Chapter 1251: Naval Battle, No Martial Morality (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
In normal ancient times, Shen Tang's submarine idea would definitely be impossible, as the technology and materials wouldn't support it. However, this era is different; even the most imaginative ideas can be realized through the power of words. There's nothing that the mind can't conceive of, nothing that the power of words can't achieve.
“A submarine, as the name suggests, is a vessel that can operate underwater. Compared to them, our soldiers’ swimming skills, diving time, and descent depth are far inferior. If we could operate the vessel underwater, wouldn’t we be able to narrow the gap as much as possible?” Shen Tang began preparing for the war in the Southwest Continent several years ago. Due to geographical limitations, he could only conduct some basic training, such as honing the soldiers’ swimming skills and understanding boarding and underwater combat.
The soldiers' training was undeniably rigorous and diligent.
But they can't compare to the martial artists from the Southwest who have been exposed to these things since childhood.
Everyone was used to their mistress's unconventional way of thinking and her occasional bursts of inspiration and creativity; however—the ideas were good, but the cost-effectiveness was extremely low. Even Wei Shou could see the problem: "How deep can a ship submerge underwater?"
"Ten or so feet should be no problem?"
We still need to wait for the Beijiu experiment for specific data.
Wei Shou shook his head and said, "This depth is too shallow."
If the battlefield is not deep enough, submarines are useless.
The major rivers in the southwestern continent vary in depth.
The shallowest depths are only a little over three zhang (approximately 13 meters), while the deepest can reach nearly thirty-six zhang (approximately 13 meters)! Ordinary martial artists with only a basic understanding of swimming can dive to a depth of four or five zhang (approximately 13-15 meters), using the Turtle Breathing Technique to move around for a quarter of an hour. To go any deeper, they need even greater strength, better swimming skills, and a shorter diving time. Some martial artists from the southwest possess special breathing techniques, allowing them to hold their breath for an hour, achieving true unimpeded movement.
Submarines cannot overcome this limit and are almost cost-effective; it's better to let infantrymen engage in free combat underwater, at least ensuring maneuverability. Besides, a submarine is definitely larger than a person, and the larger the vessel, the easier it is to reveal its position.
There's absolutely no need to bother the submarine if we're only diving ten feet.
Besides these objections, Wei Shou had another reason he didn't mention. Adding another type of warship would double the difficulty of adapting to changing circumstances. The Kang Kingdom's navy was a makeshift, makeshift force, while their opponent was a seasoned veteran of naval warfare. Against such an enemy, the risk of playing it safe was far less than taking a risky, unconventional approach. Rather than resorting to flashy tactics, it was better to focus on developing the existing capabilities.
Of course, it's already pretty flashy enough as it is now.
Judging from the seminar, Kangguo's naval battle was unexpected by the enemy at every step, which made Wei Shouguang very happy.
Shen Tang said, "But—"
She refused to give up and wanted to try again.
"Has Your Majesty considered this issue—even if the Imperial Workshop could bring submarines to life, warriors take in far more air than ordinary people. How could a single submarine possibly meet that demand? A large warship can't be operated by just one soldier. Warriors can indeed breathe using water-based combat techniques, but that requires them to stay close to the surface. Naturally, submarines are also limited by this..." Wei Shou, the old fox who understood the ways of the world, changed the subject, "However, it would be a pretty good idea for naval warfare."
As long as the supervisor is competent, the diving depth can easily exceed the limits of ordinary martial arts masters, making it easy to conduct clandestine operations or stir up trouble right under the enemy's nose. However, for Kangguo, which doesn't even have a seaport, this is meaningless to discuss, unless they wipe out the southwestern continent and annex it, then they'll have everything. Wei Shou's words made Shen Tang sigh, resting his chin on his hand.
"That's true..."
But submarines really have a bright future.
It's not needed right now.
Lin Feng said, "How could it be useless?"
As Chu Yao's direct disciple, Wei Shou also felt a bit of affection for Lin Feng because of Chu Yao. He would have already retorted if others had said the same thing, but since it was Lin Feng, he pretended to listen attentively.
I want to hear what the other party has to say.
Lin Feng said, "Our army's camouflage and infiltration techniques are superb, making them difficult for ordinary scouts to detect, let alone in underwater environments. Submarines don't necessarily need to be used; they can also be disguised and hidden in riverbeds. This alone surpasses the limits of a martial artist's diving ability."
Whether it's the limit of distance or the limit of time.
There are numerous examples of naval warfare in the southwest mainland involving ambushes and attacks on the hulls of enemy warships from underwater; this tactic has almost become routine in naval warfare.
Wei Shou: "..."
Good grief, a bunch of people are using land warfare thinking to fight naval warfare.
However, after pondering Lin Feng's suggestion, he also found it reasonable—due to well-known "restrictions," the enemy could not possibly conduct underwater inspections a day or two in advance, and even if they did, the scope of the inspection would be within the limits.
Submarines can hide in blind spots and lie in wait.
So, the question comes full circle.
What's the policy for this submarine?
