"What does the Grand Commandant mean...?" Zhang Erhe asked tentatively.
"This Grand Commandant intends to first use intimidation to force these distant lands to submit and become vassal states of my Great Qin," the wicked man said confidently. "If they are sensible, they can be spared death. If they are stubborn and unyielding..."
His gaze sharpened: "Then let them follow in the footsteps of the Western Regions kingdoms and vanish from this land forever!"
The generals responded in unison, "The Grand Commandant is wise!"
They all understood that this was the next strategic direction for the Qin Dynasty—to expand beyond the Western Regions and bring more countries under its banner!
One month later, at the Mo Family Workshop.
The wicked man personally inspected the progress of the expeditionary war chariots.
"Grand Commandant, please look," Xiangli He said, pointing to a uniquely designed chariot. "This is our latest design. The wheels have a multi-layered structure, covered with special cowhide, allowing them to travel on sand without getting stuck."
"Furthermore," Zizhen added, "we've also improved the horse tack, allowing warhorses to endure longer in harsh environments. And more importantly, this..."
He demonstrated the vehicle's water bladder system: "These specially designed water bladders can store a large amount of drinking water, and they don't evaporate easily. Enough to support ten people for ten days."
The wicked man carefully inspected the chariot and then had his soldiers test drive it. Sure enough, this chariot moved across the sand as if it were flat ground, and its speed was even faster than on ordinary roads.
"Excellent!" he exclaimed joyfully. "Order the Imperial Workshops to begin mass production immediately. I, the Grand Commandant, will have five thousand of these chariots built within three months!"
"Furthermore," he turned to the two Mohist masters, "I need you to continue improving 'The Beehive,' so that it can exert its maximum power in environments such as deserts and Gobi."
The two accepted the order and immediately began a new round of research and development.
After the wicked man returned to the Grand Commandant's residence, he received new intelligence.
"Reporting to the Grand Commandant," a Black Ice Guard agent reported, "the envoy from Kangju has returned home. According to our spies, Kangju is in an uproar and convened a royal meeting overnight."
"Oh?" the wicked man said with interest. "Tell me the details."
"King Kangju was terrified when he learned of our demands," the spy continued. "They had already heard about what we had done to the Western Regions and feared they would follow in our footsteps. Therefore, the kingdom was divided into two factions—one advocating submission and acceptance of Qin's suzerainty; the other advocating an alliance with Bactria, Parthia, and other states to resist..."
"Hmph!" the wicked man sneered. "They truly don't know their own mortality! Order the border troops to assemble 300,000 soldiers. Furthermore, command the Mohist artisans to expedite the production of expeditionary chariots. This Grand Commandant will let these distant lands know that the iron hooves of Qin are unstoppable!"
Orders were issued like a whirlwind. The Qin army began a large-scale mobilization, preparing to advance beyond the Western Regions. The Mohist workshops also worked day and night to create weapons and equipment suitable for the expedition.
Another half month later, the Black Ice Guard's spies brought back intelligence once again.
"Grand Commandant!" His expression was grave. "Kangju, Daxia, and Anxi have secretly formed an alliance! They've learned we're amassing a large army and intend to join forces to resist us."
The wicked man, instead of being angry, laughed: "Excellent! This saves us the trouble of conquering them separately. Order the army to speed up preparations. I, the Grand Commandant, will personally lead the western expedition!"
At the same time, he also submitted a memorial to Ying Zheng, requesting approval for the western expedition plan.
The memorial received a swift reply. Ying Zheng not only granted the request but also specifically commended the wicked man for his foresight: "I grant your request for the western expedition. I hope you will achieve even greater success, extending the territory of Qin to even more distant lands!"
With the emperor's approval, the wicked man became even more determined.
He stood before the map, his gaze sweeping over the distant lands. Soon, these places too would belong to "Qin," becoming part of the Qin Empire's territory!
"Give the order to the three armies," he said in a deep voice, "One month from now, the army will march west! I, the Grand Commandant, will ensure that the barbarians beyond the Western Regions, like the Yuezhi and the Xiongnu, will forever submit to my Great Qin!"
The empire's iron hooves are ready to trample beyond the Western Regions!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
