Warhammer, I really didn't intend to form a second empire!

The emperor's voice was not loud, but his tone was firm.

"They have been waiting for you, waiting for the return of their genetic father and legion commander."

Russ was silent for a moment, then turned his head, his gaze shifting between Zhao Zheng and the Emperor, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"So what should I do next?"

"Meet your legion first, then learn how to fight from the Emperor or us. Your legion is different from mine, and you will need to integrate with it for a while before you can begin your expedition."

His impression of Ruth was better than he had expected. Although this brother was rude and barbaric, he also had his own shrewdness and outstanding qualities, and he was not involved in any of those messy schemes and tricks.

Unfortunately, children who grow up in places like Fenris will inevitably carry some hard-to-remove habits with them.

Zhao Zheng decided not to interfere with Ruth's growth path. Everyone has their own path to walk, and different environments and experiences will shape completely different people.

“You need to keep a closer eye on your wolf cubs, Ruth. Their reputation isn’t very good. If this continues, one day the other legions of the Empire won’t tolerate you.”

Zhao Zheng wasn't joking; the Sixth Legion was practically on par with the Ninth Legion within the Empire.

Aside from not having the genetic defect of thirst and not using their own auxiliary troops as reserve food, their actions are actually not much better than those of the ghouls.

Upon hearing this, Crus, who had not yet grasped the situation, instinctively began to exhale.

"My legion doesn't need outsiders to tell it what to do; I will teach them well."

It's no wonder he's the wolf king; he's so protective of his cubs.

"It's up to you. If you have any questions about military matters in the future, you can come to Qiankun Star to ask me. Although the Emperor will teach you, he probably won't have much time to spare."

"If you have any difficulties with weapons and equipment, you can come to me. I'd be happy to help you."

Zhao Zheng stood up from his chair and finished the last sip of his drink.

"Alright, now that you're back, I'll head back first. There are still many things waiting for me to handle in the River Heart area."

"Are you going back already? Aren't you going to stay for a while?"

This time, the emperor did not urge Zhao Zheng to speed up the great expedition. It was still in its early stages and he was not too busy yet. He also had some time to spend with his children.

"If you don't like it here, home is the best place. Remember, if you need any help, just ask me. Don't be silly and lead your legion to charge in. Human lives are more precious than your so-called honor points."

The emperor glanced at Zhao Zheng but said nothing, which was taken as tacit agreement with Zhao Zheng's words.

……

Zhao Zheng's departure caught Ruth off guard; they had only just met, and he was already gone?

He paused at the doorway, glanced back at Ruth, his gaze lingering for a moment on Ruth's still somewhat bewildered face, before turning and walking down the corridor toward the elevator shaft.

The Stormbird had already warmed up in the hangar, and the low-frequency hum of its engine could be faintly heard through the gaps in the airtight door.

Zhao Zheng walked up the gangway, sat down in a seat, leaned back, and closed his eyes.

As the Stormbird detached from the Imperial Dream's hangar, Ruth was standing at the porthole of the lounge, watching the silver-gray aircraft fly into a massive ship. Eventually, the ship transformed into a faint point of light and vanished into the real universe.

He felt that this brother was strange, and there was an inexplicable distance between him and the emperor.

He didn't seem very keen on acting with them.

This naturally puzzled Russ, but he ultimately decided not to think about these complicated matters. Zhao Zheng finally suggested that he could ask him for help, and he remembered those words.

"This brother... seems to be much stronger than me."

Ruth's words carried a genuine sense of emotion.

Zhao Zheng's six-meter-tall physique and the faintly pulsating spiritual energy patterns on his dark gold armor, along with his height that was almost a full person taller than him, truly left a deep impression on him.

That kind of visual impact is more profound than the emperor's understated style.

"Yes, he is the strongest among the Primarchs who have returned so far. During my unification war, he had already started interstellar warfare and conquered the surrounding star systems. Now he has even reclaimed the River Heart region, and the area he manages has expanded considerably."

“It seems that you value my brother highly, Father.”

Ruth grinned, now somewhat accustomed to this unfamiliar environment.

"He's the least troublesome, and the Great Expedition is very efficient, with a lot of taxes paid. If every one of your brothers were like him, I think humanity would be able to reclaim the Milky Way very soon, and I wouldn't have to stay on the front lines all the time."

"Is the Great Expedition really that important?"

Ruth asked, somewhat puzzled, as he still didn't understand why the Emperor was so concerned about the Great Expedition.

“It’s very important. Soon you will be leading your legion onto the battlefield, and I’m afraid I won’t have much time to teach you. My expedition mission is also very important.”

