Di Ming

Chapter 503 "Who do you think you are? How dare you act like a king or queen in front of me?"

Shayawaddy, located more than 100 miles from East Dunzhi, is a key point for river defense, controlling the narrowest bend of the Sidang River.

This is Myanmar's largest arms and gunpowder workshop, but the craftsmen inside were captured by the Ming army more than a month ago.

Zheng Song led his army to flee to Shayawady, where he simply stationed the central army in the deserted Burmese Armory and lived in a stilted house at the foot of Heyang Ridge.

Ninety thousand Vietnamese troops set up camp along the Sit Tang River, then dug trenches and set up barricades in the river bend.

Just as Zheng Song set up camp, Zhu Yin's army arrived nearby and joined forces with Hao Yunlai and Na Lixuan.

Zhu Yin brought nearly 100,000 troops, and with the addition of Hao Yunlai and Na Le Xuan, the allied forces numbered over 150,000, giving them a clear advantage over the Vietnamese army.

Zhu Yin, dressed in princely military attire, rode a white horse at a leisurely pace, followed closely by a large, sleek black dog. Beside him stood his bodyguard, Murong Gou Dan, with Zhu Yin's hunting falcon, Fei Hu, perched on his arm. To his right followed the tall and imposing Lan Cha, who seemed possessed by a war god.

He looked majestic and imposing, exuding authority without anger.

"Your Majesty, I pay my respects! Congratulations on your great victory!"

When Hao Yunlai, the Duke of Qian, Song Wanhua, and others saw the radiant Zhu Yin, they all bowed down to pay their respects.

"Your humble servant Naresuan pays respects to His Highness the Regent of the Celestial Empire..." Naresuan and his Siamese generals hurriedly bowed and knelt in welcome.

Zhu Yin's swift and decisive victory over the Burmese army of 200,000, along with the capture of King Mang Yingli and his ministers, was a feat that shook the world. These Siamese people now held Zhu Yin and the Ming Dynasty in even greater awe.

"Brother Huaji, please rise! Prince Xuan, please rise! Duke of Qian, please rise! Everyone, please dispense with the formalities!"

Zhu Yin helped the three of them up, then told them to dispense with formalities, and then they all set up camp and entered their tents together.

Upon Zhu Yin's arrival, not only did Hao Yunlai's Ming army erupt in cheers, but Naresuan's Siamese army also felt a surge of morale and pride.

Zhu Yin immediately rewarded Hao Yunlai and Na Le Xuan's subordinates for their military achievements against the Vietnamese army.

Zhu Yin especially valued Hao Yunlai's contributions and had already planned to bestow a title upon him.

Hao Yunlai knew that his performance this time had once again satisfied Zhihu, and he was likely to be granted a title!

In the Ming Dynasty, very few civil officials were granted titles for their merits; only a handful were granted such titles. However, Zhu Yin was quite generous. As long as a civil official had sufficient military achievements, he could also be granted a title, and this would not affect his career advancement at all.

...

After the two armies joined forces, the Regent of the Ming Dynasty convened a meeting in his tent and addressed the generals:

"With the new king Mangda now in power and the tyrant Mang Yingli captured, the situation in Myanmar is largely settled. The only concern now is the Vietnamese army."

"Outside the battlefield, one can despise the enemy. But once on the battlefield, one must never despise the enemy. Our army has 150,000 men, while the Vietnamese army has only 90,000 left. It seems that we have the advantage. But the Vietnamese army is also fighting a desperate battle with their backs to the wall. They are not lacking in the tenacity to burn their boats. We must not underestimate them."

Zhu Yin was a very cautious person. Although he had just won a resounding victory, he remained clear-headed and would never become arrogant or complacent.

What about Xiang Yu? He was invincible in every battle, yet he suffered a crushing defeat and died!

"Saya Wadi controls the river and surrounds the water, which is advantageous to the Vietnamese army. However, our army cannot delay this battle any longer. Because..."

Zhu Yin glanced around at everyone's expressions, observing the changes in each person's demeanor. "Because of a secret report from our spies, in at most half a month, the allied foreign forces will arrive in Burma and attack the port of Bago, which is garrisoned by the Ming navy."

