Volume 2: Soaring! The Overlord of the Region Chapter 294 Xu Xianchun Discusses Strategy
At first, when the ministers saw the messenger with three red feathers on his back coming in, they all thought it was a big deal. But when they heard that Siam had invaded Burma... Although they didn't say anything, the expressions on their faces were very obvious: Is this kind of thing worth reporting at the highest level? Isn't Xiong Tingbi from Yunnan really incompetent?
You can't blame everyone for thinking this way, because this matter is really not a big deal for people of this era.
Yes, nominally speaking, Myanmar was a vassal of the Ming Dynasty, not an independent country. In the latest published map of the Ming Dynasty, Myanmar is still included in the territory of the Ming Dynasty. However, even the map maker himself consciously made the color of Myanmar orange-red - the Ming Dynasty is Chinese red.
As for Siam? Yes, Siam was also a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, and its new king had to be crowned by the Ming Dynasty before the formalities were completed. However, in fact, the Ming Dynasty had never specifically managed these two countries!
In short, what does the fight between two dogs have to do with us?
However, for Zhu Youdong, this incident meant that the time traveler from Thailand finally took action after lying dormant for many years.
Fortunately, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was now infinitely close to the Taizu and Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty, and basically had the authority to have the final say.
"My Lords, let's adjourn for now. Let's go out and get some refreshments. I will deal with this matter first."
"Yes, I will take my leave."
After the ministers left, Zhu Youdong waved his hand and the messenger quickly handed the two letters he had with him to Fang Zhenghua.
First, let's unfold Xiong Tingbi's letter. Xiong Manzi said in the letter that in early September this year, the King of Siam led an army of 50,000 to attack Burma. The current Burmese King Ana Hualong led 200,000 Burmese troops to meet the attack and was completely defeated. Although the Burmese King's letter to the Yunnan Provincial Administration Secretary concealed the loss of tens of thousands. But in recent years, Xiong Tingbi, with the help of Xu Xianchun, has planted many spies in Burma and Siam. So Xiong Tingbi directly said in the letter that the Burmese killed no less than 10,000 people in this battle - these 10,000 were basically the best fighters in the Burmese army.
The rest, no less than 50,000 or 60,000 captured. The remaining hundreds of thousands of peasant soldiers were basically scattered - even if these guys ran back home, it would be difficult to gather them together again.
After all, the rule of Myanmar depends largely on local lords, and most of these guys were wiped out by Siam in this battle.
In short, Myanmar is not only a military failure, but its ruling foundation has also been greatly shaken.
In his letter to Xiong Tingbi, Anahualong also said that after this battle, Siam took the initiative to propose peace talks. The first condition was to cede land: in the border area between the two countries, Myanmar would hand over all the high mountains, plateaus and other dangerous areas to Siam. The second was to hand over the crown prince to Bangkok as a hostage. The third was that Myanmar issued a statement that from then on it would be a vassal state of Siam and no longer a Xuanweisi of the Ming Dynasty...
Although Ana Hualong swore in the letter that he was a loyal minister of the Ming Dynasty and would never let Myanmar leave the Ming Dynasty, and that even if he had to die, he would die as a Ming Dynasty official, neither Xiong Tingbi nor Zhu Youdong took these words seriously.
In short, Myanmar is quite dangerous right now.
At the end of the letter, Xiong Tingbi reported to Zhu Youdong: The situation is urgent, and Kunming and Beijing are too far away. In addition to sending a messenger to report to Your Highness, I have already mobilized the Yunnan garrison in an emergency according to the power Your Highness gave me in advance, and sent 12,000 Kunming Town soldiers and 10,000 Yunnan garrison soldiers to Myanmar. However, the 50,000 Siamese soldiers this time can be said to be all elite. If the number is equal, only the soldiers of Kunming Town in Yunnan can win the battle. Therefore, I have already told Liu Zhaosun, who led the army south, that after arriving in Myanmar and meeting the Burmese king, I will choose a dangerous terrain to hold on and wait for the court's subsequent decision...
After reading Xiong Tingbi's report, Zhu Youdong picked up Xu Xianchun's letter again. After a quick glance, he couldn't help but hesitate.
Xu Xianchun said, "I am opposed to Xiong Zhijun sending the entire Kunming Town Division to the south."
Why?
First, Siam is now at its peak, and the 50,000 troops are all new Siamese troops, with impressive equipment and combat power. If we send more than 10,000 Kunming garrison troops to fight a decisive battle, we may not win. If we choose a dangerous place to defend, the number of troops we send will be too large - we have to cross the Hengduan Mountains to support Burma, and the logistical pressure is quite large.
Secondly, I have been lurking in Siam for nearly four years. In recent years, because I have been in Yunnan, I have often disguised myself and sneaked into Siam many times, so I am very familiar with this country.
In the past ten years, Siam has been thriving just like the Ming Dynasty. The current King of Siam is an excellent ruler. He is very capable in organizing the army, governing the people, and governing the officials. The integrity of Siamese officials makes me envious...
In summary, a British ruler like the King of Siam must have known very well that attacking Burma and taking the Irrawaddy Plain in that country was the limit. If they wanted to march to the Shan Plateau, based on the loss rate of firearms of the Siamese new army, the logistics of 50,000 new troops would be guaranteed by at least 200,000 civilians... The King of Siam would never make such a mistake, and after taking the Irrawaddy Plain, he would attack us through the Hengduan Mountains.
However, a small country like Siam actually has 50,000 elite soldiers. This kind of force is too extravagant for attacking Burma. Therefore, the King of Siam must have ambitions against our Ming Dynasty.
Since the other party has ideas about me, but is unlikely to go to the Hengduan Mountains, then what does the other party want to do?
This involves the fact that Siam moved its capital from inland areas to coastal Bangkok five or six years ago.
Therefore, Xu Xianchun finally concluded that the real target of the King of Siam was not Myanmar, but the Ming Dynasty. Now launching a thunderbolt attack on Myanmar is more to solve the worries. After Myanmar surrenders, the main force will turn to the southeast - first to the Mekong Delta, and then use it as a base to attack the southern coastal areas of the Ming Dynasty.
Based on these inferences, my suggestion is: First, after Kunming Town goes south to receive the King of Burma, it should immediately choose a strategic place to hold on and should not seek a decisive battle with the enemy.
Second, ask the imperial court to send some new guns and ammunition to Yunnan, and we will sell them to Burma, which will organize guerrilla warfare to hold back the Siamese army.
Third, the Ming Dynasty should actively contact the Northern Zheng and Southern Nguyen in Annan, especially the Nguyen family in the south. We can also provide them with equipment and let the Nguyen family send troops to Cambodia. This place is now unowned, but it is the outlet of the Mekong River. If we control this place, we will block the passage of the Siamese navy to the north! In this way, if Siam really has a rebellious heart against the Ming Dynasty, if it comes from land, the Hengduan Mountain area can at least reduce its combat power by more than 50%. If it comes from the sea, with the Mekong Delta, the Ming Dynasty is already invincible!
