Since the Ming’s southern expedition began in the sixteenth year of Hongwu, Luchuan leader Si Lunfa had been fishing in troubled waters to expand his territory while the Ming fought the Northern Yuan Prince of Liang in Yunnan. Emperor Hongwu’s policy toward Yunnan at that time was to prioritize the big picture – Yunnan’s main conflict was territorial dispute between Ming and Northern Yuan, while local chieftains’ resistance to Ming rule was secondary.

Mu Ying focused on the main conflict, wholeheartedly fighting Northern Yuan. After pacifying all of Yunnan, he led the southern expedition army to settle accounts with Luchuan’s Si Lunfa.

When the two armies clashed, Si Lunfa discovered Mu Ying’s southern expedition army was far more formidable than the previous Northern Yuan forces. Unable to win, he proposed surrender. Following Emperor Hongwu’s policy of appeasement first, suppression second, Mu Ying agreed. The Ming court established Luchuan Pacification Commission, like Lady She Xiang’s and Lady Mingde’s Guizhou Pacification Commission – a hereditary autonomous system.

Si Lunfa accepted investiture, but once Mu Ying’s main force departed, he returned to his old tricks and rebelled again.

Seeking peace through struggle preserves peace; seeking peace through compromise destroys it. Ming’s policy toward southwestern chieftains was: official enfeoffment acceptable, separatism unacceptable.

Mu Ying led troops to attack Luchuan. Unable to defeat him, Si Lunfa surrendered and sued for peace again. After several repetitions, like Zhuge Liang’s seven captures of Meng Huo in the Three Kingdoms, everyone became accustomed to it – like New Year celebrations, there had to be one rebellion yearly, or something seemed missing.

Si Lunfa was an ambitious figure. He not only wanted independence but also expanded influence toward Burma. Whenever Burma was in internal turmoil and border defenses slightly relaxed, he similarly raised troops to attack Burma for territory.

For this reason, seeing the battle report, Mu Chun didn’t take it seriously, feeling his old man was a mature grand marshal who could solve such problems himself. Having weathered thousands of troops and horses, five hundred war elephants weren’t problematic either.

Besides, his mission was protecting the production and living safety of two and a half million immigrants – he was too busy to return to the capital to see Sister Shanwei.

So Mu Chun ignored it. This year he planned to establish one hundred academies in Yunnan, using education to promote integration between immigrants and natives. Over six years of personally settling immigrants, he’d discovered communication had more lasting effects than warfare. But all this required money. Mu Chun racked his brains writing memorials to Emperor Hongwu, painting grand visions for the emperor, requesting money and personnel from the court.

Since becoming heir apparent, his calligraphy had improved.

But the next day, as he was revising and polishing his memorial requesting money and personnel, Shi Qianhu brought another urgent report: “Young Master! Kunming is in crisis!”

“Don’t frighten me. My father isn’t ordinary, he—” Mu Chun lazily opened the battle report, suddenly sitting upright with stern gaze. “Assemble the army. Take all weapons we can carry, especially firearms. Deploy immediately.”

Shi Qianhu thought things were dire and asked: “Has Si Lunfa obtained heavenly soldiers and generals? Forcing the Duke to send two consecutive days of emergency military reports.”

Mu Chun said: “Don’t know, but my father is injured, and the injury looks serious.”

Shi Qianhu somewhat disbelieved this. Duke Qianguo was most concerned with face – he’d absolutely never admit injury to his eldest son or request rescue. Given their terrible father-son relationship, even if Duke Qianguo died in battle, he wouldn’t yield.

Mu Chun saw through his subordinate’s thoughts: “In his letter he only said Si Lunfa’s war elephant corps is difficult to overcome this time and our army suffered heavy casualties, but his handwriting is weak and powerless. These past years he hasn’t brought new concubines home… he must be seriously injured.”

Shi Qianhu said: “Seems the young master still cares about the Duke – one glance at handwriting reveals the Duke’s condition.”

