The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 831: Peace
On the sixth day of the sixth month of the eighth year of Guangde, Liu Zhaosun summoned Hong Chengchou, Li Dingguo and others at Zhennan Pass in the south of Pingxiang Prefecture to discuss the next campaign against Annan.

It was midsummer, and the army was plagued by an epidemic and suffered from acclimatization problems. As a result, 20% of Hong Chengchou's troops had been reduced. The harsh environment and poor logistical supplies were constantly eroding the resources of the Qi army and weakening the Qi's war potential in Annan.

Hong Chengchou knelt for a long time and refused to get up, expressing his full responsibility for the defeat in early May. He begged the emperor to behead him in public or send him to Kuyi Island to perform hard labor.

Liu Zhaosun pondered for a long time and knew that this defeat was not entirely Hong Chengchou's fault. After all, this was the first time that Da Qi had a head-on confrontation with Annan. Before the battle, no one knew that Annan's firearms would be so sharp.

"I implore the Emperor to punish severely and serve as a warning to others."

Liu Zhaosun frowned and looked at the lush tropical rainforest outside the window, feeling that there was some monster hidden in it.

The retired emperor dismissed Dongfang Zhu and others, leaving only Hong Chengchou, Li Dingguo, Sun Kewang and Zhang Huangyan by his side.

"Annan is not as easy to annex as Korea. Even though the Ming court tried its best, it only managed to hold on for twenty years."

"South of Annan," Liu Zhaosun stood up and pointed at the map:

"Right here, there is a vast fertile plain." Liu Zhaosun stared at the map and began to mark on it with a pencil.

"It is precisely because the Annan rebels occupied this land that they are recuperating and recruiting soldiers. Our supplies have reached their limit..."

The Annan side was fighting a typical internal battle, so there was almost no problem with food supply. But for the Qi army, they had to pay a heavy price for every step forward.

Not only were food and fodder often in short supply, but disease and injuries also constantly attacked these expeditionary forces drawn from Shandong, Liaodong, Shaanxi and other places.

"The army will withdraw to Zhennan Pass and wait for orders. After a month of rest, the King of Jin will lead the entire army and continue the attack."

The emperor issued the latest combat orders.

On July 15th, the Ghost Festival in the lunar calendar, the Qi army launched another attack after a month of rest, but failed to gain anything because the soldiers could no longer hold on.
Not only the soldiers, but also generals such as King of Jin Li Dingguo, King of Qin Sun Kewang, General of Taiwan Ye Xiangde, General of Shaanxi Gao Jie, etc., were all physically exhausted due to days of fighting and unfamiliarity with the climate and water, and could no longer fight.

Only the retired emperor himself was in relatively good health, but his condition was getting worse day by day.

Li Dingguo fell ill.

He was succeeded by Hong Chengchou, the governor of Guangdong and Guangxi. Hong Chengchou did not want to repeat Li Dingguo's mistakes, so he submitted a memorial, begging the emperor to delay for another two months and launch the attack in the autumn.

This suggestion was naturally rejected by Liu Zhaosun.

Autumn presents its own problems. The rainy season in Indochina arrives unpredictably. If Annan isn't annihilated before September, there's no telling when the next expedition will begin. On August 1st, the Shenwei Wudi Dajiangjun cannons, shipped from Guangdong and Guangxi, began arriving at the front lines. A new batch of rockets and mines also arrived at Zhennan Pass. Tusi soldiers drawn from Sichuan and Yunnan also joined the battle. The expeditionary force's strength was unprecedentedly strengthened, so Hong Chengchou decisively ordered the bombardment of Licheng.

Early morning of August 3rd.

"Boom! Boom!"

The violent explosion echoed throughout the valley, the earth shook slightly, and Licheng stood still like a huge rock in a storm.

Several lost war elephants emerged from the dense forest and appeared on the battlefield. Their owners had long since disappeared and perhaps died in the jungle.

At this moment, Zhan Zhan realized that he was in danger, and stretched out his trunk and let out a series of mournful cries.

Tens of thousands of eyes on the city walls and outside the city were staring at the creature that suddenly broke in. They just watched without firing any guns or arrows.

After the elephants had gone away, the vanguard soldiers, under the cover of dense artillery fire, began to climb the city wall like crazy.

The artillerymen followed closely behind the infantry, providing artillery support at any time. After two rounds of artillery fire, there was no living person left on the city wall facing the attacking side.

Another five-jin cannonball flew over the city wall, creating a hole in the wall of the city wall. Amid screams that sounded like they were not human, bricks and stones flew everywhere.

However, the city wall was not completely destroyed, only the defensive equipment was destroyed by the Qi army and could no longer be used.

The Annan army quickly sent people to repair it, but when the city walls were covered with dense crowds of craftsmen and laborers, the Qi army immediately used their ultimate weapon.

Three thousand heavy rockets slowly took off and aimed at the sky above Licheng. The rockets dragged blood-red tail flames and made a shrill whistling sound, covering half of Licheng.

In an instant, most of the craftsmen and laborers who were still repairing the city wall were burned to death because they could not dodge in time. The remaining people felt it was a threat and dared not come over.

After a day of continuous bombardment, Annan could no longer bear it and began to send letters asking for peace.

The tone and attitude of the letter were much more respectful than before.

It seems that Annan can't hold on any longer.

After careful consideration, Hong Chengchou finally wrote a memorial to the retired emperor, telling him that the battle of Annan might not be so easy, and that they must seize Licheng in one go and concentrate their superior forces. He suggested following the example of the Liao, Jin, and Yuan dynasties and indiscriminately slaughtering the young men in the city.

(End of this chapter)