Fighting in the tropics is much more difficult than in the cold zone. In the latter, it is only necessary to protect yourself from the cold and keep warm. It is not that difficult to burn firewood for heating.
When fighting in tropical areas, not only is it very difficult to escape the heat and cool down, but also preventing various tropical diseases, such as malaria, dysentery, cholera, and yellow fever, is a huge trouble.
Parasites in the water are even more difficult to prevent. If preventive measures are not taken and high-intensity enforcement is carried out, large-scale non-combat attrition is commonplace.
Although the King's Division of the Ming Dynasty was relatively well prepared in this regard, as time went by, similar situations appeared in various ministries to a greater or lesser extent.
However, while they paid attention to their diet and the military doctors who accompanied the army did their duty, the local hot and humid climate became King's division's number one enemy.
In addition, due to continuous rainfall, floods broke out in the lower reaches of the three main rivers, and the cities and villages along the coast were submerged in a vast ocean.
In this case, if you fight them, the enemy may not catch a few, and they are basically going to provide disaster relief. It can be said that the gain outweighs the loss.
Chongzhen had no choice but to ask Song Ji's troops to temporarily stop advancing northward and focus on sticking to the territory that had been recovered.
Zheng Chenggong and Zhang Mingzhen also temporarily stopped their troops. They will probably have to wait until after October when the local area enters the dry season before launching a large-scale attack.
These situations were not expected by Chongzhen before, but he actually encountered them again. Unexpectedly, recovering Burma was much more difficult than imagined.
I don't know what the situation of Mu Tianbo's North Route Army is, but it should be better than that of the South Route Army.
Looking at the continuous rain, Chongzhen could only sigh and put his hope in Mu Tianbo.
What Emperor Chongzhen didn't know was that the Northern Route Army commanded by Mu Tianbo won first and then lost, and was inextricably linked to the partial division of the Burmese Army.
Mu Tianbo's command consisted of 20,000 people, 17,000 of which were recruited the year before last. Fortunately, they received systematic training from instructors sent by Emperor Haojing.
There are another 3,000 veterans and servants, who can be considered a small group of people who can fight well.
Ma Shiying's subordinates numbered five thousand, and 90% of them were hard-working chieftain soldiers.
The remaining fifteen thousand or so were the subordinates of chieftains from all over the border. They responded to Emperor Chongzhen's call and followed Mu Tianbo to rob...conquer Mangbai!
In this way, the total strength of the Northern Route Army reached 40,000, and it was also equipped with many war elephants. In terms of quantity and military power, it was quite impressive.
According to the plan, after the Northern Route Army is assembled, as long as weather conditions permit, it can take the lead in launching an offensive in mid-March.
Firstly, it can surprise the enemy, and secondly, it can attract Mangbai's attention for the landing of the Southern Route Army.
Mu Tianbo's plan was to exit the Hanlong Pass at Longchuan Xuanfu Division, avoid the Jinsha River, and go south along the east bank of the Ava River, so that he could join Emperor Chongzhen's Northern Route Army as soon as possible.
Although the plan is good, the actual execution is another matter.
Since Mu Tianbo's command was also equipped with twenty tanks, plus many mortars and no fewer than a thousand revolvers, the initial attack was as smooth as mercury pouring down the ground.
The Burmese army was completely unable to withstand the fierce attack of the Ming army. In particular, Ma Shiying's chieftain soldiers performed well and fought extremely bravely. They quickly captured the strategic town of Mubang.
Many chieftains who followed Mu Tianbo in the southern expedition saw that the Ming army was so powerful and had a large number of firearms to support the battle. They felt that this could be done, so they changed from waiting and watching before to actually following and drinking soup.
It would be a great blessing if we could take this opportunity to get back all the property lost by previous generations, so many chieftains invariably ordered their men to attack in all directions.
The reason for this is because if they follow Mu Tianbo, the Ming army will definitely take the bulk of the spoils, and if they find food by themselves, they can eat alone...
The price is that the Ming army's fire support is lost. The Burmese army opposite the chieftains is not so easy to defeat, and may even be eaten.
The Burmese army was not afraid of the Ming army before, and dared to fight against the Ming army in formation under Mubang City.
After being severely punished by various firearms, he restrained himself.
After all, it is a regular army, and even the combat effectiveness of the remnants is no less than that of the border chieftain soldiers from the Ming Dynasty.
He used the terrain he was familiar with to defeat the opponent's ambush many times, and also achieved many victories.
So the chieftains complained to Mu Tianbo and asked for a certain number of Ming troops to be allocated to help them fight.
Although Mu Tianbo was not a general who was good at fighting, he also knew the disadvantages of dividing his troops, so he refused directly.
The border chieftains did not dare to say anything, but in their hearts they were very angry about the reply, and began to seem a little alienated from the coach.
However, Ma Shiying asked his chieftain not to follow the booing and implemented the planned plan honestly.
Mu Tianbo ignored the border chieftains, and after discussing with his deputy commander Ma Shiying, he decided to continue advancing along the river and attack the more valuable target Ava City.
