Munitions Empire

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Finding an enemy fleet in the vastness of the sea is no easy task, even if you know the general area of their activity. It's like two blind men fighting, with no idea where the opponent is.

If the speeds of the two fleets are about the same, then playing hide and seek becomes even more exhausting: even if they spot each other, one fleeing and the other pursuing can lead to an endless chase.

That's why aircraft carriers later emerged as a weapon: during World War II, airplanes provided a vast reconnaissance range for the fleets, essentially lighting up the map, which was incredibly convenient.

As technology advanced, the reconnaissance planes that lit up the map became less important than launching direct attacks, with longer ranges and more significant impact, quickly replacing battleships and becoming the navy's new favorite.

Even after the advent of radar, the scouting range and attack distance of carrier-based aircraft could not be matched by radar, so aircraft carriers' position in the navy remained as solid as a rock.

It wasn't until satellites and ultra-long-range anti-ship missiles became prevalent that aircraft carriers faced a real safety crisis, but they still remained the most effective means for maritime information gathering and tactical strikes, and thus an essential part of naval operations.

Unfortunately, Tang Country's navy did not yet possess this divine tool, so Bernard could only grope around blindly at sea, searching for the Shen Hai navy's main fleet.

In fact, at the same time, the main fleet of the Shen Hai navy was also searching for the main fleet of the Tang navy.

Because they had a bit of intelligence gathering capability, Shireck's side received news from spies in Linshui Port.

They saw the main fleet of the Tang Army leave Linshui after resupplying fuel and materials, and the direction was quite clear.

From the trajectory of the Tang Army, they first resupplied in Dongwan, then headed north to Linshui, resupplied there again, and left, heading northward all the way, naturally targeting the sea routes between Beiyuan City and Shen Hai.

Therefore, Shenwu Sanlang led the fleet once again to set out, preparing to intercept the Tang Army's fleet and engage in a decisive battle with this exhaustedly extended Tang force.

Unfortunately, Shenwu Sanlang did not have an aircraft carrier either, so he could only light up a few dozen kilometers of the map around him. Such a small area, set in the vast sea, was equally useless.

Thus, both sides were keen on a decisive battle, yet neither could find the enemy's fleet. Hence, Tang Country's fleet had to once again take up the task of intercepting Shen Hai's transport ships, forcing the opponent to come forward.

However, this method required time, and Bernard would have to continue waiting patiently for a direct confrontation with the enemy fleet.

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Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire

In Beiyuan City, outside the gate of a courtyard, seven or eight Shen Hai soldiers, brandishing Shireck-1 rifles with bayonets attached, smashed at the gate of a household with their rifle butts.

The old man living there had three sons and was a grain merchant in the city, making him moderately wealthy. But as the scale of the Battle of Beiyuan City grew, he could no longer carry on his grain business, and his life became harder day by day.

"They're here, they've come." The old grain merchant, anxious as ever, opened the door, and the short-statured Shen Hai soldiers rushed into the courtyard.

The leading Shen Hai officer, wielding a pistol, with a cruel smile on his face, grabbed the old man by the collar without a word, "Old man! It's time to hand over the grain!"

"What?" Upon hearing this, the old grain merchant cried out in disbelief, then hurriedly explained, "Sir! I just paid the grain tribute head by head yesterday! Now, there's really no surplus grain left in the house!"

"Pah! You think because you gave grain yesterday, you don't have to give today? Did you eat yesterday and not need to eat today?" The Shen Hai officer kicked the old man in the stomach, lifting his leg high.

The old man fell to the ground in pain, and his three sons, raging uncontrollably, broke through their mother's restraint and charged to their father's side.

"Don't, don't!" The old man quickly put up his hands, both to stop his sons and to cry out loudly, "I have money! I can pay a ransom! Sir, I'll give money, don't be rash!"

"Hmm?" That cruel smile on the Shen Hai officer's face grew wider as he pointed the gun at the group, "Then bring out the money! Five gold coins per head! Not a copper coin less!"

"What?" The old grain merchant, upon hearing the price, turned pale with fright. He had worked hard his whole life; how many gold coins could he have saved? The officer's demand was not for a small sum of money.

Previous officials extorted to a degree, but now, with the army stationed in Beiyuan City and the grain business impossible, they had to buy grain at high prices to stave off hunger, and their lives were already difficult, let alone having substantial savings?

"Twenty-five gold coins in total for five people! You bring it out, and we'll leave," that greedy Shen Hai officer smirked, shaking five fingers in front of the old man's face.

