Chapter 202 – The Victor

A portion of the people headed straight for the cliff to join up with their previous group to seize the high ground. However, halfway there, some boldly let go of the iron rings in their hands and drifted toward the beach, aiming to intercept the freshwater carts and firewood! The Jian Rui Camp soldiers were fierce and skilled fighters, agile and nimble. The Lucian soldiers were also tall and powerful, not fearing a fight. The two sides quickly engaged in combat using long sticks. Yet, the Jian Rui Camp soldiers fought fearlessly, attacking like hungry wolves. Their opponents seemed somewhat taken aback, thinking it was just an exercise, and hesitated. Soon, the Lucian soldiers abandoned their beachside stronghold and retreated back into the valley.

The Jian Rui Camp swiftly took control of the resource point on the beach and skillfully transported the resources near the cliff. On top of the cliff, the Jian Rui Camp soldiers who had first scaled it had already captured the flag and secured the stronghold, firmly guarding it. They lowered chains, and the soldiers below, having seized the resources, expertly hooked them onto the heavily laden freshwater cart.

The island was a chaotic battlefield, with groups of Jian Rui Camp soldiers from the current dynasty everywhere, disturbing and seizing resources from other countries’ camps.

The medical and engineering soldiers from the “Taiping” had also belatedly disembarked from the warship and cleared out a flat area at the foot of the collapsed hill, quickly assembling a hoisting pulley.

After looping the chains around, the soldiers below waved signal flags while those above pulled on the chains. Soon, the hoisting pulley creaked and groaned as it lifted the heavy chains, raising the water cart into the air. Then, it was dragged over to the Jian Rui Camp base on the other side of the mountain peak.

Many noticed the freshwater cart high in the air, but there was no doubt that the guards on the high cliffs could at any time use the chains and kite wings to swoop down and drive them away.

In this way, the Jian Rui Camp turned their disadvantage into an advantage. The fallen rocks from the mountain peak became a barrier, blocking the steps of the other countries’ beach assault troops. Following this logic, any resources acquired afterward could be transported to the foot of the cliff via the hoisting pulley, transforming this place, which had been affected by that one shot from the Crimson Moon Kingdom, into a sealed-off and safe camp.

As long as the soldiers of the current dynasty firmly controlled the camp at the top of the hundred-foot cliff and had chains and kite wings in hand, they would have the advantage in the air. This caused the Jian Rui Camp soldiers, after snatching resources everywhere, to send them back to the camp using the pulley and hooks. Resources went out but never returned. Meanwhile, the logistics soldiers laid landmine arrays within the camp, completely undisturbed, allowing them to accumulate even more points.

Even rescuing hostages could similarly be brought back to the camp. Once the time was up, they could return to the warship and head back to camp.

The tide of victory reversed, and the outcome was almost certain.

For a moment, the watching ministers were invigorated, discussing amongst themselves: “We’re sure to win now. Unless they can use firearms, who can resist these flying generals and divine soldiers?”

“It’s a bit unfair, though. This is just an exercise, after all. If they were using firearms, how could they be so carefree?”

“What do you mean? This is a reasonable use of the rules. What about that one shot from the Crimson Moon Kingdom earlier? Why didn’t you say it was unfair then?”

“Speaking of which, no wonder they need mixed battalions. In other words, sea battles can’t just train sailors and artillerymen; they also need infantry vanguard battalions, logistics engineering battalions, and medical battalions.”

“And military bands. A military band must always be present on the seas.”

“The nature of warfare has changed. If we don’t mix battalions, it’s very easy for commanders to be unfamiliar with their soldiers and soldiers to disregard their commander’s signals.”

“This is still under clear skies. What if the weather turns bad… or there’s a night attack…”

“Weather, tides, ocean currents all have an impact. And this is just a play. If there’s a defense on shore, the easily accessible beaches will certainly be guarded by strong forces.”

“In real landings, warships naturally have to join in to provide assistance and cover. After a round of cannon fire, then the infantry lands to seize the beach. So, that move by the Crimson Moon Kingdom wasn’t hard to anticipate…”

“But once the infantry reaches shore, they lose contact with the warship’s command. Therefore, the infantry vanguard battalion must have an exceptionally strong leader.”

“In actual combat, there’s hardly any face-to-face opportunity. Firepower sweeps through first, and you can dig out landmines…”

“What about that Horst Dorf? I remember he earned his title for being the first to land. He’s indeed brave.”

