Chapter 126: An Excellent Lackey

The Daxia army’s heavy artillery continued to bombard the city walls, while their light artillery switched to direct fire, strafing the Western Kingdom’s cavalry.

The musketeers, however, did not aim their rifles. Instead, they drew specialized crossbows. These were the same models used to fire tear gas, but this time, they were loaded with Molotov cocktails. As fragile glass vessels, they shattered upon impact, allowing the gasoline and internal ignition mechanism to mix and erupt into a fierce blaze. This was a weapon Chen Mu had recently developed after securing a supply of gasoline; it was exceptionally effective against cavalry, or more precisely, against their warhorses. The burning gasoline proved difficult to extinguish, not only searing the enemy soldiers but also throwing their mounts into a panicked frenzy.

Under the combined assault of artillery and incendiary projectiles, the Western Kingdom’s cavalry fell into immediate chaos. Horses bolted in every direction, and soldiers scrambled to strip off their burning uniforms as they fled. The Western Kingdom’s infantry, positioned outside the inferno, were scattered by their own retreating comrades, leaving them trapped in a hopeless predicament. Seeing this, Chen Mu decisively ordered his musketeers to envelop the enemy from both flanks.

The Daxia musketeers, mounted on electric-powered tracked vehicles, fired upon the Western Kingdom’s troops. Any sporadic return fire was easily deflected by the vehicles' armored plating. Like a giant broom, the Daxia army swept the Western Kingdom’s forces toward the city. The Western commander, realizing the battle was lost, abandoned the Slavic forces and fled alongside the King.

An hour later, as the sky brightened, the Daxia army successfully occupied the Slavic coastal city. That the Westerners had escaped was within Chen Mu’s expectations, as the Daxia fleet could not reach these waters, making pursuit impossible. While they could theoretically circumnavigate the continent to the north or south, the distance was too vast. A fleet operating as a lone force could not survive such a long voyage on the open sea, and any mishap would mean total destruction. Furthermore, Chen Mu feared that the fleet might encounter other nations, leading to unnecessary complications. Thus, for this battle, the only option was to drive the Westerners out and then pursue them slowly by land.

Chen Mu ordered the battlefield to be cleared and led an inspection of the city. He found it to be a sprawling settlement housing over a hundred thousand people. The Western Kingdom had left nothing of value behind, only a few pieces of obsolete equipment and raw materials. Chen Mu tasked his interpreter, Ulila, with promoting Daxia’s policies to reassure the populace. He then selected an elderly Slavic man to serve as King, establishing a Slavic Kingdom as a vassal state of Daxia.

Due to the devastation of the war, the Slavic Kingdom was exempted from paying tribute to Daxia for three years; they were only required to pay homage according to ritual. In return, Daxia would provide the Slavs with a large shipment of grain, along with other foodstuffs, seeds, and daily necessities to help them overcome their hardships. Daxia did not lose out, however; the black soil here was among the most fertile in the world, and future harvests could be sent as tribute to Daxia. Moreover, the region was rich in iron ore, making it an ideal location to construct fortresses and factories to defend against the Western Kingdom. Chen Mu also arranged for additional Xiongnu spies to be stationed in the area to spread word of the benefits of becoming a Daxia vassal.

With these affairs settled, Chen Mu returned to the capital, leaving the construction of the fortresses to others. During the final assault, the Daxia army had lost a few electric tracked vehicles, but as the victors, they held the right to clear the battlefield and recovered the fragments. What they did not realize was that their cleanup was incomplete.

After the Daxia forces withdrew, a Slavic local unearthed an engine from a trench. He was overjoyed, knowing that presenting this to the Westerners would surely earn him a handsome reward. Looking around cautiously, he buried the object again. When night fell, he returned with a cart, dug up the engine, and sped off toward the West.

***

Upon returning to Daxia, Chen Mu resumed his scientific research. He divided his time between guiding the Engineering Institute in weapon development and working with Long Xueyao on the construction of a steam train.

In the laboratory, Long Xueyao asked, "Chen Mu, now that our petroleum supply is sufficient, why are we developing a steam train?"

Chen Mu explained, "The current engines are too crude and still require coupling with generators, which limits their horsepower. They work fine for tracked vehicles, but a train requires massive load-bearing capacity, not just raw speed. In fact, Daxia should have developed trains long ago, but we were delayed by the Westerners. You see, a single locomotive is capable of pulling over a dozen carriages, and it is only with such transport capacity that it becomes truly worthwhile."

Long Xueyao asked curiously, "To pull so many carriages, how large would the locomotive have to be?"

Chen Mu smiled. "It only needs to be about the size of a carriage. Because this train doesn't run on the ground, but on iron rails, the resistance is minimal."

Chen Mu explained the operating principles of the train to Long Xueyao in detail, leaving her in awe. "Chen Mu, you are truly brilliant!"

Chen Mu laughed. "But even a brilliant man like me needs your help. You are far better at figuring out how to connect the steam engine to the wheels than I am."

Chen Mu’s understanding of the locomotive's power system was primarily focused on the external wheels—the design was intricate, but because he knew what the final result should look like, replicating it was straightforward. However, the connection between the boiler, the steam engine, and the axles required Long Xueyao’s expertise. She happily agreed, and from then on, she and Chen Mu were inseparable at the Engineering Institute, working on the train.

As they developed the train, Chen Mu also proposed the construction of a railway network. Chen Xingtian, however, was hesitant. "Railways are fine, but won't that render our existing imperial highways useless?"

Chen Mu shook his head. "How could they be useless? Building railways alongside the highways will only increase efficiency. Furthermore, railways cannot satisfy all of Daxia’s transport needs, so the highways will still be necessary."

Chen Xingtian frowned. "But the construction of the highways cost a fortune. The subsequent costs for manufacturing rifles, cannons, and vehicles have already been immense. Railways require vast amounts of iron and timber; the expense will be even greater than that of the highways."

Chen Mu smiled. "It doesn't matter. We can have the neighboring countries pay to help us build them."

Chen Xingtian was stunned. "That doesn't seem right. While we have many vassal states, we shouldn't be too overbearing."

Chen Mu laughed. "What are you thinking? I don't mean we just demand their money. Any country willing to invest can have the railway extended into their own territory. With easier transport and increased trade, everyone will profit."

Chen Xingtian was dumbfounded. "That’s possible?" For him, international trade was already a radical concept, and the idea of extending a railway into neighboring lands was something he had never dared to imagine.