Chapter 64: Counter-Charge

Hearing Li Ye's words, Zhao Wudi could not find a single reason to refute him.

Although his cavalry troops were all elites, they were indeed better suited for combat on flat terrain. In complex terrain, the warhorses simply could not charge, and they lacked any experience in storming cities. Furthermore, training cavalry was extremely difficult and exceptionally costly, making it unwise to waste them on siege warfare.

"But for Your Highness to join the attack on the Annam Kingdom yourself is simply too dangerous!"

"Winning the battle is what matters most! To be honest, I dare not boast about much else, but this Prince has quite a bit of experience in siege warfare. Besides, I haven't lived enough yet to intentionally go and throw my life away. In reality, I cherish my life more than anyone else, so rest assured. I will definitely survive and return!" Li Ye said.

Seeing the two of them remaining silent, Li Ye laughed heartily. "Even this Prince isn't afraid, what are you afraid of?"

Zhao Wudi finally made up his mind, speaking with a serious expression, "We shall do as Your Highness says. As long as I am here, I will never let anyone harm Your Highness!"

Princess Ruyue said with great reluctance, "Who says I am afraid? If we truly encounter danger, this Princess will protect you well."

"Then I thank the two of you!" Li Ye laughed heartily.

"Pass down the order: the entire army will prepare to set out and carry ten days of rations. Leave everything behind except for combat supplies."

Not long after, Lei Ying rode his horse to the front of the tent.

"Reporting to Your Highness, the cause of the defeat has been investigated! The Annam Kingdom deployed elephant cavalry. Trained elephants clad in heavy armor charged directly into the military formation, and they were completely unstoppable. The moment contact was made, our forces collapsed and could only flee. However, elephants run at an extremely fast speed, and the foot soldiers simply could not escape..."

"Elephant cavalry? What is their number?" Li Ye hurriedly asked.

Thinking of the massive size of elephants, they indeed could not be resisted by any ordinary troop type. If clad in heavy armor, they were practically irresistible. No wonder Qin Qingxue was defeated so miserably.

"According to the intelligence we received, the Annam Kingdom deployed a total of fifty elephants! Lined up in a row to launch an attack, they are simply unstoppable."

"Understood. It seems they did not lose unjustly! If those elephants were used to storm a city, I'm afraid it would likewise be hard to resist. Our plan has been accelerated!" Li Ye's expression turned extremely serious.

"Since that is the case, we will not rush to their rescue, but instead march with our full force directly into the territory of the Annam Kingdom," Zhao Wudi decided immediately.

He made up his mind that if they truly encountered danger, he would risk his life to protect Li Ye's safety.

"But what if we encounter the elephant cavalry in the Annam Kingdom? What should we do then?" Princess Ruyue asked with some concern.

"I have a way. Have some people prepare more gunpowder! The kind used for making fireworks will do. The louder the sound, the better the effect!" Li Ye said.

"Fireworks? Are elephants afraid of such things?" Princess Ruyue asked doubtfully.

"We'll know once we try!"

Li Ye had once read about the weaknesses of elephant cavalry in books. Although their charge was invincible, elephants were terrified of loud noises. The sound of explosions would startle them and send them fleeing in panic.

Li Ye immediately instructed his subordinates to have the merchant firm manager rush the gunpowder over.

Standing upon the city wall, Qin Qingxue watched the enemy forces surrounding them in increasing numbers, realizing that she had completely fallen into their trap. First, they used the casualties of ten thousand troops as bait to lure them to a location suitable for an ambush. Then, they deployed the elephant cavalry to launch a fierce assault against them, heavily damaging Dayuan's main forces. After retreating back into the city, they dispatched a large army to encircle them, leaving the entire city isolated and without reinforcement. They lacked the ability to break through the siege, and the external regional armies were simply no match for the Annam army.

"The Annam Kingdom intends to starve us out. We must find a way to break through the siege quickly. In addition, we must find a method to deal with the elephant cavalry."

Upon learning the enemy's intentions, Qin Qingxue finally felt panic in her heart. From the very beginning, she had not taken the enemy seriously, never imagining that their scheme would be so formidable. A single move was meant to annihilate her entire army. If she suffered this defeat, she would be utterly finished.

Shi Wushuang was not anxious at all. They only needed to maintain the siege for a few days until the Annam Kingdom dispatched troops to kill Li Ye, after which they could create a flaw and withdraw their troops, thus achieving all their objectives.

"Do not be anxious. Li Ye still has twenty thousand troops over there; upon receiving the news, they should come to assist," Shi Wushuang comforted her.

"I don't think he has such good intentions. He probably can't wait to watch us die, how could he possibly come to our aid? Besides, the only ones capable of fighting are the ten thousand elite cavalry led by Zhao Wudi. His mission is to protect Li Ye's safety, and he won't participate in the combat."

Qin Qingxue held no hope for Li Ye whatsoever, feeling utterly despairing about the current situation.

"That is different. Until our main force is besieged, if we cannot break through, we can only allow the Annam Kingdom's army to drive straight in and plunder Dayuan's citizens everywhere. Zhao Wudi is a man who knows the priorities and will never allow such a situation to happen. Knowing that the situation is critical, he will definitely come to assist."

Shi Wushuang only wanted to steady Qin Qingxue to secure the opportunity to kill Li Ye.

Qin Qingxue was now filled with deep regret: "It is all my fault for underestimating the enemy and advancing rashly. If I had withdrawn after winning the battle, I would not have ended up in this state."

"How can you blame yourself for this? No one could have known that the enemy would actually use elephants as cavalry. However, this has also completely exposed the Annam Kingdom's true trump card. Once we recover, we can formulate targeted strategies against the enemy."

Qin Qingxue continued to sigh heavily. The momentum displayed by the elephants still made her heart palpitate with fear. Such massive beasts were simply irresistible; a single charge could easily shatter a military formation. How could this war even be fought?

Regardless of the circumstances, they had to break out of the siege as quickly as possible, or the consequences would be unimaginable once the food supplies inside the city were exhausted.

"I hope so! May Li Ye consider the greater good and come to our support."

Inside the Annam Kingdom's grand camp, the Annam commander was brimming with triumph. He had defeated Dayuan's main army and besieged the remaining forces within the city. As long as he had sufficient time, he would undoubtedly annihilate them.

The Annam commander's confidence swelled infinitely, and he began gathering provisions with the intention of maintaining a long-term siege. In any case, there were no surrounding armies that could match him, and the Dayuan Dynasty would need a very long time to dispatch reinforcements.

"Now our Annam Kingdom can finally hold our heads high! We can occupy a vast expanse of fertile land in the southeast of the Dayuan Dynasty, and the territory of our Annam Kingdom will expand several times over."

"Reporting to the Grand Marshal, we have just received a classified report: not far from here, another twenty thousand Dayuan troops are stationed. One of the commanders leading the troops is the famous Dayuan general Zhao Wudi, and the identity of the other person is extremely important and must not be let go. They request us to dispatch troops to annihilate them and put everyone to the sword."

A scout ran over and handed a letter to the commander.

The Annam commander carefully read the classified letter and burned it to ashes in the fire.