Munitions Empire

Hours later, several countries moved without any forewarning, as if a calm lake suddenly began to boil.

After receiving the orders, Strauss, the naval commander of the Dorne Kingdom, immediately assembled the fleet and, without a second thought, attacked all the Shireck merchant ships conducting trade that they could find in the nearby waters of Dorne.

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Subsequently, the Dorne Kingdom declared war on Shireck, and the Dorne Navy assembled a fleet consisting of 2 Brunas-class ironclad warships, 12 of the largest sailing warships, and 32 logistical support sailing ships, preparing to join the Great Tang Group’s expeditionary fleet against Shireck.

A few hours later, the Poplar Kingdom also declared war on Shireck, with 2 Brunas-class ironclad warships deployed, leading supply ships and menacingly blocking the trade routes on the high seas.

Acting almost simultaneously with the Poplar Kingdom, the Navy of the Ice Cold Kingdom also mobilized with 2 Brunas-class ironclad warships, and additionally sent out 12 steam-powered wooden ships, marking a full-fledged deployment of their naval forces.

The fleet of the Leite Kingdom headed north without hesitation, reaching the open waters near Brunas. The future Leines I, also known as King Leite VII, declared war on Shireck and announced the dispatch of a fleet to participate in the campaign against Shireck.

A fleet composed of 2 Brunas-class ironclad warships and 7 wooden steamships was also formidable, with combat power that was incredibly intimidating.

The Songmu Kingdom also sent its Navy into battle, but they did not deploy their ironclad warships; instead, they called upon 50 sailing warships to help secure the maritime trade routes.

For a time, it seemed as if the entire Endless Sea became tumultuous, with naval warships of various countries flying their battle flags, frantically searching the seas for Shireck transport ships.

The moment a target was discovered, intense battles would immediately erupt. Shireck’s armed merchant ships suffered heavy losses, and the pure transport ships were either captured or sunk.

And this was just within a few hours. Soon, Shireck would realize the horrifying toll they had paid.

Dorne, Suthers, Leite, Poplar, Songmu... the five treaty-signing countries declared war on Shireck one after another, followed by the Empire of Nanla, which kicked Shireck while they were down and also declared war.

Coal transport ships dominated the seas for a time, as a type of modified vessel with wooden hulls fitted with steam engines began to make their mark.

The navies of various countries seemed eager to demonstrate their strength in this war and to train their troops, so they brought out their entire arsenals.

Just considering the wooden steamships, there were as many as thirty to forty assembled at Brunas, most of which were coal transport ships, serving as supply vessels for the countries’ naval fleets.

Similarly, there was also a large assembly of sailing ships. With their vast numbers, they could transport troops, horses, and even personnel, their advantage lying in their large and abundant capacity.

Although it might take a dozen sailing ships to match the transport capability of a single Ming Wheel Ship, as the main means of transport for various countries, hundreds could easily be assembled, representing a transport force that could not be overlooked.

"Her? Why is she joining in the commotion?" Harry, overwhelmed with arranging for the ships of various countries to resupply at the port of Brunas, was suddenly visited by Sofia’s maid, who appeared to have urgent business.

Harry, busy and disoriented, still made time to meet with the anxious maid. As soon as they met, the maid blurted out, "This is serious. I heard you’re having a dispute with Shireck, and I’ve come to tell you something important!"

"Hmm?" Harry furrowed his brow, knowing that the maid in this state was certainly not here to relax with him.

"Shireck had been dealing in arms with Shireck for some time, and before this, Shireck had purchased a large batch of Shireck’s weapons," the maid said bluntly, revealing the secret dealings between Shireck and Shireck.

"Can you tell me more about the contents of the transaction?" Harry asked directly, inquiring about the core details.

"The deal wasn’t orchestrated by Lady Sofia, so she only knows the general details. Shireck purchased dozens of Shireck ships... the kind with large waterwheels on both sides... Do you understand what I’m saying?" the maid began with the ship transaction.

Harry nodded. He was well aware of Shireck’s Ming Wheel Ships, which weren’t any cutting-edge marvel. So he replied directly, saying to the maid, "We call those kinds of ships Ming Wheel Ships, and I also heard that the Empire of Nanla purchased some..."

"Shireck bought armed... Ming. Ming Wheel Ships. With turrets at the front and back, the kind with strong combat capabilities..." The maid glanced at Harry’s not exactly handsome face and couldn’t help but add more details.

"I understand, what about the quantity? Do you know?" Harry continued to inquire.

"We’re still looking into the exact number... but there should be over 20," the maid spoke candidly.

"Anything else?" Harry pressed on.

