Chapter 115: The Stunned Chinese

Chen Mu clicked his tongue in disbelief. Only five thousand? That was far too few. A single county in the Great Xia Dynasty held at least one hundred thousand people; five thousand was merely the size of a village.

Long Xueyao continued, "Currently, over a thousand soldiers from the Western Kingdom have invaded, and our Hua Kingdom can muster roughly the same number. Even if we were to win, it would be a pyrrhic victory."

Chen Mu nodded. "Very well. I will bring two thousand musketeers, one hundred light cannons, and two hundred supply wagons to provide support."

Long Xueyao gave a firm nod. "Good, that should be sufficient. There is no time to lose; let us depart immediately."

With the agreement reached in a few short words, Chen Mu mobilized five hundred steam-powered crawler vehicles and followed Long Xueyao into the snowy mountains. After leaving the main road and navigating a series of winding trails, the convoy arrived before a massive mountain.

Long Xueyao stepped out of her vehicle and walked up to a stone wall, tapping it rhythmically in several spots. Moments later, a crack appeared in the stone, and it split open to both sides. It was actually a gate. Looking inside, there was a spacious tunnel capable of accommodating three vehicles abreast.

Chen Mu watched the transformation in astonishment and asked in a low voice, "What kind of power source is used for this?"

Long Xueyao smiled faintly. "I do not know. This mechanism must have been built several hundred years ago."

Chen Mu was secretly stunned. Several hundred years ago? They possessed such technology back then?

The convoy passed through the tunnel and emerged into a valley. The roads within were in decent condition, paved with gravel and cleared of snow. As they continued forward, Chen Mu spotted a fortress in the distance. It was built against the mountainside, standing over three stories high with watchtowers, its architectural style remarkably similar to that of the Great Xia. As they drew closer, the cannons and garrison troops atop the walls became visible.

Long Xueyao said, "This is the Huadong Pass. I will go ahead to explain the situation; please wait here for a moment."

Chen Mu nodded. Long Xueyao drove forward and called out, "I am Long Xueyao. I have completed my mission and request entry into the pass."

The guards on the walls were tense. "Your Highness, who are the people with these vehicles behind you?"

Long Xueyao replied, "These are reinforcements brought by the Crown Prince of Great Xia. They will fight alongside us to drive back the people of the Western Kingdom."

The guard was shocked. "People of Great Xia! How can you allow them to enter?"

Long Xueyao frowned. "Fetch General Huang. I will speak with him."

The guard hurriedly agreed and turned to summon the general. After a short while, General Huang arrived. He climbed to the top of the wall and, upon seeing the endless line of Great Xia troops, his expression darkened.

"Your Highness, our ancestors decreed that no people of Great Xia shall ever enter the snowy mountains!"

Long Xueyao replied with a furrowed brow, "General Huang, I do not wish for this either, but the Westerners are pressing us hard. They have already broken through the Huaxi Pass. I fear the Hongshan Pass is in danger now as well."

"Only by requesting aid from Great Xia can we hope to repel the Westerners!"

General Huang deliberated for a moment before sighing helplessly. "Very well. It is better than falling to the Westerners. Open the gates!"

The gates creaked open, and the convoy entered Huadong Pass. Chen Mu looked around with curiosity. The buildings here were sparse, and many appeared vacant; it seemed that because of the defensive mechanisms outside, there was little need for a heavy garrison here. As they moved further in, the terrain widened, and signs of habitation appeared.

Long Xueyao said, "Please have your army encamp here for now. Once we have finalized our strategy for coordination, I will invite Your Highness to lead your troops to the front lines."

Chen Mu replied, "Very well. I happen to be looking forward to meeting the King of the Hua Kingdom."

Chen Mu ordered his troops to set up camp, then took fifty guards and continued onward with Long Xueyao. The locals looked at Chen Mu and his men with intense curiosity, whispering to each other in their language. Chen Mu smiled and waved at them, and some residents returned the gesture warmly, though the majority remained deeply suspicious.

They eventually reached the Royal Palace of Hua, where the King and his ministers were already waiting. Long Xueyao stepped forward to pay her respects.

"Long Xueyao pays her respects to my Father the King. The three traitors, Cheng Lü, Cheng Tang, and Cheng Wu, have been thrown into the dungeons. Upon learning of the Western invasion, I have brought Crown Prince Chen Mu of Great Xia to assist us. With their reinforcements, the Western invaders will be driven back in no time."

The King smiled and nodded. "You have worked hard, Xueyao." He turned to Chen Mu, adding, "And welcome, honored guest from Great Xia, for traveling such a great distance to help us."

Chen Mu bowed with cupped hands. "I am Chen Mu. It is an honor to meet the King of Hua. I have come in such haste that I have brought no gifts; I hope you will forgive me."

The King laughed. "Your Highness is too modest. Helping us repel the Westerners is the most precious gift of all."

Just then, a man resembling a general shouted, "We can drive back the Westerners ourselves! Why let the people of Great Xia in?"

Someone beside him added, "Indeed! A bunch of bumpkins—what help could they possibly be?"

Before Chen Mu could respond, Long Xueyao pointed at them and scolded sharply, "Rubbish! If the Westerners were so easy to deal with, how did the Huaxi Pass fall?"

"The musket technology of Great Xia has already surpassed our own, and they have the latest steam-powered crawler vehicles. They are hardly 'bumpkins'!"

The man resembling a general turned pale. "Their musket technology surpassed ours? How is that possible?"

The others were equally disbelieving. "Great Xia only uses bows and arrows at best—where would they get muskets from?"

"And what is a steam-powered crawler vehicle?"

"What is a crawler?"

The King slammed his hand on the table. "Silence!"

"If Great Xia's technology is truly so advanced, is that not for the best? We can defeat the Westerners with much greater ease."

The ministers fell silent, though their expressions showed they still doubted the strength of Great Xia. Long Xueyao looked at Chen Mu, who nodded and signaled a guard to hand over a musket. Long Xueyao took the weapon and presented it to the King.

"Father, this is a musket designed by Crown Prince Chen Mu of Great Xia. When he led the Great Xia army, he used a ruse to seize the muskets from the Cheng family and spent half a month copying and improving upon them."

"This wax-sealing technique increases both the range and power of the musket."

"Moreover, the Cheng family's muskets were merely muzzle-loading flintlocks. Chen Mu redesigned them into breech-loading flintlocks."

The King examined the musket while listening to Long Xueyao’s explanation, feeling a secret sense of shock. For Chen Mu, a man of Great Xia, to have replicated the musket in half a month and even improved upon it—he was nothing short of a genius! He was also eager to see these steam-powered crawler vehicles for himself.

"Excellent! This is a brilliant design. It improves airtightness without compromising the mobility of the bullets—truly ingenious!"

When the King said this, the ministers were stunned. The King had admitted that Great Xia's technology was more advanced!

"Is it really that powerful?"

"Could it be that the Naturalists are destined to win?"

"If they possess such muskets, we would be utterly unable to contend with them."