Di Ming

Chapter 504 "Those who offend our Great Ming, though far away... shall be punished!"

Zheng Song, as a powerful minister in Annam, was the most respected man in Annam. Yet at this moment, he actually knelt before Zhu Yin and was kicked over by Zhu Yin.

His dignity and reputation were utterly shattered. Such a disgrace nearly made the Grand Commandant of Da Yue faint from shame and indignation.

"A scholar can be killed but not humiliated!" Zheng Song raised his old face, showing the shoe print on his face, and stared fiercely at Zhu Yin, wishing he could bite Zhu Yin to death.

"Zhu Yin! As a member of the Ming imperial family, how dare you insult me ​​like this! Where is the national etiquette? Where is the decorum? You are supposed to be a top scholar who studied the classics! What about the sages' principle of forgiveness?!"

"Bullshit 'I am the ruler'!" Zhu Yin kicked him again, this time on the left cheek. "Old Deng! If you dare call yourself 'I am the ruler' again, I'll cut out your tongue!"

"Is the sage's way of forgiveness meant to be applied to you traitors and rebels?" He then slapped her again.

Zheng Song spat out two teeth with a "poof," and half of his face caved in.

He simply couldn't believe that the Regent of the Ming Dynasty would be so unconventional, resorting to physical violence against someone of his age.

What does Old Deng mean?

Zheng Song trembled with rage, his hands and feet ice-cold, yet he dared not utter another word to Zhu Yin. Only then did he realize with despair that he was no longer the ruler of Great Yue, but Zhu Yin's prisoner!
Zhu Yin looked down at Zheng Song with a smug expression and said:

“Old Deng, do you remember the letter I wrote to you last year? In order to prevent you from colluding with Mangyingli, I arranged for you to marry your daughter to the emperor as a concubine and even offered to become sworn brothers with you. Isn’t that an honor for you?”

"Yet you are so ungrateful, thinking that the Ming Dynasty is afraid of your little Annam! You spout such arrogant words, saying that your daughter is of noble birth and will not marry the Ming emperor. You even called Zhu Yin a brat, how utterly ridiculous. How can the ruler of the Celestial Empire be unworthy of your daughter? You are simply insane! This is the crime of deceiving the emperor!"

At this point, Zhu Yin raised his hand and slapped Zheng Song across the face. The sharp sound of the slap made Zheng Song see stars and feel dizzy.

"Now, do you still think I'm ridiculous?"

"Who gave you the audacity to defy the Celestial Empire and the Emperor? Since you are so depraved and willing to bring about the destruction of your own country, then I will grant your wish!"

"I have secretly ordered the troops of Guangdong and Guangxi to march south. Your Thang Long Prefecture will be besieged soon. Soon after, there will be no more Annam in the world, only Jiaozhou Provincial Administration!"

“Even if you die, remember this: the Celestial Empire will always be the Celestial Empire. Small countries have no dignity, and there is no future in separatism. For your own selfish reasons, you have severed yourselves from China. That is destroying your roots, forgetting your ancestors, and you will definitely not have a good end.”

Upon hearing Zhu Yin's words, Zheng Song's expression turned ashen, his face ashen, and his bluish lips trembled uncontrollably. He suddenly remembered his previous nightmare!

If he had known the consequences of offending Zhu Yin would be so severe, he shouldn't have offended him at all. He deeply regrets it!
But what's the use of regretting it now?
Suddenly, he gave a bitter laugh, "Zhu Yin, my son is still in the army, he will succeed me! He still has seventy or eighty thousand troops, who will win and who will lose is still unknown!"

"Is that so?" Zhu Yin revealed a cold smile. "You and your son will meet soon. After Mang Yingli is finished, it will be your turn, and after you, it will be the foreigners. Since you are courting death, then we will send you away one family at a time."

"Those who offend our Great Ming, though far away... shall be punished!"

Zheng Song looked at Zhu Yin in disbelief, "You want to destroy the foreigners' country? They're thousands of miles away..."

"Is that not allowed?" Zhu Yin's tone was as cold as ice, like a sword piercing straight to the heart. "Foreigners have come from afar across the sea, plotting against our Great Ming. If they can go, why can't we? What the Mongols did, I will do even better. When the time comes, I will also destroy the foreigners' countries."

Zheng Song stared blankly, completely unprepared for Zhu Yin's ambition to be so vast. To launch a massive expedition to conquer a foreign land—was this still the behavior of the Ming Dynasty?

