Yes, Madam Prime Minister

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"Looks like we still have to start with the barbarians," Ronan muttered to himself.

"Huh?" Li Jixian didn't understand.

“You’ve seen those people from Guangxi before,” Ronan said. “But this time we’re planning to get some Yi people. It just so happens that we have a coal business in Liupanshui, Guizhou.”

Like some Yi people and some Zhuang people, they also practice primitive religion, believing that all things have spirits and totem worship. They are compatible with the cultivation method created by Falek. As long as they are compatible, they can start as a first-level cultivator who is not good at magic but has a stronger physique, although further progress will become extremely difficult.

But what does it matter? As long as it works.

The reason the Yi people were used this time wasn't because they didn't want to fleece the Zhuang people; in fact, they were hoping Ronan would come again. They just didn't want the Zhuang people to grow too big and become a small force in the army. Right now, there are only a few hundred special-level Zhuang people, and not all of them are in the army. Of course, they are obedient and follow orders. If there were one or two thousand, would they still be as obedient as they are now?

In Liupanshui, after several projects, coal mining has begun and the coal is being sold to Guangdong.

That area is also inhabited by the Yi people, so it's easy to bring some people over.

"By the way, this time you have to equip us with new individual flying vehicles and rocket launchers. Hunan is not like western Fujian, where new recruits can be brought up to hone their skills. Moreover, the goal is to take over the entire Hunan."

Li Jixian said.

He was somewhat arrogant and had a flamboyant personality, but in military matters, he was a steady and methodical person.

"Conquering and occupying key locations is not our goal; our goal is to eliminate their basic military force," Ronan instructed. The so-called basic military force refers to ordinary superhuman soldiers and their subordinate ordinary civilian musketeers.

"It's a pity that there are too few mid-level extraordinary individuals in Guangdong, otherwise the chances of winning this battle would be 100%." ​​Li Jixian's confidence was mixed with a sense of helplessness.

The middle tier refers to those at the third or fourth tier.

Under the default rules, these people are all eligible to go to the battlefield. When attacking, they are like small tanks that act as spearheads. Their firepower may be weak, but their mobility is greater. When defending, they are like small bunkers that can be erected at key points. Their defense is not that strong, but they can move.

In short, it has extremely strong tactical value.

Last year, during the war between Guangdong Province and Annam, one of the main reasons why all parties felt that Guangdong could not win was that Guangdong could not match Annam in terms of the number of mid-level superhumans.

Ultimately, they won because Guangdong had foreign aid brought by Ronan, people from the Ship Country, and French people who had fled here after Suleiman lost power in the internal strife. In addition, Annam never intended to invade Seres; its goal was simply to eliminate the military headquarters and completely control Vietnam.

Although Annam ultimately did not legally possess all of Vietnam, for him it was only a matter of time.

"That's why we can't cause too much damage this time. We need to recruit people from Hunan so that we can have more people in the middle ranks."

Ronan said.

Basic superhuman soldiers can barely manage by conscripting able-bodied men from barbarians and equipping them with totem-based magic.

However, mid-level extraordinary individuals can only be acquired through absorption.

Otherwise, it would still be extremely difficult to fight the imperial court and Jiangnan, since both sides have a large number of mid-level superhumans.

The only good news is that it's still a bit cold this year.

Another poor harvest is expected in the north, especially in the northwest.

Unsurprisingly, this is just the beginning.

It's foreseeable that the people in the Northwest will definitely not sit still. The Guanzhong base camp can barely hold on, but can the people on the grasslands stand it?

The opportune time to take action is most likely during the autumn harvest, when they can fight and plunder at the same time.

If the Northwest is attacked, the Jiangnan region will immediately follow suit.

Indeed, as Li Jixian said, if the Gongjinhui had taken control of Hunan at that time, it could have marched eastward at any time and stormed into Jiangxi. The imperial court would have relied on the Gongjinhui, a loyal minister, to join forces to suppress Jiangnan.