"Our army doesn't have time to waste with the Vietnamese army in Sayyawady. We need to deal with Zheng Song in three to five days at most, and then head south to support Bago."

With only 5,000 naval personnel, and also responsible for guarding a large number of ships and captured gold and silver, it was difficult for Bago to contend with a maritime crusade of tens of thousands of men.

Zhu Yin just mentioned the Western Allied Forces and noticed that some people, mainly the Siamese generals, clearly showed fear. This shows that the Siamese were well aware of the power of the Westerners.

Mao Wenlong nodded and said, "What you say is absolutely right, my lord. Although our army has the upper hand and has a significant advantage, we must not underestimate the enemy or be careless, lest we be caught off guard and suffer a setback. I have long heard that the Trinh lord of Annam is a formidable figure, and the Vietnamese army is no pushover either."

Qin Liangyu said, "Indeed, we cannot delay any longer. It's not just about providing support to Pegu as soon as possible; our army's food supplies are also running low. We can only hold out for a month at most. We cannot afford to drag this out with Zheng Song."

"Myanmar's food supplies have been continuously looted by enemy and our troops, and there is not much food left in the country."

"Besides, the rainy season is just around the corner, so we can't delay any longer."

Zhu Yin stood up, stared intently at the map of the peninsula, and after a moment said, "Annam is in the east, and Burma is in the west. They are not far apart and there are no mountains or passes to block them. But the Vietnamese army took the initiative to come to Burma to snatch chestnuts from the fire, which saves our army from having to go to Annam to settle accounts with them."

He pointed his finger heavily at the location of Thang Long Prefecture in Annam. "This Vietnamese army in front of us is ninety percent of Annam's elite force. Annam doesn't have many troops left to defend the country; most are local militia. If we wipe out this Vietnamese army, Annam will never have the ability to remain independent again!"

Zhu Yin's eyes gleamed and his spirits soared as he said this, "I have already given orders to the Cen and Huang chieftains of Guangdong and Guangxi to lead their troops south and surround Thang Long Prefecture!"

Hao Yunlai laughed and said, "The Regent has the victory in hand, but he still has a backup plan. Let alone the fact that Zheng Song is bound to lose this battle, even if he is lucky enough to escape, his hometown will be raided, and in the end, he will still be defeated. He is too ambitious and doesn't care about his family."

Zhu Yin casually sketched a rough map of Sayyawadi with a few strokes, hung it up, and showed it to the generals. "Look at the terrain of Sayyawadi and the camps of both sides. If you were Zheng Song, what would you do to have the best chance of winning?"

Mao Wenlong spoke first: "Why not burn our army's supplies! Our army's supplies are in Donghe Bay to avoid the fire. But if the Vietnamese army comes by diving, it's not impossible to burn the supplies."

Qin Liangyu, Hao Yunlai, and the others nodded in agreement.

Indeed, burning the Ming army's supplies was Zheng Song's easiest way to turn the tide. After burning the Ming army's supplies, as long as he stayed in his camp and avoided battle for three days, the Ming army would find it difficult to hold out.

Zhu Yin laughed and said, "I deliberately stockpiled the grain and fodder in Donghe Bay. If he wants to burn it, we'll just wait for him to come."

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged knowing smiles. It turned out that the Regent had secretly laid a trap when he was arranging the stockpiling of grain and fodder.

The Regent is truly a master strategist; he always thinks three steps ahead for every move he makes.

Nali Xuan couldn't help but feel a sense of relief. Thank goodness she hadn't opposed the Ming Dynasty or Zhu Yin. Offending such figures would have been truly terrifying.

After Mang Yingli and his ministers were captured, it was Zheng Song and his ministers' turn next.

……

Zheng Song's command tent rattled in the night wind, and the light from the tallow lamp inside flickered, reflecting on his gloomy face.

A large group of Vietnamese generals stood in a circle, their armor still covered in mud and dust from their daytime journey, and no one dared to speak first.

The Ming army camp opposite them stretched out on the plain five miles away, extending for more than ten miles. It probably numbered over 100,000, and their morale was high.

Not to mention, it is said that the Ming army had very powerful cannons and muskets.

