Di Ming

Chapter 501 "Child Tiger, you truly are still invincible!"

Two hundred li southeast of Awa City lies Dongdunzhi Town.

Taungdunzhi is an important pass in the Kinabalu region of Myanmar, guarding the ancient road known as the "Elephant Ladder" from Bago in Nanjing to Ava in Beijing, and is fortified with three layers of barbicans.

Previously, this was also a training ground for the Burmese army's firearms troops, where Western mercenaries were stationed and trained in matchlock musket formations.

Thus, East Dunzhi became a battlefield once again, with armies from three sides gathering and the atmosphere of a major battle about to erupt.

Which three armies?
It was the Ming army, the Vietnamese army, and the Siamese army.

The Vietnamese army, commanded by Zheng Song, numbered 100,000, facing the Ming-Siamese allied forces led by Hao Yunlai and Na Le Xuan, which numbered over 60,000.

Although the Minh Siamese forces were a coalition against the Vietnamese army, the Vietnamese army held a clear numerical advantage.

Zheng Song had been stationed here for two days. His original plan was to occupy East Dunzhi and then continue north to Molo Town, directly attacking Zhu Yin's rear and joining forces with the Burmese army to besiege the Ming army.

Once the Western Allied Forces landed, the three forces joined together to launch a general offensive against the Ming and Siamese armies, annihilating Zhu Yin and Naresuan in one fell swoop—killing two birds with one stone!
Zhu Yin's defeat and death in Burma will inevitably plunge the Southern Ming into chaos, making Guangdong and Guangxi easily within reach. This only represents the gains in the north.

In the south, with Naresuan dead, Siam's power was waning, and he could seize the opportunity to divide Siam with Burma, then control Lavra (Cambodia), and swallow half the peninsula!

Such a grand ambition, the first step is to destroy Zhu Yin!
However, when he led his army to East Dunzhi, he found it had already been occupied by Ming and Siamese troops. It was no longer possible for him to march north and attack Zhu Yin from both sides; he had to deal with the enemy forces in East Dunzhi.

After a two-day standoff, a major battle finally broke out.

"Dong dong dong—" The distinctive war drums of the North rose from the Ming army's ranks, as if the heart of the earth were beating violently.

Hao Yunlai, the Ming army commander, stood on the high watchtower, looking at the 100,000 Yue troops two miles away, his triangular eyes filled with solemnity.

The Vietnamese army's morale is very high!
It seems Zheng Song has really gone all out. His ambitions must be considerable.

The Vietnamese army had a large number of soldiers and generals, while the Chinese army only had more than 20,000 troops. Adding Na Le Xuan's 40,000 Siamese troops, the total number was only more than 60,000, which was tens of thousands less than the Vietnamese army.

This battle…

Tough fight!

Even if it's difficult, we must hold off the Vietnamese army and hold out until the Regent defeats the Burmese army and comes to our aid.

Na Li Xuan stood inside the war elephant's chariot, his gaze sharp as an eagle's. He could naturally see the strength of the Vietnamese army.

Zheng Song's reputation is well-known in Jindi. Moreover, he is even more cunning and ruthless than Mang Yingli. He is definitely a formidable enemy!

His 40,000-strong Siamese army, centered around its renowned war elephants, spread out for two miles across the plains, connecting with Hao Yunlai's more than 20,000 Ming troops to the east.

On the opposite side, Zheng Song's Vietnamese army responded with a tight infantry formation, their iron armor gleaming coldly in the morning light.

Indeed, among the countries of the peninsula, the Vietnamese army possessed the finest armor and the largest quantity of iron armor. Their armored defenses were unparalleled on the peninsula.

"Order the left-wing elephants to advance and probe the strength of their right flank," Na Le Xuan ordered in a deep voice. He was unfamiliar with the Vietnamese army and was outnumbered, so to be on the safe side, he needed to find the weaknesses in the Zheng Song defense line.

Based on previous discussions with Hao Yunlai, the Ming army and the Siamese army would cooperate in joint operations, but would be commanded separately and would coordinate flexibly depending on the battlefield situation.

