Chapter 42: On the Verge of Collapse

  Lona, Minna Stray.

  Some say that Minas Tirith is the most beautiful city on Middle-earth, and also one of the most perilous. It clings to the western face of the Ered Nimrais, its back to the mountains, its face to the wide untrodden lands beyond, looking out over the Anduin. The walls of the City are built with seven levels of stone, each a hundred feet high, using great blocks of hewn stone that fit together without mortar.

  However, those who know the inside story are aware that this is a city woven with blood and fire, where every inch of land has buried countless brave warriors' blood and lives, whether they came from Tongchuan, Masah or Lona.

  In the morning, Minnastir appears calm and solemn, with the fragrance of ju flowers floating in the air. In this beautiful city, art permeates every corner. The Lona people have fully expressed their innate love for beauty, decorating their capital with their national flower. Ju flowers are the national flower of Lona, and late autumn is when chrysanthemums are at their most beautiful. Here, the streets are as clean as a living room, lined with green trees, and the flowers and grass under the trees are neatly trimmed, with endless greenery dotted with stars of golden yellow - all blooming autumn chrysanthemums.

  Here, there is no hustle and bustle of the southern port city of Valencia, nor the busy prosperity of the central commercial city of Colombo. Here, there is only a faint tranquility, a faint life, and a faint scent of jasmine flowers.

  The houses on both sides of the street are separate small villas, with pointed roofs, plain white walls, windows in five colors and six colors, green plants climbing on the walls, and chrysanthemums planted without exception. They look a bit old and have a historical atmosphere. In the suburbs, there are more such villas, scattered among the mountains and lakes, absorbing the spirit of nature. These places are ideal for the wealthy to relax and vacation. They come from southern coastal cities like Colombo and Valencia, or from central cities like Jacobin and Amman, or even from the interior of Tongchuan Empire, but surprisingly few locals from Minnastrela.

  As the soft morning glow turned into golden rays illuminating the earth, people living in Minas Tirith also began to bustle about. On the gravel roads leading to these suburban villas, various small vendors started their journey, bringing fresh produce and meat to the owners of the villas in exchange for higher profits.

  A small vendor pulled a cart of vegetables into the side door of a secluded villa on the mountain, where a middle-aged man who looked like a butler had been waiting. He carefully looked at the vendor and identified him before sticking his head out to check if anyone was around. Satisfied that they were alone, he turned back and said somewhat discontentedly: "Young Master Yuwen, you should have arrived yesterday. Commander Zhang has waited for you for an extra day."

  The young peddler removed the grass hat from his head, revealing a handsome face. He smiled and said: "Housekeeper Sima, I know I'm late, I'll make it up to you with something that will satisfy you, don't worry."

  Simamen nodded and said: "This is for the best. I believe in Yuwen Gongzi's sincerity. Did you encounter any trouble on the road, Gongzi?"

  The handsome young man said faintly: "Do you think the people in your country's Ministry of Internal Affairs can make trouble for me?"

  Simamen nodded and said: "That's right too. Young master, please come this way."

  The young man followed the butler through two closed side doors and finally entered the first floor hall of the villa.

  This was a very ordinary small villa, perhaps once luxurious, but now it had fallen. The young man smelled the musty smell that only houses that had been empty for many years would give off as soon as he entered, and he quietly furrowed his delicate eyebrows. He began to carefully examine the place where he was.

  The marble floor is somewhat old, with some stains not yet removed. The granite stone pieces inlaid on the walls are also somewhat mottled, exposing an unsightly dark color. The long decorative wooden strips made of solid rosewood can be seen to have been luxurious when decorated at first, but now they are also cracked, and some places are obviously moldy and blackened. The roof is very white, without any stains, but the cornice around it is also cracked, as if it might fall down at any moment.

  The light was extremely bright, illuminating the upper and lower halls of the villa as if it were daytime. The dazzling jewelry sparkled under the light, emitting a dizzying glow. However, the young man's gaze remained fixed on the cracked wooden lines, his mouth curling into an imperceptible smile. His confidence in the purpose of this trip grew by several degrees.

  The butler left, but the owner of the villa still hasn't shown up.

  The young people's gaze slowly gathered on a huge portrait hanging above the fireplace, which was a very fat general, with a stout figure, full of flesh on his face, and eyes narrowed into a line, looking like Maitreya Buddha. The naval marshal's uniform on him seemed like a clown in a circus. However, the young people's faces did not show any sneering expression, but instead became very solemn, and there was even a hint of hatred in their eyes.

