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On the day the Great Zhou flag was raised atop Baghdad, Wang Yanjun stood atop the city wall, looking down at the Arab nobles kneeling on the ground.

The wind from the Tigris River blows from the north, carrying the fishy smell of the river and dust from afar.

The red flag fluttered in the wind, and the large "Zhou" character on it, like a burning fire, illuminated this ancient city with a history of thousands of years.

Below the city gate, the Arab nobles knelt in neat rows, not daring to raise their heads.

Some were wearing long white robes, some were wearing headscarves, some had long beards, and some were wearing gemstone rings.

They knelt there, trembling, like a flock of sheep waiting to be slaughtered.

Wang Yanjun looked at them, remained silent for a moment, and then ordered, "Issue the order: each army will split up and take over all strategic locations."

The orders were passed down one after another.

Deputy General Murong Yanzhao asked, "Commander, where should we attack first?"

Wang Yanjun pointed to the map: "To the east, Mosul. There are oil fields and iron mines there, a strategic location that is highly contested by military strategists. Take five thousand men there and you must take it within three days."

Murong Yanzhao clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Yes!"

Pan Mei asked, "What about the west side?"

Wang Yanjun pointed westward: "Damascus. That's the gateway to the Mediterranean; we must take it. Yang Ye, take three thousand men. Try to persuade them to surrender; if they can't, then fight."

Yang Ye nodded: "Understood."

“To the north,” Wang Yanjun pointed north along the Tigris River, “ten thousand men will travel north along the river and control the mountains north of Mosul. There are copper mines, silver mines, and important trade routes there. Xiao Tianzuo, Wanyan Helibo, you two take the Khitan and Jurchen cavalry there. Those mountain tribes that don’t obey, wipe them out.”

Yelü Qilie and Yelü Qilie both grinned: "This is something we're good at."

Wanyan Helibo also laughed: "Don't worry, he can't escape."

"To the south," Wang Yanjun said, looking at Zhang Yongde, "the navy will sail south along the Persian Gulf, control Bahrain and Oman, and seize the entire Persian Gulf. Commander Zhang, you will personally lead the men there."

Zhang Yongde nodded: "We've already figured out all the ports in the Persian Gulf. We'll take them all within a month."

After the order was issued, the various armies went their separate ways.

……

A month later, all the strategic locations fell into the hands of Zhou's army.

Some of the garrison troops in those areas surrendered, some fled, and some resisted.

Those who resist all meet the same fate.

Outside the city of Mosul, there lived a tribal chief named Abdullah.

He led three thousand cavalrymen, hiding in the mountains, and occasionally came down the mountain to harass Zhou's supply convoys.

They looted grain several times, killed dozens of Zhou soldiers, and then hid back in the mountains, thinking they were safe.

Murong Yanzhao sent people to persuade them to surrender.

The messenger rode in on horseback, carrying a white flag, and entered the mountains.

Upon meeting Abdullah, Wang Yanjun conveyed his message: surrender, and you can live and continue to be the leader.

If they do not surrender, the army will march into the mountains and leave no one alive.

"Hahaha..." Abdullah laughed loudly. "You want me to surrender? You want me to listen to those infidels?"

He sent the messenger back and cut off his ear.

The messenger, clutching his bloodied ear, returned to the camp and knelt before Murong Yanzhao. "General, he... he refused to surrender and even cut off my ear..."

Murong Yanzhao looked at the envoy's half-blooded face, his own face turning ashen.

He didn't send anyone else after that.

Instead, they mobilized 5,000 national defense troops, armed with artillery, to enter the mountains and encircle and annihilate them.

I played for half a month.

The cannons roared, and the infantry charged.

After bombing this place, they bombarded that place; after charging through this mountain, they rushed to that mountain.

Abdullah's three thousand cavalrymen were either killed or surrendered, leaving only a little over two hundred who were trapped in a ravine.

Abdullah was brought before Murong Yanzhao.

Murong Yanzhao looked at him. "Surrender?"

Abdullah was covered in blood, his hair was disheveled, and his face was covered in mud.

But he looked up and spat.

He spat a mouthful of bloody phlegm onto Murong Yanzhao's boots.

Murong Yanzhao looked down at the phlegm, then looked up at Abdullah.

He nodded. "Castrate him. Send him to repair the railway."

Abdullah was stunned for a moment, and before he could react, he was dragged away.