Having said this, Zhu Yin was too lazy to argue with Zheng Song any further. He didn't even bother to have Zheng Song write a letter to persuade him to surrender, and simply waved his hand, saying:

"Take him away and guard him well. Prepare to send him back to the capital."

Several guards stepped forward and took the distraught Zheng Song away.

Zheng Song suddenly burst into laughter, a shrill laugh: "I never imagined that I, Zheng Song, who have roamed the world for half my life, would end up dying in a foreign land."

...

Although Zheng Song was captured, his son Zheng Qian directly took over the command of the army, so there was no leaderless situation.

Even so, the capture of Zheng Song was still a disastrous blow to the Vietnamese army.

The Vietnamese army still had more than 70,000 men, but their morale had plummeted. No matter how much Zheng Qian and others tried to boost morale, it was too late to reverse the decline.

The only advantage the Vietnamese army had at this time was that it occupied the terrain, which was advantageous for defense.

As the morning breeze swept by, the Ming army's banners fluttered in the wind. On the plains of Sayawari, red banners blotted out the sky. Hundreds of cannons gleamed coldly in the morning light. Ming soldiers were cleaning the cannon barrels. In the Siamese army's ranks, the neighing of war elephants could be faintly heard.

Immovable as a mountain, with an imposing presence.

The Ming army's offensive has temporarily halted, marking a brief respite on the battlefield.

The Vietnamese soldiers were also exhausted.

On the plains along the Si Tang River, 70,000 Vietnamese troops constructed a defensive line stretching for miles along the riverbank. They silently polished their weapons, the occasional snort of warhorses breaking the silence.

Zheng Qian climbed the three-zhang-high watchtower and looked at the formidable Ming army in the north. He trembled and his legs went weak.

Countless times, he imagined his father dying and him taking over his father's position.

He wanted it so badly.

But he never expected to succeed to the throne in this way. This was the last thing he wanted!

But he had to stand up for himself at this moment, so he could only put on a heroic expression to show that he was no less than his father and would not disappoint his soldiers.

He was truly forced into this position, and only then did he realize how difficult it was and how much pressure it put on him!
At the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), the Ming army's bugle sounded again.

"Waaaaah—"

Immediately afterwards, four hundred cannons roared in unison. Shells tore through the sky, exploding into fireballs amidst the Vietnamese ranks. The first salvo destroyed thirty of the Vietnamese's "tiger crouching" cannons, sending shattered barrels and limbs flying everywhere.

"Stay calm! Don't panic!" the Vietnamese general shouted amidst the smoke of battle.

Before the smoke from the Ming army's artillery barrage had cleared, King Naresuan of Siam began his advance with his war elephants. These armored behemoths moved with heavy steps, their hooves pounding the ground as they pressed forward.

Zheng Jian gripped the railing tightly from the watchtower: "Let them get closer."

When the elephant herd was within a hundred paces, the Vietnamese army finally launched a hundred gunpowder carts. The suicide squad members lit the fuses and drove the carts straight into the elephant herd.

These suicide squads were all loyal followers of the Zheng family. The other Vietnamese soldiers were no longer willing to go and die.

"boom!"

A series of deafening explosions rang out, and dozens of war elephants fell to the ground. The frightened elephant herd turned and charged wildly, overwhelming the Siamese army's vanguard.

"Huh?" The Ming generals were somewhat surprised to see this. The Vietnamese army was still able to use this tactic even after Zheng Song was captured and their morale had plummeted.

This shows that Zheng Jie was not an incompetent fool; he was indeed worthy of being the crown prince of Zheng.

Zhu Yin, who was holding the binoculars, smiled slightly, not taking it to heart.

This is normal.

The Vietnamese army still has more than 70,000 troops, all of whom are elite Vietnamese soldiers, and they occupy advantageous positions. How could they possibly collapse immediately just because Zheng Song was captured?

Vietnamese people are more resilient and not so fragile.

Even a fish on a chopping board will thrash a few times before it dies, let alone an army of 70,000.

"Now!" Zheng Yong suddenly gritted his teeth, drew his sword, and shouted, "Issue my order! All troops, charge! Kill!"

This was a rare opportunity for a counterattack. Zheng Qian wasn't stupid; he knew very well that if he only defended, he would inevitably lose.

Only by taking the initiative and attacking as a form of defense can there be a chance to turn the tide.

He had just succeeded his father when he began calling himself "I, the lonely one".

"Kill!" The Vietnamese army surged towards the left flank like a flood bursting its banks. Zheng Zhu led 10,000 elite troops as the vanguard, quickly breaking through the Siamese army's defenses and advancing directly towards the Ming army's main force.

