Chapter 42: Loyal Heart Welcomes the Emperor's Return with No Merit
Zhu Yongxing made some arbitrary arrangements for the battle, and after ordering the other generals to make their preparations, he set off with 2,000 Ming troops from Tengchong, heading straight for the Gaoligong Mountains.
It feels good to impersonate Shi Zhi, but Zhu Yongxing has not completely untied the knot in his heart. When interacting with Ming army generals, he still has a sense of guilt, fearing that one wrong word would arouse suspicion. Therefore, he lets Yi Cheng explain and arrange as much as possible on his behalf, the less he says the better.
Zhu Yongxing personally led the army to reinforce Gaoligong Mountain, with several purposes. Firstly, he could give the Ming army an image of being fearless and daring to fight on the battlefield; secondly, he was afraid that the Mangshan Kezu soldiers who had already advanced to Gaoligong Mountain might not fully understand his plan, causing deviations in the entire combat action; thirdly, he also wanted to observe the Qing army on the spot and assess its actual combat effectiveness, so as to make necessary adjustments to the plan; fourthly, he believed that he could learn from it and command more accurately and appropriately in the Gaoligong Mountain blocking battle.
When watching the documentary "Expeditionary Force", the National Army was counter-attacking Tengchong, while the Japanese devils were on the defensive. Now it's the Qing army that's attacking, and we're defending, so what we need to learn from is the actual tactics of the Japanese devils. Zhu Yongxing rode his horse, and as soon as he thought of this, a strange feeling arose.
Alright, I was thinking too much. Regardless of whether it's positive or negative, whether it's the righteous National Army or the brutal devils, successful experiences should be learned from and lessons from failures should be absorbed, taking the essence and discarding the dregs!
Zhu Yongxing quickly shook off the strange feeling, carefully thinking about each link in the action plan, repeatedly considering every detail, not daring to let his guard down. A famous general, with both wisdom and bravery, with elite soldiers and swift horses, could he, a mere paper tiger, handle it?
If it were a real battlefield, Zhu Yongxing would not dare to take command. He was still not confident enough to make quick judgments about the ever-changing situation on the battlefield and issue correct orders.
A famous general, Zhu Yongxing's heart is willing, but he also knows that the distance between them is far apart. In theory, he knows many ancient and modern Chinese and foreign war examples, but he will not be more familiar with "The Art of War" and "Wu Zibing Fa" than the current generals; in actual combat, he has seen the battlefield, but only as a spectator, and even now he has not personally taken a knife to kill anyone; in terms of ruthlessness, rationality, judgment, and firmness, he is even more unable to compare with those generals who have emerged from the bloody battles.
Of course, Zhu Yongxing doesn't think he's completely useless and can only be beaten by so-called famous generals. In terms of broad vision and changing tactics, he thinks he still has a chance to compete. And as for the extremely important factor in becoming a famous general - luck, Zhu Yongxing feels that he should have a slight advantage. The various experiences since crossing over now seem relatively smooth, which undoubtedly adds to this feeling.
This confrontation is bound to come sooner or later. If even Zhang Yong doesn't dare to speak out, how will he face an even more powerful BOSS in the future? Won't the words "Recover the Great Xia" be empty talk? The path he has chosen is one filled with pain and bloodshed, but also with joy and excitement. Only by bravely walking to the end can he obtain the crown of victory and glory.
Banners and flags fluttered in the wind, swords and spears shone brightly. Zhu Yongxing stood among them, his back straighter than ever, casting a profound and resolute gaze into the distance.
……
Morning mist envelops Ava city in a hazy view, everything is like a dream, strange, vague and distorted.
The Ming army camp outside the city of Ava was already in an uproar, with smoke rising from cooking fires, making the fog seem even thicker. Supplies were being loaded onto carts, with people shouting and horses neighing, creating a chaotic scene.
Gong Chang Wang Baiwen stood in front of a simple wooden fence, seemingly oblivious to the commotion behind him in the large camp, his face complex as he gazed far into the distance at the Burmese royal city.
After the defeat of Xia Guan, Wang Wenxuan, the king of Gongchang, left behind a broken army and led his main force to take the road from Shamuyi to Youdian, then to Zhenkang into Longchuan, and finally met with Li Dingguo's troops in Mubang. Although the armies were reunited, the result of their discussions was greatly divided.
At that time, both of them heard the news that Ming Shizong would enter Yunnan to guard. King Jin Li Dingguo thought that since this was the case, there was no need to rush to welcome Yongli back to the country. His reason was also very sufficient: "The small state of Myanmar is suddenly seeing a large army and must be frightened, fearing that they will think about fleeing and refusing to fight, fighting is being an enemy with them, how can we put our master? It's better to choose a nearby border area with danger, rest the soldiers, repair the military, recruit the scattered, two armies are mutually supportive; Myanmar outside is afraid of my army, and must not dare to be rude to the ruler!"
But Bai Wenyuan believed that the two armies were stationed outside the border, and once the Burmese were unpredictable, it was likely that they would be unable to respond in time. Therefore, he believed that the top priority was to bring Yongli back home, so as not to have any distractions and be able to focus on fighting the enemy.
Although Li Dingguo was a close relative of the emperor and held the Yellow Tiger Flag, Bai Wenzhong was only a regional king. However, at this time, each person's status was determined by their actual power. Bai Wenzhong insisted on his own views, and Li Dingguo did not want to start an internal conflict with swords drawn, so he had no choice but to reluctantly agree. He led his troops north through Gejiu and stationed them in Menggen.
Gong Chang Wang Baowen led the troops to overcome difficulties such as scorching weather and treacherous terrain, continuously defeating the Burmese army that attempted to intercept them, until they reached Ava City. The Burmese authorities only then realized the strength of the Ming army and could not be underestimated, so they withdrew their troops into the city to defend it and sent someone to ask Yongli to issue an order to retreat.
After much hardship and difficulty, he only received an imperial edict ordering him to withdraw his troops. Moreover, the edict was delivered by a Burmese envoy to the great camp, which would certainly make King Kongchang feel depressed and helpless, causing the Ming army officers and soldiers to feel angry and dissatisfied.
It's too late! Bai Wense sighed, he had accepted the imperial edict yesterday and decided to retreat early this morning, but he was still somewhat reluctant. After thinking about it again and again, Bai Wense still did not disobey the imperial order and continued to attack with determination.
Not to mention whether continuing the attack would put Yongli's life in danger, just talking about the matter of disobeying orders, if they failed to rescue Yongli and the small court, they would certainly be held accountable for their crimes. And even if they succeeded in rescuing him, what would the emperor and his ministers think? A general who disobeys imperial orders, even with good intentions, would likely arouse suspicion and fear that he might commit similar acts again, and therefore would not be trusted and would be strictly guarded against and suppressed.
It was precisely because of such concerns that Bai Wensuo suspected that the imperial edict might not be Emperor Yongli's true intention, but he did not dare to ignore it and continued to act as usual.
"Your Highness." A soft call came from behind, it was General Zhang Guoyong and Zhao Desheng who had hurried over.
Bai Wenxuan suppressed his melancholy emotions, forced a smile and said: "Is the meal ready? Let's go back to our tent to eat, then mobilize the troops to return to Dian and join forces with Li Jinwang!"