“Cheng Changtian is also good, a fierce general—Cheng Changyun is a pity in the Ministry of Revenue, he’s also a military man.”

The military officers whispered amongst themselves, discussing tactics and the capabilities of their leaders.

Xu Chun also introduced to Xie Yi: “The current seafaring ships aren’t suitable for beach assault operations. I’ve heard that Westerners are researching a kind of flat-bottomed sea vessel, capable of moving in shallow waters, even able to reach the beach. It’s equipped with small boats with air cushions for easy landing to avoid damage from coral reefs and can freely retreat back into the sea. We are currently learning their technology.”

Xie Yi asked, “Flat-bottomed sea vessel?”

Xu Chun explained in detail: “A kind of propeller mechanism, with small wheels installed on the bottom to avoid rocks, and a stern anchor that can be sunk in advance and then used to pull the ship back into deeper waters. The ship carries heavy cannons, single-wheeled carts for transporting supplies, and so on…”

At this moment, He Zhiqiu asked, “Most of the naval battles take place at sea. Why are the Westerners researching these landing and beach assault vessels?”

Xu Chun smiled slightly. “What does Minister He think?”

The civil officials finally realized something: “It must be for expansion! To invade other countries’ territories.” “How sinister their intentions!” “Ironclad ships and flying guns, all for such purposes.” “Swords and spears can no longer resist.”

“I thought we didn’t need to vie for benefits at sea. Now it seems that mere defense might not prevent the wolfish ambitions. We need to strengthen our defenses along the rivers and seas.”

“But the southeastern coastline is so long, how can we defend it?”

“All nations have their borders. We should correct hearts and minds, emphasize education, teach them propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame. With the king’s teachings, virtue will naturally spread far and wide, subduing the four corners of the wilderness and bringing the myriad nations to court.”

“Tsk… That cannon shot earlier didn’t wake you up? Barbarians are beasts, incapable of enlightenment. They can only be subdued by force.”

Amidst the discussions, the civil officials now saw the well-trained exercises of the foreigners on the island below, with practiced beach assault tactics, clearly indicating they had been drilled many times. Their moods became complex.

They were all seeing such a battlefield exercise for the first time, not the usual drills and formations during grand inspections, but actual combat exercises.

Fan Mucun suddenly sighed, “In the previous dynasty, Qi Yuanjing once said that military exercises were ‘all a sham.’ They did not match up ‘with a single word’ to actual battle strategies. I didn’t understand when I read this section in ‘New Book of Effective Discipline.’ In the past, I had seen grand inspections, witnessing the martial prowess and orderly formations, merely finding them awe-inspiring. Today, seeing this exercise, I realize that what I saw before might not be practical in real combat. Indeed, ‘killing is not a spectacle.'”

Indeed, it was cunning and deceitful, using any means necessary. This was just a play, yet the wolfish ambitions of the Western barbarians were already apparent.

Xie Yi turned to look at him with a faint smile. “This is ‘knowledge acquired from books is superficial, true understanding comes from personal experience.'”

Fan Mucun said, “Now I understand the profound meaning behind the mixed battalion grand inspection the other day. Scholars are prone to empty words, which may lead to missed opportunities in battle.”

Xie Yi nodded in agreement. “Dongye’s insight is commendable.”

The tense atmosphere on the field had relaxed, but Xie Yi noticed that Xu Chun was nowhere to be seen, having left the emperor’s presence at some point. After a while, a group of soldiers appeared on the beach below, each holding musical instruments. They sat beside a cluster of flowers, tuned for a while, and then began to play music.

Several people started by playing flutes and long flutes; the flute sounds were distant and clear, bright and resonant, like the wind whistling through the clouds, akin to the tranquility of fields and mountains.

Gradually, the flute sounds rose higher and higher, gradually blending in with the sounds of zithers and drums, becoming vast and magnificent sounds of clashing armies, like the roaring of rivers and seas, like the sweeping of mountain winds, stirring the soul.

The ministers, who had been observing the exercise and were somewhat exhausted by this time, involuntarily relaxed their expressions upon hearing the music. Especially now that the victor was almost decided, everyone couldn’t help but smile and appreciate the music.

“Is that the military band from the fleet?”

“Though lacking a bit in finesse, it’s rare to see such vigor and volume.”

“The melody is well-composed, majestic and grand, truly a battle song.”

“Where’s the Marquis of Linhai?”

