousands more casualties!"

"It's not worth it!"

"Even if we capture it in a few days, we can't recover from such heavy losses! And even if we do capture it, where will we find the strength to fight Zhu Yin in a decisive battle?"

The generals also knelt down and begged to abandon the attack on Gangao Pass.

It wasn't that they thought it was impossible to take, but rather that they thought the cost was too high and not worth it. To risk tens of thousands of casualties and expend precious morale just to gain control of Gangao Pass?

That's not worth it at all!

Looking at the Ming army flags on the city wall, Mang Yingli finally sighed.

"Alright. Let's bypass Gangao Pass, head north to Myitkyina, and then requisition ships and provisions to travel south down the Yangtze River."

Left with no other choice, the Burmese king weighed his options and had no choice but to abandon the Ganga Pass and march northward along the western edge of the Shan Plateau.

...

Watching the Burmese army head north, Mao Wenlong breathed a sigh of relief.

Having lived up to his lord's expectations, he finally managed to defend Gangao Pass.

There are still many methods that we haven't had the chance to use.

The news that the Burmese army had abandoned its attack on Gangao Pass and instead headed north to take a detour was sent to Zhu Yin that very evening.

Zhu Yin burst into laughter upon receiving the report.

"Mao Wenlong is truly a military talent!"

"Gentlemen, Mang Yingli is now in our trap! By next month at the latest, our army will have defeated the enemy!"

……

In mid-March, Beijing was bathed in the bright sunshine of spring.

Finally, some rare good news has arrived these past few days.

After the military commissioner and general Zheng Guowang led his troops, he defeated the vanguard of the Chahar King, numbering over 10,000 cavalry, at Yehuling and occupied the strategic location of Yehuling.

Wild Fox Ridge, a broken section of the Yinshan Mountain's ridge, is as if cleaved by a heavenly axe, cutting off the north and south of the desert. It is described as "leaning against the remaining veins of the Yinshan Mountains to the north, overlooking the plains of Youyan to the south, with sheer cliffs rising thousands of feet, like a heavenly gate falling down."

The Sanggan River (Yongding River) originates here, and like a pot pouring water into Youji, grain can be transported directly from the capital by water.

Zheng Guowang deployed troops at Yehuling, establishing it as the central headquarters. He commanded 200,000 troops from the left, center, and right wings, positioning them precisely between the left and right wing Mongols, making it difficult for Chahar Khan and San Niangzi's armies to coordinate their forces from the east and west.

The move to occupy Yehuling was extremely clever. Zheng Guowang's presence at Yehuling immediately deterred the hundreds of thousands of Mongol cavalry on the left wing from attacking Jizhou, and the hundreds of thousands of Mongol cavalry on the right wing from attacking Datong.

The safety of the capital region can finally be temporarily relieved. Otherwise, with over 200,000 Mongol cavalrymen on both the left and right wings hanging over our heads, a breach of the pass would be a second Jingkang Incident!
When the imperial court received news that Zheng Guowang had occupied Yehuling, all the officials breathed a sigh of relief.

Consort Zheng's mood improved considerably.

These days, the fourth brother is also in charge of "suppressing Buddhism," sending troops to confiscate the gold and silver properties of many large temples. Shaolin Temple was even forced to rebel with 1,200 monks.

In the end, they were still suppressed by the fourth brother's subordinates.

In just two months, the fourth brother confiscated more than ten million taels of gold and silver from temples in the north, as well as millions of acres of farmland, making the national treasury extremely wealthy!

Fourth brother really knows how to do things.

Consort Zheng ignored the monks who had lost their temples and wealth and cursed her fourth brother and the court. She simply issued an edict to confer the title of Duke of Lu upon her fourth brother, Zheng Guowang!
Zheng Guowang was suddenly promoted from Earl to Duke of Lu. The ministers wanted to oppose it, but at this critical moment for the country, they could only grit their teeth and accept it, and could not submit a memorial to oppose it, lest it affect the overall situation.

