Ports in western Sichuan.

In the military camp on the shore.

Yamanaka Takuma sat in his chair, rubbing his forehead. A moment earlier, a soldier had come to report that the fog at sea was getting thinner and thinner, and it seemed that it would soon dissipate.

The sky also changed slightly, with gloomy clouds beginning to drift. Although it was already afternoon, sparse sunlight gradually peeked through the clouds.

As the weather improved, the soldiers' mood seemed to change as well; the officers were currently leading the soldiers in training.

Meanwhile, Yamanaka Takuma was quietly lost in thought.

Previously, Emperor Akihito appointed Saigo Jun to lead the navy into battle, ordering them to defeat the Yan people on the high seas.

Although everyone in the court was confident about the naval battle that was about to take place, he was truly uneasy.

This unease stems from a warning.

This is a warning from Huang Tianwei.

In fact, Huang Tianwei had approached him once before he fled.

Huang Tianwei casually remarked that if the war in Yan Kingdom went poorly, then they should be prepared for a counterattack from the Yan Kingdom.

The worst-case scenario is that the Yan people land in Japan.

If it really comes to that, the consequences of the Yan people landing would be extremely serious.

That day, when Huang Tianwei mentioned this, I was somewhat dismissive and even scolded him a few times for it.

Huang Tianwei then laughed and said that he always plans ahead and thinks too much, and these words were just wishful thinking.

Thus, the dialogue came to an end.

But today, when he recalls Huang Tianwei's words, Yamanaka Takuma finds them extremely reasonable.

Therefore, he asked Emperor Akihito for permission to lead a contingent of troops to a military camp near the port in western Sichuan, as a backup plan in case the worst-case scenario actually occurred.

Now that Saigo Jun has been at sea for some time, he may already be fighting the Yan Kingdom people. Yamanaka Takuma can only hope that this navy can win.

After all, if the naval battle is lost...

With these thoughts in mind, Yamanaka Takuma stood up from his chair and walked outside.

After stepping out of the tent, a series of loud shouts came from the training ground, the voices were loud, and they came from the soldiers who were training.

Although matchlock guns were already available in the country, Yamanaka Takuma's army remained a traditional force. This was not because he was stubborn and unwilling to equip his soldiers with new weapons.

The reason was that matchlock guns were expensive, and despite the large amount of military spending, they were still difficult to popularize.

Secondly, after the introduction of the matchlock musket, too many young soldiers neglected to practice martial arts. They focused all their killing skills on that matchlock musket, and once the enemy got close, they were almost completely defenseless.

Those who peddle these weapons to Japan, however, vehemently praise the ingenious uses of matchlock guns, as if possessing them would transform Japan into a powerful nation.

In terms of results, Japan has indeed undergone tremendous changes in just over two years, and its military strength is many times stronger than before.

With a large number of people joining the army, the military strength increased more than tenfold in just over two years. Emperor Akihito was an ambitious man who felt that Japan's prosperity was nearing its peak.

With such a formidable military force, it is only natural that they should fulfill their long-cherished wish of conquering the Yan Kingdom.

A series of wars began, one after another.

News of victory kept coming in, one victory after another, accompanied by countless treasures of gold and silver, and inexhaustible resources.

Nowadays, many members of the royal family are using rare and precious items that were seized from Yan Kingdom and Gaoli Kingdom.

What is gained from war comes much faster and in greater quantities than from any trade!

But after these defeats in Yan Kingdom, Yamanaka Takuma began to think deeply.

"Is everything gained through endless war truly prosperous or just an illusion?"

The death toll has risen, from a few hundred to over two hundred thousand casualties at the beginning.

Even if we win the naval battle that follows, there will be casualties. And then what? How will we conquer Yan Kingdom next?

With Huang Tianwei's assistance, they had achieved successive victories after landing in the East China Sea. However, now that Qin Ze has led a large army, the situation has reversed. The East China Sea now seems to be a fortified stronghold, making it difficult to attack.

However, a large number of civilians have joined the army in the country, and the number of people in the army is increasing. With such a bloated force, it is impossible to obtain resources through war. Undoubtedly, the country will face a difficult situation in the future.

Takuma Yamanaka's brows furrowed deeper and deeper as he looked at the excited soldiers training not far away. Finally, he sighed.

They couldn't foresee what the future held. In fact, at this point, the inability to conquer Yan Kingdom meant that their homeland would descend into chaos in a few months.

call--

A gentle breeze blew by, and a petal followed, brushing past the gate of the mountain.

Takuma Yamanaka crouched down to pick up the petals, and as he stood up, he turned to look at the trees behind him.

The long, brown branches are covered with clusters of cherry blossoms. At this time of year, the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and there are hardly any buds on the trees, only blooming flowers.

The cherry blossoms were blooming so densely, their fragrance and beauty like clouds and rosy hues, yet the branches were so heavy they drooped.

"So beautiful..."

Seeing the cherry blossoms, Takuma Yamanaka's suppressed emotions were relieved at that moment.

call--

The wind is blowing, and it seems to be getting stronger.

Clusters of blooming cherry blossoms swayed gently in the wind, looking like clouds fallen from the sky to earth.

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