Chapter 40: The Two Schemers' Plot

  "The terrain is treacherous, with steep mountains and dense forests, where miasma thrives. We must be cautious in our distant expedition!" Hong Chengchou spoke with caution, but in reality, he didn't take Zhu Yongxing of the Tengyue border seriously. Even famous generals like Li Dingguo and Bai Wenxuan had been defeated one after another, fleeing from the border and not daring to confront the Qing army's sharp blades. What's more, this hastily assembled mob was no match for them.

  "Yes, to put it briefly, I will pass on the message to Zhang Yong and instruct him to exercise caution in using troops." Wu Sangui spoke with respect, but his words were insincere. After a pause, he ventured to say: "The General is wise and far-sighted, and there are still many things that Sangui would like to ask for guidance on. I hope the General will be generous with his teachings!" Wu Sangui pulled out a gift list from his sleeve and handed it lightly to Hong Chengchou, "This humble gift is not worthy of respect, please don't decline it, General!"

  Hong Chengchou smiled slightly, quietly putting the gift list into his sleeve, and said: "Chang Bo, you and I have known each other for a long time, there's no need to be so polite! The Yunnan-Guizhou region has just been opened up, and it is urgent to control and suppress it. Among them, Yunnan is especially remote and dangerous, with many types of local chieftains, and it is not easy to govern. Therefore, the Yuan dynasty used a prince to garrison it, and the Ming dynasty had the Duke of Guizhou, Mu Ying, guard it for generations. I will memorialize the emperor to discuss the policy of appointing a prince or high-ranking minister as a long-term plan, leaving Chang Bo to stay in office, so that the border regions can forever be peaceful and stable."

  "Since it is so, Wu Sangui thanked him and took his leave." Wu Sangui heard these words, stood up and bowed.

  "Hold on, hold on." Hong Chengchou shook his head gently and said, "There are still some things that Zhang needs to know about."

  Wu Sangui was taken aback and asked urgently: "Brother Hong, please speak clearly, Wu will definitely listen."

  Hong Chengchou said slowly: "The Manchu soldiers will not adapt to the climate here, and they miss their hometown very much. If you want to pacify Yunnan forever, you can't be impatient. You must remember that there should not be a single day of peace in Yunnan."

  "It is impossible to make Yunnan a peaceful place for even one day." Wu Sangui savored these words, and suddenly understood. The imperial court had not yet approved his permanent residence in Yunnan, nor had it conferred upon him the title of prince. If the anti-Qing armed forces in Yunnan were quickly eliminated, would that not be a loss? Leaving some anti-Qing armed forces to cause trouble and rebel, waiting for the Qing court to grant favors to himself, this was the best strategy. Moreover, keeping Yunnan unstable, always in a state of tension, the imperial court would not withdraw the great power granted to Wu Sangui, but would instead continue to provide him with more troops and grain, and Wu Sangui's position would naturally become increasingly consolidated.

  "Major events should not be taken lightly, minor events should not be ignored." Hong Chengchou put on a wise expression and said in a deep voice.

  "After listening to your wise words, Wu Sangui has learned a lot." Wu Sangui sincerely thanked him again: "I've long heard that you have extensive knowledge, I happened to obtain a few ancient objects, but my learning is shallow and I couldn't identify them. Please help me, Brother Hong, to appraise them."

  "Chang Bo Mei Yi, Hong Mou dare not disobey." Hong Chengchou smiled humbly and said, then turned to Wu Sangui with a serious expression: "Chang Bo, if the local Tusi rebels, they should be quickly eliminated, and not allowed to spread; as for the Burmese pretender Yongli, he is like a stray dog that can be dealt with later. I will memorialize the imperial court to request grain and supplies, in preparation for use."

  "The words of the strategist are indeed correct." Wu Sangui nodded in agreement and said, "In September or October, Yunnan Province's food will be exhausted. At that time, there will be no horse feed or grass, and naturally, it will be impossible to advance and attack. I hope the strategist will speak more beautifully."

