Chapter 1173: Total War

Hawaii.

After the subsequent strategy was decided in Seattle, Qin Shan and Zhou Yi returned here.

Next, the Azure Dragon Army and the Marine Corps will cooperate with the Indian Nation to stabilize the western defense line, creating room for them to grow.

The two decided to head to Yancheng to report their duties to the Emperor, Zhao Xu.

After resting briefly for a few days, an Ironclad Warship sailed away from Hawaii Island toward Great Song.

After more than half a month of sailing, the Ironclad Warship entered the eastern waters of Great Song.

Here, they saw steam merchant ships sailing on the sea, fully loaded with various goods.

Clearly, as Great Song entered the era of the electric power industry, the capacity for building merchant ships had also been greatly improved.

Numerous shipyards sprang up, launching merchant ship after merchant ship to meet the transport demands of Great Song.

This was only for civilian use; the navy's Ironclad Warships were also being produced like dumplings.

Nowadays, Ironclad Warships are the main combat force of the fleet.

Sailing Warships have mostly been relegated to maritime forts.

After another day of sailing, the two arrived in Jinghai and took a train to Yancheng.

Compared to the past, they saw more electric poles along the roadsides, showing that Great Song's construction had never stopped even while they were at war.

An hour later, the two arrived in Yancheng and met Zhao Xu in the Imperial Study; their Marshal, Chang Wei, was also there.

"Congratulations on winning a great victory," Zhao Xu said with a smile, exchanging a glance with Chang Wei.

When they stopped to rest in Wanghai City, the wired telegraph had already been sent back.

Zhou Yi chuckled twice and said, "It's just that the Sam Country's army was too incompetent; General Qin and I haven't even had our fill of fighting yet."

"This is all thanks to the replaced Han-series weapons, which made our firepower several times fiercer than before. I reckon the people of Sam Country were also beaten into a daze," Qin Shan added.

Zhao Xu smiled and nodded.

Qin Shan was not one for jokes and never boasted; if he said this, it must have been a very easy victory.

Immediately, Qin Shan reported the next phase of the strategy he had formulated to Zhao Xu.

Both Zhao Xu and Chang Wei expressed their approval.

The two also believed there was no need to press the advantage; it would be better to let the Indian Nation gather the scattered Indian tribes and strengthen their power.

In any case, time is on Great Song's side now, so there is no need to rush.

After discussing military affairs for a while, Zhao Xu hosted a banquet for the two in the palace to welcome them back.

After resting for a period of time, Qin Shan still had to go to Hawaii to take command and direct the war.

Since the war between Great Song and the Western Lands has officially begun, it will not end until one side completely collapses.

As for Zhou Yi, he does not need to go back; leaving a naval detachment there is enough.

The Great Song Navy, equipped with Ironclad Warships, can easily deal with the remnants of the Sam Country's navy.

His more important task is to command the Great Song Navy to cruise the globe, strike at Western Lands warships still roaming the seas, and simultaneously establish naval bases toward the Western Lands.

He aims to project naval power near Europe as soon as possible.

By that point in time, he estimates that Great Song's internal combustion engines will have made a breakthrough, and they will be able to manufacture monoplanes and tanks.

After all, the research and development of internal combustion engines does not delay Wang Ying's military factories from first figuring out the structural research of these two epoch-making weapons and the early construction of the factory buildings.

Once the internal combustion engine is ready, they can be produced immediately.

Washington, the eastern Colonial Territory of the Sam Country.

At the moment Qin Shan returned to Yancheng, Bolton arrived here.

With his arrival, the news of the military defeat blew through the entire Colonial Territory like the wind.

For a time, everyone was in a state of panic, unable to live in peace.

Facing the disheveled Bolton, Sullivan remained silent for a long time.

He wanted to scold Bolton, but Bolton's account finally kept him from speaking.

Who could possibly achieve victory under the fierce weapons of the Great Song army?

Just as Bolton said, the Great Song army's battle against them was just like their own one-sided slaughter of the Indians in the past.

"Of our thirteen Colonial Territories, the west occupied five. After losing Long Beach, the remaining two certainly cannot be held either," Sullivan said with a dejected look.

