Mu Chaobi led the way on the mountain path, then mused that the rattan shields weren't hard to find at all. It wasn't about being exceptionally intelligent; even an ordinary person, if they could calm their mind, would likely think of it. But most people in such situations couldn't remain composed, and thus they were outdone by Zhu Mo.
With this thought,
He suddenly wondered: If Zhu Mo hadn't attempted reforms, would there be no fundamental conflict?
Leaning against a large tree, he became lost in thought. The soldiers also followed suit, each crafting a rattan shield like Zhu Mo's. Holding a shield in one hand and a weapon in the other, it was inconvenient, but if they could block firearms, they would survive. Once alive, they could fight again and wouldn't fear the Burmese soldiers.
Half an hour later,
He An's voice suddenly came from the mountain below, saying,
"My Lord! My Lord! The scout is back!"
Mu Chaobi jolted awake, temporarily casting aside all distractions. He pulled the scout aside for a detailed interrogation, then gazed into the deep mountain forest and valleys, pondering. Finally, he said,
"He An, tell them all to stay put and lie in ambush! They'll be here in at most half an hour! Let them pass first… Remember, don't let too many pass. Count them carefully; about one to two thousand is enough. Any more and we won't be able to contain them!"
"Your subordinate understands!"
He An, also a veteran of many battles, knew that in such a narrow pass, if they let all the enemy through, between Youdian and this location, blocking two to three thousand men would only incite a cornered beast to fight harder. Moreover, the enemy would surely scatter in all directions. Carrying firearms, they would likely harm the common folk.
At this moment,
He saw Mu Chaobi's unusual expression as he looked at a rattan shield left and right, guessing his thoughts.
In fact,
The generals of the卫军 (Wei Jun), after hearing Zhu Mo's battle song, felt the same conflict as Mu Chaobi. They both hated and admired this man, unable to articulate their feelings. Yet, this man truly had some ingenious stratagems, making it impossible to deal with him.
Being old friends with Mu Chaobi, he spoke frankly:
"My Lord, I've also thought about it. This Zhu Mo, let's acknowledge his military prowess. As for everything else, we'll handle it as we always do!"
"Mm,"
Mu Chaobi shared the same sentiment, sighing, "Let's finish the war first!"
…
At the same time,
On the east bank of the Lujiang River.
Li Zhi and An Xiaoliang didn't face much pressure.
The river water was still plentiful. The crossing points and rope bridges were several miles apart. Xian Gui wasn't exerting himself much, dragging his feet. It took most of the day, and they still hadn't crossed the river. Furthermore, the terrain on the east bank was rugged, giving them a considerable advantage even if the enemy landed.
An Xiaoliang, skilled in defense, had already secured several crossing points, and the rope bridge had been cut. With five thousand men guarding, a significant number remained in the main force. Fortunately, several nearby villages were also settled by troops, and the common people voluntarily sent much grain.
An Xiaoliang was also very amiable and enjoyed pleasant conversations with the elders. Li Zhi, with his innate heroic spirit, was also quite sharp when it came to warfare.
…
Time flew by until late at night.
Zhu Mo suddenly saw firelight blazing in the distant dense forest. The autumn air was dry, and it quickly caught fire, burning a bright red, with billowing smoke clearly visible against the flames.
For a moment, the sound of killing shook the heavens.
Zhu Mo cursed inwardly, thinking: Could the Burmese be setting the mountain on fire?
He climbed to the watchtower and saw one to two thousand Burmese soldiers, holding matchlock guns and pushing Franciguna cannons, had reached the pass. But Mu Chaobi's rear had clearly engaged the Burmese rear guard. The vanguard, which should have been fiercely attacking the pass, suddenly hesitated. With uncoordinated orders, they fell into disarray.
Just then,
Wang Fu, his face covered in dust, hurried up the watchtower and shouted,
"Military advisor, the Burmese are setting the mountain on fire, and my Lord has ordered the entire army to fight a decisive battle!"
A decisive battle?
Zhu Mo was stunned and asked, "Is my Lord alright?"
"He's fine! My Lord asked me to tell the military advisor that the Burmese are cunning and set the mountain on fire first. My Lord has ordered everyone into the rock caves. The wind is strong inside, and they weren't choked by smoke! My Lord said that the Burmese soldiers did not expect the rattan shields to be so effective, and their firearms couldn't hit anyone, so they are anxious. Victory or defeat hinges on this moment, so he asks the military advisor to sally forth and meet the enemy!"
Good!
Mu Chaobi indeed has some skill!
Zhu Mo immediately ordered the gates to be opened wide. He personally led one hundred and fifty matchlock soldiers at the front, with a unit of Wei Jun soldiers holding rattan shields to protect them, unleashing a volley of fire upon the Burmese vanguard.
Bang bang bang!
Bang bang bang!
