Chapter 1024: Light, Light, Light

On the battered Endeavour.

Luojinsi was still sitting on the deck; he, who had always been gentlemanly and dashing, was now utterly dejected.

Many days had already passed...

He had remained in this state the entire time.

Luoweier, as his old friend, did not know how to console him either.

He held a wine flask in his hand and passed it to Luojinsi.

Luojinsi was stunned for a moment; he had never drunk alcohol in order to maintain his composure, but at this moment, he picked up the flask and gulped it down, only to be fiercely choked by it.

"Hahahaha!"

Luoweier laughed heartily, patting Luojinsi on the back: "How is this whiskey? Is it strong enough? Hahahaha! I say, Luojinsi, isn't it just one lost battle? Even Lieutenant General Nalsun has failed before! Why are you so downcast? This is not the Luojinsi I know!"

Luojinsi drank this first drop of alcohol in his life, followed by a bitter smile, and shook his head with eyes almost devoid of spirit.

"Luoweier, you don't understand, you don't understand... They are too strong, they are too strong!"

"Do you know?"

"If there is finally a country in this world that can contend with our British Empire, it must be Longyan, it must be Longyan!"

Luojinsi went mad again.

Only this time, there was no longer fanaticism in his eyes, but despair.

Luoweier also fell into silence.

Yes.

Too strong.

He had witnessed the entire war firsthand from the sidelines. The once extremely powerful British army had almost no power to resist.

Like a hot knife through butter.

And...

More importantly.

This defeat meant that the entire plan for Britain to colonize Australia had completely fallen through. Not only that, but they had lost eighty thousand British troops and a massive amount of wealth... He did not know how those fellows in Parliament would judge them once they returned to London.

Especially Luojinsi.

He was the commander in charge of Australian affairs.

What awaited him would surely be the verdict of a British military tribunal.

Of course.

If these were not important enough, then what was more important...

Would be how heavy a blow to confidence this defeat would bring to Britain?

Luoweier suddenly felt a sense of anticipation.

If those councilors who only had eyes for profit learned of this defeat at Daxi, what kind of expressions would they have? Shock? Disbelief? Despair?

He suddenly felt that things were becoming interesting.

Li Yun had been having a headache recently.

He even began to doubt whether his hardline policy toward Wa was wrong. He had even started to admire the character of these Wa people. The tougher he was, the more they were able to fight. The "hot knife through butter" victory Li Yun had anticipated had hit a reef under the desperate, suicidal resistance of the Wa people led by Tokugawa Ienari.

Suicidal.

Using "suicidal" to describe the Wa people at this time was not an exaggeration at all.

All kinds of guerrilla squads, all kinds of annoying tactics, all kinds of human bombs, all kinds of human torches... This gave the Nanyang Army a massive headache. Under the leadership of Tokugawa Ienari, the Wa people used their familiarity with the terrain of Wa and every advantage they could exploit to block the advance of the Nanyang Army.

The effect was very obvious.

These Wa people were willing to fight you to the death even when they knew they would certainly die.

Even if it took five of them to trade for one Nanyang soldier, they were perfectly willing.

Like this...

Who could win?

"Exploded!"

"It exploded again!"

"Great General, it exploded again!"

Just at this moment,

News came that another cannon warehouse had been ambushed and blown up by local Wa people.

Li Yun took a deep breath, his face full of gloom: "Why was the security not carried out according to my instructions! Why! If this continues, how many of our cannons will be left? How many!"

He was almost about to roar.

The Scout who came to report looked miserable: "General, we had just accepted the surrender of a few old people, so, so..."

"Bang!"

Li Yun was so angry that he slammed the table fiercely.

"Old people again, old people again! I have said countless times, these old people must be watched carefully, watched carefully!"

He was about to be angered to death.

Because the recent series of ambush activities were almost all carried out by old people, women, and even children...

This was what he could not tolerate!

These detestable Wa people!

Their Nanyang Army had always treated such captives—old people, women, and children—with leniency. But they, but they...

"General, we must think of a Method."

"General... why don't we simply stop taking prisoners?"

"General..."

A group of deputy generals offered their suggestions.

Li Yun gave a cold laugh: "Do you think if you don't take them, they won't cause trouble for you? Hmm?"

The group of people fell silent.

But if things continued this way, it really wasn't a Method... Wa was also very large; if they encountered such sneak attacks everywhere they went, what could even the largest Nanyang Army do? In reality, they were already bogged down deep in the mire; if the war continued to develop as it was now, not only would they be unable to conquer Wa, but even retreating unscathed would likely be problematic.

Tokugawa Ienari was indeed not that simple.

A Method had to be found.

Clearly, his side held the advantage.

But now...

Li Yun was also a Great General, a famous general.

If he could not take Wa under such advantageous conditions, he would become a laughingstock to the world.

Just at this moment.

Suddenly, the sound of rapid hoofbeats rang out from outside.

Li Yun turned his head abruptly.

He saw a general dressed in the military uniform of the Li Dynasty arrive at his tent.

"General Li?"

"General Li!"

The person who had come was none other than the most favored young general in the Li Dynasty today, Li Zheng!

When Liu Zheng was in the Li Dynasty, Li Zheng's presence was not very strong because he had always stayed by Li Xuanya's side, vowing to protect Li Xuanya for a lifetime; when Liu Zheng and Queen Li Xuanya traveled south, he had also been protecting Li Xuanya the entire time.

But when Li Xuanya became the Chief Minister of the Li Dynasty, she naturally worked in the Capital all the time and no longer needed Li Zheng to protect her with such dedication. She had sent this trusted aide of hers out to be a general leading an army, and he had directly participated in this partition of Wa.

Therefore.

Li Zheng was representing the Li Dynasty.

Seeing Li Zheng, Li Yun frowned slightly. He had no good impression of this young general who had never led an army on his own.

Who would have known.

As soon as Li Zheng walked in, he chuckled and said: "I heard the Great General is still hesitating, so Li Zheng has come to offer a strategy."

Li Yun felt contempt in his heart but maintained a smile on his face: "Please speak, General Li."

A look of ruthlessness flashed in Li Zheng's eyes as he continued: "This was what Vice Minister Liu instructed me when the Li Dynasty traveled south..."

"Oh?"

The group of people looked at each other in dismay.

Who wouldn't know the great name of Vice Minister Liu?

Li Yun could look down on Li Zheng, but he could not ignore Vice Minister Liu.

Li Zheng chuckled: "At that time, Vice Minister Liu told me that to deal with Wa, there is only one Method,"

"and that is: kill, burn, and loot!"

"Gasp, gasp, gasp!"

Everyone drew a sharp breath. Pop-ups are frequent recently, please click to download to avoid pop-ups.