"Report! The Northern Navy has suffered a crushing defeat. Of more than five hundred vessels of all sizes, facing the Great Millet People fleet, over three hundred were lost, more than one hundred captured, and fewer than one hundred escaped... The Great Millet People fleet suffered only minor losses. Only around ten ships were damaged by fireships, and three sank."
"Report! The Eastern Battery has fallen. The Northern Battery is still holding."
"Report! General Cheng An died for the nation and reincarnated. Six hundred soldiers lost, fifteen enemy killed."
"Report! General Lu Pang died for the nation and reincarnated. Three hundred soldiers lost, five enemy killed."
"Enough!" Lu Old Empress Dowager slammed her hand onto the table.
This outrageous casualty ratio had completely shattered her bottom line.
She had thought that the reforms she had introduced had broken the cycle of Feudal Dynasties and secured her position as Empress Dowager. She had even felt rather pleased with herself.
Everyone called her the greatest sage, the greatest worthy, the greatest wise man, the greatest hero in all of history...
And she had actually begun to believe it.
It couldn't be helped. If everyone said you were wearing clothes, then even if you were naked, you were dressed.
Just don't go traveling in winter.
The senior ministers remained silent as cicadas in winter.
Only war—merciless war—could reveal what a so-called golden age was truly worth.
And the casualty ratio was the clearest possible reflection of strength.
Those who were truly strong would inevitably suffer fewer losses.
Such a vast disparity in casualties clearly showed that the fruits of their centuries of Western Learning were utterly worthless. Everything had been mere window dressing, paint smeared over a paper house. It looked pretty enough, but after wind and rain, all that remained was