Gun

When she woke up the next day, Dairila was nowhere to be found.

Only the sweet fragrance of the quilt proved that this quilt had been fortunate enough to contain the unparalleled beauty of the elven crowned queen for one night. Kang De turned around and crawled under the covers, taking a deep breath.

The warmth has faded; it's been a while since they left.

There was something on the bedside table. Kang De reached over and found a piece of paper.

The first line is "I'm going back".

The second line reads, "I didn't say anything last night, and you're not allowed to mention it again."

The third line reads, "But if you dare forget, I'll kill you."

They are all written in Cathay, which takes into account Kang De's semi-literate nature.

After Tina's longest lecture in three months, lasting only thirty-five minutes, Kang De finally learned to read some words and had entered the realm of semi-literacy.

He remained silent for a moment, then carefully put the paper away.

There was also a box on the table, with a piece of paper on top of it.

"Your mattress was burned; this is compensation."

Kang De paused for a moment before remembering the Flame from last night.

He shook his head and smiled, took the box, and opened it with some anticipation.

Then, the Earthlings' expressions changed drastically.

Although it looks extremely exquisite and beautiful, like a work of art, its shape is subtly different from what he has seen before, giving it a feeling of exotic, modified versions.

But Kang De recognized it at a glance.

There was a pistol in the box.

Ten minutes later, Kang De pushed open the door and turned to see Tina peeking out of her room.

Her long, golden hair cascaded down like a waterfall.

How were you sleeping...?

The princess strode over to Kang De, asking worriedly, "What's wrong?"

Kang De smiled, "I was slightly surprised—though it was expected, it still took me by surprise. They are indeed not to be underestimated..."

Tina blinked. "What?"

"A gift," Kang De replied, "A reminder."

Princess Goth, puzzled, casually took Kang De's arm. "I don't understand—but it sounds like His Majesty the Phoenix King had a pleasant night last night."

It would have been better if we hadn't brought this up. But when we did, Kang De glared at Tina, raised his hand, and slapped her buttocks with a soft "smack," the plump, water-bag-like feel vibrating in his palm.

Tina let out a soft cry, her face flushed, and said pitifully, "I was wrong."

Seeing her feigned meekness, Kang De couldn't resist pinching her cheek. "What were you thinking?"

Princess Kang De clung to his arm, speaking in a nonchalant tone, "Given last night's situation, we can't just send her away. If we leave her here alone tonight, you, Kang De, will definitely sleep in my room, and Her Majesty Dairila will surely be eavesdropping. She'll hear all sorts of things she shouldn't hear... Wouldn't that be terrible? She might even get angry."

As she said this, she revealed an adorable gossip-loving expression—obviously, if an ugly woman gossips, she's called a busybody; but if a beautiful woman gossips, she's called cute.

The princess inquired sweetly, "So, what happened last night?"

Kang De thought about what happened last night— Dairila confided in him.

During this period, she maintained an alliance-like relationship with him, and therefore silently endured the pressure and criticism from within the country, both in politics and among the people.

She can disregard the attacks from politicians.

The disappointment and anger of the families of the fallen soldiers made her feel utterly ashamed.

A competent politician will treat soldiers as tools, war as a political bargaining chip, disregard the brutal casualty figures, show no emotional reaction to the pain of the families of the dead, and may even use an automated signature machine to sign soldiers' death notices because he finds it too troublesome.

But Dairila was not a politician, and all of this became a burden she had to bear alone.

This was the price she paid for choosing and trusting Kang De. The noble Phoenix King always adhered to her own ideas and judgments. She made a pact with Kang De... to defeat the Star Palace, save the Mortal World, and make the elves acknowledge Kang De, his achievements, and the feats he created.

Besides, there are other reasons.

Although it wasn't said explicitly, it was quite clear.

"But don't get me wrong! There's more to it than just that I forgave you!"

That's what Dairila said.

Kang De sighed slowly.

Tina looked at his profile: "What's wrong—"

Before he could finish speaking, Kang De wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him into his embrace.

This embrace was devoid of any romantic intent, even as her exquisitely beautiful and alluring body pressed against his fiery softness through the thin fabric... Kang De simply held Tina quietly.

"Thanks."