  This Maitreya Buddha, the general of the Navy, was none other than Tang Lang, the most famous admiral in the history of the Tangchuan Empire. His enemies called him "Mantis" behind his back, with a hint of contempt. However, it was this mantis, with an appearance that inspired hatred, who led the Tangchuan Empire's Navy to conquer the islands of Lusong, Mianlan, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Sumatra, and Java, turning the western part of the South China Sea into an inland sea of the Tangchuan Empire. The Tangchuan Empire's Navy achieved unprecedented glory under his command, and even the most ferocious pirates in the Gulf of Siam dared not take a step beyond the boundary during his tenure as Commander-in-Chief.

  "I wonder what will happen to the other mantis?" The young man's face showed a strange smile.

  Next to the large portrait of General Tang Lang, there is a huge ship chart, which depicts the "Huoyun Xiashen" warship, the flagship of the Imperial Navy of the Tangchuan Empire. It was a super battleship with 126 12-inch or larger caliber heavy cannons, three masts and three sails, three layers of armor plating, the highest point of the mast reaching 44 meters, important parts were all inlaid with iron armor, making its displacement reach an unprecedented 2,300 tons. There were over 1,400 crew members on board, nearly 500 of whom were gunners, making it a true floating artillery platform at sea.

  Young people do not know why the mantis of the past named its flagship with such a strange name "Huoyun Xiashen". Compared to the poetic and picturesque names of the ships in their own country, such as "Chaofeng" and "Wuyü", it is really too common. However, no one can deny that when the "Huoyun Xiashen" commanded by the mantis appeared somewhere, the Tangchuan Empire's naval gunfire would cover that place. Even the distant Yimeng country on the other side of the South Ocean had trembled under the "Huoyun Xiashen"'s cannons and opened its doors obediently. Except for the remote maritime power Aifuni, it seems that no one can stop the advance of the Tangchuan Empire's navy.

  Time has passed, things have changed, the mantis has long gone, and the "Huoyun Xiashen" he rode on has also been scrapped. However, the Tangchuan Empire will never let the name "Huoyun Xiashen" become an empty phrase. Every generation's latest battleship that joins the navy must have a loud name "Huoyun Xiashen". In some sense, the "Huoyun Xiashen" battleship is the symbol of the Tangchuan Empire's Navy. Its strength, its power, and its indestructibility are like the myth of the Tangchuan Empire's Navy.

  Starting from the Mantis era, this wall should be the fifth "Huoyun Xiashen" battleship.

  "Perhaps it's also the last one." The young man thought silently, a faint cold smile flashing across his handsome face.

  The sound of light footsteps came from behind, and the young man turned around to see the butler accompanying an elderly man with a similarly stout build emerging from the inner room. The old man's physique was still quite robust, his skin had turned into a dark bronze color all over, it was clear that he had been drifting at sea for many years. His complexion didn't seem very good, slightly dark and red, breathing a bit urgent, with visible red threads in his eyes, as if he hadn't slept well the night before. The whole person's body looked about 70% similar to the "Mantis" naval admiral in the portrait, but the complexion and spirit were far inferior.

  The young man stood up first and respectfully asked: "Martha Gu Yuwen Linlangte has come to pay respects to Commander!"

  The old man looked him up and down with an expressionless face, nodded, and motioned for him to sit down.

  Simen Gong brought tea water himself and handed it over to the two of them. After that, he stood quietly at the door of the living room.

  "You've come from afar, Young Master Yuwen. I shouldn't pry, but this matter is of great importance, so I must ask more questions. Tell me, Young Master Yuwen, what was the reason for your delay of one day?" The old man took a big gulp of tea, panting heavily as he asked.

  Yuwen Linlang calmly said: "I can frankly tell Your Excellency, I first went to pay respects to Commander Wu Yanxiu."

  The old man's eyes wandered around him for a moment, furrowed his brow and said: "It seems that Wu Yanxiu is more popular in your eyes!"

  Yuwen Linlang smiled and shook his head, saying: "Commander, you misunderstood. I just happened to visit him on the way. My ultimate goal is still to focus on visiting Commander, and I am willing to reach a sincere agreement on our cooperation."

  The old man grunted softly in his nose without saying a word.

