The most powerful part of the Ming army was the army. Whether it was the absolute advantage in numbers or the advanced and sharp weapons and equipment, it made the emperor feel most at ease.
Although the emperor also attached great importance to the navy, the powerful army must also be utilized well to make it a sharp weapon for the Ming Dynasty to expand its territory in all directions.
Moreover, at present, the army is also the most realistic and powerful tool for conquering all directions.
The profound meaning of the emperor's launching of the war was to conquer Myanmar and firmly occupy northern Myanmar, making it part of the territory of the Ming Dynasty and a solid base for expansion into South Asia.
By bypassing the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the enemy can directly attack the four bordering Indian states: Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur through northern Myanmar.
The emperor even had an even greater ambition, which was to conquer the Indian Ocean directly via land.
Humph! If it weren't for the ocean, the Ming Empire's army, armed with artillery and flintlock rifles, could have swept the globe.
Wang Sanshan naturally didn't know that the emperor's ambition was bigger than the sky. He was already over seventy years old, and he had to plead and volunteer many times before he was able to snatch the command of the expedition to Burma.
The emperor also wanted this old minister to have a good ending. After defeating the Toungoo Dynasty and consolidating the occupied areas in northern Myanmar, Wang Sanshan could retire gloriously and be succeeded by Fu Zonglong.
The emperor did not take Myanmar seriously. At the end of the Southern Ming Dynasty, a few thousand remnant Ming troops were able to march into the city of Ava, let alone the powerful Ming army today.
But the emperor still reminded Wang Sanshan not to underestimate the enemy, not to be reckless, and to crush the enemy with all his strength to achieve a steady victory.
"Of course, if Myanmar falls into chaos and our army is able to firmly occupy Ava, the 'granary' of Upper Myanmar, Your Majesty will surely not blame us." Wang Sanshan changed the subject and gave the emperor a discount on his request.
Lu Qin and the other generals looked at each other and smiled. They understood what was going on and were happy that they didn't have to be too restricted.
Wang Sanshan smiled faintly, then turned his gaze to an unremarkable official beside him and said, "This is Wang Pingda, Captain of the Jinyiwei of the Zhenfu Division. Please ask him to introduce the situation in Burma and the details of contacting Siam to jointly attack Burma."
The generals then realized that this inconspicuous official had a very important background, and even Wang Sanshan did not dare to neglect him.
Wang Pingda bowed to the crowd and began to narrate without hesitation, "In the 28th year of the Wanli reign, Siam, the King of Toungoo, and the Arakan Dynasty allied to attack Pegu and captured and killed the Burmese King Mang Yingli..."
The death of Burmese King Mangyinli did not lead to the final demise of the Toungoo Dynasty. Mangyinli's youngest son, King Nyaung Uyghur, saved the country from decline, occupied the "granary" area centered on Ava, and preserved half of Upper Myanmar. This period is known in history as the Nyaung Uyghur period.
In the 33rd year of the Wanli reign, Anabilun succeeded to the throne and recovered all the lost territories of Lower Burma, especially the recovery of Thanlyin occupied by the Portuguese in 1613, thus completing the unification of Burma again.
The current King of Myanmar is Thalong, who has just inherited the throne. Although the country is said to be rich and the people are strong, if we conduct in-depth research and analysis, we will find that internal and external troubles still exist and have only been temporarily suppressed.
Since the 20th year of Wanli, the main forces of Thailand and Myanmar fought a decisive battle in Khosala, Thailand. After the Burmese army was defeated, Myanmar has been at a disadvantage in the Thai-Myanmar War. Until now, Myanmar and northern Thailand are still fighting each other.
Then there are the chieftains of Mubang, Mengmi, and Dashan, who, although under Burma, have weak control. Mubang, in particular, can be considered a sworn enemy of Burma.
Myanmar's internal ethnic divisions and hatreds are also a major factor in its potential for division. The Mon in the south, the Burmese in the north, and the Shan peoples are all entangled in complex conflicts, with centuries of resentment difficult to resolve.
In other words, if the main force of the Burmese army was defeated in Upper Burma, the foundation of the Burmese king's rule would likely be shaken, and the Mon in the south and the Shan in the north would likely take advantage of the opportunity to cause rebellion.
The historical Toungoo Dynasty was destroyed because of the Mon uprising and occupation of the capital Ava.
"To achieve twice the result with half the effort in conquering Burma, we must treat the chieftains affiliated with Burma and the Shan people differently, making them a force for our army..."
Wang Pingda stood up and walked to the map hanging in the big tent, pointing his finger and introducing it. "Mubang, Longchuan, Ganya, Mengyang and other places can be treated with both kindness and severity. Those who send troops to help will be spared, and those who resist the king's army will have their officials destroyed and others will be separated..."
Wang Sanshan stroked his beard and nodded in agreement.
After Wang Pingda finished his introduction and returned to his seat, he coughed dryly and emphasized again, "Our main force totals 40,000 troops, and the combined forces of the various chieftains number approximately 60,000. According to intelligence analysis, the Burmese can probably muster nearly 200,000 troops in a short period of time. The enemy is numerous, and we are few. Although our army is powerful, we must not make too many enemies."
As he spoke, Wang Sanshan swept his eyes over the generals, very sternly.
Lu Qin hurriedly bowed and said, "Please rest assured, sir. We, the generals, will never dare to lose sight of the greater good for the sake of small matters, nor will we disrupt the overall goal of the Burmese expedition in the name of military merit and property."
Wang Sanshan nodded gently, his tone softening slightly as he said, "I believe you all understand the overall situation and are concerned with the bigger picture. However, while you excel at marching and fighting, you're not so good at maneuvering and negotiating. I've already discussed this with Captain Wang and decided to send officials to each unit to specifically handle dealings with the local officials."
"That's the best." Lu Qin grinned and said, "We are just rough soldiers, and we are really not good at this kind of thing of persuading people to surrender and win them over."
The generals also quickly agreed, saying that this arrangement was the safest.
Wang Sanshan smiled and waited for everyone to stop talking before speaking, "After the war begins, I will be stationed in Tengchong to help you arrange food and supplies to ensure the front lines are supplied. As for the battle, it will be carried out according to the final plan, and I will not interfere."
This means that there will be no remote command, and the front-line generals will have to respond flexibly according to the specific situation on the battlefield.
As for contacting Siam to send troops, Wang Sanshan did not elaborate. After all, the war was already decided, and whether Siam helped or not would not change it.
Moreover, the spying on Myanmar needs to be intensified and the combat plan needs to be adjusted so that it can be finalized when the operation is launched.
But the overall policy will not change, which is to occupy territory, plunder property, and eliminate as many main forces of the Burmese army as possible, making it difficult for them to fight back in a short period of time.
Because the greater the losses of the Burmese army, the weaker Ava’s defense will be when the enemy is at the gates, and the more likely the situation in Myanmar will change in the future.
You have to know that Upper Burma is mostly populated by Burmese people, and the Burmese king chose Ava as his capital. In the south, the Mon people are inhabited. If the oppressed Mon people gain power while the other gains power, the "Hantawady" Pegu Dynasty will inevitably make a comeback if the Mon people have the chance.
Therefore, the best option for the Ming army was to secure victory through a decisive battle. If this goal could not be achieved, they would have to advance step by step, stretching the battle line and delaying victory.
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