Usurpation of Mongolia: My father-in-law is Genghis Khan

Chapter 298 War elephants show their might, but sorry, let's welcome the age of firearms!
The vanguard of Zhao Shuo Khanate's conquest of Annam did not travel quickly from Jieshou Pass to Zhileng Pass.

Firstly, because most of the journey was along the Lang Son Road in Annam, a mountainous area with only a few uneven paths for passage.

Even with only 20,000 troops, they still had to be divided into several groups, forming long queues.

Secondly, the presence of large carts in the army, transporting weapons and food, slowed down the march.

They traveled sixty li a day and arrived at Zhiling Pass two days later.

That night, a routine military meeting was being held in the central command tent of the Han army.

Those who participated in this military council included Guo Yong'an, the commander of the 10,000-household unit stationed in Guangxi by Zhao Shuo Khanate; Bi Fudao, the commander of the first 10,000-household unit of the Song army; Liu Quan, the commander of the 1,000-household unit of the Han army dispatched by Zhao He to the Song army; and Zhao Shuo's thirteenth son, Zhao Zhuo.

Without a doubt, the commander of these 20,000 vanguard troops was Guo Yong'an.

Although Zhao Zhuo was only a deputy commander of a thousand households, his status as a prince was enough for him to participate in this military council.

"Chief of the State, Thirteenth Prince, beware of an ambush at Zhiling Pass!"

Pi Fudao, the commander of the first ten thousand households of the Song army, spoke first.

He was originally the commander of the "Cuifeng Army" of the Song State, with four thousand "Cuifeng Army" soldiers under his command.

The "Cuifeng Army," known as the "Pillar of Guangdong," was the most combat-effective army in the Guangdong region during the Southern Song Dynasty. Nominally under the jurisdiction of the Southern Song Palace Guard, it was actually controlled by the Guangdong Military Commission. Its strength was maintained between three and eight thousand men for a long period, and its manpower was replenished through strict selection of strong men from the north and the absorption of local natives.

The Cuifeng Army participated in more than seventy wars to quell rebellions during the early and mid-Southern Song Dynasty, and repeatedly made outstanding contributions.

Historical records show that even at the time of the fall of the Southern Song Dynasty, the Cuifeng Army continued to fight bravely.

Finally, the remnants of the Cuifeng Army defended Chaozhou, but exhausted and defeated, and all of them died in battle. The commander and his entire family also committed suicide.

Zhao Shuo changed history; among the Song army that entered Annam were 6,000 elite troops. After the disastrous defeat at the Phu Luang River, only about 4,000 remained.

Zhao He reorganized the Song army and appointed Pi Fudao, the commander of the Cuifeng Army, as the head of the first Wanhu (ten thousand households) of the Song army.

This man was of medium build, taciturn, and disciplined in his military affairs; he was a very capable general.

He pointed to the map in the military tent and said, "The entrance to this narrow pass is more than six miles long, with high mountains and dense forests on both sides, and only one large cart can pass through in the middle. After entering the valley, the terrain opens up a bit, and the road can accommodate two large carts, but there are still dense forests on both sides, stretching for fourteen miles. Then, there are two small paths leading out of the valley, which are still only wide enough for one large cart to pass through. With such treacherous terrain, we cannot ignore the possibility of an ambush by the Annamese."

In China, to determine whether there were any ambushes in the dense forest, scouts could be sent out to search, or even the high mountains on both sides could be occupied before the entire army passed through.

However, the tropical rainforests of Annam were incredibly hot and humid, with trees blocking out the sun and vines entwining the trees. Venomous snakes, leeches, mosquitoes, and giant ants roamed freely, and there were also seemingly pristine but deadly swamps… it was truly terrifying. Not only were the Song soldiers, who had been in Annam for several years, reluctant to venture deep into the region, but even the local barbarians were unwilling to go there.

If the Han army sends scouts to search the shallow forest, the Annamese can hide behind them even if they have an ambush. If they search deeper into the forest, the chances of them surviving are slim, even if there are no enemies.

Therefore, now is the time for Guo Yong'an to make a judgment.

This Guo Yong'an is quite extraordinary; he was originally Li Quan's subordinate.

His real name was Yao'er. He was short in stature, fair-skinned and beardless, but brave and skilled in battle. He was quite resourceful and could be considered a general who was both literate and martial.

