Munitions Empire

Why did all the countries so quickly sign a peace treaty with Tang Country? This matter has to be traced back to one day earlier.

On the turbulent seas of the northern waters, within a submarine that persisted in chasing after those plumes of black smoke, the captain constantly hesitated about whether to disobey orders and launch an attack.

After all, he was a military man, having learned the strict rules of orders and prohibitions at school; he alone knew how great his pressure was.

If the orders he had received were real, continuing the attack would not earn him any rewards; instead, he would be held accountable.

As he struggled with his decision, he suddenly thought of a solution. He immediately sent a telegram back to headquarters, reporting his situation.

"I have discovered the enemy fleet and have seized the attacking position! Request to commence attack, please approve!" He handed the telegram's content to the signal soldier, who immediately transmitted it.

In distant Linshui City, inside the Great Tang Empire Navy's Supreme Command headquarters, an officer hurriedly rushed into General Bernard's office and handed him a telegram from the ocean.

Bernard carefully examined the text and felt, through the words, the captain's eager anticipation for the battle.

Eventually, Bernard, who had been silent for about a minute, lifted his head and ordered the officer who brought the telegram, "Send a telegram, informing all submarines on duty that the Navy's headquarters mistakenly sent a telegram that was supposed to be dispatched 10 hours later, very sorry. The updated order now is, the cease attack order will officially take effect after 5 hours..."

The officer who had hurried to deliver the telegram evidently also hoped the submarine troops could once again achieve a new feat, and upon hearing Bernard's order, a smile was clearly unstoppable on his face.

He stood at attention, stifling his laughter as he loudly responded, "Yes, General! The communications department is very sorry for the serious work mistake..."

"Get out! Do you think it's your turn, you bunch of brats, to take the fall?" Bernard feigned anger and scolded, then had the officer leave to send the telegram.

Bernard and others left his office; he sat in his place and thought for a long time before grabbing the phone on the desk, "Connect me to Chang'an, I want to speak to Your Majesty."

The phone was quickly connected, and Tang Mo's voice came through from the other end, "This is Tang Mo, what is it?"

"Your Majesty!" Bernard rose to his feet, standing as he relayed the recent decision to Tang Mo. After finishing, he paused for a few seconds before continuing, "I hope my decision does not adversely affect Your Majesty's strategic choices."

"Thinking of me now?" Tang Mo laughed on the other end of the phone, "Weren't you quite the man when you were altering the orders just now?"

Bernard bowed his head awkwardly, unsure of how to explain.

"I don't like your decision to change orders privately," Tang Mo's tone suddenly became serious, and even over the phone, Bernard could sense Tang Mo's warning.

However, Tang Mo's voice soon softened, even carrying a hint of appreciation, "But I like your supportive attitude toward the submarine troops seizing the opportunity."

"This time it's okay, but I hope there's no next time," Tang Mo warned his Supreme Commander again.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Bernard knew sweat was already beading on his forehead; he bade goodbye and hung up the phone, feeling as if for that moment, his marshal's rank might have flown away.

"Can't be so presumptuous next time." He wiped the sweat from his forehead, muttered to himself, then leaned back in his chair, looking at the Dragon Banner hanging on the wall opposite, and let out a deep breath.

...

Far away in the northern waters, aboard a wave-crushing submarine, the captain had been grinning like an idiot ever since he received the telegram.

Every face was actually brimming with smiles as they felt an exhilarating sense of dedication upon hearing the headquarters' command.

It wasn't an exaggeration, for they had the backing of a country that understood them, a country willing to support any crazy decision they made.

At that moment, they suddenly felt their hearts were broader than the vast ocean before them, and their courage greater than the waves crashing against them.

"Torpedo fuses checked! Torpedo depth set!" Inside the forward torpedo compartment, under a hammock made of ropes, beside the sleek torpedo, a torpedo soldier pressed his hand onto the cold, smooth shell of the torpedo and shouted loudly.

"Load torpedo number 1! Pressure gauge! Check the pressure gauge!" A sailor, turning the dial in front of him, repeatedly confirmed.

Every valve here was fraught with danger before operation, and each pipe and canister of compressed gas within the submarine served a unique purpose, not to be tampered with lightly.