Under the Ming army's banner, Zhu Yin lowered his binoculars: "Order the artillery to extend their fire, covering the Vietnamese assault troops. Have the cavalry split up and encircle them."

In fact, the Ming army's artillery was already very professional, and it would adjust itself without Zhu Yin's special orders.

With the command flag waved, the war drums suddenly changed.

"Boom boom boom!"

Amidst the bombardment of Ming artillery, 20,000 cavalrymen launched a three-pronged attack, closing in like iron pincers along the riverbank.

The vanguard of the Vietnamese army, launching a counterattack, was subjected to fierce artillery bombardment, suffering heavy casualties and their entire formation in disarray. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Ming cavalry flanked the Vietnamese forces, cutting them in half.

The infantry following behind the cavalry quickly seized positions on the riverbank, surrounding the Vietnamese counterattack force of 30,000 men in the Zuohewan area!

Zheng Jian and his men were stunned. They had thought the Ming army would at least be thrown into disarray and forced to retreat half a mile. Who knew that not only would their counterattack fail, but they would also be outmaneuvered and surrounded by the Ming army.

The Ming army's swift movements and seamless coordination among its troops turned his meticulously prepared counterattack into a suicide mission.

Zheng Zhi shouted sternly, "Order a retreat! Retreat to your main camp!"

But is it too late?
The Ming cavalry had cut off their retreat, the Vietnamese assault troops were divided and surrounded, and the Ming infantry, numbering between 20,000 and 30,000, occupied the south of the river bend.

There was no way to retreat. Zheng Zhi still had 40,000 men, but at this point, it would be difficult for those 40,000 men to rescue their troops who had been flanked and surrounded.

The advantageous terrain of the river bend has now become an obstacle to his rescue of the besieged troops!
"Report! General Zheng Zhu on the left wing is surrounded!"

Report! The right flank has fallen!
"Report! General Wu Wenyong requests reinforcements!"

Bad news followed one after another. Zheng Zhi looked around in alarm; the 30,000 elite troops who had launched the initial attack had been cut into several pieces.

The river was filled with the corpses of Vietnamese soldiers, and the water was stained red.

These 30,000 men were the Zheng family's most elite direct-line troops. Zheng Zhi's eyes were bloodshot, and his body swayed precariously!

"Send the order! Tell them to fight to the death to break through!" Zheng Zhen roared, his eyes bloodshot. "A desperate fight might offer them a chance to survive!"

That was all he could do.

However, the Ming army's artillery maintained precise salvo firing, and each cannon shot took away the lives of many Vietnamese soldiers.

It was practically a massacre of the besieged Vietnamese troops with artillery.

On the left flank, Vietnamese general Trinh Chu was struck by three arrows, yet he still fought desperately, brandishing his longsword. His 10,000 elite troops had been divided and surrounded by Ming cavalry and bombarded by Ming firearms, with large numbers of soldiers falling every moment.

"General!" the guards shouted.

Looking at the densely packed Ming troops around him and listening to the deafening roar of their cannons, Zheng Zhu smiled bitterly and said, "Today, I will repay my country with my life!"

He charged on horseback towards the Ming army's artillery position, where he was struck by dozens of arrows and died. Seeing their commander killed, the Vietnamese troops on the left flank abandoned their weapons and surrendered.

On the right flank, Wu Wenyong was putting up a last stand. The Ming army's red-coated cannons adjusted their firing angles, and cannonballs whistled into his ranks.

"Boom!"

Large numbers of Japanese Ming soldiers and Cuan family Ming soldiers were reaping the lives of Vietnamese soldiers on the outskirts, leaving them covered in blood.

Wu Wenyong shouted, "Today's battle is a fight to the death!" With that, he brandished his sword and fought personally. Many Vietnamese soldiers jumped into the river and were swallowed by the swift current, while the others surrendered.

In an instant, the right wing of the Vietnamese army also collapsed, and Vu Van Dung committed suicide by cutting his throat.

More than 10,000 Vietnamese soldiers knelt down and surrendered their weapons in various places.

The Vietnamese army of 30,000 men that launched the attack was wiped out, leaving only the rear guard of 40,000 men led by Zheng Qian, who were still desperately holding their ground.

The remaining Vietnamese troops could only retreat to the uppermost part of the river bend, which was extremely cramped and difficult to maneuver.

The Ming army continued its advance, squeezing the Vietnamese army into a corner.

"Your Highness, quickly abandon the army's breakout attempt, or surrender!" The last remaining Vietnamese general knelt and pleaded.

Zheng Zhi gazed at the battlefield strewn with corpses and slowly shook his head: "So many soldiers have perished here, how can I surrender?"

