91: Chapter 1 War Begins

The spring of 1903 arrived exceptionally late.

In February in Jiangning Prefecture, the sea breeze carried a cold, damp chill from the east, making the flags on the city walls snap loudly.

The plane trees lining the streets had yet to sprout new buds, their bare branches appearing particularly bleak under the grey sky.

The common people, bundled in cotton coats with their necks tucked in, hurried along the bluestone roads; occasionally, a few vendors selling roasted sweet potatoes would shout at the top of their lungs, their voices sounding thin and distant in the cold wind.

Li Ling sat in the study of the Jiangning Prefecture government office, with a stack of official documents over a foot high piled before him, and the tea at his side had long since gone cold.

He was wearing a navy blue cotton robe, his hair tied loosely behind his head, dark stubble sprouting on his chin, and his eyes bloodshot.

He had been reviewing official documents for three consecutive days.

"The military expenditure for this month has exceeded the budget again," he said, rubbing his temples and tossing a report aside. "The raw material procurement at the Production Base also requires more funding, the two newly launched Dreadnoughts still need outfitting, and the re-equipping of those five Army groups hasn't been completed... Money, money, money; it's money everywhere."

The study was empty; no one answered him.

"System, do you think I should go rob a bank?" he muttered to himself, leaning back in his chair and looking up at the ceiling.

There was silence in his mind.

"System?" he called out again.

Still no response.

Li Ling sighed. This damn system was becoming increasingly unreliable. Ever since the first volume... oh no, ever since the great battle last winter, the system had frequently been offline. When asked where it had gone, it would just say, "Gone to play with other systems." A high-tech system from the interstellar era, actually learning to slack off and visit others—where was the logic in that?

"Fine, if you're not here, you're not here," Li Ling muttered, picking up the next document. "Anyway, if you were here, you'd just be roasting me; at least I can have some peace when you're gone."

He opened the document, and his expression gradually darkened.

This was intelligence from the northern border. Over the past month, the situation in the northern provinces had deteriorated rapidly. The territory directly controlled by the imperial family was originally limited to only a few provinces, such as Zhili, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Gansu, barely maintained by the lingering prestige of the imperial court and the guns of the Beiyang Army. However, ever since the news of the destruction of the United Fleet spread across the country last year, those warlords who had been restless all along could finally no longer contain themselves.

Warlord Yan Xishan of Shanxi appeared respectful to the imperial court on the surface, but in secret, he was frantically expanding his military; it was said he already possessed fifty thousand troops and controlled all the railways and coal mines in Shanxi. The warlords of Shaanxi and Gansu were even more brazen, intercepting tax revenues and refusing to hand over a single cent to the imperial court. The most critical issue was in Zhili, where a major problem had erupted within the Beiyang Army—although Yuan Shikai had been dead for several years, the generals he left behind refused to submit to one another, each gathering their own forces and carving Zhili into several pieces.

And the imperial family, trapped on the isolated island of the capital, was besieged on all sides.

"These guys really don't take the imperial court seriously anymore," Li Ling shook his head and put the document down.

He had no feelings for the imperial family. The old emperor had once wanted to strip him of his military power; if not for the fact that he held five hundred thousand troops and the world's strongest fleet in his hands, he might have long since been summoned to the capital by an imperial decree and placed under house arrest. However, he bore no malice toward the imperial family either. After all, the princess had married him and was his wife. As long as the imperial family didn't provoke him, he had no interest in making a move against them.

Just then, rapid footsteps came from outside the door.

"Sir! An urgent dispatch, eight hundred li express!" The adjutant's voice carried clear panic.

Li Ling frowned. "Come in."

The adjutant pushed the door open, holding a sealed urgent report with wax, and knelt on one knee. "Sir, an urgent report from the north! The rebel armies have united to besiege the capital, and the imperial family is in imminent danger!"

Li Ling took the urgent report, opened it, and his pupils contracted sharply.

The urgent report stated that several warlord factions in Zhili had suddenly united three days ago, under the banner of "clearing the emperor's side," and gathered over one hundred thousand troops to launch an attack on the capital from both the north and the west simultaneously. Although the capital's garrison had over twenty thousand men, most were Eight Banners descendants who had never fought in a war; their equipment was outdated, morale was low, and they could not hold off the rebel attack. The frontline positions outside the city had already fallen, and the vanguard of the rebel Army was less than fifty li from the capital.

Worse still, the rebels had cut off the telegraph and railway connections between the capital and the outside world. This urgent report had been delivered by a secret messenger sent by the imperial family, who had taken a long detour to get it out. The messenger had traveled for three days and three nights, riding three horses to death, to reach Jiangning Prefecture from the capital.

