Chương 606: Sweeping Away the Enemy's Den! Displaying the Might of the Great Han Dynasty!

Displaying the Might of the Great Han Dynasty!

Two streams of blood bloomed simultaneously on different giant beasts.

Other iron pellets grazed the thick elephant legs, severing tendons and exposing the bare bones. The massive limbs twisted at bizarre angles, unable to support their weight, and collapsed with a mournful cry.

The sounds of the battlefield were completely rewritten in that instant.

The earth-shaking rumble of the charging elephants was drowned out by an even more piercing and terrifying sound: It was the muffled thud of bones breaking and tendons snapping, the hissing sound of blood gushing like a spring, the thunderous tremors of heavy objects falling one after another, and the desperate howl of a wounded and dying beast that pierced the sky and almost tore off eardrums.

These sounds, mixed with the lingering smell of gunpowder and the nauseating stench of blood and ruptured entrails, were enough to make one want to vomit.

Panic, spreading faster than a plague, erupted among the wise elephants.

The elephants, not directly hit, were utterly shattered of their will to fight and discipline by the sight of their own kind lying nearby in agony, the blood splattered everywhere, and the pervasive atmosphere of death.

Instead of moving forward, they stood upright, emitting terrified screechs, ignoring the desperate shouts of their riders and the thorns of their iron hooks, and frantically turned around, trampled, and charged.

"Stop them! Stop them now!" The King of Shan was terrified, his face turned pale, and he frantically waved his whip, trying to control his war elephants, but it was no use.

It was too late. The frightened elephants went berserk and charged into the Shan infantry formation behind them.

The fallen giants became obstacles, and the panicked elephant herd trampled each other. The once orderly and majestic charging formation crumbled in a few breaths, turning into a bloody hell of frenzied writhing and self-destruction.

In an instant, screams, cries, and the roars of elephants mingled together, echoing through the sky.

The Shan soldiers were trampled to death, their formation collapsing instantly, like a dam breached by a flood.

"Musketeers, fire a volley!"

At Luo Cheng's command, a thousand musketeers lined up in three rows and took turns firing.

The crisp sound of gunfire rose and fell, and lead bullets rained down on the fleeing Shan soldiers, like the scythe of death reaping them.

Their leather armor was no match for the lead bullets; they fell in droves, their bodies littering the ground.

"kill!"

Luo Cheng pulled on the reins, brandished his silver spear, and led his cavalry in a charge.

He charged ahead, charging into the enemy ranks, his silver spear flashing up and down, unstoppable wherever he went.

The spear tip pierced the shield, knocked off the helmet, and splattered blood everywhere.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, they rushed to the King of Shan.

The Shan king was terrified, his face turned ashen, his lips trembled, and he turned to run away, even throwing away his weapons.

Luo Cheng sneered, and the silver spear flew from his hand like lightning, striking him squarely in the back and piercing through his chest.

The king of Shan Kingdom screamed and fell from his horse, dying instantly with his eyes wide open, unable to close them in death.

With their commander dead, the remaining Shan soldiers lost all will to fight and surrendered, throwing down their weapons and kneeling on the ground.

The battle lasted less than an hour from start to finish.

Of the 10, 000 Shan troops, 8, 000 were killed in battle and 2, 000 were captured; the entire army was wiped out.

That afternoon, Luo Cheng led his army into the capital of Shan State. He did not commit any offenses, but only confiscated all the gold and silver jewelry in the royal palace and sent it to the central army camp.

When the news of the victory reached the Han army camp in Linchen, Yue Fei was discussing the next battle plan with Huang Zhong, Xu Huang, Yu Jin, Gao Lan and others. The map was already full of arrows.

After reading Luo Cheng's report of victory, Yue Fei nodded and said to his generals with a smile:

"Luo Cheng lived up to expectations, destroying the Shan Kingdom and achieving a great victory in the first battle, which greatly boosted the morale of our army. Now, it's our turn."

