Munitions Empire

Outside Fengjiang City, Bolton pulled out a chair for the bartender from far away, who rarely wore the intelligence department's military uniform, "So, we've been tricked?"

"Yes, the foreign affairs department has already retaliated with their own ruse, and now the remaining work is up to you and me." The tall and muscular bartender sat down, taking the cup from Bolton's hand, "In the past, I was always the one pouring drinks for others."

"Mmm, I remember when I went to the Silver Fox Tavern in Brunas, you were behind the bar, looking like a gang leader." Bolton turned around and grabbed his own cup from the table.

His command post was now set up inside a factory building on the outskirts of Fengjiang City, where fierce battles had erupted when it was occupied, and he could still pick bullets out of the bullet holes in the walls.

Compared to the wooden houses inside the city, the factory was considerably more solid. Built by an owner eager to make money at great cost, it had survived the war without being destroyed.

The windows on the roof had already been repaired, especially since the weather outside was quite cold by this time, particularly at night, with the chilly winds carrying the hefty malice of autumn's end.

The soldiers had started constructing field barracks, digging a rectangular pit in the ground, then beginning to support it with wood, and finally covering it with a thick roof, creating accommodations with fairly good camouflage.

If they could be built before winter arrived and stocked with wooden beds, then they wouldn't have to suffer in the cold outdoors.

Every troop at this time had skilled craftsmen; the tall fellow who was terrible at shooting next to you could well be a competent carpenter, while your squad leader might be an angler capable of catching dozens of big fish in winter.

The Tang Army outdoors was constructing enough barracks for overwintering, while the opposing Dahua troops were making similar preparations. Actually, there had been very little fighting here, or at least it seemed that the war had paused since Fengjiang was besieged.

"I am now a gang leader too." The bartender raised his cup, making a toasting gesture, "Back then you were just a kid."

"Don't expose my past embarrassments. I was just a student then; I only went to the Silver Fox Tavern during school holidays to drink some free beverages," Bolton said, scratching his head, seemingly unaware that he was soon to be promoted to a higher rank.

After that, Bolton took a sip of his drink and then asked, "What do you need from me this time?"

"His Majesty's intent is that since the enemy no longer wants General Feng Kezhi, we might as well take him in."

"To capture him alive?" Bolton curiously asked.

"Preferably... Moreover, His Majesty also seems to want to test if the special forces trained over the years are actually effective," the bartender replied openly without hiding anything, "There's no absolute order; probably it's also to take General Qian's feelings into account."

Qian Jinhang had arrived in Chang'an and had accepted the position of Chief of Staff of the Tang Country, essentially receiving a Major General rank.

Rank-wise, he was higher than the surrendered Generals Bai Fei and Lu Qianshan from Zheng Country.

You see, Bai Fei and Lu Qianshan had become executioners, creating massive turmoil, and each had managed to secure a Major General rank, finally obtaining a formal identity in the military.

Now, Bai Fei was working in the intelligence department, assisting the bartender, known for his brutal and decisive actions, a far cry from his previous aimless life in Zheng Country.

Lu Qianshan had found a position as a naval officer, now working under Bernard and taking a straightforward path, currently doing quite well in the Navy.

Due to his outstanding capabilities, and because he had defected with nearly 600,000 surrendering troops during unclear battle situations, Qian Jinhang had been given a higher starting point than the two generals from Zheng Country.

Now serving in the Staff Department, he was still adjusting, assisting Luff and had come up with many good ideas.

Don't think that such an old soldier was out of place commanding a modern army like the Tang's; based on his experience, he could offer many strategic suggestions.

Including Feng Kezhi, these generals from old eras weren't foolish, they just weren't accustomed to modern warfare. However, their insights were far more impressive than what the military academy quick courses in the Great Tang could teach.

"General Feng Kezhi is a Great General in the Dahua Empire, if he surrenders, giving him a Major General rank here might not be appropriate, it would be awkward when he meets General Qian in meetings," Bolton nodded, understanding the nuance.

You see, if we were to nonchalantly give a high military rank to any surrendering enemy general, the value of a Tang general would be diminished.

Qian Jinhang had set a precedent by leading a large army to defect when the battle situation was still unclear; that doesn't mean that the Tang Kingdom would accept just anyone who came their way.

