Iron Dynasty Chapter 1024
Previously on Iron Dynasty...
“Hmph, Tibet’s scheme is quite clever. The Empire hasn’t even addressed past grievances with them, yet they’re boldly coming right to our gates.”
Fei Ji declared with fury.
With the former Great Yu Empire in decline, Tibet—a highland tribe that once bowed to the Great Yu Empire—had long nursed rebellious thoughts. Back in Xiao Wenxuan’s rule, they launched repeated assaults on the Songzhou area and even posed a direct danger to Chang’an’s safety.
Yet, when stacked against the barbarians, Tibet’s power paled in comparison. Though the Great Yu Empire couldn’t handle the barbarians, it had no trouble confronting Tibet back then, leading to endless clashes between the two.
Fei Ji had faced numerous Tibetan incursions along the Great Yu Empire’s frontiers, fueling his profound hatred for them.
Pang Yukun gave a nod. “Does Your Majesty recall the Bashu catastrophe? Without Tibet’s permission for the barbarians to cross, that horror wouldn’t have struck. To secure Bashu’s peace, it’s high time we subdued Tibet,” he stated.
Despite occasional clashes over personal gains in daily affairs, Fei Ji and Pang Yukun stood together on matters vital to the Empire’s welfare.
Xiao Ming felt pleased by their unity. “Very well then, I shall issue the command to Luo Xin. Starting today, he’s to dispatch forces to Songzhou and deliver a harsh lesson to the Tibetans,” he announced.
“Your Majesty is mighty!” Fei Ji and Pang Yukun prostrated themselves and proclaimed.
After sealing the strategy to strike Tibet, the sovereign and his ministers delved into the plan’s specifics. To Xiao Ming, this five-year blueprint held greater weight than conquering Tibet, as it tied directly to the Empire’s worldwide ambitions. Building a robust industrial foundation was key to upholding global dominance.Once the pair departed, Xiao Ming composed a wire message and instructed Qian Dafu to relay it to Qi Guangyi.
Its core message echoed their recent talk, but it added details regarding Gubat.
Since Gubat now sought allegiance to the Empire, Xiao Ming aimed to leverage him for better control over the grasslands. Thus, the dispatch subtly proposed forming the Western Regions Protectorate, assigning Gubat a role under imperial oversight henceforth.
Having resolved that issue, he summoned Qian Dafu and headed to the medical academy side by side. Over the last ten years, medicine had surged ahead as the Empire’s quickest-evolving domain.
The explanation was straightforward: medical practices drew heavily from hands-on trials, and the technology crystals brimmed with such insights. For over a decade, the medical academy pored over texts, weaving gleaned knowledge into real-world use alongside patient outcomes.
“Your Majesty, these days I handle treatments at this affiliated hospital of Qingzhou Medical University. In my spare moments, I lecture at the academy. But with age catching up, I can’t keep pace with the youth’s learning speed anymore—it’s time for me to retire.”
Reaching the medical academy, Huang Tingzhi remarked while gesturing toward the sleek structure across from it.
Xiao Ming’s gaze followed Huang Tingzhi’s point to a nearby cluster that looked like a neighborhood. That was the teaching hospital Huang Tingzhi described, boasting the Empire’s top-tier medical care.
Gazing at the sturdy concrete ensemble, Xiao Ming briefly felt transported to the modern era, since these edifices mirrored contemporary designs closely. The academy’s civil engineering boom was reshaping the Empire’s cityscapes. Once-grand wooden relics now lingered in scenic parks, while key urban structures yielded to fresh, modern edifices.
Still, Xiao Ming hadn’t pushed this shift deliberately. The surge stemmed from rising fire hazards in electrified Qingzhou City. Timber frames proved highly susceptible to electrical faults.
Naturally, this didn’t spell doom for traditional wooden abodes. Indeed, Qingzhou’s elite and affluent now favored urban steel-and-concrete dwellings, reserving countryside spots for personal villa-like retreats. This balanced progress’s perks with timeless charm.
Snapping out of his reverie, Xiao Ming spoke, “Elder Huang, through the years, you’ve labored without respite to nurture the Empire’s healers. Your brilliant protégés now span the land, banishing chronic ills and reviving the health of imperial subjects. Despite such achievements, Elder Huang has never sought recompense from me, leaving me truly remorseful.”
Huang Tingzhi chuckled, stroking his beard. “Your Majesty, folks chase power or riches, while others pursue boundless wisdom—I fall into the last group. Since Your Majesty relocated me from Jinling City to Qingzhou, it’s been reward enough. Here, I’ve discovered my prior ignorance, like a frog peering from a shallow pond, and medicine’s vast ocean defies a single lifetime’s grasp.”
“That’s exactly why I urge Elder Huang to take on many disciples and disseminate medical wisdom for the populace’s gain,” Xiao Ming replied smilingly.
Huang Tingzhi inclined his head faintly. Then, with a profound glance at Xiao Ming, he added, “Only, I fear my days are too few to aid Your Majesty in prolonging your own lifespan.”
At those words, Xiao Ming’s face shifted subtly. “Elder Huang has been aware of it for some time, then,” he replied.
“Hahaha…” Huang Tingzhi’s laugh boomed. “Truthfully, why conceal it, Your Majesty? History’s rulers all hunted immortality’s secrets. It’s revolutionary that Your Majesty shuns alchemy for medicine’s path—marking Your Majesty’s true sagacity.”
Pausing briefly, he went on, “Yet, Your Majesty’s vision has sparked medicine’s golden age in Qingzhou. Still youthful, Your Majesty holds endless prospects ahead.”
Xiao Ming let out a quiet sigh. Truth be told, his focus on medicine over the years matched his dedication to math, physics, and chemistry. In the modern world, medical strides had boosted average lifespans dramatically, and he yearned for the same extension—after all, the technology crystals’ vast store exceeded one lifetime’s absorption.
If feasible, he aimed to manifest every crystal’s knowledge in his era, demanding genetics—a field far beyond current tech. This went beyond the crystals’ lore; in his original timeline’s pursuits, he’d brushed against it, where scientists probed cell longevity to stretch human years.
Ultimately, aging and death mirrored cellular decline.
“Elder Huang’s blessings assure I’ll witness that era. Still, I ask Elder Huang to prioritize the lab for this endeavor,” Xiao Ming stated. Passivity didn’t suit him. Thus, once Qingzhou’s medical advances solidified, he’d tasked Huang Tingzhi with founding a biology lab.
This hub assembled top minds to probe profound realms across generations, though equipment shortages currently hobbled it. Even the sharpest cook couldn’t prepare without ingredients.
Xiao Ming’s impatience changed nothing, as fields advanced interlinked—one couldn’t leapfrog alone. He’d simply await industrial strides to build incrementally.
“Your Majesty, fear not—I’ll give it my all. After all, Your Majesty is the Empire’s supreme gem,” Huang Tingzhi affirmed, eyes resolute.
