The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 936 Liu Xuan's War

After the start of autumn, the Gyeonggi region suddenly became hot and dry.

In early August, the temperature rose sharply, and Tianxin City was like a giant furnace, burning fiercely. Under the scorching sun, the asphalt on the road seemed to melt.

Because of the scorching heat, people die from heatstroke every day.

In Tianxin City, almost everyone is talking about the weather.

In previous years, around the time of the Autumnal Equinox, there would be one autumn rain after another.

Each autumn rain brings a layer of coolness; after several showers, the summer heat dissipates, and the weather becomes pleasantly cool.

However, this year, the weather has been exceptionally abnormal.

The sweltering heat of late summer ravaged the Beijing area, forcing meteorologists to explain in newspapers that this was an El Niño phenomenon, caused by a prolonged subtropical low-pressure system hovering over the region, resulting in unusually hot summers and cold winters…

These somewhat technical meteorological terms are naturally difficult for the general public to understand, and people only believe what they can understand.

Almost overnight, various rumors began to circulate in different domains about the retreat of the scorching heat to the south.

The rumors are naturally all linked to the current fighting in Southeast Asia.

In summary, most of the arguments are that the emperor acted recklessly instigating border conflicts, which angered both Heaven and the people, thus preventing the timely arrival of rain.

The claim that they were initiating border conflicts was clearly unfounded. Qi had not launched a border war for many years. If it weren't for the Europeans forming some kind of "New Crusade," the people of Qi would not have attacked the foreigners so easily.

Therefore, it is clearly inappropriate to attribute all the reasons for starting a war to the emperor.

Liu Xuan was in a bad mood these past two days because he hadn't heard any battle reports from the front lines for three days.

Three days is enough time for enemy airships to fly from the South China Sea to Tianxin City, and enough time for bombs to fall from the sky and level Tianxin City.

However, no news came from the vassal lords in the south.

The emperor was furious.

Fortunately, a torrential rain finally arrived, and the heavy rain continued for three days and three nights, irrigating the streets and alleys of Tianxin City and causing flooding.

Although the drainage system of Tianxin City was designed with reference to neighboring Annam, it is said to be able to withstand a once-in-a-century flood.

However, since Tianxin City was built, the city has been flooded with water at least two meters high almost every time there is a heavy rain.

In other words, this greatest city experiences a once-in-a-century flood every two years.

After the flood receded, there were few pedestrians on the streets, not because the people of Tianxin City had all perished in the flood, but because they had been told that in the days to come they would have to tighten their belts to support the war against Britain.

Three months ago, the parliament passed the "Emergency Law" by a large majority, which requires all healthy men aged 15 to 65 in the Great Qi territory to undertake military service.

Those who were unable to go to the battlefield were required to perform duties such as equipment manufacturing and transportation.

All the citizens were mobilized, and even the emperor's youngest son, the sixteen-year-old Prince Liu Jian of Liao, was incorporated into the army and sent south to carry out combat missions.

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One after another, war telegrams were sent from Tianxin City and rushed to the southeastern battlefield under the cover of night.

Thanks to advancements in science and technology, battlefield communication is now extremely convenient. The emperor can stay in Tianxin City and keep abreast of the military situation on the front lines. He can even issue operational orders to the front-line troops, such as "move the field gun forward ten meters."

In addition, the deployment of troops by the frontline commander, the supply and distribution of equipment and materials, and
Nevertheless, the battlefield situation remains unclear.

In July, East India Company warships sailed around the Gulf of Tonkin and invaded Guangdong Province. The Qi army met the British at Dapeng Fortress in eastern Guangdong, and both sides suffered heavy casualties.

Mosquitoes that accompanied the East India Company soldiers across the sea carried deadly viruses and quickly triggered a large-scale plague. The Yargikunkun plague was transmitted through the bites of Aedes mosquitoes (Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus) and was originally prevalent mainly in tropical and subtropical regions, such as Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Africa.

The disease was first discovered in Equatorial Guinea in 1652.

Yarekikun, a tongue-twisting name, comes from a local language in southern Equatorial Guinea and means "to become twisted".

It vividly describes how the patient bent over due to severe joint pain after falling ill.

Yarekikunkun mainly presents with three major symptoms: fever, joint pain, and rash.

Although not fatal, the plague still affected the battlefield situation.

Faced with Yareki Kongkun, the British were no longer willing to "uphold justice and freedom," and the landing troops that had entered Zhejiang retreated to the Zhoushan Islands, ceasing their offensive against the Qi army.

The fighting was thus suspended.

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Although according to the existing system of the Great Qi, the vassal lord has the right to decide on war and peace matters when faced with foreign invasion, in recent years the imperial power has been strengthened like never before, and Liu Xuan has begun to interfere more and more in local affairs.

Moreover, this war between the Great Qi and Europe is a war between two nations, a decisive battle between two different systems and cultures. The military actions of any single vassal state or city are closely related to the fate of the empire. How can the vassal lords act arbitrarily?

On the morning of August 12th, after having breakfast, the emperor, feeling troubled, summoned the chief eunuch Liu Chengen and asked:
"Liu Chengen, did you receive any battle reports from the Guangxi region yesterday?"

Liu Chengen shook his head helplessly, then glanced up and saw the emperor's gloomy face, knowing he hadn't eaten much that morning. So he cautiously said:

"I do have some intelligence on the regional military governors in Shaanxi. I wonder if Your Majesty would be willing to take a look?"

Liu Xuan said impatiently, "Is this another call for disaster relief funds?"

The chief eunuch shook his head repeatedly.

"Governor Yue has captured a madman and imprisoned him in the Provincial Judicial Office, awaiting His Majesty's decision."

Liu Xuan took the tea offered by the palace maid, took a sip, and frowned slightly: "This Yue Zhongqi keeps asking me for money every few days. I finally calmed down a bit, but he uses this as an excuse again. Now that the war in the southeast is critical, does he have any good strategies to defend against the enemy?"

Liu Chengen coughed twice, seemingly reminding the emperor, and repeated:

"Your Majesty, that's not it. Commander Yue captured a sorcerer..."

Liu Xuan grew increasingly impatient and said, "What demon? What time is it? Does he still have the mind to capture a demon?"

"It seems to be related to some kind of prophetic technique."

~~~~~~~~~
At the beginning of the war, Tianxin City received news of victory every day.

The telegram indicated that the Qi army had achieved a series of major victories along the coast.

On the first day of August, the Guangxi governor telegraphed that on the 12th, the Guangxi army encountered the British air force in the Beibu Gulf. After two hours of dogfighting between the two sides' airships, the Qi army shot down 12 aircraft and successfully forced the enemy airships to retreat.

On the 5th of the same month, another telegram came from Guangxi, reporting that the Guangxi army had sunk three enemy landing craft and killed an unknown number of British soldiers. Enemy warships, seeing the situation was not good, fled in panic. Due to the high winds and rough seas, they could not pursue them. It was assumed that the British would no longer dare to covet the Celestial Empire.

Next was the Guangdong regional governor...

Similar reports of victory were sent to the emperor's desk every day like snowflakes. For a moment, Liu Xuan felt as if the founding emperor had possessed him, and he had become the second Nicholas God of War.

However, after calming down, the emperor realized that something was wrong.

As the saying goes, battle reports can be deceiving, but the front lines cannot.