Chapter 70: Jiang Bai Expands His Army Once More—One Hundred Thousand Troops!

This defeat was not only a tactical disgrace, but also a massive blow to the army’s prestige. Since the civil war, it was the first time the enemy had suffered a total collapse of an entire brigade.

Facing Mutō Nobuyoshi’s reproach, Lieutenant General Amaya struggled to lift his head, trying to win a sliver of hope with a resolute voice: “Please grant me one more chance to march out! I swear to annihilate Jiang Bai’s Seventh Reinforced Division, as an offering to the souls of the Butokawa Brigade.”

He had believed that, given their ranks, Mutō Nobuyoshi would consider his request. In many cases, Mutō had solicited his opinion rather than issuing direct orders.

Yet, Amaya never expected Mutō not only to refuse him, but to erupt in fury, rebuking: “Your stupidity is truly astonishing!” These words struck Amaya like a thunderbolt, plunging him into utter despair.

“The fact that they could wipe out the Butokawa Brigade shows that the elite troops of the Chengyun faction have already gathered in the Chaha region.”

“The loss of a brigade is already a headache. If you attack again and suffer another severe blow, who will bear the responsibility?”

“Even if both of us are executed, it won’t absolve us before His Majesty Tianhuang—do you understand?”

For a long moment, Amaya was silent.

Though emotionally he longed to oppose Mutō Nobuyoshi’s view,

logically, he had to admit the other’s argument was well-founded.

After a period of contemplation, Amaya finally spoke slowly: “So we’re simply going to give up?”

Mutō Nobuyoshi’s expression shifted, and at last he sighed and said:

“This matter has exceeded the limits of our control!”

“I’ll compile a report on this incident and submit it to the highest authorities at home.”

“As for our fate, it will depend entirely on whether His Majesty Tianhuang is willing to pardon us.”

While the two men worried for their future,

meanwhile, in the enemy embassy in Oldping,

Kawashima, upon receiving news of the front-line’s collapse and the annihilation of a brigade, felt dizzy, nearly fainting.

“What is going on here! Have all the fools in the army become worthless?”

“Two elite divisions, and they let an entire brigade get wiped out so easily!”

“This is an enormous humiliation for the dynasty!”

After raging against the army, Kawashima shouted furiously,

“Those damned New Dynasty people—they dare provoke the imperial army! Do they not fear triggering a full-scale war between us?”

Growing ever more furious, Kawashima snatched up the phone on his desk and barked at the operator,

“Connect me to the Chengyun General’s Office!”

He had intended to board a special plane and fly directly to Chengyun to question the Elder Marshal in person.

---

However, considering the recent misfortunes of Itō, Sasaki, and Nezu Ichika, whose causes remained unknown,

Kawashima dared not travel to Chengyun alone, fearing he might never return.

The call quickly connected to Chengyun.

As soon as the line opened, Yang Ting’s bold, spirited voice rang out:

“Mr. Kawashima, what wind brings you here today?”

Hearing Yang Ting’s voice, Kawashima felt a bit more at ease.

Had Jiang Bai answered, he would never have dared to demand answers so bluntly.

But since it was Yang Ting, the matter would be much easier to handle.

He rebuked Yang Ting:

“Lord Yang Ting, just what is happening in Chengyun? How dare you dispatch troops to directly engage our imperial soldiers!”

“This is nothing less than a despicable sneak attack, and you must hand over the culprit, Jiang Bai!”

“If not, you will face the full wrath of the imperial army!”

Yet Yang Ting’s reaction was even more intense.

“Mr. Ambassador, what are you talking about? I don’t understand a single word!”

“Our troops have been fighting the Jin faction, never crossing the border, and have had absolutely no contact with your army!”

“If there was no encounter, how could there be any battle?”

If Kawashima hadn’t received accurate front-line reports, Yang Ting’s sincere explanation might have convinced him of their innocence.

Though Kawashima desperately wished to confront the Chengyun faction immediately, to reclaim his dignity and status,

he knew well that, given the current international climate, his people could not openly launch a war against Chengyun Province.

After failing to assassinate the Elder Marshal,

the international community almost universally condemned his country,

placing them in an extremely disadvantageous position.

With the Welded Thread Dynasty’s cooperation with Jiang Bai growing ever closer,

and several resource exchange agreements signed with Chengyun,

any conflict between his country and Chengyun would directly impact the Welded Thread Dynasty’s interests in Chengyun Province,

which for the already debt-ridden institutions of his people would be a calamity.

---

Meanwhile, inside the command headquarters of Wangkou’s Seventh Reinforced Division,

“Commander, we’ve just wiped out so many enemy soldiers. Will they attack us again?”

Responding to his subordinate’s concern, Jiang Bai replied with a smile:

“As long as we resolutely deny it, it seems for now they have no real means against us.”

“Their domestic economic situation is a total mess—enough to keep them troubled for a while.”

“By the time they’ve sorted out their internal problems, it’ll be at least a few months.”

“Therefore, we must seize this golden opportunity to build a powerful army!”

“Only then can we effectively resist their incursions!”

His words made the gathered officers acutely aware of the pressing threat.

After this direct confrontation, they realized more clearly the gap in strength between themselves and their adversary.

It was worth noting that this time, they faced only a Type B enemy division.

Even so, to defeat this brigade, their two elite infantry brigades had fought for four hours.

In terms of heavy weaponry, the firepower of the Sixty-Sixth and Sixty-Seventh Infantry Brigades was nearly four or five times greater than that of the enemy.

If both sides were equally equipped, victory would be uncertain!

“Damn it, these enemy soldiers really are tough! Enough talk—I need to step up training for those boys!”

“As the saying goes, sweat more in peace, bleed less in war. I used to think my troops were invincible, but compared to them, we’re nothing!”

“Training must continue. As long as these men have breath, we’ll keep pushing them!”

…

With a chorus of complaints and curses, the officers rolled up their sleeves and headed out to their units.

Without a doubt, from today on, the soldiers of the Seventh Reinforced Division would face even harsher training.

Watching the officers depart, Jiang Bai turned his thoughts to another matter—establishing more armament factories with Welded Thread’s support.

With the expansion of his forces, Jiang Bai now commanded a strength of 150,000 men.

Faced with such a vast army, relying on a single Chengyun Province armament factory was clearly insufficient.

“It seems I’ll need to find an opportunity to talk with Feng En. If I could secure a huge military loan, that would be ideal.”