The Indochina Peninsula was almost entirely mountainous and jungle-based, which caused great trouble to the Ming army's supply routes and marches.

When Xu Qingshan's army arrived at Jiajiu with great difficulty, the Burmese troops stationed there had already fled, not only withdrawing, but also robbing all the food reserves, livestock and personnel, and implementing the tactics of fortifying the walls and clearing the wilderness.

In fact, this is one of the usual tactics of the Burmese army, and every time the Ming army arrives at a place, the Burmese army will clear the field in advance, so that the Ming army will not be supplied with food and grass, and the Ming army will be dragged down.

In order to prevent such a thing from happening again, Xu Qingshan decided to leave a regiment of soldiers and horses to garrison Jiajiu, which was the main route to Burma and was responsible for the logistics supply transfer from Yunnan to the front line, so Xu Qingshan must be prepared to prevent being cut back by the Burmese army's stragglers.

The Ming army continued to march, but the river swelled in the rainy season, which made the march more difficult, and Xu Qingshan seemed to be unaccustomed to the water and soil, and he also contracted a disease.

Xu Qingshan continued to insist on going south, and finally arrived at Menggong Tusi City (present-day Kachin State, Burma) on the third day of October, which had been more than half a month after they left the customs.

Fortunately, Meng Gong Tusi surrendered to the Ming army and sacrificed a hundred cattle and hundreds of stone grain, Xu Qingshan let the army recuperate here for three days, and gave Tusi 10,000 taels of silver to buy thousands of cattle and thousands of stones of rice as provisions.

Meng Gong Tusi was very happy and strongly expressed his allegiance to the Ming Dynasty.

Meng Gong Tusi is a part of the Mengyang Military and Civilian Propaganda Division set up by the Ming Dynasty in northern Myanmar, which belongs to three propaganda and six comforts.

In the twelfth year of Tianwu, the Ming Dynasty re-established the three Xuan and six comforts, to govern Burma with the Burmese people, intended to declare the Ming Dynasty's ownership of northern Burma, which caused the dissatisfaction and resistance of some Burmese nobles, which directly led to the coup d'état in Myanmar, the king's younger brother Mang Bai executed the old king, established himself as the king, and was hostile to the Ming.

Although the Ming Dynasty carried out land reform and return to the river in the southwest, the Xuanwei Division in northern Myanmar outside Yunnan was still managed by the Tusi himself, and the soldiers and horses were also recruited by the Tusi himself, and they only paid taxes to the Ming court.

With the rise of Burma, the ability of these Xuanfu Divisions is limited, and the pressure is also great, under the idea of "taking Ming as the father and Myanmar as the mother", they began to pay tribute at both ends, and the two sides were called ministers, and whoever was strong depended on whom.

When Li Dingguo was ordered to conquer Burma, the army had not yet been assembled, and Sanxuan Liuwei was attacked by the Burmese army.

It can be seen that the Tusi and Tu Lian soldiers who have been beaten by the Burmese army have been frightened by the Burmese army and cannot form an effective combat force.

In the camp of the Ming army, Xu Qingshan stood in the watchtower, looking at the rainy weather.

Xu Mingde said worriedly: "Father, you are sick, so let's go back to your tent and rest." ”

Xu Qingshan turned around and showed a hint of a smile, and said, "It's okay to have a little illness, it's just that I've suffered you these days." ”

A few months ago, the Ming army that went to negotiate with Burma was attacked, more than 30 officials, and 200 guards were killed.

However, in the following days, they were chased and killed by the Burmese army again, and some Tusi also sent troops to search for merit from the Burmese king.

Fortunately, the Mu family has been rooted in the southwest for more than 200 years, and has an excellent reputation, and the Mu Wangfu is very prestigious among the states and Tusi on the southwest border.

"Father, the child is fine, but the child is worried about the toast of the three proclamations and six comforts......"