Xie Yi turned slightly and saw that Xu Chun had personally brought up a black lacquer tray, holding several slices of watermelon, the red flesh enticing. Beneath the melon pieces lay white ice. He placed it in front of Xie Yi and said, “Please, Your Majesty, enjoy the melon.” Then, he personally handed a slice of melon to Xie Yi, looking at him with sparkling eyes.

Xie Yi took the watermelon and saw that soldiers had begun to carry long trays filled with sliced honeydews, watermelons, grapes, citrus fruits, oranges, and other items.

Xie Yi asked, “It’s still spring, where did you get so many fresh fruits?”

Xu Chun laughed. “Now that the sea routes are open, these are tributes from Yizhou. Prince Nong heard that His Majesty was coming to Jinhaiwei for the grand inspection and ordered a shipload of fresh fruits to be sent over. They arrived yesterday, just in time for His Majesty to grant a feast to the soldiers today. The arrangements for the banquet are already underway below, so I had them prepare some for His Majesty and the ministers.”

Xie Yi nodded. “The climate in Yizhou is warm, but this is too early.”

Xu Chun replied, “They likely have methods to delay ripening. They were likely planted in winter and grown in greenhouses. Plus, with year-round spring-like conditions, it’s probably much easier than here.”

Xie Yi said, “It’s unnecessarily extravagant, laborious, and costly.”

Xu Chun responded, “According to Prince Nong, they often grow these out-of-season fruits to offer to Prince Wang’s Palace. Now that they know to tribute to His Majesty, it shows their loyalty.”

Xie Yi looked at Xu Chun with a half-smile, knowing that this indicated that Guangyuan Wang was now beginning to curry favor with the court, flattering the son who held military power. The straightforward Nong Siji probably didn’t understand the intricacies and, upon receiving rare fruits, ordered them to be sent via sea route, inadvertently allowing Xu Chun to subtly flaunt in front of the civil officials.

Civil governance and military might, the barbarians bow in submission. Knowing that these were tributes from Yizhou, the civil officials indeed had smug expressions. Zhuang Zhizhan, who had just been deflated, didn’t advise against the extravagance and reception again, realizing that spoiling the mood any further might truly lose the emperor’s favor.

Everyone ate the fresh fruits, watching the scene. They saw that the soldiers from the other countries had indeed discovered something amiss and started forming alliances to jointly attack the Jian Rui Camp soldiers atop the hundred-foot cliff.

However, without firearms, the Jian Rui Camp, originally skilled in combat techniques, had the advantage of the high-altitude kite wings. They fought ten against one, defeating every pair they encountered, utterly invincible, with no one able to breach their defenses.

And the originally allied three-country beach assault troops, seeing that the alliance was hopeless, saw the Crimson Moon Kingdom taking advantage of the earlier attack to secretly raid the adjacent Lion Piano Kingdom’s camp and snatch many resources. The Lion Piano Kingdom soon discovered this and angrily returned to defend, seemingly furious as if seeking revenge from the Crimson Moon Kingdom, but instead, they attacked the Lucian Kingdom by surprise. Soon, the tripartite alliance crumbled.

As the sun gradually shifted westward, two hours had passed in the blink of an eye. Signal fireworks soared high again, followed by the sound of cannons, signaling the end of the beach landing exercise. The soldiers from various countries regrouped and retreated in an orderly manner, displaying well-coordinated withdrawal tactics. The logistics and medical soldiers evacuated with the hostages first, while others withdrew in order and boarded the ships. The process was tense and swift but not panicked. The command was smooth, ensuring that all resources and fighting strength were maximally preserved, showcasing extraordinary combat qualities.

This inevitably led to another round of discussion among the ministers watching the exercise, each lost in deep thought. The warships of the four countries sounded their foghorns and left Changle Island, returning to the assembly point for resource counting. Without a doubt, the host country, the current dynasty, would undoubtedly be in first place.

Beside the beach, on the lawn, long tables had been set up, covered with clean tablecloths adorned with embroidered lace edges. Large platters of food were placed, including whole roasted lambs, suckling pigs, roast chickens, ducks, and beautiful desserts, pastries, and cakes. Most eye-catching were the large platters of fresh fruits and fragrant flowers adorning them.

The grand and surging music had turned into tranquil flute sounds, as if warriors were returning home to enjoy family happiness, horses were released to graze on southern hills, and the joys of domestic bliss, symbolizing a peaceful era.

The banquet was about to begin.