The mediation work between Wu and Gui presided over by Li Jiu, Prime Minister of Shu, ultimately failed because Wu and Gui did not admit their mistakes to each other.
When the well-informed people in Europe saw this situation, they already realized that a war between Wu and Gui would definitely break out.
Some people in these countries applauded, while others frowned.
Businessmen from all over the world even had their factories work in three shifts to urgently produce a large number of industrial products.
After the war breaks out, the prices of various materials will inevitably rise sharply.
Wu and Gui have always ignored mediation.
They all use the power of the country to control the battlefield of public opinion and promote information that is beneficial to their respective countries.
…
October 29, 4357 (1660 AD).
In the Gui Palace, an imperial meeting was secretly held.
Gui Wang Qutian said with a solemn expression: "My last question is whether the military is ready for war.
The outcome of this war marks the rise or decline of our country.
This war is a gamble on the fate of the country.
I don't want to use the word gambling, but there are no appropriate words to describe it.
Since we are betting on the fate of the country, we must put all the chips we can use on the gambling table.
The outcome of the war has been decided, and the layout has been fully revealed.
Even if you have chips in your hand, it will be of no use."
Bayi, the Grand Governor of Gui Kingdom, stood up. He first saluted with a military salute and confirmed in a firm tone: "Your Majesty, I am willing to issue a military order.
The army has prepared everything, and all armies have gathered in Fuping Province in the name of disaster relief.
With a single order from the Governor-General, the army could rush into Wu's territory.
There is a long border between my country and Wu, and a few places have obvious mountains and rivers.
Most of the national borders are in plain areas.
There is no such thing as an unstoppable strategic pass.
This is also the deep-seated reason why my country and Wu are bound to have conflicts.
The two countries are close together, and the border is so long that there is no reliable terrain for defense.
No country’s security can be guaranteed.”
When Gui Wang Qutian heard this, he waved his hands and said: "Ba Aiqing only needs to state the facts truthfully.
The situation has developed to such an extent that war is inevitable.
Even if I don't want to fight, the people in the country won't do it.
Especially for the people affected by the disaster in Fuping Province, their grievances must be released.
The grievances of these people will not be borne by Wu State, but we will bear them."
Governor Bayi's face turned red, but he was very thick-skinned and quickly returned to normal.
What he just said is indeed a bit far-fetched.
But he also tried to find ways to increase his leverage in starting a war.
The army has been preparing for too long, if this breath is released.
He himself is the best person to take the blame, and he will definitely use it to calm the anger of the army.
When Governor Bayi heard what King Gui Qutian said, he knew that he was overthinking it.
He went on to describe the military's preparations.
"The border between Fuping Province and the State of Wu is a flat plain.
Floods just broke out in Fuping Province, and all roads and bridges were washed away by the floods.
Wu Guo knows this situation, so they must be strengthening defense in other aspects, and will not be too concerned about the defense in the direction of smoothing the province.
Our army assembled two eighty tanks and more than a hundred heavy artillery pieces of various types.
More than 20,000 troops launched a surprise attack, and I was confident that the battlefield would be fought in the state of Wu.
As long as our army strikes first, Wu will bear all the damage caused by the war.
In this way, our country's combat potential is not affected, and military factories can produce large amounts of ammunition.
As long as our army can hold the border, even if it falls into a tug-of-war like that between Chu and Song in the colonies.
The two countries really cannot fight each other, and the price we have to pay is very limited.
Once Wu Guo invades, it is impossible to predict how much our country will suffer.
In the most miserable scenario, most of the country may be in flames of war.
Once it reaches this level, even if our country wins in the end, it will be a tragic victory."
Governor Bayi truthfully stated the preparations of the Governor's Mansion.
But he still couldn't help but add his own subjective judgment at the end of this sentence.
Gui Wang Qutian nodded and said: "The governor's office is well prepared. Twenty thousand people is indeed the maximum force our country can mobilize.
The troops stationed in all directions cannot be mobilized until the moment of life and death.
Otherwise, other countries bordering our country may have ideas by then.
In this war between our country and Wu, whichever country loses too much strength will inevitably be attacked by a group of people."
When Guangxi Prime Minister Tong Hegui saw the report from the Governor's Office completed, he also reported the cabinet's preparations.
"The Metropolitan Governor's office is only responsible for commanding operations and does not need to worry about the supply of supplies.
The cabinet has mobilized domestic factories to fully produce weapons and ammunition.
Our country also imports a large amount of weapons, ammunition, raw materials and medicines from the empire.