As long as we capture this place, we will have completed half of the journey, and we will not be far away from successfully reuniting with Emperor Chongzhen's Wang division.
If we could achieve such a victory within two months, the result would be quite brilliant.
Thinking of this, Mu Tianbo couldn't help but feel better.
But in a mountainous area a hundred miles away from Ava City, the Northern Route Army was ambushed by the Burmese army.
Due to heavy rain during the war, which lasted for more than half an hour, many firearms of the Ming army were unable to function.
In addition to tanks, even grenades will be extinguished by the torrential rain after being ignited, making it impossible to fire mortars.
Facing the enemy's ambush, the border chieftains had no intention of fighting and simply chose to flee. However, the 20,000 Ming army soldiers and Ma Shiying's 5,000 Guizhou chieftain soldiers were locked in a bitter battle.
Fortunately, there were twenty steam tanks to help, and the tank guns kept firing, so the Burmese army's bald war elephants could not wreak havoc on the battlefield.
However, due to the hand-to-hand combat between the two sides, even the Ming army equipped with large-scale rattan armor suffered heavy casualties.
After the war, more than 800 people were killed and tens of thousands injured, which almost damaged the vitality of the Northern Route Army.
More than 3,000 Burmese soldiers fell on the battlefield, and the battle was considered a lose-lose outcome.
Even without the support of the border chieftains, Mu Tianbo and Ma Shiying could still attack Ava City.
Considering that the King's Division was in urgent need of repairs so that a large number of wounded soldiers could receive treatment as soon as possible, they turned back along the original route.
The reason why the Northern Route Army did not choose iron armor is very simple. Firstly, it is too heavy. Secondly, it is difficult to replenish it. Thirdly, the cost is too high.
The biggest advantage of rattan armor is that it is economical and easy to manufacture in large quantities. Local female workers in Yunnan can weave it. The price of ten sets of rattan armor is equivalent to a set of iron armor. It is easy to put on and take off, and is very breathable.
The disadvantage is that in actual combat, the defensive power of rattan armor is inferior to that of iron armor.
If all members of the Northern Route Army were equipped with iron armor, the Burmese army, which lacked firearms, would not have been able to achieve such results.
The heavy rain was another major factor. Mu Tianbo should have been unlucky, so he could only comment with hindsight that it was not appropriate for the King Master to win today...
What Mu Tianbo hated was those border chieftains who were like grass on the wall. They had previously requested the imperial court to send troops in full force.
Now that the war has suffered a slight setback, everyone is running faster than a rabbit.
The Ming Dynasty really sent troops, and it was not enough to let them follow and fight, they had to take the lead.
With this kind of virtue, do you still expect to make up for the lost benefits in Mang Bai?
They are all a bunch of people who bully the weak and fear the strong. Go ahead and dream!
When he met Emperor Chongzhen, Mu Tianbo wrote a memorial and reported his previous encounters.
The various bureaus on the Yunnan border really need to be tidied up to avoid being in a mess all day long!
Just in case, Mu Tianbo had previously recruited a lot of Minghua natives. They could speak, read and write Burmese and could act as translators, which came in handy now.
Even without the help of the border chieftains, Mu Tianbo was determined to continue the southern expedition until he reunited with the Southern Route Army.
But less than half a month later, an extremely shocking news came from the border informant.
After the chieftains led their troops back to the Ming Dynasty, they decided to launch a rebellion while Mu Tianbo's main force was still in northern Myanmar and Kunming's troops were empty.
By the time Mu Tianbo received the news, it was estimated that the rebellion had already occurred!
Compared with the southern expedition, of course the homeland cannot be lost.
In desperation, Mu Tianbo could only lead the main force back to the army to put down the rebellion.
After Mu Tianbo led his troops into the mainland, the news he received was even more shocking. The rebels had already invaded Chuxiong Mansion.
If reinforcements are not sent back quickly, the rebels will invade Yunnan Prefecture where Kunming is located in a few days.
Fortunately, Chuxiong is also a strategically important town. The defenders have no less than a thousand troops and are equipped with a large number of firearms.
The rebels besieged the city for five days without success, and the chieftains were still in dispute over whether to continue the siege or move to other places.
In order to avoid long nights and long dreams, after trying another attack, they decided to besiege Kunming first and then wait for an opportunity to fight back.
The siege of Chuxiong caused the rebels to suffer thousands of casualties. In order to vent their anger, the rebels burned, killed and looted in the surrounding areas.
No less than ten thousand people died at the hands of the rebels, making the Kunming defenders feel as if they were facing a formidable enemy. On the other side, they hurriedly sent flying cavalry to the nearby Guizhou defenders for help.
Guizhou did have some soldiers and horses. Although Ma Shiying took away 5,000 people, the ones who went to Burma were all chieftain soldiers, and the local Ming army was not transferred in large numbers.
In Guiyang and surrounding areas, the total number of soldiers and horses that can rush to Kunming's aid is about two thousand.
