Chapter 278: Surveying Under Heaven, Speaking Of Rise And Fall
In the beginning of the year 2108 in the Han calendar, as firecrackers rose in various places in Hang Fu for the New Year, Liu Haoxing turned eighteen, and his height exceeded 1.9 meters.
Now, at least in terms of height, no one dared to regard Xuan Chong as a child.
Every afternoon, Xuan Chong hung on the pull-up bar temporarily attached to the main gun barrel (230 mm caliber), doing 100 pull-ups daily.
The Sparrow Eye Mantis Shrimp on which Xuan Chong served belonged to the Xuan 4 Sub-Fleet; originally, the cruiser mission of the Xuan 4 Sub-Fleet was on a rotation system, but now it was the leadership on-duty system for this special moment. Xuan Chong had just finished a patrol cruise, and after a brief rest of five days, he would set sail again.
At this time, as Xuan Chong’s warship left port and cleaved through the waves, the broadcast on the ship received the latest news: “Shu Bandits Invade.”
Xuan Chong was slightly stunned. “Shu Bandits,” still “invade”? Xuan Chong: “The one who wrote this proclamation is really shameless.”
But as a Xian Han person, Xuan Chong liked this kind of “shamelessness,” because Eastern Shu getting beaten was “deserved.”
Speaking of this, Xuan Chong was full of resentment: “Damn it, they start a war right when they picked me for the Scholar Examination!”
…Perspective shifts to three days ago…
Just as Xuan Chong got his admission ticket and was preparing to go to the Hang Fu district for this year’s Scholar Examination, a notice suddenly came for emergency mobilization.
Xuan Chong was stunned for about a second, then immediately reported back to the military camp. Then without stopping, he boarded his own Sparrow Eye Mantis Shrimp (Cruiser 023) to check the situation, ready to set sail at any time.
While Xuan Chong was busy operating the warship, Liu Kehua arrived. This made Xuan Chong slightly stunned.
After Liu Kehua and his group inspected the combat status of the entire ship from top to bottom and were very satisfied, they then questioned Xuan Chong in the captain’s quarters on the ship.
Liu Kehua: “I remember, you’re going to take the Scholar Examination, right?”
Xuan Chong showed a pained expression on his face: “Yes, I’ve already got the admission ticket.”
Liu Kehua smiled: “Then why didn’t you ask for leave?”
Xuan Chong carefully observed the Marshal’s expression, realizing this was a test, and fluently said: “The great affairs of the state are in the army and in sacrifices. The imperial examination is a personal private matter, national war is a public matter. My family has received the country’s grace and should prioritize public duty.”
Liu Kehua: “Good, you’ve truly learned your scholarship.”
Xuan Chong was unaware that by immediately returning to port upon receiving orders, he had passed Liu Kehua’s test.
Xuan Chong carried a seal, which had Imperial Ancestral Temple system positioning; regarding this emergency conscription, Liu Kehua had made a bet with the Qilin Lord when contacting him. The bet was whether Liu Haoxing would contact the Lin Group. Liu Kehua thought Xuan Chong would contact them (to get backing from the Imperial Ancestral Temple), while the Qilin Lord thought he wouldn’t (Xuan Chong would make his own decision).
In the end, the Qilin Lord won, but the losing Liu Kehua was still very happy, because he had invested cost in Xuan Chong and greatly hoped that Xuan Chong was a person of integrity.
And from Xuan Chong’s perspective, Liu Kehua announced good news, that he didn’t need to take the “Scholar Examination,” as he would be directly admitted based on the results of the last “mock exam” (simulation exam).
This invoked the “reasonable and appropriate” discretion principle in Xian Han law: when someone in the military who needs to take the Scholar Examination faces a conflict due to urgent border matters, how to handle it? — First, by priority of importance and urgency, of course border defense takes precedence; furthermore, reasonable accommodation is granted.
If the enlistee’s mock exam has passed, it counts directly as passing the “Scholar Examination”; if the mock exam failed, upon return, the score line will be lowered. The more meritorious service, the more the score line is lowered. In short, no regrets for officers and soldiers heading to the border.
Xuan Chong: “Thank you, Marshal. I am willing to die for the Marshal.” — Xuan Chong meant this sincerely.
