The former Emperor and Empress of Izumo bore the likeness of Izumo people, but Emperor Busho possessed golden hair and blue eyes, bearing no resemblance to our Izumo kin. He must be the offspring of the Empress's illicit affair with a foreigner!
The rebel army of Izumo, awakened to this truth, and fueled by their hatred for Emperor Busho, swept through the land like a storm. In no time, they had reached the Imperial Palace.
Emperor Busho was both shocked and enraged. However, the Izumo soldiers by his side defected one after another, leaving him with only two thousand blond, blue-eyed guards from the Huichun Sect.
Just as the rebel army arrived at the palace gates, the sound of distant bugles echoed, startling everyone.
"A large fleet has landed and is heading towards the palace!"
The rebels, seeing the approaching army from afar, turned pale.
"It's an army of blond, blue-eyed people!!"
For a moment, the rebel army was at a loss, while the palace, defended by two thousand men, remained impenetrable.
"Your Majesty! Our reinforcements have coincidentally arrived in Izumo from Senluo Continent!"
Emperor Busho, upon receiving the news, was overjoyed. He immediately led his men to the highest point of the palace to wave the Heavenly Sun Clan's battle flag, adorned with a white-headed eagle.
"Are our people survivors?"
The Heavenly Sun Clan soldiers on the ship spotted the flag, their hearts filled with surprise and joy.
This Heavenly Sun Clan force, numbering ten thousand men and fully armed, quickly routed the ragtag rebel army, slaughtering them along with the defecting Izumo soldiers.
Emperor Busho was rescued, and in his fury, he declared, "Store the dried fish! Feed them all to me first!!"
The surviving military and civilians of Izumo, already battered by the dual blows of a tsunami and volcanic eruption, now faced true demons, ushering in a tragedy of hell on earth.
The lava and ash from Izumo's sacred mountain continued to erupt...
"Originally, our clan intended to civilize and gradually absorb this land. We never expected a tsunami and a volcanic eruption to accelerate the downfall and extermination of Izumo! From this day forward, this land belongs to the Heavenly Sun Clan. Transport the abundant sulfur and other resources here to Senluo Continent! We must develop the Great Qian's 'Heavenly Thunder'!"
The tragedy of Izumo was unknown to the soldiers of Great Qian, who were far away.
Only a few scouting ships discovered the distant tsunami and volcanic eruption, escaping in time to report back.
In the southern part of Great Liang, the Great Qian soldiers, led by Shi Liuyun, swiftly cleared out southern barbarians and remnants of the Huichun Sect. Carrying heads and vast treasures stored by the enemy, they returned to the Great Liang Prefecture – the former capital of Great Liang.
After paying respects at the tomb of the Northern King and the Martial Emperor Temple of Mu Cheng, Shi Liuyun left half of the garrison behind and led his soldiers to reinforce the Zhuo Ying forces in the west.
Zhuo Ying's southern expeditionary force had reached north of the Peacock Dynasty's border. They constructed fortresses, incorporating the fertile lands along the way into the territory of Great Qian, and initiated a military farming plan.
The central regions of the Peacock Dynasty were a long distance away, and with the imperial court focusing its efforts on combating the Western Coalition in the west, the logistics for a large-scale expedition could not keep up for the time being.
Despite this, the Peacock Dynasty was filled with unease, daring not to engage the Great Qian army and only able to defend its borders.
In the capital, within the Emperor's Residence, Li Xin, Ye Qingyi, and Yi Rou brought their adopted daughters to visit the pregnant Zhuo Yun and Zhen Mi.
"Sister Li Xin..." Zhuo Yun, seeing Ye Qingyi and Yi Rou in a daze, was about to speak when Li Xin stopped her with a look and she remained silent.
Luo Qingxue and the others chatted nearby, exchanging knowing glances and wry smiles.
A single glance from Liang Xiao had ruined their lives!
The slightest hint of persuasion directed at the three of them would cause them to flee, leaving even their children behind.
