At this time, Zhu Mo was stationed at a Buddhist temple about twenty li north of Wacheng.
It was noon,
Xingshi delivered Meng Shao’s letter.
After reading it, Zhu Mo handed it to Mu Chaobi and said with a faint smile,
“I didn’t expect Wacheng to have a Chinese scholar. The writer of this letter, being highly regarded by Meng Shao, shows that Meng Shao himself has considerable merit…”
Mu Chaobi also nodded after reading it, “Indeed. This person must be a scholar from the Jinteng area, and understands our strategy thoroughly. I believe if Meng Shao listens to him, he can firmly hold onto his position as the Pacifier of Pugan and avoid border troubles for years to come.”
Thinking of Si Hong, Zhu Mo sighed, “If the Si family had such insight, we wouldn’t need to travel thousands of li… Your Grace, let us enter the city!”
Mm-hmm,
Mu Chaobi immediately reorganized the grand army.
An hour later,
The north gate of Wacheng was opened wide, and Meng Shao, along with all city officials, tribal leaders, gentry, and merchants, knelt to welcome them at the gate. Zhu Mo observed carefully and saw a person in the middle wearing peculiar armor and a round hat, who should be Meng Shao. Beside him stood a Chinese scholar with a clean and delicate appearance, who should be the letter writer.
Seeing the Ming army’s neat formation, with a troop of arquebusiers flanking a young scholar, and a stern-faced middle-aged warrior beside them, Meng Shao knew it was the Ming commander. He strode forward and shouted,
“Meng Shao, the defender of Wacheng, pays respects to the Prime Minister of the Great Ming, the Duke of the Great Ming!”
Mm-hmm,
Zhu Mo and Mu Chaobi exchanged glances. Mu Chaobi whispered,
“This person doesn’t look fierce, but his brother was a formidable figure… Zi Xuan, I think this person is suitable as a Pacifier…”
Between the two, Zhu Mo’s rank was not as high as Mu Chaobi’s, but his official position was far higher than Mu Chaobi, a provincial military governor. Without hesitation, Zhu Mo stepped forward, helped Meng Shao up, and said with a smile,
“The defender understands righteousness and spares the people of Wacheng from suffering. You are truly a virtuous person. Please rise quickly!”
Meng Shao then had the opportunity to examine Zhu Mo closely. He felt the young man before him was nineteen or twenty years old, with a clear and handsome face, deep and profound eyes, and a composed demeanor. Indeed, he was a person of the superior nation, extraordinary. He couldn’t help but think, fortunately, I listened to Fan Qi’s advice, otherwise, how could I be a match for such a person?
This was Zhu Mo’s first time accepting surrender, and his feelings were quite complex. He recalled that at Deshengbao, they had spoken peace, and at Zhoushan, they had faced a ferocious enemy with no possibility of negotiation. Now, facing Meng Shao, he felt a sudden sense of familiarity, and spoke kindly,
“Pacifier, who wrote the letter just now?”
Meng Shao quickly pulled Fan Qi over and said, “Prime Minister, this person wrote the letter. He is originally Chinese, named Fan Qi, from Tengyue. He has been in my service for four years…”
Seeing that Zhu Mo was an extraordinary person with an indescribable aura, and recalling the lofty words in his own letter, which were far beyond his own reach, Fan Qi immediately bowed and said,
“Fan Qi pays respects to Grand Scholar Zhu, and respects Duke Mu!”
Zhu Mo nodded and murmured, “The King of Pugan, the title of Pacifier… Master Fan, you have spoken with great clarity! Pacifier, with such a person in your administration, I am even more at ease… Mm, Fan Qi, do you know about the reforms currently underway in the Great Ming?”
Fan Qi had heard some things before, and when Zhu Mo spoke of the “Great Way of Yao and Shun,” he suddenly understood. He then spoke eloquently, and Zhu Mo nodded continuously, feeling that this person had a good grasp of his reforms.
As the group entered the city gate, the scholars and citizens of the city lined the streets, cheering. Flowers and clean water were sprinkled towards them and the army behind, giving a sense of transcendence.
Upon arriving at the gates of the old Ava palace, an elderly monk approached with his alms bowl. Meng Shao said, “Prime Minister, this is Master Jialuotuo, formerly the state Zen master of Ava…”
Zhu Mo harbored no ill will towards Buddhism and immediately returned the gesture with clasped hands.
Master Jialuotuo respectfully clasped his hands and had someone bring out a golden plate, on which rested a jade-inlaid golden elephant. He then spoke kindly,
“Prime Minister, this is the treasure that guards the city of Ava, the elephant of wisdom and wish fulfillment… The Prime Minister does not kill wantonly and shows great benevolence, which is why this elephant has recently become so clear and luminous. Please, Prime Minister and Your Grace, examine it carefully…”
Only then did the two notice that the treasure elephant was indeed exuding a misty aura, giving it a most auspicious and solemn feeling.
