Lu Mingfei Development Program

Chapter 521: The Crisis of Zhongshan State
Zhongshan State, like Marston, is located on the border of the east and the west, so there is no time difference. However, when Marston, across the Caucasus Mountains, was covered by misty rain, the sunset outside the capital of Zhongshan State was particularly charming.

Under the setting sun, the maple leaves on the mountains are as red as fire. Zhongshan is a country of maple trees. The maple forests on the Caucasus Mountains spread beyond the capital. The red color everywhere in the clear and crisp autumn is so pleasing.

Before being sent to the West, Foreign Minister Ye Suli loved to go out of the city when the maple leaves turned red, find the tallest maple tree, and sit in meditation under the tree like the ancient sages of the Xia Kingdom.

...However, every time he sat in meditation for a short time, he would be called by the king. The two of them would drink wine under the maple tree while plotting their own villainy.

There are also many maple trees in Zhongshan Capital, which are said to have been planted by the earliest immigrants from Xia Kingdom. They all missed their hometown, and Xia Kingdom also had many maple trees. Planting maple trees also made Zhongshan Capital more similar to their hometown.

Lu Mingfei walked along the Maple Leaf Avenue in the royal city and went to the king's study under the guidance of his attendants. He came to say goodbye. He stayed in Zhongshan Kingdom to learn about Xia Kingdom, but now something was wrong with Xizel.

Be it the witch or the plan to assassinate the Pope, it seems that it is about to become the center of the world.

What's more, he has found what he went to the world behind the door to find, the lost Dragon Heart, which is now being used by Xizel.

The attendant who led the way stopped outside the study and knocked respectfully: "Sir, Master Lu is here."

"Please let him in." Yuan Cheng's somewhat tired voice came from inside the door.

After opening the door, the servant bowed slightly to Lu Mingfei and then retreated.

The scene in the study surprised Lu Mingfei. The quaint study was naturally inherited from the style of the Xia Kingdom. However, a group of men in Western clothes, sitting together and smoking, seemed inconsistent with the scholarly style.

"Mr. Lu is here." Yuan Cheng stood up to greet him. "I wonder what you want, Mr. Lu? Have you been neglected by the subordinates?"

He looked tired, and his clothes were still the same ones he wore when he attended the party last night. They were stained with cigarette ash, and it seemed that he had not slept since the party.

Although Ye Suli told Yuan Cheng to remain the same as he usually was, after hearing the legends about the celestial beings punishing those who did evil, he couldn't help feeling guilty when facing this celestial being again, fearing that this celestial being would be neglected and he would be turned into a pig's head.

"No, but my business is not important." Lu Mingfei glanced at the study.

The king had stood up, so the ministers sitting around him naturally had no reason to continue sitting. They stood behind Yuan Cheng and looked familiar. They were also ministers who participated in the banquet last night. Ye Suli, who brought him to Zhongshan State, was naturally present.

Lu Mingfei asked curiously: "What are you doing?"

They all looked exhausted. A group of people like this gathered together and looked like they were discussing the future of the country. But looking at their appearance, it looked like they were about to encounter some catastrophic disaster.

The study room was not filled with only these grown men, Princess Chun and her maid were also there. She sat by the window, away from the area where the ministers smoked, with a delicate and fair face, but with the same light dark circles around her eyes.

Logically speaking, such an important occasion where all the ministers gathered should be attended by the princes who were the sons of the king. However, there were no princes in the study, and Princess Chun ignored these ministers and silently looked at the maple leaves outside the window.

Last night, Yuan Chun ordered her maid to hang up a sign that said "The king and dogs are not allowed to enter" and then went to bed. Who would have known that a few moments later, her father, the king, would run outside her palace and shout, saying that whether men or women, if they have the ability, they must contribute to the country, and if they sleep any longer, the country will be gone.

She came out to see in a bad mood, but who knew that this was a matter concerning the survival of the country.

"My lord, you don't know." Yuan Cheng smiled bitterly, "Last night, someone reported that the Papal State's iron golem appeared near the capital. My lord, you also know that although my Zhongshan State looks strong in this corner, it is not strong enough to fight against the Western iron golems."

At this time, he no longer had to pretend to be ignorant like he did last night. Zhongshan State and Ceylon State were of similar size, and they made a lot of money by buying and selling gold, but their foundation was not good.

