Unlimited Ambition

He learns quickly.

However, these trusted confidants brought back more than just these orphans from the south. They also brought some news that was unfavorable to the old man.

Rumors of eunuchs interfering in politics spread far and wide thanks to the efforts of the regional officials. Moreover, under their exploitation, the lives of ordinary people indeed became increasingly difficult. The accusation was now firmly established. The Jiangnan region was relatively better off, as it was closer to Luoyang. The old man could still barely maintain control there.

However, chaos erupted in several more distant member states. They had long harbored ambitions of independence, and taking advantage of the situation, calls for Indian, Vietnamese, and Burmese separatism grew rampant. The member state governments also seized the opportunity to expand their military, with ulterior motives.

"They've rebelled! They've all rebelled! These bastards! I've worked myself to the bone, managing the country with the utmost care and diligence. And these bastards accuse me of 'misruling' the government! Were those exorbitant taxes and levies set by me? We were set by me, so why haven't I seen a single penny of it?! Even the normal tax payments are all short! It all went into those bastards' pockets! And they want me to take the blame!!"

I didn't say anything, just looked at him with pity, thinking to myself, "Who told you to occupy the central position? Even Zhang Juzheng, who was so brilliant, was condemned as a treacherous official. How much more so you, Wei Zhongxian?"

Of course, I should just keep these thoughts to myself and not provoke the old man any further. He's acting a bit erratically.

However, the old man had no intention of letting me off the hook. He rushed up to me, glared at me, and asked, "Nephew, you have a lot of ideas. Give me your advice on how to teach these bastards a lesson."

I slowly shook my head and said, "The chances of winning a direct confrontation with them are very low. The Imperial Guards are too few in number and have little combat experience. The Northeast Army will also be constrained by the EU."

"We have hostages in our hands!" the old man said unwillingly.

"If a real fight breaks out, how many guys will care about them?" I shook my head. After all, not every family is like my father's, where I'm their only son.

"But are we just going to let those bastards slander our family?" The old man was still somewhat unwilling.

I sighed almost imperceptibly. Come to think of it, those guys weren't entirely wrong. Eunuchs do indeed cause political chaos, but they weren't talking about you, but rather other useless eunuchs. Each and every one of them was incompetent, yet ruthless in amassing wealth. Truly, more trouble than they were worth.

"Perhaps we should pay more attention to the emperor," I said, almost to myself.

The old man's eyes lit up, clearly understanding what I meant.

"The Emperor...yes, the Emperor..." the old man repeated several times, his mood suddenly improving. He chuckled. But I could still see immense gloom in his eyes.

Several months later, the old man held a grand birthday banquet for the five-year-old emperor within the Forbidden City. At the banquet, he made a grand show of it, treating the little girl like a sage ruler, akin to the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, while he himself was merely a servant of the imperial family.

At the same time, Cao Song, the Commander-in-Chief of the Northeast Military Region and Duke of Wei, attended and spoke, agreeing with the old man's speech. He also declared that the entire million-strong army of the Northeast Military Region would forever be loyal to the Emperor's imperial power, and that the Chinese Federation's rule would be eternally secure.

Then, my father abruptly changed the subject, bringing up the widely circulated separatist rhetoric. His words were very strong, declaring that all separatists were enemies of the state. He threatened that if anyone dared to defy the world, the entire Northeast Army would fight them to the death.

During that time, the little girl, Tianzi, couldn't hold on any longer and snuggled into my arms, fast asleep. Looking at her incredibly cute sleeping face, I couldn't believe that this little one was the same person who was a baby just a few years ago.

It seems that girls don't have to wait until they're eighteen to change.

After the banquet, my father also moved into the Gao residence. In recent years, the Cao family's cooperation with the eunuch faction had become increasingly close. My father showed no intention of avoiding any appearance of impropriety.

After my father and Gao Hai finished catching up, the old man tactfully left. Only my father and I remained there. Watching my father's attentive and caring words, I felt both amused and slightly touched.

However, after my father finished asking these questions, he started to act a little unserious. He completely forgot how much scorn he had received when he tried to amuse me with candy back then.

It's true that adults have very few ways to tease their own children. Do they really think children are easy to bully? Or do they feel a sense of accomplishment teasing children with sexual questions?

In this regard, the father was no exception, and he blurted out, "Do you have someone you like?"

I thought for a moment, going through all the girls I'd met in the past two or three years in my mind. I was about to shake my head when, for some reason, I remembered the sleeping face of that white-haired loli.

So I nodded and said directly, "Yes, it is the current emperor." My father was speechless.

"So, you want to marry the emperor?" The father's words sounded awkward no matter how he said them.

I shook my head and asked in return, "Has Father given birth to a younger brother for me in the past few years?"

After this topic came up, my father's face became extremely embarrassed. I'm his only child, I don't know why. Secret checkups didn't reveal anything wrong, yet he just couldn't conceive. That bastard must have secretly tested my DNA. It was probably that day, the day he held me and cried so loudly, and then we went to the ancestral temple to offer sacrifices. My father probably thought I was too young then and had long forgotten. But I remember it all so clearly.