Li Xiuyun, demonstrating exceptional skill and diligence, was widely praised. After succeeding as Prime Minister, with the assistance of Gu Shaoyan, Hong Jie, Zhang Yang, Mu Hong, and the guidance of veteran officials like Zhuo Wulüe and Gu Hong, he handled state affairs with ease, bringing harmony to the court and the country.
With Ding Wu Yi overseeing the imperial court alongside He Zizhang, Ning Xuejun and Liang Mingyu protecting the Empress and her son Xiao Qing, and Wang Canghai and Lü Yi monitoring court affairs in the capital, Xiao Qing was finally less busy and could often reunite with her sisters.
However, her "Brother Xiao" was conspicuously absent, leaving them yearning.
The craftsmanship of white sugar improved year by year, and the Anguo Workshop began researching the military rations conceptualized by Liang Xiao.
Deep within the Imperial Academy, in the Ministry of Works' dedicated "College of Physics," candidates who scored over ninety in physics tests were assigned here, offered high salaries, and provided with popular science texts left by Liang Xiao, such as "Electromagnetic Induction," for their study.
While the common people's belief that "all professions are inferior, only scholarship is paramount" had not changed, they now understood that pursuing engineering could also lead to success and honor for their ancestors.
The inventors of the Ministry of Works, led by Zhang Yang, gained widespread fame through newspaper publicity.
Meanwhile, in the western territories, Liang Xiao personally supervised the training of the firearm corps from a high platform.
These musketeers were also skilled riders, and their accelerated training focused on reloading and firing from horseback.
Of course, they could also fight on foot.
"Bayonets!"
At the commander's order, the musketeers immediately drew the bayonets that complemented their muzzle-loading guns and practiced thrusting.
"Your Majesty, what is the use of this bayonet? This weapon is incredibly powerful; do we still need close combat?" The generals of the western territories could not hide their curiosity and inquired.
Liang Xiao replied, "The current muzzle-loading guns have a range that has not yet fully surpassed that of the longbow, and at times, may even be slightly inferior to the Great Qian bows. The bayonet can effectively defend against potential charges by cavalry and spearmen."
The generals understood.
Behind them, dozens of Shenwu Cannons were set up, with the more specialized Shadow Guards, Personal Guards, and Hidden Wolf Guards responsible for their coordinated use.
As per Liang Xiao's instructions, the Ministry of War ensured that personnel selected for dangerous firearms were the most loyal soldiers, who were constantly supervised by the court and by each other, to prevent the leakage of such weaponry.
An increasing number of troops from the northern territories and Yizhou converged on Yumenguan, and Liang Xiao instructed his generals to prepare for the final decisive battle.
Nan Jiyun and Yue Yun were responsible for leading and training the troops, while Qin Feng and others focused on enforcing military discipline.
The two-hundred-mile railway greatly improved transportation efficiency, eliminating the need for the previous scale of pack animals, vehicles, and laborers in this area.
Vast quantities of canned fruits, canned meat, and dried meat, along with other supplies, arrived sequentially in the western territories.
The Western Coalition was also frantically producing trebuchets and heavy ballistae, but they had consistently failed to replicate the Great Qian's "Heavenly Fire."
In the military tents, Western commanders deliberated day and night, each contributing their best efforts.
Attila stated, "Based on intelligence analysis from the front lines, we have discovered that the main material of that Great Qian Heavenly Fire appears similar to something accidentally found in the western regions of Asia. This substance, spewed out in West Asia, is extremely viscous, and the locals use it as fuel. The Kushan Dynasty should immediately mobilize to mine it in West Asia, then seal it in containers such as pottery jars, and then project it with trebuchets, igniting it with rockets."
Mars nodded, "I will immediately arrange mobilization. However, more important than this is that the previous day's crushing defeat has lowered our army's morale. I believe that if our army had deployed sufficient heavy cavalry units at the front, the Great Qian bows and arrows would have been unable to breach our defenses, and our army would not have suffered such heavy losses!"
Everyone agreed.
Attila shook his head, "My view is precisely the opposite of yours. Your Heavenly Sun Clan's Heavenly Sun Knights should shed their heavy armor, switch to quilted armor, sacrificing defensive power for mobility."