Chapter 523: War Elephants

On the sparse‑wooded grassland at the border of the Longda Kingdom, the morning mist had not yet cleared.

Zhu Xiongying reined in his horse and gazed at the faint horizon in the distance.

They had been marching for five consecutive days, departing from Luba City and advancing southward for more than three hundred li.

The road grew increasingly difficult, as tropical rainforest gradually gave way to sparse grassland, the trees became sparser, and the plains opened up.

"Brother, the scout has returned." Zhu Gaochi spurred his horse forward, holding a freshly compiled intelligence report.

He wore a moon‑white robe, his chubby white face showing a hint of fatigue, yet his gaze remained focused.

Zhu Xiongying took it and unfolded it.

The Longda Kingdom's main force was gathering at the border, with Kalongwa personally leading troops, and together with remnants who fled from Luba and Congo, totaling about twenty thousand men.

Their advantage lay in terrain familiarity; cavalry moved swiftly across the grassland, and they possessed several hundred war elephants, clad in iron armor, with Long Swords bound to their tusks.

"War elephants…" Zhu Xiongying handed the report to Zhu Gaochi.

"Hmm, the south excels at elephant training; in battle they let the elephants charge at the front with infantry behind. European merchants say this contraption runs rampant on European battlefields and is hard to deal with."

Zhu Gaochi scanned the report, frowned, and said, "Brother, war elephants are hard to handle; their skin is thick, musket fire won't pierce, and when they go berserk they trample even their own men."

"If one shot doesn't pierce, fire a few more; eventually a bullet will break through. No matter how thick the hide, it can't withstand a bursting round." Zhu Xiongying turned his horse toward the camp.

In the temporary Central Command Tent, several people had already assembled.

Zhu Shangbing stood before the map, Zhu Jixi crouched at the doorway polishing his sword, Zhu Gaoxu leaned on the table sketching on the map with a charcoal pencil, and Li Jinglong sat in the corner leafing through a poetry collection.

Zhu Qiongjiong leaned against a pillar, eyes closed to rest, the Wolf Fang Club resting beside him, its head polished to a gleam.

"Everyone's here, let's convene." Zhu Xiongying entered and stopped in front of the map.

"The Longda Kingdom's war elephants, several hundred, clad in iron armor with Long Swords bound to their tusks, are hard to stop head‑on, but they fear fire and loud noises; when our artillery roars, they'll be startled and will scatter on their own."

Zhu Shangbing nodded, "Brother is right; back then the Timur Empire also used war elephants, and they were scattered by Second Uncle's artillery with a single blast."

"So tomorrow we'll start with bombardment, shattering their elephant Formation, then let the cavalry charge, infantry follow, and capture their capital in one swift push."

"What if the war elephants charge?" Zhu Gaoxu looked up.

"Step aside, don't block them. You can't stop a charging elephant, but they're not agile in turning; give them a clear front and strike from the side."

Zhu Gaoxu nodded thoughtfully and continued marking the map.

Zhu Qiongjiong opened his eyes, lifted the Wolf Fang Club from the ground; its head glimmered iron‑gray in the candlelight.

"Brother, I'll lead the vanguard."

Zhu Xiongying looked at his younger cousin.

The twenty‑one‑year‑old youth, broad‑shouldered and massive, stood like a blade drawn from its sheath.

"Alright, you lead the vanguard; watch out for the war elephants."

At dawn the next day, before sunrise, the army began forming ranks.

Fifty thousand Longxiang Army arrayed on the Longda Kingdom's border grassland, five hundred mortars lined up in a row, their barrels aimed southward.

The iron armor glimmered coldly in the morning light, Flintlock Guns brushed upward toward the sky, bayonets flashed coldly in the mist.

The Longda troops' Formation appeared on the horizon.

A looming black mass rolled in from the south; at the front were several hundred war elephants, clad in iron armor, Long Swords bound to their tusks, flashing coldly in the dawn.

Each elephant bore three soldiers on its back: one elephant driver and two archers.

Behind the elephants were infantry, about ten thousand strong, wielding long spears and curved swords.

The two wings comprised cavalry, roughly three to five thousand riders, modestly equipped but with high morale.

"War elephants…" Zhu Shangbing spurred his horse forward, squinting for a moment.

Zhu Xiongying said nothing, raised his right saber, and ordered, "Fire."

The five hundred mortars fired simultaneously. Shells tore through the morning mist, trailing long tails, striking the Longda troops' Formation.

"Boom—boom—boom…"

The explosions rose and fell, severed limbs soaring into the air.

The war elephants were startled.

The massive beasts had never seen such a display; shells detonated beside them, fire leapt skyward, the deafening roar shook the ears. The leading elephants turned and fled, crashing into the rear infantry formation, trampling countless men to death and injury.

The ones behind, unaware of what had occurred ahead, also fled.