The screams carried far.

The same goes for his two hundred-plus men.

They were all castrated and then sent to work on the railway.

……

From then on, no one dared to openly resist anymore.

One by one, the tribes, large and small, sent envoys to express their willingness to submit.

The sporadic resistance is like a minor ailment, not something that can be resolved overnight.

Therefore, it requires a long period of endurance to compete. Even after Qin conquered the six states, it still suffered the backlash from them.

When Wang Yanjun met them, he said, "Submission is acceptable. But remember, the rules of the Great Zhou are the rules."

The messengers knelt on the ground and nodded repeatedly.

In the council chamber of Baghdad, Wang Yanjun sat at the head of the table, with Pan Mei sitting beside him.

Below, a dozen or so tribal envoys knelt, some old, some young, some fat, some thin, each one trembling with fear.

Wang Yanjun looked at them and spoke, “What are the rules? First, within a radius of fifty li of the Great Zhou garrison, no armed forces are allowed. Any weapons, including knives and arrows, will be confiscated. Anyone who dares to hide weapons will have their entire family killed.”

"..." The envoys turned pale.

"Secondly, the areas where the Great Zhou is building railways and mining will need laborers. Each village and tribe will be assigned laborers based on the number of people. Those who are unwilling to provide labor can pay to hire substitutes themselves."

Someone asked in a low voice, "Sir, what does it mean to distribute it by headcount?"

Pan Mei answered Wang Yanjun's question: "Report how many people are in your tribe. The Great Zhou will calculate based on the number of people. The number of laborers required is the number. One person from each family is fine, or several families can contribute one person. Discuss it yourselves. But the total number cannot be less than that."

"Yes, General." The man nodded and dared not ask any more questions.

"The third rule," Wang Yanjun continued, "is that when officials from the Great Zhou come, you must obey them. Do what you are told to do, and don't do what you are not told to do. Those who don't obey will have to go and keep the railway construction workers company."

The messengers' legs were trembling.

Wang Yanjun glanced around: "Did you all hear that clearly?"

The messengers answered in unison, "We heard you clearly."

"Then go back and tell your tribe. Whoever listens will have a good life. Whoever doesn't listen can go and see for themselves where the railway is being built."

The envoys kowtowed repeatedly and left the council chamber.

……

Of course, there must be rewards as well as punishments.

The Zhou dynasty also treated the tribal leaders who were willing to submit and cooperate well.

There was a tribe near Baghdad whose leader was Khalid.

When Zhou Jun first arrived, he was the first to bring cattle and sheep to entertain the troops.

One hundred sheep, twenty cows, and ten camels were delivered to the camp gate.

Wang Yanjun met with Khalid in person and asked, "What's your name?"

"Your Excellency, my name is Khalid."

Why did you send this gift?

Khalid said cautiously, "My lord, I heard that the Great Zhou has come to bring us peace. I am willing to follow the Great Zhou and obey its orders. These things are a small token of my appreciation."

Wang Yanjun looked at him for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. From now on, you are still the chief. You are in charge of your tribe's affairs. But for important matters, you must listen to the imperial court, understand?"

Khalid nodded repeatedly: "I understand! I understand!"

Wang Yanjun had someone bring over a letter of appointment, stamped with the official seal, and handed it to Khalid.

Khalid took the paper, his hands trembling. "This...this is..."

"This is the appointment from the Great Zhou. From now on, you are an official of the Great Zhou. You will receive an annual salary, and you can seek help from the court if needed. But there is one condition: you cannot bully others or accept bribes. If you are caught, you will be responsible for repairing the railway yourself."

Khalid knelt down and kowtowed, "I understand! I dare not!"

After he returned, he hung the letter of appointment in the most conspicuous place in the tent.

When people from the tribe came to ask, he pointed to the letter of appointment and said, "See this? It was given by the Great Zhou. We are now people of the Great Zhou. From now on, be obedient and you'll have food to eat."

In Mosul, there was also a tribal chief named Rashid.

He helped Zhou Jun maintain order and arrested more than a dozen troublemakers.

Those people secretly gathered at night to discuss attacking Zhou's army's granary.

When Rashid found out, he led his men to ambush them in their tents in the middle of the night, arrested them all, and sent them to Zhou's army camp.

Murong Yanzhao rewarded him with five hundred taels of silver and also arranged a place for his son to study in the capital.

