"I hope everything is alright!" Li Shimin said, suppressing his worries. Although he was worried about Li Ke and Lingnan, he had many other things to attend to.
Qin Mu was unaware of what was happening in Chang'an, or even in Jiangnan. He was leading his troops to rescue the Sun family.
Yazhou was originally isolated overseas, but who knew that a new continent would appear, completely connecting Yazhou with the mainland. The key issue is that a large number of monsters have emerged.
Yazhou has changed dramatically. A mountain range rises from low to high, encircling the area, with the lowest point being Yazhou itself. This terrain is not unusual. Qin Mu knew that whether it's a continent or an island, there's always one high side and one low side. Generally speaking, the side facing the greatest danger is the highest.
For example, in North and South America, facing the western Pacific Ocean, there are continuous mountain ranges; while in China, the mountains are to the west, almost completely separating the two regions. In the northwest, three mountain ranges enclose two large basins. This is the wonder of nature, naturally protecting the land.
"What are these things? How come they all have such big holes in their chests? They're all like this, it's natural!" Cheng Huailiang exclaimed.
Outside the city! There were 20,000 people lined up in formation. They were called people because they looked like humans and were about the same height, except that there was a fist-sized hole in their chests, which looked extremely strange.
"That's what we've seen so far. After the earthquake, the ground suddenly appeared, and our people went to investigate and discovered them. Then these people launched an attack. As you know, our Sun family has limited troops, so we had to retreat into the city and wait for rescue," Sun Hu explained.
"It's alright, our army has come here to have a go at these guys," Yuchi Baoqing said confidently.
"Gentlemen, do not be careless. These people are very strong. Even an ordinary soldier has cultivated bloodthirsty energy. If it weren't for the city's ample weaponry, we wouldn't have been able to hold out even for one wave," said Sun Yi, the head of the Sun family, solemnly.
"So strong!" Qin Mu's expression also turned serious.
This is a matter of probability. If ordinary soldiers possess bloodthirsty aura, then the elite troops and generals must be even stronger. Thinking of the legendary ancient times when everyone was far more powerful, Qin Mu's heart grew serious.
"Listen to Patriarch Sun, don't be careless. I don't want to take your corpses back with me," Qin Mu said, glaring at the group.
“Okay, I’ll pass on the order right away,” Cheng Huailiang nodded.
"I never imagined that the Kingdom of Pierced Chests really existed!" Qin Mu said thoughtfully.
"The Kingdom of Pierced Chests?" Sun Yi asked, looking at Qin Mu.
For some unknown reason, the Classic of Mountains and Seas has not been passed down in this world, or perhaps it has been lost.
“There is a record in an ancient book that these are the people of the Pierced-Chest Kingdom, also known as the Undying Clan, because their hearts are not in the same place as those of humans,” Qin Mu said thoughtfully.
"This news is very important. Pass down the order: behead as many people as possible! Don't habitually attack the chest," Sun Yi instructed.
"Yes, sir!" A guard clasped his hands in a fist salute and retreated.
"Woo! Woo! Woo!" The horn sounded, and the Pierced-Chest Tribe, holding shields and carrying siege ladders, launched a charge forward.
"Your Highness! I beg you!" Sun Yi said solemnly, clasping his hands in a fist salute.
"Yes." Qin Mu did not refuse and nodded solemnly.
"Beat the drums!" Qin Mu shouted, then stepped forward and stood in the most conspicuous position on the city tower.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" The war drums sounded.
"Prepare!"
"Prepare!" Generals shouted orders repeatedly.
"Raise your shields!" Qin Mu ordered again, looking at the weapon held by the man with the pierced chest. He preferred his soldiers to use javelins, so he was naturally very familiar with them.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!" A large number of javelins were hurled at the city wall.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" The javelins were blocked by the iron shields. The shields used by the Tang infantry were large iron shields, half a person's height, with a fine iron exterior and a wooden interior. They were both lightweight and sturdy, and ranged weapons generally couldn't penetrate them. Unless it was a ballista, although the javelins were powerful and heavy, they were not made of fine iron and therefore didn't pose much of a threat.
Of course, the Tang Dynasty would not stand idly by and take a beating. They immediately retaliated with arrows, while shields moved aside and ballistae were also fired.
Qin Mu's expression changed slightly. He realized that the Piercing Chest Clan was indeed formidable; the arrows he fired had little effect. Fortunately, the ballista was still as powerful as ever, and a single arrow could take many lives.
"Attack with catapults!" Qin Mu unleashed a burst of spiritual energy, knocking away the javelins, and gave the order again.
Although called a catapult, it actually launched wood, mainly because stone was hard to find, while wood was readily available. The catapults used in Lingnan differed from those in other regions, featuring elongated levers and a long rope tying a leather piece to them. These catapults were simple to make, yet their power was in no way inferior to traditional Tang Dynasty catapults; in fact, they were arguably more powerful and could launch the projectiles from a greater distance!
