Na Lixuan had no particular good feelings for Zhu Mo at first, thinking it ridiculous for such a young man to preside over reforms, and fully expecting him to fail eventually. During their meeting in Hangzhou, Na Lixuan still considered Zhu Mo to be nothing special, merely relying on the emperor and a few ministers. He thought that as long as he could fool this young man into providing some firearms, it would be enough.
It wasn't until he sent a letter to Kunming Prefecture that Na Lixuan truly began to admire Zhu Mo. Upon arriving at Yongchang Prefecture and personally witnessing Zhu Mo turn the tide of defeat single-handedly, with his three hundred musketeers rendering the formidable Duke helpless, Na Lixuan deeply felt his own inferiority. Then, during the Battle of Shunning, when he saw Zhu Mo sleeping on wooden planks for over ten days just like the soldiers, he finally regarded him as a peerless genius of the age.
Regarding the current state of affairs, Na Lixuan believed he saw further than Zhu Mo. In his dealings and maneuvers, he felt he was far superior. However, seeing how a few letters and words from Zhu Mo could alter the situation made him realize it was beyond his own capabilities.
At this moment,
Seeing Zhu Mo's earnest tone and his genuine support for Bianluo, Na Lixuan thought of their impending farewell and the slim chance of meeting again. The future path of Bianluo country lay entirely at his feet, and the perils ahead were imaginable...
With this thought,
Na Lixuan knelt down again, tears streaming down his face, and said:
"Prime Minister, I, I..."
He choked for a long time, unable to utter a single word.
Zhu Mo smiled and said:
"You are going to be the ruler of a nation. Although I've asked General Yu to help you form an army, the firearms will not be plentiful, and you will have to procure warships yourself... How do you plan to proceed?"
Na Lixuan had already thought this through clearly and blurted out:
"Upon my arrival, I will first meet General Yu in Malacca, and then request his escort back to the great city. Once I reach the city, I will, with my father, seize the opportunity to welcome back the royal family, then contact tribal leaders and former ministers, issue a proclamation against Mang Yinglong, and upon forming the army, first implement a scorched-earth policy in the north, then advance south to Songkhla to develop the navy. With both land and sea forces covered, Mang Yinglong will be unable to shake me. Within three years at most, my navy will attack Baigou, and a surprise force will emerge from Lan Na. At that time, Mang Yinglong will be unable to attend to both fronts, and I will surely find an opportunity for a decisive battle. As for success or failure, it will all depend on heaven's will... If the Frankish people were a concern before this, now that the Prime Minister jointly manages the Malacca Strait with the Franks, I have no worries..."
Mm...
Zhu Mo had also pondered his strategy and felt that the direction was correct. As for whether he could defeat Mang Yinglong, that was highly uncertain, as Mang Yinglong was a formidable warlord of his generation, and it was unlikely he would let the young man grow stronger at his leisure. Perhaps within a few months, he would launch a full-scale attack and nip this young talent in the bud?
However, these were matters concerning others, and Zhu Mo felt it inconvenient to say too much. Nevertheless, there were a few points he needed to remind him of, and he nodded in agreement:
"Huai'en, I have a few words. Consider them as advice...
Mm, your country, Bianluo, was destroyed in the past, and there must have been traitors within. The first thing you must do upon your return is to kill these traitors... You must not be careless about this! Secondly, you are the son of the Grand Tutor and Prime Minister. Your father's royal title was bestowed by Mang Yinglong, and you must not accept it. Even if your king is dead, you must find a descendant of Sukhotai to be the king. This is a grand strategy, and you must not be the least bit careless!
Thirdly, Bianluo is also a Buddhist country. You should persuade the Sangharaja to order the people to restore the country, but not seek revenge... This point is also very crucial; do not engage in excessive killing... Lastly, since you have witnessed my reforms, you should know the path of Yao and Shun, which is a plan for ten thousand generations. You can implement it slowly in the future.
If you can accomplish these things, I predict you will be able to resist Mang Yinglong's counterattack. Once you have a firm footing, you must proceed slowly and not be impatient. Always remember that Mang Yinglong is the strongest among the states, and you must not confront him head-on..."
Na Lixuan took every word to heart, deeply feeling his own lack of experience. For instance, he himself would not have been so decisive in the first point and would likely have been harmed by those traitors. Upon his return and the day he entered the country, he would have to persuade his father to find and kill these people one by one, otherwise, what was the point of restoring the country?