"Tell me, now that the Ming army has joined forces and Zhu Yin has personally come, how should we fight this battle to decisively defeat them?"

Zheng Song tried his best to appear calm, constantly reassuring his generals. But his unconsciously clenched fists betrayed his inner tension.

"My lord," General Ruan Huang's voice was hoarse, "the Ming army possesses formidable firearms and powerful cavalry. A direct confrontation would be highly unwise. Although our royal army is skilled in battle, we are ultimately outnumbered." He added, "Our cavalry, firearms, and manpower are all at a disadvantage."

"So what?" Zheng Song turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife. "Retreat across the Sittang River? Let Zhu Yin's army besiege Thang Long?"

He stomped his military boots heavily, the sound of them hitting the muddy ground making a dull thud. Some of the sand on the sand table was shaken and slipped away.

Everyone held their breath, exchanging wry smiles.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Vu said in a trembling voice, "Why not retreat to Shan State and seek another opportunity..."

"Retreat?" Zheng Song suddenly raised his eyes, his eyes filled with ruthlessness. "Retreat to Shan State, and the Ming cavalry won't be able to catch up? Or can we evade their pursuit? Since the Burmese army has been completely wiped out, Shan State has become Ming territory again. If we go there, we will only be surrounded by enemies and seek our own demise!"

Crown Prince Zheng Qian boldly said, "Father, although this place is advantageous to our army, it is not enough to hold for long. At present, the morale of the soldiers is wavering, and it is difficult to fight the Ming army head-on. Retreating to Shan State would be a safer option."

Generals of the Trinh clan, including Trinh Chu, Trinh Su, and Trinh Ngum, as well as trusted ministers such as Nguyen Du, Pham Cong Thu, and Hoang Dinh Bao, all nodded in agreement.

Right now, it's really not advisable to engage in a decisive battle with the Ming army.

However, it would be difficult to hold out here for long, and after much consideration, it would be safer to retreat to the Shan Plateau.

Zheng Song disregarded the opinions of the crown prince and the generals, and was very disappointed in them.

Do you even have brains? Who is Zhu Yin? Would he give me the opportunity to retreat into Shan State? If Zhu Yin were only capable of this, how could he have wiped out Mangyingli's entire army?

Naive.

There is no way to escape this battle; the only option left is to fight it out on the spot!

The only difference is how the final battle will be fought!
His fingers pressed against the map on the table, tracing the area marked "Ming Army Supplies," his voice growing increasingly hoarse:
"Although Zhu Yin is not an incompetent man, the provisions of his army of over 100,000 must be his weakness. Tonight at midnight, Ruan Wu, you will take 5,000 infantrymen, swim across the river by diving, and launch a surprise attack on the Ming army's provisions in Donghe Bay. Bring kerosene canisters, burn them but do not loot them, and lure the Ming army to send troops to rescue them."

"The river is your greatest cover."

Ruan Wu paused, startled. "But what if the Ming army is prepared..."

"We must take precautions!" Zheng Song interrupted him. "The Ming army's front line consists of musketeers, and their rear line consists of cannons. Charging head-on would just make us targets. Only by drawing away their cavalry can we use our shield formation to break through. This is the best tactic."

"Once the Ming army's supplies are burned, their morale will be thrown into chaos and they will not be able to hold out for more than a few days. Without supplies, the Ming soldiers and horses will go hungry, and our army will be invincible in this battle!"

In fact, he knew the gravity of the situation better than anyone else present.

He knew in his heart that this was a gamble with his life, and there was no way to escape. If the 90,000 troops were scattered and retreated, they would only be annihilated one by one by the Ming cavalry.

If he could strike at the Ming army's weak point and burn the grain and fodder they had stockpiled in Donghewan, he would have a chance to turn the tide.

Suddenly, the sound of horses' hooves came from outside the tent, and a scout, smelling of sweat, came in to report:

"Reporting to the Grand Commandant! There is movement in the Ming army camp. Siamese war elephants and Ming cavalry are arrayed outside the camp, seemingly preparing for a night attack!"

Zheng Song's heart sank, then he sneered: "Zhu Yin is quite alert, but he may not have guessed that we'll cross the river underwater and steal his supplies. Proceed according to the original plan. If we encounter cavalry, burn their horses with fire arrows!"