Although Qin Mu did not know how to make a catapult, he had seen the appearance of those machines in movies and TV shows. As long as he drew the outline, the Mohists could naturally make it.
Huge logs rained down from the sky, their power no less than that of stones. The chest-piercing tribesmen were also unable to withstand them and were knocked to the ground.
Braving a hail of arrows, the Pierced-Chest tribe erected siege ladders and charged up the ladders towards the city walls.
"Kill!" At the general's command, the soldiers with swords stepped forward and swung their blades down.
Cheng Huailiang and the others didn't sit idle either; they grabbed their weapons and rushed forward.
The battle cries continued unabated. The Tang forces, numerous and powerful, gave the Pierced-Chest Clan no chance. None of those who reached the city walls expanded their gains. Even their skilled fighters were quickly surrounded and killed.
"Woo-woo! Woo-woo!" A sharp horn blast rang out, and the Pierced Chest Clan retreated like a tide, leaving behind a ground littered with corpses and the screams and wails of their clansmen.
"The Pierced Chest Clan is truly formidable! They have so many experts!" Sun Yi exclaimed as he watched the Pierced Chest Clan retreat.
"They're not without their flaws either!" Qin Mu said, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Oh! What are the drawbacks?" Sun Yi asked excitedly.
"The Pierced-Chest Clan is isolated in a separate world, and their technology hasn't developed much," Qin Mu explained.
"science and technology?"
"It's siege equipment! Look at their weapons and armor, although they're well-made, they're still made of bronze. For a large army attacking a city, besides siege ladders, they don't have any other siege equipment. I don't believe they didn't bring them, so there's only one possibility! They simply don't know how to make them." Qin Mu walked to the side, picked up a sword from the ground, and gestured to the crowd.
"Really!" Cheng Huailiang said excitedly.
"That's great!" Sun Yisong exclaimed in one breath. He had been under a lot of pressure these days, fearing that he would not be able to withstand the attack and the entire Sun family would be wiped out.
"The Piercing Chest Clan suffered a significant loss and shouldn't invade again anytime soon. Use this time to focus on forging weapons, especially ballistae and catapults. Also, send more people to investigate the newly appeared land and find out what's going on," Qin Mu said.
“Your Excellency’s words are reasonable. The Sun family will do its best to cooperate. Now the situation has changed. The Sun family cannot hold Yazhou. I request Your Excellency to take full control! The entire Sun family shall obey your orders.” Sun Yi said solemnly.
"Yes, the situation here is indeed not optimistic. Let's gradually evacuate the civilians who are unable to fight to Lingnan! Luofu Prefecture can accommodate a large number of people," Qin Mu agreed.
"Alas! Hundreds of years of family business have been ruined in my hands. I have truly failed my ancestors," Sun Yi said dejectedly.
“Patriarch Sun, there’s no need for that. Yazhou is nice, but it’s isolated overseas and far inferior to the mainland. Relocating the Sun family to Lingnan might actually be a good thing,” Qin Mu comforted him.
"Perhaps!" Sun Yi said with some melancholy. Although Yazhou was only a single city, it represented the culmination of generations of effort by the Sun family, and giving it up was naturally extremely difficult.
"Putting aside everything else, trade will be much more convenient over land. After this period, we can cooperate again and take it to the next level. It's not impossible."
"I'll have to rely on you a lot, Your Highness!" Hearing Qin Mu's hint, Sun Yi breathed a sigh of relief and forced a smile.
"We're all friends, so helping each other out is only natural."
"Hmm!" Sun Yi didn't say much, he didn't need to express his gratitude, he just nodded emphatically.
The Pierced-Chest Clan retreated temporarily because they knew this was a tough nut to crack, and they would be much better prepared next time. Having previously lived in a small world, they couldn't help but be tempted by the sudden discovery of a much wider realm.
While the Guanxiong tribe was preparing, Qin Mu and his group were naturally not idle either. On one hand, they arranged for people to gather information, and on the other hand, they transported a large amount of supplies from Lingnan. At the same time, they evacuated the island's inhabitants. Fortunately, spring plowing had not yet begun, so the losses were not significant.
Qin Mu and the others noticed the changes in spiritual energy. They were initially happy, but after learning another piece of news, their happiness vanished.
The exact number of the Pierced-Chest tribe is still unclear, but scouts have discovered a city—a sizable city. Judging from its size, that city likely has several hundred thousand inhabitants.
The key point is that the scouts discovered another race. They had white hair, red eyes, bird beaks, and wings; this was also recorded in the Classic of Mountains and Seas—the Kingdom of the Feathered People.
While the wolf and monkey tribes don't seem much different from humans, the pierced-chest tribe and the winged human tribe are completely different. The former has holes in their bodies, and the latter hardly resembles a human at all.