If all goes well, then taking Hubei after that would truly make us a force to be reckoned with.

"Okay, that's settled then. I'm off." Ronan said goodbye.

Not only military matters need to be arranged, but diplomatic issues also need to be handled.

It wasn't diplomacy with the imperial court or Jiangnan, but rather diplomacy with Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan.

These three places seem determined to remain independent for the time being, and to make a decision after the major powers have determined their victories. Until then, they will not offend anyone.

But what if they suddenly stab us in the back?

Yunnan and Guizhou are relatively easy to deal with, as they don't have the strength to fight outright. However, if they engage in some underhanded tactics, it will make things very difficult for Guangxi. Sichuan is different. It may be difficult for it to move north, but it is not so difficult for it to move east into Hubei. This will make things even more difficult for the Gongjin Association.

Therefore, in any case, we must allow all parties to adopt a wait-and-see attitude.

Of course, it would be even better if we could get some superhumans from them.

However, this is an obvious difficulty.

Back in Guangdong, Luo Nan found Luo Gang, who was now in charge of foreign affairs, and prepared to take him to Sichuan.

If Sichuan is dealt with, then Yunnan and Guizhou will be easier to manage once the situation is resolved. If Sichuan is not dealt with, then Yunnan and Guizhou will also be difficult to manage.

“My family is counting on you this time,” Ronan said with a smile to Luo Gang, who was from a prominent local family in Sichuan.

Luo Gang waved his hand, "I can't be relied on, Brother Luo. We still need to bring the improved seeds, fertilizer, and new weapons. The so-called 'lure with benefits and intimidate with force' is nothing more than empty promises. We can only persuade the top officials, not the lower-level leaders or the local power brokers."

“In the current situation, the original regional governor is just a common leader that everyone has to acknowledge in order to avoid fighting. Just like the former governor of Guangdong, didn’t you kill him so easily?” Luo Gang said.

"Don't talk nonsense. Governor Ren was killed by unknown robbers." Ronan refused to admit it.

Chapter 1045 Translation, a show of force? I can do that too.

In early December, the Gongjinhui sent a letter announcing that it would send people to Sichuan to discuss the banditry in eastern Sichuan with the local government.

This is just a complete excuse.

As for why an official letter was issued openly instead of a secret meeting, it's simple: this trip wasn't just to meet a few individuals, but many people, making it impossible to save one's life. It was better to let everyone know.

In mid-December, a group of people led by Luo Gang, the governor of Guangxi, and Luo Nan arrived in Chengdu.

The two sides engaged in a cordial and friendly conversation, which can be summarized as exchanging pleasantries. They fully exchanged opinions on the existence of traitors within the court, implying that while they couldn't reach a consensus, they wouldn't fall out. Regarding loyalty to the court, both sides held reservations, suggesting they disagreed and would see how things developed. They highly praised each other's unwavering stance on suppressing bandits at all times, implying a degree of agreement on certain pretexts.

This is all normal and unsurprising.

But what followed was abnormal.

The Sichuan side invited a delegation from the Gongjin Association to participate in a military review to be held two days later on the outskirts of Chengdu.

Is this a show of force? Or an attempt to inflate one's own value?

I don't know, and I don't need to know.

Two days later, Ronan saw the troops being inspected.

There were 10,000 people in total. They first marched in a square formation, which was very neat and orderly. They changed formation twice during the march.

In the era of skirmishers, marching in formation was useful, but it is far less useful than in this era, because this is the era of firearms. Firearms are powerful, but their range, rate of fire, and accuracy are poor. Without formations, it is impossible to form a sufficiently strong firepower network.

This was followed by a shooting drill.

It's clear that all 10,000 people are very skilled at operating muskets.

Within the Gongjinhui, only the Guangxi Army under Lu Jianling and the soldiers who had previously participated in the Annam War could do it. These new recruits who had just been trained in Fujian were not as good as these 10,000 Sichuan soldiers.