According to historical records, after Li Quan's death in battle, Guo Yong'an supported Yang Miaozhen as his lord, surrendered to the Mongols together, and was appointed as the Grand Marshal, acting as the Minister of the Shandong Circuit.

Later, he killed Zhang Jin, a general under the Mongol leader Asulu, and Tian Fu, the marshal of Haizhou under Yang Miaozhen, and surrendered to the Jin Dynasty. He was appointed as the Jin Pingzhang Zhengshi and Grand Marshal, and served as the acting Minister of State Affairs for the Jingdong and Shandong circuits. He was specially granted the title of Prince of Yan. He was given the surname Wanyan and renamed Yong'an.

Subsequently, he attacked and killed Liu Anguo, the commander of Suzhou, and then fought against Wang Dequan of Xuzhou. He retreated to Lianshui and surrendered to Shi Mochala, the Mongol commander of Dongping.

He then defected to the Song Dynasty and was appointed as the General Manager of Zhejiang East and the Military Commissioner of Zhongzhou.

Finally, he was defeated by the Mongol army and drowned himself.

This man repeatedly surrendered and rebelled throughout his life, holding high-ranking positions in the Jin, Song, and Yuan dynasties. He was an absolute warlord in a chaotic era.

Zhao Shuo changed history.

Guo Yong'an was initially a centurion under Li Quan. Later, during the western expedition, he was promoted to commander of a thousand households for his merits and was given the name Yong'an by Zhao Shuo. He did not stay in the west with Li Quan.

Later, Zhao Shuo reorganized the Song army in Guangxi and appointed Guo Yong'an as the head of this 10,000-household unit.

After listening to Bifudao's words, Guo Yong'an nodded slightly and said, "Actually, I have long studied the geography of Annam. Indeed, unless the Annamite commander-in-chief is a fool, it is impossible that he would not have arranged an ambush here. By the way, when your Song Kingdom attacked Zhiling Pass, did you encounter any Annamite ambush?"

Bifudao nodded without hesitation and said, "Yes! The Annamite army once mobilized 5,000 barbarians to ambush at the exit. It was I who led the Vanguard Army to scout ahead and defeated them there. It's hard to imagine that the Annamites won't use the same trick again this time."

"Last time it was five thousand barbarians, but this time it might not be so."

Guo Yong'an thought for a moment and said, "We should be prepared for a major battle. First, leave two commanders to guard our horses and wait to join the central army. Then, the remaining eighteen commanders will dismount and serve as infantry, and together with the convoy, the entire army will pass through Zhileng Pass in full armor, on high alert."

"Anyway, it's already October, and the mountain climate is even cooler, so wearing armor isn't a big problem."

In such narrow terrain, where enemy ambushes are common, cavalry is far less effective than infantry.

Therefore, the state decided to transform the cavalry into foot soldiers.

After a pause, Guo Yong'an chuckled and said, "If the Annamese have indeed laid an ambush at Zhiling Pass, then our time has come. Otherwise, how can we achieve great things?"

To be fair, Guo Yong'an's promotion under Zhao Shuo was neither slow nor particularly fast.

This man was extremely eager for fame and fortune, and this campaign against Annam was his best opportunity to make a name for himself.

Peng Yibin was promoted to flag lord because of his meritorious service in the Battle of Fusang, and it is not necessarily true that other countries cannot use An!

After a pause, Guo Yong'an looked at Zhao Zhuo again and said, "Thirteenth Prince, what do you think?"

“Guo Wanhu is a veteran general in the army, so his arrangements are naturally very appropriate. However, I have something to say upfront: since I am the deputy commander of the Eighth Thousandth ...

"Uh……"

In fact, Guo Yong'an really intended to place Zhao Zhuo in the central army. After all, Zhao Zhuo was a prince, and if something were to happen to him, even if Zhao Shuo did not punish him, he would never be able to hold his head high in the Eight Banners army again.

However, Guo Yong'an reconsidered.

Zhao Zhuo's martial arts skills were indeed superb; no one in the entire Wanhu (military command) could match him. Moreover, to ensure Zhao Zhuo's safety, Zhao Shuo assigned twenty Night Owl Guards as Zhao Zhuo's personal bodyguards.

Safety is not a major concern.