"Five thousand diving soldiers, prepare kerosene and flint for waterproofing. Select the best swimmers, especially those from pearl diving or fisherman backgrounds! Get it done immediately!"

"As ordered!"

“Zhu Yin’s military strategy prioritizes momentum,” Zheng Song said, tracing the sand table with his finger. “He will first establish his authority with cannons, then break through with elephant cavalry. We must create an opening before he completes his encirclement.”

His gaze swept over the generals: "Nguyen Hoang, you will lead 10,000 elite troops to ambush in the jungles of the Right River Bend. Once the Ming army's supplies are on fire, launch a surprise attack on their artillery positions."

"Your subordinate obeys!"

"Wu Wenyong, you will lead your troops to form ranks at Heyang. If the battle goes poorly, cover the main army's crossing of the river and retreat."

"Yes!"

Zheng Song finally looked north: "This battle will either make me famous throughout history, or it will bring me utter destruction."

He looked around at everyone and said, enunciating each word clearly, "Our army cannot afford to lose! If we lose, it means... losing Dai Viet!"

Meanwhile, in the Ming army's command tent, Zhu Yin and his generals were engrossed in studying the map.

Naresuan, dressed in Siamese brocade armor and twirling a riding whip in her hand, laughed and said, "Zheng Song will most likely launch a night raid on our army's supplies; this is the only trick he has left."

"Yes." Zhu Yin nodded, his voice steady. "He knows we have the advantage in firearms, so he doesn't dare to engage us head-on and can only gamble on us splitting our forces."

"Zheng Song has been a military strategist for twenty years, and his greatest skill lies in seeking victory in dangerous situations." Zhu Yin shook his head. "Today, I will let him know that in the face of absolute strength, any trickery is futile."

He raised his hand and pointed towards the grain route. "Prince Xuan, take 20,000 Siamese soldiers and ambush them in the woods south of Donghe Bay. Just wait for the Vietnamese army to make a move, and then cut off their retreat."

What if Zheng Song doesn't fall for it?

“He should come.” Zhu Yin’s gaze swept across the outside of the tent, where Ming soldiers were loading gunpowder into the red-coated cannons. “Ninety thousand elite Vietnamese troops, he can’t afford to lose, he can only gamble once.”

At that moment, Zhu Yin assigned tasks one by one. Cao Wenzhao, Song Wanhua, and Mu Qing's cavalry were all deployed on the left flank, ready to assist the elephant cavalry and firemen in trampling the camp, using their speed advantage to block the Yue army's escape route.

Naresuan's war elephants, Japanese soldiers in the Ming army, and Cuan family soldiers launched a frontal assault.

Mao Wenlong's troops lay in ambush on the right flank of the camp, covering the Ming army's artillery positions and attacking the Vietnamese army that was flanking from the right.

Meanwhile, Qin Liangyu's White-Spear Army will seize Heyang Ridge in Shayawadi and launch a surprise attack on Zheng Song's undefended central army camp.

It is impolite not to reciprocate. Since he had accurately predicted that Zheng Song would launch a surprise attack on his supplies, Zhu Yin naturally decided to retaliate in kind, sending back a generous gift of a surprise attack on his camp.

After some planning, hundreds of thousands of troops were secretly mobilized, preparing to launch a thunderous attack on the 90,000 Vietnamese troops.

...

After midnight, Nguyen Vu led 5,000 Vietnamese soldiers with excellent swimming skills, and under the cover of night, they silently sneaked into the river and landed like water ghosts at the East River Bend.

Under the moonlight, one could see the Ming army's grain and fodder warehouses lined up in a row, with only a handful of soldiers guarding them.

Ruan Wu was overjoyed and waved for his soldiers to light the torches.

"on!"

Five thousand Vietnamese soldiers, soaking wet, rushed straight to the nearby grain and fodder warehouse piled high with grain, intending to climb over the wooden fence and set it on fire.

But at that moment, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from the woods. Naresuan led the Siamese soldiers, wielding curved swords, and charged out like a black tide, seizing the river bend directly.

"Oh no! This is Zhu Yin's trap! We've been fooled!"