He stood up, pointed to the map, and began to deploy the combat mission, his voice booming:

"Xu Huang, listen to my command! I order you to lead an army of ten thousand men, carrying one hundred cannons, to attack the Pyu Kingdom to the west. Remember, the Pyu Kingdom is a city-state alliance. You can defeat them one by one. First, attack the alliance leader, Sricharo. Once you destroy it, the other city-states will naturally surrender without resistance. You don't need to fight them one by one."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Xu Huang clasped his hands in acceptance, turned around, and strode out of the command tent.

"Yu Jin, listen to my command! You are hereby ordered to lead an army of ten thousand to attack the Meng city-states in the northwest. These city-states are weak, so do not rush to attack them. First, send people to persuade them to surrender. Those who are willing to surrender will be pardoned... For those who are unwilling to surrender, bombard their cities with cannons until they surrender."

"This humble general obeys!" Yu Jin clasped his hands in acceptance of the order.

"Huang Zhong, listen to my command! You are to lead the naval fleet upstream from the mouth of the Lancang River to attack the coastal cities of Funan. First, destroy Funan's navy, cut off their sea retreat, and prevent them from escaping. Then, coordinate with the main force to attack Funan's capital."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Huang Zhong clasped his hands in acceptance, looking energetic and spirited.

"Gao Lan, listen to my command! You will lead the main force of 20, 000 troops south with me to attack Funan's homeland. Fan Man's main force is in the capital; we must fight him to the death and wipe out Funan in one fell swoop!"

"This humble general obeys!" Gao Lan clasped his hands in acceptance of the order.

With the deployment complete, Yue Fei drew his spear, the tip gleaming coldly in the sunlight, pointed it south, and his voice resounded throughout the command tent:

"Gentlemen! The territory of the Great Han has never been won through appeasement, but through the swords and spears in our hands, the warhorses beneath our feet, and the cannons we wield! Today, we will let all the barbarians of the Indochina Peninsula know that the might of the Great Han is inviolable!"

"We are willing to follow our commander-in-chief, to sweep away all obstacles and unleash the might of our great Han Dynasty!"

The generals roared in unison, their voices shaking the command tent slightly.

Outside the tent, countless Han soldiers heard their commander's order and joined in the shouting.

Shouts and the roar of cannons mingled together, echoing through the sky.

...

The Great Han Southern Expeditionary Army launched a full-scale offensive into the Indochina Peninsula.

Xu Huang led an army of 10, 000 men, carrying 100 cannons, westward toward the city of Sirichara, the leader of the Pyu Kingdom alliance.

The army marched across the Irrawaddy River plain, banners waving and dust billowing.

Just as Yue Fei had predicted, the Pyu Kingdom was indeed a disorganized mess.

The dozen or so city-states that the Han army passed through either surrendered at the mere sight of them, or their kings knelt by the roadside holding their seals of office.

They either kept the city gates tightly shut and dared not go out to fight, or they didn't even dare to open the city gates.

No city-state was willing to send troops to rescue Siricah Taro. They all adopted a "not my problem" attitude, waiting to see their leader make a fool of himself. Some even hoped that their leader would be defeated so that they could take over.

"General, the city of Sri Charoen is just ahead," the lieutenant said, pointing to the tall earthen city in the distance.

Xu Huang reined in his horse and looked around.

The city of Srivijaya was built on the banks of the Irrawaddy River. The city walls were about three zhang high and were entirely made of rammed earth, making them look quite sturdy.

The city walls were covered with colorful flags, and countless Pyu soldiers, armed with spears and bows and arrows, stood ready for battle. The city walls were filled with the shadowy figures of people.

"Hmph, you think you can get away with hiding in your turtle shell?" Xu Huang sneered, shaking his head dismissively, and gave the order.

"The entire army shall set up camp on the spot, and move all cannons to the front lines, aiming them at the city gates and walls!"

The Han soldiers moved swiftly, and after a short while, a hundred cannons were lined up in a row, their dark muzzles pointing directly at the city of Shilichatala, the cannon shafts reflecting the afternoon sun.