He said what he hadn't said last night... though only half of it.

Kang De said softly, "I'm so glad you're in this world."

Tina was initially surprised, but then smiled gently and hugged Kang De back.

"Ah." She rested her head on Kang De's shoulder, her long eyelashes trembling, her eyes, as blue as the sky, closed, and she murmured as if in a dream, "Though unexpected, it is truly an unexpected surprise."

Kang De closed his eyes and whispered, "Wait a little longer... Once we've resolved this pressing matter and secured space for our future development, I'll go take care of my own affairs."

"It's okay," Tina gently patted his back, "I can wait a long time."

The Shogunate meeting was convened again.

The Parrot's absence was to be expected, while Shogunate ministers were present.

Mr. Dong.

Kang De nodded to the Imperial Tutor, who was now all smiles and in good spirits, clearly enjoying a joyful occasion. "Meeting an old friend in a foreign land is indeed one of life's greatest joys."

Dong Tianming smiled and cupped his hands, saying, "This is a joyous occasion, but a small one. According to an old friend of mine, the offensive of the powerful foreign invaders has temporarily ceased, giving Divine Land a chance to catch its breath."

Kang De hesitated for a moment. It was never a good thing to dampen someone's spirits at such a happy moment, but given Dong Tianming's shrewdness and intelligence, he should have thought of it.

He probed indirectly, "Could something be going wrong?"

The Imperial Tutor smiled and said, "Your Majesty is wise. It is indeed unusual that the enemy has temporarily ceased their offensive. However, for the court, whether it is unusual or not, the situation cannot be worse. With the offensive suspended, the Divine Land can take this time to recuperate. Whatever the reason, it is ultimately a good thing."

Kang De nodded and continued, "Then should we...?"

Dong Tianming shook his head. "There are priorities in everything, my lord, you should not be distracted."

This issue has already been discussed.

That is, whether or not to directly intervene in the Cathay conflict now.

Although AWSL Company and Distant Harbor's military industry are still in their infancy and cannot yet supply weapons to Cathay in a continuous manner, there is no need to sell weapons to China to intervene in the war in Cathay.

As long as the Duke of Qin personally goes to the battlefield, he can simply raise his hand and throw a stone to decide which front is attacking cities and seizing territories or repelling the enemy. Forbidden Spell can no longer be used indiscriminately on the mainland, as the feelings of the various states must be taken into account to avoid affecting the harmony and stability of the future united front. But on the side of Cathay, there is no need to worry about that at all.

But Dong Tianming said no.

At least for now, it's not necessary.

Even though he longed to reclaim his homeland, annihilate the enemy, and restore the imperial court, the Imperial Tutor did not advocate intervening in the war against Cathay at this time. Dong Tianming believed that the war against Cathay had been protracted and the situation had become complicated, and it was no longer just a matter of foreign invasion.

The collapse of the Chinese nation in those Cathay was due to the invasion of bloodthirsty and terrifying barbarians from the outside, the rise of treacherous rebels from within taking advantage of the plague, the cunning and deceitful eunuchs in the palace who committed atrocities everywhere, and the treacherous and cunning powerful ministers and wealthy merchants who stirred up trouble in the court. The emergence of these four evils together led to the chaos of the world.

Now that the Empress has ascended the throne, her ministers have worked together to restore order to the court, defend against foreign enemies, and, relying on the solid foundation of the prosperous era, the gradually awakening national consciousness, and the heroes who emerged from the chaos of the times, have managed to hold onto half of the country.

But the scars remain deeply etched on the land, the nation, the court, and the hearts of the people.

The prosperous atmosphere before the collapse of the nation, the sense of responsibility for the rise and fall of the country, and the heroic spirit of the people united as one, all gradually deteriorated in the long period of setbacks and the decline of the end.

"The current situation in the court is far too complex, and the enemies are not only external forces and traitors, but also internal parasites and rotten rats who are more cunning and hidden. Ironically, the four villains are not united and are hostile to each other, which is why the Divine Land has a glimmer of hope."

