The Ming Dynasty: Starting with the border troops, it was overthrown and the Qing Dynasty was destro

Chapter 338 Chaos Before the Battle: Kunming Changes Hands

Having made up his mind to replace Mu Tianbo, Sha Dingzhou no longer hesitated and immediately began to take action.

He raised the banner of "being ordered to garrison Kunming" and personally led his own troops and Pu Mingsheng's former subordinates, a total of more than 15,000 elite soldiers, marching in a mighty procession towards Kunming.

At the same time, several other chieftains who received urgent orders from Mu Tianbo, such as Yuanjiang Nasong, Shiping Long Zaitian, Xi'e Wang Yangzu, and Ningzhou Lu Yongming, also successively sent reinforcements.

However, they clearly had their own agendas and were unwilling to invest too much capital before the situation became clear.

Each chieftain sent out only one or two thousand troops, with the most being no more than three thousand, which contrasted sharply with Sha Dingzhou's massive army.

When the troops from various factions arrived outside Kunming, Mu Tianbo on the city wall was both surprised and delighted.

What surprised him was that the Sha Dingzhou tribe was so powerful, far surpassing all other tribes, and had become a behemoth among the chieftains of Yunnan.

The good news is that with the addition of this formidable force, the Kunming garrison has become much stronger, seemingly giving them more confidence to fight against the rebels.

Mu Tianbo still trusted the Sha family to a certain extent.

This trust mainly stemmed from Sha Dingzhou's father, Sha Yuan.

The connection between the Sha and Mu families can be traced back to the Wanli era. Sha Yuan was a brave and skilled warrior who made great contributions in resisting the invasion of Annam.

In the 43rd year of the Wanli Emperor's reign, the imperial court appointed him as the deputy governor of Annam and granted him the territory of the abolished Annam Governorate, which helped him lay the foundation for the Sha family's power.

Later, during the She'an Rebellion, which shook the southwest, Sha Yuan led his troops to actively participate in suppressing the rebellion, achieving remarkable feats in Qujing, Xundian and other places, and was promoted to the position of Pacification Commissioner.

The Sand Soldiers, also known as the "Elite Army of Southern Yunnan," became an important pillar for the Mu family to consolidate their rule in Yunnan, especially to stabilize the situation in southern Yunnan.

In Mu Tianbo's view, the Sha family and the Mu family have been friends for generations and share a deep bond.

However, despite his trust, Mu Tianbo still maintained a basic level of vigilance.

As was customary, he only allowed the chieftains to enter the city with a small number of personal guards to discuss matters, while their main forces were stationed in designated areas outside the city.

After discussions with Governor Wang Shide and others, Mu Tianbo finally decided to allow each chieftain to send a force of about one thousand men into the city to assist in its defense.

The more extensive defense zone outside the city was assigned to the Sha Dingzhou tribe, which had the strongest fighting force.

This was a last resort, as the Ming army in Kunming consisted mainly of garrison troops, which were severely understaffed and poorly trained.

The only remaining capable troops had mostly been annihilated by the Han army in the Battle of Qujing.

With the Tusi army now outnumbering the Ming army, Mu Tianbo dared not risk entrusting the city's defenses entirely to the Tusi troops.

The prestige of the Duke of Qian's mansion has long since declined. The previous Duke of Qian, Mu Qiyuan, was violent, reckless, and lawless, and even once bombarded the government office.

Although he was eventually poisoned to death by his mother, Song, it greatly damaged the Mu family's prestige in Yunnan.

In addition, Mu Tianbo inherited the title at a young age and lacked sufficient political experience and skills. His confidants, such as Yu Zhonglin, were greedy and ruthless, which aroused the dissatisfaction of many chieftains.

The astonishing wealth accumulated by the Duke of Qian's family over generations was like gold held by a child in a turbulent world, attracting covetous eyes.

Sha Dingzhou's ambitions expanded rapidly due to the interplay of these factors.

He appeared respectful and courteous to Mu Tianbo's arrangements, but secretly he accelerated the pace of the rebellion.

Now that Qujing has fallen, Sha Dingzhou has no intention of facing the fierce Han army outside the city; he must quickly take Kunming.

Sha Dingzhou sent his brother-in-law Tang Jiabin to gradually win over Ming military officers in the city, such as Commander Ruan Yunjia, Zhang Guoyong, and Yuan Shihong, by offering them large sums of money and promises of benefits.

These inside agents continuously relayed information about the strengths and weaknesses of Kunming's defenses, troop deployments, and Mu Tianbo's movements to Sha Dingzhou.

On November 20th, intelligence came from the outer outposts:
The two armies of the Han army have successively captured Songming Prefecture and Yiliang, and their advance is heading straight for Kunming.