Because the Ming army and the Siamese army had very different styles and types of troops, it was difficult to unify their command. Unified command was not very effective; it was better for each to be responsible for its own duties.

Furthermore, if there is unified command, should Hao Yunlai or Na Lixuan take the lead?
Hao Yunlai also gave the order at the same time: "General Mu, General Song, the cavalry on both flanks can be deployed. Use the tactics of the Mongol cavalry to contain the Vietnamese cavalry."

"The Yue people are here, the Siamese are here. Although we are outnumbered, we are the army of the Great Ming Dynasty. We must not let down the prestige of the Celestial Empire! We must show these barbarians what true cavalry is!"

"Yes, sir!" Mu Qing and Song Wanhua each led three thousand Naxi and Miao cavalrymen, and the whole team roared out, their hooves thundering, showing the momentum of the northern cavalry.

Compared to the Vietnamese army, the Ming army's greatest advantage lay in its cavalry. In particular, the cavalry of the Mu clan chieftains were capable of going toe-to-toe with the Tibetan cavalry.

Hao Yunlai immediately deployed the Ming army's only six thousand cavalry to gain the upper hand and suppress the enemy's arrogance.

Sure enough, when the Ming army's cavalry on both flanks moved out, the men were like tigers and the horses like dragons. The riders were skilled and the horses were strong and powerful, which was incomparable to the cavalry of the peninsula.

Upon seeing this, the Vietnamese and Siamese troops exclaimed: "This is the true northern cavalry!"
Seeing the northern cavalry mobilize, Zheng Song felt even more on high alert.

At the same time, Naresuan's Siamese war elephants began to move, like a mobile fortress, steadily and imposingly advancing towards the Vietnamese lines. The earth trembled slightly beneath their feet.

The distance of less than three miles slowly shrank under the suffocating atmosphere.

Accompanying the approaching war elephants were two torrents of Ming cavalry!
"Boom boom boom!"

...

In the center of the Vietnamese army, Zheng Song gazed calmly at the approaching herd of elephants.

He was indeed a veteran of many battles; he had seen through the feint attack long ago.

"Order the right-wing infantry to hold their ground, and the archers and musketeers to prepare. All units in the central army are not to move an inch without my order."

He wanted to make the Ming and Siamese armies show their true fangs first, and then bite them into the iron plate.

Thus, the 100,000-strong Vietnamese army remained as still as a mountain, with only archers and musketeers moving about; the other troops remained completely unmoved. It was as if they had not noticed the probing attacks from the Ming and Siamese armies.

Compared to the distinctive Siamese army, the Vietnamese army's style was more like that of the Ming army.

Seeing that the Vietnamese army remained steadfast, Na Le Xuan revealed a look of astonishment.

“Zheng Song is indeed cautious. Then let him see the true might of Siam!” He raised his hand and swung it down sharply: “Central army elephants, charge! Take the central army!”

Since the Vietnamese army wants to play it safe, I'll take the risk!

Otherwise, given the Vietnamese army's already significant numerical advantage, defeating them would be even more difficult if they maintained a steady and methodical approach.

Hao Yunlai was a veteran general. Like Na Le Xuan, he saw that the Vietnamese army was relying on its numerical superiority to win by playing it safe and using conventional tactics to suppress unconventional attacks.

Therefore, we cannot let the Vietnamese army lead us by the nose.

If they want to remain stable, then we should force them to become unstable.

Let's seize this opportunity and have a decisive battle!
This scholar-official, who had passed the imperial examinations twice, drew his Tang sword, which seemed rather heavy to him, and ordered a general attack!

He discovered that the Vietnamese army's right flank was its biggest weakness, and that only by focusing all 20,000 troops on the Vietnamese army's right flank could he inflict the greatest damage on them.

"Pass on my order!" Seeing the Siamese army's main war elephant force launching a full-scale attack, Hao Yunlai decisively ordered, "All troops, advance! Coordinate with the cavalry to form the Double Dragons Playing with a Pearl Formation!"

