Chapter 66 Launching the Counterattack

"Pass down the order: except for the soldiers guarding the city, who will receive full rations, the rations for all other soldiers are to be halved.
The citizens in the city shall only have two meals a day.
All food supplies are to be confiscated and distributed uniformly."

Qin Qingxue adopted the deputy general's suggestion. This was a standard measure taken during a siege.

"We must never admit defeat like this; we must continue to find opportunities to defeat the enemy!
Even if Li Ye fails to come to our rescue, it will take at least three months for the imperial court to receive word and send an army.
We must find a way to save ourselves!"

Qin Qingxue still possessed some capability; despite suffering a defeat, she still managed everything in an orderly fashion. At the very least, she was not flustered by the setback.

When Shi Wushuang heard the news, he was consumed with rage. He had sent out information precisely to use a borrowed knife to kill Li Ye. He had never expected Li Ye to be so cowardly as to flee in advance.

"That Sixth Prince is truly a disgrace to the Dayuan Dynasty! When he encounters danger in the future, we must not send troops to rescue him. Letting him die at the hands of the enemy state is his best destination."

Shi Wushuang seized the opportunity to instigate discontent, making Qin Qingxue harbor even greater resentment toward Li Ye. As long as Li Ye had not been killed yet, the Annan forces must not be allowed to retreat.

"Hmph, since he abandoned us to flee for his life, naturally we will not go to his rescue in the future. Let him fend for himself!"

Qin Qingxue's pretty face was filled with utter bitterness.

"That may be so, but it is best that we know Li Ye's exact location. We should find an opportunity to send scouts to track his movements," Shi Wushuang said.

Qin Qingxue nodded in agreement. "Very well, I shall issue the order right away!"

Inside the Annan main camp, the dispatched army had already returned. The commanding general reported the failure of the mission to the commander-in-chief.

The Annan commander found it somewhat unbelievable upon hearing this, but he did not take it too seriously.

"It matters not. Perhaps they learned that the main force was besieged and immediately fled with their troops. Such an army poses no threat to us whatsoever. We should hurry and make preparations for a full-scale assault; it would be best to conquer this city ahead of time. Once we wipe out Dayuan's main army, our forces can push straight through without resistance."

"But if that happens, the mission entrusted to us by the Cloud Ridge Pavilion will have failed. How are we to explain this to them?" the deputy general asked with some concern. After all, the army's victories were inseparable from the tactical advice and support of the Cloud Ridge Pavilion.

The very first task given to them had failed; would this displease those people?

"What is there to explain? It was their intelligence that was inaccurate—they didn't even know that a force of twenty thousand had slipped away, causing us to make a wasted trip. I haven't even lost my temper at them yet!" the Annan commander said coldly.

"I still think it best to send someone to inform them, letting them know that Dayuan's twenty-thousand-strong force has retreated and we found nothing."

"Fine, handle this minor matter as you see fit! Let us give serious thought to how we can breach the city before us. There are still tens of thousands of troops inside; I fear they will not surrender easily..."

The news of the defeat of the Dayuan main army spread quickly, sparking great panic among the nearby populace. Even the local government officials were scared out of their wits, hastily fleeing with their retinue while evacuating all the common folk.

Wherever the Annan army went, they pillaged everywhere. Any civilians discovered were either dragged off to serve as human shields or put to death entirely. None of the populace was allowed to remain.

At the same time, all able-bodied men were rounded up, issued weapons, and formed into a temporary militia in the hope of relying on the city walls to continue holding off the Annan forces.

Having finally yearned for the imperial court's reinforcements, they never expected such a swift collapse. Their only remaining hope was shattered, leaving countless citizens and officials in extreme despair. They hastily dispatched riders carrying urgent dispatches over eight hundred miles to the capital, hoping for more troops to be sent.

Perhaps the Annan commander simply looked down upon the remaining scattered remnants of the enemy. He deployed almost his entire army in the siege of the city, leaving no troops stationed along the roads behind them.

Li Ye, leading twenty thousand soldiers, quickly arrived at the border between the two countries.

By this time, night had fallen, yet none of the soldiers showed the slightest sign of fatigue.

"General Zhao, please dispatch the cavalry in teams of a hundred, searching in all directions. Execute anyone from Annan you encounter upon sight; leave no survivors. We must avoid exposing ourselves too early!"

Li Ye pointed at the map. "Have all the troops assemble at Gumang City. We shall strike like thunder before lightning, breaching the city just as the gates open at dawn."

"Understood, mission guaranteed!"

The elite troops were well-supplied with provisions. To ensure they maintained sharp vision at night, they were fed animal livers regularly. Moreover, the cavalry was equipped with compasses, so there was no fear of losing their way during combat.

The cavalry and infantry moved in separate formations, while Li Ye and his core contingent pressed onward.

"Tell everyone that we are avenging our people! We shall march straight to the Annan capital and capture the Annan king alive. Half of all the wealth plundered from any captured city will be distributed among the soldiers. Bear with the hardship for now; until Annan is crushed, we cannot afford to rest."

"Rest assured, Your Highness! Rewards aside, as long as we are allowed to slay the enemy and avenge our fellow countrymen, the brothers will not utter a single complaint even if we go three days and nights without sleep!"

"That's right! Annan slaughtered our Dayuan people, we can never let them off!"

"Good, you are all fine men! Move out!" Li Ye issued the order to attack.

The army advanced at top speed.

The Annan villages immediately suffered a catastrophe, being completely wiped out while the inhabitants were still fast asleep, completely caught off guard.

In ancient times, population was paramount. Without a sufficient population, it was impossible to sustain a massive army. Normally, when two nations went to war, they would not randomly massacre civilians. However, the Annan state acted with ruthless cruelty, slaughtering Dayuan citizens everywhere.

Li Ye did not hold back in the slightest, immediately retaliating in kind. Once a small state like Annan suffered massive casualties among its populace, it might take decades just to recover its vitality.

Li Ye intended to crush Annan in one fell swoop this time, and if circumstances permitted, annex the state outright.

The army marched south all night, finally arriving at Gumang City by daybreak.

The cities built by the Annan state were not very tall or grand, roughly on par with a county seat in Dayuan. The walls stood six or seven meters high, and as long as scaling ladders were deployed, they could be easily breached.

The cavalry led by Zhao Wudi began to assemble successively. Along this path of sweeping destruction, not even a chicken or a dog was left alive. Even in the early morning, not a single civilian could be seen on the roads.

Every cavalryman was covered in blood, exuding a thick stench of carnage. Every single soldier radiated an aura of murderous intent, with fierce fury blazing in their eyes.

Zhao Wudi's face was particularly dark. Upon seeing Li Ye, he cursed angrily, "The people of Annan are simply beasts! They treat the captured Dayuan citizens like slaves, not even giving them clothes to wear, chaining them up and locking them inside animal pens. They make them work to the bone without giving them food, starving and exhausting them to death..."