Besides, Zhao Zhuo has already brought it up, so how could he possibly embarrass Zhao Zhuo in public?
Guo Yong'an said, "Thirteenth Prince, please be careful tomorrow."

"clear."

Then, Guo Yong'an looked at Bi Fudao and Liu Quan and said, "The Song army is most familiar with the terrain. Tomorrow, Bi Fudao, you will lead five commanders to scout ahead. I will lead my own commander in the center. Then, Liu Quan will lead three commanders to cover the rear. What do you think?"

Pi Fudao and Liu Quan nodded in unison, saying, "That's how it should be."

The following morning, after a hearty meal, the vanguard army, led by Pifudao, entered the entrance passage of Zhileng Pass, which was more than six miles long.

There was indeed an ambush!
Just as the five Song army commanders had fully entered the passage, the Annamese army ambushed them from all sides, numbering about three or four thousand, and launched an attack on the five commanders.

These three or four thousand people seemed to be barbarians from Annam.

These people were thin and short, with disheveled hair and colorful tattoos on their faces. Some were shirtless, while others wore rattan armor.

They first fired poisoned arrows and javelins at the Song army from the jungle, and then launched an attack on the Song army with swords.

After fighting for about 15 minutes, the barbarians left behind hundreds of corpses and fled into the dense forest on the mountain.

"Our army has defeated the Annam ambush force, beheading 347 enemy soldiers and capturing countless weapons!"

Bifudao urged his horse to the central army and reported the good news to Guo Yong'an, saying, "The main force of Annam is probably concentrated in Thang Long Prefecture to guard against our navy. This time, all the attackers are barbarian soldiers. Commander Guo, you can allow some of the soldiers to lay down their armor."

During normal marches, only a few guard units are fully armed, while most troops carry their armor on carts or warhorses.

Otherwise, wearing armor for extended periods would be too physically demanding for the soldiers.

Guo Yong'an, however, shook his head while chewing on a piece of dried meat, and said, "No, continue to issue the order, the entire army, fully armored, advance."

"why?"

"It's better to be safe than sorry. I'd rather my soldiers be tired than let them bleed in vain."

Looking at the narrow pass before him, Guo Yong'an said, "If we were in each other's shoes, my strategy for ambushing them here would be to first send a small force to ambush them, letting them win a battle and lower their guard. Then, after the entire enemy force has entered the valley, we would launch a surprise attack. Otherwise, with such treacherous terrain, why wouldn't the enemy be prepared? You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub!"

"Guo Wanhu's words make sense!"

Pifudao, who was blinded by victory, quickly calmed down and said, "I will go and reorganize the army immediately. We cannot relax in the slightest."

"Go!"

Thus, the vanguard of the Zhao Shuo Khanate continued to advance towards Zhiling Pass, fully armored and on high alert.

By noon that day, the entire army had passed through the entrance and arrived in the valley of Zhileng Pass.

"What should we do? The northerners are very wary. Should we fight or not?"

Annam's commander-in-chief, Tran Nhat Kieu, was only sixteen years old. Seeing that Le Qin's plan to lure the enemy had failed and that the Han army had been on high alert, he became somewhat panicked.

"The northerners do have some tricks up their sleeves, but let's fight! Why not fight?"

Li Qin replied without hesitation, "Your Majesty, our war with the Northerners is a life-or-death national war. We cannot place all our hopes on their mistakes. Even if they are prepared, I refuse to believe that our 120,000 troops cannot defeat their 20,000!"

"Moreover, Zhao Shuo's six sons have already joined the army that is conquering Annam. There is a good chance that one of them is one of Zhao Shuo's sons. If we can capture him, we can negotiate with Zhao Shuo. How can we miss such a good opportunity?"

Actually, there was something else he didn't say.

The Annamese army is merely adapted to the local climate; they are not superhuman. They have been lying in ambush in this tropical rainforest for seven days and have already suffered over four thousand casualties.

If we give up now, wouldn't those people have died in vain?

Chen Rijiao gritted her teeth and nodded, saying, "Alright! Let's proceed according to plan. It would be a real pity to miss such a chance of 120,000 versus 20,000!"

"beat!"

Squeak!
At Li Qin's command, three whistling arrows flew into the sky with a mournful cry.

The Annamese army launched an attack on Zhao Shuo's vanguard.

