The echoes of the Changluo Railway still lingered, but the industrial behemoth of the Han dynasty had already turned its attention westwards, its dark wheels firmly fixed on the endless yellow sands.
Beyond Yumen Pass — once a desolate land of camel bells and white bones — tens of thousands of Han engineers in grey-blue overalls were pushing massive, steam-powered rail-laying machines and forcibly laying a straight, silver track through the gravel and sand.
"Lift!" With Gongshu Qi's command, the steam crane groaned heavily. A special manganese steel rail, ten zhang long and emitting a cold blue glow, was lowered steadily onto the Gobi Desert beyond Yumen Pass, producing a crisp 'clang' that echoed deep into the thick Gobi soil. For the Han Dynasty, this was an extension of civilisation; for the Western Regions, it was a noose around their throats.
[System Real-Time Support]
Loading: Sand Control and Stabilisation – Desert Railway Laying Reinforcement Package
Core technologies: Straw Checkerboard Sand-Stabilising Array, Polymer Soil Stabiliser, Sand-Removing Locomotive Barrier Plate
Judgment: The desert is no longer a graveyard for railways, but a breeding ground for steel.
In the state banquet hall of the Daming Palace in Chang'an, envoys from the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions, including Kucha, Wusun and Dayuan, sat cross-legged on the floor. Although delicacies and fine wines had been laid out before them, they were all restless.
'Gentlemen,' said the Wusun envoy in a low voice, cold sweat dripping from his forehead, 'I've heard that the Han people's "fire dragon" can travel a hundred li in an hour. 'If the railway reaches Chigu City, the Han army could eat flatbread in Chang'an in the morning and roast lamb in our palace by evening!'
'This isn't a road; it's a steel knife hanging around our necks!' The Kucha envoy's hands trembled with nervousness and his eyes were filled with despair.
At that moment, Liu Xun entered the hall. He was dressed in a bright yellow robe and wore a warm smile. He activated his God-Level Acting Skill, 'Generous Sower of Civilisation'.
'Gentlemen, why do you look so worried?' He personally picked up a wine jug and poured a cup of fine grape wine for the Kucha envoy at the front. 'Your Majesty, the railway outside Yumen Pass...'
'Hahaha!' Liu Xun clapped his hands and laughed. His expression was so sincere that it would bring tears to the eyes of even a saint. 'That's a small gift I'm giving to my brothers in the Western Regions!'
Pointing to the silk, porcelain and exquisite manganese steel farm tools on display in the hall, he continued, his tone as calm as a salesman's: 'With the railway open, Han silk can be delivered in half a day, eliminating the threat of bandits. The stones in your mountains and the black oil underground can be exchanged for Han gold and silver. It's a win-win situation, a mutual benefit and a path to common prosperity." "
Liu Xun took a sip of wine, a barely perceptible glint of coldness flashing in his eyes. 'The Han Dynasty needs ore to forge a prosperous era. You need resources to improve your people's livelihoods, and this road leads to peace and prosperity. Anyone who blocks this railway is, in effect, blocking their own people from eating. It would pain me greatly."
The envoys exchanged bewildered glances, cursing inwardly. They were taking away ore for steelmaking and sending expensive luxuries and an army capable of destroying a nation in return — was this what they called mutual benefit? But, seeing the row of Dragon Guards behind Liu Xun, wielding sharp manganese steel blades, they could only force smiles that looked more like grimaces. 'Your Majesty is wise; the people of the Western Regions are deeply grateful!' As the banquet was in full swing, the system map in Liu Xun's mind suddenly began to vibrate violently. A dark purple ripple rapidly spread out from the northwest.[System Emergency Report]
The 'Western Sage', aware of the threat posed by the Great Han Railway, has secretly funded the rebels in the Western Regions. A bio-engineered force of 3,000 'mutated sand scorpions' is lurking beneath the quicksand 30 li outside Yumen Pass. Their objective is to destroy the newly laid 'sand-stabilising core section'.
Liu Xun put down his wine cup, a cruel smile playing on his lips. He turned to Gongshu Qi and whispered, 'Order the Yumen Pass garrison to push out the "steam-powered high-pressure flame jet vehicle". Since they want to play with dirt, I'll burn all the sand into crystal!'
Even before the sand scorpions outside Yumen Pass had been burned to a crisp, Liu Xun's gaze had crossed the Guanzhong Plain and landed on Lingnan, a malaria-ridden land separated from the Five Ridges by primeval forests and formidable natural barriers.