It is said that on the eve of the fall of Ceylon, a mobile armored unit of unknown affiliation appeared outside the capital of Ceylon. Then on the second day, the capital of Ceylon was breached, and the king of Ceylon was caught, tried, and crucified before he could self-immolate.

Zhongshan Kingdom would not be that much stronger than Ceylon, but Yuan Cheng felt that he had the courage of the King of Ceylon to burn down his own city and perish together with the enemy. After all, he was the commander of the Yizi Yuexin Army of Zhongshan Kingdom, which was one of the reasons why other Eastern countries did not dare to underestimate Zhongshan Kingdom.

However, he knew very well what kind of people these people were in his court. He was afraid that many of them would have already prepared to flee before the other side attacked.

When he discovered the armored troops, Yuan Cheng's first reaction was that the Westerners were coming. The Jinlunga envisioned by the Papal States would pass through the entire Caucasus Mountains, and once this railway was built, Zhongshan State would be the first step for the Papal States' armored troops to conquer the East.

Now that the existence of the Jinlunga Passage has been exposed, no matter whether it is the East or the West, people will not sit idly by. Yuan Cheng himself is also the same, he will also follow Yi Zi Yue Xin to Marston.

But Chu Shunhua did not arrive, which was beyond everyone's expectation. The Papal States also did not take any action, and the kings and emperors of the Western countries were all wondering what the de facto leader of the East was waiting for.
But this also gave them a chance to react.

Yuan Cheng discussed with Ye Suli and felt that the mobile armored force appeared in Zhongshan State mainly for the Jinlunjia Pass. If Zhongshan State was occupied and a tunnel was dug from the east side of the Caucasus Mountains, the time for the construction of this railway would be greatly reduced.

...But the question now is, if the purpose is to occupy Zhongshan State, is it too small to send only such a team?
The scout who discovered this armored team witnessed with their own eyes that the armored troops of about ten people came from the west with supplies and headed east under the cover of night. No one knew how they got here, and they were sneaking around in a stealthy manner, as if they didn't want anyone to know their whereabouts.

After knowing the number of armored troops...or teams, Yuan Cheng was a little annoyed. Although Zhongshan Kingdom was rich, it was not really a powerful country, but it could not be destroyed by a mere mobile armored team of ten people.

But before he knew the purpose of this team, he did not dare to act rashly. After Ceylon was destroyed, everyone in the Eastern countries adjacent to the West was worried that they would be the next one, and Yuan Cheng was no exception.

"Mr. Lu, please look at this." Ye Suli respectfully handed a few pieces of paper to Lu Mingfei.

The above is the armor pattern drawn by the spy. Camera technology had not yet spread to the East, so the spy could only describe the appearance of the armor by hand-drawing.

Lu Mingfei took it and took a look, and understood why everyone in the study looked as if the sky was about to fall. The Blazing Iron Cavalry Type IV, the main armor of the Papal State, was recognized by the world as the most advanced and the most powerful mobile armor.

"The configuration of this armored team is not just this." Yuan Cheng motioned Lu Mingfei to turn the page.

Turning over the paper below, Lu Mingfei was a little surprised: "Seraphim?" Similar to the Seraphim that Lucrecia first rode in his memory, the one on the next piece of paper was the Seraphim that retained its original appearance.

Lu Mingfei obtained the information about the Seraphim or Seraphim in this world directly from Dasmond's brain. The latter was the purpose of Dasmond's trip to Marston. The first and strongest armored Seraphim, in the hundred years since the appearance of the mobile armor, no one has successfully made an armor that can surpass it.

At the same time, this is also the armor prototype that countless people dream of, a real rare treasure, which makes a cunning guy like Dasmond willing to take risks.

Yuan Cheng looked at Lu Mingfei with some surprise: "Master Lu, do you recognize this armor?"

This is also the reason why Hara Makoto and the ministers were puzzled, because in terms of appearance, the Seraph Iron Cavalry, which is up to two meters tall and can reach about three meters after being transformed, is simply invincible.

The height is not much higher than that of ordinary people, but the exquisite Seraphim does not look like something from the human world, and it does look a bit weird. It does not look like the most advanced armor, but those Seraphim Iron Cavalry guard them, as if they are the core of this armor team.

Three Seraphs and seven Type 4 Seraph Cavalry were the composition of this armored team. This was naturally a force that could not be underestimated.

"I know him." Lu Mingfei nodded. He was not surprised that Yuan Cheng and the others didn't know Seraph.

