"No, so far I’ve only been able to compile part of it. Some of the vassal states and tribes that submitted to us have already been annexed." Qin Mi shook his head, somewhat helplessly. Recently, his focus has been on collecting the classic books of the major vassal states near the Indochina Peninsula.

Qin Mi, despite his average strategic prowess, is widely read and well-versed in the words of the Hundred Schools of Thought. Though he can be a bit pedantic, his mind’s library of classic books is quite reliable.

"I see. Ziqiao, what do you think?" Zhang Su directly shifted the responsibility to Zhang Song.

"Inform General Zhang to make the rounds, one place at a time. Even though the Kushan have yet to deliver a declaration of war, we should still prepare in advance." Zhang Song raised his head, "After all, my Spiritual Talent tells me none of these people are good allies, whereas the Kushan could be a decent ally."

"I’ll go inform General Zhang, and I’ll accompany him as well." Li Hui thought for a moment and then spoke.

"De’ang, be cautious. The local barbarians here might not recall the authority of the Han Empire. If anything goes wrong, don’t hesitate to level them." As Huang Quan passed by Li Hui, he patted him on the shoulder, giving this advice along the way.

Li Hui nodded, "I value my life greatly, and besides, in a place like this, there’s no such thing as killing the wrong person. I won’t show any unwarranted kindness."

After Li Hui left, Ling Bao and Deng Xian came to inform Zhang Song and the others about the recent combat effectiveness issues of the soldiers. In recent days, besides drilling the army, General Yan has mainly been conducting intensive training with his troops on the Indochina Peninsula, fearing any further acclimatization issues.

Though individually, the barbarians led by Wutugu have much higher qualities than the Southern Barbarians of Meng Huo and King Mulu, and these Southern Barbarians, in individual qualities, exceed the Han Army, in terms of overall combat power, the Han Army surpasses the barbarian army, not considering the equipment advantage of the Rattan Armored Soldiers. This highlights the importance of organization and formations.

The current problematic situation is that not long ago, part of the Han troops under Yan Yan showed symptoms of acclimatization issues, but fortunately, both Meng Huo and King Mulu have herbs that can curb such ailments.

Meng Huo’s elder brother Meng Jie, in particular, is an expert in this area, using various native remedies and folk prescriptions to effectively suppress the illness spreading within the Han Army. Nevertheless, Yan Yan remains uneasy about it, fearing it might affect their combat effectiveness, hence the ongoing intensified training.

Of course, part of the reason is also to acclimate the soldiers to their Legion Talent, considering Yan Yan’s Talent Core is focused on ensuring the legion remains unbroken.

Because Yan Yan stands firm, so does the army, giving Zhang Su and the others absolute confidence that a campaign against the Kushan on the South Asian Subcontinent would be successful. In a war where the power balance is relatively close, as long as they avoid self-destruction, victory is assured. There’s nothing like victory to stabilize the morale of the army and the people.

With the wisdom of Zhang Song, Zhang Su, and others, they naturally understand the significance of an unbreakable army. There’s nothing more assuring of victory than this; an indomitable army signifies the perpetual ability to turn the tide.

Such an ability to turn the tables, under the control of these wise individuals, can readily transform into opportunities for victory.

It can be said that to deal with Yan Yan’s led army, as long as Yan Yan remains undefeated, even if the army grows exhaustively weary, the outcome remains uncertain, as long as the army doesn’t crumble, it maintains a fundamental combat capacity.

Any army capable of sustaining 50% casualties without breaking has the right to wrestle with top-tier elites in this era. Although they might lose, they would make the victory hard-won for their opponents.

"General Yan, are you also heading out?" E Huan, carrying a Great Halberd, was patrolling the camp and asked upon seeing Yan Yan preparing to march.

"Recently, the cases of acclimatization issues among the soldiers have decreased significantly. I’m planning to take some troops out for some skirmishes to assess their current state." Yan Yan spoke openly.

"Previously, General Liu’s scout cavalry discovered a tribe about forty miles south, which captured three of our scouts." E Huan remarked after some consideration.

"Alright, let’s use them for practice." Upon hearing this, Yan Yan understood E Huan’s implication. "Approximately how many people are there in this tribe?"

"The two scouts who returned estimate the tribe’s population at over four thousand, but there is more than one tribe there." E Huan waved over two soldiers, one of whom, with a pale face, had evidently lost a lot of blood.

"I’ll level that tribe. If there’s any resistance, eliminate them all." Yan Yan nodded and then pointed to the healthier-looking soldier, instructing, "Come with me to that tribe."

Yan Yan then led three thousand troops to practice combat, soon settling over a dozen tribes, determining that the Han army’s combat effectiveness had largely recovered, and the previously spreading acclimatization issues were successfully contained.

"General Zhang, how are things going over there?" A few days later, Huang Quan and others, based on various maps, replicated the topography of the entire Indochina Peninsula, thoroughly mastering the terrain.

"We’ve cleared four small Meng Clan states and several tribes. Now, the major vassal states and subordinate foreign lands plan to gather fifty thousand troops to assist and present copious treasures to plead for the Han Dynasty’s leniency." Qin Mi, mainly handling diplomacy among the states and collecting classic books, has been equally busy lately.

"Clearing four Meng Clan federations and tribes—it’s neither fast nor slow. But my main opponents aren’t these rabble. Everyone, come look at the map." Zhang Su raised his hand, summoning all the civil officials to examine the map.

"What’s the issue with the map?" Wang Lei and Cheng Ji leisurely approached.

Zhang Su didn’t seem too concerned and simply adjusted the map for the gathered civil officials.

Wang Lei and Cheng Ji examined the carefully detailed maps, complete with clear rivers and mountains, with significant positions of the Kushan army potentially marked.

"Hmm..." Being skilled in both civil and military affairs, Meng Da quickly noticed some issues on the map and looked up at Zhang Su, "Brother Jun Jiao, is there any map of this area and these few places?"

Zhang Su understood and handed over a more precise map he had prepared to Meng Da.

"Brother Jun Jiao, do you also think the opponent will choose these locations?" Meng Da asked while accepting the map.

"These locations offer a greater initial advantage. Considering this declaration of war, we’ve allowed them to choose the time and place, though they might feel humiliated, they will surely choose the battlefield that best suits them." Zhang Song’s unpleasant face bore a smile.

"Indeed, although we left the time and place to their choosing and they might find it humiliating, in reality, they’ll certainly accept and select the most favorable battlefield for them." Zhang Su pointed to his head, suggesting strategic rationale.

"The shame of language versus the disgrace of defeat—they will certainly make the most sensible choice." Huang Quan nodded confidently.

"Given that, the chance they choose this place is high." Cheng Ji pointed to the extreme southwestern limit of the Han Empire’s influence, near the vassal state of Wenga.

Zhang Su’s expression changed, then he nodded, "Indeed, geographically speaking, it’s not too disadvantageous for us, but reaching there will cost us considerable time."

"Brother Jun Jiao, you’ve overlooked it—travel time for the envoy has yet to be calculated. If the opponent agrees to battle there in a month, we might have to push hard to arrive on time." Cheng Ji remarked with a cold smirk.

"Moreover, this place naturally holds a first-move advantage. On such grounds, lacking the advantage of time, terrain, and harmony makes it likely they could secure victory in one fell swoop." Cheng Ji continued coldly.

"Possible indeed," Zhang Song acknowledged with a serious expression, "and failing to arrive would mean a loss of face, having been the ones who issued the challenge."