Ruan Wu was shocked. "Withdraw! Withdraw back!"

But it was too late. The Siamese army had already occupied the riverbank, blocking their retreat.

Five thousand Vietnamese soldiers were thus surrounded by the Siamese army and were hunted down and slaughtered by the overwhelmingly superior Siamese troops, a truly horrific sight.

Zheng Song didn't receive the good news that the fire had started, but bad news reached his ears instead.

As dawn broke, he led the main force of the Vietnamese army in formation, with shield bearers in front and spearmen behind, ready to charge after the Ming army divided its forces to put out the fire.

But when he heard the news of the ambush, he felt a wave of dizziness and almost fell off his horse.

Five thousand infantrymen didn't just disappear like that; they were simply sent to their deaths!
Even worse, not only did he lose these 5,000 soldiers, but all his plans were also thrown into chaos.

"My lord! The Ming army camp has moved!" shouted the general beside him.

Zheng Song looked up and saw the Ming army slowly advancing across the plains five miles away. Heavy cannons, pulled by elephants, moved steadily forward, their wheels leaving dense ruts on the ground.

At the forefront were the Siamese war elephants, which, driven by Siamese elephant cavalry, trotted toward the Vietnamese army camp.

Zheng Song gritted his teeth, drew his long sword from his waist, and shouted, "The shield formation advances to press down on the front! Once the right flank reaches the Ming army's artillery positions, their firearms will be useless!"

"Our artillery will move closer to the camp gate and fire only when the enemy is within range!"

But just as the Ming army had marched two miles, flames suddenly flashed in their ranks, followed by a deafening roar.

Ming army cannons!

"Boom boom boom—" The Ming army's cannons roared down with terrifying force, and the Vietnamese army camp was filled with screams of agony.

"Father!" Crown Prince Zheng Jing rushed over. "Father, please return to the rear command post. The Ming army's firearms are formidable!"

Zheng Song could only retreat to the rear to avoid the Ming army's artillery fire.

At this moment, the Ming army's musketeers followed behind the war elephants and fired. The gunshots were like thunderclaps, and lead bullets flew towards the Vietnamese army like a rainstorm.

War elephants, muskets, and cannons provided mutual cover.

The wooden shields of the Vietnamese front-line shield bearers were instantly pierced, blood flowed down the gaps in the shields, screams of agony rang out from within the shield formation, and the formation immediately fell into chaos.

"Keep charging!" Crown Prince Zheng Qian spurred his horse to the front of the formation, slashing down a retreating soldier with his sword. "Those who retreat die!"

The Zheng family's loyal followers escorted the Crown Prince forward, acting as a supervisory force to stabilize the Vietnamese army's defenses.

Finally, the Vietnamese army's firearms also began to fire. However, the scale of the Vietnamese firearms was incomparable to that of the Ming army.

The Vietnamese soldiers were swept along and charged forward. Just as they approached the Ming army's formation, the Ming army's cannons suddenly roared.

The shells landed inside the shield formation, sending debris and wood flying everywhere, blasting several large holes through the shield formation.

"Bang bang bang!" The Ming musketeers changed their ammunition, and the second volley came again. Vietnamese soldiers fell in droves, and their bodies piled up like small mountains in front of the battle line.

Under the cover of Ming army firearms, the war elephants finally charged to the front of the Vietnamese army.

With a loud bang, the Vietnamese army's front-line defenses finally broke through.

Tens of thousands of Ming infantrymen surged forward like a tidal wave behind the war elephants, with the Japanese and Cuan family Ming soldiers at the forefront.

Whenever hand-to-hand combat is required, they are the vanguard leading the charge.

At this time, the right wing of the Vietnamese army also clashed with Mao Wenlong's troops, and the fighting was very fierce.

On a high platform behind the Ming army's rear, Zhu Yin was using the morning light to observe the battle situation ahead through a telescope.

it's time!

"Cavalry! Charge!" Zhu Yin waved the flag from the high platform, his voice carrying throughout the army through the messengers.

Cao Wenzhao and Mu Qing's cavalry on the right flank suddenly arrived.

The sound of horses' hooves shook the ground, and the cavalrymen's scimitars gleamed coldly in the sunlight as they charged into the Vietnamese army's flank as if it were empty.

