The Ming army pursued southward, and although they could repeatedly ambush the rear of the Burmese army, Mang Yinglong, being cruel and ruthless, never cared for his rear guard. He crossed the Muang State at the fastest speed and fled to Ava.
On the city walls of the former royal palace of the Bagan Dynasty, Mang Yinglong and his younger brother Meng She stood clad in strange armor, gazing at the myriad pagodas under the setting sun. The Battle of Shunning still felt like a dream.
Meng She was very puzzled by the letter from the Portuguese Cabral and had complained several times. Thinking that the Ming army had already entered Muang State and that their hasty engagement would be very difficult, he grumbled again:
"Brother, the Portuguese have really made a big mistake this time. They should have captured Dali in one go. With them suddenly withdrawing, it will be difficult for us to fight in the future..."
Mang Yinglong, a contemporary hero, naturally understood the consequences of this matter. It not only meant the termination of the offensive against the Ming Dynasty but also the abandonment of the strategies in Lanna, Laos, and other regions...
More importantly, and a point his brother had not yet grasped,
was that—
With the Portuguese Malacca also lost, it meant the end of an era! Although his lifelong conquests yielded unprecedented results, his cruel methods had offended almost all the powers on the continent. Now that the Portuguese had lost their power, these forces would soon stir...
In fact, he was not completely unaware of the situation in the East Sea. Precisely because he knew that there were problems in the East Sea and that the Ming Dynasty had suddenly come back to life, he was frightened. Because he was frightened, he had gone all out and personally led fifty thousand troops to attack the Ming Dynasty, hoping to seize Dali in time. This would allow his newly established empire to gain a firm foothold. Otherwise, with the Portuguese prestige diminished, those who were prostrate at his feet would rise up in revenge at any moment...
Just now,
He had chatted with Meng She for a long time, but this younger brother still seemed to not understand. Mang Yinglong felt a sense of regret, as well as a hint of joy.
Because,
Since Meng She had not reacted, he would continue to hold Ava... This brother had always regarded himself as the former king of Bagan, not the Prince of Ava of the Toungoo Empire. This would buy him time to eliminate hidden dangers to the south. He did not need much time, just two or three months would be enough.
Upon returning to Bago City, he would kill all the captured royal families and ministers of enemy states, and he would also rebuild the northern defense line and strengthen the coastal defenses. More importantly, he would tightly bind the Mon people in the coastal regions. Because his newly established enemy country was built with the help of the Portuguese, ultimately, the foundation of this empire lay at sea, in strong ships and cannons. Now that the naval advantage had been frustrated, it was even more important to unite with the Mon people...
When he returned this time, he would marry the widow of the King of Pegu, making this alliance unbreakable... As long as he could survive this crisis, he would not even care about the survival of Ava. At worst, he would return to the beginning of his career. The Ming army would return later, and he could take it back at any time. Even if he couldn't get it back, at least the dynasty in Bago City could be preserved.
Thinking of this,
He had no choice but to betray his brother. He said in a deep voice:
"Meng She, the Ming army has reached Muang State and should be wooing the local chieftains and the people of Luchuan. A decisive battle in Ava is inevitable... I must return first to have the Mon people defend the sea, and then go to Sian to gather a large army. As long as you can hold on for two months, our empire will remain impregnable!"
Meng She was originally a subordinate. After being enfeoffed as a prince, he took charge and defended Ava alone. Many northern powers revered him as a god, and he naturally felt very proud. If he were asked to abandon this place, he would never be willing. He could not think of any far-reaching plans. He immediately said firmly:
"Brother, rest assured! I will definitely hold Ava City! Go and gather the army with peace of mind. We Mangs will never bow to the Ming Dynasty!"
"Good!"
Mang Yinglong decisively drew his treasured saber from his waist and handed it to him with both hands, saying:
"Meng She, I am in charge of Bago City, and you are in charge of Ava! Hold on for as long as you can... I will definitely come back to save you!"
Meng She was immediately moved to tears. He took the treasured saber with both hands and said, "Brother, go with peace of mind."
Mang Yinglong immediately assembled his army and left Ava overnight, hurrying towards Bago City.
...
At the same time,
in the Muang State Pacification Commission, Xinwei City.
Most of the chieftains, large and small, summoned by Zhu Mo and Mu Chaobi overnight had arrived. Hanba had been captured and was currently imprisoned in the backyard of the Pacification Commission's yamen. An Xiaoliang, with twenty thousand troops, also marched south from Dehong and arrived at Xinwei at noon today. At this point, only the young prince Si Hong of the Luchuan people was left.