"Infantry linking up with the cavalry, shield wagons in front! Rocket throwers behind! Pikemen and shield bearers behind! Kill! Support the cavalry and suppress the Vietnamese right flank!"

The Double Dragons Playing with a Pearl Formation is a battle formation created by Hao Yunlai while he was in Yunnan, based on his research of ancient Chinese battle formations. It can maximize the coordinated attack of cavalry and infantry.

This tactic has obvious advantages and disadvantages. Its advantage lies in maximizing the combined offensive and defensive capabilities of infantry and cavalry.

The drawback is that it can only attack the flanks and cannot engage the enemy head-on. To use this formation, friendly forces must be positioned to hold the line in front, without needing to worry about the enemy changing formations.

Both Hao Yunlai and Na Lixuan are outstanding individuals. Although they each commanded and cooperated flexibly, they quickly developed a perfect understanding.

Naresuan attacked from the center with his war elephants, holding the line, while the Ming army used their cavalry advantage to attack from the flanks. This combination of orthodox and unorthodox tactics resulted in seamless coordination between the elephants, horses, and chariots.

"Kill!" More than 20,000 Ming infantry and cavalrymen set out together. It seemed like a desperate gamble, but in fact, the attack was layered and the formation was very strict. Even the two cavalry units were connected to the infantry at the head and tail, forming a huge and strange formation.

From what I could vaguely see, the cavalry were actually circling the infantry, like two giant dragons accompanying them as they advanced.

"What kind of formation is this!" Zheng Song frowned. "This looks a bit like the Embracing Moon Formation, but it's not."

But he soon discovered the power of the Ming army's strange formation.

This formation allows the infantry to act as a mobile wall, with cavalry seemingly moving in and out of it. This allows them to constantly rest their horses under the protection of the infantry formation.

In this way, cavalry would not need to maintain the necessary maneuver of constantly approaching and then closing the distance during an attack.

How much horsepower and time can be saved?
At the same time, the infantry can use the cavalry's offensive cover to maintain a line of defense and attack, which complements each other.

Moreover, this formation allows for rotating attacks, ensuring that the troops at the back are not idle. Everyone has the opportunity to engage the enemy and fight, so no one can slack off or stay at the forefront all the time. It also allows for the concentration of forces to attack a single location.

This formation is formidable! The Ming generals are truly extraordinary!
"Send the order!" Zheng Song reacted quickly, "Zheng Jian! You lead the Jin army headquarters to strengthen the defense of the right flank!"

The main force of the Vietnamese army was the "Five-Prefecture Military System" created by Trinh Tung's father, Trinh Kien. The elite imperial guards were organized into five prefectures according to the five elements of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, with each prefecture having 12,000 armored soldiers.

He immediately ordered his son, Zheng Jie, to lead the Jin army to reinforce the right wing, demonstrating that he had sensed the enormous threat the Ming army posed to the right wing. His response was timely and appropriate.

“Father…” Zheng Yong was very puzzled, “The Ming army only has more than 20,000 men, why do they need to reinforce the entire military prefecture on the right wing?”

Zheng Song glared at the prince with a look of disappointment and shouted, "What are you babbling about? Execute the military order!"

Zheng Jian was startled and quickly mobilized the Jin Army within the Five Elements Army to strengthen the defense of the right flank.

The Vietnamese right flank was already in disarray, and under the fierce attack of the Ming infantry and cavalry, their formation could no longer be stabilized.

Zheng Jie led the Jin army to provide support, which stabilized the situation.

Upon seeing this, Hao Yunlai couldn't help but sigh softly.

What a pity! Zheng Songzhen was truly a ruthless and ambitious man. His reputation was well-deserved.

Just then, a fast horse came from the east and went straight into the Ming army's formation.

It turned out to be a Ming army scout delivering intelligence.

"My lord! Urgent report!" The scout delivered the military intelligence and then collapsed from exhaustion.

Hao Yunlai opened the document and was slightly startled. He couldn't help but say, "Zheng Songbing clearly had the upper hand in terms of numbers, yet he still resorted to such a cunning trick. This man must not be allowed to live!"

