The Empire will continue to win

Shen Moqing was secretly delighted.

Great! My patient guidance was worthwhile; the satellite has finally been launched.

"Your Excellency, I am Ma Zhenyang, the humble supervisor of the artillery factory. Please allow me to introduce you to the latest artillery developed by our factory—the Human Cannon."

This man has thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a square face; he looks like an honest and kind person.

"Explain in detail?"

"Yes. The human cannon, 305 mm caliber, 28000 meters range, three rounds per minute rate of fire, and an explosion that covers a radius of one mile. Just one shell falling from the sky, and whoosh, an entire battalion of enemy soldiers will be wiped out."

Ma Zhenyang spoke vividly, accompanied by powerful gestures, leaving no room for doubt.

Really!

It's definitely true!

Look at his honest-looking face, he definitely wouldn't lie.

"Such a divine artifact exists?"

"Yes. I am also a scholar, but I failed the imperial examination three times. After that, I went to the capital to drift north, waiting for the Ministry of Personnel to select candidates while studying the physics manuscripts left by Newton, and I have gained some insights."

"In which year did you become a Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations)?"

"The eighth year of Xianning."

"Then you have some experience."

This flippant comment was like adding fuel to a fire.

Ma Zhenyang took three steps in two, walked to the world map hanging in the conference room, and bang, punched the center of the European map.

He raised his index finger, his eyes blazing.

"I guarantee with my integrity that the power of the human cannon far surpasses that of the enemy. If it could be deployed in the navy, a single warship could destroy a country, and a fleet could destroy the entire world."

.........

Wow~

The meeting room erupted in chaos.

His colleagues were all shocked. Damn, even though they knew he was bragging, it was a bit hard to keep up when he bragged like that.

But it's not easy to undermine them.

After all, we're all in the same boat.

Jealousy, mockery, contempt, admiration—a mix of emotions.

Shen Moqing walked excitedly to Ma Mieguo: "I am an imperial envoy on behalf of Heaven, and upon returning to the palace, I must report to the two empress dowagers and the emperor. Can you take responsibility for what you just said?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes!"

"Okay~"

"It's on record!"

"Gentlemen, are there any other new weapons? Please report them as well."

If we don't start bragging now, it'll be too late!!

Yang Tingxi, the supervisor of the firearms manufacturing plant, strode forward:

"Your Majesty, my gun factory has just produced a new weapon, which I have named the Type 6 Repeating Rifle. It has a magazine capacity of six rounds, a rate of fire of up to 20 rounds per minute, a range of 800 meters, and the power to penetrate 25mm steel plates at a range of 100 meters."

After saying that, her face turned slightly red.

"Okay, that's on record!"

This was a successful meeting!

The Imperial Envoy Shen, beaming with pride, kept saying, "Gentlemen, you've worked hard!"

The meeting recorder, Ziying, checked the meeting minutes from beginning to end. Only after confirming that there were no errors did she dare to hand them over to the young imperial envoy for review.

"Please take a look at the meeting minutes in turn. If there are no problems, please sign them!"

Without much thought, everyone signed their names.

"These meeting minutes are to be submitted to the two Empress Dowagers and the Emperor. Would you all like to affix your seals?"

Since everyone had already signed their names, stamping their names wouldn't hurt, so they did as instructed.

.........

That night.

The Yanshan Heavy Industry headquarters building was bustling with activity, with uniformed women, women in skirts, and women in maid outfits moving back and forth in preparation for the grand banquet to be held soon.

Not far away, inside the post station.

A man and a woman were talking quietly in the garden downstairs.

"How's it going inside?"

"Reporting to Lord Yang, the Imperial Envoy and Miss Ziying have already made their engagement."

Are you sure?

"I saw it with my own eyes, there's no mistake." The maid blushed slightly; she would never forget that scene—her bound feet raised high.

"Once the Imperial Envoy is finished with his work, go in and inform him that there are some local specialties available."