This move was proposed by Zhu Mo. Mu Chaobi originally wanted to attack Ava by force, but thinking of Mang Yinglong's powerful firearms, he reluctantly agreed to convene a meeting of local chieftains in Xinwei. However, this would inevitably make Ava City more difficult to attack. Now that the Luchuan prince Si Hong was still dawdling, Mu Chaobi was immediately displeased and said:
"Zi Xuan, let the Luchuan people come or not! It doesn't matter if they don't come! Why do we have time to wait for him? If we wait a few more days, Mang Yinglong will strengthen his defenses, and how can we still fight?"
Zhu Mo smiled calmly and said:
"Your Grace, I don't think Mang Yinglong will stay in Ava for long. He will definitely run back to Bago City like a pursued soul... You can rest assured about this!"
Mu Chaobi snorted and said:
"Easy to say! What kind of place is Ava? How much effort did he spend to capture it four years ago? Now that his younger brother Meng She is guarding it, how can he bear to give it up?"
Zhu Mo shook his head, deeply feeling that the ministers of the Great Ming Dynasty lacked overall strategic thinking and knew very little about advanced theories like geopolitics. Zhang Juzheng, Jiajing, and Yan Song in the court were all quite capable. When it came to the local level, people like Mu Chaobi could not keep up.
"Your Grace, think about it, will Yu Dayou be idle? I think he has probably arrived off the coast of Bago City. How can Mang Yinglong not be in a hurry? Let alone this brother, even his own father, he cannot afford to neglect!"
If it were in the past, Mu Chaobi would have definitely scoffed. However, after this battle, he knew that this Zhu Mo was quite remarkable. After thinking for a while, he said thoughtfully:
"You mean, Mang Yinglong's backyard is on fire?"
After all, he was a seasoned general, a good hand in the Jiajing era. Moreover, he had received an excellent education since childhood, and his visitors were all either famous ministers or scholars. His vision was naturally good.
At this moment,
he also thought that leading troops personally had great risks. Because if the ruler failed, those disaffected vassals would definitely revolt. This was true both in China and abroad. Mang Yinglong certainly had vassals under his command who were waiting for him to fall into misfortune. In addition, there was the imperial court. It was rare for an imperial expedition to fail without an ensuing court rebellion. Considering these, Zhu Mo's words still had some truth to them.
Zhu Mo nodded, looked at him meaningfully, and said slowly:
"Your Grace, who is Mang Yinglong? You probably don't know. I'll bring someone to tell you... Zhu Huaien, come! Greet Your Grace!"
With a "huala,"
Nali Xuan stepped out from the back row, bowed to Mu Chaobi, and said loudly:
"Zhu Huaien greets Duke Mu!"
Mu Chaobi was stunned—
This person had a strange face, a strange tone of voice, and such a peculiar name. He didn't know who he was. He immediately asked:
"Who are you?"
Nali Xuan looked up at Zhu Mo. Zhu Mo nodded:
"Don't worry, Your Grace is a hero..."
Nali Xuan immediately said:
"Reporting to Duke Mu, my humble name is Nali Xuan, the son of the Grand Tutor of the fallen kingdom of Sian."
Ah?!
Upon hearing this, Mu Chaobi suddenly stood up, took a few steps, and examined him closely, exclaiming: "Since you are the son of the Grand Tutor, please rise quickly..."
Nali Xuan stood up, and Mu Chaobi paced around him, marveling, "Zi Xuan, you are truly as elusive as a ghost. You didn't mention this young man earlier..."
Nali Xuan bowed again, saying:
"Your Grace, please forgive me, I truly have no choice but to do so!"
Mmm,
"I understand, I understand..."
Mu Chaobi was also a nobleman. Seeing this seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth, who was not only calm and profound but also strong, with firm eyes and proper speech, he could not help but be greatly pleased. He said:
"Zhu Huaien, Zhu Huaien, what a good name... it suits you, it suits you! Someone, bring wine!"
The guards brought wine cups. Mu Chaobi poured two and a half bowls and handed them to him, saying:
"Come! There are no such formalities on the battlefield. Drink first, then we'll talk!"
Nali Xuan's eyes showed gratitude, and he immediately drank it all down.
Mu Chaobi also finished his in one gulp, then wiped his mouth and said, "Zhu Huaien, tell me, who is Mang Yinglong?"