What's most interesting is that there were no extraordinary individuals among these 10,000 people.

Clearly, these 10,000 men were all well-trained professional soldiers, but they were all musketeers. The actual number of regular troops in Sichuan should be around 30,000.

Thirty thousand might sound like a small number in Seris, a country with a vast territory and a large population; however, that's only about the size of the Guangxi Legion.

In an era of firearms, cannons, and superhumans, there was no place for useless people who would be recruited into the army for a little food; such people would only serve a negative purpose.

Even if the pikemen on the outer perimeter of the musket formation were strong, professionally trained, and carried grenades, how could they possibly withstand the charge of the enemy's superhuman soldiers, who were individually far more ferocious than fully armored cavalry?

Of course, in terms of combat experience and weaponry, they are still far inferior to the Guangxi Army Corps.

Before the chaos in Seris, the Guangxi Army Corps had a total of more than 10,000 people who could be mobilized at any time by Lu Jianling. Another 10,000 people were defensive garrisons who could only be moved with approval. When 30,000 people died, they were replaced. For decades, the fighting was almost continuous. The active duty soldiers were all veterans.

Needless to say, Foshan was a military factory before Ronan came, and it became even more so after he arrived.

As for the muskets in Sichuan, although they were also muzzle-loading smoothbore guns, their quality was clearly inferior.

In Guangdong, after Ronan arrived, the muzzle-loading smoothbore gun had basically reached its peak, and they were researching breech-loading rifled guns and compatible bullets. Another early breech-loading rifled gun in world history could not be widely promoted due to some shortcomings, and Ronan was preparing to achieve the goal in one step.

"Impressive, impressive! If we had another naval force on the river, we could probably take Hubei in one fell swoop," Ronan said, clapping his hands.

"It's all just for show. It's all something that people in Sichuan have developed out of desperation to protect themselves during times of national turmoil," said Yu Zhiqing, the governor of Sichuan, stroking his beard. He was being modest in words, but his demeanor was anything but.

Ronan stood with his hands behind his back. "Your Excellency is too modest. It is already a strong army, but it is still lacking something."

These words elicited curiosity from some and indifference from others.

Ronan added with a smile, "We're missing artillery."

This sentence hit the weak spot of the Sichuan officials and powerful clans present. Sichuan is not without iron, and copper can be obtained from Yunnan, but casting cannons is not something that can be done simply by having iron or copper. It is a technical job.

Unfortunately, Sichuan does not have such a technical team, while Guangdong does, because Guangdong has the Guangdong Navy, the largest navy in the country.

"Ha, we only need to protect ourselves. A few cannons on the fortresses will suffice. We don't need too many cannons to suppress bandits either," said Zhang Hui, the third provincial inspector, trying to smooth things over.

Ronan sighed, "That's right, we are all loyal subjects, but unfortunately some treacherous officials are causing chaos in the country, so we have to resort to some means to protect ourselves." He then sighed again.

The group was stunned for a moment. What the hell? You're a foreigner here saying that everyone is a loyal subject?

With acting skills like that, it would be a waste if he didn't become an official.

Just as everyone was making fun of Ronan, Ronan clapped his hands and said, "Zhang Shoucai, demonstrate to you gentlemen our Gongjin Society's active defense equipment."

Zhang Shoucai was tall and strong, with a big nose, angry eyebrows, and a fierce appearance. In reality, he was an honest and simple worker. He was selected at a glance during the subsequent conscription and went to Annam. On the battlefield, if he were a superhuman, no one would dare to approach him, but he was just a mortal, so his face was quite mocking. However, he did not die; instead, he killed many people. As a result, he was fortunate enough to be given a talent. His aptitude was quite good, and he achieved superhuman status in just a few months. Of course, he was still quite far from being a true superhuman.