Tch! Mu Chun twisted his lips, making a disdainful sound. “That man has nine lives and won’t die. I’m just worried that if the commanding general is injured and enemy forces are mighty, if we can’t hold out, two and a half million immigrants in the rear might perish under elephant hooves. My six years of hard work would be wasted. I’m still counting on this achievement to earn money for a bride.”

Father and son Mu Ying and Mu Chun were like mortal enemies, but when lips are gone, teeth feel cold. When necessary, they still had to set aside grievances and fight side by side – first resolve the main conflict, then settle internal disputes behind closed doors.

Six years ago, Mu Chun promised Hu Shanwei he’d fail neither country nor beloved. Mu Chun wasn’t Wang Ning – he didn’t have to make either-or choices between career and lover.

He was Mu Chun. He didn’t make choice questions. He wanted everything.

From fighting his life’s first battle against bandits in Jiangxi at seventeen, to participating in the northern expedition at eighteen, to now settling two and a half million immigrants – every major undertaking, he had to win.

Mu Chun set out with elite subordinates, wagon after wagon loaded with Frankish cannons and new arquebus equipment developed by Nanjing’s gunpowder factory for the Divine Engine Battalion. Yunnan had many elephants, especially war elephants trained for battle – thick-skinned and heavily-built like natural armor. Cold weapons couldn’t cause great danger to war elephants unless hitting the eyes.

For dealing with war elephants, firearms were most effective.

Mu Chun traveled day and night to support his biological father on the southwestern front. By this time Si Lunfa’s war elephant corps had already captured three cities. Mu Ying retreated continuously until camping east of the river.

The southwest was warm – while early spring Yanzhou was still snowing, here flowers bloomed everywhere. But in wartime, even floral fragrance couldn’t mask the bloody smell. Across the wide river, war elephant roars could be heard from the opposite bank like ancient giant beasts.

Woo—Oh!

Ming forces repeatedly fell under elephant pillar-legs and tusks. Hearing continuous elephant calls, hearts trembled with low morale.

When Mu Chun entered the military camp, he heard wounded soldiers discussing: “Elephants can swim with four or five soldiers riding on their backs – like small warships. Young General Mu has already ordered constant vigilance for enemy camp movements across the river. The enemy might cross the river to attack anytime.”

“How to defend? We’ve suffered over half casualties, exhausted men and horses. If their five hundred elephants cross the river, they could probably block the river water. What do we use to stop them? One elephant step could crush a grown man into pulp.”

Hearing this, Mu Chun felt uncomfortable. Shi Baihu was about to scold these two wounded soldiers when Mu Chun stopped him: “They’re speaking facts. Fighting is for winning, not pointless death. In this situation, strict defense is inferior strategy. My father is truly old.”

Shi Qianhu rarely spoke up for Mu Ying: “There’s no other method. This river is at least a natural barrier. If we continue retreating, behind us is Kunming city. Those elephant thick legs could kick open city gates.”

Woo—Oh!

War elephants drinking water across the river with their trunks roared cooperatively, deliberately sucking water and spraying each other through their nostrils like waterfalls.

Mu Chun stopped walking, watching the rare spectacle of elephant trunks spraying water columns skyward with their nostrils: “Interesting.”

Ming forces only felt terror – where was the humor? You haven’t witnessed war elephant terror!

The timid simply pulled cotton from their military uniforms to plug their ears, not wanting to hear elephants’ death wails.

Having just stuffed cotton balls in, they were pulled out by Mu Chun: “The enemy deliberately lets elephant herds roar to suppress our army’s morale, like Xiang Yu surrounded by Han forces when Liu Bang ordered soldiers to sing Chu songs – just replacing Chu songs with elephant calls. Don’t fall for it. Get up. I’ll teach you to sing back in retaliation – don’t surrender without fighting.”

Shi Qianhu hastily said: “Young Master, absolutely not! With great battle imminent, how can we sing those… decadent sounds.”

Shi Qianhu thought Mu Chun wanted to return to old trades, using Wu region lewd songs to boost morale.

