Gao Wu: You have science, and I have magic!

Chapter 277 You want me to take a concubine for the country?

In the God-Forged City, the square was packed with onlookers, because there was something fun to watch again today.

In this busy and entertainment-deprived country, hanging is one of the few pleasures for many people, not to mention that the person being hanged today is an imperial nobleman.

"You can't do this to me!"

"I have made contributions to the empire, I have shed blood for your majesty, I want to see your majesty!"

The heart-wrenching curses and pleas for mercy eventually fell silent. The once powerful owner of the Colosseum and the military nobles who had made great achievements on the battlefield were now nothing more than a piece of dead meat weighing more than 300 kilograms.

"Hang him!"

"Long live your Majesty!"

The people around were in high spirits. For them, hanging a high-ranking noble lord was as joyful as a festival.

However, in the magnificent palace, the emperor sitting on the golden throne did not feel the slightest bit happy about this.

"Your Majesty, the hanging has been carried out."

The captain of the guards who came to report the news was trembling with fear. He lowered his head and did not dare to raise it at all, just because the Blood Emperor was not in a good mood today.

No one wants to be the emperor's punching bag because they only have one life.

Istar's expression was grim, the battle three days ago was still fresh in his memory. If it weren't for the small titanium god steel steam armor he carried with him, and if the guards hadn't come to support him at the critical moment, he would probably have become a "late emperor" lying in a coffin.

"Has the assassin been caught?"

"not yet."

The captain of the guards lowered his head even more, and he wished he could bury his head in the ground.

"A bunch of trash!"

Although Istar was angry, he felt more tired and powerless.

Even though he was the king of a country, he was helpless at this moment. He could kill people, but he could not kill corruption. The outbreak of this assassination case finally woke Istar up from his sweet dream of hegemony. Then he looked down at his feet and saw many shocking problems.

After interrogation and investigation by the intelligence department, the whole story was finally figured out.

The owner of the Colosseum is a minor nobleman with some background who rose to prominence through military exploits. Logically speaking, he should be one of the most loyal people to the empire.

But it was such a person who dared to sell tickets to people of unknown origin at high prices just to make money, which eventually led to the assassin being able to enter the audience seats openly and even get close to the viewing stand.

To see the big picture from the small, this problem is not just caused by one person, but is spread to every corner of the empire. People are idle and profit-seeking, and corruption is rampant.

Istar was an ambitious emperor and the founder of the empire, so he was aware of the various problems within the Iron Wrath Empire.

With different languages ​​and customs, the empire that seemed extremely powerful on the surface was actually just an organization of a group of rabble that was forcibly gathered together, and it had no foundation at all.

This is undoubtedly extremely dangerous. Perhaps just one defeat would cause the entire empire to fall apart in an instant, breaking into hundreds of countries and returning to its previous scattered state.

"No, I am the emperor, my power is granted by God, I will never fail!"

Istar felt cold all over, he could not allow this situation to happen. The empire he had built with his own hands must be passed on to future generations for thousands of years!

With this thought in mind, Istar clenched his fists, and his eyes became sharper than ever before: "Victory, only victory can continue the great cause of the empire!"

…………

Da Qi, the capital.

"Your Majesty, good news!"

Imperial Master Lu Gongming came to see Ye Qingzhou with great interest, and then presented the results of Wang Junfeng's long-term work in the Sunset Land.

He smiled brightly as he suggested to Ye Qingzhou: "I beg Your Majesty to take these three women as concubines for the sake of the country and divide and rule the Land of Sunset, so that it will always be a vassal of our Great Qi."

After saying this, Lu Gongming bowed and began to analyze the benefits of doing so to Ye Qingzhou: "These three women are all descendants of the royal family of the Land of Sunset. If Your Majesty takes them as concubines, the offspring born will automatically obtain the right to inherit the territory according to the local legal system and customs. In this way, we, the Great Qi, can always maintain our advantage over them."

Ye Qingzhou was speechless when he heard this: "What do you think I am, old man? A stud?"