The maid responded further, "They also purchased some field breech-loading cannons, imitations of your first-generation firearms; the exact number is not very clear, and the transaction didn’t go through Lady Sofia’s channels... But it’s certain the quantity isn’t too large."

"You really know how to do business," Harry said sarcastically, somewhat speechless. The Great Tang Group’s executives hadn’t received any news of Shireck’s procurement of new weaponry and equipment.

Shireck, in a manner most familiar to them, had unexpectedly stabbed the Great Tang Group in the back in an unforeseen direction.

"We don’t need to inform you whenever we sell weapons," the maid huffed, displaying a touch of haughtiness.

"Anything else? Continue," Harry made an indifferent gesture and kept on questioning.

"Additionally, the Shireck Kingdom also purchased 10,000 Shireck Model 1 bolt-action rifles, 3000 Left-Wheel Handguns..." the maid stated, "These are pretty much everything we know; we hope it can be of some help to your operations."

"Thank you," Harry said, "Since you’re here, it would be good for me to discuss the matters Mr. Tang entrusted to me as well."

The maid looked at Harry curiously, her eyes filled with emotion, and her long lashes fluttered, making Harry suddenly feel nervous.

He cleared his throat, shifted his gaze away, and began, "Mr. Tang is aware that your Lady Sofia is in dire need of money lately... It seems the plan to carve up the assets of the smiling tiger isn’t going so smoothly."

"The opposition is prepared to defend, and with a few helping hands, so they’re quite persistent. Although Lady Sofia has the upper hand, she can’t claim complete victory," the maid didn’t attempt to conceal it and said openly.

"We can offer Lady Sofia a loan of 10 million Gold Coins," Harry picked up a document from the table and handed it to the maid, "Just sign your name here, and you can draw the money from the Great Tang Bank in five installments."

"There’s no need to repay?" the maid took the document, peering down at the terms and the price Shireck had to pay.

"Ha, what are you thinking? After a year, you must repay 10.5 million Gold Coins. Principal with interest, it’s a very favorable deal," Harry laughed, strictly business.

The maid nodded, then extended her hand, "Pen."

She read the terms carefully; there weren’t any traps, just the most favorable loan contract. This was truly timely assistance for Sofia, who was in the midst of seizing the smiling tiger’s legacy.

Harry passed the pen to the maid, who immediately signed her name, "It seems that when you launch your attack on Zheng Country, Shireck won’t have the energy to slice the cake."

"Isn’t Lady Sofia already taking a big slice of Shireck’s cake for herself? Isn’t that enough?" Harry retorted.

"Well, let’s say... we each take what we need this time." The maid handed back the second copy of the signed document to Harry, then shook the one in her hand, "Thank you for the loan."

"Thank you for the intelligence you brought," Harry waved nonchalantly.

"Dinner together tonight?" The maid turned around at the door and suddenly looked back. She had always been the more proactive one, always.

"..." Harry didn’t refuse, but just spread his hands, indicating the pile of documents on the table resembling a small mountain.

The maid nodded, understanding that the Great Tang Group must have a lot of things to take care of after receiving the news, and so she waved the document in her hand and walked out of Harry’s office.

A few minutes later, the intelligence department of the Great Tang Group had wired a telegram to the frontline, confirming the news of the Shireck troops’ new rifles and new warships.

When Bernard received this intelligence, it was still night around Dongwan Island. The troops of the Great Tang Group had landed there two days earlier, with the 1st Battalion fully ashore.

"The Shireck Model 1 rifle... indeed a troublesome matter," the 1st Battalion commander stared at the information from the fleet and voiced his concern.

If the attacking forces also possessed new weapons, the tactics employed would be much more challenging. The group’s technological edge could be nullified, greatly magnifying the enemy’s numerical superiority.

They were already outnumbered; if their defenses were breached, they would be in a passive situation.

"They also have ironclad warships now... this situation appears rather grim," Bernard, who had been waiting on the sea for the enemy’s fleet for an entire day, was also caught off guard by these sudden developments.

Having never truly contended with ironclad warships, he was uncertain of the enemy’s real combat strength and could only adopt a cautious stance.

After all, he held the main force of the Great Tang Navy in his hands; if anything went wrong, he would be the eternal sinner of the group.

On the other side, the Shireck Kingdom was still unaware that a series of countries had declared war on it. Simultaneously, Shireck was also oblivious to the fact that their trade ships at sea had been thoroughly plundered by several countries.

The naval warships of the Shireck Kingdom near Dongwan Island had deliberately synchronized their time to ensure they could launch attacks simultaneously from both sides.

Hence, the fleet heading north towards Fengshun City slowed down its advance to wait for the fleet from the south.

With this delay, the planned encounter extended to the dawn of the third day. Both sides awaited the dawn, for the battle that would decide the outcome in the light of day!

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