Just as Consort Zheng issued an edict bestowing the title of Duke of Lu upon her "fourth brother," Gao Cai, who was on duty at the Western Garden, came to report that His Majesty was requesting news of the victory in the south.

This was the third time in a month that the emperor had urged for news of victory from the south. The emperor always asked: "Why hasn't Nanjing fallen yet? What is Qi Jiguang doing?"
Consort Zheng was immediately in a dilemma.

There was no news of victory in the south. But the emperor kept inquiring about the war in the south, and they couldn't just keep delaying.

"Well then," Consort Zheng said with a wry smile, "That traitor Zhu Yin, didn't he lead his army to fight in Burma? Regardless, it's true that he went to Burma, isn't it?"

Gao Cai understood. "Your Majesty means to tell Grandpa that the traitor Zhu Yin fled to Burma? That makes sense, isn't Zhu Yin in Burma? Your Majesty is truly brilliant!"

Consort Zheng sighed, "Things have come to this point, we can only keep it a secret for as long as possible. None of us can turn back, we're all in the same boat."

Gao Cai also looked mournful. "Then we can only try to make Grandpa happy again. This servant will forge a victory report, saying that Nanjing has been recovered, but unfortunately Zhu Yin has fled to Burma."

Ministers such as Wang Xijue and Zhang Wei, upon hearing this, all closed their eyes, their faces burning with embarrassment.

How embarrassing! How embarrassing!

What kind of talk is this? Zhu Yin clearly led his army to fight in Burma, but ended up fleeing to Burma.

But the Imperial Concubine is right, Zhu Yin is in Burma, not Nanjing!

……

West Garden, Taiye Pond, Guanghan Palace.

The Wanli Emperor was obese and sensitive to heat, and in recent years, his frequent use of aphrodisiacs had exacerbated this. As soon as the weather warmed up, he moved his residence to the Guanghan Palace.

After eight months of recuperation and delegating power, he actually explored the entire West Garden and found himself increasingly more comfortable than in the Qianqing Palace.

On this day, while the Emperor of the Great Ming Dynasty was having an intimate encounter with a beautiful woman in the Guanghan Palace, Gao Cai finally delivered the good news.

"Grandpa, overjoyed! Overjoyed!"

"Qi Jiguang has captured Nanjing, and Nanjing has finally been recovered!"

"Oh?" The emperor's fat body suddenly became agile. He jumped off the dragon bed, his chubby feet bare, and snatched the victory report.

Immediately, a look of joy appeared on his round, chubby face.

"Good! Nanjing, the only city occupied by the rebels, has also been recaptured! It took several months of fighting, it wasn't easy."

But just as a look of joy appeared, his expression suddenly darkened again. "Those two traitors, Zhu Yin and Chang Luo, haven't been captured. Have they escaped to Burma?"

Gao Cai looked down at his toes. "The report says that Zhu Yin is in Burma, that's for sure."

"What did Qi Jiguang do!" the emperor sneered. "How could he let the bandit leader escape? And even flee to Burma? This means the bandit leader is on the run, and the mission was not accomplished!"

"Qi Jiguang's efforts in troop deployment and expenditure of funds were in vain, and he left behind a legacy of trouble. How can he be worthy of the title of a famous general? Whether the recapture of Nanjing was a merit or a crime is debatable! Even if it was a merit, whether I approve it or not is also debatable."

"Issue the imperial decree! Qi Jiguang is old and incompetent; he is hereby dismissed from office! The proposal to confer a title upon him is abandoned!"

"Hmph, he wants to be ennobled, but he'll have to be lucky enough!"

Gao Cai's expression was strange. He tried his best to control his expression and bowed, saying, "Yes, Your Majesty!"

...

P.S.: This is a long chapter of nearly 7,000 words, please vote with your monthly tickets! Thank you, goodnight!

(End of this chapter)