"Your Majesty will not suffer any loss. I have also seen these three women. They are all still virgins, and Yunying is unmarried. Although their appearance is different from that of the people in the Central Plains, they are fair-skinned, beautiful, blonde, and blue-eyed, and quite pretty..."

"Okay, let's talk business first."

Ye Qingzhou waved his hand to interrupt Lu Gongming's long speech. After all these years of getting along with him, he knew too well the character of this Taoist master of Louguan Dao. He was a very frivolous person.

Although he is not serious, Lu Gongming's vision and thinking are extremely extraordinary.

He had already disassembled and analyzed the steam core sent back by Wang Junfeng: "Your Majesty, the design and manufacture of the steam core is extremely exquisite. It is the ultimate application of the water and fire avenues. However, the craftsmen of the Iron Wrath Empire know the results but not the reasons..."

Following Lu Gongming's explanation, Ye Qingzhou also took a sample, extended his spiritual sense into the steam core, and sensed it carefully.

"Yes, it is indeed the secret text of the Golden Scroll of Water and Fire, and the power contained in it has been deduced to an incredible level."

Ever since he comprehended the 'Zhu Xian Sword Talisman', Ye Qingzhou has been thinking about how to perfect this move. Now, he has a new idea after learning from it.

The original Zhu Xian Sword Talisman was Ye Qingzhou's analysis and absorption of Mahakala's avenue of destruction. Now, the ruthless water and fire of the steam core were also integrated into this sword technique.

"The end point of technology is to boil water. The power of steam can drive armor and tanks, and naturally it can also be the source of power for martial arts."

Ye Qingzhou had an epiphany, and immediately engraved the two golden secret characters of water and fire into the mitochondria of the cells in exchange for powerful strength.

The fusion of fire and water, high-temperature and high-pressure steam gushed out. Ye Qingzhou raised his hand and punched, smashing a rockery dozens of meters away like a heavy artillery.

Lu Gongming was stunned: "The punch is like a cannon, killing people at a hundred steps. Your Majesty's move contains the mysteries of water and fire. It's incredible!"

Ye Qingzhou nodded: "The key is that it consumes very little spiritual energy. Even a soldier who can only open three gates can grasp the essence of this move."

This is very scary!

What the Wuzu lack is the means of long-range attack. If they could master the art of water and fire, even just the basics, their strength would undergo a qualitative change.

"Steam Martial Arts?"

Ye Qingzhou found it interesting: "In this way, all the soldiers of the Great Qi will be wearing steam armor. Is this considered technology or magic?"

In the autumn of the twenty-second year of Shenwu, on the west side of the Thousand Swords Mountains, the roaring steam engine broke the peaceful time.

The war between the Land of Sunset and the Far East has begun. In the fierce collision of the two great civilizations, the first to suffer are the Western countries caught in the middle.

In just half a year, hundreds of small countries in the Western Regions were crushed by the steam army with a devastating force. The nobles of these small countries soon became "firewood" for creating spiritual blessings, and their blood was shed in the Colosseum.

"Conquer! Conquer!"

"Iron Fury Victory!"

"Long live the Emperor!"

Under the system of combining politics and religion, the army of the Iron Wrath Empire has fanatical faith and fighting spirit. They believe that they are following God's will and are here to bring light to the world.

Even if this light requires burning the corpses of the enemies.

They wield chain swords, operate steam armor and steam tanks, and bring blood and rain wherever they go.

They killed, they looted, and all their evil deeds were done in the name of God, so they had no sense of guilt because God would forgive it all.

"Jihad!"

"Don't show mercy, we are fighting for God, for His Majesty!"

"Loyalty! Loyalty!"

The loud war songs accompanied by the trumpets soon spread to every corner of the Western Regions. The arrival of the Supreme Will aggravated the disaster of this land.

On the magnificent wall of Suiye City, Wang Junfeng looked at the crowd of people outside the city, his face gloomy: "What's the situation?"

The city's garrison commander sighed, "The soldiers of the Iron Wrath Empire have slaughtered the pagans wantonly. All those in the Western Regions who are unwilling to convert are now either dead or have fled to Suiye City."