Dong Tianming explained it this way, "The current situation is a fragile balance... The enemy has not yet captured any cities or territories, and the war has turned into a stalemate. If our lord were to enter the battlefield, with the power of the Forbidden Spell, he could certainly be invincible and reclaim the land. However, with the court's military, manpower, and resources, there is no immediate capacity to launch a northern expedition, recover the lost territories, and allow the people to recuperate. This requires preparation, mobilization, and planning."

"Moreover, if our lord uses swift and decisive methods to crush the enemy and eliminate foreign invaders, the balance will be broken, and internal conflicts will immediately erupt. The corrupt officials and rotten rats hidden within the court and among the people will accelerate the corruption of people's hearts and tempt them to evil..."

"Forbidden Spell can achieve great success in sieges and field battles, but they cannot eliminate the rats hiding in the Shadow. At that time, Cathay will fall into even greater turmoil. Who knows? After all, the external enemies have disappeared, and the internal contradictions suppressed by the external enemies will erupt violently..."

Dong Tianming put it very tactfully, and it took Kang De a while to understand.

To put it simply, the Imperial Tutor felt that all the officials in this court were somewhat involved.

This can be seen from the official titles bestowed upon the Empress—of course, they were the most honorable and unprecedented in history. But upon closer examination, those high-ranking and generous titles, which were beyond reproach, were actually quite impractical.

The few real powers were bestowed directly by the emperor, while the true power to govern the country was merely nominal. This shows that the empress and the court had not reached an agreement on Kang De's attitude.

Therefore, the Imperial Tutor was very cautious on the question of "whether to immediately support the Cathay in its operations".

He knew all too well the quality and problems of this group of court officials, and he also knew Kang De all too well.

--Consider this Dragon of Cathay, who had shown great kindness to Goth by protecting his country. However, after living in Danfeng Lucerne for less than a month, he broke with all the Goth nobles, led by the Grand Duke. The subsequent severe punishment of the nobles from the Distant Harbor also proved that he and the nobles were simply not on the same page.

This old man couldn't even get along with the nobles of Goth's small country. If he were to actually return to Cathay and serve as an official in the court, he would probably be so angry that he would start planning how to massacre the court within three days.

It is precisely for this reason that Dong Tianming believed that Kang De did not need to go to Cathay in the short term.

We should focus our main efforts on conquering the mainland. After all, there hasn't been a major war in Cathay recently. As for returning to the East, it won't be too late once Duke of Qin has established his achievements and amassed a large army.

After all...

You can't just carry out a bloodbath in the court yourself, can you? You need your own troops to cleanse the court of corruption, right?

Returning to the capital alone would only make me a tool for strategic weapons, and I would be targeted by a group of power-hungry court officials, both openly and covertly. But if I return with a massive army, then the tide will be turned in my favor.

"Furthermore, the feelings of the elves must also be considered."

The re-establishment of contact between Distant Harbor and Cathay, and even the eastward journey of the mission, were all facilitated by Twilight Moon, which can be considered a compromise and tacit understanding of a certain magnitude.

Kang De could certainly assemble his own fleet, but the journey was long and the sea conditions were complex, making it difficult to achieve success in the short term. However, if he successfully established a shipping route, it would be a huge stimulus to the Dusk Moon Dynasty — Kang De's unparalleled martial prowess and alchemical military skills, combined with the powerful national strength and manpower of Cathay, would be enough to make the elves feel a great sense of crisis.

The Distant Harbor and the Arcane Council constantly at odds, and the whole continent smells the approaching war. The foolish humans are fighting amongst themselves, and the elves are happy to stand by and watch. In addition, thanks to Dairila's efforts, the elves have maintained a neutral to friendly stance so far.

Once Distant Harbor bypasses Twilight Moon and establishes full contact with Cathay, it might cause the Silver Moon Council to completely change its stance and resolve to do everything in its power to curb Kang De's rise in the Western Continent.

It was precisely because of these considerations that the Shogunate made the decision not to abandon Twilight Moon.

In this way, it would be equivalent to the elves tacitly approving the launch of the Grand Line and the reconstruction of East-West connections by Distant Harbor. Distant Harbor would also have to "fully respect the maritime power of Twilight Moon," which would mean that all maritime trade between the East and West continents would have to be conducted through the elven fleet. In return for this respect, the elves would also increase their aid to Cathay.

