Zhu Mo turned his head, his deep eyes looking at Mu Chaobi, and said slowly,
"Your Excellency, Mang Yinglong is a tyrant, and many people want to kill him... We must not allow him to have the opportunity to raise the banner of resisting foreign invasion again, otherwise it will be helping him to stabilize his position... On the contrary, we should let his brother Meng Shao oppose him, let Zhu Huai oppose him, then let the Ava people oppose him, and let all those who have been bullied by him oppose him..."
He paused, seeing that the two had understood, and continued,
"The various ethnic groups in northern Myanmar are already dissatisfied with Mang Yinglong, but at the same time they are also dissatisfied with the Luchaun people. It is Meng Shao who is more popular and relatively acceptable to all parties... Therefore, my strategy is that the Great Ming will support Meng Shao to become the 'King of Bagan' and use this as an excuse to let him openly oppose his brother Mang Yinglong. In this way, the border troubles will be resolved, and Myanmar will also be under my control. When the time is right, another enfeoffment of the Pacification Commissioner of Myanmar will bring long-term peace. What do you think?"
This speech,
with its lofty vision and deep understanding of the core issue, was a heavy blow to Mang Yinglong, and it was bound to encourage various opposition forces to rise up and rebel against Bago City. The Great Ming would reap the benefits, not only pacifying the chieftain's rebellion but also substantially gaining control of Myanmar. Although there was no Pacification Commissioner of Myanmar on the surface, in reality, there was not much difference. It was just that this Pacification Commissioner was Mang Yinglong's brother...
Mu Chaobi, as a feudal lord, and even the only de facto feudal lord of the Great Ming in three hundred years, had lived in Yunnan and Guizhou for five generations, so he understood it immediately. However, he was very familiar with those chieftains and knew that persuading them was not an easy task. He said immediately,
"Zi Xuan, this strategy is naturally brilliant, but the Luchaun people, the descendants of the Ava King, the Mian people, the Qin people... how can they be willing to be controlled by Meng Shao again? You should be cautious about this point, Zi Xuan. These chieftains are very domineering, and none of them are convinced by each other. As soon as they are slightly dissatisfied, they will draw their swords. They are truly difficult to deal with..."
At this point,
he also understood why Zhu Mo insisted on convening a meeting of chieftains in Xinwei. Zhu Mo had already thought of this strategy, and wanted to use the power of the army to force these chieftains to accept it.
Na Lixuan did not dare to speak at first, but this matter was related to him, and it was indeed a ray of hope for the restoration of his country. With Meng Shao's rebellion, Mang Yinglong immediately became a lone man and a public enemy of the world. If he returned to the capital at this time, occupied the city, and raised the banner of liberating the people and punishing the wicked, he could establish himself firmly, which was truly a wise plan.
He was inspired, knelt down with a thud, and said in a deep voice,
"Prime Minister, Duke Mu, this humble person believes this move is feasible! Why? Although the various chieftains are unwilling, the people of northern Myanmar are happy to be free from war... Your country's move is extremely just, and all countries will be extremely grateful! In this way, all grievances will be directed at Mang Yinglong! As the proverb says, what is aimed at by thousands of people will perish without illness, and Mang Yinglong will not last long...
Although a few chieftains are unwilling, your country does not need to pity them. Instead, it should strictly admonish them, asking them to follow the will of the people and no longer indulge their ambitions, causing bloodshed!"
These words,
not only were spoken with passionate indignation but also deeply understood the principle of people's livelihood. Zhu Mo was greatly pleased and thought to himself: You have not wasted these past six months, and you have actually come to understand my ideas...
Thinking of this,
Zhu Mo immediately looked at Mu Chaobi.
Mu Chaobi stroked his short mustache and pondered for a moment, thinking: Doing this will benefit this young man the most... Zhu Mo's use of Meng Shao to suppress those chieftains is naturally a clever move, and it will save me a lot of trouble, so I don't have to go south to pacify them all day long...
"Zi Xuan, this proposal is feasible..."
"Good!"
Zhu Mo nodded and said,
"If the young prince of Luchaun wants to come, let him come. If not, it doesn't matter. In half an hour, we will have these chieftains sign an alliance!"
The plan was thus decided.
...
Half an hour later,
the young prince of Luchaun, Si Hong, still arrived. As soon as he entered the chieftain's yamen, he rushed into the main hall, bowed his head to Mu Chaobi, and shouted,
"Si Hong pays respects to Your Excellency!"
Mu Chaobi naturally recognized him and immediately put on a stern, displeased look and said, "Why are you so late? Don't you know that today is an important event?"
Si Hong trembled and said, "I dare not..."
He knew that although he was the prince of Luchaun, he was caught between the Burmese and the Great Ming, so he dared not be presumptuous. Moreover, a hundred years ago, the Luchaun people had fought a great war with the Great Ming, and there were constant small wars afterward, but on the surface, they no longer dared to provoke the Great Ming.