From beginning to end, the lord only proposed the concept of ships capable of underwater travel; nothing else. If he wanted to use even the most rudimentary submarines in this battle, could the author of the Mohist can even manage a few fleeting glimpses of "universal love" and "non-aggression"? He couldn't keep up even without eating or drinking.
Shen Tang said awkwardly, "This still needs to be discussed with the master craftsman from Peking University."
Wei Shou had no objection to this.
Anyway, it's not me who's working overtime.
The seminar lasted for most of the day before finally ending. By the time it adjourned, everyone felt more exhausted than if they had fought a battle. Not only were their buttocks sore and numb, but their necks were also foggy and their minds were sluggish. They felt as if their vital energy had been drained by a demon, leaving them listless and dispirited. Some went straight home to catch up on sleep, some went to the "Five Snacks Temple" (a local term for a place where one's internal organs are satisfied), and some went for massages.
Gu Chi looked over in surprise: "The general really knows how to enjoy life."
Wei Shou put his arm around his shoulder and said, "Everyone who sees this gets a share!"
Let's relax together!
Gu Chi couldn't break free with his limited strength.
He thought Wei Shou had violated military discipline, but when the other party took matters into his own hands, he was completely stunned: "What are you doing?"
The other person's way of relaxing is not to get a massage, but to give a massage to others. What kind of strange relaxation fetish is this?
Wei Shou said with practiced ease, "Hmph, you got off easy."
He and his wife Jinrui were willing to try all sorts of play, such as a lonely woman in her boudoir and a skilled massage therapist.
Gu Chi felt a tightness in his calf and tried to pull his right leg back.
Panting heavily, he begged for mercy: "General, could you please stop?"
Of all the officials in the court, Wei Shou's innermost thoughts were definitely the most blatant! Even someone like Gu Chi occasionally had to sigh in admiration—who could actually pull off such a stunt? Gu Chi reasonably suspected that Wei Shou's actions were motivated by personal revenge! Wei Shou even asked, "Does it hurt here?"
Gu Chi gritted his teeth: "Then let go of my foot!"
The pain was so intense, it felt like my skull was going to fly off.
Wei Shou's voice was low and deep, and he smiled with pleasure as he heard Gu Chi groaning and panting: "This acupoint is related to the kidneys, Gu Yatai is a bit weak."
Gu Chi immediately shut his mouth.
After a few moments, he asked again, "Have you eaten?"
Why do you have no strength at all?
The soldiers guarding outside the tent could clearly hear Gu Yatai inside howling and screaming like a banshee, but he still stubbornly insisted that it didn't hurt.
Wei Shou clicked his tongue and finally let Gu Chi, who was practically a salted fish, go.
Gu Chi felt as if his legs, shoulders, and back no longer belonged to him.
Turning his head, he saw Wei Shou carefully washing his hands with soap. Gu Chi secretly gasped and rolled over, trying to adopt a posture of attentive listening, raising his hand to cast a spell to prevent eavesdropping: "Speak, General, what important matter do you want to discuss with me privately?"
Unless there were special circumstances, why would Wei Shou actively approach any senior officials other than Chu Yao? However, Gu Chi carefully recalled Wei Shou's recent thoughts but found no clues. Wei Shou lay on the recliner next door, flicking his finger to create an avatar of martial energy.
The avatar skillfully sat on a small stool in front of the recliner, washing and massaging the original body's feet. The original body, on the other hand, looked completely relaxed and at ease, clearly doing this more than once or twice. Gu Chi had to give it a thumbs up; the saying "like father, like son" was perfectly exemplified in Kangguo!
Wei Shou said, "Someone wants to bribe me."
He opened with a bombshell.
Gu Chirun almost choked: "What?"
What were the southwestern states thinking? Did they bribe the general of Kang?
Unless Wei Shou's brain was being kicked in a circle by thousands of donkeys, he would never betray Kang State at this critical juncture and join the hopeless camp of the southwestern states. Trying to bribe Wei Shou? I just don't understand.
Wei Shou seemed to be able to see through Gu Chi's thoughts.
The answer was revealed proactively: "It's not the Southwest."
Gu Chi's grip on the teacup tightened: "The central region?"
Wei Shou smiled enigmatically: "Hmm, they've most likely contacted Lin Lingde as well. With such a massive operation, practically tearing down a house, how could the Central Region not know? It's just that they're arrogant and have never considered the surrounding regions as rivals..."
The Northwest remains a wild and untamed land, a place of constant warfare.
Gu Chi asked, "Why you?"
The Kang Kingdom is not a monolithic entity, and Wei Shou is not the best choice for bribery and sowing discord. While he may be of foreign origin, he admires strength and has no affection for the former Northern Desert; in fact, they are enemies. Wei Shou had no objection to the division of the Northern Desert into two states. He has not been neglected by his lord over the years, so logically and emotionally, it is impossible for Wei Shou to betray him.
No matter how high the price offered by the enemy, does Wei Shou still have a future?
Wei Shou did not hide anything.
“There are members of our clan.”
"Closely related by blood?"
"Yes, we live very close and have a good relationship."
