Courtyard House: I Rely on Time-Space Trade to Build a Nation

On the evening of November 3rd,

The commander of the 1st Mixed Brigade of the Khmer Empire called the military headquarters.

The staff officer stopped Liu Dazhu, who was on his way to inspect the troops' training, and said, "Commander, it's a call from the 1st Mixed Brigade."

Liu Dazhu answered the phone.

"I am Liu Dazhu"

"Commander, the 2nd Regiment fought a battle with Nan'an today," came the voice of Brigade Commander Liang from the 1st Brigade over the phone.

"Did you win?" Ever since Liu Dazhu's last inspection of the border and the border conflict with Nan'an, he knew that this matter was definitely not over.

"Commander, of course we won. This morning, two companies from Nam An Nan crossed the border, about two hundred men, heading towards the area of ​​Outpost No. 3. They were spotted by the outpost in advance, and the 1st Battalion of the 2nd Regiment quickly reinforced them, using the terrain to ambush the enemy. The enemy opened fire first, and after a long battle, we killed more than 120 enemy soldiers and captured more than 50. We suffered 6 wounded and 7 killed. The Nam An Nan people retreated."

Liu Dazhu nodded and said, "The 1st Battalion fought well. Looks like their training has been good."

The brigade commander said, "We are familiar with the terrain and can suppress the enemy with firepower. Two companies of mortars fired four rounds of crossfire, and the enemy collapsed."

"Alright. Send a detailed battle report. Tell the other regiments to be on high alert."

"Yes, Commander."

After hanging up the phone, Liu Dazhu located the No. 3 outpost on the map.

Thinking about Nan An'nan's probing, they wanted to see their own reaction, whether it was the idea of ​​their superiors or their own.

Liu Dazhu summoned his staff officer: "Notify all brigades to strengthen their vigilance recently, cancel leave, as Nan'an South may be making moves soon. Strengthen the guard posts along the border, and report any incidents immediately."

On the evening of November 8th, the Khmer 1st Brigade also called.

Brigade Commander Wang's voice was somewhat deep, "Commander, a reinforced battalion of over 500 men came from Nan'an today, heading towards the 3rd Regiment."

Liu Dazhu asked about the result first: "How did it go?"

"The 1st Battalion of the 3rd Regiment attacked from the front, while the 2nd Battalion flanked them. They fought for a whole day. They killed more than 300 enemy soldiers and captured more than 100, annihilating them all. We suffered more than 50 dead and more than 60 wounded."

After listening, Liu Dazhu asked, "How come the casualties are so much higher than those of the mixed brigade?"

Brigade Commander Wang replied,

"The local troops are a bit weak in firepower. Also, two of the mortars in the 1st Battalion malfunctioned, so the artillery fire wasn't strong enough to eliminate all the heavy firepower points in the area immediately. The 2nd Battalion was also a step too late when they moved in, which prevented us from fully utilizing the advantages of our weapons' accuracy and firepower..."

Liu Dazhu thought for a moment, "Arrange for the troops to rotate and make corrections. Have the artillery from the training battalion check the equipment, all the mortars, to ensure that this problem does not occur again in combat."

"Yes."

Liu Dazhu added, "Overall, they played alright. Have them write a summary, recording all the lessons learned."

On November 16th, the intelligence department sent a message.

The staff officer placed the telegram in front of Liu Dazhu: "There's a remnant regiment outpost across the way, a dozen miles from the border, with over three hundred men stationed there. They're newly recruited soldiers, and their defenses are lax."

Liu Dazhu stared at the map for a long time. This stronghold was in a remote location, and the garrison consisted of new recruits; it was indeed an opportunity.

The staff officer was notified to summon Brigade Commander Liang of the 1st Mixed Brigade. Upon his arrival, he immediately issued orders.

"Nan'an has been causing trouble lately, so I plan to teach them a lesson. There's a group of new recruits on the other side; send someone to take care of them."

Brigade Commander Liang immediately replied, "Reporting to the Army Commander, the 1st Regiment Commander mentioned a few days ago that there was an opportunity. I had him prepare a plan."

"Let me take a look at the plan."

The brigade commander handed over a sketch. Liu Dazhu looked at it for a few minutes and nodded.

"Let him arrange for two companies to go, and then prepare the supporting troops."

"Fire and retreat, be back before dawn. You keep an eye on this, and report back to me tomorrow."

"Yes. I guarantee the mission will be completed."

On the morning of November 17th.

When Brigade Commander Liang arrived at the military headquarters again, his voice brimming with excitement as he entered, "Reporting to the Commander, the 1st Mixed Brigade has completed its mission."

Liu Dazhu put down the training outline in his hand and looked up: "How did it go?"

"We killed over 220 enemy soldiers and captured over 160. Our casualties were 11%. We withdrew completely, not a single one was lost."

Liu Dazhu nodded: "Well done. Prepare a summary report; the military will discuss it the day after tomorrow."

On the morning of November 18th, the staff officer placed a summary of the three battles on Liu Dazhu's desk.

The total number of casualties suffered by Nan'an was over 950, while the total number of casualties suffered by our side was less than 80.

Liu Dazhu reviewed the three operations, each with a different strategy, and the results were all different.

We don't know how much more will happen after this. The troops were busy helping with the harvest and providing security when this incident occurred.

"Staff officer, send a telegram back home, reporting the situation truthfully."

In late November, American diplomats arrived in Phnom Penh.

Prince Siha met with them.

Liu Dazhu heard about the talks from Prince Siha the next day.

