Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The thunderous sound of war drums rang out, and Mu Jing, the deputy general of Lijiang, arrived with three thousand guards. Han Song breathed a sigh of relief and led his remaining troops back into his own army's ranks.

Seeing that the approaching army was flying the banners of the Mu family, Si Li sneered, "I've heard that the Mu family of Lijiang is very wealthy, but I've never heard of their army being particularly formidable. Today, I'll see for myself." He then ordered his men to press their advantage and attack.

Mu Jing said little, leading his troops to resist, and the battle raged fiercely. Just as they were locked in a stalemate, several cannon shots rang out, and two thousand soldiers under the command of the Imperial Guard General Mu Zai charged out from the reeds to the south, while over a thousand soldiers under the command of Meng Lian Pacification Commissioner Dao Paixuan charged out from the woods to the north. Caught off guard, the Burmese army was caught off guard. Simian, the cavalry commander responsible for covering the flanks, was killed in the chaos by Mu Zai. The collapse of the flanks threw the central army into disarray, and Yeke Yang (vanguard officer) Si Zhong was also shot off the back of an elephant by Imperial Guard archers and died in the chaos.

"Oh no, an ambush! Retreat!" Sili was shocked. Having been through many battles, he decisively ordered a retreat. Anuji (rear guard) Siyi was the spearhead of the entire army. At this moment, only his troops were intact because they were at the very back of the formation. Taiji (musketeer commander) Silie was ordered to lead the musketeers and some infantry to cover the rear.

With a series of booming sounds, Duo Shengzu, the Pacification Commissioner of Longchuan, led 3,500 soldiers to cut off the Burmese army's retreat. The Duo clan of Longchuan and the Simisi clan both belong to the Kachin (Jingpo) ethnic group, and their armies are mostly composed of Kachin warriors. However, they are now fighting each other because of their different allegiance.

"Those who want to live, follow me and fight their way out!" In this critical moment, Sili unleashed his ruthlessness, leading hundreds of his personal guards and the Siyi troops, who served as the spearhead, in a breakout.

"Block them! Whoever captures Sili will be rewarded with a hundred cattle!" Upon seeing Sili's banner, Duoshengzu's eyes lit up. Although both were Kachin, their territories bordered each other, leading to considerable conflict over land. At this moment, in Duoshengzu's eyes, Sili's head was a grand gift to the court; how could he possibly let it go?

"You scoundrel!" Siyi brandished his great axe, like a mad tiger, and charged at Duoshengzu on horseback. His horse was like a sharp blade cutting into grease, and those who stood in his way were swept away. He quickly approached Duoshengzu's banner.

"My son, take this bastard's life for your father!" Duo Shengzu coldly ordered his son Duo Zhiguo.

Duo Zhiguo said little, and took up his long spear to fight. Spear against giant axe, several rounds of fierce combat ensued, until finally, the spear pierced Siyi's throat. The once unstoppable warrior collapsed, utterly exhausted, from his horse.

"Hahaha~ How brave my son is! Sili, today is the day you die!" Duoshengzu laughed arrogantly, as if his old rival was already a piece of meat on his chopping board.

Suddenly, the laughter ceased, and fear flashed in his eyes as an arrow pierced his throat. The Burmese archer, Si Ren, had caught him off guard and killed him with a single shot. With the death of Pacification Commissioner Duo Shengzu, the morale of the Longchuan army plummeted. Si Li seized the opportunity to break out, finally carving a path through a pile of corpses. After counting his men, he found more than half dead and wounded, and dared not fight any longer, retreating to Mengguang City and refusing to leave.

"Mukbang is the northeastern gateway to Ava. If one travels down the Ava River from here, it won't take long to reach Ava. After the guards captured Mukbang, they also defeated Sili. It seems they intend to stay in Mukbang and not leave. How can we allow others to snore beside our bed? I should personally lead the army to punish them." Upon hearing of Sili's defeat, King Naravarah of Burma was furious and decided to personally lead the expedition.