Of the 120,000 Annamese troops, there were 20,000 regular Annamese soldiers, 50,000 auxiliary soldiers composed of conscripted peasants, and 50,000 barbarian soldiers.

The first to mobilize were 30,000 peasant auxiliary troops who rushed down the mountain at the entrance of Zhiling Pass and blocked the passage with pre-prepared rolling logs.

After all, Zhao He's central army was only sixty li away. No matter how difficult the road was, an emergency rescue could arrive in just half a day.

By blocking the entrance, the Annamese army could gain a day to annihilate this 20,000-strong vanguard.

There were also 20,000 auxiliary troops, who used rolling logs to block the exit of Zhileng Pass, preventing the vanguard from escaping.

The first force used to attack the vanguard was the 50,000 barbarian soldiers.

It must be noted that these "barbarians" are not few in number, even though they are called "barbarians".

Even when the Ming Dynasty conquered Annam and conducted a census, the local barbarians accounted for 40% of the total population.

Of Annam's current population of four million, 1.8 million are barbarians. The Annamite court treats these barbarian chieftains with a combination of resistance and cooperation, paying them tribute while also bestowing princesses and noblewomen upon them as a means of appeasement.

On the issue of dealing with China, both sides are of one mind.

Annam encouraged them to harass China and plunder its wealth and women.

When the Song Dynasty sent troops to punish them, the Annam court blamed it on these barbarians for being disobedient. In reality, both sides were playing good cop and bad cop, and were two scoundrels.

For example, during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Song, Zhao Guangyi, some Annamese fled to Song territory, and the Annamese emperor demanded that Song hand them over.

When the Song Kingdom refused to hand over its people, the Emperor of Annam ordered barbarians to plunder the Song border.

When Zhao Guangyi questioned the emperor, the Annamite emperor replied, "The robbers from Hongzhen were barbarian bandits from outside the border. Does Your Majesty know that they were not from Jiaozhou? If Jiaozhou has indeed rebelled, then we should first attack Panyu, then strike Minyue, and not just Hongzhen!"

Zhao Guangyi, as expected, chickened out and handed the man over to the Emperor of Annam.

Having tasted the benefits, the Annamese repeatedly used these barbarians to make black gloves and plunder Song territory.

One hundred and fifty years ago, in the war in which Annam invaded the Song Dynasty, the Annam court used 80,000 barbarian troops as its vanguard.

Even during the Southern Song Dynasty, the raids by barbarians on China never ceased.

When Zhao Yun led his army into Annam, he naturally had to settle accounts with these barbarians over the past three hundred years. The Annamite slaves that were paid tribute to Zhao Shuo every year were mainly composed of these barbarians.

Later, Zhao Yun was defeated at Fuliangjiang, and the barbarians also joined in the attacks and persecution of the Song army.

After so long of fighting each other, the two sides have become sworn enemies, with no possibility of reconciliation whatsoever.

Now, the Annamite court has bestowed upon the barbarians rare iron armor and offered rewards far exceeding those of usual, which has greatly excited them.

Whoosh whoosh!
Countless poisoned arrows and javelins shot out from the jungle toward the Han army.

"Charge! Kill!"

"Kill the northerners!"

"For each headheaded person, the reward is five bolts of cloth and three catties of salt!"

"Capture Zhao Shuo's son, and you'll be rewarded with a thousand taels of gold and a princess!" "Defeat the Northerners, and launch a counterattack on China! Wealth and women are yours to seize!"

……

With shouts echoing, countless barbarians rushed out of the dense forest and charged fiercely towards the Han army.

"Form a line! Form a line!"

The Han soldiers all wore iron armor, so the Annamese crossbows posed little threat to them.

Some were tasked with setting up shields to protect their comrades from arrows. Scouts charged into the dense forest to fight the barbarians, slowing their advance.

Many people, however, released the mules and horses from the wagons and tied the wagons together end to end with thick ropes.

Soon, the Han soldiers, using the carts as cover, formed a battle formation.

To be precise, it is a variation of the Mandarin Duck Formation. The Mandarin Duck Formation itself has various variations, such as the "Two Elements Formation" and the "Three Talents Formation," to adapt to different terrains and battle situations.

The current formation is a modified version developed by Zhao Shuo and other generals such as Meng Gong and Shi Tianni, and it is based on the use of large carts.