The meaning of the American people is very clear: they can mediate the situation in South Annam, are willing to provide military assistance, and send instructors and advisors to help the Khmer troops train for self-defense.

Prince Siha was furious on the spot. "The South Annam regime you support invaded my territory and fought against my soldiers. Now that my soldiers have won, you're here to be their instructors and advisors? Will you want command next? What are your intentions?"

The Americans were speechless. They had anticipated a conflict, believing that South Korea, with its "advanced" weapons and military training, would have the upper hand. However, after learning of the defeat, President Wu simply blocked the news, trapping American diplomats in an information cocoon. When they arrived with their contingency plans, they found that the reality was completely different from their plans, and they could only leave in disgrace.

A few days later, the American diplomats arrived again.

This time, they did their homework and learned about Liu Dazhu's background. They changed their story, saying that as long as the Khmer remained neutral and did not side with North Vietnam, Liu Dazhu's troops could stay.

The United States was willing to provide economic aid to help the Khmer Empire with infrastructure projects, road construction, and port development.

Prince Siha knew that the victory over South Annam was thanks to Liu Dazhu.

The US is sending money now because South Korea lost the war and that's why they're negotiating.

But his son was already in Beijing, and he couldn't go back on his word, so he refused again and asked Liu Dazhu to send a telegram to Zhao Ping'an to report the matter.

Upon hearing this, Liu Dazhu immediately sent a telegram back to Beijing.

The telegram was short, but it clearly explained the situation.

Nanan provoked them three times, and they were fought back each time.

The US has arrived, offering aid in exchange for neutrality.

Prince Siha did not budge, but the United States offered for the second time to provide free aid for infrastructure development.

Zhao Ping'an's instructions arrived the next day, sent in the form of a private message.

Why not take the money that's given away for free? If the US wants to remain neutral, then let it remain neutral.

Let Prince Siha use this money to buy cement, building materials, and equipment from us.

The US provides the money, we provide the goods, and Cambodia benefits.

This is called taking money from American citizens to do our own things.

After reading the telegram, Liu Dazhu took it to Prince Siha.

Prince Siha read the telegram and remained silent for a long time.

He had already prepared to publicly support the Republic, and had even sent his son to it.

But Zhao Ping'an's attitude surprised him greatly—he didn't care that Zhao Ping'an made a public statement, didn't ask Zhao Ping'an to take sides, and even tacitly allowed Zhao Ping'an to take benefits from the United States.

He recalled the "you must stand on my side" attitude of the people of the Red Empire, and then looked at Zhao Ping'an's "as long as you're doing well" attitude.

It seems sending my son to Beijing was the right decision.

So, it's a waste not to take the aid from the United States now.

American diplomats soon returned to Phnom Penh, this time with even greater sincerity, providing weapons and equipment, and offering more funds for infrastructure development.

Prince Siha was a seasoned "actor," and after declining twice, he "reluctantly" agreed.

The aid funds from the United States arrived quickly.

Prince Siha kept his word and, as expected, publicly condemned the Hossein regime in northern Annam for disrupting regional peace.

Then they turned around and began to purchase large quantities of cement, building materials, and engineering equipment from the Republic.

They even hired a 7000-person "engineering team" from Yunnan Province of the People's Republic of China to help with their infrastructure construction.

However, this construction team was somewhat special; they always walked with a swaying gait at a particular frequency.

However, everyone was satisfied with the result. The United States paid for the Khmer Rouge's neutrality and guarantee that it would not side with the Red Empire and the Republic. The Republic provided the financial support for the Khmer Rouge's infrastructure development. The Khmer Rouge gained substantial benefits by simply making a few pronouncements in international diplomacy.

Prince Siha played this move brilliantly.

Liu Dazhu's troops continued to be stationed, but the camp quietly expanded three times in size, which the Americans completely ignored.

What they want is Khmer "neutrality," and they turn a blind eye whether Liu Dazhu is around or not.

That evening, Prince Siha invited Liu Dazhu to inspect the newly constructed section of road.

During the dry season in Cambodia, the evening sun is not so harsh, shining on the newly paved cement road with a grayish-white light.

The workers on the roadside were finishing up and pushing their tools back to their quarters.

Prince Siha stood by the roadside and watched for a long time.

"General Liu, this road used to be a dirt road, impassable by vehicles during the rainy season. Now it's much better; it's passable all year round."

Liu Dazhu nodded.

Prince Siha turned to look at Liu Dazhu: "You people of the Republic are really smart. The beautiful countrymen provide the money, you do the work, and I benefit."

He paused, then continued, "What's even more remarkable is that you didn't force me to make a statement."

Even though I had already made up my mind to send my son to you, you genuinely cared about me. I originally thought we were just partners, but now I see we are still friends.

Especially General Liu, I truly felt that you were genuinely trying to improve things for us…

Liu Dazhu smiled. "Your Highness flatters me. We're just doing what we do domestically. After all, ensuring that people have enough to eat, clothes to wear, access to education, and the means to receive medical care are just the most basic things, aren't they?"

Prince Siha did not speak, but simply patted Liu Dazhu, the 24-year-old boy, on the shoulder.

That evening, Liu Dazhu sent the message back to Beiping.

Zhao Ping'an received the telegram and smiled.

He handed the telegram to Wang Dashan and Wang Dahai, who had come to see him: "Look, Dazhuqian's side is doing quite well. Do you have any ideas?"

After reading the telegram, the two remarked, "Prince Siha's words are quite truthful."

Zhao Ping'an nodded. "Da Shan, Da Hai, I want you to join the navy and form a new branch of the military."