Munitions Empire

Liu Guozhu nodded, then looked toward the west, "The commander wants to keep pushing 30 kilometers west, to reach Hidden Sword Gorge and then stabilize the defensive line." "Really, isn't the Sword Pavilion just beyond Hidden Sword Gorge?" The tank commander was slightly stunned when he heard the name, then a smile appeared on his face. This advance toward Sword Pavilion probably meant that the upper echelons of the Dahua Empire were no longer worried about whether Wangchun City could be retaken, but rather about the very foundation of the nation. After all, Sword Pavilion was one of the three provinces where the founding Emperor of the Dahua Empire began his rise to power, with the ancestral graves of his grandparents still buried there. Zhao Kai simply couldn't afford to lose it. If that place were really breached by the Tang Army, Zhao Kai could be said to have lost the ancestral legacy, which was absolutely unacceptable to him: he cared most about face, so such a disgraceful event was something he desperately wanted to avoid acknowledging. Consequently, he forgot the order he had previously issued for the military to fight back and retake Wangchun City, and he strictly ordered General Feng Kezhi to hold Hidden Sword Gorge at all costs, without retreating a single step. Additionally, he personally appointed a member of the Royal Family, Prince Zhao Jie, as the frontline commander, who rushed to Sword Pavilion to supervise the battle. This move displeased both the Minister of War and Great General Feng Kezhi, as it was tantamount to the Emperor micro-managing troop deployments on the front lines, a major taboo in military strategy. However, a series of previous failures left the Minister of War Shen Chuan and the Empire's Great General Feng Kezhi without any ability to stop the meddling Zhao Kai, creating turmoil at the battlefront. On one hand, in an attempt to recover from the defeats, Feng Kezhi personally directed troop movements, hoping to reorganize an effective defense and stabilize the front lines before seeking an opportunity to counterattack and recapture Wangchun City. On the other hand, the hastily departed Prince Zhao Jie, carrying imperial orders, supervised the entire southeastern war effort, holding the authority to maneuver the troops. Meanwhile, the frontline commander named Ding Hong, who was tasked with rallying routed soldiers and taking over the mess left by Han Zhiyuan, was directing the response to Tang Army's assaults based on the actual situation. In fact, it was the previously unknown Ding Hong who was truly effective, as he was the commander directly facing the Tang Army's assault Compared to Han Zhiyuan, this senior's ability was actually not up to much; he was perfectly capable in a rear management role, focusing on logistics, but leading troops directly against the world's most ferocious Tang Army was clearly beyond his capability. During these days, what he did most was to send telegrams to General Feng Kezhi for advice on tactics, and he constantly amplified the frontline pressure by a factor of ten in his reports to Feng Kezhi, hoping to get more support. After all, ever since Han Zhiyuan died in battle at Wangchun City, the situation had taken a sharp downturn, with Dahua's military forces consistently facing defeat. If Ding Hong didn't depict the situation as dire, how could he explain it to his superiors? Thus, General Feng Kezhi in the Imperial Capital was receiving messages virtually consisting of where the Tang Army had struck next, how the defending forces had surrendered without a fight, how much fuel and ammunition had been lost, and calls for support, among others. And the strategies that the Great General came up with based on such news were largely conservative, commanding the troops to withdraw. There was no helping it; Feng Kezhi at least understood that his orders were delayed from the frontline's actual situation, so he could only first command the troops to withdraw to a relatively safe position to stabilize before considering further actions. But in the course of this retreat, Ding Hong pulled back the defensive line from west of Wangchun City to a position backed by Hidden Sword Gorge. This was a position that could not be given up— even Ding Hong knew that if he ran away and lost Sword Pavilion, not to speak of his official hat, even his life might not be spared. So he changed his usual approach and started requesting a counterattack, since he could no longer care about the troops' loss or the intensity of the battle. As a result, the Dahua military forces, who had somehow managed to flee all the way to Hidden Sword Gorge and retained some resources, were left largely depleted due to Ding Hong's reckless actions. It was not until this moment that the remote-commanding General Feng Kezhi in the Imperial Capital realized how formidable General Redman was. Before experiencing it first-hand, he had only heard of Tang Country's so-called Five Tiger Generals: Redman, known for rapid assaults, Tagg who excelled in defense, Bolton and Strauss who commanded respect in Dorne, and the naval commander Bernard. But how formidable these individuals were, he truly had no concept: not until Redman charged through the ranks, killing Han Zhiyuan and throwing the southeastern region of the Dahua Empire into utter chaos, did Feng Kezhi realize just how substantial the "Five Tiger Generals" were. It was then that he also became aware of what kind of a monster Qian Jinhang had been fighting against for so many days! After all, given Redman's prowess, Tagg, who stood alongside him, was clearly no pushover. And suddenly, Feng Kezhi realized that what Qian Jinhang had been reporting all along, that the Tang Army was not routed but was withdrawing intentionally, and that the battle at Xicong was exceedingly