After unexpectedly obtaining a solution to the crisis from Hu Hao, the Emperor and the Crown Prince stayed up through the night to discuss the specific implementation. The two deliberated in the study for over two hours; by the time the Crown Prince returned to his quarters, it was past 1:00 AM.
Meanwhile, Hu Hao sat in his conference room for nearly an hour, contemplating his next moves. He had to figure out how to resolve the immediate crisis: not only did he have to repel the Allied invasion, but he also had to secure the Emperor's trust to officially authorize his troop expansion.
At present, Hu Hao harbored no treasonous ambitions regarding the expansion; he simply wanted enough troops to ensure his own survival. Facing the massive Allied invasion, the Empire's aristocratic generals had proven utterly incompetent. To survive, Hu Hao had to expand his power, otherwise, he would be swept away by the tides of war and die without even knowing how it happened.
Leaving the conference room, Hu Hao returned to the command center to check the situation in Yonghe City. The battle was still raging, but his troops were fighting well.
The dozen or so veteran regimental commanders were directing the defense flawlessly. The newly arrived commanders were observing and learning rapidly. The veterans actively shared their combat experience—how to deploy troops, the optimal timing for counter-attacks, and how to coordinate with adjacent units.
After watching the feeds for a while, Hu Hao went back to his quarters to sleep. The situation in Yonghe City was stable; it no longer required his micromanagement.
Early the next morning, Hu Hao woke up and headed straight to the command center, only to find that the Allied forces had halted their offensive.
"The Allied forces ceased their attack around 4:00 AM today. They fought all night, but we didn't yield an inch, leaving a field of corpses in their wake. It is still raining heavily in Yonghe City.
"Our reserve units have already rotated in to relieve half of the frontline defending troops. Furthermore, the five veteran regiments quietly withdrew from Yonghe City around 3:00 AM. They have arrived safely in Wulin City and are currently dispersing to their new assignments according to your orders.
"Additionally, two fresh divisions will arrive to reinforce Jinhe City this morning, and another three divisions will reach Yonghe City!" a senior staff officer reported, updating Hu Hao on the events that transpired while he slept.
"Excellent. We finally have a few combat-capable units on our hands!" Hu Hao nodded with a satisfied smile.
"We now have roughly nine divisions that have been blooded in actual combat. In the future, we'll undoubtedly have even more veteran units!" the staff officers beamed, sharing in his optimism.
"Alright, it's raining outside, and there isn't much pressing business. I'll use this morning to give you all a class!" Hu Hao announced to the officers in the room.
"Yes, sir!" the officers responded enthusiastically.
Over the past few days, they had been devouring the tactical manuals and case studies Hu Hao had written. The materials were a revelation; they had never encountered such practical, devastating tactics at the military academy.
Furthermore, Hu Hao had appended new variables and hypothetical scenarios to the end of each case study, forcing the officers to devise their own solutions to secure victory under shifting conditions. The officers had been obsessively studying these materials, often gathering in makeshift classrooms outside the bunkers to debate the tactics, sometimes arguing until they were red in the face.
After breakfast, Hu Hao began his lecture in the command center. He broadcast the session live to Bai Ye, Wu Kexiao, and the other remote commands, allowing any officer not currently on active duty to listen in.
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Capital, the Emperor delivered a nationwide public address. The core of his speech incorporated everything Hu Hao had suggested the previous night, alongside newly announced, merit-based promotion pathways for common soldiers.
"Too ruthless!" Grand Marshal Tang Long gritted his teeth as he sat in his living room, watching the Emperor's broadcast.
"Father, isn't this a good thing? Our Empire should be united against the Allied forces anyway. Surrendering offers no hope; His Majesty just made it clear that the invaders are here to steal our land and exterminate our people! If we surrender, we die anyway!" a middle-aged man standing nearby argued.
This was Tang Yingjie, Tang Long's eldest son, who had been commanding troops on the western front until Tang Long urgently recalled him yesterday.
"What do you know?!" Tang Long stood up and sharply rebuked his son. Tang Yingjie looked at his father in confusion.
"Do you honestly think our Empire can stop the Allied forces? Do you have any idea how massive their armies are?" Tang Long demanded sternly.
"His Majesty just stated it was a coalition of 69 nations," Tang Yingjie replied quietly.
"Exactly! 69 nations! Do you think our Empire's depleted forces can hold against that?!" Tang Long pressed.
