Duan Zhengyan respectfully replied, "The Holy Emperor shines as brightly as the sun and moon, and cares deeply for all living beings. How could I, the humble king, not share the Holy Emperor's burdens? I will obey the Holy Emperor's every command!"

The Prime Minister, Gao Liangcheng, also said, "We all obey the Emperor's orders! However, small countries and tribes are in turmoil, and their soldiers are few and far between. We are afraid they are not enough to help the court quell the rebellion."

Gao Liangcheng was telling the truth. In the first year of the Jingkang era, which was last May, all thirty-seven tribes of Dali rebelled, and the rebel army even stormed the capital.

If it weren't for Gao's military campaign against the rebellion, Duan's kingdom would have been in grave danger.

The Duan family also sought help from the imperial court, but Zhao Huan was then leading a large army in Hedong in a life-or-death struggle with the Jin invaders, and the imperial guards in the south were corrupt and could not possibly help Dali quell the internal strife.

Although Gao Liangcheng was young, he was brave and resourceful. He once personally led a large army to quell the rebellion and stabilize the situation.

At this time, the Dali Kingdom was still embroiled in war, so how could it spare many troops to help the imperial court conquer Jiaozhi?

Zhang Jun said, "It's alright, your country only needs to send five thousand soldiers!"

Gao Liangcheng immediately understood Zhang Jun's meaning. The Song Dynasty was rich and powerful, and its new army was invincible. Even the powerful Jin invaders were defeated by the Song Dynasty's iron army. In terms of military strength, it did not need Dali's help in the campaign against the mere Jiaozhi Kingdom.

What Dali really needs to help with is the Dali Kingdom army's experience in warfare in jungles and wetlands.

After all, the Song army came from the north, and no matter how strong their fighting power was, they might not be able to truly exert their full combat effectiveness once they entered the jungles of the southwest.

For example, during the Chongning era, the war between the Song Dynasty and Jiaozhi was forced to end because the Song army was not accustomed to the local climate and water conditions.

The Dali Kingdom, located in the southwest, was very familiar with the poisonous insects, miasma, and swamps of the primeval jungle.

Rather than asking the Dali Kingdom to send troops to attack Jiaozhi, it would be more accurate to say that the Dali Kingdom was to send troops to help the Song Dynasty familiarize itself with the tropical jungle.

P.S.: Still asking for recommendation votes!

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