  Yuwen Linlang seemed to have seen and heard nothing, still smiling as she said: "I wonder if the payment we made earlier has been credited? Is Commander sir satisfied with our handling efficiency?"

  "We've already received it, but this is only one-fifth of it."

  Yuwen Linlang smiled faintly and said: "To make up for my mistake of being late for a day, I am willing to add another fifth."

  The old man's face improved a bit, and he said slowly: "This is the way to do business."

  Yuwen Linlang nodded and said: "The commander's teachings are reasonable, I will remember them in the future."

  Simamen asked: "Wen Gongzi, when will the rest of the goods arrive?"

  Yuwen Linlang pulled out a silver note from her bosom, and then pulled out a stack of documents, placing them on the table in front of the elderly person, saying softly: "Now."

  Simamen took the silver ticket from the table, quickly scanned the numbers on it, then looked at the content on the document again, nodded in satisfaction and said: "Yuwen Gongzi is indeed efficient."

  Yuwen Gongzi smiled and said, "We are sincere in wanting to befriend Commander. The silver notes of the Ronisia Federation's Four Seas Money House are universally accepted across the continent, totaling 120,000 gold coins. Commander can ask your steward to exchange them first before making a decision."

  The old man said with a deep breath: "So, what do you need me to do for you?"

  Yuwen Gongzi smiled and said: "We don't have any requirements. I've said it before, we are friends! When a friend is in trouble, they should help each other..."

  The old man waved his hand impatiently, panting and said: "Yuwen Gongzi, you and I are both understanding people, so let's not say these polite words. Tell me, what do you want me to do?"

  Yuwen Linlang still smiled and calmly said: "Commander, you really misunderstood us. We didn't have any requirements for the commander. Everything is up to the commander himself."

  The old man said suspiciously: "I find it hard to believe what you're saying."

  "Commander, you may not believe me, but I haven't received any information requesting you to do anything, so I don't have the authority to ask you to do anything. However, as the saying goes, 'gifts are exchanged in return', I'm sure you will also give us some gifts. At the same time, we sincerely hope that your wife and sons can come to Loona for sightseeing soon, so that we can show our hospitality as hosts. And the position of Vice Commander of the Navy of Martha is also waiting for your arrival."

  Simaguan said: "Arranging for family members to leave Tangchuan will probably take some time, otherwise it will arouse the suspicion of the Ministry of Internal Affairs."

  Yuwen Linlang said with a serious expression: "Of course, everything will be arranged by the commander himself. I just hope that the commander understands that this trip will definitely go smoothly and there won't be any accidents. The beautiful scenery of our country's Cang Hai County is waiting for your visit."

  The old man looked up at the pure white ceiling of the villa, his face changing with uncertainty, and slowly said after a long time: "The South Sea Fleet of the Navy is planning a major plan, a plan to lure the snake out of its hole."

  Yuwen Linlang nodded in understanding and said: "We know, I think when the time comes, Commander, you will give us good news."

  The old man stopped talking and just stared blankly at the ceiling, his expression very complex. After a while, he slowly said: "I think Tang Jin has been in command of the First Fleet of Nanhai for too long, maybe it's time to change, I'm sure Princess Tang Que will love this position."

  Yuwen Linlang smiled meaningfully and said: "We also very much hope that Tang Juan can take up this position."

  The old man finished speaking, and with a tired expression, he stood up, his bloated body swaying slightly. Without bidding farewell to Yuwen Linluo, he dragged his heavy footsteps away, disappearing into another entrance of the grand hall, leaving behind only the sound of his labored breathing in the air.

  Simma Guan's eyes met Yuwen Linzhuang's, and the two quietly left the living room of the small villa. At the side door, Yuwen Linzhuang handed Simma Guan another silver note. After glancing at the number on it, Simma Guan nodded in satisfaction, patted Yuwen Linzhuang's shoulder, and whispered: "Don't worry, Master Yuwen. This trip will surely lead to your success in annihilating the First Fleet of Nanhai. Without the strongest First Fleet blocking you, the naval forces of Malacca can now make a big move."

  Yuwen Linlang left the small villa on the mountain and walked down the gravel road, where two melon vendors were already waiting for him.

  Yuwen Linlang's expressionless face turned to them and said: "Pass on the message to Montague, the Tangchuan Empire Navy is on the verge of collapse."