Chapter 59: A Significant Increase in Troops

The days that followed grew increasingly difficult for Qin Qingxue.

The further south they marched, the poorer the local populace became. Sourcing provisions and forage grew progressively harder. Even the local government offices were unable to deliver grain on time and in the required quantities. The army could never eat its fill, let alone dream of having meat and vegetables with every meal.

The men in the ranks were well-informed; they had heard that the army led by Li Ye enjoyed white rice and steamed buns at every meal, with an abundance of both meat and vegetables. In contrast, they could barely manage half a belly's worth of food, sometimes reduced to just two meals a day.

Resentment within the army swelled day by day, and their marching speed slowed to a crawl. Even when forced down by military orders, such harsh measures only served to undermine the soldiers' morale. Left with no alternative, Qin Qingxue had to drive the troops to quicken their pace, shortening their daily rest periods in hopes of shaking off Li Ye.

Yet Li Ye’s forces were well-fed and well-rested, sometimes even riding in carriages to recuperate. They maintained a steady distance behind the main army, refusing to be left behind. At every mealtime, the tantalizing aroma of meat drifted over from the rear.

Qin Qingxue’s mood soured further, and her expression remained gloomy all day. No matter how capable Shi Wushuang might be, she was utterly helpless in this situation. She had planned for so long simply to help Qin Qingxue truly take command of the military power as quickly as possible. Yet now, far from achieving her goal, they were losing the army's morale even before reaching the battlefield.

The biggest problem right now was that even with silver, one could not necessarily purchase sufficient provisions along the way. Under these circumstances, more than a month later, they finally reached the borderlands.

The Dayuan Dynasty had already lost seven cities, and the invading army of the Annan Kingdom had penetrated deep into the heartland. The garrisoned troops and local officials had no choice but to evacuate all the civilians inward to escape the enemy's plundering.

Thanks to his thorough preparations, Li Ye’s fifteen thousand soldiers showed no signs of distress. The weather was merely scorching, but they coped by drinking mung bean soup daily to beat the heat.

In stark contrast, the fifty thousand troops led by Qin Qingxue were in abysmal condition. Forced into high-intensity marching without adequate nutrition, many soldiers lacked the physical stamina to endure. Upon entering the south, the humid and sultry climate, compounded by miasmic vapors, caused numerous outbreaks of illness. With no other choice, Qin Qingxue had to leave these sick soldiers behind in local settlements, assigning personnel to care for them while she pushed forward with the remainder.

Li Ye, of course, could not simply abandon these soldiers. He had the accompanying physicians examine and treat them. Within a few days, their conditions improved dramatically, and they set out to catch up with Li Ye’s army. To avoid delaying matters, Li Ye had them ride in carts.

Coupled with improved rations and full meals every day, their recovery was exceptionally rapid. These soldiers were remarkably shrewd; realizing that once recovered, they would inevitably be sent back to Qin Qingxue’s main force, they continued to feign illness and claimed they had not yet recuperated. They had finally experienced how wonderful life was under Li Ye’s command. It wasn't that they were unwilling to fight, but Qin Qingxue’s temper was growing increasingly volatile, and she couldn't even provide them with enough food, leaving the soldiers unwilling to risk their lives for her.

By the time they reached the front lines, Qin Qingxue’s army had dwindled to just over forty-three thousand men.

Qin Qingxue received continuous battle reports, and the situation looked grim. The enemy had won consecutive victories, their morale was soaring, and their attacks were growing fiercer by the day. Furthermore, every city they captured was subjected to slaughter, pillage, and total destruction, with countless civilians murdered.

Furious, Qin Qingxue immediately began reorganizing her troops to prepare for a decisive battle against the enemy. She needed to blunt their momentum and halt their advance. Having led her forces all the way here, she refused to lose another inch of territory.

Li Ye camped fifty miles away from them. At that moment, Lei Ying and Lei Zhan arrived at Li Ye’s encampment. It turned out Li Ye had long since sent them ahead on fast horses to scout out enemy intelligence. Li Ye firmly believed that to know oneself and the enemy is to secure victory in every battle; he needed all enemy intelligence thoroughly investigated to maximize his chances of success.

Zhao Wudi was utterly astonished. Once again, he marveled at how Li Ye had managed to put the talents of the Bald Eagle Mountain bandits to such full use. After all, they were bandits who had lived in the mountains for years; their concealment and scouting capabilities were top-tier, and the rugged terrain of the battlefield suited their reconnaissance skills perfectly. His respect for Li Ye deepened immensely.

His mission was to protect Li Ye's safety, and the ten thousand elite troops under his command would not participate in combat. They were merely there to quietly observe Li Ye’s methods of troop deployment and report everything back to the Emperor. In truth, from Zhao Wudi's perspective, the capabilities Li Ye demonstrated far surpassed those of the Crown Prince and the Third Prince. Subconsciously, he found himself increasingly hoping that Li Ye would seize the throne.

After listening to the report given by Lei Ying and Lei Zhan, Li Ye frowned. "Even if the Annan Kingdom's forces possess a numerical advantage, we have walled cities for defense. How could they be breached so easily? The combat effectiveness of the Annan Kingdom's army has never been particularly formidable. With proper defense, a defeat this disastrous should be utterly impossible!"

"Does Your Highness mean to say there is a traitor within our own ranks?" Princess Ruyue concluded immediately after hearing the report.

"Without evidence, I cannot say for certain, but we must investigate thoroughly. We must not suffer a blind defeat!" Li Ye said coldly, a fierce murderous intent flashing in his eyes. Traitors were unforgivable under any circumstances; anyone who betrayed their country and people deserved to be hacked to pieces.

Princess Ruyue was eager to act. "Once Qin Qingxue reaches the front lines, she will inevitably go to war with the enemy. Why don't we also look for an opportunity to engage and help them repel the enemy?"

"I was thinking the exact same thing!" Li Ye pointed to a location on the map. "According to Lei Ying and Lei Zhan's reconnaissance, there are three thousand enemy infantry camped here at Dalong Mountain. Since we now have over ten thousand troops, surrounding and annihilating them will be no difficult task at all."

Princess Ruyue remained skeptical. "Does Your Highness's army not consist of only five thousand men?"

Li Ye smiled. "What about the nearly seven thousand recovering soldiers?"

"Those men are still ill and have not yet acclimated to the local climate. How can we possibly have them participate in battle?" Princess Ruyue objected, disapproving of the idea.

"The physicians tell me these men recovered long ago; they simply didn't want to return. Staying in our camp means good, plentiful food and no marching required. Since they've consumed so much of this Prince's grain, they certainly cannot be allowed to freeload."

"Ah? If they've recovered, why weren't they sent back?"

"Have no fear. Qin Qingxue is the Grand Marshal of the Southern Expedition; even the local garrison falls under her command, and a few thousand men make no difference. With ten thousand troops at our disposal, we can accomplish a great deal!"

"That makes sense!"

Li Ye immediately ordered the troops to assemble, forming the soldiers from the main army into one square formation and the soldiers under his direct command into another. He addressed the recovering soldiers: "As the saying goes, an army is raised for a thousand days to be used for a single hour. The time to achieve merit and establish your careers has arrived. Are you willing to follow this Prince into battle to kill the enemy and earn glory?"