Empire Conquest
Chapter 287 - 283: Spokesperson

Chapter 287: Chapter 283: Spokesperson

Jeju Island was too large, so Li Yunxiang drove Bai Zhizhan around the airport and nearby areas for a tour, giving him a general idea of the situation.

The airport was not far from the coastline, about ten kilometers away, connected by a road still under construction.

To the south of the airport, which was the side facing the sea, there was a military camp and several high-altitude gun positions; nearby the airport were the ammunition and fuel depots.

Construction was still underway intensively, but there was no need to wait for all infrastructure to be completed.

For instance, fuel could be stored in iron barrels, and ammunition could be scattered and stored in the pre-dug deep pits, while planks could be used to construct temporary barracks for the soldiers.

In Li Yunxiang’s words, there was no reason to wait for everything to be ready before going to war.

As for the potential attacks, indeed, they posed a significant threat, but everything was within a controllable range.

On the east of Jeju Island, three radar stations were deployed, with one always operational. If enemy planes came from the east, about thirty minutes of early warning could be provided, enough to allow the airport’s fighters to take off urgently and climb to a sufficient height before the enemy planes arrived.

Over the Xu Sea to the south, there were several cruisers equipped with radar; surely one of them had its radar in operation.

This way, even if enemy aircraft circled around from the south, they could still be detected in time.

If enemy planes attempted to detour from the north, they would be spotted by the radars on the Ice Storm Peninsula and intercepted by the fighters deployed there.

The Saiyi Navy Air Force and the Army Air Force had organized several bombing missions, but all had ended in failure.

If there was a real threat, it was night bombing.

Mainly because the Empire’s Army did not have night fighters, let alone the Navy.

Fortunately, if enemy planes operated at night, they all came from the east, invariably picked up by the radar there. With the thirty-minute early warning, all the workers at the airport could be evacuated, all lighting equipment shut down, and the high-altitude gun troops could prepare for combat.

Moreover, a "fake airport" had been constructed to the northwest of the real airport.

Simply put, it was furnished with powerful light bulbs and other lighting equipment scaled to the size of a real airport, making enemy pilots believe that was the actual airport.

In the past few nighttime bombings, enemy planes had dropped almost all their bombs on the fake airport.

Since the fake airport was so valuable, Li Yunxiang would organize personnel with engineering equipment to fill in the bomb craters after each bombing.

In any case, he intended not to let the enemy realize they had hit the wrong target.

While introducing these matters to Bai Zhizhan, Li Yunxiang was bursting with excitement and extremely proud.

However, Bai Zhizhan could discern from the tone that the living conditions here were quite harsh and the fighting exceedingly tough, nowhere comparable to that on an aircraft carrier.

Of course, continuously winning battles made the hardship and suffering acceptable with willing hearts for the officers and soldiers.

For Li Yunxiang, as long as he was fighting for his ideals, any hardship was worth enduring.

Seizing the opportunity, Bai Zhizhan recounted the events that had occurred on the night of his engagement—the reasons for his arrival here.

"So, you’re saying after you expressed skepticism towards the optimistic views proposed by Peng Huaisong and Situ Jingde, the Holy Emperor and the Grand Secretary sided with you?"

"I was just speaking off the cuff at the time, after all, Army Commander Liu Changxun isn’t the type to engage in highfalutin talk, and I’m affiliated with the Navy headquarter."

"You could say, you’re still a bit green behind the ears."

"Is that so?"

Li Yunxiang gave a bitter smile and sighed, then shook his head before saying, "Liu Changxun isn’t the type to engage in highfalutin talk? Honestly, it’s just not necessary. From what I’ve heard, when he first entered the Naval Academy, he left Liu Changhe, who was three grades above him, speechless in a debate competition."

"This..."

"It was that incident that made him suffer for decades. Liu Changhe is the direct descendant, and he is just a junior from a collateral branch. He publicly trampled Liu Changhe, leaving the Liu Family without a shred of dignity. Otherwise, with his talents, he wouldn’t have been thrown to the far corners of the earth after graduation."

