Doctor, I'm really strong!

They also want to live a normal life, but the vested interests within the organization won't allow it. This would divide their interests, and cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents. In the end, before the bottom level can rebel, the middle level will have to rebel first.

Later historians referred to this situation as the "rule dilemma".

This means that when a country ruled by a minority of vested interests wants to carry out reforms, no matter how they are reformed, they will touch the interests of the ruling class. The ruling class will then fight back fiercely to defend their interests, and in the end, the whole country will either wait to die or, while going downhill, step on the gas and rush into hell.

The Eastern Southern Shogunate and the Yan Kingdom are examples of this situation.

In contrast, the Northern Shogunate in the East was much happier, but that was because they had a powerful general, the Thunder General, who could keep things in check.

Ultimately, the issue returns to the question of whether or not strongman politics is necessary, but that is merely the outcome, a historical trend.

When a country calls for a strongman politician, historical figures like Stalin or Peter the Great will emerge. But if a country becomes weary of strongman politics, then the cycle of fate will repeat itself. Just look at the Soviet Union; it's a very clear example.

On March 2, 1105, the Community deployed a million troops (actually only two divisions) on the eastern border, claiming it was a military exercise. At the same time, the Yan Kingdom also announced a military exercise of the same scale, and the two sides were on the verge of war across the eastern border.

The two bigwigs seem to be about to clash, but in reality, the fiercest battle is taking place in the south of the East. The East Republic and the Southern Shogunate have entered a state of no return. However, the community not only provides a large quantity of weapons, but also sends volunteer troops to assist, and has even established some kind of "no-fly zone." Now, the skies are full of various types of aircraft from the community.

Those planes didn't bomb any targets, but from that day on, no matter how the Southern Shogunate's army was mobilized, it would be preemptively attacked. After a rigorous analysis by the Southern Shogunate, it was clear that this was not because there were spies within their ranks!

But the Southern Shogunate didn't dare do anything to those planes. If you shoot one down, the next one flying over might be a Dongfeng.

Not wanting to be blown away by the east wind or the northwest wind, the Southern Shogunate had no choice but to endure it, breaking up its troops into smaller units and using guerrilla warfare against guerrilla warfare.

The idea is good, but guerrilla warfare itself is a tactic that requires a high degree of organization and the cooperation of the local people. Only in this way can guerrilla tactics be as effective as a dragon entering the sea. Otherwise, they will be hindered at every turn and unable to move forward. No matter what you do, the enemy will find out first, like fighting a bunch of ghosts with your eyes closed.

In managing guerrilla zones, the East Chinese Communist Party, under the guidance of the community, possesses rich experience in the struggle.

Each base was transformed into an impregnable fortress. Building materials transported from the community were turned into solid defensive lines and fortresses, truly achieving physical defense against the enemy outside the country's borders.

Furthermore, the soldiers and members of the East Asian Communist Party received training in the community, established their own regular army, and then continuously poured them into the battlefield, using the Southern Shogunate army to gain experience. Once they had enough Tier 3 troops, they could push through in one wave.

At the same time, the East Communist Party launched a strong propaganda offensive, attracting people from the Southern Shogunate's territory with the promise of a better life, causing them to flee continuously, directly damaging the Southern Shogunate's economic productivity and infuriating the Southern Shogunate.

There was only one solution: to reduce farmers' taxes. The problem was, the community no longer collected agricultural taxes. Compared to that, no matter how hard the Southern Shogunate of the Eastern Kingdom tried, it was impossible to exempt farmers from taxes unless the Yan Kingdom covered all of the Southern Shogunate's government expenses; otherwise, it was just a pipe dream. But change was necessary; the farmers were about to revolt. So, the officials of the Southern Shogunate gritted their teeth and reduced the grain tax from 80-90% to 7.5%.

This is truly a moving and great progress! They could have just robbed us, but now they're actually reducing the burden on the farmers. I'm moved to tears. For the farmers under the Southern Shogunate, this is absolutely outrageous! In the past, when the land was 80-90% depleted, they had to rely on wild vegetables to survive. Now, it's true that the land has been reduced to 7.5%, but there's also the war outside, and an additional war tax. All things considered, life is even harder than before. If they want us to die, they should just say so!

Moreover, taxes could only be levied on people below the level of rich peasants. Landlords with prestige and status obviously didn't have to pay a single penny, which invisibly increased the pressure on farmers.

