Chapter 25: Quiet Night Thoughts, Tears in My Eyes

  At night, the stars shone brightly, and the darkness was wrapped in a damp night air, closing in from the surrounding forests. The people around had almost all fallen asleep, each entering their own dreamland. If their dreams could be made visible, how strange and bizarre they would be.

  The quiet of the night, the twinkling of the stars, and the brightness of the moon are just the right time to indulge in reverie. Zhu Yongxing leaned back with his hands behind his head, gazing up at the sky, where the crystal-clear stars sparkled like tears in the eyes of loved ones from his hometown, amidst the vast expanse of grayness. The owls in the forest let out mournful cries, and night birds flapped their soft wings as they flew over the treetops. His thoughts wandered far away, and a wave of sorrow washed over him: What were his parents and friends doing now? Did they know about his strange encounter, did they know he was thinking of them? And yet, he couldn't comfort their sorrows either.

  "...... Father, the love of heaven and earth, I will cherish it forever, the only thing that remains unchanged is your kindness; Mother, compassionate heart, I will cherish it forever, in the midst of tolerance and patience, what I feel most sincerely, in the midst of tolerance and patience, what I feel most sincerely..."

  It was just a song he used to enjoy listening to, but now it kept echoing in Zhu Yongxing's ears, evoking completely different emotions, bringing out the feelings that had been deeply buried in his heart. Unbeknownst to him, tears began to stream down his face.

  The wind started, and the surrounding trees seemed to be startled, rustling with a hissing sound. The waves crashed against the shore, like a mournful dirge. Zhu Yongxing wiped away his tears, this was heaven's arrangement, and now his own expression was not the kind that should be shown when about to engage in a fierce battle of blood and steel, or a heroic struggle.

  I will fight for the salvation of China, I will fight for the happiness of the Chinese people for a hundred years. The gods in heaven are watching me, and I will be the savior to save people from suffering! The indigo starry sky has tilted, Zhu Yongxing pulled up his quilt and fell asleep, only feeling the rustling sound of the thatched roof in the night wind. In endless reverie, he gradually entered a dreamland.

  In a chaotic dream, Zhu Yongxing dreamed of his parents and friends, warm and sweet, until he faintly heard the cry of "Your Highness, Your Highness". Waking up with a start, Zhu Yongxing saw Mengzhu crouching in front of him.

  ……

  In the distance, a large flock of birds of all colors cried out in alarm, flying into the half-air in the fog that had not dispersed before dawn, lingering above the forest for a long time without falling.

  Dozens of iron riders appeared at the end of the road, galloping in rhythm with Zhu Yongxing's heartbeat. The horseshoes rose and fell, stopping briefly at the foot of the slope before rushing forward again. Through the gap in the grass, Zhu Yongxing saw that the Burmese soldiers had just looked up the slope, pointing and gesturing. The Mangshan Kezu people were good at hunting and hiding in the mountains, so they wouldn't notice anything unusual with a rough glance.

  It's really a light enemy. This is related to the sudden attack of Mangshan Kezu and the inability to bear the oppression, and the hasty start of the matter. Moreover, when attacking the Mengnuo Tufu, the slogan shouted by the Mangshan Kezu was "Kill back to the old land of Mengnuo and re-establish the autonomy of the Tufu". These misunderstandings gave the Burmese people a wrong judgment, thinking that the rebellion of the Mangshan Kezu was a temporary intention, the plan was not necessarily thorough, and the strategic direction was also the Mengnuo area west of Burma.

  The Burmese garrison was naturally more elite than the local security forces in Mandalay, and being proud of their eliteness must have bred arrogance. As he watched a large group of Burmese soldiers marching down the road from the slope, Zhu Yongxing couldn't help but reveal a cold smile on his face.

  There were over 2,000 horses and dozens of vehicles carrying heavy loads, while nearly 3,000 strong and brave Mangshi people were ambushing around the small path. At the other end of the road, there were also nearly 10,000 Mangshi people preparing to enter Yunnan from Myanmar, who would also rush up desperately at critical moments.

  The bird's cry came from afar, as if it was responding to a message. Sure enough, the Burmese army had just passed by, and the female village chief appeared. Then, countless figures emerged from the forest and grasslands, rushing towards the road. The bird's cry was indeed a signal, indicating that the Burmese troops had left and it was time to act.

  A barricade made of sharpened bamboo was laid across the road, and on both sides of the slope, as well as behind the barricade, the robust Mangshan Miao people lined up for battle, quickly blocking the narrow road and cutting off the Burmese soldiers' retreat.

  "Your Highness's body is worth a million gold, it must not be damaged in any way. Please watch from here." Xiang Zheng was very confident and politely arranged Zhu Yongxing on the mountain slope behind the array.

  No need for me to command, no need for me to personally take the field and slay the enemy! Zhu Yongxing, experiencing his first battlefield, was quite self-aware, smiled and nodded in agreement, and stood with Mengzhu and a dozen guards on the slope to watch.

  The fog was torn apart like cotton wool in the morning wind, and a golden red light appeared on the eastern horizon, growing larger and brighter. The majestic sound of war drums suddenly broke through the silence of the mountains, and the cries of killing grew louder from afar, echoing one after another on the narrow mountain road.

  It had begun, the first cold-weapon war he was about to witness with his own eyes. Zhu Yongxing pursed his lips tightly, clenched his fists, and stared intently ahead, waiting for the retreating Burmese soldiers' figures to appear.

  The ambush was sudden and fierce, the vanguard cavalry had just sounded the alarm, with the beating of war drums, countless figures appeared on the slopes on both sides of the road. Crossbow arrows and darts flew over, causing not a small loss to the Burmese army in an instant.

  The Burmese general was leading a team of his personal soldiers, strolling in the middle of the formation. Wiping out the Mangshan Ke clan didn't seem like a difficult task to him, at least that's what he thought. Not to mention military merit, the women of the Mangshan Ke clan were good at singing and dancing, it was really not bad, taking a few beautiful ones as song girls would be a wonderful thing. But the sudden attack shattered his wonderful fantasy, and the Burmese general, who had no experience in battle, was shocked into stupidity.

  "Ah!" In the midst of a mournful cry, an imperial guard's face was struck by a black crossbow bolt, and fresh blood splattered onto General Mian's body.

  "Ah!" Another mournful cry, the flying dart pierced a bodyguard's thigh and stabbed into the horse's flesh. The warhorse let out a loud whinny, suddenly spreading its four hooves and trampling the Burmese soldiers as it galloped away wildly.

  Cries of agony, neighing horses, all mixed together. The fierce and sudden attack threw the Burmese soldiers, who lacked battle experience, into a state of utter confusion, while their long serpentine formation on the narrow mountain path made it even more difficult for them to defend themselves or regroup to counterattack.

  Advance or retreat, defend or counterattack? On the battlefield where blood splattered and the cries of killing shook the sky, General Mian only felt a mess in his mind, being protected by dozens of close guards rushing backwards. Under the trampling of horses, many Burmese soldiers fell to the ground, groaning and wailing.

  What is called elite, is only relative or reflected in the weapons and equipment. The most important combat experience and fighting will, are precisely what the Burmese soldiers and generals lack. Otherwise, hundreds of thousands of Burmese soldiers with war elephants would not have been defeated by a few thousand tattered Ming troops, and they would not have been beaten all the way to their capital city Ava.