Iron Dynasty Chapter 1007

Lin’an, once the capital city of the State of Chu.

Following the fall of the State of Chu and the breakdown of the Merchant Parliament, the city had undergone a striking transformation during the years of court governance.

Differing from its past splendor, Lin’an’s present vitality radiated an unmistakable industrial essence throughout.

Over the last few years, merchants from Lin’an had surged toward Qingzhou to acquire machinery, tools, and innovations. In no time, the majority of Qingzhou’s products were being manufactured locally, leading to a surge in available industrial items on the market.

“Commander Lei, the Third Division has gathered and awaits your order to depart anytime.”

At the Lin’an docks, Liu Hongzhi, Chief Scribe of the Southeast Military Region, offered a salute to Lei Ming and briefed him on the troops’ preparations.

Five days earlier, directives from the General Staff had arrived, commanding them to head southward against Australia and subsequent island realms in Southeast Asia.

The receipt of this command electrified the entire Southeast Military Region. As the Empire’s inaugural overseas campaign post-reform, officers yearned to shine in the conflict.

Furthermore, the integration of machine guns bolstered the commanders’ assurance.

“All aboard the vessels!”

Lei Ming eyed the warships anchored in Lin’an’s harbor and bellowed the instruction. For this campaign, the General Staff had entrusted him with complete command of Southeast Asian operations. He refused to slack in any way and planned to join the forces bound for Australia to oversee the battles firsthand.

With domestic turmoil long suppressed, his Southeast Military Region found itself unusually at leisure. A seasoned warrior, Lei Ming chafed at this inactivity, thus opting to leave Chief Scribe Liu Hongzhi to manage administrative tasks while he spearheaded the southward advance.

“Mount the ships, everyone!”

Lei Ming’s words barely ended when the officers echoed the directive. Troops donned in steel helmets, armed with Han-style rifles, and burdened with machine guns streamed onto the vessels in orderly fashion.

Prior to the infantry’s embarkation, 120 pieces of Imperial Guard artillery had been lifted aboard the ships.

Lei Ming’s eyes roamed over the embarking soldiers, brimming with intense satisfaction. The Third Division represented the Southeast Military Region’s finest, having excelled in the Guandong War.

This very excellence prompted him to assign the bulk of the Han-style rifles, machine guns, and Imperial Guard artillery destined for the region to this unit.

Besides, for the push south, he had bolstered the Third Division. From its initial 10,000 troops, it grew to 12,000, outfitted with cutting-edge gear, forming the pinnacle of his forces.

Observing briefly, Lei Ming and the accompanying officers for Australia climbed onto a warship. Six days of voyage later, amid the blaring horns of the steam-powered warships, the armada—eight warships strong plus twenty troop carriers—reached the seas near Australia’s Wales coast.

Aboard the warship, Lei Ming peered at the shoreline through binoculars. The imperial fleet’s arrival had alerted the British, with red-coated soldiers scurrying along the sands, evidently gearing up to counter them.

“From our gathered intel, Australia was once a British penal colony. Its residents mostly descend from convicts, alongside a handful of free settlers. The British have historically overlooked it due to the sparse indigenous population, yielding scant economic gains.”

Shi Yanjun, Third Division’s commander, recited details from the Australia intelligence dossier.

Lei Ming was well-versed in Australia’s situation: roughly 100,000 British inhabitants, defended by a mere 3,000 garrison troops.

Deploying the Third Division against such opposition seemed excessive. Yet their mission extended beyond routing the British forces; crucially, it involved safeguarding Ministry of Minerals experts to prospect for resources. They wouldn’t pour resources into an unprofitable skirmish.

“Disembark!”

After momentary reflection, Lei Ming issued the command. Following days at sea, onboard provisions had dwindled sharply, and circumstances barred prolonged offshore loitering.

Besides, excessive wariness never suited Lei Ming’s approach. During the Guandong War, his tactics earned a reputation for bold aggression.

“Boom boom boom…”

Upon the signal, the eight warships unleashed volleys onto the beach. Prior to troops hitting shore, they aimed to neutralize as many British coastal batteries as feasible.

As fire erupted, British cannons countered, hurling dark projectiles at the fleet. Impacts in the water erupted into towering sprays several meters tall.

“Explosive rounds!”

Noting the blasts’ nature, Lei Ming’s brow furrowed severely. Evidently, post-Dengzhou defeat, the British had hastened to arm themselves with warship-sinking explosives.

Shi Yanjun’s expression soured too. He urged the captain, “Pull back at once—the Commander’s well-being comes first!”

“Ridiculous! Lei Ming has never fled a battlefield. Maintain the barrage!” Lei Ming thundered, eyes blazing. The unfolding chaos reignited his warrior fervor.

Rebuked, Shi Yanjun’s features flushed amid the grime. Lei Ming’s zealous stare left him resigned. In combat, his leader morphed into an alter ego.

Along the shore, the British inwardly groaned. Since Dengzhou’s clash, Australia’s stationed forces had braced anxiously for a Great Yu assault.

Even after Britain shipped specialized munitions from home, their dread intensified. Wales’ populace dwelt in constant alarm, and their dreaded event unfolded this day.

“Lieutenant Alden, I’ve rounded up Wales’ finest youths for you. We must safeguard our town at all costs,” Kenneth, clad in a dark suit and top hat, declared boisterously to the fair-haired officer, drawing on his pipe.

“Governor, I’ll guard Wales to my last breath. This is our homeland,” Alden unsheathed his blade. “I’ll teach these Great Yu Empire yellow-skinned swine that whites are the superior folk, fit only to crush them.”

“Excellent!” Kenneth boomed with laughter. “Though Wales holds just a hundred thousand souls, each pulses with courageous spirit. London’s leaders dub us criminal offspring, yet only the daring scorn the rules, eh, boys? No rules today—these Great Yu yellow-skinned swine are yours to ravage!”

“Off to the chopping block with them.”

“Sever their heads!”

“String them up, dangle their corpses from branches for the ravens!”

“…”

The men trailing Kenneth erupted in uproar. Dressed in standard British tunics, wielding a patchwork of arms, their visages twisted in savage resolve.

In recent times, they’d drilled against a Great Yu incursion. At the sight of the Empire’s warships, over eight thousand youths mobilized swiftly, merging with three thousand regulars to form Wales’ full defensive might.