In gratitude for the great misdeeds of the Southern Shogunate daimyo, on March 9, 1105, the largest rice riot in history broke out in the southern region, an important rice-producing area of ​​the Southern Shogunate. More than one million people were involved in the turmoil, affecting one-third of the total population of the Southern Shogunate.

However, this peasant uprising lacked a program and objectives, and was more about venting frustrations and causing destruction, which allowed the shogunate to mobilize troops and cooperate with the Yan Kingdom from within and without, ultimately suppressing it on April 1 of that year.

The rebellion was suppressed, but the damage caused could not be recovered in the short term. More than two million people were left homeless, and at least half a million young and middle-aged laborers fled to the East Asian Communist Party's strongholds during the uprising, taking advantage of the local chaos. These people can be considered as the community's population reserve. According to the total statistics, the Southern Shogunate lost at least a quarter of its population, as well as the entire southern production area.

It was April, the season for sowing and raising seedlings, but now everything was destroyed. The Southern Shogunate's grain reserves were simply not enough to sustain the entire population for a year. If the Yan Kingdom did not provide food, the Southern Shogunate would face widespread famine by the end of the year, which would trigger internal conflicts, and by then there would be no way to save it.

With things having progressed to this point, Yan realized that it had to step up, otherwise Dong would be completely stained red.

So Yan immediately went all out to supply food to the Southern Shogunate, while sending wave after wave of envoys to the Northern Shogunate, hoping that Lei Dianzhen would send troops quickly, or at least act as a diversionary force and take in the refugees from the south. Otherwise, when the Commonwealth's army came, what would become of us feudal lords?

Lei Dian readily agreed to the request to accept the refugees, but needed Yan Kingdom to provide more financial and food support; otherwise, he would truly be unable to help.

Even knowing they were being ripped off, Yan could only endure it for now. After all, Raiden was indeed a shogun of the Shogunate, a beneficiary who would never surrender to the community, and in this respect, the interests of both sides were aligned.

If they can get through this crisis, Dongguo will still have to rely on Yanguo to survive. They'll have to pay back several times the amount they took from them. Did they really think Yanguo's money was so easy to take? Just then, lightning truly gave Yanguo a great gift.

"We will employ a containment tactic against the community, but this will require the assistance of the Yan Kingdom."

Lei Dian's attitude was very sincere, as if he really intended to do something for Yan Guo.

Section 292: Loyalty!

(People don't seem to like sending comments much, ε=('ο｀))) Sigh)

Smuggling is something everyone is familiar with; it has existed since the day humans started paying taxes.

There are many smuggling routes between the East and the Commonwealth, the most famous of which is the Golden Silk Trail.

This is a smuggling route that extends from Bowl City in the south of the community to the territory of the Eastern Kingdom. As seen on the map, it looks like a silk thread connecting the two places. Because smuggled goods from here can make a lot of money in the Eastern Kingdom, it has earned the reputation of the Golden Silk Path.

Since smuggling is permissible, then weapons and ammunition are certainly permissible as well. Raiden Shin's suggestion was to bombard this path, cutting off the community's lifeline to the East Communist Party. This would reduce the intensity of the guerrilla attacks and allow the Southern Shogunate to gain the upper hand.

After studying the intelligence provided by the Northern Shogunate, Yan Kingdom immediately concluded that the operation was feasible. The only problem was that bombarding the Golden Silk Trail would require a large number of artillery pieces, and Dong Kingdom did not have that many long-range weapons. Moreover, you also have to worry about whether the opposing community will retaliate, given the community's artillery density...

The survivors of the Yan army who had participated in the Eight-Nation Alliance shuddered collectively, fear rising up their spines and to the top of their heads like the frigid Siberian air.

However, the Northern Shogunate has stated that unless the community attacks them, they will not join the war. At most, they will provide some support, such as allowing Yan Kingdom to provide us with industrial materials, which we can then process and resell to the Southern Shogunate. The production cost is much cheaper than long-distance transportation.

Yan Guo, without suspicion, immediately transported a large amount of industrial raw materials to the Northern Shogunate via coastal sea transport. The Northern Shogunate then processed these raw materials and resold them to the Southern Shogunate, effectively turning the Northern Shogunate into a factory for the Southern Shogunate.

