Daqin Zhentiansi

Deep within the Ministry of War's office in the Imperial City.

The newly appointed Minister of War, Zhou Chang, sat upright in the main seat, dressed in a brand-new crimson official robe, his brows furrowed with a heavy sense of responsibility.

The atmosphere in the main hall was solemn but not chaotic. Several vice ministers and heads of various departments gathered around a huge sand table map, their fingers flying and counting rods flying, and instructions were quickly transmitted like the clanging of metal.

"The Marquis of Qingyang's decree has arrived," Zhou Chang's voice was steady, striking the heavy air, "The Northern Great Wall is the linchpin of our military might! Issue the order—"

"The 300,000 'Xuanjia Guards' stationed in the Northwest, break camp immediately!" He pointed to a red line winding northward on the sand table. "Commander Yang Jiye, promoted to the rank of General of the Northern Expedition, will lead his elite cavalry vanguard of 50,000 men to 'Duanyue Pass' within 20 days to await orders!"

"The remaining 250,000 infantry and cavalry, under the command of Vice General Zhao Cheng, shall proceed along the Jingyang Ancient Road and the Chishui River Valley, with their baggage train running in parallel, and shall arrive at the 'Black Stone Fortress' of the Great Wall within forty days!"

"The Zhenhai Guard of the Eastern Territory is to transfer 100,000 infantrymen from the Panshi Battalion!" A vice minister immediately interjected, speaking rapidly. "Commander Lei Biao, obey! The newly formed Jingtao Guard will take over the garrison duties. The supplies transfer list is here—"

"It requires 30,000 sets of finely forged scale armor, 50,000 standard long spears, 1,000 powerful crossbows capable of splitting mountains, and 500,000 matching crossbow bolts."

He picked up a file: "The Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works has signed and sealed the order. The supplies allocated by the Jiuchuan Alliance from the Langya and Donglin port warehouses will be delivered to the Black Stone Fortress armory within thirty days by inland waterway transport and official road mule and horse teams!"

"150,000 elite troops from the Western Frontier!" another stern-faced official added. "The commander-in-chief is still General Xue Dingyue. His troops have been stationed on the far western snow line for many years. They are cold-resistant and good at fighting. They have been transferred to garrison the 'Snow Pass'."

"The specially made fur coats and Fire Element Warming Jade Talisman Array required will be supplied by the Imperial Household Department, and Yu Yuan Trading Company will be responsible for the land transportation. They will arrive on the 25th."

"Supplies and provisions!" The logistics officer's voice was loud and clear as he flipped through the thick ledgers. "With the start of the war in the North, the daily consumption of grain is estimated to be in the millions of bushels, and horse feed is twice that amount."

"Imperial Edict: The three prefectures of Jingzhou, Yangzhou, and Xuzhou are in the first priority. Immediately activate their wartime granaries and procure a total of five million shi (a unit of dry measure) of rice and stored grain! Qingzhou and Yuzhou are in the second priority. Requisition one hundred thousand pack horses and mule carts and set up supply points along the way. The deadline is—the first two million shi must reach the four major grain storage forts at the front line within forty days!"

Zhou Chang's gaze swept across the densely packed moving flags on the sand table and the mountain of documents piled up on the table, finally landing on a newly compiled "General Record of Troop Strength and Logistics Mobilization in the Early Stage of the Northern Expedition".

He took a deep breath, picked up the scroll, his knuckles turning slightly white from the effort: "Gentlemen, you have worked hard! The Ministry of War's duties have been fulfilled. The subsequent deployments will be decided by the Grand Council. I will immediately take this summary and present it to the Grand Council in person!"

There, nine high-ranking military officials, including Marquis Zhang Yuan of Qingyang, will conduct a final review and decision on this massive plan that concerns the fate of the empire.

Zhentiansi.

Light and shadow intertwine in a vast underground space, and runes flow like a galaxy.

Marquis Qingyang, Zhang Yuan, dressed in a dark gold python robe, stood tall and straight like a drawn sword, side by side with Duke Zhongyi, Su Jing.

