Empire Conquest
Chapter 296 - 292: The Wedding Approaches

Chapter 296: Chapter 292: The Wedding Approaches

At this point, Xue Yuanzheng raised a second question.

Similarly, this was not a question that could be answered in a single sentence.

If a war with the Newland Federation were to break out this year, how could defeat be ensured?

More specifically, dragging the fight until the beginning of next year and having four large carriers in service would be considered a victory.

Xue Yuanzheng didn’t make things difficult for Bai Zhizhan; he simply asked Bai Zhizhan to explain the deployment and actions of the Navy, without needing to worry about the Army’s affairs.

Could the matter of the Army really be left unaddressed?

Even if the East Ocean was the main battlefield for the Navy, when fighting against the Newland Federation, the Army simply couldn’t be bypassed!

First and foremost, Bai Zhizhan proposed a preemptive strike, emulating the Saiyi Navy’s surprise attack on Chengjiang Port, aiming to cripple the Newland Navy’s East Ocean Fleet at the onset of war.

From a tactical standpoint, this was the most ideal choice.

The Navy is a military branch that particularly emphasizes offensive operations, and it is through offense that initiative can be seized.

After defeating the Newland Navy’s East Ocean Fleet, the Imperial Navy would possess absolute naval supremacy.

With naval supremacy came strategic initiative.

Even with the most conservative estimates, it would control the entire East Ocean within two years, by the second half of the New Calendar year 101.

Unfortunately, this plan was utterly impractical at the strategic level.

The ability to draw the Luosha Federation into joining the Three Giants Contract Group, led by the Liangxia Empire, rested on the premise that the Liangxia Empire would not initiate war with the Newland Federation. Before Bai Zhizhan went to Baku for secret talks, the Imperial Authority had already made this assurance to the Luosha Federation.

This was a necessary precaution taken by the Luosha Federation for its own preservation.

Like the Liangxia Empire and the Tiaoman Empire, the Luosha Federation and the Newland Federation also had the foundational conditions for an alliance due to the absence of direct conflicts of interest.

After the last great war ended, not only did the Newland Federation take the lead in recognizing the Luosha Federation, but it also became one of the Luosha Federation’s most important trade partners subsequently.

The assistance provided by the Newland Federation to the Luosha Federation was exceptionally substantial.

Although the Liangxia Empire had always been importing oil, minerals, and other raw materials from the Luosha Federation—which allowed the Luangsha Federation to complete its initial capital accumulation and earn its first pot of gold towards industrialization—the Liangxia Empire consistently restricted the export of advanced industrial technologies to the Luosha Federation, especially the industrial equipment that could enable the Luosha Federation to rapidly industrialize, even if this meant bearing a huge trade deficit.

To illustrate, in the decade before the outbreak of the great war, the machine tools that the Liangxia Empire sold to the Luosha Federation were all second-hand goods used for over ten years. Most of them were already scrapped, exported under the guise of industrial waste, and sensitive parts were removed or destroyed before export.

In contrast, the Newland Federation did the exact opposite.

In a sense, the Luosha Federation’s ability to achieve basic industrialization in less than twenty years, transforming into a modern industrial nation, owed much to the assistance from the Newland Federation. It could even be said that without Newland’s support, the Luosha Federation would still be an agricultural country today.

Although the Newland Federation’s support of the Luosha Federation was intended to create an adversary for the Liangxia Empire, preventing it from expanding in the East Ocean, it must be acknowledged that this help also convinced the higher echelons of the Luosha Federation that the Newland Federation, with no conflicting interests, was the true ally.

Even if forced to join the Liangxia Empire’s war chariot, this did not mean they had to burn bridges with the Newland Federation.

In Xue Yuanzheng’s words, even if in the later stages of the war, when absolute initiative was held and there was no longer a need to consider the feelings of the Luosha Federation, in the initial stages of the war, especially before securing strategic initiative and an absolute strategic advantage, it was crucial not to fall out with the Luosha Federation.

