Di Ming

Chapter 495 Zhu Zhihu traps the enemy in Moluo Town, Zheng Yueying lures the enemy to Yehu Ridge.

April 10th. Morro Town.

Zhu Yin led his army and had been stationed in Molo Township for several days. He set up camp on the high ground north of the town, occupying the strategic advantage of Molo Township and almost completely blocking the Shan Plateau.

April in Myanmar was already very hot. The 100,000 Ming troops stationed in Moloh were finding it increasingly difficult to endure the heat.

However, the most difficult time was for the Burmese army that had just arrived in Moloh town!
During this period, the Burmese army was blocked from entering the country by the Gangao Pass and Jiangxinpo, which were guarded by Mao Wenlong and Siyuan. They lost tens of thousands of troops but failed to open up the road. They could only go north first and then south, traveling more than a thousand miles back and forth, which took more than half a month. In the end, they had no choice but to go through Molo Town.

At this time, the Burmese army was in an extremely unfavorable situation due to Zhu Yin's open scheme: they had been marching for a month and were exhausted, their morale was low, and their food supplies were running low, so they needed to be replenished in time.

Even more critically, they were situated at a lower elevation in Molo Town, while the Ming army held a higher position. To attack the Ming army, they had to climb the slope, while the Ming army could easily swoop down to attack them. Although the elevation difference between north and south wasn't significant, it was enough to completely negate their geographical advantage!
Molo town is only ten miles wide, with swamps stretching for hundreds of miles on both sides, and the passage to the south is occupied by the Ming army camp. Advancing would mean a direct assault on the Ming camp. Retreating would mean retreating back to the Shan Plateau.

They were trapped in the strategic town of Morlo, with no way to advance or retreat!

From the perspective of the Myanmar military, the most urgent task is to return to the Irrawaddy Plain, the richest region in Myanmar, as soon as possible to replenish food and military supplies.

But now, they are trapped in Moro town by the Ming army and can only return to the Irrawaddy plain by defeating the Ming army.

Mang Yingli could only set up camp at the mountain pass, facing off against the Ming army from the north and south.

At the same time, he sent people across mountains and valleys to deliver messages to various parts of the country, ordering the officials of each region not to recognize Mangluo, the false king, but to continue to be loyal to him and to recruit troops to come to the aid of the king.

On the other hand, he boosted the morale of the Burmese army, explaining that the Ming army was outnumbered and his own forces were numerous and powerful. He also said that the Vietnamese army would arrive soon, and the Ming army would be attacked from both sides, inevitably leading to defeat.

Uncle Wang and the wise Deda Duo advised the Burmese king that it would be best to rest for a few days, allowing the soldiers to recover their strength while awaiting news from the Vietnamese army. Although they had more troops, they were at a significant disadvantage in terms of terrain and should not launch a rash attack that could demoralize the enemy.

The Burmese king adopted Deda's advice and ordered the troops to rest in place for five days, strictly guard the camp, and not to launch an attack.

The two armies claimed to be in a stalemate, but the truth is that the Burmese army, despite its numerical superiority, was trapped in Molo town by the Ming army!
……

The Ming army camp, located only five miles from the Burmese army camp, was imposing and solemn.

The Ming army had 100,000 troops here, far fewer than the Burmese army opposite. However, the camp was set up in a way that was far more magnificent than the Burmese army of 180,000, like a great city that had sprung up out of nowhere.

A tall banner with a crescent moon, a red sun, stars, and dragons fluttered in the sky above the camp.

Inside the Ming army camp, large cauldrons were everywhere, brewing medicine prepared by the Holy Mother of Cleansing Dust, specifically for preventing malaria in the tropical rainforest. Military doctors patrolled everywhere, strictly supervising the soldiers of each battalion to follow the "Field Health Military Regulations".

Occasionally, the sounds of horns and drums, unique to the northern (Ming Dynasty), would drift out, accompanied by the high-pitched and desolate Qinqiang opera of the Shaanxi soldiers and the low and mournful Noh singing of the Japanese Ming soldiers. This gave the Ming army camp a grand and profound exotic feel in the eyes of the Burmese army.