Upon hearing Li Yunxiang’s words, Bai Zhizhan immediately understood.

Liu Changxun is not unskilled in speech; rather, he prefers not to display his sharpness, or, as one might put it, he tends to keep a low profile when strong ties aren’t involved.

"Don’t take it to heart, either. In this matter, not to mention Liu Changxun, even the Navy has just been ’passing the soy sauce.’ We must admit, the Holy Emperor and the Grand Secretary have not misjudged."

"What?"

Li Yunxiang smiled and said, "From what you started with, the affair the night before yesterday was actually predetermined, and both Peng Huaisong and Situ Jingde were clearly prepared. The Holy Emperor and the Grand Secretary couldn’t possibly be unaware that after the great victory on the Ice Storm Peninsula, the Army has been rather impetuous, especially the Imperial Guard Army. Talk of a swift victory is now common knowledge, as if the Emperor Xia would come to surrender personally as soon as the Imperial Guard Army landed."

"How could that be possible!"

"Exactly, where is it that easy? We all know, and so do the Holy Emperor and the Grand Secretary. Could it be that Peng Huaisong and Situ Jingde don’t know?"

"This..."

"Remember, they’ve both been struggling on the frontline for years, one in the Northwest, the other in the Northeast. Moreover, Peng Huaisong became the Frontline Commander of the Ice Storm Peninsula after the Grand Secretary left. To say it clearly, they understand the brutal reality of ground warfare better than us."

Bai Zhizhan nodded, but did not respond.

It’s true that Peng Huaisong was related to the Grand Secretary through this matter, which allowed him to take the position of Army Commander after Marshal Ma Zhongyi.

"Clearly, the Holy Emperor and the Grand Secretary were aware that both of them were advocating for troops to attack Saiyi’s homeland. As for Liu Changxun, even if he hadn’t been involved in this matter, he wasn’t innocent either. He must have guessed the general idea and helped push it along. Next, it’s your turn to take the stage."

"Brother Li..."

"How is it? I’m not wrong, am I?" Li Yunxiang seemed very pleased, yet he did not mock Bai Zhizhan. "However, you don’t need to overthink it. You’re now the Prince Consort, and the current Holy Emperor is your uncle by marriage. Plus, you have the Grand Secretary backing you up, there’s no need to look over your shoulder. In my opinion, with the status of Imperial Relative, not to mention the Liu Family, none of the great families of the Army would dare to touch you."

"So, when I go back tomorrow, the Ice Storm Peninsula..."

"You still have to go, even if it’s just for formality."

Hearing Li Yunxiang’s words, Bai Zhizhan’s brow immediately furrowed.

With Li Yunxiang’s reminder, Bai Zhizhan came to understand.

Don’t look at how the current Holy Emperor served in the Imperial Guard for years and worked under Situ Jingde as a prince, fighting alongside Lian Xusheng in the same trenches.

But now, the Holy Emperor is the Holy Emperor, no longer the prince of those days.

A prince can be self-centered; the Holy Emperor cannot!

Peng Huaisong and Situ Jingde’s advocacy to attack Saiyi’s homeland actually had their own ulterior motives.

The former, perhaps, sought revenge, especially since during the last war, after Xue Yuanzheng, Peng Huaisong faced many hardships as Commander of the frontline on the Ice Storm Peninsula.

The latter, perhaps, aimed to expand the influence of the Imperial Guard Army.

In essence, their considerations must certainly differ from those of the Holy Emperor and the Grand Secretary.

As a result, Bai Zhizhan was highlighted and pushed forward to become the spokesperson.

Reflecting on these things, Bai Zhizhan couldn’t help but sigh.

Even if his intelligence was high, in the game of intrigue, he was no match for those central figures who constantly pulled the strings.

"There’s nothing to see on my end. Come back in a few months, and things will be entirely different. If you have no other business, you should go to Buju tomorrow."

"Alright, I’ll leave early tomorrow morning."

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