Chương 597: Otherwise, lay the wheels flat and keep killing.

In July, the Han army fleet arrived at Tsushima Island.

More than a thousand Japanese households on the island lined up on the beach, carrying bamboo bows and stone axes. The leader was a burly man with bare chest, who was shouting and yelling while holding a wooden stick.

Before they could even fire their first arrow, Cai Mao's warships unleashed a volley of fire, hundreds of cannonballs crashing into the crowd, instantly tearing flesh and blood apart, and blasting craters into the beach.

Gan Ning led five hundred men in small boats to the beach. With a single charge, a flash of sword light, and the remaining Japanese were all slaughtered.

The seawater was dyed red, and the beach was littered with severed limbs.

"Pathetic." Gan Ning wiped the blood off his blade, spat, and looked utterly disdainful.

The Han army advanced with unstoppable momentum, and Iki Island and Sue-ro surrendered without a second thought, not even daring to resist.

In mid-July, an army of 70, 000 men set up camp in the former territory of the slave state in northern Kyushu.

Tents stretched for miles, and banners blotted out the sky.

The king of the slave kingdom had already fled the city with his nobles, running faster than rabbits, leaving behind only rice paddies and thatched huts.

The Han soldiers were busy harvesting grain and replenishing supplies.

Just as Qi Jiguang ordered his men to take stock of the spoils, a cloud of dust suddenly rose from the distant horizon, obscuring the sky.

The sound of horses' hooves rolled in like thunder, causing the earth to tremble slightly, growing louder and closer.

Li Wenzhong arrived with 10, 000 elite cavalry.

The warhorse was covered in sweat and foaming at the mouth, but it was full of energy.

He dismounted and bowed to Qi Jiguang: "This humble general, Li Wenzhong, has been ordered by His Majesty to lead ten thousand iron cavalry to assist in the battle. His Majesty has decreed: the barbarians of the Japanese islands do not submit to the king's rule, so there is no need to show mercy. Wherever the iron cavalry passes, not a blade of grass will grow."

Soon after, Jia Xu and Cheng Yu also arrived.

Jia Xu, dressed in a blue robe, held a feather fan in his hand, a half-smile on his face, his eyes cold and sinister...

Cheng Yu was dressed in a black official robe with a serious expression. Behind him were more than two hundred capable civil officials, each of them shrewd and competent.

"Yuan Jing." Jia Xu's voice was calm yet carried a chilling undertone, sending shivers down one's spine.

"His Majesty ordered the two of us to come here to oversee the establishment of Yingzhou Province. We'll also be conducting some minor experiments. Don't worry, it won't interfere with military affairs."

Cheng Yu added, his voice cold and hard: "We have brought a complete set of official systems, laws, and household registration templates. Once the army has swept through the islands, we will immediately register the population, allocate land, implement Han laws, and manage them according to the standards of the mainland. As for those experiments... Yuan Jing need not concern himself with them; we will handle them ourselves, and they will not delay military affairs."

Qi Jiguang nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

He spread out a map of the Japanese islands on the table and pointed to the markings on it, saying:

"Currently, it is known that Yamatai is located in the central part of Kyushu and is the leader of the alliance; Touma is in the southwest and is the second strongest; and Gounu is in the far south and is hostile to Yamatai. The remaining thirty-odd countries are all small and insignificant."

He paused, looked at Li Wenzhong, his eyes serious:

"Siben, your cavalry is the fastest. You lead the vanguard, straight to the Yamatai capital, to draw their main force. Remember, don't take prisoners. The faster, the better."

Li Wenzhong's lips curled into a cold, knife-like smile:

"This subordinate understands."

"The rest of the army will split into three routes." Qi Jiguang drew his sword, pointing the tip at the map and drawing three red lines.

"I will lead the central army of 30, 000, with Sun Ce and Zhou Yu following me, to march south along the Zhuzi River and launch a frontal attack on the main force of Yamatai; Gan Ning will lead the western army of 20, 000, with Taishi Ci and Cai Mao following you, to advance westward along the coastline and pacify Touma Kingdom and the coastal islands; Sun Jian will lead the eastern army of 20, 000, with Cheng Pu and Han Dang following you, to sweep eastward across the eastern part of Kyushu, and then outflank Yamatai from the rear."

"One week from now, the three armies will converge at the foot of Yamatai Castle! There must be no mistakes!"

"Yes, sir!" the generals responded in unison, their voices shaking the tents.

...

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Li Wenzhong's 10, 000 cavalrymen set off first.

The horse's hooves pounded the muddy ground, leaving a deep trail as it sped off toward Yamatai, kicking up clouds of dust.

Subsequently, the three armies broke camp and set up camp, with 70, 000 Han soldiers like three sharp knives, simultaneously piercing the heart of the Japanese islands.

...

Li Wenzhong's advance was astonishingly fast.

The iron cavalry could travel a hundred miles a day, and their warhorses ran like the wind.

The small countries along the way didn't even have the thought of resistance. They either fled at the first sign of trouble, running faster than rabbits, or opened their gates to surrender, kneeling and kowtowing by the roadside.

But Li Wenzhong did not need prisoners.

The first country to be conquered was Ito.

This was a small country with a little over a thousand households. The king, with several hundred soldiers, hid behind a wooden fence and tried to shoot the Han army with bamboo bows. The arrowheads were made of bone.

Li Wenzhong didn't even dismount; he merely raised his hand.

A thousand iron cavalrymen went out into battle, and in one volley of mounted archery, "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh," more than half of the Japanese behind the wooden fence fell down, like wheat that had been cut down.

Then, the iron cavalry smashed through the wooden fence, spears flew and swords flashed, and in less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the soldiers of the Kingdom of Ito were all killed, and their corpses were piled up on the ground.

Wang Hu rode up to Li Wenzhong, clasped his hands in greeting, and asked:

"General, there are still many women, children, and the elderly left. What should we do with them? Should we stick to the old methods?"

Li Wenzhong reined in his horse, his gaze sweeping over the trembling Japanese soldiers. They huddled together, their eyes filled with fear, their voices devoid of warmth, like the north wind of winter:

"Yes, anything taller than a cartwheel should be beheaded."

Wang Hu accepted the order and left.

Soon, screams of agony echoed throughout the camp, one after another...

Shortly after, Wang Hu returned to report: "General, all those taller than a cartwheel have been executed. The rest are all shorter than a cartwheel. Is this... the same old procedure?"

Li Wenzhong's lips curled into an even colder smile as he slowly said:

"Otherwise, lay the wheels flat and keep killing."

Upon hearing this, Wang Hu wore an expression that said, "I knew it," and then bowed and replied, "Yes, sir."

Soon after, the camp became completely quiet.

The wind blew, making only a mournful sound, like the wailing of ghosts.

Li Wenzhong rode his horse past corpses scattered everywhere, the air thick with the stench of blood, and flies buzzing around.

He said to his personal guards behind him, "Burn this place down. Take all the grain and valuables with you, and burn everything that can't be taken. Leave not a single piece of wood."

"Where the iron cavalry passed, not a blade of grass grew."

This order was strictly carried out.

Li Wenzhong's iron cavalry swept across the land, carrying out such a massacre every time they conquered a tribe or a country.

Houses were burned down, flames soared into the sky, and thick smoke billowed. Crops were trampled flat, and the fields were a scene of utter devastation.

The men and the elderly were all killed and lay dead in pools of blood. The children were not spared either. Only the young women were spared and kept under guard, to be distributed to the meritorious soldiers later.

Several minor officials sent by Jia Xu followed behind the iron cavalry, holding paper and pen, meticulously recording as if they were recording something very ordinary: