Qin Hui and Hou Shijie went on a killing spree on Guangnan West Road, leaving countless heads rolling and showing no mercy.

Those officials who were usually so witty and refined in the government offices now had their heads neatly arranged and hung on the city tower, staring wide-eyed at the front.

This massive purge came very quickly and ended very quickly as well.

By early June, all military supplies had successfully arrived in the southwest, including new equipment for the Song army, such as thunderclap bombs, improved crossbows, catapults, and siege ladders.

Moreover, the equipment prepared by the Dali Kingdom for tropical warfare was also transported to Guangnan West Road.

Zong Ze quickly pushed the Song army camp to Siming Prefecture and set up camp there.

A large number of spies began to cross the border between the Song Dynasty and Jiaozhi and infiltrate Jiaozhi.

Soon, news came that the voices of the peace faction within Jiaozhi (Vietnam) were growing louder.

However, there were also the most steadfast advocates of war, but these advocates did not want to gather another large army to march north into the Song Dynasty.

The 100,000-strong army was gone just like that. Now even the pro-war faction of the Ly Dynasty in Jiaozhi realized that the Song army was no longer what it used to be.

However, they remained steadfast in their determination to fight and refused to surrender. Their confidence stemmed from the fact that the country of Cochinchina was located in the tropics, with a humid climate and a high concentration of poisonous insects and miasma.

If you're not someone who lives here year-round, you're bound to get sick if you come from the north, especially someone who's used to a life of luxury in the prosperous Central Plains.

Emperor Shenzong once led an army of 300,000 south to Jiaozhi, and originally won a great victory over the Jiaozhi army in the Battle of Fuliang River.

King Injong of the Joseon Dynasty was forced to surrender and negotiate peace.

Originally, Emperor Shenzong of Song and Wang Anshi intended to completely recover the former territory of Jiaozhi, but this was because more than half of the army was sick.

Therefore, the Song army had no choice but to agree to the peace talks and withdraw completely from Jiaozhi.

And that was the end of it.

Having learned from past experiences, Jiaozhi was naturally not afraid of the Song army pressing in.

Zhenla was a powerful kingdom in the southwest, and Zhenla is the legendary Angkor Dynasty.

The Zhenla Kingdom was at its peak of power, but it was frequently at war with Jiaozhi in the north, and was also harassed by Champa in the southeast, and had to deal with Pagan (present-day Myanmar).

As Jiaozhi grew increasingly powerful, Zhenla faced immense pressure on its northern border. Therefore, Zhenla negotiated peace with Jiaozhi in the north, paying annual tribute, similar to the relationship between the Song Dynasty and the Liao Dynasty.

When Jiaozhi invaded the southwest of the Song Dynasty, Zhenla also gave Jiaozhi a portion of its troops.

When Zong Ze submitted his memorial to the central government and the emperor, he explained his strategy for attacking Jiaozhi: win over Zhenla, unite with Champa, and destroy Jiaozhi!

This strategy received the support and affirmation of Zhao Huan and Zhong Shidao. Zhong Shidao advised Zhao Huan that, in order to prevent Zhenla and Champa from developing the idea that if one of them were to fall, the other would be in danger, the envoys sent to Zhenla and Champa must tell them that the Song Dynasty was attacking Jiaozhi because of its tyranny, not because it wanted to destroy the country.

After "rectifying" the foundation of Jiaozhi's state, the Song Dynasty naturally supported the succession of a virtuous and respected monarch.

Jiaozhi, relying on its growing national strength, had long begun to expand its power. In recent years, Zhenla and Champa had outwardly compromised with Jiaozhi, but in fact, they had been accumulating strength.

This was the perfect opportunity for the Song Dynasty to unite with these two countries and annex Jiaozhi.

After dealing with the matter of the Imperial Guards of Guangnan West Road, Qin Hui led a hundred-man team on a mission to Zhenla overnight.

He entered Dali first, and the Dali King Duan Zhengyan immediately added another army, disguising them all as merchants traveling south from Dali, and they traveled south unimpeded with Dali's documents.

Duan Zhengyan's straightforward attitude once again proves that only a strong nation can have diplomacy!

It's hot and humid!

This was Qin Hui's biggest impression after entering Zhenla. The trees in the reasonable tropical rainforest were thick enough for several adults to hug, and the leaves were as big as a human face. The vines on the trees were intertwined, some hanging down and growing back into the soil.

The rainforest is teeming with wild animals. If it weren't for the experienced hunters in Duan Zhengyan's group, Qin Hui and his men would have long since become prey for the beasts.

That's not all. After heading south, Qin Hui began to experience intense itching and developed numerous red rashes. The Song soldiers traveling with him also experienced similar symptoms, accompanied by dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.

It was Duan Zhengyan who prepared a special bitter tea for them to remove dampness and toxins, which enabled them to recover quickly.

They also prepared special herbs to repel mosquitoes and venomous snakes for them to apply to their bodies.

Compared to Qin Hui, Zhang Jun, who was sent as an envoy to Champa, was much better. He traveled directly by land and sea, heading south to Champa.

Champa has always had close trade relations with the Song Dynasty, so it is very familiar with and friendly to the Song people.

Zhang Jun met a Champa nobleman as a merchant from the Song Dynasty. He presented the nobleman with a cartload of fine silk and soon after met the King of Champa.

When it comes to Champa, the relationship between the Song Dynasty and Champa went far beyond just trade.

Champa rice was introduced to the Song Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Zhenzong and was widely cultivated in the south and the Huai River region, greatly increasing the Song Dynasty's grain production.

Champa and Jiaozhi were sworn enemies.

For centuries, the war between the two sides has never stopped.

Jiaozhi was more powerful than Champa, and Champa was in danger of being destroyed at any time.

For example, more than fifty years ago, the king of Champa was captured by the general Li Changjie of Jiaozhi.

The current Champa king, Jaya Indravarman, was also defeated by Li Changjie more than twenty years ago.

Therefore, Champa deeply hated Jiaozhi.

Despite their hatred, Jiaozhi was stronger than Champa. When Jiaozhi invaded Song and asked Champa for troops, Champa had no choice but to obediently provide them.

Upon meeting Jaya Indravarman, Zhang Jun revealed his identity.

"So it is an imperial envoy who has arrived. Our country has failed to welcome him from afar. We apologize for our rudeness."

King Jayaindravarman of Champa was outwardly polite, but he seemed somewhat alarmed by Zhang Jun's arrival.

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