"We can't let them in." Wang Junfeng is not a cold-blooded animal without sympathy, but he is a soldier of Da Qi, shouldering the mission of defending the country, so the first priority is always the safety of the people of Da Qi.

As for the people of the Western Regions, that is not the responsibility of Da Qi, nor is it his responsibility.

The garrison commander agreed with Wang Junfeng's choice: "I have kept the city gates closed for the past few days because I am worried that refugees will flood into Suiye City."

Obviously, both of them believed that the refugees from the Western Regions were not trustworthy. Among these people, many had probably been infiltrated and bribed by the spies of the Iron Wrath Empire, making it difficult to distinguish between loyalty and treachery.

Once they are let in, consuming the food reserves of Suiye City is no big deal. What we are afraid of is that after the fighting breaks out, they will attack you from both inside and outside, and then the lives and property of the people in the city will be in danger.

In fact, many cities in the Western Regions were breached in this way, so no one could afford such a risk.

…………

In the city of Batan, a train roared towards us.

A large number of steam rifles and steam cannons were piled up on the temporary platform, and imperial soldiers in black uniforms were busy carrying various war supplies.

From time to time, steam armor would walk by with clanging steps, and the tracks of steam tanks would leave long traces on the ground.

A tall, straight-looking nobleman with a meticulous face stepped down from the train, carrying weapons.

"General Patton!"

"How's the situation?"

"Our spies have been lurking among the refugees, but the Qi army in Suiye City has not opened the city gates, let alone accepted the refugees into the city."

Barton frowned. "The enemy seems to be very alert. It seems that the plan to surprise attack Suiye City is unlikely to work. Let the General Staff make another plan. The glory of the empire cannot be denied. The flag of iron wrath will eventually be planted on every inch of land in the East."

"Yes, General Patton!"

The soldiers left in a frenzy.

In the process of conquering the Western Regions, the army of the Iron Wrath Empire plundered unimaginable amounts of wealth. As the middle ground where the East and the West meet, it is obvious that over the past thousands of years, all the countries in the Western Regions have been sucking blood on this "Golden Road" and making a fortune, so that every noble lord is extremely wealthy.

If a mere middleman who makes a profit from the price difference can possess so much wealth, then how rich would the legendary East, where gold is everywhere, be?
Just by imagining it in their minds, countless imperial soldiers of lower class origins went crazy for it.

Born in the Land of Iron Wrath, their lives were extremely difficult, and many of them did not even live to adulthood. But they now firmly believed that as long as they conquered the East, everything would be fine!
Although I am poor, I can become rich quickly by killing and robbing!

…………

Luoyang, Imperial Palace.

"Your Majesty, a pigeon has arrived from Suiye City, saying that our army and the enemy are already engaged in combat."

At the morning court meeting, Nie Shixiong announced this explosive news in front of important civil and military officials.

In fact, several hours ago, Nie Shixiong had personally delivered the news to the palace and presented it to Ye Qingzhou.

The ministers were enraged: "Your Majesty, such a barbarian country fears power but does not cherish virtue. We, the Great Qi, should send troops to conquer it and destroy its country!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, if they want to fight, we will fight!"

Many civil officials from aristocratic families and powerful clans were more warlike than the military generals. No one wanted to negotiate peace. Instead, many wanted to kill all the people of the Sunset Area, then occupy the place and fill it with immigrants.

Ye Qingzhou felt his scalp tingling after hearing this. He was clearly the radical reformer, but the original conservatives actually thought that he, a radical, was too conservative?

In fact, this is not surprising.

Because Ye Qingzhou nationalized the land in Da Qi, the aristocratic families and wealthy families lost their land and could not control the food. Without the food, they could not control the population, and they completely lost the capital to fight against the court.

There were people who wanted to resist, but they were all beaten to death by Ye Qingzhou.

And life will find a way out. The noble families and powerful families in the Central Plains soon figured it out - if I can't defeat the Shenwu Emperor, can't I defeat you barbarians from outside the Great Wall?
That is why the noble families and powerful clans would support sending troops. Only in this way could they occupy a piece of private land between the Black Sea and the White Sea that could be passed on to future generations.

This is why they are so radical. To put it bluntly, they were forced by Ye Qingzhou.