As long as the military exerts its power on the front line, many people will definitely invest in our country.
We will have enough silver coins to purchase supplies from the empire, and there will be no need to worry about shortages on the front line.
The better the performance of the front line, the more sufficient supplies the front line will have."
Prime Minister Tong Hegui knows that wars in the age of firearms not only compete with the fighting will of soldiers, but also with the quantity of weapons and ammunition.
It is normal for a small-scale battle to consume tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition.
He wants to give Jianfang enough reassurance that the country can normally supply the military's weapons and ammunition consumption.
Prime Minister Tong Hegui changed the topic and introduced: "Our country has formed alliances with Tang, Chu, Rui and other countries.
These allies will only give us limited help in the war, and their main purpose is to make war profits.
But if Wu’s allies fall, they will fall as well.
These countries are not stupid. They will never sit back and watch an alliance gradually eliminate the rest of Europe and eventually become the hegemon in the European region.
The country of Rui is very special. It is also an ally of Wu Guoming.
This kind of white-eyed wolf ally is not worthy of trust, but we cannot completely push Rui to Wu's side.
Switzerland's military industry is relatively developed, and we can import some cheap weapons from Switzerland."
Gui Wang Qutian waved his hand and said: "I have already anticipated this situation.
There are no loyal allies, they are all fence-sitters.
Switzerland just performed more outstandingly.
No matter it is an ally of our country or an ally of Wu, whoever wins will help whom.
These allies will only be the icing on the cake and will never provide help in times of need."
King Gui Qutian listened to the opinions of other officials.
Gui State officials unanimously believed that war between the two countries was inevitable, and their preemptive attitude could effectively reduce Gui State's losses.
Prime Minister Tong Hegui saw that Gui Wang Qutian's attitude was very obvious, but he still had a little doubt.
He also understood the attitude of King Gui Qutian very well.
Gui Guo will lose this war if he makes one careless move.
In addition to clinging to the empire's thighs, Gui Guo safeguarded the empire's interests in Europe.
All other ambitions and aspirations vanished into thin air.
Any choice Gui Guo makes can change Gui Guo's future destiny.
Once the choice is made, there is absolutely no regret.
Gui Wang Qutian made such a choice, no matter how cautious he acted, it was normal.
Prime Minister Tong Hegui knew that Gui must seize the opportunity as soon as possible.
The Gui State has a lot of fine work in our country, and the Wu State has no less fine work in the Gui State.
Nowadays, there is such a thing as wireless telegraphy, which transmits information too fast.
Once Wu is prepared and Gui makes up his mind, he will have to pay several times the casualties.
Prime Minister Tong Hegui said in a gentle tone: "Wu is close to the sea, so they can take advantage of the Mediterranean to develop maritime trade.
With the development of the African region, cheaper resources will inevitably be produced.
Wu State's national power will grow very quickly with the help of these cheap resources through sea transportation.
In the foreseeable future, the gap in sea trade between my country and Wu will widen the gap in national strength.
Now our country and Wu have become enemies.
Taking action now can also vent the accumulated grievances of the people, and this period is also the period when the gap between the two countries is smallest."
Grand Governor Bayi couldn't help but stand up and said: "Your Majesty, this war cannot be decided by our country alone.
According to the news collected from the State of Wu, the State of Wu is stepping up preparations for war.
Whether it is producing a large number of weapons and ammunition, or recruiting a large number of troops.
This all requires huge costs.
Wu State has already invested in the war, and they cannot let this investment go to waste.
If our country continues to hesitate, Wu State may catch our country by surprise.
There are indeed many fortifications on the border between the two countries.
But if you defend for a long time, you will lose. The initiative in war has always been in the hands of the attacker."
When Grand Governor Bayi talked about the state of Wu, he was also talking about the situation in the state of Gui.
Gui Guo is now preparing to go to war and has invested hundreds of thousands of taels of silver coins.
This war has not started, and this large-scale investment has no effect at all.
Both Wu and Gui found it difficult to bear this loss.
When King Qutian of Gui heard what Prime Minister Tong Hegui and Governor Bayi said, he couldn't help but sigh.
Before the advent of railways, most developed places were along rivers and seasides.
Even after the advent of railways, more than 80% of large cities with a population of one million still appear on the seaside.
The profound reason for this is that the cost of shipping is extremely low.
The cargo transported by a giant ship of 10,000 tons requires dozens of heavy-duty trains to equal the amount.
The freight charges required by the two modes of transportation are also very different.
When other costs are similar, transportation costs are very important.
Even if Wu's bullets are only a penny cheaper than Gui's, Wu will definitely win in the end.
