After seeing Mr. Wu off, Tang Long immediately took the land deed and locked it inside his safe. Just then, his eldest son, Tang Yingjie, entered the study!
"Father, who was that man who just left?" Tang Yingjie asked directly.
"A friend! Come, sit down. Are you heading to the western front in a couple of days?" Seeing his eldest son, Tang Long immediately beckoned him to sit.
"Yes. The day after tomorrow, I'll be escorting a shipment of ammunition destined for the western front. It's being shipped from Gongzhong Province. I'll head there tomorrow and then accompany the convoy to the western front," Tang Yingjie replied.
"Good. Oh, by the way, tomorrow, select thirty young men from our clan and send them to our family's troops on the western front. Have them serve as company commanders, battalion commanders, and the like!" Tang Long instructed as he sat there.
"What? Have them serve as company and battalion commanders?! Father, those officers have to charge at the very front lines. Plus, those positions are usually held by commoners. When our clan's youths join the military, they start as regimental commanders at the very least!
Right now, all the regimental commanders in our corps are from our family. If we send these youths over and have them take the company and battalion commander spots, the rank and file will definitely be dissatisfied!" Tang Yingjie argued, looking at Tang Long.
"I know. Just see if there are any openings; if there are, assign them there. If not, place them in your guard division. Additionally, if the opportunity arises, you must bring your two children to the western front as well. Don't leave them in the capital!" Tang Long nodded.
"What?! Father, bring them to the western front? There's a war going on there! The civilians over there are all trying to flee to the capital, yet you want us to send our family to the front lines? Father, what's gotten into you?" Tang Yingjie looked at him, utterly bewildered.
"Nothing's gotten into me. The capital will be the primary target of the Allied forces' attacks. We have troops on the western front right now. While they might not be able to defeat the Allied forces, they can certainly protect our family!" Tang Long looked at Tang Yingjie.
"Father, the front lines are fine. Hu Hao has been fighting incredibly well. He's already attacking the Allied forces' logistical supply lines. Because of this, the troops on the central front might be freed up to reinforce the other two defensive lines. Our Empire won't have any problem holding out!" Tang Yingjie tried to persuade Tang Long.
"What do you know? Do you have any idea how many troops the Allied forces have? Over seventy nations are participating in the coalition! And we're just a single Empire. Do you really think we can hold them off?!" Tang Long scolded Tang Yingjie.
"Father, no matter what, we have to resist to the bitter end! Otherwise, the Allied forces will massacre our citizens. Resistance is our only path. I've heard that resistance forces have even formed in the occupied territories. They've acquired weapons on their own and are killing Allied soldiers in various cities. Everyone knows that without resistance, there's no way to survive! Regardless of the odds, I feel we have to at least try!" Tang Yingjie argued, looking at Tang Long.
"You... sigh, what do you understand? Once Dongling City is breached, the youths of our prominent families will all die. Furthermore, the Allied forces will definitely focus their attacks on the Eastern Spirit Empire.
We are the first country they invaded. If they can't swiftly conquer the Eastern Spirit Empire, don't you think the other nations they invade will fight to the death?
Once the rainy season ends, they will undoubtedly launch a fierce assault on our defensive lines. Our Empire won't last until the next rainy season. Therefore, we must make preparations now!" Tang Long explained to Tang Yingjie.
"But... Father, what kind of preparations?" Tang Yingjie asked.
"Don't worry about that. Just take the opportunity to bring your children to the western front. I will also find a way to get there!" Tang Long waved his hand dismissively.
"Father... you... you haven't been in contact with the Allied forces, have you?" Tang Yingjie's eyes widened as he stared at his father.
"What do you know?!" Tang Long snapped back in a low, harsh voice upon seeing his son's expression.
"Father, you... you!" Tang Yingjie glanced at the distant door to ensure it was closed, then immediately lowered his voice and said to Tang Long: "Are you insane?! Do you want our Tang family to become sinners of the Empire? The entire nation is united in hatred, determined to resist the Allied forces. If you contact them now and His Majesty finds out, our Tang family will die without a burial place! Moreover, even if the Empire falls, the citizens will blame us! Father, you cannot be this foolish!"
"I haven't gone senile! Hmph. Jie'er, the current Emperor, Ling Longjing, completely disregards the contributions I've made to the Empire over all these years. Just because I didn't agree to Jiang Kai's counter-offensive, he's been suppressing me constantly!
Now that the Empire's ship is sinking, are we supposed to let our Tang family go down with them?
Since Ling Longjing is heartless toward me, he can't blame me for being unrighteous. And your brother-in-law, the Crown Prince—he's actually alienating me now! Doesn't he realize that without me, he wouldn't even be able to keep his position as Crown Prince?! Now that he sees the Emperor suppressing me, he's distancing himself too!" Tang Long spat out.