The distance between the Colonial Territories in the west is not far.

Moreover, these Colonial Territories were established to further eliminate the Indians entrenched in the west.

Therefore, a large number of Indian slaves lived in the Colonial Territories.

Now, they will become fresh blood for the Indian Nation.

"Yes, Mr. President. Fortunately, there is a large stretch of barren land between the western Colonial Territories and the eastern ones. They will face supply problems when heading here; perhaps this can buy us time to build defenses," Bolton said.

After a pause, he continued, "We should abandon the small Colonial Territories and concentrate the majority of our forces in the important ones, while once again requesting aid from the Western Lands world."

Sullivan nodded.

According to Bolton's description, the strength displayed by the Great Song army is simply not something their Sam Country can handle.

Now, the only thing they can do is hold the east coast to the death and request reinforcements.

From now on, they may have to enter a long period of war.

If they lose, they will only be able to swap identities with the Indians and suffer a tragic fate.

Half a month later, he set off again for Britain.

And before his arrival, the news of the Sam Country's defeat had already spread to every corner of the Western Lands nations, including the Ross country.

Emperor Nikolai was naturally very pleased, because Great Song's counterattack against the Western Lands undoubtedly reduced the pressure on the Ross country from the Western Lands direction.

The Ross country will be able to reap greater benefits.

Meanwhile, countries like Britain and Frank were as grief-stricken as if they had lost their parents.

In particular, the news of the Great Song's new-style weapons made them feel frustrated, having just developed the breech-loading Paper Cartridge Rifle.

They had originally thought the appearance of the breech-loading paper cartridge rifle would narrow the equipment gap with the Great Song.

But the Great Song was clearly also progressing, and the gap between them and the Great Song was constantly widening.

"We cannot continue to be passive; we do not know what terrifying weapons the Great Song will develop in the future. While we have not yet completely lost the ability to counterattack, we should launch an all-out war to end the Great Song's development." After meeting with Sullivan, Ashley decided to convene the prime ministers and kings of the Xitu Guo again.

Currently, Ross was like a knife cutting into the flesh of Xitu Dalu, while the Great Song developed at its leisure; this was absolutely intolerable to her, and also quite dangerous.

Prime Minister William and Ashley held the same opinion.

Having settled this matter, British diplomats set off for various countries one after another.

Half a month later, the heads of more than ten Xitu Guo gathered in London.

At the meeting, Ashley stated her thoughts and the severity of the Great Song's rise.

She also used the attack suffered by Sam Country as an example to warn every Xitu Guo.

The implication was that if they could not contain the Great Song, Sam Country would be their future.

"Gentlemen, we must launch an all-out war against the Great Song and not give them any more opportunities to develop, otherwise our fate will be like that of the natives we once enslaved. Do you really want to suffer such a fate?" Ashley shouted hoarsely, "No matter what you intend to do, we in Britain will formally declare war on the Great Song!"

The kings and prime ministers of the various countries remained silent; they of Xitu had run rampant in the world for hundreds of years.

They had extracted massive benefits through colonization.

Now, the Great Song made it impossible for them to continue obtaining benefits from these colonized countries.

Deep down, they were naturally full of resentment toward the Great Song.

And now, the plight of Sam Country made them feel a sense of shared sorrow.

"I declare war on the Great Song on behalf of Frank."

"I declare war on the Great Song on behalf of Stedan!"

"..."

One king or prime minister after another stood up.

Ailisi and Sullivan were ecstatic in their hearts.

At this moment, they were no longer two hostile countries, but were both Anglo-Saxon.

With the major powers declaring their positions, the smaller countries naturally had no choice and likewise joined the ranks of those declaring war.

That afternoon, the heads of numerous countries formally issued a joint declaration in London, mobilizing the entire nation to declare war on the Great Song.

At the same time, they issued an ultimatum to Ross.

They ordered Ross to join the Xitu side, otherwise, they would become the target of the Western Lands Allied Forces' attack.

Over the next half month, the Tusman Empire also joined the ranks of those declaring war.

The world was in turmoil.