Iron Dynasty Chapter 1017

“Your Majesty, here's the latest from Jinzhou.”

Qian Dafu stepped into the Imperial Study and laid a telegram before Xiao Ming.

Xiao Ming furrowed his brow while quickly reading the telegram's message. It came from Qi Guangyi, reporting an event from five days prior.

“Has the telegraph network reached Jinzhou yet?” Xiao Ming inquired of Qian Dafu regarding the line setup, all while mulling over the telegram's details. By now, Qian Dafu had evidently turned into his personal secretary.

“To Your Majesty, yes, it's done. This marks the initial dispatch from Jinzhou,” Qian Dafu replied with a grin. “Moreover, the western Chang’an and southern Jinling City now link via telegraph, complete with numerous relay stations along the route.”

Xiao Ming felt a touch of contentment with the telegraph expansion's speed. Even as warfare dominated the nation's focus, advancements in domestic technology, industry, and trade pressed onward without pause.

Qingzhou University stood out in particular, its academic specialties growing ever more specialized, with dedicated labs now in place across disciplines like bridge building, civil engineering, practical chemistry, materials studies, mineral surveying, mechanical physics, medical practice, and beyond.

Spanning from the seventeenth century's final year to the eighteenth's thirteenth, across fourteen years, he had at last forged a full scientific framework akin to the late nineteenth century, drawing from the expansive tech reserves within the technology crystals.

Over a decade back, Europe's tech stood at the mid-to-late eighteenth century level, surpassing the Great Yu Empire by a century. Yet today, despite snatching bits of his innovations through underhanded tactics, Europe's progress trailed far behind his own.

“Mmm, that's solid advancement,” he commended the building efforts. With that, he turned his full attention to the telegram's substance.

Qi Guangyi reported that barbarian leader Gubat sought a covert alliance, stipulating his tribe's integration as imperial subjects allowed to dwell on the grasslands.

In earlier times, Xiao Ming would have rejected such terms outright, unwilling to permit barbarian groups on the plains that might endanger the borders.

But circumstances had shifted. Machine guns spelled doom for cavalry dominance. To him, today's barbarians resembled tame rabbits, posing no threat. All he required was their allegiance, after which they could dutifully tend horses, sheep, and cattle across the steppes for him.

Under Dolgor's command, though, this remained unattainable, given that his offspring had all perished at his army's hands.

Besides, he couldn't abide Dolgor fleeing with his people to Tsarist Russia, bolstering that empire's power.

Thus, eliminating Dolgor beneath Tian Shan proved essential, blocking any flight to the Eastern European plains.

With this in mind, he composed a command dispatch and instructed Qian Dafu to forward it to Jinzhou, then onward to Qi Guangyi. Concurrently, the dispatch urged Qi Guangyi to bolster defenses, as Tian Shan bridged modern Southern Xinjiang and Kazakhstan in Central Asia, with Tsarist Russia encroaching ever nearer.

Five days passed before his directive arrived at Qi Guangyi.

“His Majesty plans to ally with Gubat against Dolgor's lingering Golden Tent remnants,” Qi Guangyi informed Feng Dongjin upon reviewing the telegram.

Feng Dongjin gave a subtle nod and remarked, “Gubat truly is cunning. Who knew he'd anticipate His Majesty's intentions so well.”

“Indeed, Gubat excels at gauging winds and seizing opportunities, though he's a classic opportunist. Yet with the Empire's might, he has no choice but to side with us,” Qi Guangyi stated evenly. “So, dispatch envoys at once to link with Gubat. We must crush the Golden Tent riders this time.”

Feng Dongjin hesitated a bit. “And if it's a ruse? Dealing with barbarians demands we hold an ace.”

His words barely ended when the troops erupted in uproar. The pair glanced westward, spotting a swarm of dark specks barreling straight at them.

Through his binoculars, Qi Guangyi peered and felt his spirits drop. Those specks were barbarian horsemen. He bellowed without delay, “Battle stations!”

The command rang out, and troops swiftly took to their mounts, rifles trained on the oncoming riders. Astonishingly, the cavalry halted at five hundred meters' distance. From their ranks, three barbarian riders broke forward toward them.

Qi Guangyi spotted the newcomers' features via his lenses and burst out, “Those are Gubat's men.”

Feng Dongjin confirmed the identities and mirrored the shock.

In response, the duo lingered ahead of the lines momentarily, until Gubat reined up before them.

Reencountering Gubat, Qi Guangyi and Feng Dongjin both registered surprise. He bore no resemblance to a barbarian chief now; rather, he evoked a routed commander.

His battered armor bore dried bloodstains, and a stench of gore and rot wafted close by.

Trailing him came shaken warriors and clansfolk, faces etched with exhaustion and dread. Wounded fighters moaned from ox wagons. This scene revealed to the pair that Gubat had faced a dire ordeal.

“Banner Head Gubat, what's occurred?” Qi Guangyi questioned gravely.

Gubat's throat worked visibly. He exhaled heavily, slid from his horse, and rasped, “General Qi, Chief Scribe Feng, the outlook is grim.”

Qi Guangyi and Feng Dongjin exchanged glances. He kept the troops on alert. Dismounting themselves, they drew near Gubat.

Standing face-to-face, Gubat admitted with chagrin, “Generals, the scheme's altered. My tribe struggles just to survive now.”

“How so?” Qi Guangyi pressed, puzzled.

Gubat's tone turned bitter. “It was set to unfold perfectly, but a betrayer in my ranks exposed the plot to Dolgor. Furious, Dolgor launched a surprise assault on us.”

Pausing, he went on, “I wasn't daunted at first; it'd have been mutual ruin at worst. But then 30,000 Tsarist Russian Cossacks appeared out of nowhere. My 50,000 horsemen couldn't compete and fled westward. Still, the Cossacks hounded us. Only my officers' sacrificial stand let me reach here.”

“Cossacks!” Gubat's revelation sobered Qi Guangyi and Feng Dongjin at once.

“No doubt, Tsarist Russia's Cossack riders. They wield guns too, leaving us outmatched,” Gubat declared, face etched in despair.

This round, he'd barely evaded capture, but two-thirds of his people fell to Dolgor and the Cossacks' pincer.

Qi Guangyi's gaze flickered. Truth be told, he'd worried about this during the push west, since deeper into the west meant nearing the Eastern European steppes, cradle of the Cossack forces.