Chương 709: The Western Expedition: The Emperor Leads the Army Personally to the Front Lines

"What about the troops? At its peak, it had over 200, 000, but now it's declining, with a maximum of a few hundred thousand combat-ready soldiers. The core is still the cavalry, after all, they are of nomadic origin, their horsemanship is unparalleled, and they are similar to the Parthian cavalry."

"What's most interesting is that they have war elephant units."

These words immediately caused a stir in the hall, with many military officers whispering among themselves.

Elephants are rare in the Central Plains. They were only encountered when the southern barbarians were pacified. Many people have only heard of them but have never seen one in person.

"Yes, it's an elephant. An elephant is taller than two people, with a wooden house built on its back, and four or five archers and spearmen standing on it. When it charges, it can crush several people with one kick. It looks very intimidating."

Lu Bing waved his hand with a smile, "But this thing has a fatal flaw: it's afraid of fire. If you light an oilcloth and drive the fire ox over, the elephant will be startled on the spot, turn around and run away, unable to distinguish friend from foe, and will trample its own kind, making it even more of a liability than the enemy."

General Yue Fei, leading the Southern Theater Command, was the most experienced in dealing with war elephants. After all, he had dealt with them many times during the pacification of the Indochina Peninsula, and had utterly subdued them.

Everyone looked at Yue Fei.

Yue Fei calmly replied, "War elephants may look intimidating, but they are actually not difficult to deal with. Besides fire attacks, bombarding them with cannons and shooting their eyes with crossbows will frighten them into fleeing. As long as the formation remains intact and their strength is avoided, they are just decorations, all show and no substance."

The generals nodded in agreement, understanding the situation.

"The troop distribution is also simple: the capital city of Purusha, which is the former Gandhara region, has 40, 000 to 50, 000 main forces, along with the war elephant troops, which is the core base."

Bactria to the north is the former territory of the Great Xia Dynasty. There are 30, 000 central troops there, watching over the vassal states in Central Asia and keeping an eye on us.

In places like Mathura in southern India, the local governor governs 20, 000 to 30, 000 people, collecting taxes and maintaining stability, acting like a local emperor; on the western border, there are more than 10, 000 people guarding the Parthian frontier, and the two sides occasionally have minor skirmishes.

The vassal states of Central Asia might be able to muster 20, 000 to 30, 000 men, but whether they'll actually come in a real war depends entirely on their mood; they'll most likely surrender at the first sign of trouble.

"As for ministers and generals, there is a Commander-in-Chief of the Army in the central government, who is a member of the royal family or a high-ranking noble; in the local areas, there are governors-general who are in charge of both military and political affairs, and they are mostly members of the royal family or local strongmen."

Many high-ranking Buddhist monks and Brahmin priests also held official positions in the palace, overseeing rituals and sacrifices. They wielded considerable influence, given the strong theocratic nature of the country.

"In big cities, the capital, Puru Sa, is a Buddhist center. There is a huge pagoda that is dozens of meters high and can be seen from afar. Monks from all over the country go to worship there every day. The incense is very strong. It is said that the pagoda contains the Buddha's relics."

Begram, the summer capital near Kabul, was a major trading port on the Silk Road. Silk, spices, and other goods were traded there, making it a bustling place. Wealthy people thronged the streets, like a marketplace. Taxila and Mathura were also large cities on the Indian side, with sizable populations and thriving commerce.

"As for equipment, the bows are good, and the cavalry's archery skills are not bad. The infantry are just average, they are all recruited from India, and their weapons are a mixed bag, with spears, axes, hammers and all sorts of things. Their combat effectiveness is just so-so, far inferior to the Roman legions."

Lu Bing suddenly chuckled at this point, as if telling a joke:

"It's quite interesting. Back then, when the Yuezhi people were being beaten so badly by the Xiongnu that they were crying for their parents and fleeing westward, they probably couldn't even get enough to eat. They were like stray dogs, with no dignity left."

Who could have imagined that hundreds of years later, they would become local tyrants on the South Asian plains, living in warm places, eating spices, and practicing Buddhism, enjoying a comfortable life?