Furthermore, there was the matter of "morality," which might sound inconsequential but was something no politician would overlook.

As the saying goes, "Those with the Way receive ample help, those without it receive little."

Could anyone claim that the Empire’s smooth-sailing after the start of the war had nothing to do with morality?

Even if history is written by the victors, there must be something worth writing!

"The primary value of ’righteousness’ lies not in how much sympathy and support it can garner from the international community, but in its ability to inspire the morale and fighting spirit of our military and civilians, and whether it can unite our citizens to jointly and wholeheartedly confront the enemies that come from abroad.

For thousands of years, there have never been a shortage of patriots willing to die for their beliefs.

The ancients had a saying: "Hear the way in the morning, and you can die content in the evening."

If taking the initiative won’t work, then the only option is to react to changes with constancy.

To put it bluntly, it’s a passive defense.

Although Bai Zhizhan is resourceful, he really can’t delve too deeply into defensive warfare.

Defense is all about adapting to the opponent’s moves on the fly.

The battle hasn’t even begun; how can we know how the enemy will attack, and how to arrange our defensive tactics?

When the Grand Secretary asked for his counsel, Bai Zhizhan emphasized just one point.

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.

What he meant was, the four fleet carriers must not be grouped together; they should at least be divided into two fleets, and it would be best to deploy the two fleets separately.

Although losing two fleet carriers would also mean losing the initiative in battle, as using the other two fleet carriers could in no way take the tactical initiative, losing all four fleet carriers at once would mean not just losing the initiative on the battlefield, but losing hope for victory itself.

With two carriers, even if offensive capability is insufficient, we can still hold out for some time.

In fact, in theory, just one carrier would be enough to make the Newland Navy hesitate to act rashly.

Bai Zhizhan stopped short on this issue, as elaborating too much would seem self-interested, even though he did not need to be overly cautious in front of Xue Yuanzheng.

Of course, Xue Yuanzheng is not inexperienced in war, and he could grasp the gravity of the situation with but a hint.

"What you’ve said makes sense. I will consider it carefully and then discuss it with Liu Changxun," Xue Yuanzheng said as he escorted Bai Zhizhan to the door of the study. "It’s really inconsiderate to have you running around right after your engagement. Now that you’re back, you can focus on your preparations."

"Preparations?"

"Look at me, nearly forgetting such an important matter. Let me extend my congratulations in advance. The Imperial Family has chosen a date, and the wedding is set for early autumn in September, a few days before the Double Ninth Festival."

Bai Zhizhan was clearly confused; he hadn’t heard about this.

"This is the Empress Dowager’s idea; she said that neither you nor the Little Eldest Princess are young anymore, and even if state affairs are crucial, it should not come at the expense of those who have served the Empire well. Although it is said that external officials should not inquire about internal affairs, in any case, I am considered your elder. Spend some quality time with the Little Eldest Princess during this period, and be diligent. The Empress Dowager may already have several grandsons and grand-nephews, but if truth be told, the Little Eldest Princess is whom she dotes on the most. The older generation is certainly more conservative in their views. This matter of passing down the family line has always been of utmost importance, especially when it relates to the Imperial Family..."

"Prime Minister..."

"Alright, I won’t keep you any longer; I don’t want to waste your precious time. When you go back, send my regards to the Little Eldest Princess, and remember to tell her not to worry about the trivial matters of the Treasury Department; I will arrange everything for her. Focus on the important tasks first, everything else can be easily settled."

"Prime Minister, I must take my leave."

Bai Zhizhan didn’t dare linger, and without waiting for Xue Yuanzheng’s response, he hurriedly slipped away.

If Xue Yuanzheng kept talking, he might end up giving Bai Zhizhan marriage advice.

But this matter of the wedding, Bai Zhizhan had truly not heard about.

Perhaps, the Holy Emperor and the Empress Dowager were considering the impending fierce battle; if they were to continue delaying, there might not be a chance to hold the wedding in the future.

But can it really be delayed until early autumn in September?