Chapter 54: Method of Marching

"Hahaha, rest assured about that! As long as you aren't afraid, we will definitely win this war. We will soon prepare medicines to dispel the summer heat, remove dampness, and prevent miasma. Taking the medicine on time will make it easy to adapt to the southern climate." Li Ye smiled and explained to the crowd.

"Then there is no problem at all! With just a single word from Your Highness, we will gladly come and face death without fear." All the soldiers answered in unison, their fighting spirit soaring.

Li Ye nodded in satisfaction. "Camp cooks, start the fires and prepare the meals. Tonight, we will eat meat to our hearts' content and drink wine freely. Two days from now, the army sets out. Follow this prince to achieve great feats and establish our careers!"

"Yes!"

The last time they went on an expedition, they returned victoriously and smoothly. Every single soldier in the army had received generous rewards. Li Ye's prestige had reached its absolute peak. Hearing that they were going to achieve military exploits, the men were so excited they rubbed their palms together, itching to charge straight onto the battlefield.

Furthermore, Li Ye was never stingy when it came to food. During wartime, they ate meat practically every single day. Moreover, everyone was allowed to eat their fill—as much as they wanted, with no limits whatsoever. After returning, this army remained under Li Ye's direct command, and their daily meals continued to be much better than before.

All the soldiers felt deeply grateful to Li Ye. Whenever he gave an order, they would go all out and execute it without the slightest reservation.

As soon as Li Ye finished giving his orders, he returned home and summoned several chief managers. Some of these managers were in charge of escorting cargo, others managed the grain trade, and some oversaw the manufacturing of carriages.

When everyone had arrived, Li Ye spoke: "This prince will soon lead an army on an expedition to fight the Annan Kingdom. Among them, five thousand troops are infantrymen. If they have to run this entire distance, their legs will likely break. Overnight, I want you to intensify the modifications on the cargo carriages: lengthen the beds, add more wheels, and build a canopy over the top. We will use these carriages to transport the soldiers. You must also appropriately increase the number of horses according to the size of each carriage—use four horses for the smaller ones and six for the larger ones. We depart in two days, and you must have enough carriages ready to transport five thousand soldiers!"

The manager in charge of transport immediately accepted the task. "Yes! We guarantee to complete Your Highness's mission on time."

"Rice shops along the route must quickly purchase grain from all directions. It does not matter if the prices are a bit higher; you must ensure the required provisions are fully prepared before the army arrives. This is the marching route map—arrange it immediately. It must be kept strictly confidential; the marching route must never be leaked."

"Please rest assured, Your Highness. We guarantee timely completion."

"The southern climate is hot, humid, and filled with heavy miasma! Our northern soldiers will not be able to endure it. The apothecary shops must prepare the relevant medicinal herbs so the troops can start taking them from the moment of departure to boost their resistance."

"Understood! We will handle it perfectly!"

"Right, send a few highly skilled physicians as well, just in case the herbal medicine isn't entirely effective, so they can diagnose and prescribe treatments on-site..."

Li Ye issued his commands early in the morning, and they were executed with lightning speed. For anyone else, preparing such a massive volume of supplies within two days would have been utterly impossible. Only Li Ye's commercial houses could assemble two thousand horses and enough carriages in just forty-eight hours.

At that moment, Qin Qingxue was frowning deeply. Although she had fought for and secured the position of Grand Marshal of the Southern Expedition, basking in supreme glory for a brief moment, she had zero confidence in this campaign.

"Fifty thousand against two hundred thousand, coupled with a long-distance raid, plus the inability to adapt to the southern environment. The most critical part is that we have to procure our own provisions along the way. How on earth can we win this?"

Shi Wushuang, however, remained entirely calm. The Annan Kingdom had suddenly launched an attack precisely because they had the backing of the Yunlu Pavilion. As soon as their main army arrived and fought a few ceremonial battles, the Annan forces would naturally retreat. By then, Qin Qingxue would return in triumphant glory, completely cementing her status as Marshal. Even if Li Xuan Tiantian wanted to suppress Qin Qingxue further, he would likely no longer have a valid excuse.

Once Qin Qingxue firmly grasped military power, she could plant more Yunlu Pavilion disciples within the ranks and gradually take control of the imperial court's army. Naturally, Li Ye had not shared these thoughts with Qin Qingxue; he was merely using her and did not fully trust her.

"You don't need to worry. Although the imperial court isn't providing the grain, they have allocated silver funds. You just need to purchase provisions along the route and march as quickly as possible. Once you reach the destination, make the local government gather provisions, and we will focus solely on combat. With the help of the Yunlu Pavilion disciples, we will definitely win this war," Shi Wushuang persuaded.

"That's easy to say, but we are at a massive disadvantage. I truly have no confidence!" Qin Qingxue remained deeply troubled.

"You are overestimating the Annan army; their combat effectiveness is far inferior to the barbarians. Ten of their soldiers combined probably couldn't match a single barbarian. As long as we launch a fierce assault on them, they will inevitably scatter instantly. Both their weaponry and their will to fight are far behind those of the fierce northern states," Shi Wushuang said, looking utterly relaxed as if everything was completely under his control.

"Is that true?"

"Of course! How could I deceive you? This is absolutely a prime opportunity to achieve great feats and establish your career. Just think about it: if you lead a long-distance raid with fifty thousand troops and manage to defeat an enemy four times your size, what level will your prestige reach in the imperial court? Even the Emperor will probably have to look at you with newfound respect."

"Besides, don't forget that the Third Prince and the Crown Prince will both give us their full support. They can pick the most elite troops for us and equip us with the finest weapons. They can even provide tremendous help in gathering provisions along the route. We must make good use of these two people."

Hearing this, Qin Qingxue's eyes lit up. "What you say makes sense! We are leading elite troops, and if we add superior equipment, we might just win!"

"So there's no need to fret. We are bound to win!"

Qin Qingxue nodded repeatedly, regaining her confidence. With Shi Wushuang by her side, the support of the Third Prince and the Crown Prince, and the Yunlu Pavilion as her backing, she might just pull off a victory against the odds.

The two immediately went separately to pay visits to the Third Prince and the Crown Prince. Just as anticipated, in order to win them over, both princes readily agreed to provide their full support, believing that doing so would rope in Shi Wushuang and secure the Yunlu Pavilion's backing in the future battles for the throne. Every move made by the Third Prince and the Crown Prince was faithfully reported to Li Xuan Tian by his spies.

Two days later, the army set out. Qin Qingxue had fully recovered her formidable self-confidence. Dressed in silver armor, she rode her warhorse at the very front of the grand army.

Li Ye, on the other hand, was not in a rush. He let the main army depart first, then led his own five thousand troops trailing behind, keeping a distance of precisely half a day's journey.

Inside the military tent, Li Ye was studying the marching route map when a soldier rushed inside.

"Reporting to Your Highness, Princess Ruyue requests an audience!"

"Why would Princess Ruyue come here at a time like this?" Li Ye asked, quite surprised.

Xiao Cui showed a delighted expression and quickly chimed in, "Perhaps Princess Ruyue is here to see you off. It seems she appreciates Your Highness more and more."

Just as she finished speaking, Princess Ruyue, clad in silver armor with a precious sword hanging at her waist, strode directly into the tent.