He immediately ordered, "Have the cavalry withdraw! Have the cavalry withdraw! Quickly! Inform the King of Siam to withdraw his troops!"

The Ming army immediately withdrew, but the Siamese army was too late to retreat.

Once a war elephant troop launches an attack, its retreat is very slow.

Seeing the Ming army suddenly withdraw, the King of Siam was also informed of the withdrawal order. However, withdrawing at this point was no easy task. He could only watch helplessly as the war elephants rammed into the Vietnamese army.

The Siamese army's massive war elephant herd, amidst deafening roars and the sound of war drums, surged like a flood bursting its banks, charging relentlessly towards the center of the Vietnamese army.

That seemed to be a power capable of destroying everything!

Even the seemingly insurmountable 100,000-strong Vietnamese army was shaken by the attack of a herd of war elephants. The Vietnamese army also possessed war elephants, but their numbers and fighting strength were inferior to those of the Siamese army. Naturally, the Vietnamese army could not afford to confront the Siamese army's war elephants head-on with their inferior elephant cavalry.

They could only use firearms and rockets to fight back from a distance, and then use tall elephant shields and spearmen to defend themselves.

In an instant, faced with this overwhelming impact, the Vietnamese army's forward shield wall twisted and shattered under the massive impact.

The war elephants' tusks tore soldiers away, their massive feet crushing bones. Siamese infantry followed closely behind, surging into the breach like a red tide. The Vietnamese army's central front line was instantly plunged into fierce fighting, a huge gap was torn in the line, and it seemed on the verge of collapse.

It appears that the smaller Siamese army has gained the upper hand and is about to break through the Vietnamese army's front lines.

Hao Yunlai frowned slightly, thinking to himself that it was indeed not that simple!
If the Vietnamese army's front lines are so easily breached, can it still become the second most powerful force on the peninsula after the Burmese army?

Nali Xuan watched from her vantage point as her elite troops charged into the enemy lines, and her brow furrowed! Zheng Song's central army seemed to be collapsing... a little too quickly?
Moreover, the routed soldiers did not cause panic across the entire line; instead, they seemed to retreat to both sides in an orderly manner.
It is indeed a scam!

At this moment, a sudden change occurred!
Suddenly, several huge black command flags rose from the Vietnamese army's ranks. The previously "scattered" vanguard quickly parted to the sides, revealing a much thicker second line of defense that was ready and waiting in the rear.

Meanwhile, the Vietnamese army's left and right flank squares did not come to the rescue of the central army as Naresuan had expected. Instead, they closed in on the center like two giant iron pincers, firmly and swiftly surrounding the Siamese war elephants and infantry that had already penetrated deep into the enemy lines!

The five or six hundred war elephants and more than ten thousand Siamese elite soldiers that had already stormed into the Vietnamese army's front lines were actually trapped in the Vietnamese army's formation and surrounded.

"No! It's a trap!"

Nali Xuan instantly understood. Zheng Song was using the central army as bait to lure his main force deep into the encirclement, intending to devour and hunt them down!

Zheng Song is indeed cunning!

It turns out that this person had deliberately adopted a calm demeanor to lure him into a direct attack.

"Your Majesty! Vietnamese cavalry has appeared on our flank and rear! There are as many as five thousand of them!" a scout rushed in to report.

"What?" Nali Xuan's heart sank. Zheng Song had actually hidden a cavalry force, which had outflanked and attacked his flank and rear while he was launching a full-scale attack!

He suddenly understood. The Vietnamese army must have deliberately concealed five thousand cavalrymen when they came out of the mountains, and did not appear together.

This cavalry unit is a double-edged sword in a critical moment!

At this moment, the offensive and defensive positions shifted. The elite Siamese troops that had broken in were surrounded by the Vietnamese army, while the Vietnamese cavalry, which suddenly appeared, plunged straight into the weakly protected rear flank of the Siamese army!
This move is very vicious.

Zheng Song actually managed to pull off a clever tactic, creating a pincer attack that was enough to cause the Siamese army to collapse!

Once the Siamese army suffers a major defeat, the Ming army, with only over 20,000 men, will undoubtedly be defeated as well.