Even though General Feng Kezhi had a big reputation and strong capabilities, he still needed to be evaluated before any discussions of major responsibilities could be had.

"Brunas also predicted that General Feng Ke was likely within the encirclement of Fengjiang," said the bartender with admiration, "He believes that the Emperor of Dahua, Zhao Kai, is not tolerant of others and Feng Ke knows that he would definitely be held accountable if he returned, so he has no choice but to stay."

"Does he plan to die in battle here?" asked Bolton, very curious.

"Or surrender!" pointed the bartender, "I'm here to handle this situation."

"The same question, how can I coordinate with you?" Bolton swayed his drink, "Consider it a repayment of the favor."

"Alright!" the bartender nodded, "Within two days... crush the Dahua defense forces inside Fengjiang City... can you do it?"

"You really think highly of me, taking down General Feng within two days... you have such confidence in me?" Bolton asked, somewhat mockingly.

"Dorne's twins, eh... Don't you want to be one of the Empire's twins?" the bartender replied with a provocative smile.

Bolton couldn't suppress his curiosity, "Why do you think I can definitely achieve this?"

"Because... the Emperor of Dahua hopes you can," said the bartender, leaning closer to Bolton and lowering his voice, "There will be a faction in the Dahua military that will surrender, opening a gap for you."

"Damn, betraying their own kind is something they're good at." Hearing the bartender, Bolton immediately understood: The other side wanted to eliminate General Feng by using the Tang Army to kill this troublesome 'Great General.'

Their tactic was rather straightforward: in Dahua, some generals would follow the Emperor's orders and choose to surrender swiftly during the Tang Army's offense.

This secret was originally not meant to be known by Tang Country, but some in the Dahua Empire were somewhat petty, fearing heavy losses, and reluctant to return these troops loyal to the Royal Family.

Thus, they had no choice but to "leak" their strategy early to Tang Country, hoping for collaboration to quickly repatriate these troops.

Of course, Dahua had high hopes in their strategy, thinking that Tang Country was unaware of General Feng Ke's situation. From their perspective, only their top officials knew General Feng's whereabouts and believed it impossible for the information to leak.

But in reality, Tang Country had already almost confirmed General Feng was in Fengjiang City and had initiated a series of operations against him.

The plan from Tang Country's Staff Department was simple: if possible, rely on special forces to capture General Feng.

If this man could be useful, then they would retain him; for Tang Country, the value of one General Feng far exceeded 100,000 Dahua captives.

If he proved disobedient, they must ensure this man dies in Fengjiang. This was why the bartender did not insist on capturing him alive. Simply put, the orders from above were "bring him back dead or alive."

"There's nothing more to say then. I'll order the assault in two hours, as per instructions. As long as the enemy surrenders, we will accept," understood Bolton, knowing the bartender wouldn't have shared this if the intelligence wasn't accurate.

"No need for extensive artillery preparation. Just show a little force, and they'll raise the white flag," the bartender downed his drink and placed the glass on the map of Fengjiang City, "I'm going to coordinate the special forces operation. Give me some time to get them acquainted with the maps and infiltrate in advance... Start your assault four hours later, alright?"

"No problem! Do you want me to provide some heavy support?" Bolton asked with a sly smile.

"What?" the bartender, having never observed the battlefield directly, was a bit puzzled by Bolton's statement.

"I could deploy tanks and armored vehicles for assault at the location you need, to support your men," Bolton confidently laid out his plan, "If you need, air force jets and dive bombers can also join the battle."

"You know, in the military, overconfidence is frowned upon... Even when a lion fights a rabbit, it uses all its strength. You shouldn't be careless," Bolton, confident in his expertise, reminded the bartender to avoid any mistakes.

"You've grown up since those days at the Silver Fox Tavern, kid," the bartender, who was much taller than Bolton, patted his shoulder, "You all have grown up, into reliable men."

He walked towards the door, smiling, "Let your tanks and planes stand by. There's advanced communications equipment over there; if they locate the target, they'll notify your men for support."

This was the first real external operation executed by the Tang Country special forces. They had conducted missions before but those were within the country, somewhat resembling training exercises.

However, this time, they were to venture deep into enemy lines to find a man named General Feng Ke.