"Even if we can't hold them, we have to try! If we offer zero resistance, aren't we just waiting to die?" Tang Yingjie countered.
"Hmph. Death? That is the fate of the commoners. Our family's destiny must remain in our own hands!" Tang Long scoffed coldly, sitting back down.
Tang Yingjie's eyes widened in realization. "Father... you... you haven't been in contact with the Allied forces, have you?"
"What do you know about it?! If we don't negotiate, our entire family will be wiped out! The Empire cannot withstand this invasion.
"Damn it! To think His Majesty would use this exact tactic to chain all the aristocratic families to his sinking ship! It's too ruthless! Now, even if we wanted to contact the Allied forces, we can't! Forget the commoners; our own Guard Regiments would slaughter us if they found out! Damn it, how did he think of this?!" Tang Long cursed, slamming his fist against the armrest.
"Father, you... you are the Grand Marshal of the Empire! How could you even consider collaborating with the invaders?! Father, you haven't seen the front lines. If you had, you would never entertain this thought.
"The Allied forces will leave no survivors. Even if they promise us safety now, they will slaughter us later. They don't even spare the children; do you think they'll spare us? Will they waste their precious grain feeding us?
"Furthermore, our family has accumulated massive wealth. Do you honestly believe they'll just let us keep it?!" Tang Yingjie pleaded desperately.
"We can forfeit the wealth, as long as we secure the lives of our family members!" Tang Long argued stubbornly.
"Without wealth and power, why would they keep you alive?! To waste their food?! Father, wake up! Surrender equals death! I refuse to surrender! I would rather die a quick death on the battlefield!" Tang Yingjie shouted, deeply anxious.
"What's the point of arguing about it now?! His Majesty's speech just sealed off our only exit! If we attempt further contact, word will inevitably leak, and the civilian mobs will tear us apart!" Tang Long paced the room, fraught with anxiety.
At the Ma family estate, Ma Zhenling also let out a heavy sigh after watching the Emperor's address. He turned to a Lieutenant General standing beside him.
"Tell the third brother to cease all contact with the Allied forces immediately. If he continues, it will bring extermination upon our entire clan!"
"Yes, sir!" The Lieutenant General nodded and hurried out.
"You are truly ruthless, forcing us to our deaths. Sigh," Ma Zhenling muttered to himself, referring to the Emperor.
This exact scene played out across the estates of all the major aristocratic families. They frantically terminated all secret negotiations with the Allied coalition.
If they continued and the Emperor exposed them, it would be a death sentence. The private armies they controlled would instantly mutiny. The soldiers already harbored deep resentment toward the aristocratic families; if they learned their commanders intended to sell them out to the butchers, they would turn their guns on their masters without hesitation.
Even their elite, hand-picked Guard Regiments couldn't be trusted. While many guardsmen were distant relatives of the main clan, the Emperor's speech had explicitly highlighted that the Allied forces would likely only spare the immediate core family members, leaving the distant relatives to be slaughtered. Realizing they would be sacrificed, the guardsmen would undoubtedly shoot their masters in the back.
Trapped by the Emperor's brilliant political maneuver, the treasonous aristocratic families slammed on the brakes, terrified of taking another step.
Hu Hao remained blissfully ignorant of the political earthquake shaking the Imperial Capital. The secure comms link didn't broadcast the capital's news feeds, and Hu Hao was entirely focused on lecturing his officers from morning until past 5:00 PM.
After concluding a full day of classes, Hu Hao returned to his private office.
Just as he sat down, Mo Qin hurried in holding a decoded telegram. "Hao-ge, our recon units report that two Allied tank divisions and two mechanized infantry divisions have arrived at Ninghe City, roughly 120 kilometers from Jinhe City! They arrived around noon today. As of this evening, they have not broken camp, and no further reinforcements have been spotted moving toward our sector!"
"Hm? Only four divisions?" Hu Hao asked, slightly surprised.
"Yes, just four divisions. Currently, our deep-penetration recon units haven't detected any other massive troop movements heading our way. Our scouts have deployed to villages and towns up to 200 kilometers out, monitoring all the primary highways," Mo Qin confirmed.
"Excellent! This is great news for us!" Hu Hao nodded in profound relief.
He had been deeply concerned that the Allied High Command had seen through his deception and would mass an overwhelming force to crush his training grounds. But based on this modest deployment, it seemed the Allied coalition was still operating under a miscalculation.