This was Zheng Song's ingenious tactic of defeating the enemy one by one, and he executed it with unparalleled skill.

However, at this critical moment, the Ming army's six thousand cavalrymen actually withdrew!

These 6,000 Ming cavalrymen returned to their posts just in time and intercepted the Vietnamese cavalrymen who were attacking the descendants of the Siamese army!
"This..." Nali Xuan was first shocked, then overjoyed. She broke out in a cold sweat and couldn't help but clap her hands, saying, "That was close! That was close! The Ming army withdrew in time! The Ming army saved our army!"

Hao Yunlai withdrew his troops in time to defend the area. Seeing that he had finally intercepted the Vietnamese cavalry's sneak attack, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

That was close. Luckily, Zhihu's spies discovered the Vietnamese army's intelligence and delivered it in time.

Otherwise, the Siamese army would be finished. If the Siamese army were finished, their own 20,000-plus troops would be unable to hold out alone and would also be difficult to protect.

"What!" Zheng Song's face turned green. "Why did the Ming cavalry suddenly retreat!"

He painstakingly set up this trap, but at the crucial moment, the Ming cavalry unexpectedly returned to defend and blocked the cavalry he had hidden, causing his plan to fail.

At this moment, the Ming cavalry engaged the Vietnamese cavalry, giving the Siamese army a chance to regroup.

Hao Yunlai immediately ordered the infantry to continue their assault on the Vietnamese army's right flank, his intentions quite clear!

Nali Xuan immediately understood.

"Sound the horn! Order the vanguard to turn and charge at the enemy's right flank! To coordinate with the Ming army! Break through the Vietnamese army's right flank!"

"Now that we've reached the enemy's main formation, let's join forces with the Ming army, break through the Vietnamese army's right flank, and retreat from there!"

Nali Xuan remained calm under pressure and quickly issued a series of orders.

He had to rescue the vanguard that had penetrated too far. Helping him rescue the vanguard were the Ming infantry who attacked the right flank of the Vietnamese army.

In the center of the battlefield, the fighting was extremely fierce.

The more than 10,000 Siamese soldiers were caught in a fierce battle. Their war elephants could hardly turn around in the confined space, while the Vietnamese encirclement forces were like a cold iron wall, gradually compressing the space for the Siamese army.

The bravery and ferocity of the Siamese army were on full display at this moment. The surrounded troops made a desperate charge towards the right flank of the Vietnamese army, approaching the Ming infantry who were there to provide support. Working together from the inside and outside, they managed to tear a bloody gap in the right flank of the Vietnamese army within their encirclement!
Meanwhile, in the cavalry battle not far away, the Ming cavalry had already suppressed the Vietnamese cavalry, demonstrating the superiority of the northern cavalry over the southern cavalry.

The three commanders, Zheng Song, Hao Yunlai, and Na Lixuan, had different feelings as they looked at the battlefield in this state.

Hao Yunlai was in high spirits. The Ming army, with the help of the Siamese troops who had broken through the encirclement, had broken through the right flank of the Vietnamese army and won a decisive victory.

The Ming army suppressed the Vietnamese cavalry and won another victory.

At least, the Ming army not only did not suffer losses, but also gained an advantage.

Zheng Song's face was extremely grim. His plans had been completely disrupted by the Ming army commander. The more than 10,000 Siamese elite troops and war elephants that he had painstakingly surrounded were also rescued by the Ming army from the right flank.

After all that, his losses outweighed his gains!

Nali Xuan, however, was both terrified and relieved. She was very grateful to the Ming army and Hao Yunlai.

If it weren't for the Ming army commander, his 40,000-strong army would have collapsed by now.

All three armies were suffering heavy losses. Although the Siamese army, with the help of the Ming army, rescued most of its besieged troops, it suffered heavy losses of war elephants and its morale was severely damaged.

Nali Xuan was heartbroken; he had lost over four thousand soldiers.

The Ming army also suffered 2,000 casualties.

