Munitions Empire

On the second morning of October, a faction of the troops stationed in Wanliang City by the Dahua Empire left the city, unwilling to surrender. The troops that had decided to surrender benevolently let them leave their station.

By noon of the same day, General Luo Xiao led his troops into Wanliang City, taking over all defense operations and at least 120,000 Dahua soldiers who had turned their coats and pledged allegiance.

The citizens inside Wanliang City rejoiced like thunder, signifying that they had finally put an end to the chaos of war and could harvest their own food before winter arrived.

The Fengjiang side was undoubtedly generous. On the day they took Wanliang City, Luo Xiao issued a decree abolishing all taxes for the year, leaving all locally produced food for the local people.

Actually, there wasn't much to spare because the war had destroyed many fields, and so Wanliang had not really had a bountiful harvest that year.

But the significance of this was profound; it represented the will of the local people and ensured that the food supplies near Wanliang City would remain local and not become logistic supplies for the Dahua Empire's troops.

The news of the loss of Wanliang City reached the Imperial Capital of the Dahua Empire, and the Ministers of the Empire were thrown into a panic. The loss of this vital granary threw the situation into complete disarray.

The last time such a significant change occurred was when Shanping changed hands, and the Dahua Empire's troops lost Guiguang. Now, with the fall of Wanliang, Hezhe was no longer safe either.

Zhao Chen, who had been fiercely attacking Fengjiang, was now at risk on his flank. He had to carefully consider a retreat for the troops under his command.

If he continued the fierce attack on Fengjiang and Hezhe were to be captured, his nearly one million army would be effectively encircled, and within days would collapse.

It's important to note that these troops in his hands were truly among the few remaining "essence" of the Dahua Empire. If his troops encountered problems, it could pretty much signify the end of the empire's fortune.

Therefore, he immediately halted the attack on Fengjiang and redeployed troops, urgently advancing towards Hezhe overnight in an effort to secure his rear.

Meanwhile, in the Imperial City of the Imperial Capital, Zhao Kai lay in bed in the basement, drinking medicine. He didn't quite trust the medical expertise from the Great Tang Empire, even though it had saved his leg and his life.

Thus, he still chose to drink the traditional Dahua Empire herbal decoctions, believing that even though recovery might be slower, it would strengthen his foundation and make his body recover more robustly.

As he took his medicine, he heard his confidant and an officer delivering a message whispering to each other, which irritated him. He put down the bowl of medicine back on the tray.

Withstanding the bitterness on the tip of his tongue, Zhao Kai gestured for the maid holding the tray to step back and then raised his voice, calling out to his confidant eunuch, "What's the matter? Skulking around like that!"

The eunuch stepped back awkwardly. He had not intended to inform Zhao Kai about the situation at the front, but due to the urgency of the military situation, the officer had barged directly into Zhao Kai's chamber. He realized he couldn't keep it a secret anymore.

Zhao Kai frowned and looked at the officer, his tone lengthening as he demanded, "Speak! What exactly has happened? You must not conceal anything."

The officer glanced over Zhao Kai, who lay in bed, and at Zhao Kai's a leg that was still swollen. He realized he might have caused trouble for himself.

No wonder the Ministers and Guards outside did not stop him; it turned out they had let him be the one to carry the bad news, prepared to face His Majesty The Emperor's wrath.

But he had no better option and could only report with a stiff expression, "Your Majesty... just now—just... We've just received the news, Wanliang City has fallen."

"..." Zhao Kai was silent; it was as if time belonging to him had stood still. After a long moment of silence, he lifted an arm and gestured, signaling that the officer could withdraw.

The officer, feeling as if pardoned, hurried out of Zhao Kai's room and returned to the somewhat dim corridor.

In fact, the Ministers in the corridor had known the news since yesterday. Chief of Staff Shen Chuan had already ordered Zhao Chen in the name of the military to dispatch troops for backup, stabilizing the situation in Hezhe.

The troops in Hezhe were not insignificant. There, the Dahua Empire had at least 100,000 troops of various kinds stationed, including some of the main forces that had retreated from Fengjiang for rest and recuperation.

With at least another 100,000 men retreating from Wanliang City's direction, the forces in Hezhe had surpassed 200,000, which was actually not a small number.

But Shen Chuan feared that among the troops retreating from Wanliang, there could be insurgents disguised, fearful of a repeat strategy that could turn Hezhe as well. At the same time, he truly dared not take the risk; if Hezhe were lost, then it could truly mean the end for the Dahua Empire.

Furthermore, Shen Chuan also deployed several tens of thousands of troops from Dongqing to reinforce Hezhe, boosting the troop count there to around 250,000, which gave him some peace of mind.

Of course, what truly assured Shen Chuan was Zhao Chen's decision to withdraw frontline troops to return to Hezhe, raising the force there to over 300,000, providing a level of reassurance.

However, the problem still existed: there was no trustworthy person to oversee the battle in the direction of Hezhe. If an ordinary general were placed in command, there was fear that the situation that occurred in Wanliang might repeat itself.

Shen Chuan himself couldn't leave. With Chu Muzhou dismissed from his role as Prime Minister, and the vacancy in the position, the workload of the various Chief of Staffs had increased more than usual, making it impossible for them to leave.