Xu Qingshan frowned slightly, and said, "What are you worried about?" Let's take it personally. ”

Xu Mingde said: "Sanxuan and Liuwei Some old Tusi are willing to be loyal to the Ming Dynasty, and the puppet king Mangbai will support his son or brother to ascend the throne, kill the old Tusi, and their territory will immediately be annexed to Myanmar." ”

"There are also Tusi, villains with grass on the wall, seeing that my army in Burma failed, and secretly took the initiative to surrender to Burma, we have to guard against it!"

Xu Qingshan nodded and said: "Dad has also taken this into account, and the strategy formulated by Dad is to accept the Tusi who are sincerely attached, as the guide of the army, and the others will be mainly exterminated, and the Toast will be eliminated!" ”

Xu Mingde said happily: "My father is wise, in this way, the imperial court can justifiably implement the reform of the land and return to the stream in the three Xuan and six comforts, and my father can be regarded as another meritorious service!" ”

Xu Qingshan smiled, but he was thinking in his heart, what three propaganda and six consolations to change the land and return to the stream, my father can't look down on it, this expedition to Burma, we must capture the thief capital Donghu, destroy the Donghu Dynasty, and capture and kill its royal family!

"By the way, what happened to the hot air balloons and pilots from the country?" Xu Qingshan asked, very concerned about this.

Xu Mingde replied: "Fifteen packs of shrink-packed hot air balloons slid down the mountain with mules and horses during transportation, and there are only eighty-five left, two hundred pilots, and twenty people who are not adapted to the water and soil......"

Xu Mingde said again: "Father, is this air formation really built by the second brother?" ”

Xu Qingshan smiled even more on his face, and said: "Your second brother has opened his mind, His Majesty has given him the rank of fifth-grade official, you have to work hard as a brother!" ”

Positive five products?

Xu Mingwu's heart suddenly burst into disbelief.

When he left the Huangming Military Academy, the second brother was still an inferior student, and he was at risk of being expelled at any time, why did he rise several levels in a blink of an eye?

Xu Qingshan patted him on the shoulder and said, "Mingde, it's not far from Jiangtou City in the decisive battle, whether you can break through the enemy formation and make contributions depends on your second brother's air formation." ”

Xu Mingde perked up, gave a military salute, and said in a sonorous tone: "The last general will not fail in his mission!" ”

Jiangtou City, located near Bamo, Myanmar, is the key point of water and land transportation, Zhu Mengzhen, the governor of Shanxi during the Wanli period, once recorded in the "Southwest Yi Feng Tuji": "There is Daming Street outside Jiangtou City, Fujian, Guangzhou, Jiang, Shu live in tens of thousands of goods and entertainers, and the three Xuan and six comforts are also tens of thousands. ”

Jiangtou City, together with Taigong City, Malay City, Anzheng City and Bagan Burma Royal City, is known as the "Five Cities of Burma and China", which is a strategic point in Myanmar, and the main force of the Burmese army is stationed here.

Once the Ming army takes this place, it can enter the Burma and Central China of Yima Pingchuan and go directly to Donghu, the capital of Burma!

Jiangtou City is called "Old Street" by the local Chinese, and it is also recorded as "Lao Guantun" in Chinese history books, and Zhu Cihong set up a sand table deduction in the Wuying Hall on that day, which is based on the terrain of Lao Guan Tun, and deduces the decisive battle between the Ming army and the Burmese army here.

After the supplies were sufficient, Xu Qingshan continued to lead the army south, marching to the territory of Mengyang Tusi, and joining forces with Mu Tianbo's East Route Army.

In October, the rainy season in Indochina ended, the miasma in the mountains and forests of Burma gradually dissipated, the Ming army resumed its normal marching pace, and the number of sick people began to decrease.

Along the way, when the pro-Burmese Tusi leader saw the dragon flag of the Ming army, he was immediately so frightened that he ran away on the spot, and even his wife and children were gone, and he also left a large amount of grain and crops.

The Ming army took two Tusi territories without blood, harvested all the property of the territory and filled the army, the military rations became very sufficient, and everything was fine.

But at this time, it was nearly ten days late from the original planned arrival date, and Xu Qingshan ordered Mu Tianbo on the East Road to take the lead in attacking Jiangtou City and occupy the favorable terrain.