Zhang Shoucai took off his coat, revealing a magical defensive breastplate underneath. He then took out a special flying device from his pack that looked like two fire extinguishers spliced ​​together, put it on, and it clicked into place, the jets and armor combining to form a complete flying device.

Then, Zhang Shoucai opened another long cylindrical package and picked up the rocket launcher.

It took off, flew a hundred meters in two seconds, and reached an altitude of ten meters. With a whoosh, it was launched, and the rocket shot out, followed by a loud bang that created a large crater in the ground. Then another rocket was launched, and Zhang Shoucai flew back.

When he landed again, he barely managed to stand, panting heavily, looking exhausted.

Everyone present was a superhuman at or above the rank of Zheng, and it was clear that he had overexerted himself. Obviously, for superhumans below the rank of Zheng, the limit in a short period of time is to fly back and forth once and fire two rockets like the one just now.

The power is immense, even terrifying. With the power of that rocket, a first-tier magic defense armor user would be completely rendered incapacitated if hit head-on, and in a bad situation, might even die. A second-tier user would also be injured, and only a third-tier user could withstand it reliably.

Because this rocket is not just about explosive impact, but also about the release of magic.

The real key is speed—rapid approach and ultra-fast launch. Non-direct positions can be used in groups to form a small-scale coverage attack. Otherwise, a first-tier direct position with a movement speed of 20 to 30 meters per second can definitely dodge it.

"Gentlemen, what about the weapons of my Progressive Society?" Ronan asked.

It was only because these people insisted on inviting them to participate in the parade that Ronan presented crop samples, seeds, and fertilizers first.

Chapter 1046 Forming an Alliance, Agreeing on the Same Direction, and Frustrating Logistics Issues

After both sides presented their findings, the subsequent negotiations became more amicable.

Sichuan officials expressed their willingness to form an alliance with the Gongjin Association.

However, there are conditions for forming an alliance, namely, the Progressive Association must provide assistance with agricultural technology.

The Gongjinhui (a political organization) doesn't need to worry about the other party going back on their word.

Because seeds can be sold off at any time, and for the other party to cultivate high-yield seeds on their own is simply a pipe dream.

The seeds Ronan sells contain cutting-edge technology and were developed through years of experimentation by highly skilled professionals.

Among them, wheat, soybeans, and corn have undergone decades of updates and upgrades in France, making it completely impossible for them to be copied.

Only rice is a possibility, because rice is an improvement on rice varieties from Guangdong, and this process only lasted for a few years, so there are no strong technological barriers.

Another condition is that Sichuan should also participate in the exam that allows ordinary people to acquire extraordinary talents.

After the first test, the news that the Progressive Society, or rather Ronan and his group, had mastered the innate technology had spread throughout the country.

The imperial court and Jiangnan were unable to forcibly demand it, so other places were even less likely to do so and could only hope to participate.

Ronan readily agreed, but there wouldn't be that many spots available.

This was naturally accepted by the Sichuan side.

In forming an alliance, Sichuan not only agreed to some commercial conditions, but also promised to provide military assistance if necessary.

When is it necessary? When the imperial court needs it.

Ronan was somewhat puzzled by this; Sichuan was indeed damn loyal to the imperial court.

Ronan then learned something.

It turns out that there were also villages and communities in Sichuan, and they were quite large, located on the Chengdu Plain.

In Sichuan, or more precisely, in the area surrounding Chengdu, these powerful clans actually controlled the cultivation of cash crops and some factories; they were essentially merchants.

Therefore, Sichuan was not loyal to the imperial court, but rather to the imperial court's policies.

The reason they were able to form an alliance so smoothly is because the people of Sichuan, or more precisely, the beneficiaries of the current village communities, particularly like the farmers' associations organized by the Gongjin Association in Guangdong. As for the labor unions, their impression is so-so, since the labor unions seem to support unscrupulous merchants in ganging up on unruly people to oppose the government.

In short, Sichuan people absolutely love the peasant associations, a kind of feudal and localist thing.