Mu Chun waved his hand: “How’s that possible? Previously I was just a minor qianhu commanding you bandits and wastrels – of course I had to sing vulgar songs, or you wouldn’t listen. Now I’m Duke Qianguo’s heir apparent managing two and a half million immigrants – of course I must be more dignified.”

“We’ll sing military songs – you all know some. Everyone singing together can definitely overpower those elephants.”

Mu Chun jumped onto a high platform, cleared his throat, and sang: “Wearing iron armor, wielding long swords. Campaigning with you, the road is long. United against enemies, sharing life and death. Campaigning with you, hearts unwearied. Treading Yanran, pursuing Si Lunfa. Campaigning with you, singing fearlessly.”

Actually the original lyrics were “Treading Yanran, pursuing barbarians,” but Mu Chun deliberately changed it to rebel leader Si Lunfa.

Simple lyrics, majestic beautiful melody – one person leads, hundreds harmonize, thousands follow, ten thousand sing together.

Seeing morale gradually rising, military songs overpowering the organized but undisciplined elephant herds across the river, only then did Mu Chun quietly descend from the platform toward the commander’s tent.

Someone approached with swift steps. Mu Chun quickly stepped aside respectfully, lowering his head: “Father, I’ve come.”

The person stopped before him: “Big brother, you’ve mistaken me. I’m Mu Sheng.”

Looking up, Mu Chun saw second brother Mu Sheng with a face remarkably resembling father’s, even the same build, stubbled – no wonder he’d mistaken them. This wasn’t father and son but twins.

Thick-skinned, Mu Chun didn’t mind, asking: “Where’s father? Resting in bed?”

Mu Sheng was startled: “Father never sleeps during daytime. I’m holding the front line while he went to scout terrain in the rear, looking for suitable places to trap elephant herds. We can’t win against Si Lunfa in frontal assault – must use terrain advantages. Big brother, hearing military songs outside, I guessed big brother had arrived. Big brother’s unconventional troop usage – father often says big brother has rare natural generalship, self-taught.”

In front of his big brother, Mu Sheng didn’t say everything. Father also said “your big brother just has too strange a temper – without proper refinement, hard to achieve greatness.”

Seeing second brother Mu Sheng’s reaction, Mu Chun was more puzzled. Didn’t second brother know father was injured? Or did I misread the handwriting – father isn’t actually ill or injured?

Second brother had been honest since childhood and shouldn’t lie.

Mu Chun said: “I’ll find father.”

Where did the old man go?

Duke Qianguo Mu Ying rode to a basin surrounded by mountains. This had previously been vast primeval forest. Because Nanjing needed large quantities of towering ancient trees to fill lakes and build palaces – work ordinary people couldn’t handle – Ming sent criminals to the southwest for logging. Over time, trees here were depleted. Because the land was fertile with water sources, it was converted to fields and orchards, with prisons built locally for convenient prisoner management.

Mu Ying looked at watchtowers built in the mountains for guarding prisoners, plus various traps and barriers, drawing a circle on his map. Such places suited luring enemies deep then surrounding them, using rolling stones, logs, or fire attacks. Basin mountain roads were steep – war elephants, those clumsy behemoths, would lose advantages instead.

A voice interrupted Mu Ying’s thoughts: “So now the question is, what can lure enemies into this trap?”

Hearing this lazy, cynical tone, Mu Ying knew it was eldest son Mu Chun. Without turning back: “If you’d come one day later, Kunming would have fallen.”

Mu Chun retorted: “If I remember correctly, defending Kunming city should be father and second brother’s responsibility.”

Meaning what does Kunming have to do with me? I handle immigration, not city defense!

Seeing father and son about to quarrel again, Shi Qianhu quickly mediated: “Duke, the young master assembled troops the day he received your letter. Because Frankish cannons and firearms were too heavy, mule carts moved slowly, so arrival was delayed.”

