Empire Conquest
Chapter 100 - 96: Machine Startup

Chapter 100: Chapter 96: Machine Startup

"Gentlemen, feel free to speak your minds. There are no outsiders here, no need for secrecy," Xue Yuanzheng said, his tone remarkably polite. He was suggesting that these usually cautious ministers now had access to the War Cabinet.

However, no one spoke.

Seeing this, Xue Yuanzheng sighed silently to himself.

Eleven people were present, including two commanders-in-chief, yet not one of them took up the conversation, and their timid demeanor would make anyone’s blood boil.

The problem primarily lay with Xue Yuanzheng himself.

Ten years ago, when he was elected Cabinet Chief under the constitutional amendments, Xue Yuanzheng was not yet fifty, which made him the youngest Chief in history after the amendments.

Though he had the support of his uncle Tang Zude and the Army, and had prior experience in the War Department, facing the raging great depression still made him appear somewhat inexperienced. To turn the tide, he had to take drastic measures.

Xue Yuanzheng indeed took drastic measures.

After taking office, he immediately initiated the "Inland Development" strategy. He had railways and roads built in the Northwest and Southwest, relocated heavy industries from the eastern and southern coastal areas to the inland along the rivers of Nanjiang and Yuejiang to boost the inland economy. He also expanded government deficit spending by issuing national debt and other financing methods to increase social investment and stimulate domestic consumption.

During this period, Xue Yuanzheng radically reorganized the Cabinet, replacing almost half of the Cabinet Ministers and merging and adding several departments. To advance the related legislation, he also extended his reach into the legislative houses, using various means to gain absolute control over them.

Step by step, Xue Yuanzheng became the Empire’s iron-fisted Chief.

Over a decade, those who dared to oppose him turned to dust.

Those who remained were either his carefully nurtured confidants, indecisive good-hearted old men, or deeply cunning old foxes.

On such a critical issue, these people certainly wouldn’t speak their minds willingly.

"Since everyone is still considering, let me say a few words."

After Xue Yuanzheng spoke, others finally looked up at him, with several nearsighted ministers ostentatiously adjusting their glasses.

"I said years ago that a wolf’s belly can never be filled," Xue Yuanzheng’s gaze swept across the ministers present and he habitually tapped on the table a few times. "Twenty-two years ago, when the Saiyi unexpectedly declared war on us and sent troops to occupy the North and South Sado Islands, blocking and controlling Watcher Strait, we should have realized that such incidents would occur again and even more fiercely. What happened today not only proves this speculation but also warns us with a whole fleet’s annihilation and the blood and lives of thousands of soldiers that any unrealistic fantasies about our enemy will only lead to bitter defeat."

These words were heavy and clearly aimed at certain Cabinet Ministers.

Although relations between the Empire and Saiyi Imperial Kingdom became extremely tense after the war ended, due to well-known reasons like overseas territories issues.

At the time, during the Seba Conference, the discussions almost broke down.

It wasn’t until other Great Powers, especially after the Newland Federation made their position clear, that the two sides reached the so-called "Twenty-Year Lease" agreement, which stipulated that the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom would return the illegally occupied overseas territories to the Liangxia Empire twenty years after the formal agreement.

However, no formal peace treaty was ever concluded.

This means the legal validity of this agreement is questionable.

To this day, several islands that belonged to the Empire before the last war, or were effectively controlled by the Empire, including the North Ma Islands, Lockgate Islands, and New Card Islands, as well as some colonies in the southern part of the Flame Sea, are still occupied by the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom, not returned according to the agreement.

Over these years, the Empire has persistently proposed through diplomatic channels to the Saiyi authorities that the overseas territories dispute be resolved based on the agreement reached during the Seba Conference, demanding the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom return the Empire’s overseas territories illegally occupied during the war by the end of year 100 of the New Calendar.

Many Imperial Subjects harbor fantasies because of this, thinking that these overseas territories might be reclaimed through negotiations.

The key issue is that even some of the Cabinet Ministers are so naive!

When it comes to the overseas territories forcibly seized by the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom, they hardly have any economic value. The valuable colonies almost all fell into the hands of the Bulan Kingdom, Locke Republic, and Newland Federation, leaving only the dregs for the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom.

Located in the Northeastern Flame Sea, the North Ma Islands, Southwest East Ocean’s Lockgate Islands, and New Card Islands are all sparsely populated and resource-poor islands, most of which are uninhabited. Not to mention colonizers, there are hardly any natives either. In peacetime, occupying and controlling these islands is a losing business.

You could say they have a bit of value during wartime, but it’s not very significant.

From the Empire’s perspective, they simply see this as an opportunity to gradually reclaim the overseas territories lost during the great war through negotiation and consultation.

After the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom makes concessions, could the Bulan Kingdom and other Great Powers still hold on to them?

Moreover, this is about diverting the internal conflicts of the Empire.

Indeed, this is why the relationship between the Liangxia Empire and the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom has always been explosive. It seems that for the past decade or so, both sides have been preparing for a decisive battle.

This actually speaks too highly of the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom.

In terms of land area, population size, economic strength, resource availability, industrial scale, scientific technology, and military power, in what ways can the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom compare to the Liangxia Empire?

Or even qualify to challenge the Liangxia Empire?

Of course, this is intentional.

Even in peacetime, the Empire needs a reason to maintain military readiness and develop military power.

Xue Yuanzheng emphasized the wolfish ambitions of the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom here, actually warning those ministers who still harbored illusions that it was time to wake up.

As for why the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom chose to start the war with a surprise attack, Xue Yuanzheng did not say, nor did the other ministers ask.

Following this, Xue Yuanzheng brought up the core issue of the meeting.

After being attacked by the Saiyi Navy, it was inevitable to declare war on the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom.

So, how long would it take and what costs would need to be paid to completely defeat the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom?

Clearly, this is not a single question, but a series of them.

Fortunately, a contingency plan had been drawn up in the top-secret documents for such a scenario, and what needed discussion was actually the adjustment and amendment of the plan based on the actual situation.

The discussion continued until past six o’clock, when Xue Yuanzheng left.

It’s not that the meeting wasn’t important, but there were more pressing matters for him to attend to.

As per the schedule, an emergency full assembly of both legislative chambers would be convened at six thirty, and Xue Yuanzheng, representing the Cabinet, would make a crucial opening statement.

As expected, Xue Yuanzheng would propose declaring war on the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom, seeking war authorization from the legislative chambers.

Next would be the formation of a War Cabinet and the step-by-step initiation of war mobilization.

In any case, the war machine of the Liangxia Empire had already been set in motion.

What should tremble is not just the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom, but the entire world!

At this moment, in the northeastern waters of the Flame Sea, a massive war machine was preparing for the upcoming great battle, and at the helm of this machine was Bai Zhizhan.