According to Xian Han law, he could indeed be directly admitted as a Scholar! But if Liu Kehua didn’t arrange it for him, he would have no choice.
In Xian Han’s legal system, special channels are handled with particular caution. It must be reasonable and appropriate: “reasonable” means the rules allow it. And “appropriate” means someone pleads for it, and the plea can withstand public scrutiny.
As for owing favors? Xian Han internally is a human relations system—unwilling to owe any favors at all?
Lone stars are often selfish; the Confucian principles Xuan Chong studied emphasize following human relations. In the Spring and Autumn period, “people of the state” coalesced because of this, while “rustics” were unreasonable.
…Back to the present…
Amid the waves, after Xuan Chong checked that the warship’s internal status was fine, he began listening to the broadcast.
Although unclear how the top level of Xian Han had planned this war, Xuan Chong gathered information from various channels: this war was actually Eastern Shu on the defensive.
On the Eastern Shu side, due to Xian Han’s continuous economic warfare, they had to intensify plundering of Pengzhou, but they overextended, and recently a massive native uprising occurred in Pengzhou.
And Pengzhou is a continent.
To maintain this resource zone, Eastern Shu had no choice but to continuously invest power over the past decade, maintaining over two million standing troops.
Native livelihood in Dian Continent also had problems; in Tianhong City (central Australia with soil rich in iron oxide, red in color), Guotai City, Hailing City, and a series of other cities, large “Peace Petition Associations” appeared.
From the reports of these “petition associations” marching in the streets, Xuan Chong observed a detail: the names of the petition associations in major cities on Dian Continent now were “Sister Worker Aid Association” and “Kind Mother Return Association.”
When the main force of protests are mostly women, if it’s not because “feminism” appeared in the system, it means Eastern Shu has fallen into the contradiction of being militaristic and aggressive.
It made sense: on one hand conducting a naval arms race, on the other maintaining million-level combat-ready troops on another continent year-round—no one could sustain that.
Two years ago, multiple newspapers had “insider news” that Eastern Shu had long been preparing for peace.
Eastern Shu bureaucrats were willing to cooperate in dismantling fortress islands in the equatorial region. But Xian Han refused, continued building cutting-edge warships, intent on forcing Eastern Shu into a desperate situation.
Notably, over the past century, Xian Han had launched large-scale troops against Eastern Shu three times.
A century ago, after the steam engine revolution brought rifled gun technology change, it was the first national war between them.
Thirty years ago, steel processing technology advanced, bringing all-steel ship guns, and it was the second national war.
And this current war began fifteen years ago; eight years ago, both sides confirmed that only one voice could exist in the equatorial region! Thus continuously escalating on related islands, throwing in regiment after regiment like a meat grinder. From initial low-intensity fort-building standoffs and frictions to now setting up temporary railways to transport siege cannons to the frontline.
Looking at the century-long confrontation between Xian Han and Eastern Shu, although Han troops had minor defeats, overall Xian Han pressed Eastern Shu step by step forward. They had landed on Dian Continent several times.
Xuan Chong: Eastern Shu’s geography is too poor, yet they picked the opponent with the best geography.
…Advantage…
A map appeared in Xuan Chong’s mind. Compared to other world civilizations, Xian Han’s most special factor was being on the east side of the world main continent.
Due to Earth’s rotation, the southeast side of continents produces many fragmented “attached blocks,” and Xian Han’s southeast “attached blocks” are the most numerous globally. The Japanese archipelago and South Sea islands are all like this.
When the main continent achieves unification and projects influence outward, these attached plates become springboards for the main continent’s forces to extend control over the ocean.
Compared to his previous life’s America, Xian Han is centrally positioned and can better control these regional forces.
This region includes Wa Island, Xinluo, Champa, Giaochi, collectively called the Confucian cultural sphere.
Excluding Xian Han as the core, within this sphere, these peripheral states alone surpass the European Banners in population density, economic development level, and mutual communication.
Europe is fragmented, while the attached blocks around Xian Han all pay tribute to the center.
As long as Xian Han maintains a 200,000-strong marine force, it can sufficiently deter the entire sphere.
Over in Europe, even maintaining an 800,000 standing army and dual fleets spanning the Mediterranean and Atlantic, it’s hard to deter the vassal lords formed by Alpine-divided terrain.
