Empire Conquest
Chapter 62 - 58: The Quarrel Over Direction

Chapter 62: Chapter 58: The Quarrel Over Direction

After arriving at the Navy headquarters, Bai Zhizhan didn’t even get a sip of water before being summoned by Yu Zhixing, who was Zhu Shijian’s secretary.

Subsequently, Bai Zhizhan learned from Yu Zhixing that half an hour earlier, Liu Xiangdong, Li Hengjia, and Liu Xiangzhen had already arrived.

Since all were headed to the southern naval base of the Empire to transfer via transport planes, it can be deduced that if they departed immediately after receiving the telegram, Liu Xiangdong’s Second Aviation Mixed Fleet must be in the north, within a distance of three hundred kilometers.

They also planned to take advantage of the upcoming cold air flow and had already occupied strategic positions.

The struggle would continue, and the First Aviation Mixed Fleet might well face defeat!

The conference center had already been in discussions for several hours. Since Bai Zhizhan and his group hadn’t arrived yet, the discussion was initially led by the Southern Fleet.

What was the topic?

The same old issues that are argued over every year.

The debate had already erupted once at last month’s preparation meeting before the fleet’s exercises.

The Navy’s basic strategy.

Should they sweep southward through the Fan Flame Ocean or advance eastward to dominate the East Ocean?

Currently, this was still a strategic military issue at the imperial level.

For decades, the military strategy of the Empire, involving both the Army and the Navy, had also been a matter of directional dispute, either advancing northwestward or southeastward.

The decisive Battle of Nanjiang Port, which occurred in the southeast with the Navy playing a major role, solidified the Empire’s reign.

The astonishing Atai Battle, which occurred in the northwest with the Army playing a major role, brought renown to the Empire.

Although even Army generals admitted that the Empire’s future was in controlling the oceans, like the East Ocean and the Fan Flame Ocean, the immense threat from the Luosha Empire was like an axe hanging over their heads, forcing the Empire to strengthen its northwest defenses.

Peace?

As long as the Luosha Empire existed, peace was unachievable!

Don’t forget, after the Atai Battle, the Luosha Empire was forced to sign a humiliating treaty with the Liangxia Empire, ceding territories amassed over centuries in a single document and losing their ports at the East Ocean, thus relegating them to a second-rate power. In the decades that followed, various emperors of the Luosha Empire were determined to reform and endure hardships, all for the sake of revenge one day.

Fortunately, the Luosha Empire had become history.

The greatest advantage of reconciling with the Luosha Federation was removing the threat from the northwest, allowing the Empire to focus its forces on pursuits in the southeast.

Thus, the decades-long dispute between the Army and the Navy came to a close.

Although the Army’s status hadn’t reduced—after all, there were still the Southwest and Northeast—nobody denied that in the next war, the Navy would be the absolute main force. The naval strategic choices were in fact the Empire’s strategic choices, and thus needed to be made with the utmost caution.

In fact, this was precisely why the Navy conducted fleet exercises every year.

Only through exercises mirroring actual combat could the strength of the Navy be accurately assessed, and what kind of battles they could effectively fight be known.

However, despite over a decade of fleet exercises, a definitive overall strategy had never been established.

To say nothing of the annual pre-exercise preparations, when the Domestic Fleet and the Southern Fleet would fiercely argue over the scenarios. When the situation nearly spiraled out of control, the Navy headquarters would throw out an ambiguous plan that could be interpreted any way, which was never an exception in the past decade, making what should be a straightforward scenario setting increasingly complex.

Is it truly impossible to determine?

Clearly not.

Undoubtedly, the influence of two major families was involved, but fundamentally, it was still closely tied to the Empire’s overall strategy.

Simply put, it concerns what kind of war one seeks to wage and the objectives one seeks to achieve through that war.

There is significant knowledge involved in this discussion.

Not to mention anyone else, even Bai Zhizhan only clarified in recent years the difference between the southern strategy and the eastern strategy and understood the difficulties faced by Zhu Shijian.

What difference?

The difference between a limited war and a total war!

The southern strategy, fundamentally, involves advancing into the Fan Flame Ocean and seizing the New Moon Belt located at the western end of the Giant Continent, adjacent to both the West Continent and the Xuan Continent, also known as the "World’s Crossroads." If successful, it could vitalize the entire war situation and at least ensure an undefeated position.

The key is the control of the world’s largest oil-producing region: Boss Bay.

In fact, having oil is enough.

Although the Liangxia Empire has oil, and is one of the largest oil producers globally, its domestic production is insufficient, making it the world’s largest oil importer. During the last major war, the Empire was highly dependent on imported oil. To this day, not only has the situation not improved, but the dependency level on imports has increased. In peacetime, about 40% of oil needs must be met through imports.

During wartime, civilian consumption can be reduced through regulatory controls, and imports from the Luosha Federation can be increased. Additionally, coal can substitute oil in electricity generation and some petrochemical industries, thus reducing oil dependency and mitigating the impact of reduced imports.

However, these are not long-term solutions.

Even in the most ideal scenarios, such a penny-pinching strategy could only be sustained for two years. If it is impossible to increase import capacity within two years, the Empire’s economy would be impacted, many industries related to oil would suffer, thereby affecting military actions.

Among other things, the production of explosives requires petrochemical products.

This is precisely the main reason why the Southern Faction supports the southern strategy.

As long as the Fan Flame Ocean and Boss Bay are controlled, oil would no longer be a concern. At that point, it would even be possible to eliminate dependence on the Luosha Federation.

Additionally, the southern strategy fits well with the Army’s interests.

For over a decade, the Army has been emphasizing that the Luosha Federation is unreliable and that one should never be complacent. The founders of the Luosha Federation are nationalists who prioritize their country’s and ethnicity’s interests first; they will never forget the humiliation of the past.

Who can guarantee that, in a sudden shift of circumstances, the Luosha Federation won’t turn their guns towards the Empire?

During the last great war, the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom’s betrayal at a critical moment remains vivid in memory.

This strategy has many advantages, but there is one unavoidable and extremely severe drawback.

Missing the real target!

Who poses the greatest threat to the Empire, or who is the number one enemy?

It’s definitely the Newland Federation!

Originally, if the Newland Federation had not sent troops into the war, the Liangxia Empire would have already subdued all other Great Powers and achieved global dominance.

With the southern strategy, the Empire is pointing its guns at the Bulan Kingdom!

Even if a quick victory is possible, it would still require at least half a year, and the Newland Federation could complete its war mobilization in such ample time.

To the east lies the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom.

In summary, by choosing to go south, it’s impossible to deal with both the Newland Federation and the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom.

Once the Newland Federation completes its war mobilization, even if the Empire exerts its full effort, the best it can achieve is a limited victory.

Of course, it is also possible, under extremely unfavorable circumstances, that is, before sweeping through the Fan Flame Ocean and seizing Boss Bay, to start a war with the Newland Federation.

So, is it worth missing an opportunity post-war for the oil in Boss Bay?