“Lashio and Nandu are garrisoned by the troops of Myo Wen Mang Hua. Even if they cannot hold out, there is still Sipo City to rely on. You are the ruler of a country. How can you leave the capital so easily? It would be better to send a general to recapture Mubang,” the old minister, the King of Pagan, advised.

“Even a fierce general like Sili has been defeated, which shows the strength of the Wei army that invaded Mubang. I can’t rest easy without going myself!” Naravara sighed. “Father, do not worry, your son is willing to lead the army to reclaim Mubang,” Prince Soni (also known as Milikati) volunteered.

“It would be good if my son were willing to go, but…” Naravala looked at Soni’s youthful face and hesitated.

“I am willing to go on the expedition and we will not give up until we take back Mubang,” said Wenji (General) Adayun. This man was a veteran who had been through many battles. With his assistance, Naravalo was much more at ease and allocated 70,000 troops to the two of them, ordering them to take back Mubang as soon as possible.

"Siya (Vice-King, usually a prince), the guards have left Lashio and returned to Xingwei (the capital of Mokpan)," Mang Hua, the commander of Lashio and Nandu, excitedly reported to Soni. A few days ago, after receiving news of Sili's defeat, he was filled with anxiety. He only had about four thousand men, hardly elite, while Sili's ten thousand had been defeated. How could he resist if the guards marched south? Fortunately, Buddha protected him; the guards did indeed march south, but only displayed their military might at Lashio before leaving without attacking the city. Now, with Siya's reinforcements arriving, Lashio was as secure as a mountain. How could he not be excited?

When Soni and Adayun arrived at Lashio with their army, the anticipated great battle did not break out. The guards neither took advantage of their victory to attack Mengguang City and enter the Mengmi region, nor did they advance south along the Ava River to threaten the Burmese capital, Ava. Instead, they retreated like hedgehogs and adopted a strange defensive formation.

“Strange, there aren’t many troops guarding Lashio. Why don’t the guards take advantage of the victory and attack the city?” Soni asked suspiciously.

"They must have fled in fear of your military might," Mang Hua said obsequiously.

Even though she knew it was just flattery, Soni still smiled happily in response.

"There are only two possibilities for the Wei army's retreat to Mongpan: either they lack sufficient troops and are unable to advance south, or their target is only Mongpan and they are unwilling to escalate the war. In any case, please make preparations, Sia!" The seasoned veteran Adayun warned.

“Yes, General Wenji is absolutely right,” Soni said, his face darkening. “The entire army must march to Xingwei and deploy as many scouts as possible. No matter what schemes the Wei army may have, my 70,000 troops will crush them!”

Soni believed that his forces were far superior to the Wei army and that taking Xingwei City would be a piece of cake. However, the Wei army was in high spirits after a series of victories. After taking Xingwei City, Mu Jing ordered his men to continuously strengthen the city's defenses. The people of Mubang were also dissatisfied with the Burmese army's exorbitant taxes and supported the Wei army. The soldiers and civilians worked together to defend the city and managed to keep the small city as solid as a rock.

On the morning of April 26th, 1676 (the 33rd year of the Qian Yuan era), the Burmese army began their siege, with over a hundred cannons of various sizes spitting fire. Most of these cannons were domestically made, with over ten purchased from the Portuguese being the most formidable. Shells of all sizes exploded on the city walls, but failed to cause significant damage to the reinforced structure. Enraged, Soni ordered his infantry to attack. A dense swarm of warriors used long ladders to scale the walls, but suffered heavy casualties under the defenders' dense rain of arrows. In the fierce battle, the Burmese vanguard battalion commander, Wan Min, and the garrison commander, Han Meng, both died fighting on the city walls.

For a month, the Burmese army was unable to breach the city. Just as Soni was becoming increasingly frustrated, the situation in northern Myanmar took a new turn. (End of Chapter)