Iron Dynasty Chapter 1033

“Your Majesty, the Dutch have declared war on us. The Dutch garrison in Zeelandia attempted to seize our machine guns and Han-style rifles, but we thwarted them.”

Qian Dafu’s voice pulled Xiao Ming from his midday nap, and soon a telegram arrived in his hands.

He snatched the telegram from Qian Dafu and scanned it thoroughly, his brows knitting together. “The fox has finally revealed its true colors. Dispatch a telegram to Yue Yun at once, instructing him to command the fleet in wiping out every Dutch warship across Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, direct Lei Ming to strike at Jakarta and Manila, securing total dominance over the Philippines and Indonesia.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Qian Dafu acknowledged the command and promptly departed.

Dressing swiftly, Xiao Ming hurried to the Imperial Study and summoned Cui Shang’an. With the Dutch shifting from allies to foes, it was essential for the General Staff to craft a comprehensive strategy to handle this crisis.

Concurrently, he alerted the Cabinet, commanding them to halt all trade with the Dutch right away and to boot out the personnel from the Dutch embassy.

Having completed these steps, Xiao Ming approached the world map displayed in the Imperial Study. His eyes settled on the Philippines and Indonesia.

The Dutch betrayal certainly affected the Empire’s commerce to some degree, yet the Dutch endured far heavier blows, losing Manila, the Philippine capital, and Jakarta, the Indonesian hub.

Henceforth, these vast island chains would officially become part of the Empire.

Based on the details from the technology crystals, the Philippines boasted 4.8 billion tons of copper reserves, 1 billion tons of nickel, and 130 million tons of gold. These resources were exceptionally plentiful.

Besides, the Philippines overflowed with Borneo camphor, a spice highly sought after in the West, previously cornered by the Dutch and Spanish.

Throughout history, both in the East and West, Borneo camphor was cherished as a luxury. In the Tang and Song eras, envoys from Persia and the Arab Caliphate, sources of Borneo camphor, even offered it as tribute to Chinese emperors.

Indonesia outshone the Philippines in resource wealth, holding nearly 60 billion tons of coal and nickel deposits, plus around 1.5 million carats of diamonds. It also featured numerous rare metals.

Gaining control of these territories would supply the Empire with abundant materials for growth.

Thus, Xiao Ming felt no deep rage toward the Dutch choice. Moreover, hailing from the modern world, he was accustomed to the fickle alliances among nations and the abrupt changes in Western governance.

This very outlook had kept him wary of the Dutch, viewing them as a nation lacking the makings of a superpower.

Shifting his focus from the Philippines and Manila, Xiao Ming eyed France’s Indochina holdings and Britain’s Burmese territories.

The Dutch abrupt turn highlighted Europe’s stance against the ascending Chinese Empire. With conflicts inevitable, a major war loomed on the horizon. After a century of waning power, the moment had come for him to restore the Empire’s influential domains from its peak era.

As these thoughts swirled in his mind, someone approached the Imperial Study entrance. It was Lu Tong.

“Your Majesty!” Lu Tong’s expression beamed with joy, hinting at positive developments.

Xiao Ming glanced at Lu Tong, appreciating visits from individuals like him, which frequently signaled advances in technology.

True to form, Lu Tong stepped inside the Imperial Study and announced with intrigue, “Your Majesty, I’ve brought a gem for you today.”

“Oh? Let me see it. If it proves to be a genuine treasure, I’ll reward you with one in return,” Xiao Ming replied, grinning.

Lu Tong’s delight was evident as he beamed widely. He then retrieved a cylindrical item from his pocket and set it down on the desk.

Spotting this object, Xiao Ming immediately offered a thumbs up. “Truly a treasure. It was wise of me to bring you from the grasslands years back.”

Grinning, Lu Tong responded, “Your Majesty has a keen eye for talent. Would Your Majesty care to test this battery?”

What Lu Tong presented was a battery. Once electricity spread through Qingzhou, Xiao Ming tasked Lu Tong with recreating battery tech during his free moments.

Through sporadic efforts, he had adapted the lab battery’s principles into this zinc cylinder.

“You’ve grown quite eloquent lately. Here, pass me the light bulb,” Xiao Ming remarked, extending his hand for the bulb with its two wires from Lu Tong. He linked the terminals, and instantly, the bulb glowed.

Beneath that soft illumination, Xiao Ming’s face lit with satisfaction. Batteries would resolve numerous issues for powering devices in remote areas.

As Xiao Ming tested the battery, Lu Tong elaborated, “Your Majesty, this is a zinc-manganese dry cell battery. Currently, it’s the most straightforward technology to produce.”

Xiao Ming nodded approvingly. A dry cell battery featured an electrolyte turned into a paste with binders like sawdust or starch gelatin. Since its electrolyte didn’t leak, it earned the name dry cell.

Flashlight and radio batteries fell under this dry cell type. The zinc-manganese dry cell’s design was fairly basic, merely assembling a carbon rod, zinc casing, manganese dioxide, and binder. Back in 1860 of the modern timeline, such dry cell batteries had been developed.

“Excellent, this is fantastic. Now, with dry cell batteries, portable wireless comms won’t pose a challenge anymore,” Xiao Ming stated, smiling broadly.

Additionally, basic portable lights such as flashlights ought to be produced for both military use and civilian benefit.

Upon hearing this, Lu Tong noted, “Your Majesty, it’s quite timely. On my way here, I stopped by the physics academy’s lab and learned that electron tubes have been successfully created. Wireless communication appears within reach now.”

This news didn’t catch Xiao Ming off guard. Given the current industrial capabilities, crafting these straightforward inventions with known methods was no great feat.

Beyond telegraphy, wireless tech, and batteries, Xiao Ming had also slated telephones for development in his plans.

This initiative aligned with his directives to the Cabinet. Telegraphy felt too inflexible; widespread wired phones would streamline information exchange even further.

Moreover, as the Empire’s lands grew, Xiao Ming urgently required robust oversight across all areas.

“Wonderful, splendid. The Empire’s tech progress is booming these days. I hardly need to step in; you’re all achieving breakthroughs independently.” Xiao Ming commented with a pleased smile.

Lu Tong replied, “Your Majesty, the academy scholars have trained for more than a decade. If every detail demands Your Majesty’s direct input, how are we any better than incompetents? For basic tech, Your Majesty can simply entrust it to us.”

“This is precisely the outcome I’m thrilled to witness,” Xiao Ming said, filled with pride. The initial hurdles had passed, paving the way for steady advances.

Over just a dozen years, the academies had nurtured tens of thousands of skilled experts. These in turn mentored fresh waves of technicians. Through this ongoing process, the Empire now enjoyed a robust pool of technical expertise.