Upon learning of this situation, Qin Mu immediately mobilized reinforcements again. Fifty thousand elite troops plus ten thousand Black Apes were all sent to the island. With ten thousand soldiers from the Sun family and ten thousand civilians for logistics, a total of eighty thousand people were deployed to defend the city.
Giving up is out of the question. Putting everything else aside, just holding this position will prevent those here from entering Lingnan, and that alone is worthwhile. Not only that, Feng Ang has also deployed 50,000 troops to garrison Luofu Prefecture, ready to cross the sea to provide support at any time.
Before he could even ascertain the situation domestically, Li Shimin received an urgent battle report and plea for help from Lingnan. Only then did he learn that fighting had already broken out there!
"My dear ministers, this is the situation. What are your thoughts?" Li Shimin asked, frowning. He had been looking worried and hadn't smiled for a while.
“Support is definitely necessary, but the problem is that large islands have appeared in the Jiangnan region, not far from the shore, and small boats can cross them. The situation on those islands is unclear, so the Jiangnan troops not only cannot move, but should be reinforced! Otherwise, if something goes wrong in Jiangnan, the impact will be even greater,” Yu Shinan said.
"The letter says that the enemy has many experts, but their numbers are unknown. Why not send a few experts to support us, preferably generals who are in command? After all, the Prince Consort is young, and if there is any mistake, we might lose the important place of Yazhou," Wang Gui suggested.
"What do you think, Lord Wei?" Li Shimin asked calmly. For any important decision, he would consult several people and ultimately choose the best opinion. He believed this would minimize the chance of making mistakes, and even if a mistake was made, the loss wouldn't be too great.
"Looking at the various battles fought by the Prince Consort, he has always been brave and resourceful, planning carefully before acting, with clear thinking and decisive action. I believe there is no need to appoint another commander! Your Majesty can divide the Tang Navy into two parts: one part can be stationed in Jiangzhe to assist Lingnan; the other part can go north to protect Shandong and Hebei," Li Jing said, bowing.
“Your words are reasonable, my lord. Enemies at sea will eventually have to cross the sea to set foot on land. With the navy as the first line of defense, there is no need to worry about the coastal areas for the time being,” Li Shimin agreed. This was also the best solution they had come up with so far.
"Your Majesty! The number of potential enemies overseas is increasing, and the navy's warships are limited. We may not be able to be on guard at all times. We need to increase both the number of ships and the number of sailors!" Qin Wenben reminded him.
When it came to expenses, Li Shimin felt a headache coming on. Reinforcing the army was inevitable, as were acquiring weapons; both required money, and the national treasury was being drained away like water. Li Shimin had repeatedly lamented that it was fortunate Lingnan had brought in a large amount of gold and silver, giving him some peace of mind.
"How much do we need? Make a plan as soon as possible," Li Shimin said, rubbing his forehead.
"Your Majesty! There are still a large number of ships in Lingnan. Although they are not warships, they are quite large and can be equipped with a navy to fight. Why not set up another navy in Lingnan? The people in the south are familiar with water and there is no shortage of sailors. In this way, Lingnan will not need to set up a separate navy, and it can also support Jiangnan," Du Ruhui suggested.
Li Shimin always took Du Ruhui's suggestion very seriously, and after a little thought, he agreed.
"Your words are excellent, but who should be appointed as the naval commander?"
No one responded to Li Shimin's words. Personnel decisions were, of course, his to make. If it were any other ruler, ministers might have recommended their own faction. But those familiar with him knew that Li Shimin was an autocratic monarch. Even his ability to listen to advice couldn't mask his inherent autocracy and the powerful ideology of "those who obey me prosper, those who oppose me perish."
"I recommend Liu Hongji, the Duke of Kui and commander of the Bad People, to serve as the Admiral of the Lingnan Navy." Seeing Li Shimin's gaze fall on him, Li Jing knew he couldn't avoid it and had no choice but to step forward and say.
Liu Hongji was someone Li Shimin trusted, and he also had a good relationship with Qin Mu. At least his son was still in Lingnan, so sending him would not only reduce Qin Mu's discomfort and avoid conflict, but also put Li Shimin at ease. Therefore, Li Shimin agreed to this suggestion. In any case, Liu Hongji's position as the commander of the Bad People was becoming increasingly unimportant; the Six Doors could completely replace the Bad People's duties.
"Perhaps we could merge the Bad People into the Six Doors. No, no, let the Crown Prince go and gain some experience! He can also witness the hardships of ordinary people."
“Born in the deep palace and raised by women, I have never experienced the worries and anxieties of life. This is a bad thing. Now that the world has changed so much, I am afraid that a ruler who only knows how to maintain the status quo is not capable of becoming the next emperor.” Li Shimin kept thinking to himself. He had worked hard for the country.
70
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