This area was a 'blind spot' on the map of the Han Dynasty: high in mountains, dense in forests and teeming with miasma and poisonous insects. Traditional infantrymen entering the forests would suffer heavy losses within three days due to the miasma and malaria, but to Liu Xun, there were no such things as "natural barriers", only obstacles that could be overcome.
'Your Majesty, the Five Ridges are rocky outcrops and the mountains teem with miasma and poisonous insects. The difficulty of excavation is ten times greater than that of Tongguan!' Gongshu Qi looked at the mist-shrouded Qitian Ridge ahead of them, his face showing his difficulty in accepting this.
Liu Xun snorted coldly and urgently patted the 'monster' that had been transported from Chang'an behind him — the 'Great Han No. 1 Steam Tunnel Boring Machine'. It had a massive manganese steel drill bit driven by six sets of high-pressure boilers and was capable of crushing even the hardest granite with each rotation. 'Rumble—Rumble—Rumble!' As 100,000 labourers from southern Xinjiang pulled the winch together, black smoke billowed through the forest as the massive drill forcefully churned through the heart of the Five Ridges. Ridges that would normally take years to traverse were now being pierced by sections of railway track.
Meanwhile, the leaders of the rebellious tribes in Lingnan were hiding deep in the forest, waiting for news that the Han army had run out of supplies.
A Yue chieftain, covered in tattoos, sneered, 'The Han army can't get in. Even if they did, the miasma and lack of provisions in the mountains would leave them to starve in the ravines, just like a hundred years ago.' However, he was unaware that, behind him in the mountain valleys, a long black dragon was approaching.
A Yue chieftain, covered in tattoos, sneered, 'The Han army won't be able to get in. Even if they did, the miasma and lack of provisions in the mountains would leave them to starve in the ravines, just as they did a hundred years ago." However, he was unaware that, behind him in the mountain valleys, a long black dragon was emerging.
[Real-time Logistics Monitoring]
Origin: Chang'an (Guanzhong Plain)
Destination: Lingnan Cangwu County Frontline
Transported supplies: Guanzhong refined wheat, cured luncheon meat (produced by the Royal Food Factory) and fresh dehydrated vegetables.
Transportation time: 48 hours (traditional ox-and-horse transport takes three months).
When steamed Guanzhong wheat cakes arrived at damp military camps in Lingnan, the morale of the Han army soared. Supply was no longer constrained by terrain and logistics became an instant delivery service. The rebellious tribes of Lingnan gathered five thousand elite troops and ambushed the "fire dragon" carrying grain at an unfinished, narrow railway crossing.
"Charge! Kill those road workers and the treasure in the 'fire dragon' is ours!' As the rebels charged out of the dense forest, wielding bamboo crossbows and machetes, the sides of the freight train did not evade them. Instead, with a crisp, mechanical clang, they roared open on both sides.
'Please, gentlemen, sample the new ceremonial implements of the Han dynasty.' Three hundred special forces soldiers, each equipped with a 'basic revolving crossbow', emerged from the carriages like messengers from hell. These crossbows utilised a pre-set elastic module on a steam-powered machine tool for automatic loading. The soldiers only needed to pull the trigger to unleash ten manganese steel bolts in an instant. 'Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
This dense storm of metal engulfed the jungle instantly. The rebels' rattan armour was torn to shreds by the manganese steel arrows. They hadn't even reached the edge of the tracks when they were riddled with holes by this futuristic 'long-range firepower'.
The battle ended remarkably quickly. Liu Xun stepped off the train, his feet crunching over the scattered remains of bamboo crossbows. Looking at the remaining rebels cowering in the distance, he ordered no massacre. Instead, he activated 'Deterrence Performance: The Reshaper of Order.'
'Tell the tribes in the mountains that my railway isn't here to seize territory, but to deliver salt, iron and a way to improve your lives,' said Liu Xun, pointing to the tunnel boring machine which was still rotating. His tone was chilling. 'Follow the tracks and you are my people. Go against them and you are just mud in these mountains.'
As the Wuling Tunnel was fully completed, the system panel glowed with a deep green light.
[System Reward] Achievement Completed: Natural Barrier Disappears – The Five Ridges Artery Opens
Industrial Revolution Progress: 80%
Unlocked technology: highly effective antimalarial drug – primary quinine synthesis method (completely eliminates the miasma threat).
