Desert Eagle Suletan Khan

On the eastern bank of the Irrawaddy River, the Governor-General of Yunnan and Guizhou, Alatan Cang, was leisurely munching on dried beef in his large tent when the head of the ten thousand households, Obo Dui Wulanghai, burst in. "General, the Miaosha (a Burmese title for Shan chieftains, meaning tax collectors) Siqi of Menggong is willing to submit to us. Why don't you advance from Menggong to Mengyang?"

Alatan swallowed the beef in his mouth, shook his head, and said, "The risk is too great; we must be careful."

"Risk? Are you worried that Siqi is feigning surrender?" Ebotui Wulanghai asked, scratching his head.

“Siqi was the son of Sihong, the Ming Dynasty’s Pacification Commissioner of Mengyang. When the Burmese army invaded Mengyang, Sihong led his troops to resist and died on the battlefield. Later, Siqi surrendered under pressure from the Burmese army and was enfeoffed in Menggong. He was irreconcilably vengeful for the murder of his father, and his family had previously been the rulers of Mengyang. Now, they only had Menggong left, and they were constantly monitored by the Shadu (resident envoy) sent by the Burmese king to Menggong. How could he be willing to accept this? Therefore, he truly submitted to David,” Alatan Cang smiled.

Ebo Duiwulanghai was very puzzled, "Then why do you say the risk is too great?"

“Chief Wanhu may not know this, firstly, Menggong and Mengyang are quite far apart, and a long-distance raid could easily lead to unforeseen events; secondly, Siqi has never submitted to the Burmese king, and the Burmese king has officials in Menggong to monitor him. If we advance from Menggong, wouldn’t we be alerting the enemy?” Alatan Cang expressed his concerns.

“So that’s how it is! No wonder you refused to go to Menggong and instead hid your troops in the mountains of Ganya Pacification Commissioner’s Office. This place is very close to Mengyang City. You only need to cross the Gangao Mountain to take Mengyang directly!” Ebo Dui Wulanghai suddenly realized, and then asked anxiously, “The Burmese king has already sent a large army to surround Xingwei City. Your feint attack has succeeded. Why don’t you advance?”

"What worries me is the Gan Gao Mountain!" Alatan Cangzhang sighed.

Located in northern Myanmar, the Gangao Mountains are the ancestral home of the Kachin (Jingpo) people. During the Tang Dynasty, the ancestors of the Kachin people were scattered in the area west of Gangao Mountains on the west bank of the Irrawaddy River, and Tang Dynasty documents referred to their people as "Gangao Mountains." These majestic mountains, towering into the clouds, together with the Gaoligong Mountains, protect northern Myanmar. Because of the treacherous terrain of these mountains, Alatan Cang was worried and hesitated to send troops to attack Mengyang. In fact, besides the rugged terrain of the Gangao Mountains, the swift-flowing Jinsha River (Irrawaddy River) was also a factor that made him uneasy.

"Your Excellency, my men have just learned that Myo Sa Si Qi of Menggong was preparing to rebel against Burma. The plot has been exposed, and Myo Win Aung Naing Win of Mengyang has ordered Ba Ho (commander of a fortress or barracks) Bo Aung to lead 5,000 Burmese troops to suppress the rebellion. They have already left Mengyang City." Just as I was feeling troubled, Dao Jianxun, the Pacification Commissioner of Ganya, came excitedly to report, bringing good news.

"Is this really true?" Alatan Cang's eyes lit up.

"It's absolutely true. The spies I sent disguised themselves as woodcutters and hid by the mountain path. They saw the Burmese army leave with their own eyes and calculated their numbers. There's no mistake about it," Dao Jianxun said confidently. As the local chieftain, he had the unique advantages of being a local strongman and knew everything that was happening in the Ganya and Mengyang areas.

"The Eternal Heaven has protected us! In that case, we can send troops!" Alatan Cang Chang breathed a sigh of relief.