Charlemagne’s Holy Roman Empire spent its life crossing mountains to suppress rebellions back and forth.
As for the lighthouse country, “made by two oceans, broken by two oceans.”
Its phase of leading the world was also a phase of rapidly declining national power.
In the Industrial Age, Xian Han’s cost to control these vassals is far lower than the lighthouse’s. And since its founding, Eastern Shu hoped to monopolize sea power, but its strategy was based on “not allowing Xian Han to develop sea power,” resulting in misguided diplomacy angering Xian Han, entering confrontation where Eastern Shu retreats step by step.
This hegemony contest is now in its endgame; in equatorial clashes, Eastern Shu is already using its “elite youths” as last resort, but Xian Han here! is actually calling little brothers to gang up.
As the “main sect in the family law,” numerous vassal states serving the primary suzerain is only natural.
Xuan Chong couldn’t help sighing: in his era, talking about “cultural patriarchal law” would get one scolded as conservative “Great Empire”; but that’s because it was still in the rising phase, culture not strong enough.
But if truly strong, one becomes the beneficiary of cultural patriarchal law! Then the earlier voices “mocking conservatism” would be sneered at in turn as “not hegemonic enough.”
…Disadvantage…
As Xuan Chong reviewed the war history between Xian Han and Eastern Shu, he found Xian Han not completely dominant.
A century ago, the main battlefield of the first confrontation between Xian Han and Eastern Shu was Java. Xian Han dispatched three regiments, 6,000 as a detached force to land on Dian Continent, but while Han troops won a 50,000-scale battle on Java Island, the troops on Dian Continent were completely annihilated.
The second confrontation thirty years ago had Sula Island as the main battlefield; with both sides having steamships, transport capacity greatly increased, forces were 60,000 and 80,000. Meanwhile Xian Han still dispatched a detached force of over 10,000 to attack Hailing City on Dian Continent. Again, Xian Han achieved strategic island seizure, but under Hailing City, they discarded armor and fled in disgrace.
The third great war began fifteen years ago; Xian Han’s national power already crushed Eastern Shu, whether in shipbuilding or steel output several times that of Eastern Shu, so this war Han troops prepared to directly conquer Dian Continent from the start.
The result was failure this time, massive artillery and supplies ultimately lost to Eastern Shu, Han troops slunk back. Forced to resume piecemeal seizure of peripheral islands.
And that last defeat made Eastern Shu arrogant for a decade.
Xuan Chong discovered a pattern: in island warfare, Xian Han can basically seize them. But Dian Continent native land is a hot potato.
Regarding this, Xuan Chong realized something.
…Limit of sea power…
Far away at the equator, Han main fleet was escorting landing troops to Giya Island. Xian Han’s steel naval fleet formed a long dragon, while eight hardened airships patrolled in the sky.
And within this massive combat formation, perspective to the main battleship.
Passing through large-caliber naval guns one by one, to the bridge, through the window to the captain’s observation room. Navy general Sun Jingtao was looking at the sea chart.
Xian Han was filled with contempt for Eastern Shu. Across all domains, arguments that Eastern Shu had a hundred defeats.
Biologists’ popular theory: compared to main landmass creatures, those on Dian Continent are confined to a corner, lost forward ability; then invaded by cats, dogs, etc., nearing extinction. Dian Continent natives entered there tens of thousands of years ago, back then eating raw meat and drinking blood, still doing so after civilization discovery! Complacency is this place’s feng shui. Eastern Shu as a dynasty is the same.
But Sun Jingtao felt great pressure, because over these decades, Eastern Shu had a famous general Qin Shen from the imperial clan!
Fifteen years ago, after Han troops overadvanced and were defeated, it was his masterpiece fresh out of the novice stage, when he was only eighteen.
In that battle, countries had just equipped repeating rifles; Qin Shen on land used multi-line pulls to stretch and divide Han troops. Then, taking advantage of their navy dragged near the coastline, he proactively dispatched navy to strike north, ambushing Xian Han sub-fleet, ultimately winning two sea battles, forcing Xian Han main fleet to withdraw from around the coastline. Subsequently, Eastern Shu troops on land launched a full counterattack. Han lines collapsed, 300,000 troops forced to abandon military supplies, withdraw from coastline, flee back to Sula Island.