Rashid was so excited that he knelt down on the spot, shouting, "Long live the Great Zhou! Long live His Majesty!"

Murong Yanzhao helped him up and said, "Work hard. Your son is going to study in the capital. He will take the imperial examination and become an official. Then your tribe will rise above others."

Rashid nodded repeatedly.

Those tribal chiefs who were still observing saw this and understood the situation.

It turns out that as long as you obey, you not only don't have to build railways, but you can also get benefits.

What are you waiting for?
One by one, they all came to surrender.

……

The banners of the Great Zhou Dynasty flew over the walls of Baghdad.

The red flag fluttered in the wind along the Tigris River, its large "Zhou" character like a burning fire illuminating this unfamiliar land.

But taking Baghdad is not something that can be done in a day or two.

Starting from the sixteenth year of the prosperous era, and ending at the twentieth year of the prosperous era, it took a full four years.

During those four years, the Western Expeditionary Army did not advance by fighting, but by building its own infrastructure.

After conquering a new location, the first thing to do is not to continue advancing, but to stop.

Why stop?
Build roads, appoint officials, station troops, and establish bases.

When Wang Yanjun set off from Talas, he understood one thing: it's easy to take it, but difficult to hold it.

How could grain and fodder be transported over a distance of 20,000 li?
How should the wounded be transported? How should the news be relayed?
Without a base, it's suicide.

Therefore, his playing style is to take things one step at a time.

First stop, Talas.

After conquering Talas, he left three thousand men and established the province of Talas.

Find local people who speak both languages ​​to serve as translators and minor officials.

Officials were transferred from the rear to manage civil affairs, taxation, and public security.

Then they built the road.

A cement road was built all the way from Suzhou to Talas.

It took two years to build over three thousand li (approximately 1500 kilometers). Zhou Yongnian, a senior official in the Ministry of Works, personally led a team of 30,000 laborers, laying the road section by section.

On the Gobi Desert, the daytime heat is so intense it can bake a person alive, and the nighttime cold can freeze a person to death, yet no one complains.

On the day the road was completed, the people of Talas stood by the roadside, staring in amazement at the smooth cement surface.

"This road...is harder than stone?"

"I heard it's called cement, made by the Great Zhou Dynasty. It's harder than stone and smoother than a mud road."

"From the Great Zhou Dynasty to here, it's thousands of miles. Will it only take a few days to get there?"

"A few days? I heard the train is faster, traveling hundreds of miles a day. Once the railway is built, it will only take half a month to get from the capital to Talas."

Thus, Talas became the first major base of the Abbasid Caliphate.

Inside the base, rows of warehouses were piled high with food, ammunition, and medicine.

The grain was produced in the Hexi Corridor, the ammunition was transported from the capital, and the medicine was prepared by the Imperial Medical Bureau.

The military camp housed three thousand soldiers who drilled, patrolled, and traded with the locals every day.

Fair business dealings, prompt payment, and never taking advantage of anyone.

The locals were initially afraid.

As time went on, they discovered that these Zhou soldiers didn't eat people and even paid for their purchases, so they gradually stopped being afraid.

Some of the bolder ones started learning Mandarin, hoping to get closer to the soldiers of the Great Zhou.

The most bustling place was the mine.

Coal mines were discovered outside the city of Talas.

The Ministry of Works brought machinery to mine the coal.

The coal was dug out truckload after truckload, and piled up as high as a mountain.

Part of it is used by the base itself, and part is transported back to the mainland.

"This coal burns even better than the coal from Shanxi," said a worker from the Ministry of Works.

In addition to coal mines, there are also iron and copper mines.

The exploration team, carrying their instruments, roamed the mountains and fields, making new discoveries every day. "My God! We must report to His Majesty immediately! This area is rich in mineral resources, enough for us to mine for a hundred years."

When the news reached the capital, Su Ning nodded, "Good. Mining and using on-site. Wherever the railway goes, we'll dig there."

...The second stop, Samarkand.

After conquering Samarkand, they left behind 5,000 men and established the Samarkand Region.

Officials were transferred from Talas, and local people were recruited to help.

Road construction has started again.

The journey from Talas to Samarkand was a thousand li, and it took another year to complete.

The base was also under construction while the road was being built.

Warehouses, barracks, hospitals, schools—none of them can be missing.