During the processing of these materials, there will inevitably be various unpredictable "losses". Yan Guo knew that the Northern Shogunate was secretly taking advantage of them, but when they needed something from them, they might as well take some benefits. At least the people in the Northern Shogunate who took benefits were much more conscientious than those greedy people in the Southern Shogunate. The loss rate of a ship of raw materials was only 20%. In comparison, the loss rate of the Southern Shogunate was 50% or even 70%, which was simply treating Yan Guo like a sucker.

As a result, more and more raw material processing was sent to the Northern Shogunate, and the Southern Shogunate's manufacturing industry became increasingly sluggish until it completely collapsed, becoming a entity that could only survive by relying on the Northern Shogunate.

News of the Northern Shogunate's plan to bombard the Golden Silk Path quickly reached Liu Jiuli, who immediately recognized it as a trap.

It's true that the Golden Silk Trail is used for smuggling to the ASEAN, but the problem is that the ASEAN's main strongholds are all adjacent to the ASEAN. Although there are mountains on both sides, underground tunnels were secretly dug here a year ago. Those smuggling routes that are openly visible are now mainly used to smuggle various supplies to the Southern Shogunate, including many luxury goods. When the Northern Shogunate bombarded this place, it was actually cutting off the Southern Shogunate's lifeline.

The Southern Shogunate could only suffer in silence.

Could they really say directly to Yan Kingdom: "Our smuggling route with the community has been cut off by the north, and we're having a really tough time. Brother, please help us."

Yan Guo then retaliated with two large slaps to the ground.

Good heavens, you're eating my food and flirting with the community, tell me, are you seeing someone else?

For Yan, opposing the Community is politically correct. Although Yan opposes it while doing business with the Community, the leader can do it, but the subordinate absolutely cannot. Just like the United States handles the relationship between Australia and China, as Yan's subordinate, Dongguo naturally cannot do that, otherwise it would be betrayal.

At this point, Yan Guo, which was already somewhat obsessed with opposing the community, had reached the point where "unreliable loyalty is absolutely disloyal." If Dong Guo were to provoke Yan Guo's exclusive territory at this time, wouldn't that be like Iraq provoking the United States—asking for trouble?

As the assistant, Ling naturally noticed this and asked with a smile, "Shouldn't we cooperate as well?"

Liu Jiuli stood up and said, "Of course we need to cooperate, and we need to cooperate well. The more intense the cooperation, the better. By the way, the artillerymen on both sides can exchange their experiences. With targets to shoot at, this play can be considered real. It can also give our new recruits some practice."

And so, with Liu Jiuli and Lei Dianzhen's tacit cooperation, a cannon battle on the Golden Silk Trail began.

At 9:00 AM on April 19, 1105, the Northern Shogunate concentrated 120 large, medium and small cannons to bombard the Golden Silk Trail, thus beginning the Golden Silk Artillery Battle.

The first day of artillery battles yielded very good results, annihilating more than a thousand members of the East Asian Communist Party.

The Northern Shogunate proved its value in united front work, and could openly ask the Yan Kingdom for more money.

Yan Kingdom was overjoyed to see the results of the bombardment and generously spent money, hoping that the Northern Shogunate would continue its efforts.

The community issued a condemnation, but secretly opened up an underground transportation route with the Northern Shogunate, which later became known as the "Northern Mountain Corridor," a high-speed heavy-haul railway with a total length of 348 kilometers, four-fifths of which was underground. This laid a solid transportation foundation for the economic take-off of the liberated Eastern Country.

Everyone was happy, except for the rulers of the Southern Shogunate, who were secretly furious but only dared to curse in secret.

The main smuggling groups along the Golden Silk Trail were basically the major families of the Southern Shogunate. The famous Kyoto Express was a company that made its fortune by smuggling along this route, and it had shares in various major families of the Southern Shogunate.

The area is now completely blocked by artillery fire. Although it's not impossible to pass through, every attempt to get through results in huge losses.

On the battlefield, artillery shells have no eyes, especially those from communities that like to create barrages. They often unleash terrifying barrages that blot out the sky, like giant hands that obliterate everything within their range.

At this point, apart from the Golden Silk Trail, all other smuggling channels were unusable. Digging tunnels was one option, but that would take time, and they would have to be wary of the community's bunker-buster bombs, which the Eastern Kingdom had no way to defend against.