Especially the thousand Western mercenaries in the Burmese army, upon hearing the sounds coming from the Ming army camp, not only felt fear but also couldn't help but think of their distant homeland, of the candlelight and bagpipes at dusk there. Colonel Gutt's eyes welled up with tears, and he suddenly looked westward: Can I ever return to my homeland of Genoa?
The Burmese nobles, including Mang Yingli, looked somewhat bewildered. Despite having fought against the Ming army for many years, it seemed that only today were they truly getting to know and understand the Ming army.

In Myanmar's historical memory, the Northern Kingdom was a powerful and sacred empire, an invincible celestial dynasty. For thousands of years, starting from Kongming City, they have been filled with awe and longing for the Central Plains dynasties.

For decades, they had heard of the Japanese pirates ravaging China, ravaging the coast, and remaining unquenched for years, while the Mongols had even besieged Beijing. When the envoys brought back these reports, their impression of the Celestial Empire was shattered: the Chinese were weak and incompetent, and the northern kingdom was large but useless—it was all just a facade!

Yes, that's all!

Thus, starting with the late King Mang Yinglong, they no longer paid respects to the emperor, no longer revered the Ming Dynasty, and even launched repeated military campaigns against the Three Xuan and Six Wei states, which were subordinate to the Ming Dynasty, encroaching upon and annexing their territories, and destroying twelve states in succession!
The mighty Ming Dynasty was helpless in the face of this, and could only respond passively, eventually retreating to the Eight Passes.

This led them to increasingly underestimate the Ming Dynasty. Especially after purchasing large quantities of powerful Western firearms, they even believed they could launch a northern expedition against the Ming and occupy Yunnan and Guizhou!
But today, the Ming army has actually launched a long-distance expedition by sea, sweeping across the country, occupying the three capitals, and confronting them in Molu Town with a powerful and imposing force.

Only now did they suddenly realize: they didn't understand the Northern Kingdom at all!
It seems that the innate awe of the northern lands has been reawakened. From the king down to the soldiers, the Burmese army no longer shows the same disdain for the Ming Dynasty army as before.

Mang Yingli turned his gaze away from the imposing Ming army, exhaled a breath of stale air, and gave the order in a hoarse voice:

"Issue my military order: once the Ming army is defeated, every warrior will be rewarded with slaves, gold, silver, land, and promoted!"

"Members of the Golden Umbrella Clan in the military can be promoted to descendants of the White Elephant King after meritorious service!"

"The lowest of the low can be promoted to taxpayers! Taxpayers can be promoted to Akhmudan! Akhmudan can be promoted to Gayu!"

The Venerable Master Zhiguang proclaimed loudly:

"Only those who bravely vanquish demons and defend the righteous path are the Buddha's radiant demons in the human world, capable of facing death to be reborn and returning to the blissful Western Paradise. Those who live out of cowardice bear indelible sins and will forever be condemned to the deepest hell! Tell the warriors, let them choose for themselves!"

This encouragement boosted the morale of the Burmese army once again.

Deda came to the Burmese king's side and said, "Your Majesty, the northerners cannot endure the rainy season in the south. If this rain continues, the northerners will fall ill and suffer from epidemics, and chaos will break out without a fight!"

Mang Yingli frowned and said, "Uncle Wang is right, but it's not the rainy season yet. It will be at least another half a month, but our army's food supplies can only last for half a month."

“This old minister has an idea,” Dedado said. “Slaughter most of the mules, horses, and elephants in the army and salt them. This will provide a lot more meat and reduce the number of mules, horses, and elephants that need fodder. The army’s rations will last for two months!”

"A month later, the Burmese rainy season will be shrouded in mist and miasma, with poisonous fog and rampant insects. The Northern army will inevitably suffer from acclimatization problems, rampant disease, and demoralized troops. At that time, our army will be able to decisively defeat the enemy!"

Mang Yingli shook his head, "When the rainy season comes, the gunpowder in the army will get damp, and my 30,000 firearms soldiers will be of little use. The rainy season is bad for the Northern Army, but it is also bad for my firearms soldiers!"