Outside the city of Samarkand, an even larger coal mine was discovered.

There are also copper mines and lead mines.

The exploration team was extremely busy.

The first batch of supplies from Talas arrived on the day the road was completed.

Grain, cloth, medicinal herbs, and boxes of books.

Schools were opened in Samarkand.

Local children sit in the school and recite "The Rhyme of a Prosperous Age" with their teacher.

"Heaven and earth were dark and yellow, the universe was vast and boundless..."

He read it haltingly, but he read it very earnestly.

A child asked the teacher, "Sir, why do we have to learn this?"

The teacher said, "If you learn Chinese characters, you will be able to understand the imperial court's announcements. If you learn Mandarin, you will be able to speak with the people in the court. If you study well, you can go to the capital to take the imperial examinations in the future, and if you pass the examinations, you can become an official."

The child's eyes lit up: "Become an official? We can become officials too?"

The man nodded: "Yes. His Majesty said that regardless of whether they are Han, Khitan, Jurchen, or Western Region people, as long as they are from the Great Zhou, they can become officials."

The child grinned and read on even more enthusiastically.

……

The third stop was Mulu.

After capturing Mulu, they left behind 4,000 men and established Mulu Prefecture.

They're building roads again.

From Samarkand to Mulsa, it is 800 li.

The base was also under construction while the road was being built.

Oil was finally discovered outside Mulu City, which is why Suning formed the Western Expeditionary Army.

The exploration team spent many days exploring the area with their instruments, and finally confirmed that there was oil underground, and quite a lot of it.

So they immediately began mining and built an oil refinery.

The Royal Academy of Sciences has the equipment and technology.

Those blueprints were drawn by Suning many years ago, and now they've finally come in handy.

Soon, the first batch of oil extraction equipment was transported from Beijing to Mulu.

The steam engine powered the drilling rig, which drilled day and night without stopping.

After drilling for a month, oil finally came out.

Black crude oil gushed from the ground and flowed everywhere.

The workers cheered.

An oil refinery was also built.

Simple distillation equipment can separate crude oil into gasoline, kerosene, and diesel.

Although the output is not high, it is enough.

Gasoline was bottled and transported to the front lines for use in trucks equipped with the new internal combustion engines.

The diesel fuel was bottled and transported to the base to power the generators.

The kerosene was bottled and sold to the locals for lighting.

The locals were astonished when they first saw a kerosene lamp.

"This lamp is much brighter than an oil lamp."

"And there's no smoke, so it doesn't sting your eyes."

In the streets of Mulu, people began setting up stalls to sell kerosene lamps.

On the day the road was completed, officials from Samarkand arrived.

People recruited from Mulu began to learn Chinese, calligraphy, and the rules of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

A clinic opened in Mulu City.

People from the Imperial Medical Bureau brought medicines to treat the locals.

We treat headaches, fevers, knife wounds, arrow wounds, and difficult childbirth.

The locals were initially afraid to go.

Some brave souls went there, got better after treatment, and spread the word far and wide, resulting in long queues forming outside the clinic.

……

The fourth stop: Baghdad.

After capturing Baghdad, they left behind 10,000 men and established Baghdad State.

This is the largest base in the west, and it needs to be operated long-term.

The officials from the capital had traveled for months by train and carriage before finally arriving.

They arrived with boxes of documents, ledgers, and seals, and began to take over the land.

In Baghdad, the first Western Regions government office of the Great Zhou Dynasty was opened.

A sign hung at the entrance that read "Baghdad Regional Governor's Office".

When the local Arab nobles passed by, they would always stop to take a look, then shake their heads, sigh, and continue on their way.

Oil has been discovered outside Baghdad.

And it's not just a little bit, it's entire oil fields.

The people from the Ministry of Works rubbed their hands together excitedly, exclaiming, "We've struck it rich!"

The exploration team said, "This area is enough to mine for a hundred years."

Construction of the oil refinery began.

It is ten times larger than Mulu.

The equipment transported from the Great Zhou was unloaded ship by ship at the Persian port and then transported by truck to Baghdad.

Gasoline, kerosene, and diesel were produced barrel by barrel.

Some were used by the Western Expeditionary Army, and some were transported back to the Great Zhou.

……

Meanwhile, Zhang Yongde's navy was also busy.

They marched south, building bases along the way.

First stop, Champa.