Russ paused for a moment, then nodded, looking at the unwavering resolve and indifference in the Emperor's golden eyes.

"Understood. I will familiarize myself with my legion as soon as possible, and then embark on the Great Expedition."

……

When the Lishan returned to Qiankun Star, Kongming was already waiting at the dock.

His expression remained as calm as ever, but the to-do list piled up on the data board in his hand was noticeably thicker than when Zhao Zheng left.

As Zhao Zheng stepped off the gangway, he glanced at the contents of the data panel peeking out from the edge.

The report on the agricultural pilot project in the river region, the third phase of testing data from the Ironborn, and a notification from the Empire regarding the recent transport capacity of the supply transfer station...

"What's the situation?"

"After the completion of the first phase of the agricultural transformation pilot project in the river center area, it has begun to expand to the second phase. However, the water supply system of some stations has been blocked by ice after the onset of winter. The engineering team has started emergency repairs, which are expected to be completed within two weeks."

"The Ironborn tests are also going smoothly. There have been no unexpected malfunctions or behavioral deviations in the logistics and deep mining operations in the river region. Perhaps we can consider including some of the Steel-Armored Ironborn in our combat fleet for testing."

"There is a problem with the supply transfer station on the Empire's side. Recently, the transportation efficiency on the Empire's side has dropped again. It seems that the Empire's logistics system is reallocating priorities, and many logistics ships have been transferred to Lord Horus's side."

After listening, Zhao Zheng did not rush to respond. He walked towards the elevator shaft while digesting the information reported by Kong Ming.

He paused for a moment when he heard that Horus had withdrawn a significant portion of his logistics fleet.

"Horus? What is he planning now? Hasn't the logistics fleet already prioritized supplying his side?"

Kongming swiped twice on the data panel, bringing up a document summary marked "Intelligence - External - Horus," and then spoke.

"According to information we obtained from the bypass listening channel on the side of the Imperial supply depot, His Highness Horus's expedition area has undergone significant changes in the past few months."

"After he took over Shadowmoon Wolf from the Emperor, in the third five-year period after the official launch of the Great Expedition, he had already advanced through four hundred star systems, achieving great results and his reputation was spreading rapidly within the Imperial system."

"But he also encountered a common problem in the process of advancing: the battle line was too long and the logistical support could not keep up."

Zhao Zheng stopped at the entrance of the elevator shaft and turned his head to look at Kong Ming.

"Is his supply line maintained by the expeditionary fleet itself, or does it rely on the unified allocation of the Imperial logistics system?"

"Some of it came from the unified allocation of the Imperial logistics system, and some was requisitioned by each legion in its own war zone."

"But Lord Horus is advancing very quickly. The star systems he has occupied do not have enough time for stabilization and resource integration. The infrastructure of most of the newly occupied planets is still in a state of war damage."

"This means that Lord Horus will not be able to obtain enough supplies from these newly occupied territories in the short term, so his supply needs currently depend entirely on the priority support of the Imperial logistics system."

Kongming spoke calmly, but based on his observation of the Empire, he knew that the Empire could not possibly devote all of its logistics fleet to Horus, otherwise what would happen to the expeditionary fleets in other directions?

Therefore, the transport capacity of these logistics fleets is limited. If Horus continues to fight like this, sooner or later the logistics will not be able to keep up. In other words, he is very likely to apply to the Emperor to transfer supplies from the Qin region.

Moreover, if the Star Speakers' reports are correct, Horus has already applied to the Emperor to allocate more resources from the various regions that have already been reclaimed.

But where did the empire get so many territories? Isn't it just a matter of taking advantage of the Qin Dynasty?

Zhao Zheng stood at the entrance of the elevator shaft, his gaze lingering on Kong Ming for a moment before shifting to the alloy door in front of him that was slowly opening.

"He is using the speed of the Great Expedition to prove his worth to the Emperor, thinking that as long as he does well enough, the Emperor's focus will always be on him. But his actions will only overwhelm the Empire's logistics system and slow down the progress of expeditions in other directions."

"Did he apply to the Emperor for a revised allocation plan for logistical resources?"

"According to the Star Speaker's monitoring records, there was a relevant application."

"Ha, he does know that the Emperor will not refuse his request."

Zhao Zheng raised his head and looked calmly at Kongming.

"At Horus's current pace of advancement, his resource consumption will inevitably become a growing problem. No matter how much priority the Empire's logistics system allocates, there will always be a day when it reaches its limit, and the Emperor cannot continue to indulge him indefinitely."

"So, does he want to divert supplies from us? Or does he want to borrow our transport fleet?"

