Chapter 50: Those Who Offend the Might of Great Xia Shall Be Punished, No Matter How Far

The Persian king could never have imagined that his painstakingly trained elephant corps, before even reaching Chen Mu's army, would be routed by a single massive stone. With the elephants fleeing, the Persian soldiers scattered in panic, fear spreading rapidly and officers unable to maintain control. Even the rebels from Great Xia were dispersed by the chaos.

Chen Mu’s troops, invigorated by the surge in morale, eliminated the remaining enemy forces outside the city and swiftly ascended the walls. The rebels within the city, now disheartened, surrendered without much resistance. Chen Mu then detained the main rebel leaders, including the former governor of the Western Hills and General Liu, intending to bring them back to the capital for trial. As for those who had merely followed orders, he chose to pardon them. However, any officials who had served the court were stripped of their positions, reduced to commoner status, and barred from future office.

Chen Mu did not immediately fill the resulting vacancies, instead waiting for a new generation of capable men. For now, other local officials would temporarily assume those duties.

At the county office in Wen’an, Chen Mu gathered his officers to discuss their next move.

Chen Mu asked, “What are our current casualties?”

Zhang Zhong replied, “The Invincible Flying Corps has suffered five hundred dead and seriously wounded, while the Unyielding Flying Corps has eight hundred dead and seriously wounded.”

Chen Mu nodded. The Unyielding Flying Corps, with only two thousand men, had lost nearly half its number, while the Invincible Flying Corps, five thousand strong, had lost only five hundred. It was not that Chen Mu had intentionally sacrificed the Unyielding Flying Corps; their combat prowess simply lagged behind that of the Invincible Flying Corps. The Invincible Flying Corps drew from the fittest young soldiers of the central army and, after a desperate battle, had developed the qualities of elite troops. If not for the Unyielding Flying Corps’ years spent living in the forests, their inferiority would have been even more pronounced.

Chen Mu said, “The Unyielding Flying Corps is composed of southern barbarians, so we won’t replenish their numbers just yet. Instead, select eight hundred men from the rebels to join the Invincible Flying Corps, and begin intensive training.”

“When General Zhao arrives with his forces, we’ll march against Persia.”

In this battle, the rebels of Great Xia had either fled or surrendered, their forces utterly dissolved. However, the Persian king and his soldiers would surely return to Persia. Even those who fled would not survive in Great Xia and would eventually find their way home, meaning Persia’s overall strength had not been significantly diminished.

Chen Mu believed they must seize the opportunity to strike Persia hard, so that they would never dare invade Great Xia again.

Zhang Zhong said, “Your Highness, heading west from Wen’an, we quickly enter desert territory. Our supplies will be extremely difficult to maintain.”

Chen Mu snorted, “Difficult or not, we must fight. Otherwise, Persia will surely invade again. Now that Persia has incited unrest among the officers in the Western Hills, it is tantamount to a declaration of war against Great Xia. Should we not respond?”

“I want all the neighboring states to remember: Any who dare defy the majesty of Great Xia shall be punished, no matter how distant.”

Those who dare defy the majesty of Great Xia shall be punished, no matter how distant.

Such bold, heroic words stirred the blood of all present; the officers longed to rush into Persia and annihilate their foes.

Zhang Zhong said, “Your Highness is right; we should indeed campaign against Persia. But it is already early winter. Though the south will not freeze, transporting provisions and marching will be very difficult.”

“Perhaps it would be better to wait until spring to attack Persia.”

Chen Mu smiled slightly, “No need; I anticipated this issue long ago. We can build ships and travel by water. That will resolve both supply and troop transport.”

Zhang Zhong asked, “Water route? But westward lies only desert—where is there a waterway?”

Chen Mu laughed, “More precisely, a sea route.”

The officers were stunned.

“A sea route?”

“How can ships travel such a route?”

“Yes, fishing boats venture only a few miles offshore. Farther out, the waves are too fierce and dangerous.”

“And after we set out to sea, how will we reach Persia? We lack maps of that region.”

“If we lose our way, we’ll be lost in the vast ocean.”

“Your Highness, please reconsider.”

Chen Mu waved his hand, laughing, “I can solve all these issues. I know how to reach Persia—just follow the coastline.”

“And the ships I’ve designed are perfectly suited for the sea, sailing in shallow waters without any problem.”

Seeing their prince so confident, the officers believed it could be done. After all, he had already created so many miracles; perhaps sailing the sea was possible as well.

With the campaign against Persia settled, Chen Mu set about making preparations, instructing everyone not to leak today’s plans.

A few days later, Zhao Lai’s army arrived and took over the defense.

The troops celebrated with a victory feast. The next day, Chen Mu led his army east, seemingly to return to the capital.

A traitor lurking nearby noticed and slipped across the border to report to the Persians.

Had Chen Mu known, he would have been delighted—for this was precisely the effect he wanted.

Because Chen Mu was not actually returning to the capital, but heading to Wanghai County, the closest place to the sea.

Upon arriving in Wanghai County, Chen Mu ordered the recruitment of fishermen capable of sailing, and shipbuilders, instructing them to construct vessels and begin naval training.

Within half a month, the craftsmen, following Chen Mu’s designs, built three large ships.

Each ship could carry three thousand soldiers.

These vessels were designed by Chen Mu based on shipbuilding techniques from Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period. When he was a student, he had been fascinated by Eastern Wu’s sea vessels and studied them extensively; now his research was finally useful.

Eastern Wu's shipbuilding was ahead of its time, reaching as far as Liaodong in the north and Jiaozhi in the south, with rumors even suggesting their ships reached the Americas.

Regardless of the truth, coastal navigation posed no problem.

These three ships were multi-masted, able to take advantage of the sea wind. They rose five stories high, their sails nine zhang tall, dominating the docks with a sense of overwhelming power.

Even Chen Mu, who had seen large steamships, was awed by their grandeur; his officers were even more impressed.

“My heavens! These ships are taller than the city walls!”

“Can they really hold three thousand soldiers each?”

“How many men are needed to row such a vessel?”

“Can we cook meals aboard while at sea?”

Chen Mu laughed, “Of course. There are specially constructed fireproof compartments made of iron, and each ship includes small boats for landing to replenish fresh water whenever needed.”

“Rest assured, I have thought of everything needed for the voyage.”

The officers gazed at the three mighty ships, brimming with confidence for the campaign against Persia.

With the prince leading them, there was no enemy they could not defeat.