difficult, might actually be true! What really made Feng Kezhi anxious wasn't Qian Jinhang far away in Xicong; it was what the real intentions of the Tang Army were. Previously, the Tang Army launched fierce attacks on the defense lines, breaking through Dahua's border defenses and then advancing southward from the Central Region. Anyone with a lick of sense could see that the Tang Army was preparing to cut off Qian Jinhang's supply lines and encircle his hundreds of thousands of troops. This was the result Shen Chuan, General Feng Kezhi, and even Shireck's advisors feared the most: the Tang Army encircling Dahua troops near Xicong, devouring Qian Jinhang's forces, and then turning back to attack Dahua's southeastern regions. After all, annihilating nearly a million Dahua troops really put Dahua in a passive position. However, by the time the Great Tang's troops finished off Qian Jinhang's forces and turned westward, in fact, they had already wasted quite a bit of time. From Dahua's perspective, Qin Country's troops could arrive by then, and while the situation looked passive, it was not necessarily unwinnable. But now Redman's troops had changed their direction of attack. Although a contingent was still heading south, the force moving west was also advancing rapidly. This left General Feng Kezhi unable to discern the Tang Army's intentions: he didn't know whether the Tang Army intended to breach Hidden Sword Gorge, capture Sword Pavilion, and plot against the entire southeastern region of Dahua, or if they were preparing to trouble Qian Jinhang. So he hesitated, unable to make the right judgment, and influenced by the micromanagement master Zhao Kai, he began to waver. In a duel between swordsmen, a moment of hesitation can cost a life. Similarly, in a war between two countries, a commander's indecision can affect the outcome of the battlefield. "Is it Hidden Sword Gorge... Sword Pavilion City, or Tengyun... South Wind Pass?" Feng Kezhi narrowed his eyes and muttered to himself as he looked at the map in front of him. At this very moment, he truly envied his adversary named Redman, who could command such a formidable army on the battlefield. It was the lifelong dream of all generals. Unfortunately, dreams are just dreams. The Tang Country's troops were indeed formidable, and it seemed that only Tang Mo himself could command and maneuver them. General Feng Kezhi, who let out a sigh of relief, then saw Shen Chuan, the pale-faced Chief of Staff, who had just walked in. This Minister of War had been in the utmost gloom over the last two days. Emperor Zhao Kai had been in a state of explosion all this time, and every time Shen Chuan, as the Minister of War, attended court, he would be singled out for censure. The atmosphere in the court was very solemn, and the peril of Sword Pavilion also made it impossible for the military department to raise its head before other court officials. Everyone was deeply concerned about the security of the Empire's southeastern regions. Even if just for show, they had to perform for His Majesty— at least, they had to demonstrate that they all valued the Emperor's ancestral tomb. "How is it?" Looking at the depressed Shen Chuan, Feng Kezhi asked with a slight trace of schadenfreude. He, stressed by the war, had been specially exempted from attending court sessions, so he was glad he didn't have to see His Majesty's sullen face. But before he could gloat, he saw the first to walk into the room, who didn't speak but only walked to the map and looked up— it was His Majesty the Emperor. "Your servant has seen Your Majesty!" Feng Kezhi immediately stepped forward, knelt, and bowed his head to greet Zhao Kai, "I was not aware of Your Majesty's arrival and did not meet you from afar, please pardon my transgression." "Rise!" Zhao Kai commanded without turning his head, "Tell me about the situation at Sword Pavilion..." His tone was not very friendly, clearly emotional— the military's performance these past few days had infuriated Zhao Kai. Previously, the military had been the most adamant about needing funds: reforming, purchasing new equipment, and even establishing factories and laying railways, spending money like running water. What had the military assured him back then? Feng Kezhi and Shen Chuan had claimed that only through such measures could Dahua's military win the next war. Now that the next war had arrived and it was being fought in such a shoddy manner, how could Zhao Kai be satisfied? He had spent a fortune! To reinforce the military, he hadn't expanded his harem for two years, and he hadn't had his gardens tended to for over three! Feng Kezhi picked up on Zhao Kai's dissatisfaction and immediately began to explain, "Please rest assured, Your Majesty! I have already organized the troops to build a defense line at Hidden Sword Gorge. With a big river in between, it will be as hard as climbing to heaven for the Tang Army to attack Sword Pavilion!" "Hmph!" Zhao Kai snorted, "A few months ago, you also said that it would be as hard as climbing to heaven for the Tang Army to break through our border defense line!" "Your Majesty..." Feng Kezhi tried to explain further. Zhao Kai, however, waved his hand dismissively, "Hold Sword Pavilion at all costs! That is the bottom line! If it really can't be done... let Qian Jinhang give up Xicong." It was the first time since the war began that Zhao Kai had allowed Dahua's front-line troops to retreat, indicating the importance he placed on Sword Pavilion. "In this way, Qian Jinhang's troops could even be pulled back, threatening the Tang Army from the flank. With his hundreds of thousands of troops, the Tang Army will definitely have to retreat from Sword Pavilion." Overjoyed, Feng Kezhi bowed his head eagerly and flattered, "Your Majesty is wise and insightful, I... I am humbled by Your greatness."