Several newly promoted nobles of the Zhen Tian Division with profound auras—Qin Wuyai, the Zhenyu Wuhou, Chu Chaoyang, the Bahuang Zhenmo Hou, and Yin Jiuyou, the Jiuyou Zhenyu Hou—stood solemnly on both sides, their eyes fixed intently on a giant array base that was being repaired and reinforced in front of them.

The core of the array, a huge crystal repeatedly tempered by lightning and containing liquid lightning-like power, is the Thunder Core.

At this moment, the crystal, crackling with lightning, was being carefully embedded into layers of metallic veins that shimmered with mysterious light.

Several elderly scholars from the Imperial Observatory, dressed in celestial robes, held star-dial compasses and drew down streaks of clear starlight with their fingertips, connecting them to the array base.

Li Yu, the Vice Minister of Works, personally led dozens of skilled craftsmen, manipulating countless mechanical arms engraved with runes, like the most meticulous surgeons, to repair the tiny cracks on the massive array base.

"The star track calibration is 70% complete, and the main structure of the 'Township Sky Dome Array' has been restored to 80%!" Li Yu wiped the sweat from his forehead, his voice filled with the unique sense of accomplishment of an engineer. "Thanks to the 'Starfall Mithril' sent by Yangtianzhou after its submission and the 'Void-Breaking Crystal Sand' from the Sword Pavilion."

"The foundation supporting this great formation is strong enough to withstand a chaotic storm! In another ten days, this formation will regain seventy percent of its former power, and its coverage area will reach three thousand miles beyond the Great Wall!"

Qin Wuyai stepped forward, his body faintly shimmering with the shadows of lightning and dragons, and said in a deep voice, "Duke, Duke Su, with this great formation as our support, our army has an 'anchor point' to stand on outside the Great Wall."

"Back then, King Wu was able to suppress the rift for three thousand years thanks to his unparalleled physical body and the advantage of the terrain. Now, this 'Territory-Suppressing Heavenly Dome Array' is the 'artificial terrain advantage' that my army will use for its expedition!"

"It can be used for both offense and defense, and its influence can suppress all evil spirits and demons."

Providing a foothold for the army in the chaotic land and suppressing the external environment is a key point for the transition between offense and defense.

After conquering Liangyuan in a single battle, Qin Wuyai's ambitions grew ever larger.

In fact, it's not just him; the entire Zhen Tian Si has now bared its fangs and is no longer the cautious entity it once was.

To restore the grandeur of the Nine Provinces is the will of everyone in the Heavenly Suppression Bureau.

Zhang Yuan nodded without speaking, but turned to look at the huge shipyard not far away.

The scenery there is even more spectacular.

Several massive Zhenhai ships, which survived the bloody battle of Guixu, are undergoing a complete transformation.

The dragon bones were replaced and reinforced with the harder "Kui Dragon Gold", the damaged rune armor was imprinted into the new defensive array, and the menacing muzzle emitted a dangerous gleam.

The craftsmen and array masters of the Ministry of Works are busy around a flagship-class warship. Its core furnace has been completely replaced with a crimson core that is even larger than the Thunder Core and emits a heart-palpitating heat.

That was a power unit found in the dismantling of an ancient starship.

This power is sufficient to support a single void traversal.

The current renovation of Zhenhai Boat is also in preparation for traversing the void.

"Good!" Su Jing nodded slightly, a sharp glint appearing in his usually clear eyes. "With this void core, plus the Kui Jin Dragon Bone and talisman armor personally forged by Lord Li, these sea-suppressing behemoths can truly transform into war fortresses capable of traversing the chaotic void and the boundless sea!"

"Now, Great Qin has a powerful weapon capable of supporting an army and launching proactive attacks!" He looked at Zhang Yuan, his eyes blazing with undisguised fighting spirit: "This is the iron fist of Great Qin, capable of striking beyond the Nine Provinces and shattering the Milky Way!"

Most of those who held the position of commander of the Black Ice Guard did not have a good end.