Li Ling read the urgent report once, then again, before putting it down, his face expressionless.

"Sir, should we send troops?" the adjutant asked eagerly.

Li Ling did not answer. He stood up, walked to the large map on the wall, and his gaze fell on the location of the capital.

The capital, this ancient city of six dynasties and the political center of the Qingxia Kingdom, was currently surrounded by over one hundred thousand rebels. The imperial family was trapped inside, like a bird in a cage. If he sent troops, it would be to support the king, to save the emperor—a monumental achievement. If he didn't save them... the imperial family might not necessarily perish, but they would certainly be severely crippled and would no longer have the ability to keep him in check in the future.

"Interesting," he murmured.

"Sir?" The adjutant didn't hear clearly.

"It's nothing," Li Ling waved his hand. "You may leave first; let me think."

The adjutant took the order and left, leaving Li Ling alone in the study once more.

He sat back in his chair, crossed his legs, and began to calculate.

To save, or not to save?

Emotionally speaking, he had no fondness for the imperial family. The old emperor had wanted to strip him of his military power back then; if he hadn't had troops and guns in his hands, he might have long since been discarded like a worn-out tool. Although the princess was the daughter of the imperial family, she had married him and was a member of the Li family. The life or death of the imperial family had little to do with her.

But in terms of interests, saving the imperial family was beneficial to him. First, saving the emperor was a great merit; with this achievement, whatever he did in the future would be justified. Second, although the imperial family was weak, they were, after all, the nominal common rulers of the world; with them in place, he didn't need to rush to declare himself emperor, but could first stabilize the situation and slowly deal with the warlords in various regions. Third, if he didn't save them and the rebels actually captured the capital, and those warlords were to hold the emperor hostage to command the vassals, it would be even more troublesome for him.

"Saving them is necessary," he muttered to himself. "But it cannot be for nothing."

He picked up a pen and began to write and draw on a blank sheet of paper, calculating the costs and benefits of sending troops.

To send troops to support the king, he would need to mobilize at least fifty thousand elite troops, combined with the support of the naval fleet, to ensure everything went flawlessly. The food, drink, waste, ammunition consumption, and transport costs for fifty thousand people added up to no small sum. This money could not come from the imperial court—the court was currently dirt poor, unable to even pay the salaries of its officials, so where would they get money for him? It also couldn't come from the common people—the common people were already suffering enough. It could only come from his own pocket.

"This is a losing business," he frowned.

But on second thought, after saving the imperial family, he could obtain the banner of righteousness from the imperial court. With this banner of righteousness, he could justly send troops to crusade against the warlords in various regions and gradually unify the country. By then, the territories, populations, and resources in the hands of those warlords would all be his.

"Investment, this is an investment," he nodded. "Invest money first, then collect the profits."

Just then, the study door was knocked on again.

"Come in," Li Ling said without looking up.

The door opened, and Empress Su Wanqing walked in, carrying a bowl of steaming white fungus and lotus seed soup. She was wearing a pale cyan cotton coat, her hair simply tied behind her head, and a gentle smile on her face. Although she was already the wife of the Prince Regent, she still maintained her old habits, personally making a late-night snack for Li Ling every day.

"Brother Ling, you haven't had dinner yet, have you?" She placed the bowl on the table and asked with concern, seeing Li Ling's furrowed brows. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

Li Ling handed the urgent report to her.

Empress Su Wanqing took the urgent report and quickly read through it, her face turning pale instantly. "Rebel armies besieging the capital? Then... then Her Highness the Princess's family..."

"They are still in the city," Li Ling stood up, walked to her side, and gently patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, I am already thinking of a solution."

Empress Su Wanqing looked up at him. "Brother Ling, you will send troops, won't you?"

"I will," Li Ling nodded. "But not right now. I must first clarify the situation; I cannot send troops rashly."

Empress Su Wanqing bit her lip and said nothing. She was a smart woman and knew that Li Ling was weighing the pros and cons. She would not urge him, nor would she try to persuade him; she would only silently support his decision.

"Wanqing, go and do one thing for me," Li Ling suddenly said.

"What is it?"

"Go to the backyard and tell the princess that I already know about the situation in the capital and to tell her not to worry. I will go to see her early tomorrow morning to discuss it with her in detail."

Empress Su Wanqing nodded and turned to leave the study.

Li Ling sat back in his chair and took a sip of the white fungus and lotus seed soup. The temperature was just right, sweet but not cloying, which was Empress Su Wanqing's consistent culinary skill. His heart warmed slightly, but he quickly turned his attention back to the problem at hand.