Champa, located on the South China Sea coast, was the navy's first supply point.

After capturing Champa, they left behind 2,000 men and established the Champa port.

Officials transferred from Dengzhou began to manage the port, taxation, and public security.

Steamships of the Great Zhou Dynasty were docked in the port, and the docks were piled high with goods.

Silk, porcelain, and tea transported from the Great Zhou Dynasty were transshipped from here to more distant places.

Spices, ivory, and pearls collected locally were loaded onto ships and transported back to the Great Zhou Dynasty.

The people of Champa were so frightened by the sight of those iron ships billowing black smoke that their legs went weak.

Over time, they discovered that these boats didn't eat people; instead, they brought business to the locals, and gradually they stopped being afraid.

A shipyard was built next to the port.

In the dock, workers are repairing ships that have returned from long voyages.

There were steam warships, transport ships, and several newly built small patrol boats.

A warehouse was built next to the shipyard.

The warehouse was filled with goods.

Some were transported from the Great Zhou Dynasty, some were collected locally, some were waiting to be transshipped, and some were waiting to be loaded onto ships.

Second stop, Malacca.

The Strait of Malacca is the choke point between the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean; it must be captured.

After capturing Malacca, they left behind 3,000 men and established the state of Malacca.

The port was expanded, warehouses were built, and military camps were set up.

The local king of Malacca originally intended to resist.

Upon seeing the steam warships of the Great Zhou Dynasty, with rows of dark cannons pointed at his palace, he immediately ceased resistance.

"We are willing to submit, we are willing to submit."

Thus, Malacca became the largest naval base in Southeast Asia.

The fleet resupply here, cargo is transshipped here, and personnel rest here.

Merchants from India, from Arabia, and from even further afield gathered here to trade with the people of Da Zhou.

On the streets of Malacca, you can hear all sorts of languages.

Some spoke Mandarin, some spoke Malay, some spoke Hindi, and some spoke Arabic.

It was as lively as a market.

Tin mines were soon discovered outside Malacca.

The Ministry of Works brought machinery to mine tin.

The tin was dug out, cartload by cart, and transported back to the Great Zhou.

The Great Zhou Dynasty was short of tin, and in the past it relied entirely on buying it from outside, but now it has its own.

……

The third stop: Ceylon.

Ceylon, located in the Indian Ocean, is another supply point for the navy.

After conquering Ceylon, they left behind two thousand men and established the port of Ceylon.

The port is small, but its location is important.

The fleet departed from Malacca, crossed the Indian Ocean, and arrived here to rest.

The locals in Ceylon are Buddhists.

The officials from the Great Zhou Dynasty did not interfere and even funded the construction of several temples.

The locals all say, "The people of Da Zhou are good; they don't bully others."

Plantations were built next to the port of Ceylon.

The plantation is planted with rubber trees.

Those rubber trees were brought from Southeast Asia and planted in Ceylon, where they grew very well.

Every day, the workers tapped rubber trees, collected the milky white sap, made rubber blocks, and transported them back to Dazhou.

The Great Zhou needs rubber.

Wheels, seals, and various other parts all rely on rubber.

……

The fourth stop: the Persian Gulf.

The Persian Gulf is the final destination for naval vessels.

After landing, they built their largest base on the eastern shore of the Persian Gulf – Port Persia.

Five thousand people were left behind to establish the Persian province.

The port was built larger than Malacca, and the warehouses were more numerous than those in Champa.

Goods transported from the Great Zhou Dynasty are unloaded here and then transported overland to Baghdad.

Goods collected from the Abbasid Caliphate were loaded onto ships here and transported back to the Great Zhou.

The streets of Persepolis are bustling with people and vehicles.

There were Arabs in long robes, Persians with headscarves, dockworkers with bare chests, and officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty in official robes.

The various accents blended together, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Oil has been discovered outside the Persian port city. And in considerable quantities.

The Ministry of Works staff became excited again, exclaiming, "Great! This area is enough to mine for two hundred years!"

The oil refinery was built.

It is larger in scale than Baghdad's.

Gasoline, kerosene, and diesel fuel were produced continuously.

The gasoline was naturally prioritized for use on naval ships, with some going to trucks on land, and some being transported back to the Central Plains of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

That diesel fuel was used for generators and for machinery in the factories supporting the military base.

...(End of this chapter)