"Sir, sir! I don't have that much money, not that much," the old grain merchant pleaded for a bargain.

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No sooner had his words hit the ground than the Shen Hai officer, growing impatient, gestured for his subordinates to take action. Several Shen Hai soldiers, armed with the butts of their rifles, began to strike, drawing fresh blood from the mouth of the aged grain merchant.

"Sir, sir, stop! Please, stop! Under my bed there's a jar with 17 Gold Coins, that's all there is left, all there is left." The old man, ignoring his loose teeth, desperate to save his child who wanted to resist, shouted loudly.

Sure enough, the Shen Hai soldiers ceased their assault and two of them rushed into the house, soon coming out with a jar. The Shen Hai officer inspected it and indeed, it contained some Gold Coins and silver and copper coins.

"I'll take a loss and give you a way out," said the Shen Hai officer, making the old grain merchant breathe a sigh of relief, thinking today's affair might be brushed aside.

But before he could exhale, he heard the Shen Hai officer shamelessly declare, "Two Gold Coins I'll gladly accept, you've paid for three lives. Choose two people yourself for me to kill to square things up."

"Ah?" The old man, upon hearing this, began to tremble: "S-sir! The old man has given all his money! Please have mercy, have mercy!"

"You shameless bastards, bastards! You took away our food, you took all our money, what more do you want? What more!" The weeping mistress of the house finally burst out, charging at the Goblin soldiers and yelling at them.

"Bang!" A gunshot rang out, and the old lady, clutching her chest, fell in the courtyard and was instantly silenced.

"Mother!" The eldest of the three children, seeing his mother killed, flew into a rage and lunged at the leading Shen Hai officer, but on his way, he was stopped by two bayonets, stabbed on both sides, and fell to the ground, coughing up blood.

"How dare you! You dare to resist?" the Shen Hai officer sneered and shouted.

The old grain merchant, seeing his wife and child killed just like that, promptly cried out, "Two are dead, two are dead! For the others, I've paid! Have mercy, please have mercy, sir!"

The Shen Hai officer snorted and, looking at the three remaining people, spoke again, "If you resist, the price changes. Hand over your money quickly, or I'll kill another one!"

Upon hearing this, the old grain merchant started howling, "Have mercy, sir, have mercy! There's not even half a copper coin left in this family!"

"Really nothing left?" The Shen Hai officer grimly smiled, eyes wandering toward the youngest son.

"Gone, all gone!" The boy, not yet eighteen, already terrified out of his wits, nodded rapidly.

"Looks like there really is nothing left." The Shen Hai officer seemed somewhat regretful, for it appeared this family really had been drained of all they had to offer.

"Truly nothing left!" cried the old grain merchant.

"Sigh..." With a sigh, the Shen Hai officer shook his head and commanded, "Since there's no money left, what's the point of living…"

No sooner had he finished speaking, the surrounding Shen Hai soldiers, wielding their bayonets, surged forward. The remaining father and sons clung together, screaming piteously as they were stabbed to death in the courtyard.

"Seal the door with a placard, have someone clean up tomorrow, ready for use by other troops." The Shen Hai officer had never intended to spare any of them from the very beginning.

His goal had been to extort all the money and food from these families and then put them to death, seizing even their residence.

And such incidents had become common, the Shen Hai military committing arson and murder throughout the city, with law and order long since collapsed.

What outraged the people of Qi Country most was that His Highness the Second Prince, who should've been their protector, was now neither seen in life nor found in death, showing no intention of intervening.

Throughout the neighborhood, cries and pleas for mercy rose and fell, yet the Shen Hai showed no signs of stopping. They didn't even have time to dispose of the bodies for fear the nearby civilians would run away upon hearing the noise.

But the acts of bone-breaking and marrow-sucking had to be carried out—after all, the loot belonged to them—by the decree of Shenwu Sanlang, all looted money was personal profit, while grains were confiscated!

This also served as an incentive for the Shen Hai soldiers to commit atrocities. With personal gains at stake, the subordinates were all the more willing and efficient in executing his orders.

At this very moment, the whole of Beiyuan City had turned into a living hell with the Shen Hai garrison, who had at least maintained some pretense before, now completely unrestrained. They roamed like wild beasts, savagely slaughtering the people of Qi Country who had once welcomed them.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! You must do something! If this continues, all of us from Qi Country will be slaughtered!" A servant cried and knelt before the Second Prince Jiang Zhi, pleading for his master to intervene, at the very least to restrain the Shen Hai so they wouldn't be so excessive.

But Jiang Zhi, as if deaf, just sat there and said not a word.