Important foreshadowing: Seeing that the southern expedition is proceeding smoothly, the Western 'Sages' have started to manipulate hurricanes at sea in an attempt to cut off the rubber shipping routes in the South Seas.
Looking at the now connected southeastern borders on the map, Liu Xun muttered to himself, 'The mountains have been pierced, the forests levelled; now it's time for the sea.'
Chang'an was the imperial railway station of the Han dynasty. A biting wind howled, yet the atmosphere on the platform was so fervent that it seemed capable of melting steel. Thirty thousand elite ironclad soldiers, wearing "new-style manganese steel half-body armour" and carrying "basic revolver crossbows", marched in perfect unison onto twelve military trains, resembling lurking black dragons.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Hepu County (present-day coastal Guangxi), the remnants of the Huo clan were forming a blood oath alliance with the powerful local clans that controlled the pearl trade.
'Chang'an is far away, shrouded in mountains and dense forests. Given the usual marching speed of the Han army, it would take them at least three months to gather troops, procure supplies and cross the Five Ridges before they even reached it. Three months is enough time for us to contact the old forces of Nanyue and establish our own independent regime.' The powerful figures raised their cups and laughed. 'His Majesty can play with his "Iron Dragon" in Chang'an while we become "local emperors" in Lingnan. By the time he sends troops, we'll already have built our fortresses. This is what they call 'the emperor is far away'."
At the Chang'an train station, Liu Xun stood on the high reviewing stand, holding a command sword engraved with the characters 'Jianwu'.
'Report! The First Legion has boarded the trains!'
"Report! Supplies and equipment have been loaded!"
Liu Xun activated his Top Performance: The Ruthless Ruler of Order. He turned to look at the envoys accompanying him from various countries and the old party officials who hadn't yet left, a cruel and playful smile playing on his lips.
'I heard those rebels think I'm too slow.' Liu Xun's voice echoed across the platform through the steam loudspeaker. He slowly raised his command sword, pointing south. 'Send word to the rebel leaders: I grant you two months' advance; I can catch up in a day!'
'Whoosh!'
Twelve steam locomotives sounded their whistles simultaneously, their billowing white smoke instantly obscuring the walls of Chang'an.
[System Strategic Perspective] Traditional marching covers 30–40 li per day and involves traversing mountains and valleys, resulting in enormous losses of livestock and oxen.
Military Train Deployment: 40 kilometres per hour, day and night. With the Wuling Tunnel now open, the original 90-day journey has been shortened to 28 hours.
As the military train passed through the Wuling Tunnel, the armoured soldiers inside sat in temperature-controlled, steam-heated seats eating 'high-energy compressed rations' developed by the Academy of Sciences while simultaneously wiping their crossbows. The rebel banners had been raised for less than three days outside Hepu County. Meanwhile, Huo Yun was leisurely directing labourers to build an earthen wall and had not even had time to reward his generals. Suddenly, the earth began to tremble violently.
'Where did that thunder come from?' Huo Yun looked up in astonishment, only to see a plume of black smoke, like a scythe of death, hurtling towards them from the horizon.
The 'Jianwu' locomotive, carrying 30,000 armoured warriors, smashed through the unfinished wooden barricades. Before the train had even come to a complete stop, armoured shields crashed down and hundreds of warriors in black armour surged forth along both sides of the tracks like water bursting from a dam.
'The Han army? How could it be the main force of the Han army?' Huo Yun was so terrified that he couldn't even draw his sword. He stared blankly at the spirited, well-equipped Han soldiers. In less than half an hour, the rebel army collapsed.
The Han army commander, Zhou Meng, kicked open the gate of the prefectural governor's mansion, his boots covered in coal dust slamming into Huo Yun's face. In an icy voice, he said, 'His Majesty says you're too slow; he's getting impatient.'
The news reached Chang'an and spread throughout the province.
The news reached Chang'an and spread throughout the provinces. The previously restless local warlords instantly felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave. This dominance of "space-for-time" and "instantaneous delivery" completely shattered the physical foundations of the ancient generals' regional power struggles.
Strategic passes became mere decorations in the face of the railway, and the saying 'the emperor is far away' became a joke amidst the sound of trains whistling past.
[System Notification] Achievement Completed: Absolute Control of the Han Dynasty's Territory
Popularity: Increased by 1000% (people marvel at the emperor's divine power).
