Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

"You two are truly heroes! You captured Mubang so quickly! I will definitely petition the governor for your merits!" Seeing that Han Song and Dao Paixuan had breached the city before his main force arrived, Lijiang Deputy General Mu Jing was overjoyed and praised the two men highly.

"This is all thanks to Brother Han. The people of Mubang still cherish their former master and opened the gates to welcome our army, which is why we won so quickly," Meng Lian, the Pacification Commissioner Dao Paixuan, gave the credit to Han Song.

"Without the envoy Dao charging ahead and Vice-Commander Mu and the other generals providing support, there would have been no chance of breaching the city. This humble general dares not claim credit!" Han Song said modestly.

"You two need not be so modest. I will compile a detailed record of your achievements and report it to the emperor," Mu Jing said with a smile, glancing around at the generals. Then, with a meaningful look, he said to Han Song, "Mu Bang is a strategically important military town. When the Burmese king hears that we have captured it, he will surely send a large army to seize it. It is easy to take Mu Bang, but difficult to defend it. Brother Han, you must help me." Hearing that the descendants of the Han family had returned and that the people of Mu Bang had welcomed them with food and drink, he understood the prestige of the Han family in the area and began to rely on them.

After reclaiming their ancestral lands, people flocked to join them, and Han Song's forces grew to three thousand. However, he knew in his heart that his current position was entirely due to the support of the Great Wei Kingdom; without this backing, he was nothing. He dared not be arrogant and respectfully replied, "I will obey the Deputy Commander's orders without question!"

"Great! As long as we are of one mind, this city will surely be as solid as a rock!" Mu Jing was overjoyed.

“Vice Commander, our morale is high right now, why don’t we go down the Nandu River (Ava River) and take the Burmese capital Ava?” Longchuan Pacification Commissioner Duoshengzu advocated taking the offensive and launching a preemptive attack on the Burmese army.

"I've considered this as well, but we only have a little over ten thousand troops, and we might not be able to take Ava. Moreover, the governor has given strict orders that after capturing Mubang, we should hold the position and not make any rash moves. Military orders are like mountains, how dare we disobey them?" Mu Jing sighed slightly.

"What exactly does the Governor-General mean? He wants us to go south, but he's also tying our hands and feet, preventing us from fighting freely. He's being so hesitant and indecisive, it's really unpleasant!" Mu Jing's fourth brother, Mu Zi, was outspoken and started criticizing the Governor-General in front of everyone. He only stopped after being glared at by his elder brother.

In the towering mountains of Ganya, on the east bank of the Jinsha River, an army of 40,000 men was recuperating. This army included both elite soldiers from the Great Wei Kingdom and local troops from various chieftains in Yunnan. The commander-in-chief of the entire army was Alatancang, the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou of the Great Wei Kingdom. There were more than ten other high-ranking officials of the second rank or above, such as Ebodui Wulanghai, the acting head of ten thousand households; Xin Sizhong, the governor of Guizhou; Ma Zhilin, the governor of Yunnan; Lamadash, the deputy head of ten thousand households; Qi Zhizhen, the deputy governor of Guizhou; Ma Anbang, the deputy governor of Yunnan; Qimukuer, the head of a thousand households; Han Tianfu, the general of Wuding; Song Guofu, the general of Yongning; Li Famei, the general of Heli; and Li Yubin, the general of Lin'an. There were also more than twenty other chieftains of various ranks, such as Tao Dou, the chieftain of Jingdong; Zuo Xinghai, the chieftain of Menghua; Dao Jianxun, the pacification commissioner of Ganya; Dao Qiyuan, the pacification commissioner of Nandian; Dao Sibi, the deputy pacification commissioner of Zhanda; and Si En, the pacification commissioner of Manmo. It was a gathering of brilliant generals.