"Father, even so, we cannot do this! If we do, we will become sinners of the Eastern Spirit Empire! The citizens will hate us forever!" Tang Yingjie said anxiously, staring at his father.
"Hate?! Hmph! They'd need to be alive to hate me. The Allied forces invaded the Central Region to slaughter all of its inhabitants. Jie'er, the Empire truly cannot be held.
Rather than dying alongside them, it's better to leave a way out for our Tang family. I dare say there are many other prominent families making the exact same choice! It's not just our Tang family; others are doing the same! Understand?" Tang Long said in a low voice.
"Is there really not even a sliver of hope?" Tang Yingjie asked, sounding somewhat crestfallen.
"None. Over seventy nations are attacking our single country. Half of our territory is already lost, and we lack capable generals. Tell me, what does the Empire have to hold the line with? It's completely impossible.
Jie'er, if there was even the slightest chance, your father wouldn't have contacted the Allied forces. You have to understand my painstaking efforts; I am doing this for our family. We can't just let all the youths of our clan die under the Allied forces' guns and cannons, can we? Your father is also left with no other choice!" Tang Long said. Hearing this, Tang Yingjie nodded.
"What do we need to do?" Tang Yingjie asked, his head bowed.
"You don't need to do anything right now. I've already negotiated everything with them. Don't ask any more questions. For now, just focus on managing our troops. Replace the officers at all levels with youths from our Tang family. That is the only way our clan's youths will have a chance to survive," Tang Long instructed.
Tang Yingjie sat there and nodded, while Tang Long looked at him and sighed.
Meanwhile, Hu Hao had just woken up. Upon arriving at the command center, the staff officers immediately came over to brief him on the morning's events.
"Hao-ge, our frontline troops are conducting probing attacks against the Allied forces. The Special Operations Regiment is controlling the battlefield. No major engagements have occurred. The Allied forces are currently turtling up and aren't launching any offensive actions!" a staff officer reported to Hu Hao!
"Hao-ge, our forces have secured Jiliang City, Jifeng City, and Guyi City. The 105th and 106th Corps are currently in these three cities, having recruited approximately 30,000 veterans. They are currently distributing weapons and beginning training!"
"Hao-ge, Corps Commander Bai Ye's troops have already departed. They are expected to arrive at Tonglong City around 10:00 PM tonight!"
The staff officers reported the frontline situation to Hu Hao. Hu Hao nodded as he listened.
"Report! Hao-ge, Commander Jiang Kai called you five times this morning, asking if you were awake yet. He hopes you'll return his call once you're up. Additionally, High Command called three times, also hoping you'll call them back!" Mo Qin informed Hu Hao.
"Ignore them. Let them do whatever they want. If they still don't know how to fight by now, then they shouldn't be fighting at all!" Hu Hao waved his hand dismissively upon hearing this.
"Hao-ge, my advice is that you should return their calls. There's no need to make things so tense; it's not good!" Mo Qin stood there, trying to persuade Hu Hao.
"Not calling," Hu Hao said, shaking his head.
"Hao-ge, High Command sent a telegram. They've authorized us to expand by three corps. The designations are the 107th, 108th, and 109th Corps!" Long Yagu reported, standing nearby.
"What? Giving me three more corps? Hah?" Hu Hao was slightly surprised upon hearing this, then he shook his head and chuckled.
"Hao-ge, this way you'll have ten corps under your command!" Mo Qin said.
"A slap in the face followed by a sweet date?" Hu Hao retorted, leaving Mo Qin at a loss for words.
"Always thinking I'm going to rebel. Damn it, looking at the state of this world, is there even a need for anyone to rebel?" Hu Hao sat there, lit a cigarette, and cursed.
"Hao-ge, a call from Commander Jiang!" a staff officer said, bringing a telephone over.
Hu Hao glanced at the staff officer, who immediately looked back at him with a tearful expression. He knew Hu Hao didn't want to take any calls, but he had momentarily forgotten and brought the phone over anyway.
Hu Hao answered the phone, while Dong Qipeng kicked the staff officer twice.
"I... I really forgot! My mouth moved faster than my brain and I said Hao-ge was awake!" the staff officer told Dong Qipeng, looking utterly miserable.
"Commander, this is Hu Hao!" Hu Hao spoke into the phone.
"Good lad, finally awake. You must have been exhausted, huh?" Jiang Kai chuckled over the line.
"Continuous combat is a bit tiring. The operations last night achieved our expected goals, so I relaxed a bit and slept rather deeply," Hu Hao replied with a smile.
"Right. I have quite a few matters to discuss with you. First, the Allied forces might retreat. We are currently attacking them as well, but there is one major problem: we don't have enough ammunition!" Jiang Kai stated.
Before he could even finish his sentence, Hu Hao immediately asked loudly, "What did you say? Not enough ammunition?!"
(End of Chapter)