With time running out, Sha Dingzhou decided to act immediately and take Kunming before the main force of the Han army arrived, in order to prove his value in the united front!
Therefore, he carefully selected a group of fifty fierce soldiers and, on the grounds that "a secret letter has come from Qujing," requested to meet the Duke.

To ensure everything went smoothly, Sha Dingzhou also selected two hundred men, disguised, to secretly infiltrate the city.

At this moment, Mu Tianbo was dealing with a backlog of government affairs in the mansion, and did not think much of it, nor was he on guard at all.

Sha Dingzhou was led into the mansion. As they approached the hall where Mu Tianbo was, he suddenly launched an attack, shouting sharply:
"Do it!"

Caught off guard, several of Mu's personal guards were killed on the spot.

Taking advantage of the chaos in the crowd, he quickly led his entourage to take control of the corridors and entrances outside the hall.

Sha Dingzhou was incredibly bold; he only brought three guards with him, yet he dared to enter the Duke's mansion and wreak havoc.

The remaining two hundred or so sand soldiers were still waiting outside the mansion.

Upon hearing of the commotion in the mansion, his deputy general Sha Qiming immediately reacted, leading his men to kill the guards and rushing straight into the mansion.

Although the Duke of Qian's Mansion was the most magnificent and prestigious official residence in Kunming, its design focused more on showcasing authority and enjoying life, and it did not have many defensive fortifications.

Although there are still seventy-two guard rooms in the manor where the chieftains take turns on duty, most of these people are hostages and lack the will to fight.

Under the surprise attack of Sha Dingzhou's troops, the guards in the prefecture collapsed almost immediately and were unable to organize any effective resistance.

In an instant, screams and cries of alarm filled the mansion, and chaos reigned.

Seeing that the situation was not good, Mu Tianbo was about to retreat when he saw Sha Dingzhou leading his men in, his face full of ferocity.

He was both shocked and furious, and questioned them sharply:
"Sha Dingzhou! What...what do you want to do?!"

"What for? We're here to ask the Duke to move over!"

Sha Dingzhou grinned maliciously as he pressed forward step by step, while the guards in the mansion were no match for him and could only protect Mu Tianbo as they fought and retreated.

Just at this critical moment, Mu Tianbo's grandmother, Madam Song, arrived with her entourage after hearing the news.

Despite his advanced age, the elderly man displayed remarkable courage and composure in the face of danger.

When chaos broke out in the manor, she immediately gathered the defeated servants and rushed to the South Study where Mu Tianbo was.

Seeing that Sha Dingzhou was besieging her beloved grandson, she immediately led her people to stand in front of Mu Tianbo.

"You surnamed Sha, my Mu family has treated your Sha family well!"

“Even when your father, Sha Yuan, was alive, he wouldn’t have dared to be so rebellious!”

"You dare to besiege the Duke's mansion today? Aren't you afraid of the Ming Dynasty's army?!"

Sha Dingzhou burst into laughter upon hearing this:

"What a joke! Do you think this is still the Shenzong era?"

"Where are the Ming troops left in the three southwestern provinces today?"

"Madam Song, I have always respected you. Why don't you obediently surrender and serve under the Prince of Han?"

"As long as you nod and are willing to give up your position in the Mu family, I will guarantee the safety of you and your grandson!"

Madam Song snorted coldly and cursed angrily:
"Bah! He's nothing but a usurper, how dare he call himself king?"

"Let me tell you, as long as the Mu family is in Yunnan, Yunnan is the territory of the Ming Dynasty!"

Having failed to persuade them to surrender, Sha Dingzhou gave up and led his elite troops forward, attempting to capture the Mu family grandfather and grandson on the spot.

Seeing the sand soldiers advancing fiercely and the guards in the mansion unable to resist them, Madam Song had no choice but to order someone to escort Mu Tianbo away first, while she and her men stayed behind to cover their retreat.

Mu Tianbo knew the situation was urgent, so he could only glance at his grandmother with tears in his eyes before hurriedly breaking out through the back door with his official seal, hereditary iron certificate, and other tokens.

At the same time, Sha Dingzhou's troops, who were lying in ambush outside the city, also launched an attack.

As agreed, inside agents Ruan Yunjia, Zhang Guoyong, and others opened several city gates of Kunming, and the sand soldiers who had been waiting for a long time poured into the city instantly.

And so, Kunming, the military and political center, easily fell into the hands of Sha Dingzhou.

Seeing this, some of the other chieftain tribes chose not to help each other, while others extended a helping hand to Mu Tianbo.

Upon learning the news, Long Zaitian, the chieftain of Shiping, and Lu Yongming, the chieftain of Ningzhou, immediately sent men to meet Mu Tianbo and help him break out of the encirclement.