The deployment of so many troops hidden in the mountains was not a whim of Alatan Cang's foray into large-scale military training. Rather, it was a deliberate strategy, following the advice of Fang Yuxuan, the Yunnan governor. He planned to feign an attack on Mong Bang while secretly diverting Burma's attention, ordering Mu Jing to lead over ten thousand local troops to attack Mong Bang. The plan was to allow the main force to remain hidden there, once the Burmese king fell for the diversionary tactic and transferred his main army to Mong Bang, the main force could then seize the opportunity to cross the Jinsha River and directly attack Mengyang, fulfilling the mission entrusted to him by the Great Khan of Lotus to open a route to India. Therefore, the large-scale southward advance of the Imperial Guard to Mong Bang was merely a smokescreen. In the warm spring of March, a time of renewal and renewal, Alatan Cang had no interest in appreciating the mountain scenery, but anxiously awaited news from Mong Bang.

"Governor, Mu Jing has sent a messenger. Our army has captured Mubang City!" Just as we were getting impatient, the chieftain Qimukuer excitedly entered the tent to report.

"Oh, Mu Jing's marching speed is indeed fast," Alatan Cang praised, his sword-like eyebrows suddenly rising as he shouted, "Order Mu Jing to hurry up and build fortifications, hold the line and await reinforcements!"

“Miaowen (Governor-General), the Guard Army has captured Mubang. How can you remain in Mengmi and do nothing? You must send troops to retake it as soon as possible,” Seya (Imperial Commissioner and Special General) Mangxiao questioned Miaowen Mangli aggressively inside Mengmi.

Mang Li, whose real name was Si Li, was the head of the Mengmi Si clan and the local tyrant of the entire Mengmi region. However, a local tyrant was not a true emperor; above him was the Burmese king. Mang Xiao, on the other hand, was a Serya sent by King Naravarah of Burma to Sami. Unlike Mang Li, who was given the surname "Mang," Si Li was a legitimate member of the Burmese royal family. Therefore, although he was displeased with Mang Xiao's arrogant demeanor, Si Li still politely explained, "The Wei army is powerful. I have already requested reinforcements from the king. It would be more prudent to join forces and reclaim the lost territory after the reinforcements arrive."

"Shut up! I have already investigated and found out that the troops that attacked Mubang were not the soldiers of Weiguo, but the army of the Yunnan chieftains colluded with by Han Song, a remnant of the Han clan. There are only about ten thousand of them, and most of them are a rabble. What is there to fear?" Mang Xiao glared at Si Li and shouted angrily, "Mang Li, have you forgotten the kindness of the late king in taking you in and are unwilling to serve Dongyu?"

These words struck a deep wound in Sili's heart. Years ago, when the Burmese army invaded Mengmi, his father, Sizheng, loyal to the Ming Dynasty, led his troops in a desperate resistance, only to be assassinated by cowardly Ming officials who sent his body to Burma in exchange for the Burmese withdrawing their troops. With no other option, he led his people to surrender to their sworn enemy, Burma. He thought that even if he survived, he would not have a good end, but to his surprise, the Burmese king treated him exceptionally well, bestowing upon him the surname "Mang," allowing him to continue managing Mengmi affairs, allocating large quantities of grain and supplies, and even placing the Mubang region under the Si family's jurisdiction. Grateful for this, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to serving the Burmese king, often boasting of being a loyal subject of the Toungoo Dynasty.

Seeing that Mang Xiao doubted his loyalty, Si Li was filled with grief and indignation. He wept and said, "My father was unjustly killed and his spirit lingered, turning into a bird that cried mournfully all night. I prayed to Heaven, wishing to submit to Dongyu and attack Ming to avenge my father, and the bird's cries ceased. In recent years, when Your Majesty has waged war, I have always been at the forefront of every battle. Why? It is to repay the kindness of my late father who took me in! Now, you doubt my loyalty. I have no way to defend myself. I can only mobilize the strength of my entire clan to fight a bloody battle for the country!"

Having said this, he angrily ordered the mobilization of troops throughout Mengmi, quickly gathering ten thousand soldiers. He appointed Sizhong as Yekeyang (vanguard officer), Siyi as Anuji (rear guard officer), Sixian as Mianji (cavalry commander), Siren as Daji (archer commander), and Silie as Taiji (musketeer commander). He and Mangxiao commanded the central army, and they marched in a mighty force towards Mubang. At this moment, he only wanted to prove his innocence with the blood of the enemy; whether or not he could retake Mubang had become less important. (End of Chapter)