"They probably want to borrow our transport fleet. Our logistical efficiency is well-known throughout the Imperial system."

"Moreover, we have just taken over the central river area, and many fleets are in the rest and recuperation phase. The need for transport fleets is not so urgent. He wants to take this opportunity to borrow some fleets first, and then allocate some supplies."

Zhao Zheng sneered, "Borrow?"

He wasn't exactly friendly towards Horus, and he looked down on his petty tricks.

"Go back and draft a proposal that says I will not allocate so many resources to a piece of trash whose battle record is far inferior to mine, nor will I give such trash much help."

"Father, isn't saying this a bit too hurtful to him?"

"If he's not satisfied, let him run back crying and get the Emperor to send a fleet to fight him!"

Chapter Forty-Eight: This position of War Commander, I might as well give it a try!

Kongming's draft reply was left untouched in Zhao Zheng's lounge for three days.

He didn't rush to send it out, nor did he mention Horus again. He simply asked Kongming to put it in the to-do folder and deal with it later.

Horus's supply problem was, in essence, a predictable outcome.

A person who is eager to prove themselves will often try to gain attention in the fastest and loudest way possible. When this short-sighted approach is applied to the battlefield, the most direct side effect is the collapse of the logistical chain.

This doesn't even include the legions and auxiliary troops who were used as cannon fodder by Horus and charged at the forefront. If these losses were included, Horus's true achievements would be greatly diminished.

At this point, Horus had already aroused dissatisfaction among some legions, the most direct example being the Stormwalker Legion.

Commander Storm General Ducaine publicly criticized Horus after a battle, saying that he shouldn't have used his legions as cannon fodder to draw fire on the front lines.

To reiterate, Horus went too far. He always claimed all the credit for the successful Shadowmoon Wolves decapitation operation, never caring about the feelings of his brother legions.

Ducaine originally just wanted to go to Abaddon's house to get an explanation, but he ended up being mocked by Abaddon, who had once followed him around to learn from him, and left in anger.

Afterwards, he even led his legion away from Horus's command, and even the report was sent to the Terran military department after the fact.

When news of the Tenth Legion's departure from Horus's command reached Qiankun Star, Zhao Zheng was on the Lishan Ship reviewing the draft plan for resource allocation submitted by Kongming.

He read the short document, then set it aside without making any comment.

He had long anticipated this scene; Horus would not be tolerated by all the brother legions forever, and his command style meant that sooner or later someone would stand up and rebel.

Dukahn's choice was not surprising.

But Zhao Zheng also knew that this was just the beginning.

If Horus does not change his command style, then the few remaining brother legions under his command will leave even more completely.

As Primarchs return one by one, and as these Legions are backed by their own Gene Fathers, Horus's situation will become even more difficult.

Zhao Zheng did not take this matter to heart; his most pressing task was the construction and development of the Qin Dynasty itself.

The first thing is about the expansion plan for the Forging World.

After taking control of the River Core region, the Qin Empire experienced a substantial leap in size within the galactic map, and tens of thousands of star systems needed to be systematically developed over the next few decades.

However, maintaining sufficient production and supply capacity in such a vast region requires far more than just the core industrial world of Qiankun Star and the two forging worlds of the Great Sages.

Zhao Zheng had foreseen this before the battle.

At that time, through cooperation with the mechanical religion, he had cultivated the first batch of sages and mechanical priests who were fully adapted to the industrial system of the Qin Empire in several technological breakthroughs at the Central Research Institute of Qiankun Star.

Two of them were named Isaac and Albert.

These two sages are among the most outstanding talents in the Cult of Mechanism. They are not only familiar with the technological system of the Qin Empire, but also able to communicate effectively with the Martian Church.

Zhao Zheng selected Isaac and Albert from among these newly promoted sages as the first batch of leaders in charge of the construction of the casting world, and assigned them to build large casting worlds in two locations in the river center area.

Both locations were precisely calculated. One is situated in the heart of the river region, a distribution center for existing mineral resources, with a partially restored transportation network and ample energy reserves.

Another location is situated between the river center region and the Qiankun Star's flight path, in an industrialized star system that has already been established. This system can simultaneously receive supplies from the Qiankun Star direction and material output from the river center region.

The two great sages from Mars are in charge of the remaining small and medium-sized casting worlds, as well as several large casting worlds, and are also responsible for cultivating more great sages.

But how easy is it to cultivate a great sage? Basically, those who reach this level are enough to prove that they have reached the pinnacle in their field of research.

It's not that simple to mass-produce Great Sages and then send them to oversee the construction of those large-scale casting worlds.

Zhao Zheng has no shortage of resources, but he lacks manpower.