  Hong Chengchou and Wu Sangui had been friends for a long time before they surrendered to the Qing dynasty. Wu treated Hong as his senior, with great respect and their relationship was very deep. After surrendering, they continued to maintain close ties, and this time they were also fighting together in Yunnan and Guizhou. Hong took charge of everything and took care of Wu everywhere, without any doubt. After the war, Hong again proposed that a king be stationed in Yunnan, following the example of the Yuan and Ming dynasties, to guard the place forever. He openly and secretly recommended Wu Sangui, helping him obtain a stable position. Therefore, Wu's ability to stay in Yunnan had a lot to do with Hong's support.

  Two treacherous men, laughing and chatting with each other, each getting what they wanted, yet harmonious, but unaware that underestimating the enemy would lead to their own downfall. The war of Tengchong's expedition unexpectedly produced a stunning result, causing Yunnan's west to shake and the situation to change.

  ……

  "The battle for the city, every inch of land is fiercely contested, intense fighting everywhere, hand-to-hand combat with the enemy, mountains and rivers shaken, voices echoing across the rivers, momentum like thunder and lightning, corpses filling the streets, blood overflowing the city walls..."

  Standing on the top of Lai Feng Mountain, overlooking Tengchong Ancient Town, Zhu Yongxing seemed to hear again the narration of the documentary "Expeditionary Force". Hundreds of years later, this ancient town fell into the hands of the Wokou pirates from the East China Sea and was destroyed by war, while the Wokou also committed heinous crimes here that would be difficult to record. When the lost land was recaptured from the Wokou, tens of thousands of Chinese soldiers paid a painful price here.

  Times are different, but the flames of war may still descend upon this ancient city. Zhu Yongxing sighed deeply at this thought. Although he had devised a clever and unexpected plan, its success was far from certain. Therefore, as a backup plan, to defend Tengchong Ancient City to the death, to defeat the enemy beneath its walls, it was only natural to investigate the terrain of Qingfeng Mountain, which served as the city's screen.

  After reconnaissance, Zhu Yongxing's confidence began to waver, because Lai Fengshan was too small and could not accommodate many troops. Once Lai Fengshan was occupied by the Qing army, Tengchong City would be surrounded on all sides. This was originally the battle plan of the Japanese army that died in Tengchong in history, and was eventually wiped out.

  Although it is possible to draw on the experience and lessons of the historical expeditionary force's counterattack on Tengchong, the combat characteristics of the cold weapon era are completely different from those of the hot weapon era. Therefore, Zhu Yongxing is becoming increasingly pessimistic about holding out in Tengchong.

  Guard Tengchong, but cannot fight in Tengchong. Zhu Yongxing cast his gaze northward, the turbulent Nujiang River and the 3000-meter-high Gaoligong Mountains are the two natural barriers guarding Tengchong. The battlefield should be chosen there, with layers of fortifications set up at the treacherous passes of Gaoligong Mountain, using the terrain to our advantage to repel the Qing army, making them retreat in defeat.

  Yes, if the original plan cannot be successful, blocking the enemy at Gaoligong Mountain should be the best choice. As long as it can hold on for a month, the subsequent rainy season will cause the water surface of the Nujiang River to suddenly rise from over 80 meters to over 400 meters, and the current is rapid, making the mountain roads even more slippery and difficult to pass, and the Qing army's supplies cannot be guaranteed.

  A burst of silvery laughter broke into Zhu Yongxing's thoughts, and Mengzhu led two maidservants from the mountain path, bringing a fresh and innocent aura to his side.

  "Your Highness, that hot spring was really comfortable, I almost fell asleep." Mengzhu's cheeks were rosy, as if she had applied rouge, her beauty was even more captivating, her hair was still wet, and the sparkling water droplets in the sunlight shone like a head full of pearls, causing the guards standing not far from Zhu Yongxing to steal glances at her.