Hundreds of war elephants rampaged through the Longda Formation, scattering infantry into disarray and throwing cavalry into a state where men were thrown and horses overturned.

"Longxiang Army, charge with me."

Zhu Qiongjiong gave his horse a sharp push and the warhorse surged forward.

The fifty thousand troops followed closely, their hooves thundering.

Zhu Qiongjiong charged at the forefront, wielding the Wolf Fang Club in both hands.

He circled the panicked elephants and plunged straight into the Longda troops' central army.

A few Longda cavalry rushed forward, spears thrust toward his chest; he smashed one with his club, breaking the shaft, then struck the horse's head, causing the warhorse to whinny and collapse, the rider flung away, his neck broken.

Behind him, the fifty thousand troops surged along his path into the Longda Formation, Flintlock Guns firing in unison, sabers slashing.

The Longda cavalry were no match at close range; curved swords struck their plate armor without leaving a mark, and each Flintlock Gun shot killed outright.

The infantry fared even worse, lacking elephants to shield them; facing the iron‑armored cavalry's charge felt like paper against a blade.

Kalongwa stood before the Central Command Tent, watching the tide of iron‑black surge forward, his complexion ashen.

He had fought his whole life, yet had never seen an army like this. Arrows failed to kill, swords could not cut, and their charge moved like a rolling steel wall.

Even the war elephants could not halt them.

"Retreat, hurry!" he turned his horse and fled southward.

The Marshal flag fell, and the central camp fell into chaos.

Zhu Qiongjiong surged forward, smashing the Longda Kingdom's Marshal flag with a single swing.

The red‑background, golden‑lion banner fell with a thundering crash, trampled into the mud by horse hooves.

Ka Long Jia fled less than half a li, only to have his path blocked by a squad of Longxiang Army cavalry.

He halted his horse, stared at the iron‑clad soldiers, and let the curved blade in his hand drop to the ground.

"Surrender, I surrender."

Zhu QiongJiong rode forward, looking down at him from a higher position.

By evening, the battlefield had been cleared.

Over ten thousand prisoners were taken, more than a hundred war elephants captured, and several thousand war horses seized.

The royal city of the Longda Kingdom fell, the state treasury's gold piled into a small hill, and diamonds were packed into dozens of boxes.

Zhu Xiongying stood on the palace steps of Ka Long Jia, watching the Longda nobles kneeling on the ground.

Ka Long Jia, bound with elaborate ropes, knelt on the ground, his complexion ashen, his lips trembling.

"Take him down, lock him up, and later imprison him together with Man Sa Mu Sa and the others."

When Ka Long Jia was being led away, his legs were shaking.

Zhu Xiongying turned around, gazing at the southern horizon.

There, the direction of Southern Africa, the direction of the Cape of Good Hope.

"Brother, Longda has fallen, the gateway to Southern Africa is open." Zhu QiongJiong stepped forward.

"Send the order: the whole army rests for three days, then proceeds south after three days."

When the news of Longda Kingdom's destruction reached Lu Ba, Zhu Gaochi was tallying copper mine output.

Lu Ba's copper mines were far larger than expected, the ore grade high, capable of producing several million jin of copper per year.

These copper shipments back to Great Ming could make how many electric wires, how many copper coins.

"Gaochi, a letter arrived from Brother." Zhu JiXi entered from outside.

Zhu Gaochi took the letter and unfolded it.

Longda has fallen, the gateway to Southern Africa is open, and the next step is to push southward, targeting the Zambezi River.

The Zambezi River, Southern Africa's largest river, flows from west to east into the Indian Ocean.

Beyond the Zambezi River lies the fertile Gold Plateau.

"Gaochi, how far is the Zambezi River?" Zhu JiXi leaned in to read the letter.

"From Longda heading south, about eight hundred li." Zhu Gaochi pointed to the Zambezi River's location on the map.

Eight hundred li isn't far, but the route passes through several deserts and marshes, making supply lines hard to maintain.

"Send the order: mobilize ten thousand troops from Lu Ba, escort Grain and Fodder southward, and establish a supply depot on the north bank of the Zambezi River."

The army advanced south along the Zambezi River valley; the path grew increasingly difficult, the valley filled with scrub and vines, and the ground beneath soft sand.

The war horses trudged slowly, and the men likewise.

"Brother, a gold mine was discovered ahead." Zhu Shangbing rode back from the front, excitement on his face.

Zhu Xiongying halted his horse.

The gold mine—gold is the one thing Southern Africa never lacks.

"How big?"

"Very large, open‑pit; once the surface is removed it's pure gold. The local black workers use the most primitive methods, yet can still extract a fair amount each year."

Zhu Xiongying thought for a moment, then said, "Leave the gold mine for now, open it after the war; first mark it on the map."

Zhu Shangbing answered with a nod, turned, and left.