Mu Chun observed his biological father. Not having met for over a year, he’d aged considerably – graying temples, many new wrinkles, especially between eyebrows and the eye bags below. Previously those were two imposing eye pouches, now shrunken into empty eye bags hanging below his eyes.

Mu Chun thought: Hero in twilight – no wonder father hasn’t had new lovers for years.

Due to constant campaigns, during these years guarding Yunnan Mu Ying managed not only borders but military and political power, including diplomacy and various conflicts with his eldest son. Exhausted, he already showed signs of aging. Mu Ying was forty-eight this year. His sixty-two-year-old godfather Emperor Hongwu maintained himself well, adding three sons in six years with continuous new favorites, aging more slowly. When godfather and godson stood together, others might think they were brothers.

Seeing him so aged, Mu Chun swallowed his belly full of sarcastic remarks and remained silent.

With great battle imminent, Mu Ying didn’t want to quarrel with his eldest son: “If it were you, how would you plan to lure enemies here?”

Mu Chun said: “Father captured Meng Huo five times… no, captured Si Lunfa five times, five catches and releases like playing with monkeys. Si Lunfa must hate you most. If I were him, I wouldn’t kill… my opponent but would capture him alive for thorough humiliation to avenge the shame of five captures.”

“So son’s suggestion is having second brother impersonate you – he resembles you too closely. Let Mu Sheng feign injury and flee with central forces. Meng Huo drives war elephant teams in pursuit. Mu Sheng leads pursuers to the basin, then you can close the door to beat elephants, using rolling logs and stones plus fire attacks. No matter how fierce elephants are, they’re still flesh and blood. However thick their skin like shields, they still fear fire.”

Mu Ying said: “But this would put your second brother in danger.”

Mu Chun said: “Then substitute me instead. But I don’t resemble you and am taller. Even with proper disguise, Si Lunfa could easily see through it.”

Mu Ying frowned deeply: “What if Si Lunfa sees through the scheme and doesn’t take the bait? Si Lunfa’s family has entrenched here for a century – they must know local terrain better than us. He should know this is a basin.”

Mu Chun looked at rows of prisons in the basin, asking Shi Qianhu: “How many prisoners are held here?”

Shi Qianhu said: “About two to three thousand, all extremely vicious serious criminals.”

“Even mosquito legs are meat.” Mu Chun said: “Come with me down the mountain to recruit at the prison. Anyone willing to join suicide squads and fight rebels desperately – pardon their crimes, serve under my command as soldiers with full pay and rewards.”

Shi Qianhu, being from Jiangxi bandit origins, was most suited for this work.

Mu Ying shouted: “What are you planning?”

Mu Chun said: “Tonight I’ll raid their camp. Enemies are mighty, thinking we only have defensive strength. We’ll catch them off guard, crossing the river for night raids and arson. In darkness elephants can’t see enemies clearly, only knowing to flee everywhere avoiding firelight.”

Mu Ying said: “War elephants are well-trained. After brief panic, they’ll gather to beast trainers’ horn calls. Then they’ll cross the river on elephant backs, heading straight for Kunming.”

Mu Chun chuckled, smile immediately vanishing: “Let them taste Ming’s three-stage arquebus firing. War elephants are massive – random shots will hit…”

Mu Chun led the newly-formed prisoner serious criminal suicide squad crossing from afar. At midnight, the opposite shore suddenly blazed with fires, battle cries, horn calls, and elephant roars mixed together.

The night raid succeeded. Blocks of firelight connected, the opposite shore instantly became a sea of flames. Beast trainers’ horn calls dominated as elephant herds began forcing the river crossing.

This was the awaited moment. When elephant herds reached mid-river, father and son Mu Ying and Mu Sheng began commanding cannon battalions using new arquebus brought by Mu Chun for three-stage attacks.

Early Ming firearms were crude. After cannons fired once, bullets and shot had to be reloaded, rammed tight with ramrods before firing again.

Therefore, early Ming cannon battalions mostly used three-stage shooting – first team fires, second team raises guns lighting fuses, third team loads bullets. After first team finishes shooting, they immediately retreat to the third row, second team advances to fire, third team prepares to shoot, cycling infinitely to achieve continuous fire effects.