It doesn't seem like much, but it's enough to be equivalent to the five or six thousand people on the Yunnan border.
Although Kunming may be reduced to an isolated city, the rebels will not conquer it easily.
Mu Tianbo had previously moved the veteran Long Zaitian who had retired to his hometown, reported it to the court, and obtained approval for its use.
Long Zaitian is a native of Shiping Prefecture, which belongs to Lin'an Prefecture and is located south of Yunnan Prefecture.
By letting this old general guard Kunming, Mu Tianbo can safely lead his troops to Myanmar.
Long Zaitian is a wealthy family in Lin'an Prefecture, and his previous achievements have been affirmed by Emperor Haojing.
In addition to some members of the family continuing to serve in the army, they are also engaged in the business of novel goods, which can be regarded as not lacking in money or people.
Especially in Long Zaitian's hometown, Shiping Prefecture, as long as the old general climbed up and shouted, he could recruit thousands of young men.
This place, like the city of Kunming, is a tough nut to crack.
However, the rebels planned to use the strategy of besieging Shipingzhou to force Long Zaitian to lead his troops to rush for reinforcements, thereby achieving the purpose of siege and reinforcements.
Soon, Long Zaitian, who was based in Kunming, received news that his hometown was besieged.
After careful consideration as to where to go, the old general gave up the idea of rushing for reinforcements.
Although the city of Shipingzhou is not large, it is not easy to capture as the rebels lack heavy artillery.
The young people in my hometown are not just people who are willing to be exploited. Besides, I have informed the local officials before and mobilized the young people to help defend. When the reinforcements arrive, they can naturally relieve the siege.
Long Zaitian's concern is whether Mu Tianbo knows about the large-scale rebellion in Yunnan. If he knows, when can he lead his troops back to quell the rebellion?
Without Mu Tianbo and Ma Shiying's troops, it seemed impossible to quell the rebellion as soon as possible with just Yunnan local troops and a small number of troops from Guizhou.
What is certain is that the longer the rebellion continues, the greater the losses will be caused to various parts of Yunnan, and the more people will be killed or injured.
Long Zaitian is also worried that as time goes by, this rebellion originating from Yunnan will affect more and more chieftains, even including chieftains in Guizhou and Guangxi provinces.
Once there are varying degrees of rebellion in the three provinces, it means there is a rebellion in the southwest, which will be a big blow to Nanting and even the entire Ming Dynasty.
At this time, the chieftains who participated in the rebellion were still immersed in the joy of seizing a large amount of loot.
It is much easier to rob the Ming Dynasty than to rob the Burmese, and not many men will be killed or injured.
If I had known this, why did I follow Mu Tianbo to fight in Burma in the first place?
Now it seems that it is right to raise troops and rebel!
If the main force of the Ming army comes to help, everyone will communicate with each other and make accusations according to the agreed content.
He insisted that Mu Tianbo squeezed many toasts, which led to this incident.
As long as the court gives some money and goods to appease everyone, everyone will pretend that nothing happened...
However, this dream did not last long. Twenty days later, Mu Tianbo and Ma Shiying's troops appeared in Chuxiong Mansion.
Later, after Long Zaitian got the news, he helped Mu Tianbo's troops become horns.
The rebels did not panic, but intended to decide the outcome in a battle. The two sides fought a decisive battle near Dian Lake.
If the Ming army can be defeated, then controlling the entire Yunnan will not be a problem.
However, on the day of the decisive battle, although there were dark clouds and constant thunder, there was no rain, which made the rebels miscalculate.
Not every decisive battle that Mu Tianbo participated in would be so unlucky. In fact, as long as there was no heavy rain, the Ming army's firearms could function smoothly.
There were about 25,000 Ming troops participating in the war, and the number of rebels exceeded 50,000.
The scene was one-sided, and the rebels were routed by fierce artillery fire.
There were already signs of defeat at the beginning of the war, and the whole line collapsed under the attack of artillery fire.
From top to bottom, they were not interested in fighting, and everyone started running away, completely losing their original momentum.
The three thousand cavalry of the Ming army were specifically responsible for following behind and covering up the killings. The formation could not kill the thirty thousand rebels that day.
When the rebels were in a panic, countless people jumped into the Dian Lake to escape, but they were all quickly captured or killed by warships on the surface.
After the big victory, Mu Tianbo was not too happy.
If it weren't for these bastards holding him back, the army would have already conquered the city of Ava.
Now after the repairs, Master Wang has to go out to fight for the second time, which means that the previous three or four months were all in vain!
All the chieftains and their men who participated in the rebellion were captured and escorted to Guiyang.
They are a scourge if they stay here. Killing them directly is cheaper.
Mainly, Ma Shiying suggested using these prisoners as miners to exchange for a batch of steam tanks from Emperor Haojing.
Because this thing is really useful against war elephants, and it is not afraid of heavy rain and can fight all day long.
Mu Tianbo felt that this strategy was excellent and that his troops really needed to purchase some tanks, so he agreed to Ma Shiying's proposal.