"Water pressure is normal! We can start loading!" After repeatedly checking the pressure gauge, two sailors, one on each side, pulled open the rear cover of the torpedo tubes.

All the soldiers in the torpedo bay worked together, pushing the torpedo, which was laid flat on a cart, towards the opened hatch, and then collectively pushed it into the torpedo launch tube.

"Close the hatch!" After ensuring the torpedo was properly secured in place, the two sailors repeatedly confirmed this before sequentially closing the two torpedo tubes.

"Lower torpedo tube is loaded! Begin loading the upper torpedo tube!" The cramped compartment bustled with activity, as the massive fleet seemed to be visible now in the distance.

"Prepare to dive! Any closer and we might be spotted…" The captain stuffed the telegram from the Supreme Commander into his pocket and issued the diving command, "We can't wait for dark… it's all down to luck now!"

"Dive!" The first officer excitedly gave the command, and with his order, the lights in the command cabin instantly turned to a dim red.

There was no choice, without the ability to use the ventilation valves and diesel engines, conserving power was crucial—all electricity had to be used as much as possible to propel the submarine's movements, and everything else was minimized as much as possible.

The command room was actually quite fortunate; at least it had dim red lighting, while some less important compartments went completely dark.

"Open the valves! Dive!" Shortly, the order spread to every corner of the submarine, the engine room also dimmed, with the diesel engines still roaring cheerfully.

The submarine, as it cut through the waves, lifted its sharp bow high with the waves only to crash back down upon the sea.

This time, however, its foredeck did not re-emerge from the sea; the water washed over the deck and splashed against the 105mm caliber cannon, stirring up sprays of water.

The second wave came head-on, this time only striking against the submarine's casing. The submarine's slender body was now completely submerged, only visible from above.

The numbers on the side of the casing were becoming indistinct, and the top railing, due to prolonged use, was slightly twisted and deformed. Between the blurred numbers and slightly distorted railing, there was a dense pattern of gray-white silhouettes of ships' sides.

These patterns represented the submarine's battle achievements—the sinking of enemy ships—signifying its glory and the bravery and skill of the crew.

As another wave crashed head-on, the submarine's casing submerged, extending its snorkel and periscope through the rolling waves.

"Full speed ahead!" The captain, eyes fixed to the periscope, directed calmly as he stared at the distant horizon.

Their underwater speed naturally could not compare to full speed on the surface; it dropped by half.

This speed was nothing close to the mythical underwater dragons, and was more akin to a dog-paddling duck. Yet, in this state, they were nearly invincible—the ghosts of the deep, the assassins of the ocean.

"Bow torpedoes loaded!" an officer reported loudly in the dim command room. Then, he continued loudly, "Stern torpedoes loaded!"

"You, check the model of that warship…" Stepping away from the periscope, the captain took a thick manual from a shelf, which opened to pages filled with silhouettes and photos of enemy warships.

"It should be a cruiser from Mirage Country… behind it… behind it is a supply ship… so big, at least 10,000 tons!" The first officer slightly rotated the periscope, excitedly whispering.

"Don't rush to fire! These are just peripheral targets… look for the battleship!" The captain flipped to the page on battleships, inhaling the sickening smell of engine oil, "Let me know once you find it."

"I see it! I told you, such large black smoke, it must be a large fleet!" The adjutant grew excited, having seen through the periscope the large turning body.

"Enemy large warship! Looks like a battleship!" The adjutant yielded his place, "I think it's a battleship."

The captain pressed his eye to the eyepiece, comparing the targets in the lens against the silhouettes of warships in his mind. Suddenly, the silhouette he saw matched the one he remembered, leading him to exclaim excitedly, "Winter-class battleship! No mistake!"

That was a large battleship built by the Dorne Navy, which had directly hired designers from the Great Tang Group to design their empire's main battleships.

Due to generous investments, Dorne's battleships adopted a new design, using 380mm caliber main guns; it sacrificed the number of main guns for a significant increase in main gun caliber.

The entire warship was equipped with four turrets, arranged two in the front and two in the back, totalling eight main guns. Judging just by the layout of the guns and the distinctive bridge, one could easily recognize this beautiful warship!

This battleship's displacement neared 35,000 tons, definitely qualifying as a behemoth! At this moment, the warship was turning at sea, followed by a sister ship nearly identical to it.