At the forefront were shield bearers, followed by spearmen, and then short-bladed soldiers, all positioned on the outside of the wagon. The last archer, however, stood atop the wagon, looking down from above with his crossbow, providing ranged support to the three.

Thus, on the road through the Zhiling Pass valley, a large formation was formed, with rows of large carts lined up end to end in the middle, two rows of soldiers fighting back to back on the carts, and three rows of soldiers fighting on each side of the carts.

The Song army was the same!

Qi Jiguang trained ordinary miners to master the Mandarin Duck Formation in sixty days. The Song army, composed of elite troops, had more than enough time for a month of training!
At this moment, the Han army scouts who were blocking the barbarian army also quickly withdrew to their own lines, and 50,000 barbarian troops swarmed in.

Whoosh whoosh!
The Han army rained down arrows!

About 10% of these barbarian soldiers wore iron armor, another 20% wore rattan armor, and the rest were simply bare-chested, with the rattan shield in their left hand being their only defensive equipment.

Neither rattan armor nor rattan shields could stop the Han army's sharp heavy arrows, and soon countless barbarians were shot down to the ground.

Boom boom boom!
When they rushed close to the Han army, they were bombarded by thunderbolts, resulting in countless deaths and injuries.

But these barbarians were fearless and charged forward, and soon the two sides were locked in close combat.

Mokba was one of the barbarians who charged ahead.

He belonged to the Golden Teeth Barbarian tribe. The barbarians of this tribe not only wore their hair long and tattooed like other barbarians, but also wrapped their teeth with gold-embroidered pieces.

Mokba roared forward, revealing his golden teeth. Coupled with his disheveled hair, facial tattoos, the rattan shield in his left hand, and the scimitar in his right, he looked like a vengeful ghost.

However, Mokba felt very good about himself.

He was a renowned warrior of the Golden Teeth tribe, and for this expedition, he was even given a suit of iron armor.

With his martial arts skills and this equipment, how could he not cut off a few heads of Han soldiers?

A head is worth five bolts of cloth and three pounds of salt; using them as a betrothal gift is enough to marry a beautiful bride in the tribe.

Of course, no matter how beautiful the brides in the tribe are, they are not as beautiful as Han Chinese women.

Thirteen years ago, he went with his clansmen to plunder Guangnan West Road in the Song Kingdom, destroyed a village on the border of Guangnan West Road, and brought back a woman more beautiful than a butterfly orchid.

Unfortunately, the woman was too delicate and died in less than a year.

If we can defeat the Han army this time, we should be able to raid Guangnan West Road again, right? After all, the Emperor of Dai Viet said that Guangnan West Road, Guangnan East Road, and Fujian should all be Dai Viet territory.

Mokpa had been looking forward to this day!
"kill!"

He swung his sword fiercely forward!
when!
With a crisp sound, the sword was blocked by the shield-bearer.

At the same time, a long spear shot out like lightning, aiming straight for Mokba's heart!

If it were an ordinary barbarian, this one move would be enough to kill them on the spot.

However, Mokba was a skilled warrior. With a swift movement, he not only allowed the spear tip to graz his armor, but also dodged past the shield-bearer.

"Die!"

The spearman's moves were already worn out, and Mokeba's slash was as fast as lightning, aimed straight at the Han army spearman's cheek!

He had experience fighting against the Song army and knew that the armor here was the weakest!
When facing the spearmen who pose the greatest threat to him, he will be seriously injured even if he doesn't die!

However, he was too happy too soon.

puff!
With a muffled thud, Mokba felt a sharp pain shooting through his lower abdomen.

Only then did he realize that the Han soldier with the short blade was giving him a sinister sneer! His short blade, reinforced with Damascus steel, was already piercing Mokpa's abdomen!

The short-bladed weapons of the Mandarin Duck Formation are designed for such situations!

"This is...unfair!"

Mokeba suddenly realized that the Han army's formation, combining long and short range attacks, was practically a three-on-one situation!
We're targeting barbarian armies that are poorly organized and confined to narrow terrain!
They were killing barbarians with such high martial arts skills!
Even the most outstanding barbarian warriors were no match for three ordinary Han soldiers!

Of course, what Mokpa thought now was no longer important. His barbarian language was beyond the comprehension of the Han army.

Pfft!
The Han soldier who killed him didn't even bother to look at him again, kicked his body down, and continued fighting.

kill!

kill!

kill!

