Chapter 135: The Egu Empire

He once assumed that the defeat of the Western Kingdom was either due to help from the Hua Kingdom or simply the result of sheer numbers, sacrificing lives to overwhelm the enemy. Now, however, faced with the undeniable truth, Lewis had no choice but to concede.

As they set up camp, Lewis was even more astounded. He discovered that the Great Xia’s muskets were far more advanced than those of the Western Kingdom, boasting significantly greater power and range. From down jackets and canvas tents to dehydrated vegetables and Northeast rice—everything, he realized, was vastly superior to what the West possessed.

Lewis was now convinced that the Great Xia had indeed defeated the Western Kingdom through its own strength. He exclaimed in awe, "Chen Mu, I had no idea the technology of the Great Xia was this advanced! How did you achieve all this?"

Chen Mu smiled faintly. "It is the result of the collective efforts of all the people of the Great Xia."

Beside them, Zhang Zhong chimed in, "Your Highness, you are too modest. Is there anything here that you did not invent yourself? If not for you, where would the Great Xia be today?"

Chen Mu shook his head with a laugh. "That, too, was built by the citizens of the Great Xia."

Lewis looked at Chen Mu in shock. "What? You are a researcher as well?"

Chen Mu laughed. "You could say that."

"Wonderful!" Lewis replied. "I am a researcher too. We must discuss these things when we have time."

Chen Mu agreed with a nod, and the two began to talk shop. However, Lewis soon realized that his own knowledge was nowhere near enough to keep up with Chen Mu’s train of thought. While Lewis was still considering basic transmission structures, Chen Mu was already contemplating materials and efficiency; while Lewis was focused on shell design, Chen Mu was already discussing national distribution strategies and exporting to foreign lands.

After a single day, Lewis was completely won over. From the inside out, from himself to the entire Western Kingdom, he had been thoroughly outmatched by Chen Mu. Watching Lewis look so dejected, Chen Mu found it rather amusing, thinking that Lewis would now be more than willing to work for him.

The army continued its advance, scouting the surrounding terrain and resources. Two days later, a soldier reported to Chen Mu that a gold mine had been discovered. Upon inspection, Chen Mu confirmed it was indeed a gold mine, and a vast one at that—certainly worth the long journey to exploit.

Lewis couldn't help but lament, "How did our scouting party miss this? If we had found this earlier, I would be a Count by now!"

Chen Mu chuckled. "Don't forget, this was found through our diligent exploration, unlike you, who spent every day sleeping in your quarters."

Chen Mu’s retort left Lewis embarrassed, prompting a stubborn defense. "What was I supposed to do? There was nothing to do in that place." Besides, he couldn't very well have had the natives do such work; even if they had found something valuable, they lacked the tools to excavate it.

Chen Mu nodded. "Well, you have your chance now. As long as you work hard for the Great Xia, you will receive the rewards you deserve."

Lewis rubbed his hands together. "Excellent! Just how much merit would I need to earn one of these electric tracked vehicles?"

Chen Mu laughed. "These are military-grade. If you want one for private use, you'll have to wait another ten years."

"What?" Lewis was instantly crestfallen.

Chen Mu ignored him and began assigning tasks, ordering men to take two of the electric tracked vehicles back to the capital to deliver messages before setting off once more. Lewis was surprised by how quickly Chen Mu was moving. He looked at him with astonishment, instinctively feeling that Chen Mu was embarking on something momentous. "Where are you going? Are you not going to oversee the gold mine?"

"I have many such matters under my command. I cannot oversee every single one personally." Chen Mu placed great trust in his capable subordinates, which was the very reason he was able to keep pushing outward, expanding his reach step by step.

Lewis nodded, deep in thought.

As the army pressed on, they discovered a river a few days later. After the soldiers checked the water quality and found it clean, they were able to replenish their supplies, allowing them to scout a much larger area. Without a water source, they would have been forced to turn back long ago.

Chen Mu was pleased, but as he smiled, a thought struck him. "Wait, this river... it must be the river of Aegyptus. The Aegyptus Empire should be well-established by now."

Lewis asked curiously, "What is the Aegyptus Empire?"

"It is an ancient empire," Chen Mu explained, "likely over a thousand years old. However, their technology is likely quite primitive; they have probably only developed as far as bows and arrows."

"Oh," Lewis replied. "Then we have nothing to fear from them."

Chen Mu nodded. "Indeed. I am not concerned about their strength, but I do not know the extent of their territory. If they have blocked this entrance, we may face conflict."

Lewis nodded. Having spent the last two days studying Chen Mu’s maps, he knew that this was the only land route into the continent of Chizhou. If the Aegyptus Empire proved unfriendly, war would be inevitable.

Just as they were speaking, a soldier shouted, "A large force is approaching from the west!"

Chen Mu turned quickly to look. He saw dust clouds on the opposite bank, likely kicked up by cavalry. "Oh? They have already learned to ride horses?"

Chen Mu ordered his entire force to stand on high alert, lining up along the riverbank. As the opposing force drew nearer, their true nature was revealed. They were not cavalry, but chariot riders—about two hundred of them, armed with spears and bows. They arrived at the water's edge and formed a line mirroring the Great Xia army.

Chen Mu gauged the distance; the river was narrow here, about the length of an arrow's flight. He was unsure of the effective range of the Aegyptus bows. He ordered his men to call out and state their intentions, but whether they spoke in the Great Xia tongue, the local tribal dialects, or even the Western language, the enemy could not understand them. The strangers shouted back in a garbled tongue, growing increasingly agitated until, finally, they began to fire their arrows.

Chen Mu immediately ordered his soldiers to take cover behind the armored plating and wait for an opening to fire back. When the Aegyptus arrows reached them, they had lost all momentum, and those that struck were simply deflected by the armor, causing no damage. In contrast, the fire of the Great Xia muskets was far more lethal; after two volleys, a long line of the opposing force had fallen.

Terrified, the Aegyptus army retreated. Chen Mu sent men to find a shallow point in the river, which they reinforced with logs and stones, allowing the entire army to cross by vehicle. Upon reaching the site of the skirmish, they saw that the Aegyptus soldiers had almost no armor, with only a few wearing partial plating. Notably, alongside their spears and bows, they carried javelins.

Chen Mu knew something of javelins. In the history of Aegyptus, they were used not only as oversized arrows but also as tools to be deliberately thrust into enemy shields, rendering them useless and cumbersome.