The Irrawaddy River (also known as the Great Golden Sands River) is one of Myanmar's most important rivers, often called the "Mother River of Myanmar." Its flood season lasts from June to October, with particularly frequent and turbulent floods between early July and early September, making the river difficult to cross. The dry season runs from November to May of the following year, with relatively calm waters. With the assistance of local chieftains such as Dao Jianxun, the Pacification Commissioner of Gan Yai, Dao Sibi, the Deputy Pacification Commissioner of Chanda, and Si En, the Pacification Commissioner of Manmo, Alatan Cang had a thorough understanding of the local climate and water conditions. The reasons that prompted him to launch the attack in May, besides the fact that some of the Burmese troops in Mengyang City had been diverted to Menggong City to quell a rebellion, weakening their defenses, were also largely due to the approaching flood season on the Great Golden Sands River.

Forty thousand guards lay in ambush in the reeds along the banks of the Jinsha River, silent and still. Alatan Cang stared intently at the twenty-three small boats gliding across the river. The Burmese soldiers on the dock were unfazed by the approaching fleet; it was the merchant fleet of Yan Wen, a wealthy merchant from Zhan Da. Yan Wen had been trading locally for over ten years, frequently traveling between the two banks of the Jinsha River. Each time he unloaded his goods at the dock, he would give some tribute to the dock's captain. Although the Burmese and the guards were currently fighting in Mong Pang, it didn't affect the passage of the merchant ships. After all, the people needed supplies, and the dock soldiers needed to improve their lives. Besides, the fighting was in Mong Pang; what did it have to do with Meng Yang?

The fleet docked, and the Burmese general, Bo Gang, stood proudly with his chest puffed out, his right hand lightly resting on the hilt of his Burmese knife. Yan Wen, carrying a money bag, approached him with a bow and scrape, saying, "Ban Ya (Captain), this is a small token of my appreciation."

"There's a lot more cargo than usual today," Bo Gang said with a forced smile, glancing at the workers and laborers unloading the goods.

"Don't worry, Captain Banya, today's intentions are different from usual," Yan Wenmei said with a smile that crinkled her cheeks.

Bo Gang weighed it in his hand and realized that this "gift" was indeed particularly heavy. He hummed with satisfaction, "Hurry up. The two countries are at war. Don't let the superior see us."

"Alright~ Alright~" Yan Wen nodded and bowed, and shouted to the bearded shopkeeper next to him, "Hurry up, don't make things difficult for Ban Ya."

"Yes, sir," the bearded shopkeeper replied with a forced smile, then suddenly pulled out a meteor hammer and swung it out, splattering Bo Gang's brains.

The killer was Dao Sibi, the deputy pacification commissioner of Zhanda. As soon as he made his move, the dockworkers and laborers drew weapons from the cargo and attacked, quickly wiping out the two hundred Burmese soldiers guarding the dock.

"You take men, dress them in Burmese army uniforms, and guard the area around the dock. If any Burmese soldiers question you, kill them without mercy," Dao Sibi ordered his son, Dao Siru, and also ordered someone to send a signal to the opposite bank of the river.

Upon seeing the signal, squads of guards began crossing the river. To prevent their movements from being revealed, as soon as they reached the shore, Alatan Cang ordered the Burmese army camp on the riverbank to be surrounded. The guards appeared out of nowhere and quickly annihilated the two thousand Burmese soldiers on the riverbank.

On May 19th, 1676 (the 33rd year of the Qianyuan era), the entire Wei army crossed the Jinsha River. Alatan Cang ordered his men, "Warriors, victory is at hand! I command you to cross the Gangao Mountains and capture Mengyang City. This is the decree of Lianhua Khan, and nothing can stop Lianhua Khan's soldiers from advancing!"

The armies of the chieftains, including 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, marched at the forefront. Their territories were very close to Mengyang. Their subordinates had grown up in the mountains and could traverse mountains and valleys as easily as walking on flat ground. The Yunnan army, led by the Yunnan Governor Ma Zhilin, marched in the second wave. The central army, led by Alatancang and Ebodui Wulanghai, followed behind the Yunnan army. Further back were the Guizhou army, led by the Guizhou Governor Xin Sizhong. At the very back were the two local armies led by Tao Dou, the local prefect of Jingdong Prefecture, and Zuo Xinghai, the local prefect of Menghua.

(End of this chapter)