Chapter 899

“Step up production! Taking advantage of this war, be sure to perfect industries serving the military, such as military industry and food pr

“Step up production! Taking advantage of this war, be sure to perfect industries serving the military, such as military industry and food production, lest we are caught unprepared in future wars.”

Sitting in his chair, Xiao Ming said seriously to Pang Yukun.

In a blink of an eye, nine years had passed. Now, the Great Yu Empire should also embark on a path of regularization; it could no longer be as careless as before.

Both the army and government affairs needed to move closer to modernization, only then could they adapt to continuously developing technology.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” This was a serious matter. Pang Yukun dared not be careless.

This time, besides instructing Pang Yukun on military industry, he also wanted to ask about agriculture. After all, the Great Yu Empire could not yet escape the model of an agrarian society.

“Ever since the barbarians were driven out of Guandong, the north has been relatively stable. How is agriculture recovering now?” Xiao Ming asked. Only by confirming this question could he decide the possibility of future campaigns.

After all, if grain was insufficient, fighting wars had to be approached with caution.

Pang Yukun then revealed a calm expression. He said, “Your Majesty, northern agriculture has now fully recovered. Moreover, since two years ago, commoner households have seen large surpluses. The appearance of this situation has even caused grain prices to fall. As for potatoes and sweet potatoes, various provincial offices are now vigorously promoting them. Almost every prefecture and county now plants potatoes and sweet potatoes, greatly alleviating the food problem. Coupled with the use of phosphate fertilizer, grain is now even more abundant.”

“So, the imperial court’s reserve grain is also very abundant now?”

“Yes, according to Your Majesty’s demands, every prefecture and county has established granaries to store grain.”

Letting out a soft breath, Xiao Ming felt a surge of relief. The recovery of agriculture was gratifying. Now, he no longer had to worry about grain.

And with sufficient grain, the Great Yu Empire’s population could continue to grow.

Having asked about the pressing issues, Xiao Ming dismissed Pang Yukun, telling him to focus on the military factory to ensure soldiers were re-equipped as soon as possible.

In his opinion, the war in the south could not be resolved overnight; it would take at least a year and a half to determine the victor.

And during this time, besides meeting the demands of war, he also had to continue developing the Great Yu Empire’s industry and commerce. At the same time, he decided to open up more technologies to the common people. After all, there was no need to tightly hold onto some simple things, as it would also waste resources.

For example, the production of civilian machinery like harvesters and their components could be completely entrusted to merchants.

Having decided this matter, Xiao Ming picked up his pen and recorded his future plans, and at the same time, also wrote down the direction of future technological development for later use.

Amidst this busyness, the war in the south also entered an intense phase.

After capturing Shaoxing in three days of fierce fighting, Lu Fei advanced triumphantly. In the next four months, he successively captured Ningzhou, Taizhou, Jinhua, and Wenzhou, pressing directly towards Fuzhou City.

And Luo Xin, after conquering Huizhou, marched westward to take Jiujiang, Wuchang, Yueyang, and Changde. Then he led his army southwards, heading towards Nanchang.

In these five months, the north, under Xiao Ming’s supervision, fully engaged in production for the war. Batches of hand grenades were transported from military factories to the front lines.

At the same time, the production of Falcon Rifles reached twenty thousand units every month. New recruits equipped with Falcon Rifles continuously marched south to reinforce, and the scales of war slowly tilted in his favor.

However, compared to the abundance of ammunition, firearms, artillery, and reinforcement troops of the imperial army, the merchants’ council soon showed signs of weakness.

Insufficient ammunition, damaged firearms, and bursting cannon barrels could not be replenished in time. A large number of recruited soldiers lacked weapons. The merchants’ council, lacking strong industrial support, only now realized that war was not just a test of will, but also a test of comprehensive strength.

…

Fuzhou front line.

Lu Fei licked his lips, looking at a batch of newly arrived supplies. Soldiers in the trenches made the same gesture.

Ever since three months ago, their food had suddenly improved.

Having fought wars for so many years, this was the first time Lu Fei discovered that one could eat so well on the battlefield. Not only the generals, but the soldiers’ morale also soared due to the improved living conditions on the battlefield.

Wooden boxes were unloaded from the carriages one by one. Lu Fei immediately ordered the division commanders to collect and distribute their supplies.

“Oh, I wonder what they sent this time. Is it compressed biscuits or instant noodles?” a division commander asked excitedly.

“I hope it’s compressed biscuits; I’m sick of instant noodles already.”

“Compressed biscuits aren’t filling. Instant noodles with canned fish, that’s incredibly delicious.”

The four division commanders exchanged words, their expressions excited.

Lu Fei squinted at his subordinate division commanders. Five months of continuous fighting had left them all disheveled, looking like beggars.

And the soldiers were even more so.

While they were sorting supplies, an army unit dressed in clean uniforms approached them. This was the Huben 5th Army, which was reinforcing them this time.

These new recruits looked excited when they arrived, but their expressions gradually turned grim after seeing the veterans in the trenches. Clearly, war was not as glamorous as they imagined.

“Alas, another bunch of greenhorns,” the commander of the 1st Division joked.

Many new recruits had arrived during this period, yet they also suffered the most casualties. New recruits unfamiliar with the battlefield always tended to act impulsively, often charging recklessly during attacks.

Lu Fei picked up an iron can of food and pried it open with a knife. It was canned meat. After sniffing the canned meat, he said, “Veterans were once new recruits too. You don’t need to laugh at them now. Let’s try the new canned pork.”

Hearing the word “meat,” the division commanders’ eyes lit up. This was a rare canned good; only a small portion was supplied with each batch of supplies.

They would often pour the pork from these cans into large pots to cook, allowing the soldiers to eat some meat.

Seeing this, the division commanders completely forgot to tease the new recruits. They led their men to grab canned meat, fearing others would take too much.

Besides food, they also received some Falcon Rifles.

Their Falcon Rifles would sometimes get damaged during battle. Generally, they would repair what they could themselves, and replace what they couldn’t.

After receiving their supplies, the division commanders returned to their respective positions.

It had become a custom to distribute some meat before each major battle. And this time, they faced Fuzhou, which was heavily garrisoned by the merchants’ council. The war would be even tougher.

The division commanders left. Lu Fei observed the situation in Fuzhou through his telescope. According to the intelligence they received, Fuzhou was the temporary headquarters of the merchants’ council, and a large number of council members were currently in the city.

To defend this city, they had mobilized 200,000 troops to defend Fuzhou to the death. Among them, 80,000 were musketeers, and 120,000 were newly recruited soldiers.

These new recruits weren’t even equipped with weapons. Any idiot could see the merchants’ council’s predicament.

“Merchants’ council, your days are numbered,” a mocking smile appeared on Lu Fei’s lips.