Similar scenarios continued to unfold, with the barbarians first being shot dead by powerful bows and crossbows, and then slaughtered by the mutated Mandarin Duck Formation.

The Han army's thin formation turned into a meat grinder, constantly devouring the flesh and blood of the barbarians.

The Han army's battlefield was piled high with corpses, and rivers of blood flowed!
Of course, the Han army could not escape unscathed. If any were unlucky enough to be killed or wounded, their comrades would quickly fill in, changing formations to maintain the operation of the army.

The 8,000th household, where Zhao Zhuo was stationed, has only suffered seven casualties so far.

There was no way around it; Zhao Zhuo inherited the excellent genes and martial arts skills of Zhao He and Yang Miaozhen, and his archery skills were simply too good.

He was a deputy commander, and instead of standing in the ranks, he walked on a cart. Seeing a particularly fierce barbarian in one of his defensive positions, he fired an arrow, killing the barbarian instantly.

This one move alone saved the lives of countless Han soldiers!
The Thirteenth Prince's bravery greatly boosted the morale of the soldiers of the Eighth Thousandth Household, who fought with increasing ferocity. If it weren't for the extremely unfortunate timing, countless people would have been shouting "Long live the Thirteenth Prince!"

However, Zhao Zhuo was currently in a very calm mood.

His first kill didn't elicit any nausea or vomiting. He even found killing with a bow and arrow unsatisfying and wanted to experience the thrill of real combat.

He understood that firing arrows was the most suitable tactic at the moment, which is why he had not acted rashly.

He longed for the moment of counterattack!
He longed for the moment when he could personally lead his troops into battle!
"Hmm? That Han general is quite formidable!"

Li Qin was watching the battle from the dense forest on the mountain, and soon noticed Zhao Zhuo's sharpshooting skills.

He certainly didn't know that Zhao Zhuo was the thirteenth prince. But he felt it was essential to personally take this man's head during the final assault, to eliminate a future threat to Great Yue.

Li Qin was a fierce Annamite general who charged into the Yuan army's formation single-handedly, as recorded in history. He naturally had his pride and believed he was capable of doing so.

Although the barbarians suffered setbacks and many deaths in battle, Li Qin was indifferent to their fate, knowing that those not of his kind were bound to have different intentions. His aim was to use these barbarians to deplete the Han army's bows, crossbows, and thunderclaps.

Once the Han army has exhausted its ranged weapons and its stamina is depleted, the Annamite regular army should launch an attack.

They also have a trump card—thirty war elephants!

Annam's elephant corps had fought against the Song army, and their thunderbolts and crossbows posed a great threat to war elephants.

But what if we don't have crossbows and thunderclaps?
War elephants can play a decisive role!

Finally, the sound of the Han army's thunderous bombs gradually diminished.

At the same time, the barbarian army could no longer bear such a pitiful exchange ratio and retreated like a tide.

It's now!

Zhizhizhi~~
Nine piercing whistling arrows flew into the air in succession.

This is the signal for the Annamite army's general offensive!
"The mountains and rivers of the South are the abode of the Southern Emperor, their destiny clearly ordained in the Heavenly Book. How dare these rebellious barbarians invade? You will soon witness their utter defeat."

The powerful Annam war song resounded from the high mountains on both sides of Zhileng Pass.

One hundred and fifty years ago, an Annamite eunuch named Li Changjie led his army to fight against the Song army in the area of ​​Ruyue River and Fuliang River.

The Annamese army had no will to fight.

One night, Li Changjie composed a poem: "The mountains and rivers of the South are the abode of the Southern Emperor, their destiny clearly defined in the Heavenly Book. How can the rebellious barbarians invade? You will soon witness their utter defeat."

The poem means that Heaven has ordained that the Emperor of China is the Northern Emperor, and the Emperor of Annam is the Southern Emperor. If China sends troops to invade, defeat is inevitable.

Upon hearing this, the Annamese army sang in unison, greatly boosting their morale.

This song has become the battle anthem of the Annamese.

As the songs echoed, nearly 20,000 Annamese soldiers moved, their armor gleaming, and marched down the mountain in formation.

The most eye-catching feature was the thirty elephants.

