A thought occurred to him, and Zhu Mo snorted, saying, "Since you know Mang Yinglong is a ruthless man, how do you plan to restore your kingdom? In my opinion, circumstances are stronger than people. You should accept your fate and settle down in the Great Ming. I will inform the court, and you will be treated well."
Na Lixuan's expression was desolate, but his eyes were firm. He said in a deep voice, "Prime Minister, I escaped from Bago City several months ago, traveling by land and sea, enduring great hardship, only to reach Jiuzhou and find Lord Oda. He strengthened my resolve to restore the kingdom, and that is why I came under your tutelage...
Prime Minister, you may not know, but four years ago, Mang Yinglong treacherously attacked Dacheng and captured our King. My father, the Prime Minister, yielded to the demands, offering me and my two siblings as hostages, thereby saving King Mohsin. A year later, Mang Yinglong intended to kill our King again, and my sister agreed to become his concubine, thus we survived to this day... Prime Minister Zhu, I share an irreconcilable hatred with Mang Yinglong and will avenge and restore my kingdom even if I die ten thousand times!
Prime Minister, the restoration of our kingdom is not without hope. Firstly, my father, though a puppet regent, has gained the hearts of the people in Bianluo through his compromise. The officials and citizens rely on him for stability. Although it is humiliating, their resentment deepens daily. Secondly, I spent three years in Bago City and saw that Mang Yinglong, though a formidable man of his time, is tyrannical and unjust. His brothers, nephews, and children are all his enemies. The Meng and Wa people have long been dissatisfied, and these grievances can be used to our advantage. Thirdly, the various local chieftains of the Upper State have suffered greatly from his oppression and will rebel sooner or later. Fourthly, the kingdoms of Lanna, Lancang, and Manipur have been annexed by him, and in time, they will not be willing to be subjugated.
With these five points, if you, Prime Minister, provide me with firearms, I will lead Dacheng to independence and defend it resolutely for three years. In the northern provinces, we will implement a scorched-earth policy. Then, we will use our navy to attack Mawlamyine and Tavoy, besieging Bago City. After three years, I will launch a surprise attack on Lanna and capture Mang Yinglong and his son. Then I will welcome back the King and serve as Prime Minister until my death, never seeking to usurp the throne."
These words indeed moved Zhu Mo deeply.
This person was of similar age to him, but had endured more suffering. His siblings must have suffered greatly in Mang Yinglong's royal palace in Bago City...
The war four years ago must have been the "White Elephant War." The Ayutthaya Kingdom was destroyed overnight, a tragic fate. Since this person was the son of a powerful minister and had generational ties with the royal family, they were naturally bound together. His father, though adept at navigating political currents, must have sacrificed a great deal to survive in such a difficult situation.
For some reason, this person reminded Zhu Mo of Murong Chong, except Murong Chong later became particularly brutal, while this person claimed he would never usurp the throne?
He did not believe it. Power corrupted people from the depths of their souls. If this person gained power, he would likely seek brutal revenge.
Thinking of this,
Despite his sympathy, Zhu Mo was still reluctant to help him. He said calmly,
If you only want firearms, why not seek out the Portuguese? I captured Torres in Zhoushan. This person trained troops for Mang Yinglong in Burma, and recently Governor Souza has also fled. If you appeal to their emotions and reason, they might help you..."
Na Lixuan chuckled and said,
Prime Minister, the Mang family's ambitions are grand, and the Portuguese are deliberately abetting them... Prime Minister, you may not know, but the Portuguese first landed in Malacca, controlling the Strait of Malacca, and then moved north inland, using Mang Yinglong as their pawn. Therefore, the usually peaceable Burmese suddenly became aggressive, annexing territories in all directions and becoming a minor hegemon... Prime Minister, the Mang father and son, with their war elephants and firearms, are conquering various countries. They will inevitably contend with the Upper State for Lijiang and Dali. In time, Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi will also suffer from their menace!"
Hmph,
Zhu Mo naturally understood this, but he felt a bit displeased.
This person was indeed capable, able to discern the essence of Mang Yinglong's rise.
Indeed, Mang Yinglong was the land-based hawk supported by the Portuguese, while Otomo Sorin was their naval talon. Otomo Sorin was already a source of trouble from Japanese pirates, and Mang Yinglong would naturally become a major border threat. These were two chess moves made simultaneously, with the aim of dismembering and subjugating the Great Ming.
If Otomo Sorin had not died, he would have unified Japan and then undoubtedly marched north to Korea, amassing troops at the foot of the Changbai Mountains. If Mang Yinglong were not restrained, after conquering the Kingdom of Lan Xang (Laos), he would attack Yunnan and Guizhou from both sides, thus endangering Yunnan and Guizhou. If Annam also took advantage of the situation, then it would be a troublesome affair.
The most troublesome was Souza. By now, he had probably fled to Malacca or even reached Bago City. Given the Portuguese temperament, they would likely persuade Mang Yinglong, and then there would inevitably be a major battle in the Lijiang and Tengchong areas of Yunnan. And if the Yan family and Prince Yu had already joined forces, what would the Mu family of Yunnan and those local chieftains think? As meritorious nobles, would they also align with the Yan family? Would it stir up another wave of turmoil?
A thought occurred to him,
Zhu Mo mused,
"Na Lixuan, don't return to Bianluo for now... Hmm, I have a few matters to attend to. After I finish, I want to personally visit the Lijiang area. You, stay in the firearms camp and be my personal guard. Familiarize yourself first. In a few days, we will go to the Hulushan Water Village to inspect the navy. Then you will accompany me to Yunnan. What do you think?"
Na Lixuan was overjoyed and prostrated himself, saying with a trembling voice,
"Thank you, Prime Minister Zhu! I, I, I..."
Zhu Mo said gently,
"Alright, alright. Your situation is difficult, and we need to discuss it further. For now, settle down, learn well, and meticulously sort out the situations in Bianluo, with Mang Yinglong father and son, Ava, Lijiang, Tengchong, and Cheli. It would be best if you write it down, so I can study it..."
"Yes. Your subordinate respectfully follows Prime Minister's orders. After I go down, I will have Lin Afa write it down."
Na Lixuan knew that the person before him was his only hope for revenge and restoration. Moreover, he was about the same age as himself. If they could become friends, it would be a blessing from heaven for Bianluo.
Zhu Mo carefully observed this servant. He looked like a Chaoshan person, likely an immigrant to Bianluo from early years. His willingness to suffer with him showed that he was a loyal person. Zhu Mo then said gently,
"You are called Lin Afa?"
The old man respectfully replied, "This humble one is Lin Afa, originally from Chaozhou, and I have read a little."
Good!
Zhu Mo suddenly remembered that they were different from others; they looked like they were starving. He then smiled and asked, "You two don't need to go anywhere else. Stay here in the Northern Training Ground and eat and live with the soldiers of the firearms camp..."
The two beamed with joy and said in unison,
"Thank you, Prime Minister."
...
In the following days,
Zhu Mo did nothing but carefully sort out all the current affairs and came to a conclusion:
The current biggest situation was that the Yan Party, having lost foreign aid, had turned to Prince Yu for support. Coupled with some meritorious nobles and vassal kings, their strength had significantly diminished, but it had become more consolidated. Since Prince Yu was the future Emperor, the Qingliu faction dared not oppose him and had become completely neutral. In this way, his own strength was the weakest.
Of course,
This was only the surface. If it were before, Zhu Mo would have panicked, but now he was confident.