Mu Chaobi saw that he had softened and reprimanded him, "Why don't you pay respects to this Grand Scholar Zhu? You are blind and do not recognize Mount Tai. Do your Luchaun people really walk sideways?"
Si Hong raised his head, saw Zhu Mo wearing the court attire of a Grand Scholar, and immediately crawled over and said, "Si Hong, the defender of Luchaun, pays respects to Grand Scholar Zhu Mo! Long live the Great Ming Emperor!"
Well,
Defender?
Self-proclaimed defender,
This person also has some ideas...
Zhu Mo looked at him carefully, seeing that this person was less than thirty years old, sturdy, with bright eyes, and was clearly not someone to be trifled with.
He was naturally familiar with the history of the Luchaun people and knew that they were very fierce. As a solitary tribe living in northern Myanmar, they had managed to defeat the Ava dynasty and challenge the Great Ming, which showed their arrogance.
He pondered for a moment, thinking that the biggest opponent of Meng Shao becoming the "King of Bagan" was this person. If he acted recklessly, it would really take more effort. He immediately sneered and said,
"Si Hong, do you know why this meeting is being held today?"
Si Hong was shocked, paused, and then said,
"Reporting to Grand Scholar Zhu, is this meeting to discuss the overall situation of Myanmar?"
Hmph,
Zhu Mo said indifferently,
"What is your opinion? Your Luchaun is also a feudal lord, and my Great Ming upholds justice, so please speak freely!"
This?
Si Hong naturally heard the unfriendly tone of the two big shots, so he immediately touched his head to the ground, showing a posture of deep repentance, and said earnestly,
"Reporting to Grand Scholar Zhu and Duke Mu, my Luchaun ancestors acted rashly and offended Your Country, which is truly unforgivable... As the successor, I am determined to correct my past mistakes..."
Zhu Mo and Mu Chaobi exchanged glances and nodded simultaneously.
Mu Chaobi said indifferently,
"Grand Scholar Zhu asked for your opinion, why are you talking about these things? Today's meeting is to discuss the overall situation of Myanmar. What do you think, tell us!"
"Yes."
Si Hong immediately replied respectfully,
"The current situation is that Mang Yinglong has returned after defeat, and the hearts of the people are unstable. Up and down the great river, the feudal lords are restless; moreover, I am deeply aware that Mang Yinglong is tyrannical and unjust, and his brothers and nephews are all his enemies. At this moment, in Bago City, it is probably full of crises... In such a situation, I believe that Your Country can re-establish the province of Myanmar, following the example of the Yuan Dynasty, and we local officials will surely guard Your Country and firmly control Myanmar, so that those who act like the Mang clan cannot offend Your Country again."
Hmph,
Province of Myanmar?
That sounds nice...
Mu Chaobi thought to himself and said indifferently,
"Is that so?"
Zhu Mo thought to himself: The chieftains in this land of Myanmar are truly difficult to deal with, and each of them is quite powerful. The current Ava City is indeed the hub of South Asia, with various heroes watching. It is indeed doubly difficult to coordinate...
He paced a few steps, his thoughts turning—
Twenty years ago, the Luchaun people captured Ava, killed the entire clan of the last Ava King Mang Jishui, burned Buddhist temples, and abused the gentry, which gave Mang Yinglong an opportunity. Mang Yinglong was naturally much stronger than the Si family, and after several appeasements, the hearts of the people actually supported his brother Meng Shao.
At this moment, this person still wants to use the power of the Great Ming to gain real power within the framework of the Province of Myanmar, relying on his fierceness. Is that not a dream? However, this proposal of the Province of Myanmar is quite interesting. It is roughly equivalent to a special administrative region, which is just right for trapping Meng Shao, and giving him the empty title of "King of Bagan." Meng Shao will probably believe it... But how should this Si Hong be placed? If he is not given a position, and he causes trouble, it will also be very difficult to handle. With an army of 50,000 and militia of 30,000, if the situation drags on, the lives and welfare of Yunnan and Guizhou will also be affected...
"If it really doesn't work, why don't I just let him fight Meng Shao? Or, let's not expose it for now, and see what he thinks later, and see what others think of him..."
At this thought,
Zhu Mo smiled and said,
"Little Prince, it is rare that you also understand the general situation. The primary task now is to defeat Mang Yinglong... Come! They have been waiting for a long time. Let's start this alliance meeting!"
Si Hong was stunned for a moment, thinking: This Zhu Mo of yours is indeed very cunning. I proposed the Pacification Commissioner of Myanmar, but you were vague. What exactly are you planning? Now that all the chieftains of the Three Pacifications and Six Comforts are present, are you trying to force me to submit?
Thinking of this,
he turned to Mu Chaobi and said, "Your Excellency, Grand Scholar Zhu, my Luchaun is willing to be the vanguard. We will immediately assemble our army and march south to attack Bago City to atone for our past sins!"