Su Jing had thought that his career would remain the same after reaching this position.

Unexpectedly, the world has changed dramatically. Not only has he been granted the title of Duke, but the Zhen Tian Si (Heavenly Guard) has also risen to prominence, and the reunion of the Nine Provinces is just around the corner.

For him, this was defying fate.

Every day now is a new beginning.

Yin Jiuyou stood to the side, his aura of the underworld subtly fluctuating. His voice, as if emanating from the depths of the underworld, carried a strange admiration: "Flesh and blood can communicate with the divine, and objects can also bear will. The day this ship was forged, its malevolent aura was enough to terrify the demonic shadows of the abyss."

The sophisticated array base was revived by the starlight and the craftsman's skill, and the massive warship was transformed by the blessing of divine metal and the core of the alien beast.

Zhang Yuan remained silent, gazing at the bustling scene before him, brimming with the power of technology.

The Qin Dynasty's long-dormant war machine, dedicated solely to protecting the Yongtian homeland, has finally been fully awakened and pushed to its limit. Its blades have been reforged, its cannons calibrated against the outer reaches of space, awaiting only the final command to unleash a deafening attack against the ancient ferocity emanating from the rifts in the starry sea!

------------------

Zheng Kanglin.

The new master of the three-courtyard compound on Zhuque Street in the Imperial City, and a former captain of the Tiangang Imperial Guard.

He carried the imperial household plaque in his arms; the iron plaque pressed against his chest, heavy and hot.

Today, the Spring Festival ceremony has ended, and sunlight shines through the paper-cut "May you have both happiness and longevity" on the new window lattice.

Guo's sister-in-law brought over freshly steamed rice cakes, their sweet aroma mingling with the scent of new wood in the yard.

Five-year-old Tiedan ran around the yard wielding a wooden sword, shouting, "Dad! Isn't this more impressive than the Black Rider General from the north?"

"boom--"

The deafening bugle call ripped through the tranquility of the imperial city, its echo striking the main beam of my house, which was adorned with red paper.

It wasn't the court music that brought the celebration to a close, but rather the heart-wrenching thunderous drumbeats that urged the troops into battle!
Zheng Kanglin suddenly froze in the courtyard.

The house plaque in his arms felt like a red-hot branding iron, burning into his very bones.

The soft, glutinous rice cake that Zheng Kanglin was holding between his fingers still retained the warmth of the stove fire and the sweet aroma of frosting. It fell with a "plop" onto the newly paved blue brick floor at his feet, covered with a thin layer of ash.

Five-year-old Tiedan was running wildly around the yard with a wooden sword, making a "whoosh" sound. He was startled by the sudden, heavy horn with a long trailing tone, and the wooden sword flew out of his hand and landed by the water vat in the corner.

"Father?" Tie Dan stared wide-eyed at Zheng Kanglin, who stood frozen in the courtyard, his eyes wide with surprise and uncertainty.

Guo's sister-in-law had just lifted the curtain in the kitchen, carrying a steaming bowl of soup. The lid was still slightly ajar, and the steam blurred the color that had instantly drained from her face.

She stood rooted to the spot, the thick soup in the bowl sloshing around, splashing out a few drops of scalding oil.

"Xiao Zheng... what... what number is this?"

Her voice was so soft, as if afraid of disturbing something, yet so deep, as if it weighed down the entire courtyard with the scent of new wood.

That bugle call, again and again, tore through the sky!

With a chilling rhythm that pierces to the bone, it is the prelude to war drums, a soul-summoning proclamation!
It wasn't the lingering palace music of the spring festival celebrations, but rather—

Assemble!

"Woo--Woo--"

The sound was like rolling thunder rolling over the imperial city, crashing onto the beam of their house, which was covered with a brand-new red "Fu" character, and shaking off a few specks of dust.

Zheng Kanglin tensed up completely.

The "Imperial City House Plaque" in his arms was a thick and heavy iron plaque, cast with the Vermilion Bird holding a star pattern using the secret methods of the royal family. It was as hot as a red-hot branding iron when the horn sounded, pressing hard against his chest through two layers of winter clothes, the heavy branding feeling penetrating to the depths of his bones.