Ambitious individuals' cowardice coefficient: 100%.
Unlocked reward: Basic Wired Telephone System (From now on, the troops will be fast and so will the sound).
Standing in the power laboratory in Luoyang, Liu Xun looked at the first faintly glowing carbon filament lamp and said with a profound gaze: "'Speed is of the essence in war' is just the beginning. When my decrees can be transmitted instantly throughout the land via copper wire, that will truly be my empire.'
While ambitious figures across the land were revelling in the 'miraculous speed' of the railway, the Royal Academy of Sciences' deepest, most secret laboratory in Chang'an was abuzz with activity. Rows of black copper wires wrapped in insulating rubber spread rapidly along the railway embankment in all directions like a spider's web.
Holding a simple, hand-cranked wooden microphone, Liu Xun's eyes revealed a futuristic desire for control.
Two thousand miles away, outside the Jade Gate Pass of the Western Regions Protectorate, in the city of Shule,
General Zhao Polu was anxiously examining a pile of mouldy military rations. He was about to write a memorial to Chang'an complaining about the long journey and month-long delay in official correspondence when he was suddenly startled by the sharp, urgent ringing of a bell, almost causing him to draw his sword: 'Ring-a-ling—ring-a-ling—!'
It came from a small wooden box covered in copper wire that had been placed beside his command post. Cautiously picking up the black microphone, Zhao Polu followed the instructions given by the Embroidered Uniform Guard and held it to his ear.
'Zhao Polu, is the sandstorm strong in Shule City?' The voice was clear and authoritative with a metallic resonance; yet it sent a chill down Zhao Polu's spine — it was the voice of His Majesty, Liu Xun.
'Your Majesty... Your Majesty?' Zhao Polu dropped to his knees before the empty command post and began to kowtow to the wooden box, cold sweat pouring down his face. 'Your Majesty, I am here! I deserve death! Are you using magic?"
'Not magic, but electromagnetic induction.' A thousand miles away in Chang'an, Liu Xun cranked the handle to increase the voltage, a cold smile playing on his lips. 'I can hear the whispers on your side, and I can see your schemes. The grain seized at Yumen Pass was mouldy; I've already sent Zhou Meng to kill those responsible. Guard the city well; I'm watching you.'
[System Real-Time Psychological Assessment]
Target: Zhao Polu (Western Regions Garrison Commander)
Loyalty: Increased from 75 to 99 (maximum).
Judgement: [Absolute Loyalty] Achieved. The target now considers this device 'the ear of the gods'.
Liu Xun put down the microphone and looked at the pale cabinet ministers behind him. They looked as if they had seen a ghost.
'My esteemed ministers, did you hear that?' Unleashing his Top-Tier Performance: The Omnipresent Creator, Liu Xun continued, "From this day forward, the decrees of the Han Dynasty will no longer require fast horses. With a single word from me in Weiyang Palace, the sheep of the northern deserts, the rubber of the South Seas and the iron ore of the Western Regions will all move in unison according to my will.' This 'instantaneous administrative capability' completely eliminated the opportunity for embezzlement and underreporting within the ancient bureaucratic system. Previously, official documents took a month to arrive, providing officials with ample opportunity to falsify accounts. Now, a single phone call from the emperor was enough to conduct a direct audit.
Meanwhile, the remaining branches of the Huo clan in Chang'an were plotting to bribe the garrison of the Western Regions and induce them to defect while Liu Xun was focused on infrastructure projects.
'Don't worry, it'll take half a month for the news to reach the Western Regions. By the time he finds out, our grand plan will be complete!' Before he could finish speaking, the door to the secret room was kicked open by a member of the Imperial Guards. The leading officer waved a slip of paper in his hand and sneered. 'Stop discussing! General Zhao of the Western Regions has just betrayed you over the phone. His Majesty has ordered you all to go to the Academy of Sciences to be used as live subjects in an electric shock experiment.'
As the first long-distance telephone line was fully connected, the system panel flashed red again.[System Announcement] Core Achievement: Information Hegemony – Telecommunications Age
Unlocked Industrial Revolution Progress: 85%
Unlocked technology: Wireless Telegraph Basics (Spark Intermittent Type)
Danger warning: Western 'saints' have sensed electromagnetic fluctuations and are attempting to paralyse the Han Dynasty's wired network by triggering a 'global geomagnetic storm' using their supernatural abilities.