The Vietnamese army's plan failed at the last minute; their right flank was breached, leaving them in a very passive position. Although they managed to stabilize the situation with great difficulty, they still lost nine thousand soldiers, including their cavalry!
Knowing that victory was impossible today, Zheng Song could only give the order: "Pass on my command! All units take turns providing cover and retreat back to camp."

Hao Yunlai and Na Lixuan, watching the Vietnamese army retreat like a tide but still maintaining its formation, both rejected their subordinates' suggestion to pursue them.

"The King of Annam, Zheng... truly lives up to his reputation. Today is just the beginning." Hao Yunlai knew that this battle was far from over.

To wipe out the Vietnamese army, we'll probably have to wait until the army of the young tiger arrives.

It was already quite an achievement to maintain a draw with only his own and Nari Xuan's tens of thousands of troops.

As the sun set, the entire battlefield appeared even more crimson. Amidst the smoke and embers of battle lay the corpses of warriors, warhorses, and war elephants.

And the screams and groans of the dying.

Just as the last rays of sunlight were about to disappear into the vast forests of Myanmar, the sound of bells suddenly came from the north.

"Clang clang..."

The Ming soldiers and Siamese soldiers on the battlefield turned around and saw several fast horses galloping towards them in the silhouette of the afterglow. The armor worn by the riders, which was unique to the Ming army, gleamed coldly.

Between heaven and earth, it seemed that only the sound of hooves and bells of these few riders remained, somewhat ethereal in the deep twilight.

Tens of thousands of soldiers stared in silence, their expressions slightly bewildered.

"Could it be... news from the battlefield in Molo Town?" Hao Yunlai suddenly had a premonition.

As Hao Xiangong pondered, suddenly the knights shouted in unison:

"Great victory at Molo Town! The royal army has won a great victory! The Burmese army has been completely annihilated, and Mangying has been captured!"

...

Upon hearing the sudden good news, everyone was briefly stunned, followed by immense joy.

Hao Yunlai couldn't help but burst into tears, laughing loudly, "Hahaha! Great victory for the Ming Dynasty! Great victory for the Ming Dynasty! Young Tiger, you are indeed still invincible!"

"The matter is settled! The matter is settled!"

Nali Xuan was both surprised and delighted: "The Regent of the Great Ming is truly a divine being! The army of the Great Ming is truly a heavenly soldier!"

"Mang Yingli is finished, now it's Zheng Song's turn!"

Overjoyed, he momentarily forgot the heartache of losing thousands of elite soldiers.

Upon receiving news of Zhu Yin's great victory, the morale of both the Ming and Siamese troops soared!
……

The Vietnamese army camp was located five miles away.

The Vietnamese army camp, illuminated by thousands of bonfires, resembled a galaxy of stars.

Inside the central command tent, Zheng Songzheng, his face grim, convened a military council. He began by offering words of encouragement:
"Our army suffered a loss today; the Ming army is indeed cunning. However, our army has more soldiers and generals, and we still have the upper hand."

"King Mangyung of Burma still commands an army of 200,000. Our combined forces far outnumber the enemy's..."

As he was speaking, he looked up and saw Prince Jeong Jung peeking out from outside, looking alarmed.

"What are you doing, sneaking around like that!" Zheng Song shouted. "Come in and talk! What happened?"

Zheng Jian forced himself to enter, and knelt down, his voice trembling, to report: "Your Majesty, I just received news that...that..."

"What!" Zheng Song, already furious, snapped. "Speak!"

Zheng Zhi, his face contorted with grief, reported, "The Burmese army was completely annihilated, the Ming army achieved a great victory, and Mang Yingli and other Burmese officials were captured by Zhu Yin. The news... is absolutely true..."

Zheng Song listened blankly to the prince's report, his face first turning pale, then white, and then flushed red.

He looked at the lanterns swaying in the tent, at the astonished and panicked faces, and suddenly everything went black before his eyes, and he fell backward!
"Father!"

"Lord!"

Zheng Jian and his generals exclaimed in surprise and rushed forward in a hurry!
...

P.S.: The little tiger will arrive tomorrow, may the Ming Dynasty be mighty! Thank you everyone for your monthly votes! Goodnight!
(End of this chapter)