Countless comrades risked their lives, shed their blood, and severed the heads of demons to earn this iron plaque that allows them to settle down in the heart of the capital city, where every inch of land is precious!
Years of licking blood from the sword, he rose from a lowly soldier on duty in the inner city to a centurion of the Heavenly Guard.

Now, thanks to his outstanding achievement in slaying the mutated demonic vine that occupied the abandoned teleportation altar in Liang Yuanyu, he has been promoted to the rank of a former military captain with a thousand soldiers, officially receiving the seventh-rank official hat and belt from the imperial court, and being assigned this three-courtyard house on Zhuque Street!

This courtyard is home!
It was the dignity he earned by rising from the dilapidated walled village of Changyunfang, where generations of his family and comrades were crammed together, to the top!

Every mortise and tenon nailed to the window frame, every blue brick used for paving the floor, is soaked with blood and sweat.

The house card isn't just a card; it's something he forged through half a lifetime of hard work and courage!

“It’s… the assembly call.” Zheng Kanglin’s voice was dry, like sandpaper being scraped, and he forced it out from deep in his throat.

He turned abruptly, his movement so fast it created a gust of wind, yet his feet remained rooted to the spot for two breaths before he shot towards the west wing of the main house like an arrow released from a bow—

There stood the black armor that Sister-in-law Guo had meticulously prepared for him!

The heavy horn, like an invisible giant hand, gripped every inch of the imperial city, and even more so, it gripped Zheng Kanglin's internal organs.

The pot of freshly stewed bone broth that Guo's sister-in-law was holding slipped from her hand and crashed onto the bluestone steps with a loud bang.

The scalding broth splashed everywhere, and the rich aroma of meat mixed with the pungent smell of peppers exploded in the cold air, leaving behind a mess of white porcelain shards and cleanly gnawed bones scattered all over the ground.

She seemed to have her bones removed, staggering as she leaned against the small locust tree in the courtyard, which had just been planted and whose branches were still wrapped in grass. Her fingernails dug into the rough bark so hard that her knuckles turned pale. Suppressed sobs rolled in her throat, but she couldn't utter a single clear word.

It's been five years!
From the night before Zheng Kanglin set off for war, in the woodshed of the walled village, she gritted her teeth and tied her future to his, and then to that bloody night when she struggled to give birth to Tiedan, she had dreamed of this death knell countless times!

It was more piercing and heavier than she had imagined, like an ice pick hitting her heart!
Tie Dan was also frightened by his father's sudden ashen face and the shattered soup bowl. He stopped chasing the wooden knife, and the smug smile on his little face instantly froze into a blank expression of fear.

He pouted, instinctively wanting to rush towards Sister-in-law Zheng, but seeing her trembling figure leaning against the tree, the little boy, with an almost cruel precocity, stopped in his tracks.

He clenched his small fists tightly, his big, dark eyes fixed on Zheng Kanglin's retreating figure as he rushed into the house, as if trying to grasp something from that blurry, windswept silhouette.

"Bang!"

The door of the west wing was smashed open as if by a battering ram and then slammed back onto the frame, and Zheng Kanglin's figure was swept in like a whirlwind.

The brand-new standard-issue Xuanjia armor belonging to the vanguard captain of the Tiangang Xuanjia Army stood neatly on a specially made wooden frame, still gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen even in the dim light of the side room.

This armor is completely different!
It is no longer the style of the ordinary Heavenly Guards of yesteryear.

It was noticeably heavier, and the shoulder guards had been completely redesigned; they were no longer simple animal heads covering the shoulders, but rather two raised, dark purple, thunder-patterned metal structures.

That's the Ministry of Industry's latest "shoulder-mounted energy-concentrating hub"!
At its core was a crystal the size of a pigeon's egg, seemingly still burning with liquid lightning.

An energy crystal extracted from the eye core of the deep-sea monster king, "Cangming Dian'ao"! (End of Chapter)