Chương 604: War in the Indochina Peninsula

And in the city...

There was no inferno or chain explosions in the city.

That kind of scene, which only exists in later generations, does not belong to this era.

But what's in the city is colder than fire: an impenetrable, crushing physical destruction.

The iron bullet flew over the wall and into the city, continuing its flight.

They plowed through the streets and alleys, tearing the walls of the mud-brick houses apart like paper, causing them to collapse...

The oxcart parked in the square was crushed into sawdust, and the oxcart fell apart...

The stone slab cover of the irrigation ditch was smashed, and stones flew everywhere...

The defenders' reaction, if one could call it a "reaction," was instinctive and disjointed.

Some people shrank back against the wall, some ran into the depths of the streets and alleys, and some knelt in front of the temple and began to shout, only to be knocked down by falling debris as they shouted.

But all these sounds were drowned out by the continuous booming sounds coming from the city walls.

The sound wasn't rhythmic; it was a continuous, crushing force, like heaven smashing a clay pot with a hammer.

The smoke and dust had completely engulfed the western city wall, and nothing could be seen anymore.

On the other side of the artillery position, the command for the second round of loading had already begun to be relayed.

The city of Beitian, an old city that had existed for hundreds of years, witnessed the Kangju king receiving Han envoys and welcoming Silk Road caravans, and stood like a yellow fortress on the edge of the desert, was destroyed in an instant.

After the bombardment, Li Jing waved his hand, and Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Cheng Yaojin, Qin Qiong and others led their troops into Beitian City to carry out the cleanup work.

The most excited of all was Cheng Yaojin.

He led a troop of soldiers straight to the Kangju Royal Palace, running faster than anyone else.

"Brothers! Search! Find all the wine! And all the gold and jewels, move them all to the camp! Don't leave a single piece behind!"

The soldiers immediately scattered, ransacking the palace, lifting carpets, and smashing open cabinets.

Before long, hundreds of jars of wine were found, stacked high, along with mountains of gold, silver, jewelry, silk, and jade, all glittering and dazzling.

Cheng Yaojin, holding a jar of wine, broke the mud seal and took a big gulp, the wine dripping down his chin.

He smacked his lips and said:

"Hey, not bad. Good wine! Satisfying! So satisfying!"

After saying that, he took another big gulp.

......

In the following month, the Han army took over all the city-states in Kangju without bloodshed.

Upon arriving in each city, the city lord would personally come out of the city to greet him, holding the official seal and kneeling by the roadside.

Afterwards, in the city of Beitian, the generals gathered in the commander's tent to drink and celebrate.

Drinking from large bowls, eating large chunks of meat, the sounds of drinking games, laughter, and cheers blended together.

During this time, Cheng Yaojin and Zhang Fei were the most cheerful. The two drank together, one bowl after another, neither willing to give in. They drank until their faces were red and their necks were thick, and finally put their arms around each other's shoulders and became sworn brothers.

From then on, Kangju was officially incorporated into the territory of the Han Dynasty.

The Silk Road was completely unobstructed, and silk, porcelain, and tea from the Han Dynasty were continuously transported to Central Asia and Europe...

Grapes, alfalfa, spices, and gems from Central Asia were also continuously transported back to the Central Plains.

..................

The humid south wind, carrying moisture from the Lancang River, made the large banner with the Chinese character "Han" flutter outside the command tent.

Inside the tent, however, a somber atmosphere prevailed. A huge map hung from the ceiling to the ground, covered with densely packed cinnabar markings of the mountains, rivers, cities, and passes of the Indochina Peninsula, as red as streaks of blood.

Commander Yue Fei was dressed in black soft armor with a horizontal sword hanging at his waist.

His finger was pointing precisely at the vast area on the map marked "Funan," his eyes sharp.

Behind him, Yu Jin, Huang Zhong, Xu Huang, Luo Cheng, Gao Lan and others stood in their armor, which was still covered with dust from their recent trip outside, and their faces were weathered.

Outside the tent, the crisp bursts of musket fire and the muffled roar of tiger-squatting cannons during test firings could be heard from time to time. This was the Han army adapting to the southern climate and testing the deadly weapons that would soon sweep across the peninsula.

"Gentlemen," Yue Fei turned around, his gaze sweeping over his five generals, his voice steady and resonant, echoing within the tent.

"His Majesty has ordered us to lead our troops to sweep away all the barbarians of the Indochina Peninsula and bring this vast territory entirely under the control of the Han Dynasty. Now, let's make this a clear game of strategy."

He picked up his riding crop and first drew the largest possible circle on the map:

"First and foremost is the number one enemy on this peninsula, Funan."

"Funan has been established for nearly two hundred years. Now, Fan Man of the Fan Dynasty is in power, and it is at its peak."

Yue Fei's whip swept across the map, leaving a red mark.

"Its core territory spans five to six thousand li in circumference. Including the more than ten vassal states it conquered, such as Qudukun, Jiuzhi, and Diansun, its total population is about 1. 5 million to 1. 8 million. It is the largest power on this peninsula and also the toughest nut for us to crack."

"One million eight hundred thousand?" Gao Lan frowned and stroked his chin.

"Quite a few people, Commander Yue. This battle is going to be a bit difficult."

Yue Fei smiled faintly, pointed outside the tent, and gestured for him to listen:

"General Gao, listen to the sounds outside. The cannons are firing, the muskets are firing. No matter how many men Fan Man has, they are just numbers in the face of our cannons and muskets. One shot, ten men are gone; one volley of gunfire, a hundred men are gone. No matter how many men there are, they can't fill the craters left by the shells."

He paused, then continued, "Funan's military strength is approximately 40, 000 to 60, 000. What the surrounding smaller countries fear most are their elephant cavalry and their navy. Fanman can build sailing ships and controls all trade routes from the Strait of Malacca to the South China Sea, earning him the title of maritime overlord."

Their elephant cavalry was renowned as "invincible on land," with three archers on each elephant's back firing poisoned arrows. Their charge was unstoppable, shaking the earth.

"Elephant troops?" The veteran general Huang Zhong stroked his gray beard, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes, a disdainful smile playing on his lips.

"I've heard of them before, but back then we didn't have cannons, so we could only deal with elephants by digging traps and burning torches. Now, hehe, once our cannons fire, those elephants will be so scared they'll have diarrhea!"

"General Huang is right," Yue Fei nodded, a smile playing on his lips.

"Our artillery, one shot and the elephants went berserk, turning around and charging wildly, probably into their own ranks, trampling more traitors than we killed. As for their navy..."

He pointed to the Lancang River estuary on the map, "Each of our warships is equipped with six naval cannons. Fan Man's wooden sailboats, as long as they dare to go out to sea, are sitting ducks. One shot, one kill, just like shooting ducks."

Luo Cheng couldn't contain himself and stepped forward, asking, "General Yue, what's the economy like in Funan? How much benefit will we get if we take it? We can't let the brothers come all this way for nothing, can we?"

"There are many benefits," Yue Fei said with a smile, counting them on his fingers.

"Funan is a hub of maritime trade, with business dealings with various Western countries. It can make a fortune just by collecting tolls. The country is rich in gold, silver, agarwood, and sappanwood. These items can be transported back to the Central Plains and sold for a high price."

The fertile fields of the Lancang River Delta yield three harvests a year; whatever is planted grows perfectly. By taking Funan, we will not only gain immeasurable wealth, but also completely control the trade routes in the South China Sea. From now on, anyone wanting to do business in the South China Sea will have to defer to us.