Qin Shen then became Eastern Shu’s national pillar; ten years ago sent to Pengzhou, at that time Dongyin tried to meddle in Pengzhou, under the banner of “saving southern Yin clan,” landing troops on the south shore of the horseweed sea.
Qin Shen’s 30,000 troops force-marched, intercepting Dragon State 150,000 intervention army in tropical rainforest, entangled with crocodiles and pythons. Ultimately only 80,000 of 150,000 survived, breaking Dragon State forces’ notion of southward intervention in Pengzhou.
With these two campaigns, Qin Shen made military experts worldwide dare not underestimate him.
Sun Jingtao looked at the sea chart and said to the deputy officer: “No encounter with enemy fleet blocking?”
Deputy officer: “None.”
Sun Jingtao: “Intelligence on enemy defenses in Dongzhu (Giya Island)?”
Deputy officer: “Basically concentrated inland, no beachhead defenses. My sub-fleet is doing mine clearance in the east sea area.
Sun Jingtao pointed to the “curved tail” east of Giya Island: “Land here, watch out for Eastern Shu navy.”
…Weak navy takes risks…
Xian Han navy crossed the equator pressing at Eastern Shu’s doorstep; while on the vast Pacific Ocean, an Eastern Shu fleet slithered evasively, bypassing Xian Han navy blockade zone, crossing typhoon-ravaged area, radio silent, sailing over.
This fleet attempted to cut across the central ocean east to execute a raid plan.
Eastern Shu commander on the battleship looked at the sea chart and muttered: “Even if our action succeeds, can it make Xian Han fear war losses and stop fighting?”
Days of waves battering made Eastern Shu crew members’ stomachs queasy, hearts even more so.
On every steel sea-mountain mast in this Eastern Shu national fleet, signalers arduously used flags to command following warships to keep up.
…Right in front of the right hook…
On the seventh day at sea, Xuan Chong stood at the stern of Cruiser 023, measured ocean data conditions, fed back a series of natural data like wind speed and waves to the rear flagship, then continued patrolling ahead of the fleet.
The flagship broadcast today also sent a battle report. Han troops had successfully landed on Dongzhu Island (Papua New Guinea), the second largest island in this island chain.
Eastern Shu’s 200,000 troops on the island instantly lost maritime strategic points; under battleship shelling and airship bombing, forced to retreat to inland mountainous areas.
After unifying governance four hundred years ago, Eastern Shu set up four prefectural offices here.
In conducting military operations, Xian Han had evidently contacted local noble families and great clans, recognizing their genealogies as Han Chinese lineage.
The Xian Han Imperial Court would recognize the genealogies, allow these great clan disciples Han Chinese identity to take imperial examinations, and promise 20 juren slots within twenty years.
Juren slots mean entry into officialdom, serving as important officials in Xian Han’s vast domains, while choosing to return home allows receiving important industry transfers.
Regarding this, Xuan Chong watched very enviously; the court’s policies for these islands were extremely favorable.
An island as big as Dongtu had only produced five juren in decades, so industries were still whaling. Xuan Chong: “Whales are so cute, how can you eat whales!”
Undoubtedly, Xian Han to solve its southeast archenemy couldn’t wait a single day.
Over this century, not just military preparations, but in industries and local culture, always subtle superior means.
Xuan Chong looked at the map and muttered: “After hitting Dongzhu, so many ‘people in Shu state, hearts in Han’? Looks like the war has no suspense?”
“Something’s off!” Xuan Chong stared at the map: enemy main force contracting to difficult terrain! They want protracted warfare.
Xuan Chong looked at the island’s gullies and ravines, feeling there were many snakes, rats, insects, and ants up there.
Notably, Dongzhu’s area is 460,000 square kilometers, almost the size of Sichuan-Chongqing, larger than 21st-century Federal Germany. So don’t think it’s just an island on the map; internally it has mountain depths comparable to the Dabie Mountains. If the people up there really resist, guerrilla war would be trouble for Han troops.
But that afternoon, more news: two Eastern Shu regiments surrendered intact, guiding Han troops.
Xuan Chong, slapped in the face, felt awkward. But he still stuck to his view: Eastern Shu must be hiding something.
Flocks of seagulls circled the 023 ship, chaotically crying “leu leu.”
Propaganda ordered to activate electromagnetic stealth, not letting these birds hitch a ride.