Hehehehe. The father and son laughed at each other for a while. The father became more and more guilty as he laughed, while I became happier and happier.

"Then I'm relieved," I said.

"You unfilial son! Some things are better left unsaid than left unsaid!"

I shrugged, ignoring my father's roar. Then I asked, "Once I marry the Emperor, what do you think the world will be surnamed? Will it be changed to Cao? Father, you are the one who will carry on the family line. What surname do you think the royal family will give my son?"

The father remained silent for a long time, then finally sighed helplessly and said, "Do as you please. I know you have a lot of ideas." His tone was similar to that of the old man.

I chuckled and said, "Speaking of this, what I admire most is the Austrian royal family before the EU. Other countries have to fight tooth and nail to expand their territory. But they were able to continuously expand their territory through marriage alliances. Speaking of this royal family, we should definitely study their methods of marriage alliances, even if we don't learn anything else."

"Is that so?" My father seemed a little absent-minded. He appeared somewhat disheartened by my earlier question.

Seeing him like this, I felt a little sorry for him and comforted him, "Don't worry, Father. What is meant to be mine will surely be mine. And what is not meant to be mine, but which I have my eye on, will also surely be mine."

Chapter 5 Power and Energy

Speaking of which, in three years—no, a little over two years—the five-year agreement with the old man will be up. I'm actually a little reluctant to part with him.

During this period, my father had a much easier time. The war between Brittany and the EU had officially escalated. The EU, as was its tradition, had defended the European continent like an iron barrel, only to be outmaneuvered. Brittany's millions of troops quickly occupied East Africa and shamelessly renamed it the Ninth District.

Tsk tsk tsk, oh well, a country ruled by a bunch of chimpanzees. Not suitable for a noble person like me. That's how I consoled myself.

Aside from that, the only other major international event was the death of that woman.

Marianne, the devilish queen of Brittany. Perhaps after years of being a wife and mother, many have forgotten how terrifying she was. But I remember it very clearly. Back then, my father would tremble as if he had a stroke whenever he mentioned this woman.

I really don't know which terrorist group was so resourceful as to be able to kill this crazy woman.

Incidentally, after this madwoman died, the Emperor of Brittany immediately exiled her two children to Japan as hostages.

It seems that curly-haired guy can't wait any longer and wants to turn Japan into a colony as well.

The Tenth District? Hmm, that depends on how well the Imperial Army in the African Military District performs. If that princess commander is capable enough, then it will be the Eleventh District.

Hmm, Area 11, I don't know why, but it sounds pretty good. Who told those ungrateful bastards not to accept the Chinese Federation's terms? What's wrong with being a constituent republic of the Chinese Federation? Look how well those bastards in the south are living. That idiot, Kuchiki Genbu.

Besides that, there's something else that interests me. It's a vague document from the intelligence department. It mentions this year's East African campaign. Apparently, Britannia deployed new humanoid mechs in this campaign and achieved excellent results. Of course, these mechs also have some problems. For example, the control program is unstable, the failure rate is high, and they consume Sakura Stone resources, etc. But compared to the terrifying combat power they provide, these minor flaws are really insignificant.

Has it reached this stage already? Real-world testing? The next step should be deployment to the troops, right? In contrast, the Chinese Federation's mecha development has been incredibly bumpy. Those prototypes just make me cringe.

It's not that the federal researchers aren't capable. There's simply a difficult problem troubling them.

Power system.

Researchers claim that the only fuel that can provide enough power for this large mech is the extremely scarce Sakura Stone resource within the Federation, which can only be found in the Arctic Circle in the far north.

I don't want a situation where we build countless mechs only to find we don't have enough energy. Therefore, on the one hand, I strongly advised the old man to court the Japanese government. On the other hand, I firmly ordered the research department to find a substitute for Sakurastone resources.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention something. I'm no longer some kind of tutor. I'm now a senior advisor in the Special Advisory Department of the Chinese Federation. Although it sounds like a very leisurely job, the power I wield is immense. It's practically equivalent to half a prime minister (the prime minister is that old, immortal Gao Hai).

Speaking of which, after designating a son to inherit the old man's lineage, this old man is almost comparable to my father. He's incredibly good to me. Even the Emperor of Britannia, in his speeches, sarcastically remarked: "They've handed over the power of their country to two children who haven't even reached adulthood."

Of course, it's not wrong to talk about it. However, if you were to be defeated by a minor, that would be the biggest joke in the world, Your Majesty.

So...

"Two years. Give me an alternative solution within two years, or I'll send all of you to the Cherry Blossom Mine in Siberia to make up for my shortfall!"

With my ultimatum, the research staff went into overdrive, working frantically. They knew I wasn't just making empty threats. Who in the entire Federation didn't know the name Cao Mengde?

Once again, I feel that the name Cao Cao Mengde is very incongruous.

Two years from now, I'll be returning to the Northeast Military Region no matter what. Before that, I hope to have a sufficiently powerful mech force under my command. So, until then, Japan, or alternative energy sources—either way is fine. Bring them to me!!!

Besides giving advice to the old man (who should now be called my godfather), coercing and bribing the Japanese government, and intimidating research departments, I also have another task in my daily life: to accompany the emperor.