In the chaos, Yunnan Governor Wang Shide managed to escape, while a number of officials, including the Imperial Inspector and the Assistant Prefect, who were unable to flee, were kidnapped by Sha Dingzhou's rebel army.

Inside the Duke of Qian's mansion, a catastrophic disaster struck, with the sand soldiers carrying out a frenzied massacre and looting.

Mu Tianbo's mother, Chen, and wife, Jiao, fled into a side hall during the chaos. To avoid being humiliated, they both committed suicide to uphold their honor.

Mu Tianbo's younger brothers, Mu Tianze and Mu Tianrun, were unfortunately killed inside the mansion.

At the same time, he also sent out a team of elite soldiers to pursue and kill Mu Tianbo and his men to eliminate any future troubles.

At this moment, Mu Tianbo had just escaped Kunming City in a sorry state, protected by the two chieftains.

Looking back, one could see fires raging in many parts of the city, with shouts of killing and cries of agony filling the air, a scene of utter desolation.

Recalling his grandmother's resolute figure as she covered the rear, and the relatives in the clan who had not yet escaped, Mu Tianbo felt as if his heart was being torn apart, filled with grief and indignation.

The guard beside him was also deeply concerned, but kept urging:
"Lord Duke, let's go quickly!"

"The pursuers will be here soon, you must preserve your life!" Mu Tianbo knew that time was of the essence, so he could only lead his men westward, fleeing towards Chuxiong Prefecture.

Lacking horses, they dared not swagger along the official roads and could only choose to take some remote paths, crossing mountains and valleys.

"My lord, once we cross that mountain ridge and go a little further, we should be able to escape the bandits' pursuit."

"A guide familiar with the terrain said in a low voice."

However, just as everyone was preparing to cross the mountain, the scout rushed back in a great hurry.

"My lord! Something terrible has happened!"

"There's an ambush at the pass ahead! Judging by the flags, they're the bandits!"

Mu Tianbo was startled, but forced himself to remain calm and said:
"Perhaps...perhaps a small patrol group?"

"Let's go around it!"

The group wandered around, trying to turn onto another path, but after walking for a short while, they discovered traces of the bandits again.

Sha Dingzhou also had some clever men under his command. His deputy general predicted Mu Tianbo's escape route and divided his troops to guard several key mountain passes and routes, setting up a trap for him.

After several attempts, Mu Tianbo found that his path was blocked and the pursuers were getting closer and closer.

Even from not far away, one could faintly hear the shouts of the bandits as they searched the mountain.

An atmosphere of despair began to spread through the ranks. The guards gripped their weapons tightly, preparing for a final, desperate fight.

Just when things seemed hopeless, Yunnan Governor Wang Shide stepped forward.

He looked at Mu Tianbo, his tone firm:

"Lord Duke, the bandits have divided their forces to block us, intending to trap us and kill us in this mountain."

"If we remain in one place, we will be a conspicuous target and will only be waiting to die."

Mu Tianbo looked at Wang Shide, seemingly sensing something, and said urgently:

"Governor Wang, you..."

Wang Shide raised his hand to interrupt him and said decisively:
"The only way to survive now is to divide our forces!"

"Let me go. I will raise the flag and break out to the southeast to attract the enemy's attention."

"As soon as the bandits see the flag, they will definitely mobilize troops to surround and intercept them."

As he spoke, he pointed to the northwest.
"At that time, the defenses at the crossing will inevitably be weak."

"Your Excellency, you can take this opportunity to travel light and head straight for Chuxiong."

Upon hearing this, Mu Tianbo frowned. Wang Shide was using himself as bait to buy him a way out!
"No!"

"The only option now is death..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wang Shide firmly said:

"My lord, my mind is made up. There is no need to discuss this matter any further!"

"As a descendant of the Mu family and the current Duke of Qian, you must not fall into the hands of thieves!"

"I am but a scholar. Even if I escape, I do not have the influence of the Duke of Qian to summon various chieftains or even contact foreign vassals."

"Wang has been deeply indebted to the country, and it is only right and proper for him to sacrifice himself for the country in this time of crisis!"

Having said that, he didn't give Mu Tianbo a chance to object, but instead looked at the guard beside him and demanded:

"As servants of the Mu family, you should repay your lord's kindness even more!"

"Who is willing to follow me and carve a bloody path for the Duke?!"

As soon as Wang Shide finished speaking, seven or eight people stepped forward and said sternly:
"I'm waiting to go!"

Wang Shide glanced at Mu Tianbo one last time, then resolutely waved goodbye:
"go!"