Amidst the continuous gunfire, Burmese soldiers fell one after another. When the matchlock guns retaliated, they were blocked by the Wei Jun's rattan shields. Only a few scattered pellets passed through the gaps, but their force had already diminished, unable to penetrate the cotton armor. And as the Burmese soldiers reloaded, Zhu Mo ordered his arquebusiers to fire in rapid succession.
The continuous sound of gunfire was incessant. The Burmese soldiers, having never seen arquebuses reloaded so quickly, scattered and fled towards the scorched mountain slopes on either side.
Wang Fu shouted,
"Pursue!"
And with the Wei Jun, he was about to chase them up the slopes.
Zhu Mo said,
"Wait! General Wang, just watch us fight the enemy!"
With a whoosh!
The one hundred and fifty men faced towards the sides and unleashed a direct volley. No matter how the Burmese soldiers fled, in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they all fell, many rolling down the slope.
This,
It seemed to be the will of heaven—
If the Burmese soldiers hadn't set the mountain on fire, they could have escaped into the dense forest and survived. But now, after the fire had passed, the mountain slopes were bare. Not only were their feet burning, but their bodies were also exposed in the firelight. Zhu Mo's arquebuses had an effective range of over 500 meters, so these Burmese soldiers naturally fell one after another. In less than a moment, five to six hundred had fallen.
Wang Fu watched, utterly distraught, and murmured,
"Military advisor, our Great Ming's arquebuses can shoot that far? The accuracy is still there. How can the Franciguna cannons be a match for them…"
Zhu Mo had no ill will towards them, knowing that these Wei Jun soldiers had endured great hardship for two hundred years, working even harder in this land where Han and barbarians intermingled. But even in these adverse conditions, these men had never lost their sense of responsibility. Like those in Datong, they were simply victims of the corrupt rule since the Hongzhi era.
These past few days, he had chatted with the Wei Jun soldiers and felt that the battle song seemed to have awakened the spirit of their ancestors who followed the Taizu in conquering the world. Back then, they fought for their own world for the common people, opposing all the Yuan lords, their officials, and their retainers. Coupled with the Taizu's land distribution policy, it unleashed unprecedented explosive power. Without this, the Ming army alone would not have been able to sweep across the land.
In this Yun-Gui region, it was once the domain of the King of Liang and various lordly powers. Mu Ying crossing the river with his bronze horns and shooting the King of Liang was a reflection of this spirit.
At this moment,
He saw Wang Fu lost in thought and didn't want to disturb him, thinking that these men would eventually understand. They were different from the gentry; even a deputy general lived much like an ordinary Wei Jun soldier. Sooner or later, they would understand what the right path was.
He immediately smiled and said,
"General Wang, you lead men to clean up. I'll go see my Lord…"
Wang Fu came to his senses and said,
"Alright, alright. My Lord truly risked his life tonight."
…
He was not wrong.
When Zhu Mo found Mu Chaobi in the mountain pass ahead, he was almost unrecognizable. He was covered in soot, his hair and cotton armor riddled with holes, his face dark. But his eyes were still bright and sharp.
He had no firearms, but under the protection of his rattan shield, he personally led the troops to engage closely. He fought with swords and sabers, finally blocking the large contingent of Burmese soldiers behind him.
The two stood on a high rock. They saw a large contingent of troops halted on the distant mountain slope. Amidst the continuous booming of Franciguna cannons, the Burmese rear guard had completed its retreat. Along the mountain road, remnants of the defeated army, firearms, swords, carts, were scattered everywhere. But it had to be said that this retreat was quite orderly.
Mu Chaobi sighed and said,
"Zi Xuan, that must be Mang Yinglong's central army, right? This man is indeed a formidable figure. After such a sudden and disastrous defeat, he was still able to rally his defeated troops. It shows the great prestige he wields and how deeply he is trusted by his officers and men."
Mm-hmm,
Zhu Mo knew he was an expert. In terms of bravery, he was no less than Ma Fang, and in military formation, he was no weaker than Qi Jiguang. When he said this, it was naturally incisive. Zhu Mo immediately asked,
"My Lord, what do you think his next move will be?"
Mu Chaobi, having narrowly won the victory tonight, still felt a lingering fear. He said gravely,
"Soon, I believe he will attack again before noon tomorrow! Zi Xuan, he was caught off guard this time and didn't get to use those Franciguna cannons. In his next attack, he will likely use artillery to pave the way… Now that the mountain forest has been burned, we cannot ambush them anymore…"
Zhu Mo also scratched his head. Thinking that there was still no news from Yu Dayou, he couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. He immediately said,
"My Lord, I think we should dig up the main road! The mountain paths here are treacherous. If he wants to bring his artillery up, he can't use those small paths… What do you think?"
Mu Chaobi sighed and said,
"That's the only way…"