Chapter 859

“Mercenaries?”

In the imperial study, Xiao Ming slammed the memorial in his hand onto the table.

Five days had passed since the Battle of Busan, and Japan’s forces were completely driven back to their homeland by the Great Yu Empire. However, what he had not expected was the appearance of Western mercenaries this time.

“According to the battle report, these mercenaries indeed have stronger combat effectiveness than Japanese soldiers. It’s fortunate that their numbers are not large, otherwise, it would have been difficult for Ye Qingyun with his eight thousand men.” Niu Ben faced the grim news. “But unfortunately, some mercenaries escaped, and they might have even taken our shells with them.”

Xiao Ming frowned. This was a very frustrating situation. In war, it was unavoidable for weapons and equipment to be captured by the enemy, unless these weapons were not used at all.

However, he was not too worried. As long as he was there, the Great Yu Empire’s industrial capacity would continuously improve. Soon, they would no longer be able to copy the Great Yu Empire’s weapons, because their industries would be unable to manufacture these weapons and equipment.

“Hmph, these Western bandits are beginning to fear. Their conspiracy cannot succeed here,” Xiao Ming sneered.

If he hadn’t been in this country, the British plan would probably have succeeded long ago. The Great Yu Empire would likely have been ruled by barbarians, thus continuing its technological decline.

But now, he had shattered all their conspiracies.

Niu Ben heard this and said, “Your Majesty, these Western nations are truly excessive. They repeatedly interfere in the Great Yu Empire’s wars with other countries. I believe they should be taught a lesson.”

“Naturally. Eliminating the merchants’ council will be their biggest failure here,” Xiao Ming said decisively.

According to intelligence provided by the secret guards, the war in the State of Chu had already begun. The merchants’ council, controlling most of the new army, was fiercely attacking cities controlled by Li Chuyuan. Suzhou and its nearby cities had all been lost.

This intelligence surprised him somewhat. What he worried about was not the Cao family’s continuous victories, but the astonishing support the merchants’ council received from southern merchants, powerful families, and common people.

While the new army’s firearms were certainly superior to Li Chuyuan’s, the support they received also surpassed Li Chuyuan’s. From this, it could be seen that the south, from top to bottom, had accepted the merchants’ council.

And because the Great Yu Empire’s imperial family had done little in the south over the years, the south also held little identification with the imperial court. This was the real problem at hand.

It could be said that after three hundred years of rule, the Great Yu Empire’s old system could no longer sustain the nation. It had reached a point similar to the late Ming Dynasty, where it had to break before it could build.

In these past few years, he had completed a thorough reform in the north, reuniting the common people. The south, meanwhile, had also begun to experiment under the control of the merchants’ council.

“Does Your Majesty mean that the merchants’ council is not controlled by the Cao family alone?” Niu Ben asked.

“Of course not. Besides France, the British have now also gotten involved. And the secret guards also discovered that Cao Zhengyang seems to be a member of a British secret society. This secret society has also absorbed many powerful families and wealthy merchants from the south. They played a huge role in the establishment of the merchants’ council. And some people within Qingzhou Province also seem to have been incited by them.” Xiao Ming’s eyes narrowed, revealing a dangerous glint.

Niu Ben found it hard to understand. He said, “Your Majesty, that’s not possible, is it? How could they possess such capabilities?”

Xiao Ming came from modern times; his experience was naturally far greater than that of people in this era. When the secret guards investigated this secret society, he suddenly recalled a similar society in contemporary times.

It was rumored that this society possessed immense power. The world’s top talents and powerful elite were its members, and the world’s operation was the result of the confrontation and cooperation among its members.

He only listened to this rumor for amusement, as it was simply too absurd.

However, in this world, it was different, because this secret society was most active between the 17th and 19th centuries. He could not afford to be unprepared.

After all, according to information provided by the Dutch, the French Revolution had the shadow of this secret society.

“That’s because you lack understanding of the West,” Xiao Ming said. He didn’t want to overemphasize this matter yet. He said, “Besides the troops stationed in Guandong and Goryeo, and the unmobilizable garrison troops, how many troops can we mobilize now?”

After a moment of thought, Niu Ben said, “About sixty thousand men.”

“Sixty thousand men?” Xiao Ming pondered. He said, “The re-equipment of the army this time will first go to these troops. If Li Chuyuan cannot hold out, we will have no choice but to send troops.”

Niu Ben nodded excitedly. After returning from Guandong, he had visited the military machinery department to see the new rifles. These breech-loading rifles fired quickly, were powerful, and could be fired from any position. Once equipped to the army, the Great Yu Empire army’s method of combat would undergo a third transformation.

And this transformation would lay the foundation for the future of the Great Yu Empire army.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Niu Ben nodded excitedly.

After instructing Niu Ben on these matters, Xiao Ming looked at the map on the wall. Now, the Great Yu Empire’s territory included Bashu, the area north of the Yangtze River to the Great Wall, and the entire Guandong and Goryeo regions. In almost eight years, he had nearly doubled the Great Yu Empire’s territory.

However, this was still far from enough for him. Tibet was still an unstable factor in the southwest. The Yunnan region was still under the control of Annam. North of the Great Wall, barbarians still lurked, raiding the borders intermittently.

And Japan, across the sea, was also not to be trifled with now, let alone Tsarist Russia, which was currently expanding its sphere of influence eastward.

Looking around, Xiao Ming suddenly felt a little dizzy. The Great Yu Empire was indeed in a turbulent era.

Seemingly sensing Xiao Ming’s doubts, Niu Ben said, “Your Majesty, no need to rush. These external enemies must be eliminated one by one. In my humble opinion, the most important things now are Japan and Jiangnan. Japan’s population and land surpass Goryeo’s, making it a good dumping ground for the Great Yu Empire. If we gain the south, the imperial treasury will be full.”

“That’s what I was thinking too. So you will be responsible for Jiangnan, and Japan will be handled by me personally,” Xiao Ming mused.

As the two were speaking, Qian Dafu suddenly appeared at the imperial study door, smiling as he said, “Your Majesty, the machinery department has sent over some novelties.”

Xiao Ming seemed to recall something. He said, “Are they things with two wheels?”

“That’s right, two wheels, and a handle too,” Qian Dafu also didn’t understand what it was.

Xiao Ming chuckled. “This is a bicycle. It seems the improvement in lathe types and precision this time has enabled Qingzhou Province to produce many new things.”

“Bicycle!” Qian Dafu and Niu Ben were both surprised. They followed Xiao Ming outside.

The three arrived at the square in front of the Zhengda Guangming Hall. At this time, people from the machinery department were waiting for them. In front of them was something Xiao Ming was familiar with: a bicycle.

“Your Majesty, what is this for?” Niu Ben asked.

Xiao Ming smiled and said nothing. He took the bicycle from the artisan’s hand, skillfully mounted it, pedaled, and rode away in a flash.

Niu Ben and Qian Dafu were instantly dumbfounded.