Chapter 61: The Defeat Falls Like a Collapsing Mountain

The scene of a massive herd of elephants charging was intensely shocking.

Their towering stature possessed an overwhelming visual impact. The soldiers from the Dayuan side were left utterly stunned, having never witnessed such colossal beasts at such close range.

"Retreat! Fall back immediately!"

Shi Wushuang realized the gravity of the situation. Such massive animals were entirely impossible to withstand. Moreover, the elephants were draped in thick, heavy armor that arrows could not pierce. There was no alternative but to retreat swiftly and avoid the enemy's crushing momentum.

Yet, the elephants charged at a blistering speed, thundering down a slope from high ground. Even the trees in their path were effortlessly snapped and uprooted, exhibiting an unstoppable force.

Panicked, the archers loosed volleys of arrows at the enemy, only to watch them bounce harmlessly off the elephants' armor. They were completely ineffective.

Knowing that direct confrontation was suicidal, Qin Qingxue hastily issued the order to retreat. The morale that had been so painstakingly built vanished into thin air in that single instant.

Every soldier fled in blind panic, throwing the military formation into absolute chaos. The cavalry fared slightly better, able to widen the distance, but the infantry suffered a horrific fate. They were quickly overtaken and trampled flat by the stampeding herd. Shrieks and agonizing cries echoed endlessly.

Watching the unfolding disaster, Qin Qingxue realized that pressing on would result in the annihilation of her entire force. She had no choice but to order the soldiers to scatter and flee for their lives, to regroup later upon returning.

Listening to the miserable wails of her dying soldiers, Qin Qingxue felt as though her heart were bleeding. Of the tens of thousands of troops, she had no idea how many would survive. Never had she imagined that her very first campaign in the south would end in such a miserable defeat—a reality utterly unacceptable to her.

Witnessing the elephant cavalry for the first time left an indelible, haunting shadow upon her soul. With creatures of such terrifying bulk aiding the enemy soldiers, victory was simply out of the question. How were they supposed to fight the subsequent battles? Even heavy cavalry proved utterly useless. This was a completely asymmetrical warfare.

By the time they desperately retreated back into the city, more than half of the seventy-odd-thousand troops had suffered casualties, leaving a mere forty thousand or so remaining. Qin Qingxue immediately summoned the local commanders and subjected them to a ferocious reprimand.

"Why did nobody inform me that the enemy deployed elephants onto the battlefield?" she demanded.

"Had I known the enemy possessed such formidable cavalry, we could have made preparations in advance and avoided such catastrophic losses. Are all of you trying to make a fool of me? Did you deliberately withhold information to cause our army to suffer a crushing defeat? Very well, I shall let all of you know the consequences of such actions!"

Qin Qingxue’s anger had escalated beyond all bounds.

"Guards! Drag them all out and execute them!"

"Spare our lives, Grand General! We had no idea why the Kingdom of Annan suddenly deployed elephant cavalry, nor did we know they had trained such a massive number of beasts!"

"Indeed! We have been fighting the enemy for over two months now, and we haven't laid eyes on a single elephant. Naturally, we had no inkling that they trained this elephant cavalry specifically to deal with the Grand General!"

"We are wronged! Had we known, we certainly would have informed the Grand General beforehand!"

Seeing numerous commanders crying out in injustice, Qin Qingxue waved her hand to halt the executioners.

"Is what you are saying true? You haven't seen a single elephant from the very beginning?"

"It is true! We never imagined the Kingdom of Annan possessed such deep concealment. It was truly impossible to anticipate."

"Very well! Your heads are spared for the time being. I shall send men to investigate thoroughly. If anyone dares to utter a single falsehood, execution is guaranteed without mercy."

"The Grand General may investigate as she pleases! Should there be even a half-truth of deceit, dispose of us however you wish."

Hearing the earnest pleas of her officers, Qin Qingxue believed them for the most part and rescinded the punishment for now.

She then pressed on, "You have guarded the borderlands and should possess some understanding of the Annan forces. Do you have any countermeasures against their elephants?"

"None!" One of the officers shook his head.

"Elephants are colossal in size, possess boundless strength, and run just as fast as warhorses. There is simply no way to withstand a frontal assault. If there is a single weakness, it is that elephants require rest after running for a certain distance. After all, their massive bodies demand immense stamina. On the battlefield, the best course is to avoid their initial锋芒, lure their elephant cavalry away first, and then launch an assault on their infantry."

Another commander quickly chimed in, "Reporting to the Grand General, while the elephant cavalry is immensely powerful, elephants consume an astronomical amount of food daily, making them impossible to maintain in vast quantities. This is likely all the elephant cavalry the Kingdom of Annan could possibly muster. In future battles, if we bypass their vanguard and focus on slaughtering their infantry, we will surely triumph!"

"That is easily said, but what if the enemy refuses to divide their forces and advances in a single, unbroken tide? How are we to defend against that?" Shi Wushuang asked with a cold sneer.

"This... if that is the case, we would have no choice but to rely on the city walls for defense, while dispatching small, agile cavalry units to harass the enemy's supply lines from behind. As long as they are denied sufficient provisions, they will naturally be forced to withdraw."

"That method is utterly unfeasible! The enemy has already conquered vast territories; the grain they have plundered alone is enough to sustain them for a long time. By contrast, we cannot afford a war of attrition!"

Shi Wushuang immediately pinpointed the fatal flaw. If they failed to neutralize the enemy's elephant cavalry, they would be doomed to suffer defeat after defeat.

"The enemy is thoroughly prepared. Overcoming this will not be easy," Qin Qingxue murmured, finding the current situation intensely棘手. If she continued to suffer defeats, the military command would inevitably fall back into Li Ye's hands, reducing her title of Vanguard General to an empty shell. Having fought so hard to attain her present status, she was utterly unwilling to yield.

"Do not panic just yet. Victory and defeat are common occurrences in military strategy. Let us first rely on the fortifications for defense while slowly probing for the enemy's weaknesses," Shi Wushuang coaxed her in a gentle tone.

He cared nothing for the army's defeat. On the contrary, having the main army trapped within the city walls secretly delighted him. He sensed a golden opportunity to eliminate Li Ye. All he needed to do was leak intelligence to the enemy, prompting them to dispatch troops to crush Li Ye. With thorough preparations, annihilating Li Ye's forces would be a simple matter. For now, his priority was to steady Qin Qingxue and plot the scheme in the shadows.

Meanwhile, Li Ye was leading a detachment to strike at an Annan garrison.

They proceeded with utmost caution along the way, vigilant against being spotted. Only through a sudden ambush could the enemy be wiped out in one fell swoop.

The seasoned experts from the Bald Eagle Mountain played an indispensable role, moving through the complex mountain terrain as if they were fish in water. With them scouting ahead, any enemy scouts were swiftly and quietly eliminated.

Soon, they arrived at the enemy encampment. Situated at a vital transportation hub, it was little wonder the location was heavily guarded.

Li Ye instructed a unit of soldiers to flank the enemy from the rear, while personally leading the main assault from the front. Silently and seamlessly, they encircled the adversary.

Upon receiving the scout's report, Li Ye immediately issued the order to attack, while simultaneously reaching out to restrain the eager Princess Ruyue.

"You are going nowhere. Stay right here by my side and behave! No matter how formidable your martial arts are, they hold little sway on a battlefield. A single stray arrow could gravely wound you."