He grabbed the identification flag from the guard's hand, raised it high, and swaggered out with the guards beside him.

"Protect the Duke and help him break through the encirclement!"

"The Duke of Qian is here! Traitors, prepare to die!"

Before long, shouts and the clash of weapons suddenly rang out, immediately attracting the attention of the surrounding Sha Dingzhou troops.

His deputy was overjoyed upon hearing the news, thinking that Mu Tianbo had been found. He immediately sounded the horn and mobilized troops from all directions to surround Wang Shide and his men.

Meanwhile, deep in the dense forest in the opposite direction, Mu Tianbo suppressed his tears and took advantage of this precious opportunity to quietly slip out of the encirclement.

Behind them, the sounds of Wang Shide and his men fighting and roaring grew fainter and fainter, eventually being drowned out by the wind in the mountains and gradually fading into silence...

Meanwhile, Sha Dingzhou, after gaining initial control of the entire city of Kunming, began to inventory the Mu family's treasury.

The Qian State Duke's Mansion had accumulated an incredibly rich fortune over its more than two hundred years of history. Precious Buddha stones, large quantities of pure gold, antique jade artifacts, and rare medicinal herbs filled more than 250 warehouses, their value immeasurable.

Sha Dingzhou was overjoyed and couldn't wait to start calling himself "General Manager," while his wife, Wan, was called "Mistress."

He knew full well that his actions constituted a rebellion, which was illegitimate and lacked legitimacy, and that the other chieftains were not truly subservient.

On the advice of his brother-in-law Tang Jiabin, he decided to surrender to the rising Han army in order to seek external assistance.

Sha Dingzhou ordered his men to count and pack the gold and silver treasures looted from the Mu residence, especially the silver and hard currency such as pure gold, which filled more than two hundred large boxes.

He then personally wrote another letter, his tone extremely respectful.

In the letter, Sha Dingzhou vehemently criticized the "corruption and incompetence" of the Mu family's rule, claiming that his actions were to "correct the wrongs" and clear obstacles for His Highness the Prince of Han.

He expressed his willingness to lead the entire Yunnan region to submit to the King of Han, on the condition that Jiang Han appoint him to replace the original Duke of Qian's mansion and guard Yunnan.

Sha Dingzhou promised that if his wish came true, he would send generous amounts of grain and gold and silver to Sichuan every year as taxes.

After preparing the letters and gifts, Sha Dingzhou sent Tang Jiabin to personally escort more than two hundred boxes of treasures to Qujing Prefecture.

When the delegation arrived at Li Zicheng's army, the Han generals present were all stunned.

What's going on? Has the Duke of Qian's mansion fallen into such a state of decline?

Before the fighting even started, Kunming had already changed hands?
Disbelief was written on everyone's faces. No one expected that the Mu family, which had been operating in Yunnan for more than two hundred years, would collapse so suddenly in this way.

It's truly baffling.

Upon seeing Sha Dingzhou's sincerity, Li Zicheng immediately summoned everyone to discuss the matter urgently.

Inside the central command tent, after passing the letter around for everyone to read, he said in a deep voice:

That's the general situation.

"Sha Dingzhou broke the alliance, seized the city, and offered treasures in exchange for fiefdom."

"You all tell me, how should we deal with this?"

The generals present naturally split into two factions, one of which expressed agreement, and their reasons were quite practical.

Without losing a single soldier, Kunming changed hands.

Since Sha Dingzhou has voluntarily surrendered and even sent such a generous gift, how could we refuse?
Yunnan has a complex terrain and is home to many chieftains. Now that a local strongman is willing to pledge allegiance, it would be a good opportunity to use him to stabilize the situation.

As long as he is willing to acknowledge my legitimacy, pay taxes, and I temporarily promise him a garrison post, it's not a big deal.

It's not too late to deal with him slowly after our army has pacified the Central Plains.

The opposition's reasons are also quite valid.

They believed that Sha Dingzhou was fickle and ruthless, and should not be trusted.

If he can betray the Ming Dynasty today, he can betray the Han Dynasty tomorrow!

Such fickle and treacherous people should never be brought under one's wing.

Everyone expressed their opinions, and the debate raged on. Those who agreed focused on immediate benefits and convenience, while those who disagreed valued long-term stability and political impact.

After carefully listening to everyone's opinions, Li Zicheng knew that this matter was difficult to decide.

There's nothing he can do about this; he can't make the decision on his own. Let's leave it to Chengdu to handle.

So he summoned a messenger and ordered him to send a report to Chengdu via express courier, detailing the whole story, and to ask Jiang Han for a decision.

Until clear instructions are given, the Han army units temporarily ceased operations and closely monitored the situation in Kunming.

(End of this chapter)