In front of so many people, of course, I couldn't call her Shu Yao. I had to abide by the rules and maintain my clasped fist salute, saying, "It is this humble minister's negligence. I forgot to teach the Divine Machine Camp battle tactics."
"Battle tactics? With such advanced weaponry, what need is there for tactics?" Little Yama King asked with a laugh, but she quickly reacted, her face darkening, "Harry lost?"
So the bearded man was called Harry. No wonder he looked so much like the Harry I had beheaded, no, beheaded by Zheng Baobao. They might be cousins.
Fearing it would affect morale, I merely nodded slightly and whispered, "They broke upon contact and were surrounded. However, I ordered the remaining arquebusiers to surrender."
"You! How dare you!" Little Yama King, in a fit of anger, flung her cup. "My order to them was to die rather than surrender, and you..."
I made a shushing gesture and pointed to the tower. "Perhaps we should go inside to talk?"
Seeing her leisurely posture of drinking tea, I knew the battle outside the city wasn't fierce, so she didn't need to be here watching.
Little Yama King snorted coldly, rose, flicked her sleeves, and turned to enter the room. This house was built entirely of stone, with small windows. The walls bore marks from projectiles fired by catapults, but they were intact. It was a "frozen tofu" construction.
I followed Little Yama King into the room. Inside were two maids dressed in Judge's official attire. Both were of blue aura, likely seconded from Wu Zhao's command as personal guards, as Little Yama King herself knew no martial arts and was a "battle novice."
"Lord Wu." The two maids bowed to me in unison. They probably recognized me.
I returned the bow. "Greetings, esteemed ladies."
"Ru Hua, Si Yue, go out first," Little Yama King said.
"Yes, Your Highness."
They were quite good-looking. Why would they be named Ru Hua? A waste. But it wasn't their fault. After all, the name Ru Hua was only recently stigmatized and tarnished by Master Xin in the last few decades.
After the two withdrew, I could finally sit down and briefly explained the situation at Longmen City.
Before Little Yama King could comment, I continued, "Shu Yao, Harry's tactics were flawed. Modern arquebusiers are different from those of your era. They should not employ the 'line up and shoot' formation, especially against cavalry. They must not stand still and wait for cavalry to charge."
"Then how should they respond? Should they lie on the ground?" Little Yama King pouted.
"No, you shouldn't place arquebusiers within the formation. Their G98 rifles have a range of up to a thousand meters. They should be used as a surprise force, positioned on the flanks, to achieve victory unexpectedly."
"Nonsense!" Little Yama King scoffed. "If you place them outside the main camp and the enemy cavalry charges, what then? Without the cover of the main force, wouldn't they be vulnerable to the cavalry charge you mentioned?"
"I just said they shouldn't stand still. Don't you equip them with horses? When the enemy charges, shoot them! If you can't finish them off, run!"
"...Can it be done like this?" Little Yama King frowned.
"You can even combine it with another method. If the enemy also has arquebusiers or uses artillery, you can dig trenches in advance. Hide the arquebusiers in the trenches, and the enemy won't be able to hit them. Isn't that more effective than a shield formation?"
"What are trenches?" Little Yama King asked, confused.
I was too lazy to explain. "Shu Yao, you do this. While the rebels at Longmen City haven't spread news of the G98 yet, give me another squad of arquebusiers, I want mounted arquebusiers. I'll go and take Longmen City."
"How many people do you want?" Little Yama King asked.
"Just a few. Do you have enough people here?"
"Enough. Then, five thousand?" Little Yama King asked tentatively. That was not a small number. She only had fifteen thousand in total, including five hundred arquebusiers. However, I didn't see any arquebusiers firing on the outer city walls. This was a secret weapon, not easily used. That Harry, perhaps eager to earn merit, had directly employed the arquebusiers without knowing how to use them, and was subsequently routed.
"Not needed. Since you don't have use for your arquebusiers, lend them all to me... Forget it, leave a hundred for self-defense. Lend me four hundred arquebusiers, each with a horse, and give me four hundred cavalry. That should be enough," I said.
"Eight hundred soldiers rushing the north slope?" Little Yama King chuckled, her wit quite sharp. I wondered who taught her. "Is that really enough?"
"More than enough," I replied.
"There are no jokes before the army!"
"Then what? Shall we bet on something?" I asked with a smile.
"...I'm telling you to write a military pledge!" Little Yama King said, annoyed.
"If I can't take Longmen City, will you dare to kill me?"
"...Stop wasting time, hurry up and go!"