Dedado smiled wryly and said, "Your Majesty, don't forget that the Northern Army also has many firearms. When the rainy season comes, our firearms will certainly be difficult to use, but will the Northern Army's firearms be any better? Aren't their firearms also affected?"

Mang Yingli looked displeased. "Do the Northern Army have as many firearms as I do? I have 30,000 firearms troops and 1,000 Western mercenaries! The Northern Army's firearms troops number at most 10,000. Who is at a greater disadvantage? Who is more at a disadvantage?"

"Besides, if we wait until after the rainy season to fight, the country will already be under Mangluo's control. Wouldn't that just give him time to consolidate his throne?"

Mang Yingli was eager for a decisive battle and didn't want to wait at all.

Every day he waits, Mangluo can sit on the throne for another day, and the situation in the country becomes more and more unfavorable to him. He must go back as soon as possible to destroy Mangluo and reclaim the three capitals.

Deda sighed, knowing that Mang Yingli was always stubborn and would never accept his suggestion, so he could only settle for second best and said:

"Even if Your Majesty is unwilling to wait for the rainy season, you should wait until the Vietnamese army arrives in Burma. Once the Vietnamese army arrives, they can tie down Naresuan's Siamese troops and threaten the Ming army's rear, allowing our army to confidently engage the Ming army in a decisive battle."

Mang Yingli nodded and did not object further: "Then let's wait another seven or eight days until the Vietnamese army enters Burma, and then we will have a decisive battle with the Ming army! I can only wait eight days at most, no more!"

Dedado offered another suggestion: "Your Majesty, since we have to wait seven or eight days, our army cannot just wait idly during these seven or eight days. Besides resting, we must find something to do. This old minister suggests that we send troops to take turns felling large trees and killing crocodiles, and build a pontoon bridge in the western swamp. What does Your Majesty think?"

Mang Yingli thought it made a lot of sense and immediately ordered it to be done.

……

Over the next two days, the Burmese army set up barricades and dug horse traps in front of the camp to prevent Ming cavalry from charging down.

The Burmese army is also engaged in large-scale logging in the mountains behind them and hunting crocodiles in the swamps, with the intention of building a pontoon bridge in the swamps to the west as a means of retreat.

Upon receiving the report, Zhu Yin's expression darkened.

“The Burmese army has a lot of troops, and there is plenty of timber in the mountains behind. I’m afraid they can build a hundred-mile-long pontoon bridge in the swamp in no more than half a month!”

Qin Liangyu said, "We can't let the Burmese army build the bridge at their leisure. But if we want to stop them..."

Zhu Yin looked at the map and pointed in the direction of Tautaman Lake. "Dig a ten-mile-long canal along the eastern bank of Tautaman Lake, bypassing Amarapura City and flowing into the swamp. In this way, the swamp will become a large pond, making it several times more difficult for the Burmese army to build a bridge!"

Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in approval. This project is not large; a few thousand soldiers could complete it in a day and a night.

While swamps are impassable for marching, constructing pontoon bridges is far easier than building them over ponds. With the swamps filled with lake water, it would be much more difficult for the Burmese army to build a hundred-mile-long pontoon bridge in such a short time.

Zhu Yin immediately ordered a general to lead three thousand Cuan soldiers to excavate the eastern dike of Lake Tautaman.

Two days later, the Burmese army, which was building a pontoon bridge in the swamp, suddenly saw white water surging upstream, like a flood. They had no choice but to abandon their mission of killing crocodiles and building the pontoon bridge and retreat back to their camp.

"Zhu Yin is a despicable man!" Mang Yingli cursed. "He only knows how to use such despicable and shameless methods. What kind of hero is he!" "What right does this treacherous rat have to be the regent of the Ming Dynasty!"

Left with no other choice, Mang Yingli had to stop building the pontoon bridge and prepare for a decisive battle with the Ming army.

In fact, the Burmese army was well aware that they were trapped in Molo town by the Ming army, which had the advantage of terrain!

……

Just as the Ming and Burmese forces were locked in a standoff at Molok town and a decisive battle was about to break out, an army of a foreign tribe also openly entered Burma!
At the mountain pass in eastern Myanmar, 100,000 Vietnamese troops surged into the Sittang River Valley southeast of Ava City like a dark iron torrent.