My goodness, she seems to have gained a little weight recently, so chubby and adorable. If someone were to steal the peach from this cute little girl once she's been properly raised, I might go crazy. So besides playing with her, I have another task: to monitor my little peach for any pests. Like, Li Xingke, Li Xingke, or Li Xingke. Then, I'll quickly use insecticide to kill them, dismember them, burn them, and bury them deep. Then I'll sprinkle a shovelful of soil. And the world will be peaceful.

If the little girl asks, I can just laugh it off. What's the big deal? I have people inside and outside the palace, what do I have to be afraid of?

Speaking of which, I actually found a few promising talents in the school run by that old codger. Although their names still sound quite incongruous. For example, Dian Wei, Xu Chu, Li Dian, Yue Jin, Zhang He, Zhang Liao, and Xu Huang—this is the tactical class; Xun Yu, Xun You, Guo Jia, Sima Yi, Liu Ye, Cheng Yu, Xi Zhicai, and Mao Jie—this is the administrative class. Add to that my cousins ​​from my hometown, Cao Ren, Cao Hong, Cao Xiu, and Cao Chun. This basically makes up the core of my Wei Kingdom.

It's very powerful, isn't it?

From now on, we'll have to rely on them to conquer the world. There shouldn't be any problem, right?

To be honest, I'm a little unsure of myself; are there too few people?

Should we select some more talented individuals?

At the start of the year, amidst the clamor and the blanket of snow, those incompetent researchers still hadn't come up with a satisfactory alternative. Several of the synthesized substances were either insufficiently potent or prohibitively expensive. They were all useless. They'd wasted so much of my research funding. Damn it.

News also came from the consulate in Japan. Prime Minister Genbu is indeed a blockhead. He actually believes he can use Brittany to resist the pressure from the Chinese Federation. He can't even distinguish the real enemy. This nation seems beyond saving.

So, before Britannia makes a move, let's reluctantly swallow it up. Then give it the title of a constituent republic. Support a puppet ruler. That fate is far better than becoming Area 11, isn't it?

Speaking of which, Britannia has won again in Africa. That princess Cornelia is quite capable. She's a sure winner against the EU's third-rate forces. These past few days, they've also occupied the Congo Basin and established the Tenth District. At this rate, unifying sub-Saharan Africa is just around the corner.

The EU's top-tier forces remained in Europe. The shortcomings of federalism became glaringly apparent. Forty-odd federal representatives argued endlessly over strategic objectives.

The African and Asian republics clamored for increased troop deployments to Africa. The continental European republics remained noncommittal. Coastal powers like England, France, Spain, and Portugal accused the empire of a ploy and insisted on maintaining their troops along the coastline. Russia even demanded the transfer of troops to Siberia.

It's like someone has split into forty-odd personalities. It's one thing for them to argue occasionally, but if they start arguing even when they're actually fighting, then things are likely to turn out very badly.

In addition, the intelligence department sent another message emphasizing the immense power demonstrated by the humanoid mechs in the war.

"Still no breakthrough?" Looking at this group of timid and cowardly good-for-nothings in front of me, I felt my patience was about to run out.

"I'm so sorry, Lord Mengde...we, we had a little...that—"

"Incompetence is incompetence, and I don't want to hear any excuses. You have a year left; you can decide what to do with it yourself." I snorted coldly, then turned to leave.

"Special Advisor, you have quite the airs of an official." Just then, a woman's voice, thick with the smell of curry, came from behind.

I frowned and turned around. I saw a woman with distinctly Indian features, smoking a long, thin pipe and looking at me with a half-smile.

Indians? I've never seen them before. Did they just arrive in the last few days?

I shrugged, then turned to the guards and ordered, "Shoot her."

The guard snapped to attention and saluted me. Then he drew his gun, released the safety, and was about to kill the woman.

"Wait a minute!" The woman's face turned pale as she saw that I wasn't joking. "I know a way to solve the problem of powering the humanoid mechs!"

If only I had known this would happen, I wouldn't have done it in the first place. I chuckled and gestured for the guard to put his gun away: "Three days. Write down this method." Then I walked away, laughing heartily.

The feeling of power is wonderful.

"Three days? How is that even possible?!"

Just ignore those kinds of comments. After all, people need some motivation.

Three days later, I arrived at the secret research department on time. There stood the woman, utterly exhausted. She handed me a hastily prepared report. Without even glancing at it, I casually passed it to Liu Ye, who had accompanied me, and said, "Ziyang, check if this is genuine."

Liu Ye respectfully accepted it and flipped through the pages one by one. He then replied, "It seems there's no problem. However, we'll have to wait for the experiment to know for sure."

"Is that so?" I looked at the woman with a half-smile. "Congratulations, your life is spared, hmm..."

"Lakushata Chara," a guard whispered a reminder.

“Oh, Miss Lacusata.” I chuckled, then casually tossed the document to the researcher beside me: “In that case, let’s get the experiment ready.”

“However…” At this moment, Liu Ziyang’s calm voice came from beside me: “The radioactivity of that synthetic substance can cause some damage to the driver…”