Munitions Empire

The floodwaters gradually subsided, and the strength of Tang Country quickly began to recover. The troops that had been delayed and scattered across the regions were gradually being drawn out and reinforced in various directions.

The speed of this troop redeployment increased as roads were being repaired, and it became faster and faster: Great Tang was already the country with the best and most conscientious infrastructure in the world, and these facilities were now exerting their formidable power.

With extensive railway mileage and numerous well-maintained highways, the mobilization of Tang Country's troops was exceedingly convenient, and their assembly was all the more unexpected.

While assembling six divisions surreptitiously, Tang Country also sent two additional divisions to the plains of Chu Country, controlled by Strauss, and increased the troop strength by four divisions in the direction of Hidden Sword Gorge.

As a result, the Tang Army was bolstering forces in all areas of engagement, and at the same time, the Tang soldiers fighting in these regions were relentlessly eliminating the enemy troops before them.

In the interplay of adding and reducing forces, the balance between the two sides was undergoing a noticeable shift; Dahua and Chu Country, already in a state of strategic defense, increasingly felt the mountainous pressure.

For the enemy, it was immense pressure; for Tang Country, it was the opposite. This sensation of growing success filled many generals with ecstasy.

The supply lines at their rear became smoother and smoother, reinforcements increased, and supplies arrived more and more promptly; the feeling was really exhilarating.

It was like discovering you still have two hundred rounds of ammo and four first-aid kits after twenty minutes of gunfighting; like finding a hundred bottles of mana potions in your bag halfway through a dungeon; like finding two cases of instant noodles and sausages in the kitchen after not going out to shop for a week...

At this moment in the war, Tang Army was really starting to exert its strength. The frontline generals of the Dahua Empire finally experienced Tang Army's most straightforward and fundamental combat pattern: steamrolling.

What is the best type of battle command taught to graduates from the Great Tang Military Academy? No need to ask—anyone who studied there will tell you the same answer.

With logistical support meeting requirements, use the simplest and most brute force method, assemble superior forces, and launch the most secure attacks.

The guiding principles of these Great Tang commanders were to support with ten planes if possible, not just nine; to employ a hundred artillery if possible, not just fifty!

Giving the possibility, the Tang Army would concentrate hundreds of tanks on a stretch of several kilometers for battle; as long as fuel and ammunition supply permitted, the Tang Army hoped to have even more tanks for support.

While other countries were still struggling with how to transport two meals' worth of dry rations to the front lines, the logistical commanders of the Great Tang Group learned in class that candy and cigarettes were the guarantee of high troop morale.

"You can't just feed soldiers bread because they can fight with it! That's negligence of duty—warriors fighting for their country deserve the very best of everything!" This was a famous quote heard by everyone in the logistics department of the Great Tang Military Academy and was their code of conduct.

Ensuring the delivery of more ammunition and food to the frontline fighting troops was their mission, and it was by no means an empty promise.

With the boost of more ammunition, more air support, more reinforcing troops, more tanks, and more armored vehicles, the Tang Army was... invincible!

Already harboring a grudge, these officers and soldiers, who were supported and loved by ordinary people during the disaster relief, realized what they were fighting for.

The soldiers of Great Tang were the soldiers of the Tang people! They protected the people of Great Tang, which was the belief they fought for! Do you know what belief is? With it, the soldiers of Great Tang... are invincible.

How does it feel when your country is insulted and invaded by other nations during a disaster?

Seeking revenge was unfamiliar to the Tang Army, yet it was that feeling which enabled them to grasp what they had not been able to understand in previous easy victories.

No one knows how ferociously these troops fought when they arrived at the front line because the enemies who learned of their ferocity were... no longer in existence.

Even because of their excessive ferocity, these troops momentarily increased the casualty rate of the Tang Army when they arrived at the front lines. Their attacks could even be described as reckless, and their defense was even more tenacious, firm as a rock.

...

Atop the grand hall of the Dahua Empire, Zhao Kai was tormented by the recent war situation until his complexion turned pale: these past few days, he hadn't heard any good news, as if the entire Empire was on the brink of collapse.

The bombing of Fengjiang by the Tang Army two months ago was still shocking news for the court, but what about now? No one cares about the bombing anymore because even with General Feng Kezhi in charge, Bolton's commanded Tang Army still posed a threat to Fengjiang...

Listen, listen! Is this even human speech? Previously, it was just the enemy planes bombing us a few times, but now... the tracks of the enemy tanks are not far from Fengjiang!

Zhao Kai's complexion had not been good recently; all sorts of bad news had battered him to the point where he could not sleep well or eat. If anyone were to say who would suffer the most if this Empire fell, it all came down to him, the Emperor.