The allied forces that the Burmese king had been longing for have finally arrived!

The Vietnamese army set off from Thang Long, traveled up the Red River, crossed mountains and valleys, and took the route through Lan Xang, taking nearly a month – a testament to the swiftness of military operations.

The Vietnamese army was already familiar with jungle marching, and crossing mountains and valleys was just routine for them.

The Vietnamese army was quite impressive!

The vanguard consisted of elite soldiers wielding massive rattan shields and clad in oil-soaked rattan armor. Behind them stood a forest of spears interspersed with musketeers wielding imitations of Western weapons.

Amidst heavy footsteps and the bellowing of elephants, came five hundred heavily armored elephants, their crossbowmen atop the towers on the elephants' backs displaying fierce expressions.

In the jungle, mountain soldiers wearing straw hats, short clothes, and poison dart quivers advanced as if walking on flat ground.

Annam calls itself "Little China," and its flags are quite similar to those of the Central Plains. Various flags, painted with dragons, sun, and moon, flutter in the procession.

But what commanded their advance and retreat was not the bronze bells and war drums of the Central Plains, but the unique bronze gongs and bamboo clappers, which emitted sharp and penetrating sounds in the dense forest.

The Vietnamese commander, Trinh Tung, wore a magnificent dragon-patterned armor that was very similar to the imperial armor worn by the Wanli Emperor in Beijing, almost identical.

That's right, he overstepped his bounds, so what can you do about it?

Zheng Song's expression was gloomy, his gaze cold and unsettling. He stood high atop the lead elephant-drawn carriage, his eyes sweeping over the vast, advancing army, a sense of absolute control surging within him. He thought to himself:
"That fool Mang Yingli, does he think I'm here to protect his empire? How laughable."

The most powerful man in Annam seemed to have his gaze travel beyond the mountains, landing on the battlefield not far away:
"This is a golden opportunity... The Ming Dynasty is currently divided between the North and the South. We can take advantage of the Burmese territory, join forces with the Burmese army, and annihilate the main force of the Ming army. Once Zhu Yin is killed, the South will be shaken, and Guangdong and Guangxi will be within our grasp. At that time, it will not be a pipe dream for our Zheng family army to march north and occupy the area south of the Yangtze River!"

Thinking of this, he suddenly ordered: "Halt the advance and rest for a day!"

Crown Prince Zheng Zhicheng stepped forward, his young face filled with an eagerness to prove himself: "Father, the Burmese envoy has come again to urge us to advance..."

Zheng Song remained outwardly calm: "What's the rush? Let the Ming and Burmese shed more blood. When the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman will benefit."

He turned his head slightly and instructed his son:

“Wong’er, remember, the enemy of Da Yue is not just the Ming army in front of us. In this battle, we must not only win, but also use it to hone the skills of our army and prepare for the future northern expedition. Mang Yingli is just a stepping stone for us.”

He had already begun to plan his troops and scheme how to annihilate the Ming army that had dominated the southwest in this place.

He also has a hidden trump card, a trump card that could kill Zhu Yin!

"The top priority in this battle is to eliminate Zhu Yin." Zheng Song's tone was cold. "Our Zheng family previously refused Zhu Yin's marriage proposal and offended him terribly. If he wins, he will absolutely not let the Zheng family or Dayue off."

"Only by ensuring his defeat and death in Burma, preventing him from ever returning home, can we eliminate his threat to the Trinh family and Dai Viet."

"Zhu Yin must die in Burma." A sinister smile flashed across his lips.

Zheng Song didn't continue. He was a very cunning and calculating man, and even in front of his son, he wouldn't reveal all his plans.

Zheng Jian flattered, "Zhu Yin is a famous general of the Ming Dynasty and a regent, but he is destined to become a defeated general under my father and a tombstone in my Great Yue King's quest for hegemony."

Zheng Jian sensed that his father had some secret plan he hadn't told him. But knowing his father's temperament, he didn't dare to ask any further questions.