As the currently busiest department, the Ministry of War was particularly reliant on Shen Chuan. If he went to Hezhe, then the logistics supply coordination, as well as subsequent conscription and the defense against Qin Country in the west, could all potentially fall into immediate chaos.

"Lord Shen, His Majesty summons you to enter," said Zhao Kai's trusted maid, stepping out of the room and approaching Shen Chuan to invite him in a low voice.

She made a gesture of invitation, and Shen Chuan followed her into the room where Zhao Kai was. As soon as he entered, Shen Chuan saw Zhao Kai's ashen face on the bed.

"Lord Shen... Hezhe cannot have any more problems. We must send someone reliable. Who do you think is up to the task?" To Shen Chuan's surprise, Zhao Kai didn't erupt in anger but calmly asked for advice.

This unexpectedly made Shen Chuan feel a little uncomfortable, and he even started to wonder if he had a bit of a masochistic streak.

After acclimating himself, Shen Chuan suggested, "How about sending Minister Chen Jing to Hezhe? He doesn't need to go into battle; he just needs to secure Hezhe and prevent any chaos."

"Chen Jing and Jiang Run are clueless about military affairs, and both you and Wang Yucái have duties you can't leave behind... Zhou Qiang... Zhou Qiang is not reliable enough for an important task." Zhao Kai dismissed each of the Chief of Staffs—expecting the Minister of Justice to handle it would be even more dangerous.

Zhou Qiang has always been one of Zhao Yu's men. Although he wasn't implicated in Zhao Yu's conspiracy, he has lost the trust of the Emperor. Shen Chuan is in charge of the Ministry of War, and Wang Yucái is in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, and right now, both of their posts are critical and they can hardly be spared.

"Then, I really cannot think of anyone else who could bear such responsibility," Shen Chuan said, shaking his head, waiting for Zhao Kai to reveal his own answer.

He was already at his wits' end. He had initially planned with Wang Yucái for the troops to levy grain locally in Wanliang City, but now Wanliang had been lost.

Now that the Dahua Empire has lost one-third of its grain-producing land, its economy has actually already collapsed. They might scrape by this year, but maintaining the current state of affairs will become a major problem next year.

"I am inclined to have Zhao Ji go to Hezhe, to guard Zhao Chen's rear... What do you think, Lord Shen?" Zhao Kai's voice was weak, yet still calm, as if the loss of Wanliang was not a big deal.

If it had been in the past, Zhao Kai might have already exploded in rage, but now he was as still as the surface of a lake, which felt rather eerie.

Shen Chuan knew that this wasn't a request for his opinion, but a notification, so he didn't say anything further, and with a lowered head, he replied, "The Crown Prince is naturally capable of such a task."

In fact, if this had been right after Zhao Kai got injured, Shen Chuan would have been reluctant to suggest that Zhao Ji leave the Imperial Capital because Zhao Kai was ill and the Crown Prince needed to stay nearby ready to inherit the throne at any time.

But now, Shen Chuan really didn't dare to speak casually: If Zhao Kai were still irascible, he might argue a bit, but with Zhao Kai as he was now... Shen Chuan was afraid for his head.

"Then let Zhao Ji go." Seemingly not wanting Shen Chuan to stay another second, Zhao Kai once again gestured with his hand, indicating that Shen Chuan could leave.

Shen Chuan was taken aback and then exited the room following the maid. He originally thought Zhao Kai had summoned him to discuss retaking Wanliang or to arrange something specific. But Zhao Kai said nothing further and directly dismissed him—which was somewhat illogical, because there was no need for such a summons just to ask a couple of questions.

Standing at the door, Shen Chuan frowned and thought carefully for a moment, then sighed and walked out of the basement into the sunlight.

Inside the room, Zhao Kai finally couldn't hold back a large mouthful of fresh blood. His face was a ghastly pale as he gasped for breath, it took a good while before he could stabilize himself enough to speak.

"They all deserve to die! All waiting for me to be the monarch of a fallen country! All waiting for me to make a fool of myself!" he breathed heavily, filling his lungs with the stale air, watching as his tearful trusted maid cleaned up the blood on the floor beside the bed.

"Don't let anyone find out!" he instructed, propping himself up on the edge of the bed until he heard the maid's response, then he fell back onto the bed.

At this moment, he was truly on his last legs. He had planned to recuperate a bit, but the news had completely broken down his already frail body.

Since he had been injured, with the Crown Prince returning and the ceasefire at Fengjiang... Now with the loss of Wanliang, the fact that he had managed not to have a blood-sputtering fit until now meant he was actually in good condition.

His decision to send the Crown Prince Zhao Ji to Hezhe right now was an impulsive command more out of spite, one he himself didn't fully understand. As the Emperor, knowing that his health was not good, to send the Crown Prince far away was definitely a dangerous order.

But Zhao Kai issued the command anyway, and after giving it, he felt somewhat better: there was a sense of vengeful satisfaction, and a sense of relief as if he were to let the impending flood come after his death.

Didn't they all have their own ulterior motives? Well then, let them fight! Did they all want to show off? Then, let them perform to their heart's content!

I want to see who can fare well in the end!

I refuse to be the monarch of a fallen nation! I refuse to be a historical villain! Moreover, at my death, I'll drag you traitors down with me for burial! A burial to accompany me!