People all over the world might think that the Seraphs of a hundred years ago might have been eliminated because of their backwardness, thrown into a warehouse to gather dust, or displayed in a museum. After all, some technology becomes stronger with the passage of time, and the same is true for armor technology.

Probably no one would have thought that these old guys from a hundred years ago have still not been surpassed by armor.

The Papal States has been hiding these powerful armors. The Seraph Iron Cavalry is just a degraded version of it, but even so, it is enough to deter other countries. So the Seraph is hidden like a hidden blade, and only performs the most dangerous and difficult tasks.

All the enemies of the Papal States who had seen the Seraph directly were dead, and even Dasmond could only imagine the magnificence of this armor from the brief words of his allies.

Lu Mingfei glanced at Yuan Cheng silently, then shook his head and looked away.

He did not think that this armored team came to occupy Zhongshan State. One reason was that their size was too small, but more importantly, in a situation where no one knew when the war would come, occupying an enemy country would result in being attacked from all sides and the possibility of being completely wiped out would be higher.

Yuan Cheng felt a little uneasy when he was stared at: "What do you mean, sir?"

“Nothing.” Lu Mingfei put away the portraits without explanation. “Leave this matter to me. Just consider it as a thank you for your hospitality last night.”

Before Yuan Cheng could speak, Ye Suli came up first and asked, "How confident are you, sir?"

Lu Mingfei flipped the papers in his hand: "If that's all, no problem."

After being in this world for so long, he should stretch his body. If these were the only armors he had, it wouldn't take him too much time.

"My lord, please help our Zhongshan Kingdom to save this disaster!" Yuan Cheng stood up straight and performed the Xia Kingdom's bow to Lu Mingfei. He was very respectful and acted more like a wise king than any other wise king in the history of the Xia Kingdom.

Suddenly not used to his behavior, Lu Mingfei said faintly: "I actually still like your impolite look..."

……

The Tulunchuan Desert is located east of Zhongshan State. It is said that a thousand years ago, it was still a beautiful place. At that time, caravans from Xia State followed this ancient road to send goods such as silk and tea produced in the East to the West, bringing back huge wealth.

At the same time, this is also one of the places where war is most likely to occur.

Before the Great Xia Federation was established, there were many hostile countries in the East. Many of the ancient countries near the Tulun River that have perished are like this.

A hundred years can make the Papal States the top of the West, and a thousand years can change even more things. Today, the Tulun River is no longer as beautiful as it was a thousand years ago. Most of the countries originally established here have perished, and the remaining ones have moved to other places.

Today, this place is a barren land. The Xia Kingdom uses it as the last barrier to defend against the West. Even the most advanced chariots and armor of the Papal States cannot pass through the full sandstorm.

The temperature in the desert is very low at night. Most animals that only move during the day have already returned to their nests. Nocturnal creatures begin to go out hunting, and then quickly flee in the face of the glaring lights.

The locomotive rolled over the gravel and stopped on the dry riverbed. Lu Mingfei stood in the desert and looked east. At the end of the Tulunchuan Desert was Longcheng, the westernmost pass of Daxia, and the place that the Papal States dreamed of reaching.

The second motorcycle followed closely behind him. Yuan Cheng jumped off and walked up, rubbing his hands and breathing heavily: "Master Lu, why don't you take a rest first? We are going too fast and the horses behind us can't keep up."

Although Lu Mingfei said that he would handle the matter, Yuan Cheng didn't dare to let this celestial being go alone. After providing him with a car, he insisted on coming with him, and also brought along the powerful Yizi Yuexin Guards of Zhongshan State.

However, no matter how valuable a horse is, it cannot compete with a machine. Lu Mingfei rode so far ahead that the people behind him could not catch up at all. Only Yuan Cheng gritted his teeth and stepped on the accelerator to barely keep up, wanting to see the power of this immortal.

"No need, this is it." Lu Mingfei said softly.

Yuan Cheng was stunned for a moment, and suddenly the sand dunes on their side moved, and the huge mobile armor stood up in the sand. The dust it brought up whistled like the wind, and Yuan Cheng was startled. He quickly pulled out his musket, then compared the size of the two sides and silently put it back.

Lu Mingfei waved his hand to disperse the dust in front of him, looked at the Blazing Sky Iron Cavalry Type 4 in front of him and said, "If we had just passed, there wouldn't have been so much trouble."

He raised his foot, and the armor that Hara Makoto thought was impossible to defeat flew backwards like a Cuju.

(End of this chapter)