This level of political compromise is actually quite remarkable.

The elves knew perfectly well that Kang De was capable of restarting the Grand Line, as evidenced by the increasing number of steel behemoths in Distant Harbor and the Broken Isles. The pointy-eared elves also had to painfully admit that even if Kang De did so, Twilight Moon would be powerless, because the Royal Navy probably couldn't stop those terrifying behemoths, not to mention that Kang De could deploy more warships to any sea area at any time.

In this context, Kang De's "superficial writing" becomes extremely valuable.

He agreed that all maritime trade between Distant Harbor and Cathay would be handled by the Elven fleet, and the Elven people would have to be grateful for this goodwill and sincerity. In return, they would not only do their best to deliver goods and people, but also double their aid to Cathay in exchange for Kang De temporarily refraining from full cooperation with Cathay.

Of course, there were also some underhanded maneuvers—the elves had been aiding Cathay for years, and their soft power infiltration and vested interests were deeply entrenched. They also had many spokespeople in the Cathay court. Taking advantage of this opportunity, they constantly worked to deepen these Easterners' vigilance and hostility towards Kang De, which was a basic tactic.

"Who cares? Since we won't be fully cooperating or directly communicating with Cathay anytime soon, the elves are just throwing themselves at us. We all have a bright future."

With this matter settled, Kang De reaffirmed the Imperial Tutor's idea, and the aid to Cathay was temporarily suspended.

After all, even a veteran official of Cathay said he was sluggish.

"To take something, you must first give something. I'm sure His Majesty understands this principle. Therefore, Duke of Qin, please be patient. Although the official appointment is grand, it's ultimately meaningless. Please observe the sincerity of Cathay first."

Upon hearing Dong Tianming's explanation, Kang De nodded in agreement.

"The members of the mission from Cathay have all learned the Continental Common Language on the ship, which is a pleasant surprise; communication shouldn't be a problem," he said. "After last night's banquet, they should have developed an initial sense of belonging to the Distant Harbor. The next step is to help them fully integrate and become familiar with their roles."

Dong Tianming and Hong San both nodded.

Hong San laughed and said, "Your Highness should be extremely skilled at this."

"That's right—the Little Genius children's smartwatches they're being provided are ready. They'll have to perform well to get promoted and become DD-Boy. The daily and weekly tasks are almost finished."

Kang De proudly stated, "We have already discussed the specific general direction. These three thousand-plus people who have crossed the sea to the east will be assigned to different departments according to their expertise and positions. We will use a mentorship system to familiarize them with the operational models and specific situations of the various departments in the Distant Harbor. Soldiers will go to the army, officials to the government, artisans to workshops, researchers to the Truth Office..."

Horus's mechanical voice was calm and monotonous. "The beauty has gone to the Sound of the Tide Manor."

Except for Leona, the ministers all burst out laughing.

Kang De blushed and glared at his Iron Son.

Okay, stop laughing.

He gestured with his hand, saying, "Let's leave the topic of the Eastward Expeditionary Mission here. Each department should proceed with its own procedures, absorbing and settling them down, appointing the virtuous and capable—next, the issue of war."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expression turned solemn.

War.

Those seated here are the core figures of Kang De Shogunate, assisting Kang De in managing numerous affairs in the Distant Harbor, the Broken Isles, the underworld, and Valentan, almost indistinguishable from the cabinet.

They listened to Kang De's ideas and thought processes, refined Kang De's commands, and ensured that these commands could be implemented. Therefore, they were also aware of Kang De's decisions and what would happen next.

The most important thing is war.

Kang De aimed to establish the Distant Harbor's superior international status through a military victory on the main battlefield, breaking the old mainland powers' fear and exclusion of the Distant Harbor, and thus joining the ranks of the great powers.

The chosen opponent is the Arcane Council.

The war of words over the past few months, from trade war to political conflict, has escalated the situation. The whole continent has sensed the smell of war, but no one knows it.

It's unknown when war will break out.

It's unclear what reason it will take to unfold.

It's unclear in what form it will take.

It's unclear how it will end.

"We need to conduct another war simulation because I received a lot of new intelligence and clues last night." Kang De glanced at the whiteboard beside him. "The first thing is weaponry."