The Immortal Seeker: Legend of Bronze Mirror
Chapter 340 - 154 Assassination of Fang Immortal Dao (Subscription Requested)_2

Chapter 340: Chapter 154 Assassination of Fang Immortal Dao (Subscription Requested)_2

This strategy prioritizes psychological warfare.

Moreover, by negotiating with the Giant Whale Gang in advance, Xu Qing avoided the risk of being attacked from both sides during the process of eradicating the pirates.

The Court had a second plan in this regard.

Nowadays, as the feud between the Giant Whale Gang and Duke Wei Mansion grows deeper by the day, should the Gang attempt to drag their feet, the Imperial Navy would immediately turn their ships around and strike a severe blow to the Giant Whale Gang first.

To put it bluntly, the Court clearly had great confidence in the three thousand Jinghai Guard trained by Meng Yuxuan, considering them a formidable maritime force.

In fact, that was indeed the case.

Because this group of Navy personnel were all either sailors or miners by trade.

The Grand Secretary had previously reallocated Silver from Taicang on the Court, which in reality wasn’t sent to the Liao Dong frontier but ordered Meng Yuxuan to secretly train the Navy on an island off Liao Dong.

This deceptive move was so covert that even the Ministry of Revenue was unaware of the actual whereabouts of the Taicang Silver, only knowing that it was indeed sent to Liao Dong.

Therefore, when the Imperial Navy made its move, many senior officials and Powerful figures in the capital were caught completely off guard; even now, they had no idea how many Navy forces the Grand Secretary had actually fostered.

On this matter, Meng Yuxuan kept his lips tightly sealed, and not a word could be coaxed out of him by Mr. Wu.

However, Xu Qing believed that the Jinghai Guard could not possibly exceed ten thousand men; the quantity of Silver from Taicang was telling. Moreover, the biggest challenge in building the Navy’s ships wasn’t Silver but timber.

Since the Middle Ages, the massive trees of the Heavenly Dynasty had been continuously cut down, with only a small portion used for constructing large ships—most were used to build palaces, temples, Imperial Mausoleums, and the grand tombs of generals and ministers...

Hence, the scale of the Imperial City of Chang’an a thousand years ago was much larger than the current Forbidden City.

One important reason for this was the growing scarcity of large trees suitable for constructing great halls.

Reflecting on this, Xu Qing recalled that the Emperor had collected many large timbers for the construction of the Longevity Palace. He guessed that some may have been used to build ships.

Because currently, the Minister of Public Works was the Grand Secretary’s son.

But everyone thought that the family of the Grand Secretary were enormous corrupt officials, living extravagantly.

And indeed that was the case.

However...

Xu Qing also suddenly understood why the Emperor trusted the Grand Secretary with power; his reputation was poor, his actions resolute, making it all too easy to deal with his family once the New Emperor ascended.

Planning affairs without planning for oneself.

Although Xu Qing admired the Grand Secretary’s determination to do great things, he felt no sympathy.

Should the day come when the cunning rabbit is dead and the hound cooked.

The Grand Secretary is the cunning rabbit, and he, Xu Qing, supposed he was nothing but a hound.

He didn’t want to rebel; rather, one should indeed have the power to rebel when falsely accused of doing so!

The Grand Secretary plans affairs, Xu Qing plans for himself.

They simply tread different Dao paths.

With complex emotions, Xu Qing and Mr. Wu boarded the Imperial Navy ship.

Three thousand Navy men, when used in naval combat, didn’t make a large force.

But these three thousand men and their ships, under the command of Meng Yuxuan, moved like the wind, coordinating seamlessly, advancing and retreating in an orderly fashion.

Their discipline was evident, even startling Xu Qing.

Well-organized troops facing small to medium-sized groups of pirates were essentially bringing a dimension of overbearing force.

Once Meng Yuxuan began commanding the troops, he became a completely different person, with determined command and a demeanor that commanded respect, leaving onlookers wary of interfering, lest they incur his wrath.

The relentless nature of military discipline had been engraved in the bones of these Jinghai Guard.

Only after the demonstration of military strength was completed and the troops ordered back to their ranks.

Did Meng Yuxuan revert to his normal self, though still somewhat excited.

It was as if his life was invigorated on the battlefield and with the army, vibrant beyond measure, dazzlingly brilliant!

Xu Qing felt a twinge of envy.

For a person to find a cause that elevates the meaning of their life is a truly wonderful thing.

No longer troubled by gains and losses, just get on with it.

The most captivating aspect of life is to discover a direction one is passionately drawn to, and then to tirelessly advance in that direction until death!

"Top Scorer Xu, how does this army compare to the sea bandits you’ve encountered?" Meng Yuxuan eagerly awaited Xu Qing’s assessment.

"In my view," Xu Qing said, "the pirates of the East Sea are but chickens and dogs in front of this grand army. Dominance over the East Sea and the Southern Ocean is within reach."

Meng Yuxuan laughed heartily: "Not necessarily, the greatest challenge in naval battles is finding the enemy on the vast sea. Even with control of the shipping routes, finding the enemy still depends on the right weather conditions. They say ’no battle without wind, no battle in storm.’ A hurricane approaches, unfamiliarity with sandbanks, outnumbered by pirates, no anchorage in sight, these are all reasons not to fight.

In battle, bravery and strength can’t be fully exercised, relying mostly on long-range attacks with arrows and stones.

With the boat rocking, hitting an enemy ship is a hundred times harder than on a river. And if we chase with the wind, the pirates flee with it too; without ambushes to set or passages to secure, sinking even one or two ships is considered extreme luck. To dominate the vast sea is no easy task."

Xu Qing’s mind stirred, "Then, Big Brother Meng, besides the weather, what do you consider the most important factor in naval battles?"

Meng Yuxuan said, "The discipline of the Navy soldiers goes without saying; it is a must, non-negotiable. Besides that, it’s about having the right tools. A workman must sharpen his tools if he is to do his work well. Ships must be tough, and aside from old naval weaponry like slingshots, powerful Firearms are also crucial. It’s a pity that Fang Immortal Dao excels in Firearms but isn’t employed by our court."

The previous Dynasty’s domination was partly due to the Firearms of Fang Immortal Dao.

However, Fang Immortal Dao didn’t get along with the Grand Ancestor of our Dynasty.

Even though our Dynasty also seized many Firearms, it lacked specialized talent.

While Fang Immortal Dao continued to develop Firearms Overseas and integrate them with Dao Skill, their power has been growing more substantial in the Southern Ocean Islands.

Conversely, the Court has not placed enough emphasis on Firearms, and due to rampant corruption and the low status of craftsmen, Firearms development has long stagnated.

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