The Empire will continue to win

Nogi Maresuke's clothing and appearance are very characteristic of the era, with a thick beard, a black officer's uniform, white riding breeches, and black military boots.

The soldiers of his 2nd Division mainly came from the impoverished and fiercely independent Sendai region, and their fighting spirit was extremely strong.

He walked up to a dark-skinned soldier.

Why join the suicide squad?

"Reporting to the Commander of the Division, in order to ensure my family has rice to eat..."

How many people are in your family?

"Reporting to the division commander, I also have a mother, an older sister, and a younger brother at home."

"Do they know you joined the Expendables?"

"Yes, I wrote to them and told them, but..."

"What's wrong? Is there something you're having trouble saying? Why don't you just tell me?"

"My family is very poor. My mother is seriously ill, and my younger brother is still in school."

"So, you're the only one supporting the family?"

"Yes. Besides my military pay, I also wash my comrades' shirts, earning one cent for each shirt I wash. I've saved all of that money. Soldiers aren't allowed to send money home, but I wanted to send this money back home. Otherwise, my family would be in dire straits." As he spoke, the dark-skinned soldier pulled out a stack of coins wrapped in a handkerchief.

"Your name?"

"3rd Infantry Regiment, Private First Class, Taro Miura."

"I will send this money home for you, so that you can die on this land without any worries. After the war, your memorial tablet will be enshrined in a shrine," Nogi Maresuke said solemnly.

"Thank you, Commander."

With tears welling up in his eyes, Taro Miura thought, "What is there to fear in death? It's just a pair of cool wooden clogs."

.........

The suicide squad marched proudly towards Jiuliancheng.

Half an hour later~

All personnel killed!

Broken bayonets, blood-stained military flags, corpses strewn everywhere—the flag of the Sixth Division of the Fengtian Army still flies above Jiuliancheng.

Nogi Maresuke put down his binoculars, his heart completely unmoved.

To repay the Emperor's kindness in recognizing our talents, to expand our vast empire, and to ensure the well-being of our entire nation, what do a few deaths matter? Even the death of ten million citizens wouldn't be a problem!

It was all worth it.

"Urgent telegram from the Division Commander and the Commander-in-Chief."

"read."

"According to the weather forecast, the Fengtian area may quickly enter winter in a month, and the severe cold will be extremely unfavorable for logistical supplies. I hope your troops will launch a vigorous attack and capture Jiuliancheng and Fenghuangcheng as soon as possible to open up the road to Fengtian. Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Army: Yamagata Aritomo."

"Understood," Division Commander Nogi said expressionlessly. "Summon Lieutenant Katsunori Nogi to see me."

Time is running out for the men of the Nogi family.

.........

Beijing.

Army prison.

Shen Moqing stepped into that heavy prison door again, but his identity was different. Last time he was a death row inmate, this time he was an official, accompanied by the warden himself.

"Lord Shen, spare us! I was blinded by greed! I'm not human, I'm a beast!" The two jailers knelt on the cold floor tiles, slapping themselves repeatedly.

"Have you not heard of embers rising from the ashes?"

"Please spare my life, Your Honor! I have an eighty-year-old mother to support, and children to raise..." The jailer's education level was limited, and he probably hadn't heard of the story of Han Anguo, a famous minister of the Western Han Dynasty.

Zhang Zongcang kicked one of the guards to the ground, leaving the guards' faces covered in blood.

"Step back!"

"Yes."

Zhang Zongcang thought to himself, "My second brother is good in every way, except he's too kind. Damn it, if it were me, I would have punished at least two jailers with 50 lashes each."

bang~

bang bang~

The sudden gunshots echoed throughout the prison, making everyone's eardrums ache.

The muzzle of the revolver in Shen Moqing's hand was emitting wisps of blue smoke.

The warden was terrified and immediately clapped his hands, cheering, "Good, well done! Lord Shen truly lives up to his reputation as an elite member of the Imperial Navy, hitting the bullseye every time!"

"Are you mocking me?" Shen Moqing turned his head, his tone chilling.

"No, no, I had no such intention. I wish Lord Shen a long and prosperous reign," the warden said obsequiously.

Zhang Zongcang shrank his neck.

He didn't know his second brother well.

My second brother is a gentleman at heart, but he insists on putting on the act of a villain.

That's because my second brother knows that officials are wary of petty people and are reluctant to offend them easily, because petty people hold grudges, are vengeful, and are very difficult to deal with. Unless, of course, they can kill the petty person in one fell swoop.

But a gentleman is different. Even if he is offended, he will not retaliate, even if he is unhappy.

Today, I personally executed the jailer to tell my colleagues in the capital that I, Shen Moqing, am not some gentleman. I hold grudges, so you'd better think twice before you offend me.

This way, a lot of trouble can be avoided.

Because Professor Shen doesn't have much time left.

.........

He was released from prison.

The two rode straight towards Yanshan Heavy Industry. Although they were officials appointed by the imperial court, they didn't even have a groom with them. They were poor, so there was nothing they could do. Fortunately, they were used to being poor.

In principle, officials should go through the Ministry of Personnel procedures before taking office.

However, the United Empire had its own unique national circumstances.

Official regulations:

Military officers were appointed through the military department's procedures, while civil officials were appointed through the Ministry of Personnel's procedures. Appointments to positions that were neither military nor civil could be made through a simplified procedure within the Forbidden City.

The so-called "neither civil nor military" official positions were mainly concentrated in the following institutions:

Yanshan Heavy Industry Group, Southern Railway Company, Northern Railway Company, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Overseas Mining Company, Yangtze River Shipping Company, Eurasia Shipping Investment Group, Sihai Financial Group, Qinghai Lake Salt Affairs Company, etc.

Anyone with eyes should have seen it.

Indeed, these institutions were firmly controlled by the royal family and belonged neither to the local authorities nor to any government department.

The reformists, represented by Su Shun, had previously expressed their opposition unequivocally, arguing that the Forbidden City should not bypass the Ministry of Rites or the Ministry of the Army and Navy to directly appoint officials, but they failed.

Local gentry were even more dissatisfied with this.

In particular, the gentry in the southeast bluntly stated that the royal family's move was tantamount to competing with the people for profit!

The debate went on for a long time.

Ultimately, the imperial family conceded, promising that officials appointed through the simplified procedures of the Forbidden City would not be granted official ranks, but could be concurrently held by court ministers.

It's just a word game.

Shen Moqing estimated that if the imperial family did not directly control these lucrative economic lifelines, the princes of the eighteen provinces would probably have already marched into Zhili by now.

Putting everything else aside, the fact that they have no money is enough for the entire royal family to hang themselves on a crooked tree.

.........

Nanyuan.

Located more than ten miles from Yongdingmen in the capital, the terrain is flat and crisscrossed by rivers.

Historically known as "the royal hunting ground of five dynasties, the imperial garden of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and the throat of the southern side of Beijing," it held a very important political and military position, and troops were stationed here in every dynasty.

The entrance to the Yanshan Heavy Industry Group's gun factory was deserted.

Logically speaking, when a new official takes office, the welcoming ceremony should be grand, with a red carpet laid out, gongs and drums resounding, firecrackers going off, and many, many people jumping up and down, clapping their hands, and smiling broadly.

But today~

Zhang Zongcang reined in his horse, pointing to the deserted gate: "I feel like they don't welcome us!"

"Remove it, it seems."

As he spoke, Shen Moqing sat on the saddle, took out his revolver, and slowly loaded it with bullets.