Empire Conquest
Chapter 393 - 389: Just Waiting for the East Wind

Chapter 393: Chapter 389: Just Waiting for the East Wind

The destroyer leading the way blew its whistle as Liu Changxun noticed that the fleet was about to enter East Capital Bay.

This was his first time leaving the Empire since he had assumed the role of Navy Commander-in-chief.

It was Liu Changxun’s own suggestion to attend the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom’s surrender signing ceremony, but it was also Bai Zhizhan’s idea, to use this as a symbol of the Empire’s certain victory.

The point, really, was to stage an event that newspapers and radio stations could publicize.

Even if it didn’t have the effect of deterring the enemy, it could be used to promote upcoming war bonds, potentially raising enough donations to build several carriers.

Little did he expect, the matter caught the Holy Emperor’s keen attention.

Although, after the earnest persuasions of Xue Yuanzheng and others, the Holy Emperor finally set aside the idea of "gracing the event with his presence," he insisted that the Eldest Prince represent the Imperial Family, proposing this as a demonstration of the Empire’s strength and to make seventy million Saiyi soldiers and civilians bow down in submission.

Xue Yuanzheng felt helpless about this.

With the Eldest Prince going, could Peng Huaisong and Situ Jingde afford not to go?

Even Xue Yuanzheng almost ended up accompanying them.

The significance of this event was indeed high!

As such, the preparations for the surrender ceremony took over a month.

On October 24, just two days after the East Saiyi Regime declared its surrender, Sawa, representing the West Saiyi Regime, accepted the surrender outside Shenhu city from the Commander-in-chief of the East Saiyi Army, and thereafter led the vanguard forces into Shenhu, taking over the city that hadn’t fallen after months of fierce fighting.

In the previous months, at least 100,000 troops of the National Self-Defense Force had fallen outside this city.

After capturing Shenhu, the National Self-Defense Force steadily advanced eastward, taking control of the cities held by the East Saiyi Army and disarming them.

By November 10, the National Self-Defense Force had already reached East Imperial City.

To be cautious, on the same day, they sent the Emperor Xia and dozens of his family members to Long Sorrow, and also transported the Crown Prince to the Liangxia Empire on a transport plane.

Indeed, they sent him as a hostage.

Five days prior, the National Self-Defense Force crossed the strait north of the Main Island and landed on North Island, marking the completion of their control over the entire territory of Saiyi.

Yesterday, Niu Man officially announced control over the entire Saiyi Imperial Kingdom and relocated from Long Sorrow to East Imperial City.

Originally, the West Saiyi Regime had declared the Imperial Capital as the spiritual capital, East Imperial City as the administrative and legislative capital, and Long Sorrow as the temporary capital.

According to the report submitted by Niu Man, a total of 3.5 million East Saiyi soldiers surrendered, with 2.5 million being discharged and settled on-site.

These were all troops recruited after the war began.

The remaining roughly 1 million were temporarily placed in concentration camps across various locations, with about 50,000 officers set to face trial.

As for the time and place of the trials, as well as the composition of the courts, that would depend on the Liangxia Empire’s decision; it was not yet determined and there was no rush.

However, not all East Saiyi soldiers had surrendered their weapons.

At least 20 submarines escaped from the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom, with 7 of them being sunk by the Empire Navy’s destroyers and patrol planes in the Northwest East Ocean.

Additionally, Prime Minister Wen Wei of the East Saiyi Regime went missing.

Wen Wei disappeared on October 23, and several of his confidants also left East Imperial City around the same time.

Rumors suggested that Wen Wei had escaped the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom on a submarine.

He remained unseen even after the war ended.

Although there was reason to believe he was aboard a submarine sunk in the Northwest East Ocean, without finding the wreckage or any clues linked to him personally, Wen Wei’s whereabouts remain one of the unresolved mysteries of the war.

Moreover, several other East Saiyi Cabinet Ministers have fled, including the main conspirator, Land Minister Yingxi, who helped Wen Wei seize power.

He escaped by submarine and arrived at Treasure Harbor in early November.

On November 20, Yingxi declared the formation of a government in exile in Shenghu city on the west coast of Newland, proclaiming himself the legitimate leader of the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom.

Interestingly, he had also taken a Prince with him!

Afterward, at his arrangement, that ten-year-old boy ascended to the throne in Shenghu City and declared himself the legitimate Emperor Xia, the 125th of the line.

Of course, whether he was actually a Prince, no one could say for certain at that time.

Decades later, through genetic technology, it had been confirmed that this "125th Emperor Xia" was an imposter, with no blood relation to the Saiyi Imperial Family at all.

Moreover, even within the Saiyi Main Island, there were still many stubborn dissenters.

On November 20th, which is when Yingxi declared the establishment of a government in exile, calling on the Saiyi military and civilians loyal to Emperor Xia to rise against the invaders and the traitorous West Saiyi Regime, riots broke out on Saiyi Main Island, particularly in the major cities east of Shenhu.

The rioters were those stubborn dissenters, many of whom were disabled veterans.

Of course, they were all former military personnel.

The suppression operation had been ongoing for several days, with only marginal effects, barely managing to control East Imperial City, while the riots in other cities were still severe.

Of course, the ones suffering were the Saiyi people.

The riot provided the Empire a reason to disengage.

On the 21st, Xue Yuanzheng had already announced that, given the turbulent situation within the Saiyi Imperial Country, the Liangxia Empire would not consider providing humanitarian aid for the time being.

The main reason was the fear that aid supplies would fall into the hands of criminals.

The Niu Man administration could not guarantee that the aid supplies would reach the civilians in need, nor could they conduct rescue efforts throughout the region.

In any case, the aid efforts were temporarily shelved.

The suffering Saiyi people?

It seemed they hadn’t suffered enough!

Otherwise, where would they find the energy to cause such trouble?

In Xue Yuanzheng’s words, they could consider aid after winter passed. By then, those with the energy to cause trouble would likely be mostly frozen to death.

As Liu Changxun contemplated these issues, the Destroyer had completed its turn, and the fleet was about to enter East Capital Bay.

It was still early in the morning.

If as Bai Zhizhan had speculated, the Spur-commanded Newland carrier mixed fleet was currently to the east, within 1000 to 1500 kilometers.

Perhaps, the medium-sized Bombers carried by "Fenjin" had already taken off and were flying towards them.

Initial reconnaissance?

Absolutely unnecessary.

The time for surrender signing ceremonies was already set, and with clear weather in East Capital Bay, there was no possibility of a last-minute change.

According to the schedule, sending the bombers over would suffice.

All it would take is one bomber breaking through and dropping a bomb over "Longxing," specifically needing just one bomb to hit the rear deck of the Battleship, and that would be enough.

Was it difficult?

Not at all!

There was plenty of reason to believe that "Fenjin" indeed carried more than ten medium-sized bombers.

The point, as Xue Yuanzheng had decided, based on the battle plan proposed and formulated by Bai Zhizhan, had moved into the implementation phase.

On November 17th, the Sixth Bureau provided precise intelligence: a group of about 20 B-25 "Mitchell" medium-sized Bombers had arrived at Treasure Harbor on the night of the 16th. Crucially, these bombers had disappeared from Ford Island in the center of Treasure Harbor by dawn.

Not flown away, but completely disappeared.

Ford Island was not large, with only one airstrip at the Air Station and no hangar or other buildings capable of accommodating and concealing more than ten bombers.

Crucially, "Fenjin" had left Treasure Harbor before dawn on the 17th.

There was plenty of reason to believe that these bombers were all aboard "Fenjin!"

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