Wu and Gui have invested a lot of resources in this war.
The machine of war has begun to turn, and it will never stop just by saying it stops.
Forcibly stopping a machine may cause greater damage.
Gui Wang Qutian's last doubt disappeared. No matter how the army fought, sending troops at this moment was not a wrong decision.
He issued the order with a solemn expression: "I will send orders to the troops on the front line to launch an attack on Wu.
The Metropolitan Governor's Office is responsible for this war and must bring out the strength of our army.
From this moment onwards, the State of Wu has officially entered a state of war."
Governor Bayi immediately stood up and saluted excitedly: "I obey your order."
Prime Minister Tong Hegui stood up equally excitedly and said: "Your Majesty, please rest assured that I will definitely handle the relevant matters."
The telegraph machine in Gui Palace was running at high speed, and the phone kept ringing.
A little golden-haired eunuch held the microphone and handed it over respectfully.
"Your Majesty, General Lan Ke's call has been answered."
Gui Wang Qutian took the microphone.
"Hello, General Lan Ke, I'm Qu Tian."
"Your Majesty, Lan Ke, obeys the king's instructions."
"I order the troops on the front line to launch an attack on Wu."
"I obey the king's order and launch an attack on the state of Wu."
Gui Wang Qutian smiled and said: "I am in Xuanjing, waiting for General Lan Ke's triumphant return."
"I will live up to the king's trust."
Gui Wang Qutian hung up the phone and looked at the map in a daze.
What he can do has been done, and now he can only wait for the performance of the frontline generals.
Gui Wang Qutian was born as a front-line general. He knew that front-line generals fighting on the front line hated high-level remote control command the most.
People who are far away from the battlefield certainly cannot have a better understanding of the battlefield than frontline generals who have been on the battlefield in person and have rich combat experience.
The consequences of indiscriminate command from the rear usually lead to the defeat of the army.
When King Qutian of Gui chose the generals on the front line, he gave them full trust.
Unless he makes a fatal mistake, he will never interfere with the general's command.
…
Heyuan Prefecture, Fuping Province, is one of the few places in Fuping Province that was less affected by the disaster.
It is also the location where the Gui Army garrisoned troops.
General Lan Ke put down the phone in his hand, feeling very excited.
This call went directly to Gui Wang Palace, and he could distinguish the voice of Gui Wang Qutian very clearly.
The Gui army now has orders to attack Wu.
General Lan Ke has been waiting for this order to be issued for this period of time.
The fighting will of the army was high, and they all wanted to attack the State of Wu and avenge the disaster-stricken compatriots.
Most of his troops participated in the disaster relief work in Fuping Province.
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! When they saw the tragic situation of their compatriots in the disaster area, the anger in their hearts was already burning.
The Metropolitan Governor's Office used various methods to maintain the anger in the army.
General Lan Ke was a little scared if the imperial court canceled its preparations to attack Wu.
He was very worried about a camp roar or rebellion in the army.
Lan Ke loudly ordered: "Inform the generals of each army to come to the headquarters for a meeting as soon as possible."
He only waited for a short while before the roar of the car engine sounded outside the tent.
After Commander Xu Jin got out of the car, his loud voice rang out.
"General Lan, what is the court's attitude?
The awesome guys under me couldn't help but want to rush over when they saw Wu's patrolling army.
If you continue to wait like this, there is a high probability of a misfire.
The situation here in Heyuan Prefecture, if there is a misfire, it will lead to the fate of all armies.
With an orderly battle plan, we can control it.
This disorderly situation makes it difficult to conduct effective command."
General Lan Ke said with a smile: "You kid, don't criticize me.
You guys are so active, so I will leave the main attack task to you.
Before the support of Wu's army, Wu's turtle shell cannot be taken.
This general has dismissed you from your post."
General Lan Ke issued the order directly without discussing the battle plan.
During this time, they repeatedly discussed the battle plan.
Everyone involved can almost recite the battle plan by heart.
General Lan Ke only needs to issue the order to fight.
Commander Xu Jin was stunned for a moment, then he came to his senses.
"General Lan, your order is correct. The imperial court has issued an order to attack."
General Lan Ke took it directly and handed the telegram he had just received to everyone for viewing.
"The king personally gave the order to the general via phone to start the war.
Subsequently, the order to start the war was reissued via telegram."
Commander Xu Jinjin said excitedly: "I accept my order from my humble position."
The troops prepared on the front line of Gui State received combat orders, lifted their disguise, and the army began to attack Wu State's defense line.