Fortunately, there is always a way out. Because the community never suffers a loss, the next day they retaliated with overwhelming force, bombarding the Northern Shogunate's artillery in a state of chaos. The Northern Shogunate, which suffered a "severe blow," immediately cried out to the Yan Kingdom for cannons.

"Dad, that mean uncle across the street is bullying me!"

Translated: Our sacrifice is too big, we need to pay more! In reality, the artillery positions of the Eastern Kingdom were already deserted, and half of the cannons had been removed. As for the rest, of course, the Yan Kingdom had to see a "fierce" battle.

In addition, a significant amount of artificial blood plasma was placed on the battlefield, making the scene even more shocking. Upon learning that his ally had been attacked, Yan immediately dispatched officials to offer their condolences. After witnessing the "horrific" scene and seeing the thousands of wounded and sick in the hospital, the Yan envoy, suppressing the horrific memories that were being awakened (this was a veteran of the Yan army who had participated in the Battle of Steel Grid), reported the situation to the Yan government.

"The soldiers of the Eastern Kingdom fought bravely against the enemy, but the enemy outnumbered them and their strength was far inferior. The soldiers of the Eastern Kingdom suffered heavy casualties and urgently needed assistance."

Coupled with the photos taken by the accompanying reporters, the entire Yan Kingdom unanimously concluded that the Northern Shogunate brothers were capable and reliable.

A steady stream of supplies began to be transported from Yan Kingdom to Dong Kingdom. Large investments were poured in, determined to make this hardworking and diligent younger brother see the trust and support of his elder brother, and then willingly serve as the king's vanguard.

The effect was also very significant. The elite artillery units in the Eastern Kingdom region grew from this point onward, and then this force was deployed in the war to liberate the Ursus Empire (Ursus Empire: Yan Kingdom, Sukabri!).

Yan Guo only realized at the very end that he was the only one who had been truly bled dry from beginning to end.

Section 293: Texas and Lapland

(Genshin Impact pizza is coming, and it's the original batch, (^▽^) hehe)

There are many strange things in the world. For example, when a deliveryman from Texas saw Lappland dressed in military uniform and impeccably groomed, the scene was almost like Mars colliding with Earth.

"Lapland?"

"Ah, isn't this Texas? It's been a long time."

Texas scrutinized the acquaintance before her, who looked completely different from before. After a careful analysis, she confirmed that the girl in front of her was Lappland, the berserker who had fought alongside her in Syracuse.

But now...

Her hair was tied in a ponytail, and she was wearing a female uniform of the Terra Red Army. Although her weapons were still the same, they looked more neat and tidy. The madness of the past was nowhere to be seen at this moment, and she gave the impression of being a vibrant and beautiful young woman.

What the heck is this? What happened to this thing?

That evening, Texas and Lappland met at a Syracuse-style restaurant after Texas finished delivering the goods. As Lappland politely waved to him, Texas had only one thought: Is the world going to end tomorrow?

"Don't worry, the world won't end tomorrow."

Lappland chuckled, surprising Texas. "When did you learn mind reading?"

Lappland waved her hand: "What mind reading? We're old partners, I know exactly what you're thinking. Besides, you're not hiding your expression, it's all written on your face."

Texas was momentarily speechless. Just then, the waiter brought over a drink. Texas took a sip and exclaimed in surprise, "Juice?"

Lappland: "Yes, is there a problem?"

Texas: "You used to always add alcohol to your juice."

Lappland gave a nostalgic smile: "Yes, that's true, but not anymore. I have to stay clear-headed at all times and be responsible for my comrades."

Texas then noticed that Lappland was a major with two bars and one star.

"You've actually become a military officer."

"Yes, are you surprised?"

“You used to hate places with lots of rules.”

"That's true, but... how should I put it, I've gotten used to it, and it feels pretty good."

Seeing the drastic change in her friend, Texas found it hard to connect Lappland with her own memories and asked with great curiosity, "What happened? You've changed so much..."

Lappland, propping her head up with one hand and fiddling with the straw in her drink with the other, said, "A lot has indeed happened."

After being captured, Lappland spent some time in a prisoner-of-war camp and was exposed to the Red Guard's new ideas. However, she did not intend to join the Red Guard at the time, as Texas said, she was a person who did not like rules.