Other Ministers could continue to serve in office, or, if things came to the worst, they could go home and live as wealthy landlords, or even relocate their entire families to another country to scrape out a living.

But he couldn't. He was the Emperor of the Dahua Empire, the owner of this country with absolutely no avenue for retreat.

Therefore, even he, under the relentless assault of bad news, started to look worry-stricken and exceedingly pained.

He looked down at the Ministers below, his hoarse voice echoing in the great hall, "What do you mean we can't counterattack? Haven't the reinforcements from Qin Country already arrived? What about the aid from Shu Country? Where are their troops?"

At this point, no one wanted to respond; even the Minister of War, Shen Chuan, who was in charge of this matter, kept his head down in silence.

So Zhao Kai continued to talk to himself, "Send a telegram to Zhao Chen! A telegram! Tell him to start the counterattack once he's ready! If he says he's not ready, ask him when he will be! When can we start the counterattack?"

Hearing this, Shen Chuan finally couldn't sit still anymore. Before he left, General Feng Kezhi had warned him that if they lost more troops, they might really not be able to stabilize the situation.

Thus, he stepped forward immediately, lowering his head to Zhao Kai, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! On all fronts, our forces are not in a favorable position right now; pressuring the frontline commanders to counterattack will only make the situation there worse."

Zhao Kai exploded just as everyone had expected, like a barrel of petrol set ablaze at the slightest provocation. "What is this nonsense you're spouting? We won't cease until we've recaptured the southern oilfields, until we've taken back Wangchun City, Tengyun City, South Wind Pass... Dahua Empire vows not to rest! Vows not to rest!"

Chu Muzhou weighed his words, stepped forward with heavy legs, dragging his old body out, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger! I believe we should continue the fight, but how to fight... we should still consider the opinions of the Generals..."

"I've listened to their opinions too much before! But what's the result? They're all war-shy and fearing death, making excuses!" Zhao Kai didn't give this Empire's Prime Minister any face at all, even thinking this old fellow was a bit too presumptuous due to his age.

So he scornfully chastised, "Before, I always thought we should seize the opportunity while Tang Country was unstable to avenge Zheng Country! But one by one, you didn't agree with my declaration of war on Tang Country, not knowing how much benefit you might have taken from Tang Mo!"

An Emperor accusing his subjects of taking bribes from an enemy country was a very serious accusation, so Chu Muzhou immediately defended himself, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger... choose your words with care! We have never taken a single penny from Tang Mo; heaven is my witness!"

The rest of the Ministers also started wailing, as if they had suffered a great injustice, "Yes, Your Majesty! We have been honest and loyal, never taking a single penny from the enemy!"

The wailing made Zhao Kai's head hurt as if it were splitting; he immediately roared, "Silence! When Ding Hong was gathering the defeated troops to station at South Wind Pass, what did you all say then? You said Ding Hong was a capable official, a famous General! A pillar of Great Tang! A rare military talent!"

"I was this close to bestowing upon him the glory of Great General! This close!" Raising this issue made Zhao Kai more agitated; he strode back and forth in front of his throne, fuming like a wild beast eying its prey: "And then he surrendered! He surrendered!"

"Hahaha! He actually surrendered! He handed over the southern oilfields on a silver platter! He gave the southeastern mountains and rivers of the Dahua Empire to the Tang people!" Zhao Kai laughed bitterly, his voice reaching a piercing pitch.

But he wasn't finished yet; he continued to roar, "Now! This Qian Jinhang, who you also called a capable official, a famous General, is exchanging glances with Xicong and the Tang people! Tens of thousands of Dahua Empire's troops! My tens of thousands of troops! And he's about to hand them over to Tang Mo! To the Tang people!"

The matter with Qian Jinhang was no longer a secret; after all, the surrender of tens of thousands of troops couldn't be concealed.

In fact, after deciding to surrender, Qian Jinhang had sent a telegram to the Dahua Empire, admitting everything he had done and clearly reporting the final date of the complete surrender of his troops to his former employer.

General Feng Kezhi actually understood Qian Jinhang because he was the one who ordered Qian Jinhang to hold his position and buy time—Qian Jinhang had indeed fulfilled the mission Feng Kezhi entrusted to him, holding out until the agreed time, even exceeding it.

But Emperor Zhao Kai couldn't understand; from his perspective, Qian Jinhang was supposed to fight to the death, battle until the last soldier was gone, and then commit suicide for his country—only that would have justified the title of Great General he had given to Qian Jinhang.

This series of events had made Zhao Kai increasingly distrustful of generals not from the Royal Family, leading him to employ more of those whom he had previously been wary of from the Royal Family.

Zhao Chen was one, Zhao Jie was another, and now... he was thinking of more members of the Zhao Family.