They stand over three meters tall at the shoulder and weigh four to five tons. Their skin is like gray rock covered in moss, and their long ivory tips are fitted with gleaming metal spearheads, making them terrifying armor-piercing weapons when charging into battle.

Their foreheads, heads, and sides are covered with specially made elephant armor, making them extremely well-protected.

A mahout sits on the elephant's neck, holding a unique elephant hook, and uses the hook to pull on the elephant's ears to give commands.

Behind the mahouts, there is a wooden tower called the "elephant carriage." This tower resembles a small fortress and is surrounded by railings.

Inside the elephant carriage were commanders in magnificent armor, archers operating crossbows, and warriors wielding long-handled swords or spears, responsible for protecting the carriage, preventing enemies from climbing on it, and sweeping away enemy troops around the war elephants.

The war elephant is both a mobile military fortress and a terrifying killing machine on the battlefield.

Boom boom boom!
The small tree blocking the war elephant was overturned, and the four elephant legs landed heavily on the ground, causing the ground to tremble.

"The mountains and rivers of the South are the abode of the Southern Emperor, their destiny clearly ordained in the Heavenly Book. How dare these rebellious barbarians invade? You will soon witness their utter defeat."

Amidst the powerful singing, nearly 20,000 Annamese regular troops, accompanied by thirty war elephants, charged towards the Han army formation from the mountain ridges on both sides, their momentum like an overwhelming force, seemingly unstoppable!
"Very good! Han army, you are finished! No matter how exquisite your formations are, or how brave your soldiers are, they are useless in the face of absolute strength!"
“Your crossbows and thunderbolts are almost exhausted. How can you possibly deal with my war elephants? Your stamina is also nearly depleted. How can you possibly be a match for my Great Yue warriors of equal numbers? If all else fails, I still have 50,000 auxiliary troops that I haven’t deployed! Those barbarians who have retreated can also return to the battlefield!”

"Oh right, you're out of Thunderclap Bombs, but we still have some!"

"You're all dead! That Han general is dead too!"

"He's so young, yet already so remarkable. If he grows up, he'll surely become a major threat to our Great Yue!"

"Hmm? Such a young man is a general of the Han army? Perhaps he is one of Zhao Shuo's sons! Let's capture him alive, negotiate terms with Zhao Shuo, and get all the benefits before killing him."

As the army marched forward, Li Qin had clearly seen Zhao Zhuo's appearance. He secretly plotted and a confident smile appeared on his lips.

However, it was precisely at this moment—

"Prepare!"

With a series of shouts, the soldiers on the Han army's wagons all picked up a cylindrical object about two feet long.

next moment!
boom!
The cylindrical object suddenly burst out with a huge, dense, orange-red fireball, followed by a deafening roar!
This change was so brief and violent, like a bolt of lightning being released in an instant!
Moreover, it wasn't just one lightning bolt released, but thousands of lightning bolts released at once!
They not only released dazzling flashes and thunderous sounds, but also fired countless pellets!
The Annamese soldiers who were nearby fell to the ground without uttering a sound after being hit by the bullet!
Some bullets also struck the war elephants, causing them to let out painful howls.

Of course, the most serious issue is the terrifying sound and light effects.

Elephants are extremely intelligent yet extremely timid animals; where would they have ever seen something like this?

They let out a shrill roar almost simultaneously and fled frantically backward.

In an instant, countless Annamese soldiers were killed by these elephants, and countless Annamese soldiers were trampled to death by these elephants.

Of course, thirty war elephants are not a large number compared to the 20,000 regular Annamese troops. However, the psychological blow to the Annamese was enormous.

"W-what happened? How is this possible?"

The elephant army, which was relied upon as their last trump card, was easily defeated by the mysterious weapon brought out by the Han army, leaving Li Qin completely dumbfounded!
In fact, nothing is impossible.

It was just a musket.

Zhao Shuo had been having the workshop research artillery, but the results had never been satisfactory. These muskets were merely a byproduct of the workshop's research.

Actually, the effect was just so-so.

Not only was its range only about 100 paces, but it was also completely inaccurate.

To be fair, they're not as powerful as strong bows and crossbows!

But isn't this about conquering Annam?
Doesn't Annam have an elephant army?
Elephants are extremely timid, and these muskets are perfect for dealing with them. Zhao Shuo still ordered the workshop to manufacture 10,000 bronze muskets and distribute them.

(End of this chapter)