The Song army had not a dozen or a few hundred musketeers, but over a thousand.

Their movements were skillful; they loaded the bullets into the chamber, aimed, and pulled the trigger in one smooth motion.

After the first rank finished firing, the second rank immediately came up. Everyone had gone through a rigorous and rapid firing process, and their control over their aim had become extremely proficient.

The Srivijaya offensive did not completely cease due to the use of muskets and cannons, but their formation became unstable and chaotic.

The heart-wrenching screams terrified the others in Srivijaya, and they all hid below the cabin, too afraid to show themselves.

After the Song army's artillery bombarded the most concentrated force in the middle, the scattered troops on both sides finally reached the area below the Song army's warships.

Another miscalculation was that the Song army's warships were too tall and too big, taller than any ship they had ever boarded before.

The Song army's ships were a full 5 meters above the sea level, which completely shattered the worldview of the Srivijaya people!

The warships of Srivijaya were only 1 meter above the sea level. In other words, when Srivijaya soldiers stood on the side of the ship, they were still 4 meters away from the side of the Song army ship!

The walls of Srivijaya are only a little over 4 meters high, this is practically an attack on the city!

The soldiers of Srivijaya suddenly felt that life was really hard.

The iron hook was thrown up and caught on the side of the Song army's warship.

Some were shot dead before they could even be thrown up, and others were shot dead as soon as they were thrown up.

The Srivijaya army's offensive was firmly contained beneath the ships; it was impossible for them to board, as the Song army's muskets and crossbowmen were too formidable.

Seeing that the army in front of him was scattered, some fleeing, some defeated, and in complete disarray, Yili immediately ordered his men to turn around and run away.

But a cannonball came flying straight at Yili, hitting him squarely on the head, blowing his skull open and splattering his brains out.

His bodyguard was also affected; his face was covered in blood, his eyes were gone, and his entire face was a bloody mess.

The Song army's cannons continued to bombard, their resounding explosions shattering the peace of the South China Sea and stirring up a storm there.

After easily crushing the first wave of Srivijaya troops, only a small number of Srivijaya soldiers managed to escape triumphantly.

At noon, when the sun was at its strongest, Li Bao docked his warship at Srivijaya's largest port.

Li Bao led 6,000 Song soldiers ashore.

Li Guiyi served as our guide.

In fact, Li Guiyi wasn't very familiar with Sanfoqi, but he knew which things there were edible and which weren't.

Fighting in the South China Sea is different from fighting in the grasslands or the Central Plains.

Whether on the grasslands or in the Central Plains, the army's rations were always a top priority, with dedicated grain transport and supply teams guarding them. It can be said that grain was of paramount importance to the army.

However, when fighting in a place like the South China Sea, there is no need to worry too much about food.

Because of the abundant sunshine and humid climate year-round, the island has dense vegetation and abundant fruits.

There's no shortage of food; the real concern is poisonous insects and plants.

After landing, Li Bao marched towards Palembang.

News of the Song army's landing quickly reached Palembang, and King Hachi of Srivijaya was terrified.

Unexpectedly, the 15,000 men sent there were defeated by the Song army in just one encounter.

Not only that, the Song army also landed and attacked the capital.

Xia Chi glared at Zhao Yan and said angrily, "Zhao Yan, didn't you say that the Song army only had a mere three thousand men?!"

Zhao Yan trembled inwardly. He had never expected that the Song army would defeat the army of the strongest country in the South China Sea in just one encounter.

This was something he never expected.

However, he absolutely cannot admit that he has deceived them now, otherwise he will be chopped into pieces before the Song army even attacks.

"Your Majesty, profit is not worth discussing. I believe Your Majesty should personally lead the three armies north to attack the Song army that has landed!"

Xia Chi was slightly startled: A personal expedition?

He still wouldn't dare to personally lead an expedition; he had never personally led an expedition before.

What if I get shot?

Seeing Xia Chi hesitate, Zhao Yan became anxious. He couldn't just sit here and wait to die, could he?

If the Song army had actually reached the capital, the morale of the army would have collapsed long ago.

Why not take advantage of this moment and mobilize the remaining 35,000 troops to fight a decisive battle with the Song army!

Anyway, it's not his own country, nor is it his own army's morale. If he really can't win, Zhao Yan won't care. At worst, he can just run away while the war is raging.

If they can't stay in Srivijaya, they can go to Brunei. The South China Sea is so vast, there's bound to be a place for them.

"Your Majesty, your soldiers are now eager to fight, their morale is soaring, and this is the perfect time to annihilate the Song army. If you were to personally lead the expedition, the morale would surely be even higher, and the Song army would be nothing but chickens and dogs!"

"real?"

"Absolutely true!"

Xia Chi glanced at the others: "What do you think?"

The ministers and nobles all nodded in agreement.

They adopted an attitude of putting Xia Chi on the hot seat while they watched coldly from the sidelines.

Even if they win, they will still be Xia Chi's subjects.

Having lost the battle, they prepared to open the gates to welcome the esteemed Song Dynasty army.

Xia Chi nodded innocently, feeling confident that with the ministers' support, she would surely win.

Srivijaya was, after all, the dominant power in the South China Sea, and in the past, it had other countries completely subdued it.

The Song army had just embarked on a long and arduous campaign, and after the first battle, they must have been extremely exhausted.

If I were to lead the entire army to charge now, I would surely crush the Song army into dust.

Therefore, Xia Chi immediately gave the order.

Then they began to mobilize all the troops stationed in the capital.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!