Munitions Empire-Chapter 1187: Flight route 1107 is cut off
"South Island is destined to be lost. What we can do is defend South Island as best we can, and then construct entirely new fortifications on New Island." Standing before the massive map, Shenwu Ke stated resolutely.
The entire Mirage Country shared one understanding: if they didn’t rely on the natural barrier of the ocean, Mirage Country would not be able to stop the Tang Army’s advancing attack.
Thus, abandoning South Island and regaining advantages on New Island had become a kind of self-consolation for Mirage Country, convincing themselves they could continue fighting.
"We are working hard to build fortifications on New Island. Near the areas facing South Island, we’re building a reinforced concrete bunker every 300 meters!" Shenwu Ke confidently introduced his ambitious plan.
In his view, as long as enough bunkers are built—densely packed and equipped with sufficient artillery—his troops might have a chance to halt the Tang Army’s advance.
Just as he was detailing the latest deployment, an officer hurried into the room, approached Shen Emperor at the meeting, leaned down, and whispered something.
Shen Emperor’s face darkened. He stood up, glanced at the civil and military ministers present, stated, "I will return shortly," then gestured to Naval Grand Admiral Shen Haiping to accompany him outside.
Both walked into the corridor. Shen Emperor glanced back toward the meeting room before speaking to Shen Haiping, "News just came in: a transport ship sailing from Eternal Winter Port to Shen Capital was sunk by a Tang Imperial Fleet destroyer with a torpedo!"
"A destroyer?" Upon hearing that Tang Navy warships had reached even the eastern waters, Shen Haiping was initially shocked and somewhat incredulous.
"The news claims that Tang destroyers are quite large, six to seven thousand tons. I don’t know if they have resupply ships accompanying them, but it’s confirmed that the Songbo transport ship was sunk." Shen Emperor conveyed his concerns to his naval commander.
Shen Haiping also understood the severity of the issue: "Your Majesty! Our fleet has just suffered heavy losses. The Tang Army already controls the seas. If they cut off our maritime supply lines, the situation would indeed become dire."
"Not just dire—it’ll be an absolute disaster!" Shen Emperor shot a cold glance at Shen Haiping and reprimanded, "We can’t even self-sustain food production. If we’re blockaded, what will the civilians eat? What will the military eat?"
In truth, if it were only about food, Shen Emperor wouldn’t be this anxious. Mirage Country’s grain self-sufficiency rate wasn’t especially poor, and solving food problems wasn’t overly challenging. fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓
At worst, civilians would eat less appealing food and everyone would economize—scraping by for a year or so wasn’t impossible. In wartime, such sacrifices wouldn’t be considered disastrous.
What truly worried Shen Emperor was Mirage Country’s fragile industrial base. In the event of a blockade, it was uncertain whether the country could continue supplying its war machines and sustaining the ongoing conflict.
Without oil imported from Ice Cold Empire, without steel and copper exported from Ice Cold Empire, Laines Empire, and Dorne Empire, without rubber sourced from Gobur Kingdom and Dorne Empire—how much longer could Mirage Country hold out?
Just moments ago, Shenwu Ke had been talking about building bunkers every 300 meters. But without imported cement or steel, how exactly would those bunkers be constructed?
"How many warships do you still have available for combat?" With no options left, Shen Emperor reluctantly posed a difficult question to Shen Haiping.
Shen Haiping hesitated for a few seconds, his embarrassment evident. Then, he gave an answer that left Shen Emperor both frustrated and helpless: "About three destroyers and seven or eight outdated ironclad warships and patrol ships."
These ships were remnants from the decisive battle in South Island waters, left behind for various reasons: three new destroyers had remained in Shen Capital due to mechanical issues; eight outdated ironclads and patrol ships had been abandoned at home because their speed couldn’t keep up with the main fleet.
Of the three patrol ships, they were primarily used for combating pirates, cracking down on smuggling, and collecting taxes. Armed only with front-and-rear cannons and no shields—they were laughably inadequate for engaging Tang Navy destroyers.
The five ironclads were relics built over a decade ago, outdated artifacts more suited for museum displays. They were slow, weak, and essentially useless in modern conflict.
"Just three destroyers available for battle?" Shen Emperor almost suspected he had misheard. But the total annihilation of their twelve battleships had already become an undeniable fact, leaving him forced to accept the Navy’s dire state.
"Even if these three ships leave the port, there’s no guarantee they’d ensure safe passage along the shipping lanes," Shen Haiping truthfully admitted. Tang’s destroyers were massive with remarkable endurance and combat capability. Mirage’s destroyers, on the other hand, were traditional ones—displacing only three to four thousand tons and lacking even torpedoes for high-stakes confrontations.