Just like this, Da Qi quickly mobilized and chose to have a fair confrontation with the Tienu Empire. This was destined to be a life-and-death national war!

Nie Shixiong, the Liaoyuan Tiger, Xu Buyi, the Decepticon Tiger, and Zhang Shunchen, the Flying Star Tiger, each led 30,000 soldiers and rushed to Suiye City to provide support.

The army set out with great momentum, rushing towards the Western Regions like a torrent.

Now the clash between the two empires has just begun, and it is still in the testing stage of soldiers against soldiers and generals against generals, so Ye Qingzhou did not lead the army in person.

He is the Emperor of Da Qi and the number one martial artist in the Cang Yuan Realm. Therefore, he can only show up at the time of the decisive battle, and it would be best if he could have the final say.

The enemy possesses black box technology such as the steam core. Although they only know how to copy and imitate it, they may not have mastered the power of the Golden Scroll Secret Text.

But strength is strength. Steam armor and steam tanks, steam rifles and steam cannons are all terrible killing weapons.

What's more, there is a supreme will hidden behind the scenes, which seems to be a god-like existence. It can be seen that the opponent's strength is not only not weak, but also unprecedentedly powerful.

Even Ye Qingzhou has to respond with caution.

…………

"kill!"

Amid the roar of gunfire, the battlefield was filled with smoke.

The earth is vast and the setting sun is blood-red.

The troops of the two empires began to clash fiercely outside the city of Suiye. The Wuzu faced the opponent's tanks, cannons, and several-meter-high dreadnought-class steam armor with their strong physiques, strong bones, and iron wills.

For the first time, the invincible steam army of the Iron Rage Empire encountered an opponent they could not defeat.

The Wuzu used their flesh and blood to successfully keep the enemy out of the country.

Even Wang Junfeng's name of "Golden Winged Tiger" once again shocked all the countries, reminding everyone of the heroic deeds of this Great Protector of the Western Regions who swept across the thirty-six countries and hung the heads of countless kings and ministers on the Northern Palace.

On the battlefield, Wang Junfeng was holding a large iron spear, running as fast as the wind, as agile as a dragon.

He first used a spear to knock away an oncoming dreadnought-class steam armor, and then stomped heavily on it, using the heavy weight to crush a steam tank under his feet into scrap metal.

The other soldiers were equally brave. Those with strong defense stood in the front to attract fire and launched attacks against the opponents' steam rifles. Those with good physical skills were elusive and would appear behind the enemy every time to take their lives.

The soldiers of the empire possessed powerful weapons, but their own fragile physique became their biggest weakness, making it difficult for them to gain any advantage over the Wuzu on the battlefield.

"The empire's steel torrent has been blocked!"

"A flesh and blood body can actually do this!"

"Da Qi is more terrifying than we imagined!"

"In a battle like this, we don't even have the qualifications to cheer."

The intensity of the war made the remaining countries in the Western Regions tremble in fear.

In their eyes, this was not a collision between steam technology and Da Qi martial arts, but a war between gods and gods!
Whether it is the steam technology of the Iron Rage Empire or the martial arts masters of Da Qi, they are existences that they can only look up to, and they are gods that they can hardly reach!
When gods fight against each other, all mortals have to do is retreat and quietly wait for the outcome of the war.

Of course, deep down, the princes and nobles of the Western Regions still hope that Da Qi will win.

After all, although Da Qi is high and mighty, it will at least have a legitimate reason before beating someone up and will not engage in unjust wars.

But the Iron Rage Empire is a bit inhumane. They kill, rob and burn everything wherever they go, and they also force everyone to convert. If you don't do that, they will kill you.

Who can bear this?

Therefore, seeing that the Wuzu of Da Qi actually resisted the attack of the Iron Wrath Empire and even used reasonable tactics to gain the upper hand in the battle, the princes and ministers of the Western Regions began to spare no effort to provide support to Da Qi.

Although they are too weak to directly participate in the war, they can still provide supplies and act as guides.

The war situation gradually became favorable to Da Qi, but Istar, who was sitting in the rear, could no longer sit still.

(End of this chapter)