Looking at the thunderous sky outside the window, Liu Xun snorted coldly and plugged the last piece of copper wire into the switchboard. 'Trying to play with a power outage? Gongshu Qi, bring out the 'lightning rod matrix' and 'lead-acid battery pack' that I prepared. Using the energy of this heavenly thunder, transmit my voice directly into that charlatan's brain!'
The setting sun over the Persian Gulf painted the sea a golden colour. This was a place where countless camel caravans had been buried by sandstorms. But today, a piercing whistle accompanied billowing black smoke rising from the horizon. This was the terminus of the Great Han's westernmost extension — the empire's first iron fist into the sea.
'Moreover... moreover... clang!' The 'Jianwu No. 3' heavy locomotive exhaled its final puff of white steam and stopped steadily beside the newly built manganese steel pier on the Persian Gulf. Behind it, the Silk Road railway stretched for thousands of miles, draining mineral deposits from the Western Regions. On the other side of the pier, the seawater was churning violently. Three 3,000-tonne 'Great Han-class' ironclad paddle steamers cut through the waves, their massive paddle wheels slapping against the sea. Thick smoke billowed from their chimneys and mingled with the train's smoke, obscuring half the sky.
[System Real-time Synchronisation] Land Power Core: The 'Changsha-Luoyang Western Extension Line' has been completed, increasing land transport capacity by 1,500%.
Maritime Power Core: The "Southern Ocean Ironclad Fleet" has arrived, closing the maritime supply chain.
Judgment: The Great Han has officially entered the 'era of global intervention'. Hatches open, cranes roar and trains unload fine steel swords and newly manufactured 'standard ammunition' from Guanzhong, while steamships deliver natural rubber from the South Seas, spices from India and mithril ore from the Western Saint-controlled territories.
'Your Majesty, these goods previously took a year by land and six months by sea. They were also subject to the whims of the Wind God,' said Gongshu Qi, standing on the high dock and watching countless automated pulley systems operating frantically. His eyes were filled with fervour. 'Now it only takes seven days! In just seven days, the rubber from the South Seas can be used to make Your Majesty's carriage tyres!' Off the Persian Gulf, several wooden sailing warships adorned with divine patterns attempted to approach for reconnaissance. These warships had been sent by the Saints.
Standing atop the train's control tower, Liu Xun coldly ordered, "Test the newly installed 'high-pressure hydrothermal jet cannon' on the 'Jianwu'," without even deploying the shore-based artillery.
A 'white dragon', a mixture of boiling steam and high-pressure seawater, shot into the sky, traversing hundreds of metres, and slammed directly into the wooden ship engraved with divine patterns. The intense pressure instantly tore apart the sturdy sails, scalding the priests who had proclaimed themselves 'sons of the gods' and forcing them to jump into the sea to escape.
Before the advent of steam power, the pride of the age of sail was as fragile as a withered leaf.
Chang'an, Weiyang Palace Strategic Command Centre.
Liu Xun returned to the enormous global map, holding a crimson charcoal pencil — a symbol of imperial power — in his hand. He slowly and heavily moved the pencil across the map, first circling the Central Plains, then the Western Regions and finally the South Seas. Finally, his pencil paused at the Persian Gulf, drawing a massive circle that encircled half the globe.
'My esteemed ministers, look closely.' Liu Xun turned around, the lamplight illuminating his cold, almost godlike face and activating his Top-Tier Performance: The Unrivaled Overlord.
'Before, I said, "Under the whole heaven, all land belongs to the emperor". That was ambition. Now, I tell you: wherever the railways extend, the laws of the Han dynasty will follow.' Liu Xun's gaze crossed the Persian Gulf and landed on the ancient empire known as 'Rome' at the westernmost edge of the map. Deep within its temples, the true form of the saint trembled.
'The railway has ended, but my will has not.' Liu Xun calmly tossed the charcoal pencil aside, letting it fall onto the centre of the Mediterranean Sea on the map. 'Have the engineers prepare. The next phase is to traverse the Mesopotamian plain. Within three years, the whistles of trains will echo through the Colosseum of Rome!"
[System Final Announcement]
Main Quest: Laying the Foundation for the Empire Completed. Rewards: [Basic Tank Chassis Technology] and [Global Synchronisation Time System]. Next phase objective: Global Conquest: Ragnarok — unlocked.