Master Jialuotuo smiled,
“This object is extremely efficacious, and without great Buddhist affinity, it would never manifest such an auspicious sign… It shows that both Your Excellencies possess superior roots and are protectors of life, truly the fortune of all the people of Ava… Please do not disdain it, Prime Minister. Take it back to your residence for veneration, and it will surely ward off misfortune…”
Good, good,
Zhu Mo was genuinely fond of this treasure and immediately had his personal guards accept it, saying,
“I have long heard that Pugan is a Buddhist country. Now that the defender is succeeding as the Pacifier of Myanmar, with the added title of King of Pugan, this is indeed an auspicious sign. Mm, Master, would you be willing to continue as the State Zen Master… After the army withdraws, I will mention this to the court and request imperial investiture for you.”
Huala!
The crowd erupted in joy!
Only then did Zhu Mo and Mu Chaobi realize that up to this point in the ceremony, everyone else had finally shown signs of joy. It seemed that the official formalities were mere pretense, and only the Buddhist rituals were genuine?
Zhu Mo whispered, “Your Grace, such customs are indeed far removed from our Great Ming…”
Mu Chaobi laughed, “I think it’s quite good; after all, it’s a simple and honest custom!”
That night,
A grand banquet was held in the palace, with Meng Shao and the prominent figures of Wacheng eagerly toasting them.
Zhu Mo disliked such occasions. After a brief perfunctory participation, he went outside the palace, where he saw Na Lixuan gazing blankly at the festive atmosphere, his face displaying complex emotions.
Zhu Mo knew this young man was once again thinking of restoring his kingdom. He immediately took a letter from his怀 and said,
“Zhu Huai’en, take a look at this letter first…”
Na Lixuan bowed to receive it. After reading only a few lines, he was immediately stunned—
This letter was addressed to Yu Dayou, mentioning the intention to leave a fleet to support him in establishing a navy in Songkhla, and then to form an alliance with the Portuguese, whereby the Malacca Strait would be jointly managed by the three parties…
This was,
undoubtedly the excellent news he had long awaited. But holding it now, the taste suddenly became complex, and he was momentarily lost, unable to speak for a long time.
Zhu Mo looked at him and reminded him,
“Zhu Huai’en?”
Na Lixuan came to his senses. Thinking of the hope of restoring his kingdom, he immediately knelt down and wept, “Prime Minister, Prime Minister, the grace of your rebuilding… I, I can never repay it even if I were reborn a hundred times! Woo woo woo…”
Zhu Mo helped him up and said with emotion,
“You have accompanied me on this thousand-li journey, and I have seen your character clearly. When your kingdom is restored in the future, you must maintain friendly relations with our Great Ming for generations, govern your people according to the Great Way of Yao and Shun, and never emulate the likes of Mang Yinglong or Zheng Jian. Only then will it be a blessing for both countries…”
Na Lixuan wiped his tears and choked out,
“I, I understand! Prime Minister, please rest assured! After I restore my kingdom, I will definitely follow the example of the Great Ming, practice the Great Way, and never commit unrighteous acts!”
Mm-hmm,
Zhu Mo nodded and continued,
“Do you know why I am at ease letting Meng Shao become the King and Pacifier of Pugan?”
Na Lixuan was invigorated at this moment. After a moment of thought, he replied,
“Prime Minister must be letting Si Hong keep him in check?”
Zhu Mo shook his head and sighed,
“The Si family is difficult to tame, as you saw earlier… After I withdraw my troops, Lùchuān will not submit to Meng Shao, but if Meng Shao acts cautiously, he can protect himself… Huai’en, the one I am using to check Meng Shao is you!”
Na Lixuan pondered for a moment and suddenly realized, blurting out,
“That’s right! How could I forget?! Prime Minister intends for me to deter the various Burmese from Lanna, and then attack Bai Gu (Bago) with the navy, leading to the complete failure of the Mang clan!”
Mm,
Zhu Mo nodded and said meaningfully,
“I am not using Meng Shao… If he has virtue, he will naturally know what to do and can hold his position firmly! If he is without virtue and colludes with his brother again, then you can wait until Lùchuān and he are both weakened, and then advance from Lanna into Wacheng…
Huai’en, you have followed me for so long, you should know that the Great Ming’s reforms are at a critical juncture, and I do not have much energy to deal with border issues. You will have to restrain and govern the areas of Ava, Lanna, Laos, and Cheri in the future, preventing unruly and violent people from running rampant! Of course, you must also be fair and not oppress neighboring countries…”
He paused, then looked coldly at Na Lixuan again, and said,
“My support for your restoration is out of righteousness! First, your Bianluosuo is our vassal state, and second, this region is currently rampant with violence. Mang Yinglong and Zheng Jian will eventually have to be conquered, and it is inconvenient for the Great Ming to intervene. You must then shoulder the responsibility of a vassal!”