"Forget it!" Shen Emperor knew these vessels, stationed at Shen Capital’s port, essentially served as makeshift fortifications to guard against enemy naval incursions attacking Shen Capital’s main base—they couldn’t be easily reassigned.
"Soon, supplies like steel, rubber, copper… will completely run out. Cement is already insufficient. Despite finalizing a purchase from Ice Cold Empire two days ago, it seems the goods won’t be delivered." Shen Emperor’s frustration surged as he recalled paying for supplies but receiving nothing.
Shen Haiping felt equally embarrassed. Before the war, his Navy had been confident, believing that under Air Force cover, they would decisively defeat Tang Country’s cross-sea invasions.
Reality, however, delivered a brutal slap to their confidence: the main fleet had been utterly destroyed, and now even the vital eastern shipping lanes were unprotected.
All previous plans had to be reorganized from scratch: the ambitious project of building extensive fortifications on New Island had to be suspended. Mirage Country leaders were forced to reconsider the proper ways to utilize their remaining strategic resources.
Mirage Country was not an oil-producing nation, and fuel constituted an important strategic resource. Tanks, vehicles, airplanes, ships—all relied on fuel.
Without fuel, these machines would turn into useless scrap metal. Shen Emperor and his ministers had to carefully research how to allocate their remaining fuel reserves.
Training new pilots required fuel; every aircraft takeoff and landing consumed precious aviation fuel. Similarly, troop mobility required fuel—tanks and vehicles were voracious consumers.
"Have the Navy halt construction of the Spike heavy cruiser…" Shen Emperor gave Shen Haiping an order that grieved the naval grand admiral.
The Spike heavy cruiser was a new-generation vessel whose construction began before the war. Featuring a 310mm main gun, it was a quintessential heavy cruiser.
Even at the height of Mirage Country’s naval strength, this ship would’ve been a formidable asset in the fleet. Now, however… it represented the "last hope of the entire Navy."
Unfortunately, it was clear the vessel—already 70% complete—would never be finished. Mirage Country’s Navy no longer needed such warships.
By itself, the Spike cruiser could no longer alter the balance of power between Mirage and Tang navies, nor could it undertake independent escort missions.
More critically, Mirage Country could no longer afford to lose such a vessel.
"Don’t get upset! Let me finish!" Seeing Shen Haiping’s reddened eyes, Shen Emperor extended a hand to comfort him and continued, "The steel dismantled from the Spike will still belong to the Navy—use it to build suicidal attack boats!"
"There’s no alternative. You know as well as I do, even if the Spike were completed now, it would likely be sunk after just two missions." After his consolation, Shen Emperor sealed Shen Haiping’s arguments with harsh reality.
Shen Haiping knew Shen Emperor was right. He sighed, nodded, and accepted the directive with resignation: "Understood, Your Majesty. I… will carry out the order."
"Additionally, hand over half of the Navy’s fuel reserves…" Shen Emperor continued issuing orders. The cruiser was not the key issue—the fuel was.
The Navy had long been a major holder of fuel reserves, ensuring sufficient supplies for its fleet of twelve battleships. Now, with the fleet annihilated, the surplus of lubricants, fuel, and spare parts could be repurposed. While some resources weren’t interchangeable, many were.
Prepared for this eventuality, Shen Haiping promptly agreed: "Understood, Your Majesty."
Having convinced Shen Haiping, Shen Emperor patted the admiral’s shoulder approvingly: "Return now."
He opened the meeting room door, walked back to his seat, and addressed everyone: "News has just arrived… the Songbo transport ship was sunk by the Tang Army. Our maritime route to Ice Cold Empire might be cut off."
Upon hearing this, the room erupted in chatter among the civil ministers. Standing by the map, Shenwu Ke looked grim, lost in thought.
"Your Majesty! What about the food supply…" Shen Wen Dabo, the Prime Minister of Mirage Country, immediately expressed concern about civilian welfare.
Others inquired about steel and fuel imports, while some discussed the mounting obstacles in constructing fortifications.
In short, the room descended into chaos, with everyone voicing their own concerns. Shen Emperor didn’t interrupt their discussions.
At this moment, the ministers indeed needed a venue to vent their frustrations. If they weren’t allowed to exhaust their grievances now, they’d undoubtedly disrupt Shen Emperor later during the meeting with constant interjections.
Thus, Shen Emperor willingly let them voice their concerns freely—letting them empty their thoughts completely. This way, he could focus on issuing precise orders afterwards.