If you ask them now where their hometown is or what grudge they have against the Xiongnu, they've probably forgotten it all. Who wants to go back to the grasslands and starve?

A burst of laughter immediately filled the hall, and even Liu Ce on the throne curled the corners of his mouth.

"That's what you call 'being so happy you forget your homeland'," Pang Tong chuckled and muttered to Fa Zheng.

"When you've been in a warm place for a long time, who wants to go back to the grasslands to suffer?"

Fa Zheng nodded and said, "Therefore, the ancients were right to say, 'Born in hardship, die in comfort.'"

Lu Bing closed the last volume of secret reports, bowed respectfully to the throne, and clasped his hands in greeting.

"Your Majesty, this is roughly the situation regarding the three great powers."

Finally, let me summarize for everyone: The Roman army is large and has a strict system. Although their equipment is old, they have plenty of combat experience. They are a tough nut to crack, and it will take a lot of effort to fight them. We cannot underestimate them.

The Parthian cavalry was fierce, but the country was fragmented, the nobles were divided, and internal strife was imminent. They looked fierce, but they were actually paper tigers that would be easily broken.

Although the Kushan Empire appears to have a large territory, it is actually on a downward spiral. Its military forces are scattered, its vassals are becoming disloyal, and it is the closest to us in terms of strength.

If we really want to expand westward, the first thing we'll encounter is the Kushans. They're the perfect place to practice. After defeating the Kushans, we can move on to the Parthians, and finally the Romans. One step at a time, it's a very safe approach."

The hall was quiet for a moment, then a buzz of discussion arose again.

The civil officials were calculating the population, taxes, and trade revenue of each country, figuring out how much money they could make by conquering them.

The generals gathered together, pondering the strengths and weaknesses of the three kingdoms' armies, and debating what tactics to use in a real confrontation, and how to achieve the most impressive annihilation. They argued endlessly.

For a time, the Liangyi Hall was bustling with activity, like a vegetable market.

Liu Ce sat on his throne, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. He watched the ministers below discussing the matter enthusiastically without interrupting, and instead seemed to enjoy it.

After everyone had finished speaking, he coughed once, and the hall instantly fell silent.

"Did you all understand?" Liu Ce's tone was calm yet carried weight.

"The west is not some barbaric, uncivilized land. There are powerful nations there, and there are wars there. It's not something that can be pacified by simply sending in a few troops. Of course, it's not as magical as they claim."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the outside of the hall, as if it could traverse mountains and rivers to reach the distant west:

"Make a copy of this intelligence and take it back with you. The civil officials should calculate logistics and taxes, and the military officers should devise tactics and strategies. In March, when spring is in full bloom and the ice and snow have melted, we will officially launch our western expedition."

"Good!" The generals almost jumped up, their eyes shining as if they had been injected with chicken blood.

Zhang Fei slapped his thigh with a loud "smack!", his voice booming, "Finally, we can fight! I can't wait!"

"Keep your voice down!" Guan Yu glared at him again, and Zhang Fei quickly shut up, but his mouth was already stretched to his ears, and he couldn't stop laughing.

Liu Ce then went on to discuss the personnel arrangements, speaking clearly and precisely:

"The total force for this western expedition is 500, 000, including 400, 000 land troops and 100, 000 naval troops. They will advance in two routes: the land troops will head straight for Purausha and destroy its stronghold; the naval troops will advance westward along the Indian Ocean, occupying ports and controlling shipping lanes to support the land troops."

"For this western expedition, I personally led the expedition and went to the front lines."

Upon hearing this, the ministers below were stunned for a moment, and then some tried to persuade him, saying, "Your Majesty is of inestimable value, why should you personally risk being hit by arrows and stones?"

But seeing Liu Ce's eyes, everyone swallowed their words.

His Majesty has always been at the forefront of battles. From the uprising in Youzhou to the struggle for the Central Plains and the northern campaigns against the barbarians, he personally led the expeditions every time.

Advice was useless.

"Crown Prince Liu Chen will oversee the state and remain in Luoyang to handle daily government affairs." Liu Ce looked at the Crown Prince.

"Xun Yu, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui are in charge of the government. You can handle the minor matters yourself, and report the major matters to the army by express courier."