He brandished his longsword like a trapped beast and shouted:
"Zhu Yin! Do you dare to fight me? In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, when a brave man fights a general, none will refuse! Do you dare to answer me? Let us settle this once and for all!"

When the Ming generals on the other side learned of his words, they couldn't help but exchange knowing smiles.

A duel between generals? You've been obsessed with reading Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

Zhu Yin was amused by this clown. He waved his hand and said, "Bring Zheng Song and Mang Yingli to the front of the battle and let Zheng Jian see just how pathetic his father and the Burmese king are."

Soon, Mang Yingli and Zheng Song, bound hand and foot like rice dumplings, were carried to the front of the battle like pigs.

"Hahaha! We're in the same boat!" Upon seeing this, the Ming soldiers and Siamese soldiers burst into laughter, and many of them whistled, behaving very frivolously.

The Burmese king and the Grand Commandant of Đại Việt were filled with shame and indignation, and felt utterly hopeless. But even death was a luxury for them.

When the Vietnamese army saw the disheveled state of Zheng Song and Mang Yingli, their morale collapsed and they lost all will to fight.

"Zhu Yin! You've gone too far!" The hot-blooded Zheng Qian was furious, his lungs about to explode with rage.

"A scholar can be killed but not humiliated!"

"Boom! Boom!" The answer he received was another salvo of artillery fire. Vietnamese soldiers fell in droves amidst the barrage.

The Ming army finally launched its final attack!

Apart from a few Vietnamese soldiers who fought to the death, most Vietnamese soldiers surrendered voluntarily, completely losing their will to resist.

"Remove your armor! Remove your armor!" Ming soldiers shouted across the battlefield.

Zheng Zhi, who was determined to challenge Zhu Yin to a duel, was also captured.

At 3:45 AM, the fighting gradually subsided. The plains of Shayawadi were littered with corpses, and the Sidan River was stained dark red.

Tens of thousands of surrendered Vietnamese soldiers, dressed in only light clothing and shorts, were escorted away in batches, while Ming army medics were busy treating wounded Ming soldiers on the battlefield.

Thus, the 100,000 elite troops that Zheng and his son had brought to Burma were completely annihilated.

With the annihilation of this 100,000-strong army, Annam was like a jackal without teeth, no longer capable of protecting itself, and even less than a guard dog.

Zhu Yin walked in surrounded by his generals, and looked at the bound Zheng Zhi with a cold smile:
"A duel? With your height, you'd be easy prey if you fought me one-on-one. You and your son should just reunite."

Upon hearing this, all the generals burst into laughter. Zheng Qian was filled with grief and indignation, and wished he could wail loudly.

...

As night fell, the Ming army's main tent was brightly lit with candles. Zhu Yin stood alone in front of the sand table, his fingertip tracing the direction of Thang Long City.

Thang Long City must be surrounded by the troops of the Cham and Huang families, right?

Yes, after restoring the name Jiaozhou, Shenglong Prefecture was renamed Dingnan Prefecture.

Emperor Kangxi came to report: "My lord, in this battle our army suffered 3,500 dead and 12,000 wounded. The Siamese army suffered 3,000 dead and 5,000 wounded."

Zhu Yin paused for a moment, then said, "Let the soldiers rest for three days, and then head south to support Pegu Bay! The Western Allied Forces are almost here."

"Yes!"

News of the Ming army's great victory and the annihilation of the Vietnamese army spread far and wide, plunging the Burmese people into despair.

Many people no longer dared to disobey the orders of the Burmese puppet royal court.

King Naresuan of Siam knew that Annam was doomed and would inevitably return to the Ming Dynasty's territory.

He couldn't help but worry about the fate of Siam.

At dawn three days later, the Ming army began to break camp.

Battle flags fluttered in the morning breeze, and the ranks stretched for miles. Captured Vietnamese soldiers walked with their heads down in the ranks; they would be taken back to the Ming Dynasty as slaves.

Zhu Yin took one last look at this land that had buried so many Ming soldiers, and gently cracked his whip.

……

Just as the Ming army was heading south to Pegu Bay, a massive fleet was sailing in from the direction of India.

On the mountain-like sailing warships were rows of ship-mounted heavy cannons.

Battle flags adorned with crosses fluttered in the sea breeze.

The naval crusaders who have ventured eastward are finally nearing Burma!

...

P.S.: I'm still sick and can only update less than 5,000 words. Thank you everyone, goodnight! Do you have any good suggestions about naval battles? I think naval battles are difficult to write.

(End of this chapter)