In the winter of the sixth year of the Zhenguan era, war broke out again between the Tang Dynasty and the Monkey Tribe. This time, however, the Tang Dynasty initiated the attack. Prince Li Shenfu of Xiangyi submitted a memorial requesting 200,000 troops to help suppress the rebellion and aid the White-Eyed Wolf Tribe and the Black Ape Tribe in their revenge against the Monkey Tribe. Of course, this was a pretext to avoid controversy over the court's unprovoked deployment of 200,000 troops. After all, some people were reluctant to provoke foreign enemies and had various concerns.
Fifty thousand White-Eyed Wolf Clan members, equipped with weapons and leather armor prepared by the Tang Dynasty, then stormed into the Monkey Clan's territory. Behind them were twenty thousand Black Ape Clan members. Finally, came the two hundred thousand Tang Dynasty troops. Unlike the Monkey Clan's offensive, the Tang Dynasty's advance was gradual. The White-Eyed Wolf Clan members slaughtered indiscriminately at the front, while large groups of Monkey Clan members were held back by the Black Ape Clan. As for cities, the Tang Dynasty would take care of them. The three-tiered advance proceeded steadily.
Winter is the most difficult time for the monkey tribe, as food is scarce and the weather is cold, so they prefer to stay in their tribes rather than wander around. The sudden invasion of the White-Eyed Wolf tribe caused immense damage to the monkey tribe, with many tribes being slaughtered.
"Woo woo woo!" The bugle call of the Great Tang Dynasty once again rang out in the territory of the Monkey Clan. After a thousand years, the dragon banner of the Central Plains fluttered in front of the two armies.
If the monkey tribe had memories from a thousand years ago, they would find that, just like a thousand years ago, countless crossbow bolts were once again aimed at them outside their city. The towering catapults and arrow towers were even higher than their city, forcing them to crane their necks to see them.
As the horns sounded, a rain of arrows and massive logs rained down on the city walls. The monkey tribe, never before subjected to such an attack, had no idea how to defend themselves. Instinctively, they crouched down, while those with wooden shields raised them.
The attack never stopped once it began. Arrows rained down relentlessly, just like a downpour. Thick logs fell from the sky, crashing onto the city walls and inside the city, bouncing and rolling on the ground.
A monkey knelt at the foot of the city wall, clutching its head, its body trembling, muttering prayers incessantly. How long passed—it seemed like only a moment, yet also like an eternity—became eerily quiet. The banging sounds ceased, replaced by familiar screams of agony.
The trembling monkeys carefully lowered their hands, turning to look around. They saw countless arrows embedded in the ground and the screams of their fallen comrades; not a single one remained standing. Blood flowed, banners lay fallen, a scene of utter devastation. Their minds went blank; the monkeys sat in terror beneath the city walls, completely unsure what to do.
This scene reflects the reaction of many monkeys. They were completely stunned from the start. The monkeys standing in the distance watched in horror, a pool of yellow liquid flowing under their leather skirts.
"Kill!" As the three rounds of arrows stopped, Cheng Huailiang shouted and pointed his sword forward.
"Kill!" A deafening battle cry rang out as countless tall, dark-skinned men clad in leather armor and helmets charged forward.
To get these guys used to wearing leather armor instead of being naked, they had to be beaten quite a bit. The chimpanzee tribe, who never learned their lesson, were beaten several times before they realized they couldn't take it off without orders.
Once the siege ladders were erected, the chimpanzee tribe charged onto the city wall with almost no resistance.
The city gates swung open, and Li Shenfu and Qin Mu exchanged a smile. Li Shenfu then raised his hand and waved.
The Tang soldiers, in a righteous and honorable manner, stormed into the city. This was also Qin Mu's first time personally leading a large-scale siege. Although Li Shenfu was in command, he learned a great deal. Catapults attacked first, followed by arrow volleys, then arrow towers, siege ladders, battering rams, advancing layer by layer, and in one fell swoop, they captured the city walls, and the cavalry also entered the city.
A fair and square siege, with cavalry entering the city—this meant the outcome was already decided!
In Li Shenfu's view, this was just the most conventional attack method of the Tang Dynasty, but for the monkey tribe, it was a complete dimensional reduction attack.
“As long as we have enough crossbows, these monkey tribes are no threat, no matter how many there are,” Li Shenfu said with a smile, stroking his beard.
"Uncle, rest assured, we've been preparing for half a year. Putting aside everything else, these arrows are enough for several major battles," Qin Mu said. There was no other way; Lingnan might not have much else, but it had plenty of timber. If it weren't for the shortage of feathers, he could have easily wiped out the monkey tribe with these arrows.
"Everyone knows you made a fortune last time, and this time the powerful families of Jiangnan have really gone all out to support you," Li Shenfu said with a smile.
"Money can be tempting, it's inevitable. With their help, things are much easier for us, so giving them money is no big deal." Qin Mu smiled even more happily.
The advance warning of this southward expedition had piqued the interest of the powerful families of Jiangnan, who offered substantial supplies of grain and iron. Qin Mu reciprocated by organizing merchant caravans to serve as logistical support for the army. These caravans would transport supplies and assist in battlefield cleanup. All spoils of war would be theirs to manage, and after the battle, they would be converted into cash and distributed to the soldiers. The soldiers, needing no effort in searching for loot and yet still receiving a reward, were naturally very happy to participate.
After entering the city, it was time for a celebration of victory. This time, there was no need to massacre the city; the goal was to capture prisoners, because Qin Mu wanted a large number of slaves. He believed that under the discipline of the whip, these monkeys would become more diligent.
The phrase "digging three feet into the ground" aptly describes the plundering by aristocratic families in Jiangnan. Perhaps it's simply human nature; after all, this is a world of scarcity, where nothing is worthless and everything has its purpose. Even valuable timber was dismantled from houses and loaded onto oxcarts and donkey carts.
The monkeys were strung together with ropes and led in groups towards the Tang Dynasty.
After resting, the army continued its advance. With more than half a year of preparation, the scouts had already thoroughly explored the roads and cities of the monkey tribe's territory. When it comes to war, the Tang Dynasty is the most professional.
While the White-Eyed Wolf Clan was wreaking havoc on the monkey tribes around them, Qin Mu and his men conquered city after city, sending large numbers of prisoners back to Lingnan. In the desolate, dense forest, they carved out a wide road. This road was entirely made by the footsteps of countless people. No wonder there's a saying: "There were no roads to begin with, but as more people walk on them, roads are formed."
The monkey tribe certainly wouldn't just stand by and watch the Tang Dynasty invade. Although they reacted slowly, they still organized their first large army when Qin Mu and his men captured the third city.
Unfortunately, they underestimated the strength of the Tang Dynasty. Once they formed their battle lines, the Tang's arrow volley taught them a lesson. The Heavenly Mystery Tower perfectly shielded them from the damp southern weather, leaving the bowstrings unaffected. Bows, crossbows, foot crossbows, and ballistae were unleashed in layers, without any breaks. Iron shields and long spears were difficult for even the monkey tribe to breach, not to mention the cover provided by crossbow bolts. Without a large cavalry force, in open field battle, the Tang Dynasty was invincible. The monkey tribe's 500,000-strong army suffered heavy casualties.
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