Indeed, elephant herds’ natural armor crumbled before bullets. Some hit and sank, others in agony drifted east and west along the river. Beast trainers’ horns couldn’t compete with bullet rain.

With great fires behind and seemingly endless bullets ahead, elephants found swords useless. Si Lunfa could only return to old tricks – stop crossing, preserve strength, wave white flags in surrender, sending envoys to sue for peace.

This was the sixth time.

One more time making seven might summon the dragon.

Current situation: Si Lunfa couldn’t cross, Ming forces couldn’t attack across either. Rather than this standoff, better to reconcile and both withdraw.

When armies clash, envoys aren’t killed. Mu Ying was rule-abiding, hosting Luchuan envoys. They agreed to build a floating platform on bamboo rafts mid-river for both sides to meet. Si Lunfa would personally bring surrender documents, kneel and present them to Mu Ying, expressing repentance. The surrender ceremony would be complete.

Mu Sheng held the rear position. Mu Chun and five guards accompanied Mu Ying on a small boat, departing simultaneously with Si Lunfa’s boat from the opposite shore toward the floating platform.

This was Si Lunfa’s sixth surrender – he was practiced, swearing to heaven henceforth loyal to Ming, presenting surrender documents. As Mu Ying reached to receive them, Mu Chun said: “Wait!”

Mu Chun pointed at an attendant beside Si Lunfa: “I see your sleeve moving – what are you doing inside? Show your hands!”

The attendant remained motionless.

Si Lunfa was quite surprised, ordering the attendant in local dialect to show hands. The attendant still refused, only smiling mysteriously at Si Lunfa.

Si Lunfa grew angry, reaching to grab him. Then Mu Ying’s years of battlefield survival instincts made him alert. He grabbed Mu Chun, using his body as shield, directly tackling Mu Chun into the river water.

A thunderous explosion – Si Lunfa’s attendant exploded into fragments. The attendant had been strapped with explosives, becoming a human bomb. Si Lunfa’s outstretched hand was instantly blown off, his whole body bloody and mangled like cooked meat, screaming as he rolled from the platform into the river…

When Mu Ying awakened, he felt severe pain in his waist with no sensation below.

His back was severely burned over a large area, especially his waist spine was blasted apart, exposing white bone. With spinal damage, his lower body was paralyzed.

“Battle… battle…” Mu Ying wanted to ask about battle conditions, but under severe pain couldn’t form sentences.

Mu Sheng wiped away tears: “Luchuan has internal strife. Si Lunfa’s subordinate Dao Ganmeng rebelled against his lord, dissatisfied with Si Lunfa’s constant surrenders. He bribed Si Lunfa’s personal guard to become a human bomb, using sleeve concealment to light the fuse during peace talks, wanting to kill two birds with one stone – Si Lunfa and father. Then while both sides were leaderless, he’d raise troops to counterattack. Now Si Lunfa is dead from the explosion. Luchuan split into two factions – one is rebel Dao Ganmeng, the other is Si Lunfa’s son Ren Sifa. Ren Sifa has sworn to avenge his father and is helping big brother pursue Dao Ganmeng.”

Mu Ying struggled to say: “Chun… Chun… call him… immediately… back.”

Mu Sheng didn’t understand: “Our army is victorious – why—”

“Back… Chun!” Mu Ying insisted on his eldest son returning. Mu Sheng had obeyed father since childhood, having to issue military orders for big brother’s return.

Mu Chun rushed back. Mu Ying drank life-sustaining old ginseng soup, his face flushing red like final radiance before death: “Don’t pursue Dao Ganmeng. Don’t avenge me. Keep him alive – let him compete with Ren Sifa for Luchuan control in future. With Luchuan busy with internal consumption, they’ll quickly become unable to recover and powerless to rebel against Ming again. Men who accomplish great things must have long-term vision, not be limited by private vengeance. Do you understand?”