"Pass down the order," Zheng Song said calmly, with an unquestionable air of authority, "take advantage of the terrain and set up camp on high ground. Let the soldiers rest well."

He paused, looked northwest, and said, word by word, "Tomorrow, we will let the Ming army and the Siamese troops know that the Da Viet army has entered Burma."

Zheng Jian shouted loudly, "The army of Great Yue has entered Burma!"

Tens of thousands of Vietnamese soldiers shouted in unison: "The Great Viet army has entered Burma!"

Seeing that the army had marched a thousand miles yet remained spirited and high-spirited, Zheng Song felt even more exhilarated and filled with boundless pride. He couldn't help but burst into laughter:

"Zhu Yin! I have arrived! I have rejected your marriage proposal, which is a slap in the face to the Ming Dynasty. What can you do about it? What can you do about it!"

……

Just as the armies of Ming, Burma, Siam, and Vietnam were converging in Burma, and a major battle was about to break out, the Mongol army in the northern border region was also confronting the Ming army.

Yehu Ridge.

Hundreds of thousands of troops on both sides faced each other from afar, their fighting spirit soaring!

Most of the Mongol cavalry from all the tribes are here. Most of the Ming Dynasty's elite northern troops are also here.

Both the Ming and Mongol sides have staked most of their resources on this, and neither side can afford to lose!
General Zheng Guowang, the Duke of Lu and the Grand General Who Conquers the Barbarians, stood on the highest peak of Yehu Ridge, overlooking the surrounding grasslands, his eyes, like autumn waters, filled with desolation.

She is only twenty-seven years old this year, and her youthful appearance is still intact, but she already has a sense of having lived a long and arduous life.

Before my hair turns gray, my heart is already white!
Zheng Guowang had a neatly trimmed mustache and wore a bright red ducal armor. Her black cloak fluttered in the mountain wind, but she stood motionless beneath the ancient pine tree.

She used the tactic of stationing troops at Yefuling and using herself as bait to gather the entire Mongol army on both the left and right flanks into an area within a hundred miles of Yefuling, which was within half a day's reach for cavalry.

For the Mongols on both flanks, the Ming Dynasty's 200,000-strong army stationed at Yehuling was like a sword hanging between the two royal cities of Qingcheng and Baicheng.

Without dealing with the 200,000-strong main force of the Ming army at Yefuling, neither the left-wing Mongol cavalry, which followed Baicheng, nor the right-wing Mongol cavalry, which followed Qingcheng, could confidently attack the Great Wall.

Because the Ming army at Yefuling could raid their rear palace at any time and attack their elderly, weak, women and children.

Thus, the left and right wings of the Mongols, who were originally at odds with each other, actually took this opportunity to come to Yehuling together, which made it possible to resolve their conflicts and unite to move south.

Zheng Guowang's strategy was an open one. She seized upon the desire of the two Mongol flanks to reconcile their old alliances, making herself and her 200,000 troops the prey of the Mongol army, forcing the Mongols to gather and hunt her down.

The most skillful hunter is the one who is the prey.

Only in this way could she use defense as offense, attracting the swift and unpredictable Mongol cavalry, thus forcing the Mongols to stop their erratic movements and instead engage the Ming army in a decisive battle at Yefuling.

This is a gamble!
If she wins the gamble, she will repeat the achievements of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, seal the wolf's lair, completely eliminate the threat of the Mongol cavalry, and leave the nomadic tribes south of the Gobi Desert without a royal court.

She lost the gamble; her army was defeated and she died. The Great Wall could no longer be defended, and the Mongol cavalry would launch a large-scale southward invasion, potentially leading to the second fall of China.

But... the Han dynasty prospered, while the Hu dynasty perished. The Hu dynasty prospered, while the Han dynasty perished.

She had no other choice.

For the sake of the Ming Dynasty and the Han Dynasty, she had no choice but to take this gamble!
……

P.S.: As you've probably all noticed, this chapter is the grand setup for the North-South war, with all the factions making their appearances. It's essentially a joint war between the North and South, with the plot echoing each other! Thank you, goodnight, and please vote with my monthly tickets. I can only write with my heart, not with my "brain." We'll discuss the difference later.

(End of this chapter)