"The Imperial Envoy said to just hand it over to his attendant, Zhang Zongcang."

"Yeah?"

Yang Tingxi was greatly shocked, but then he thought, isn't this normal? This is the current state of affairs in the United Empire.

.........

upstairs.

Shen Moqing lay sprawled out, staring blankly at the ceiling, and sighed that he only realized today that being a professor was not very interesting, but being an official was much more fun.

"Joyful desires are found in youth, but life's long journey often ends in suffering."

What use is wealth and honor when one grows old and gray? One's strength and energy are wasted on worry and toil.

I wish I were a frivolous young man from the Five Mausoleums, born during the Zhenguan and Kaiyuan eras.

"I've spent my life cockfighting and dog racing, oblivious to the safety of heaven and earth."

He couldn't help but recite an ancient poem, the content of which was truly heartfelt and relatable.

The Song Dynasty of that time was not so much similar to the United Empire of today; in fact, they were almost identical.

The empire stands on the edge of a precipice, but most people are oblivious. Those very few who see the reality are in great pain, immense pain.

"The Imperial Envoy is truly remarkable."

"You noticed it too?"

"Yes, Wang Anshi's 'Phoenix Mountain' expresses the poet's worry about the impending collapse of the Song Dynasty, and his own powerlessness to prevent it."

hiss~

The class representative for Chinese language.

It was evening.

The radiant Imperial Envoy Shen, accompanied by the elegantly dressed Zi Ying, entered the banquet hall. He was all smiles and charmingly debonair, which goes without saying.

.........

The next morning.

Three poles in the sun.

"Your Excellency, please be sure to come back and visit often!"

"well."

The crowd tearfully bid farewell to the kind and amiable imperial envoy, reluctant to part with him. They accompanied him for two miles, exchanging many insincere pleasantries along the way.

But Shen Moqing was telling the truth.

He'll be back soon.

Returning home with a full load!

The gold, silver, jewelry, and antiques filled an entire carriage. Before parting, Ma Mieguo also gifted him a pair of revolvers with gilded ivory handles.

Shen Moqing loved it dearly.

"Old Zhang, take a few men and escort the gold and jewels back to the manor. Remember, no one is allowed to touch them. Leave them in my room for now. I need to go to the palace."

"Yes."

A quarter and a half minutes later, Shen Moqing arrived at the Forbidden City. He took a moment in the carriage to change into his brand-new naval uniform, but he didn't wear a coat, only a white shirt.

before crossing.

He discovered a very interesting phenomenon: women develop up to 120% of their self-image, while men only develop 30%.

It has unlimited potential.

Men should also make good use of their advantages, after all, duck meat is always more expensive than chicken meat in the market.

.........

The Hall of Mental Cultivation.

The huge block of ice was slowly melting, and the air was chilling.

"Lord Shen, please~"

As usual, Shen Moqing straightened his clothes, fastened his top button, pulled his peaked cap down low, and then walked into the West Warm Pavilion with his head held high.

That's confidence!

"This humble servant greets Your Majesty, wishing you eternal youth and good health."

"Everyone else wishes me a long life, but you are different." The Empress Dowager Cixi sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), busy correcting folded documents, and looked somewhat haggard.

"Your Majesty, I have completed my inspection of the Yanshan Heavy Industry and have come to report back."

"You may all leave."

"Yes, sir."

An Dehai, with a sour look on his face, led a group of eunuchs and palace maids away from the West Warm Pavilion. Servants are particularly attentive to details; even when their masters bathe, they don't hide it from them.

hum~

Egg's sadness.

"Your Majesty, I dare to offer my humble opinion: if the border war escalates in the future, Yanshan Heavy Industry will severely hinder the soldiers on the front lines and may even endanger Your Majesty's throne," Shen Moqing said bluntly.

However, there was no response for a long time.

After a long time~

"I have bad news for you. Yesterday at noon, Yizhou was lost."