Saving them was definitely necessary. But how to save them, when to save them, and in what way to save them—all required careful planning.

He spread out a larger map, picked up a red pen, and marked the deployment of his forces on it.

First, the Navy was paramount. Although the rebels were on land, part of their supply lines relied on maritime transport. If he could send the fleet to blockade Bohai Bay and cut off the rebels' maritime supply lines, their offensive would be greatly diminished. Moreover, the Navy's large-caliber naval guns could support the Army's landing operations, providing fire cover for the landing troops.

Second, the Army was the main force. He planned to mobilize three corps of the First Army Group, totaling one hundred and fifty thousand men, and advance north in two columns. One column would land at Jinhai and strike directly at the east of the capital to cut off the rebels' retreat; the other column would advance by land to coordinate with the capital's garrison in a pincer attack, defeating the rebels in one fell swoop.

Third, although the Air Force could not yet participate on a large scale, Reconnaissance Balloons and biplanes could be put to use. Reconnaissance Balloons could ascend to an altitude of three thousand meters to overlook the entire battlefield and grasp the rebels' movements in real-time. Biplanes could carry out reconnaissance and ground attack missions, bombing the rebels' command posts and supply lines.

"One hundred and fifty thousand men, half a month's supply reserves, one hundred and twenty artillery pieces, thirty aircraft..." He calculated rapidly on paper. "This business is truly no small matter."

Just then, a familiar, slightly lazy voice suddenly resounded in his mind.

[Host, what are you scheming again?]

Li Ling was stunned for a moment, then laughed. "Yo, you're back? I thought you went to find other systems to play with and had forgotten to come home."

[The system just went to visit someone; it's not like I wasn't coming back.] The system's voice carried a hint of impatience. [Host, were you cursing me in your heart just now?]

"No, no, absolutely not," Li Ling quickly denied. "I was just wondering if you were slacking off again."

[The system never slacks off. The system just... allocates energy reasonably.] The system paused. [Host, what do you plan to do about those rebels in the north?]

"You know?" Li Ling was somewhat surprised.

[Although the system went to visit, I can still see what needs to be seen.] The system's tone carried a hint of pride. [Those rebels, to put it bluntly, are just a rabble. Their equipment is poor, their training is poor, and their morale is not high. The reason they were able to reach the foot of the capital is not because they are strong, but because the capital's garrison is too weak.]

"I know," Li Ling nodded. "That's why I'm considering whether to send troops."

[What is there to consider?] the system said. [Isn't this obvious? Send troops to save the imperial family, and you gain the banner of righteousness; don't send troops, the imperial family perishes, the rebels hold the emperor hostage to command the vassals, and it will be even more troublesome for you to clean up later. Can you not calculate this simple account?]

"I can calculate it clearly," Li Ling said. "I'm just wondering if I can take the opportunity to fish for some benefits."

[Host, this is looting a burning house.]

"I call this maximizing benefits," Li Ling said righteously. "Saving the imperial family requires me to spend money and manpower, I should at least get some return, right?"

The system was silent for a moment, then said: [Host, the system reminds you that although the imperial family is weak, they are nominally still the common rulers of the world. If you save them, the rewards you deserve will not be lacking. But if you go too far, it will instead make the people of the world lose heart.]

"I know," Li Ling nodded. "So I won't open my mouth like a lion. Just give me what I deserve, and I won't take what I shouldn't."

[It is good that the host has this realization.] The system's tone softened somewhat. [Additionally, the system suggests you act as soon as possible. Although the rebels have poor equipment, they are numerous; if they really capture the capital, things will be troublesome.]

"I know," Li Ling stood up and walked to the window. "Tomorrow morning, I will summon the generals for a meeting to discuss the matter of sending troops."

He pushed open the window, and the cold wind mixed with snowflakes rushed into his face. It was snowing; fine, broken snowflakes danced in the dim yellow light, landing on the ground and quickly melting.

"System," he suddenly said.

[Hmm?]

"Tell me, after this war is over, what will the world become?"

[Host, the system is not a prophet.] The system said. [But the system knows that as long as the host does not make major mistakes, unifying the country is only a matter of time.]

Li Ling smiled and said nothing more.

He stood at the window, watching the snowflakes dancing all over the sky, and the princess's face appeared in his mind. She was the daughter of the imperial family; in the capital were her father, mother, brothers, and sisters. Although she had married him and become a member of the Li family, the bonds of blood could not be severed. She must be very worried now, right?

"Tomorrow, I will go see the princess first," he murmured.

The snow outside the window fell heavier and heavier, and the world was a vast expanse of white.

A new day was about to begin. And a storm that would change the pattern of the world was brewing.