Chapter Forty-Five: Arrival in Jinzhou

“Lieutenant Colonel Gist, your suggestion is quite good. If this matter were entrusted to you, do you have the confidence to establish a secure defensive perimeter?” Marshal Aldo Gitt gazed into Gist’s eyes as he spoke.

“Marshal, please rest assured. I will do everything in my power to ensure the Elven Empire has nothing to fear from behind. Give me a year, and I will deliver a safe and smooth supply route,” Lieutenant Colonel Gist replied loudly, brimming with confidence.

“Very well. I hereby grant you full authority over the construction of strongholds and fortresses. I’ll assign you an infantry regiment and promote you to colonel. All human slaves and construction resources can be requisitioned at any time—just report it to the logistics department. If you lack manpower during construction, feel free to contact the nearby garrisons for reinforcements. I will issue an official order shortly. You are to use every means at your disposal to complete your mission. If you encounter any problems, report them directly to me. I will give you my full support. A year from now, I expect to see results. Do you understand?” Marshal Aldo Gitt’s tone was stern.

Receiving such broad authority, Gist’s confidence soared. It seemed his own meteoric rise was just around the corner. Overwhelmed with excitement, he immediately voiced his assent.

From that moment, the Elven Empire’s policy of suppression in the Istanbul region changed. The human resistance organizations soon discovered that the pressure of attacks against them gradually eased. The Elven Empire shifted its main forces into the open cities and settlements of humanity. The entire human world of Istanbul entered a truly dark age. Perhaps these law-abiding citizens never imagined that their lives would be dragged into ruin by the actions of the resistance.

Upon the azure sea, two grand sailing ships cut through the waves. Flying from their masts was the flag of the English Empire, the undisputed master of the oceans. One was a lavish merchant vessel for honored guests, the other a first-rate warship of the English Empire, its flanks bristling with cannons.

With such a formidable escort, only the formal navy of the Frankonian Empire would dare challenge them; no other force in the world would even consider intercepting them at sea.

At that moment, Sun Li was inside the merchant vessel, conversing with the envoy dispatched by the English Empire.

“Your Excellency, I have some private matters to attend to in Jinzhou, so I must return there first, which may delay the schedule somewhat. Here is a personal letter from me—if you take it to Song and announce my name, you’ll be able to meet my father. With his introduction, I am certain your diplomatic mission in Song will proceed most smoothly. Our Great Song is a nation that cherishes peace. His Majesty the Emperor has long admired the might of the English Empire. The alliance between our two countries will surely begin with great promise!” Sun Li smiled as he handed the English envoy a personal letter.

The letter itself was filled with florid words of alliance, but Sun Li had already briefed the Jin Yi Wei to inform the envoy of his circumstances and how to respond after the envoy’s arrival—summed up in a single word: stall!

Stall for time until Sun Li could settle the Wood Elf uprising and return to Song. By then, Su Yunyun would likely have gained control of most resistance forces in the Mexico region. With their timing coordinated, the Song army could storm ashore while the Wood Elves launched a mass uprising against human cities. The battle for Mexico would be decided from the outset.

As for the English envoy, he was little more than a joke. The European continent was already engulfed in flames; the English Empire and the Frankonian Empire were preparing to assault the decadent Madrid Empire. Within a month, all of Europe would again be plunged into war. This was the golden opportunity for Song to rise. Once they controlled Jinzhou’s gold mines, Sun Li’s Great Song would possess limitless potential for war.

The English envoy, seeing Sun Li’s sincere gesture, and recalling how Sun Li, during his time in Jinzhou, had slain the Mexican governor’s guards in a fit of rage over a pair of Wood Elf twins, found all his suspicions evaporate. Clearly, Lord Sun Li was a man of deep affections—after all this time, still unable to forget those twin sisters. And with his status, what kind of beauty couldn’t he have with the crook of a finger?

The envoy smiled knowingly, put away Sun Li’s letter, and the two reached an understanding: first, they would reach the Mexico region and set Sun Li ashore; then, the envoy would travel ahead to visit the Great Song Empire with Sun Li’s letter in hand. By the time Sun Li finished his business and returned to Song, negotiations would likely be well underway. With Sun Li’s strong backing, everything would fall into place.

Since Lord Sun Li had no wish for this old man to be a third wheel, the envoy mused, he would simply go to Song on his own. Ah, to be young! The English envoy had completely misread the reason for Sun Li’s reluctance to travel together, believing it to be a secret rendezvous with a lover…

Several days later, the port of Mexico was ablaze with lights and decorations. A grand guard of honor, resplendent in their finery and shouldering flintlock rifles, stood at rigid attention around the docks. The Mexican governor, along with a host of colonial officials, stood in dignified array to greet the native envoy and Lord Sun Li.

Sun Li was no longer the man he had once been. Rumors abounded that the great knight intended to join the Norman family, with some even speculating that he would wed the Grand Duchess Victoria, the woman who was half the English Empire herself.

Such a leap to the top! The Mexican governor waited anxiously for Sun Li’s arrival. Facing a man who might soon become his superior, the lascivious governor’s feelings were complex. On the one hand, he congratulated himself for having treated Sun Li kindly in the past; on the other, he feared that Sun Li might be small-minded and seek revenge. Despite the mild weather, the governor found himself sweating profusely.

Standing at the rail of the ship, Sun Li gazed out at the familiar harbor. This was where he had once been courteously expelled—his pride intact, perhaps, but the feeling of being driven out was far from pleasant.

Once I control Mexico, I’ll see that governor castrated and made a eunuch, to avenge the countless Wood Elf women and girls. Sun Li thought to himself, feeling unburdened.

Yes, unburdened indeed. Once he reached Mexico and sent off the English envoy, Sun Li immediately used Xiao Bai to convert the million gold coins from England into system resources. The windfall sent his confidence soaring once more—this would be the starting point of his conquest.

In high spirits, Sun Li had no patience for the bureaucratic formalities of the Mexican governor and his cronies. After a brief greeting, he left the human settlements behind and headed directly for the secret contact point Su Yunyun had provided.

Full of anticipation, Sun Li arrived at the rendezvous, only to be met with cold stares from the Wood Elf guards, and not a trace of Su Yunyun. Sun Li couldn’t help but wonder—had something unexpected happened?