Chapter 58: Exposure of Strength

Listening to Princess Ruyue’s analysis, Li Ye was thoroughly surprised.

Princess Ruyue indeed possessed a profound understanding of military command and leading troops into battle.

She was truly worthy of being the beloved daughter of the Prince of Side-by-Side.

Not only had she been influenced by her family environment since childhood, but she had also accompanied armies on various campaigns multiple times, mastering a wide array of military tactics.

This contrasted sharply with his usual perception of her.

As was widely known, Princess Ruyue excelled in the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and her literary talent was exceptionally brilliant.

She was hailed as the foremost talented lady of the capital.

Yet who would have imagined that she was also skilled in both the literary and martial arts?

Normally, she kept her abilities hidden from plain view.

However, Li Ye adamantly refused to admit his own proficiency in leading troops.

With a smile, he said, "You overestimate me, Princess! I am acting merely out of self-awareness regarding my own capabilities. Since I do not understand military strategy, I dare not issue arbitrary commands and can only leave such matters to those with genuine ability. It is simply a measure of last resort."

Princess Ruyue was as intelligent as snow, and she could tell at a glance that Li Ye was lying.

If someone knew how to make proper use of talented individuals, how could they possibly not understand military command?

Still, she did not expose him. Smiling, she remarked, "Your Highness's ability to utilize talent reasonably is already quite remarkable. Someone like Your Highness is better suited to be a supreme commander-in-chief; for the Emperor to appoint you merely as a general is truly underutilizing your talents."

"You exaggerate far too much! I hardly dare accept such praise."

Princess Ruyue did not dwell further on the matter.

Instead, she curiously asked the question that had been lingering in her mind: "Even with ample supplies, having all soldiers eat meat at every single meal would surely exhaust the funds allocated by the imperial court. The military pay would be completely spent long before reaching the southern front. What will you do when that happens? Do you truly intend to pay out of your own pocket to maintain an army of fifteen thousand men?"

"Actually, there is no need to keep it from you!" Li Ye explained straightforwardly. "The provisions given by the court are indeed insufficient for this level of expenditure. I do intend to advance the funds from my own pocket initially. However, there is no need to worry unduly. Once we reach the frontlines, as long as we defeat the enemy forces and push into the territory of Annan, we have two options: either they surrender and pay full compensation for all losses, or we let the army pillage the place, and won't earning back this small sum of money be effortless? This prince never does business at a loss."

Princess Ruyue was dumbfounded with shock.

She never expected Li Ye to harbor such intentions.

He truly possessed the mindset of a merchant.

She had never heard of demanding financial compensation from the enemy after winning a battle, let alone the notion of condoning troops to plunder the enemy, which carried enormous risks.

If the enemy had already surrendered and was subsequently subjected to pillaging, it would severely damage the reputation of the Dayuan Dynasty.

Once imperial censors or political rivals used such an incident to impeach him, it would leave behind a grave hidden hazard.

As a celestial empire of superior standing, the Dayuan Dynasty disdained engaging in such conduct.

Only the materials captured by defeating the enemy on the main battlefield could be regarded as legitimate spoils of war.

"If you do this, I'm afraid the imperial court will not permit it, will they?"

Deeply worried that Li Ye was acting rashly and committing a grave mistake, Princess Ruyue hurriedly attempted to persuade him otherwise.

"Rest assured, all the compensation will be voluntarily offered by the enemy; it is not something I am extorting by force. As for the pillaging, it will be directed only at those stubborn enemies who refuse to surrender, and naturally, they deserve a thorough lesson. In warfare, this prince follows only one principle: being merciful to the enemy is being cruel to one's own people."

By this point, the smile had completely vanished from Li Ye's face, replaced by a growing chill.

"How dare a tiny nation like Annan stir up rebellion and invade our Dayuan Dynasty? How many commoners have perished under their butchering blades? If we simply defeat them and let them off lightly, how can we face the wronged souls who died in vain? We must use every possible means to weaken their strength as a deterrent to other petty nations."

If other officials were to overhear Li Ye's remarks, they would undoubtedly raise immediate objections.

They would preach about the magnanimity of the celestial empire, claiming that one must act with magnanimity, display a broad mind, and win over enemy states through virtue.

Even if an enemy nation came to offer tribute, the return gifts should be at least double in value to make them feel the wealth and power of the Dayuan Dynasty.

To Li Ye, such notions were sheer nonsense.

Only formidable military might and iron-fisted methods could compel those enemy states into permanent submission, stripping them of any lingering thoughts of resistance.

Furthermore, they needed to be relentlessly suppressed both economically and militarily, ensuring these nations would forever lack the capacity to wage war against the Dayuan Dynasty.

Having accompanied the Prince of Side-by-Side on military campaigns many times, Princess Ruyue had witnessed firsthand the tragic fates of ordinary citizens slaughtered by enemies at the border, leaving her devoid of any sympathy for the adversary.

This aligned perfectly with Li Ye's perspective, and the two of them instantly reached a consensus.

"I support your idea! These small nations should be grateful enough that we usually leave them alone, yet they actually dared to take the initiative and attack us. They certainly deserve a harsh lesson," Princess Ruyue stated resolutely.

Overjoyed, Li Ye felt as though he had found a kindred spirit.

"So you think so too! Just wait and see, this time I will properly discipline the Annan State and ensure they never dare harbor any illicit ambitions against the Dayuan Dynasty for the rest of their lives."

As the march continued, the army led by Li Ye still enjoyed meat at every single meal.

From top to bottom, the officers and soldiers ate until their faces glowed with health.

To prevent them from gaining weight too rapidly, they were made to run a certain distance every day to enhance their physical fitness.

Training in battle formations was also intensified.

Li Ye specifically devised several offensive and defensive formations tailored to the troops of the Annan State.

Even Zhao Wudi found this utterly incredible.

It was the first time he realized that Li Ye's commercial background could bring such enormous assistance.

Supplies were delivered almost daily, ensuring the army not only had abundant grain and fodder, but also vegetables and meat of exceptional freshness.

Calling it an outdoor excursion would hardly be an exaggeration.

They had never experienced such a relaxed military march.

Even the culinary skills of the army cooks were remarkably superb, turning out meals that rivaled the finest restaurants in the capital.

The soldiers offered endless praise.

In private conversations, they wondered how wonderful it would be if they could always follow Li Ye into battle in the future.

Their morale for training was exceptionally high, and they practiced with utmost diligence.

Not only to repay Li Ye, but also with the determination to win the battle and survive so they could continue enjoying such magnificent meals.

Zhao Wudi finally understood why the previous assault on Vulture Mountain had achieved such a smooth victory.

It was not merely a matter of spending heavily to bribe those bandits; the fighting spirit displayed by the army was also a crucial factor in subduing them.

What shocked Zhao Wudi even more was that many of the personnel escorting grain and provisions for the army along the way were actually former bandits from Vulture Mountain.

Having been completely integrated, they now served as armed escorts for the commercial firm.

With such men guarding the shipments, there was no need to worry about bandit raids, ensuring the absolute safety of the provisions.

With logistics handled to this degree, anyone could achieve victory in battle.

Zhao Wudi suddenly recalled when Qin Qingxue had previously led an army to attack the barbarian tribes, while Li Ye managed affairs behind the scenes and helped transport grain.

He could not help sighing inwardly: "Qin Qingxue truly failed to see the bigger picture, and now she is suffering the consequences! His Highness the Sixth Prince's capabilities far exceed imagination. No wonder the Emperor places such high value on him!"