What they're using isn't "profit," it's "emotion."
Gu Chi looked at Wei Shou with a troubled expression: "General, you shouldn't have said these things to me. Wouldn't it have been better to tell the Emperor instead?"
This eliminates the middleman and avoids errors when relaying messages.
If all else fails, you can try contacting Chu Yao.
Wei Shou shook his head: "It's inconvenient."
Gu Chi was about to ask what was inconvenient when he suddenly remembered that Wei Shou had just mentioned Lin Feng was also involved. Lin Feng was Chu Yao's direct disciple, and Wei Shou had only a distant relationship with Chu Yao, being completely open with him. Wei Shou's avoidance of Chu Yao was also a way of protecting him. Chu Yao was indeed inconvenient because he was too deeply involved with the two of them. In contrast, Gu Chi's stance was quite independent.
Without mentioning his relationship with Bai Su, he was completely a lone minister.
Her stance is even more innocent than Qi Shan's.
Gu Chi's lips twitched.
So this massage wasn't for nothing after all.
"What's wrong with Lingde?"
Wei Shou revealed everything he knew: "Lin Lingde's relatives fled to another country years ago and have now settled in the central region. As far as I know, the person who came forward to secretly persuade her this time should be her blood relative... who is also a troublesome character."
"Difficult to handle?"
"Compared to ability, relationships are probably more difficult to handle, right?"
Spending all his time with these formidable individuals significantly broadened Wei Shou's horizons, making him genuinely disdainful of so-called prodigies from outside. No matter how exceptionally talented they were, if they were placed in Chu Yao's situation—after falling into a trough—could they still soar to new heights? They'd be long gone.
Gu Chi: "..."
"If things go wrong, Wu Hui could also be dragged down with him."
Gu Chi responded almost instinctively.
"Isn't Wu Hui a blood relative who was lost and living away from home?"
Coercion and enticement are low-level forms of persuasion, completely ineffective against an idealist like Chu Yao, especially since his life is tied to his lord. It's family ties and emotions that are more tormenting. The more emotional a person is, the more easily they are constrained by their feelings.
Winning hearts and minds is the best strategy.
Honestly, if his parents, siblings, and other relatives were to come back to life and stand before him right now, he'd be completely bewildered. Even if his rational mind knew that the dead couldn't be brought back to life, he couldn't remain unmoved. It was precisely because he knew how terrifying psychological manipulation could be that Gu Chi particularly enjoyed this kind of thing…
Winning hearts and minds, destroying minds.
Wei Shou said, "No, apart from Arui, all of Wu Hui's blood relatives are long dead. He has no ties now and is focused on protecting his two disciples. So, the fastest way to deal with him is to target his two vital organs—the master is not among them, so who can touch them? Tu Rong's entire family is dead, leaving only him. He also has no ties, except for Lin Lingde, who still has a weakness."
Lin Feng, she is still the head of the family.
Gu Chi closed his eyes, and scenes flashed before his eyes.
"Lingde will not disappoint the Lord and Chu Wuhui." That was a subject/disciple to whom he had devoted over ten years of his life; to put it bluntly, even a biological daughter would rarely receive such treatment. Lin Feng had no reason, nor could he possibly, to betray Kangguo.
Wei Shou said, "I think so too."
Gu Chi did not delay and secretly informed Shen Tang about the matter.
Shen Tang said with satisfaction, "Tsk, your son has really made something of himself."
People without value are not worth the enemy's effort. The fact that the enemy is willing to put in the effort for Lin Feng, giving him a higher priority than other important ministers and elders, speaks volumes about his importance. As the ruler, Shen Tang felt a sense of joy, like watching a daughter grow up.
Gu Chi: "...Isn't the Lord worried at all? The central region has already joined the fray, so you can imagine how much pressure we're under."
The central region will not easily watch them annex the southwest.
Shen Tang said, "What are you worried about? Lingde is not only the daughter of the Lin family, but also the head of the Lin family branch in Kangguo. Any head of a noble family will not only know about love between children, but will also weigh the pros and cons. On the scales, blood ties can also become bargaining chips. Lingde suffered in her childhood, what kind of feelings does she have with the branch in the central region? You can imagine the weight of this bargaining chip."
Lin Feng, at times, is even more like a political animal than Wu Hui.
She was just better at managing her reputation than Wu Hui. There were almost no negative comments about her from the outside world. Who wouldn't like a perfect person who was dedicated to the country and the people, waved her hand as the wheat fields rolled, and had a kind temper? When Shen Tang occasionally heard similar rumors, she just found them a little funny.
“What we should be most worried about is that Lingde might do something rash in a moment of ruthlessness. After all, she is the only candidate to become the future chief minister, and her reputation should be kept clean. We should try not to leave any handle for people to criticize her.” Shen Tang lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment before saying, “As for the central region, I will try to delay it for a while.”
There are plenty of ways to keep them occupied.
ヽ(ー_ー)ノ
Lin Feng was actually the one among Tang Mei's subordinates who was closest to being a political animal.
(End of this chapter)
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