The Vietnamese infantry were no match for the cavalry, who scattered them in disarray. Some tried to escape but were caught up by the cavalry and cut down with a single blow.

However, the Vietnamese army was still quite large and well-trained. Although the outer defense line collapsed, they quickly organized a second and third layer of defense.

The Vietnamese army mobilized all its central command troops to reinforce various defense lines.

The Vietnamese army's tenacity and resilience were on full display at this moment. Despite being at a significant disadvantage, they still managed to hold their camp, at least for the time being.

Zheng Song's central army camp was completely emptied of troops. He could only watch helplessly as the fierce battle raged two miles away, his legs trembling, his eyelids twitching violently, and a chilling coldness rising in his heart.

How did this battle end up like this in such a muddled way?

All the troops have been deployed. How long can they hold out?
Just as he was trembling with fear, he suddenly heard someone shout from behind: "Follow me and charge into the Vietnamese army's central command tent! Capture the king first to catch the thief!"

What? Zheng Song was startled and stared in disbelief at Heyang Ridge behind the command tent. In his horrified pupils, he saw a group of Ming soldiers swooping down from the mountain ridge.

The leader was a female general, wielding a long spear and leading the charge!
In the blink of an eye, a large contingent of Ming soldiers rushed to the outside of the commander's tent.

"My lord, hurry! Get ahead!" A group of guards rushed over, dozens of them like a sharp knife, charging towards the Ming army, attempting to break through the encirclement.

The Ming soldiers' white-pole spears thrust forward, and several guards fell instantly. Zheng Song, lying on his horse, swung his sword and slashed through the oncoming Ming soldiers, his hair disheveled.

He never expected that Zhu Yin, who clearly held the upper hand and had him figured out, would still resort to the underhanded tactic of attacking his command tent.

"Where do you think you're going!" Qin Liangyu killed two of Zheng's personal guards and surrounded him and the rest of his guards. The guards drew their swords to resist, but were stabbed to death one by one by the White-Spear Soldiers. In the end, only Zheng Song was left. He fell off his horse and his vision went black. His face was bruised and swollen.

The Grand Commandant of Da Yue was in a sorry state!

"Lord!"

"Grand Commandant!" came the shouts of the Vietnamese soldiers from afar, but it was too late to save them.

"Go!" Qin Liangyu had few soldiers, and seeing the large group of Yue troops surrounding them, she immediately led Zheng Song to retreat into Heyang Ridge.

At this time, the Vietnamese army still had 70,000 to 80,000 troops, and its main force remained intact. Because of its advantageous terrain, it had not yet collapsed.

Ironically, while the Vietnamese army persisted, their commander-in-chief, Zheng Song, had already fallen into the hands of the Ming army!

Fortunately, Crown Prince Trinh Huong was still alive and was the ready successor; otherwise, the Vietnamese army would have collapsed by now.

Soon, Zheng Song was brought before Zhu Yin by Qin Liangyu and forced to kneel down.

Zheng Song struggled to lift his head, his eyes bloodshot as he looked at Zhu Yin, his voice hoarse: "Zhu Yin, you won! But your victory was unfair! Unfair!"

Zhu Yin stepped down from the high platform and stood in front of him, his gaze calm: "You are inferior to me in every way, so what makes you think you can win? Is it because of your wolfish ambition and the arrogance of your small country?"

Zheng Song looked at the distant battlefield, then suddenly burst into a bitter laugh, his face streaked with tears.
"I am unwilling to accept this... If I had the same military strength as you, I might not have lost..."

"The King?" Zhu Yin's tone was full of disdain. "You, a powerful minister of a small, self-governing state, dare to call yourself the King?"

"I am the Regent Prince of Wu of the Great Ming Dynasty, a direct descendant of the founding emperor, wielding supreme power in the Ming Dynasty. I have never referred to myself as 'I, the lonely one,' so who are you to dare to call yourself 'I, the lonely one,' in front of me?"

After saying that, he raised his foot and kicked Zheng Song, sending him tumbling!
……

P.S.: That's all for today's 6,000+ words. Thank you, goodnight!

(End of this chapter)