With this thought,
Na Lixuan nodded heavily, then with a clang, drew his saber and wiped it across his face, instantly bleeding. In the midst of the pain, he spoke calmly and eloquently:
"Prime Minister Zhu, Bianluo's restoration in the future will be all thanks to the Prime Minister! Na Lixuan dares not express his gratitude, but he regards today's words as a national oath! If heaven favors me and my country is restored, then Bianluo will share the same fate as the great nation!"
Mm-hmm,
Zhu Mo patted his shoulder, his nose also stinging. He thought: such a young man, to have experienced such events, his future is long and fraught with unpredictable dangers... Was he not the same in the past?
"Huai'en, you may go!"
Having said that,
Zhu Mo turned around and strode back into the hall.
Na Lixuan bowed three times to Zhu Mo's retreating back, and immediately, taking Lin Afa with him, they rode out of the city under the cover of night.
...
The next day,
Zhu Mo and Mu Chaobi held a simple enthronement ceremony, and the situation in Wacheng was thus stabilized. Although Si Hong was extremely unwilling, he was powerless due to the control of the tribal chiefs. Zhu Mo, having come all this way, visited some ancient sites and returned to Yongchang Prefecture with Mu Chaobi and the main army three days later.
This expedition was a triumphant return of the army. The common people along the route cheered enthusiastically. Mu Chaobi, clad in armor, was filled with pride, while Zhu Mo, holding a feather fan, was naturally greatly respected by the officials and citizens.
However, Zhu Mo and Mu Chaobi's moods were completely different. Although they traveled together and their conversations were quite congenial, their individual thoughts were rather complex and entirely different from their journey south together.
Ten days later,
The army re-entered Yongchang Prefecture.
You Juying and Li Zhi, who had returned earlier, went to the Yiyong camp north of the city that night. Seeing their hurried manner, Zhu Mo guessed that something had happened.
It was late at night,
Li Zhi pulled Zhu Mo aside outside the tent and said in a low voice:
"Zixuan, many strangers have arrived in Yongchang Prefecture recently. They are all wealthy and influential, and some have made grand displays, with over a hundred servants each, clearly not ordinary people! The prefect, Liu Zhangkuan, is fawning over them and doesn't take Lord You or me seriously at all... Zixuan, things have changed since your army entered Myanmar. The people have started to fear again, and the markets are buzzing with rumors that something major is about to happen in Yongchang Prefecture..."
Upon saying this,
He looked around and leaned close to Zhu Mo's ear, whispering:
"Master Sheng'an found me the day before yesterday and said someone is plotting against you... Wang Daren and Liu Zhangkuan are already secretly gathering prisoners and death warriors..."
Zhu Mo, who was already very tired, was shocked and suddenly remembered—
The day after tomorrow is the tenth day of the tenth month!
Could these people have come to pay respects to the Imperial Grandson?
No wonder Mu Chaobi had been so perfunctory along the way. Perhaps he was planning something again?
And how would Yang Shen come to deliver this message? But if it was from him, it was likely true? How could Wang Daren no longer be obedient? And secretly gathering prisoners and death warriors, are they trying to silence me?
With this thought,
He suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, a chill running down his spine, and he became much clearer-headed. He thought that Wang Daren had probably met those disappointed court officials from the Jingnan Campaign, and their encouragement had emboldened him, making him truly daring to act?
However, having experienced much danger, he became calm and said:
"Zhuowu, there's no need to worry too much... The people's hearts are with me now. Although the thirty thousand Yiyong are not strong in combat, they are numerous and all locals. So, we are not afraid of them..."
But even as he said this, he himself had no real confidence.
How could Li Zhi not hear this?
He immediately said:
"Zixuan, I think we should leave first. Let's leave tonight! Let Lord You and Assistant General An accompany us, and leave the Yunnan-Guizhou region first... How about we go to Guangxi first? Then take a boat north from Jiaoguang, what do you think?"
Zhu Mo suddenly felt a bit flustered and paced a few steps, saying:
"No! Zhuowu, think about it, how can we escape? He has fifty thousand guards in his hands... If we leave, he will say the Yongchang Prefecture rebels are in chaos and pursue us, killing us all..."
Li Zhi, with his inherent spirit, also realized the danger was real and nodded:
"Yes, if we don't win this battle, Mu Chaobi will not dare to move against you. But after this great victory, those in the court who oppose reform will have reasons to support him. Then he can imprison you here or kill you in the chaos, and no one will be able to find out... Furthermore, you said the Yiyong listen to you, but I don't think so! They are all local people. Their parents and wives are held hostage, how dare they support you?"
Right...
Zhu Mo could not help but feel dejected—
The other side was so powerful, how could these common people dare to speak out?
At this moment,
He suddenly felt very tired...