Iron Dynasty Chapter 1062

The Imperial Palace was unusually serene that particular evening.

Seated at his study table, Xiao Ming’s attention was fixed on a newly submitted report from Wang Xuan. The lamp beside him cast a steady, warm glow upon the document, illuminating rows of figures, troop placements, and crucial intelligence gathered from India, Europe, and the distant western trade routes.

He absorbed the information at a leisurely pace.

This was his preferred method for nighttime work. Without the presence of ministers, the formality of audiences, or the debates of advisors, he could engage with the documents, allowing his thoughts to process the information without external influence.

Setting aside the India report, he reached for the next document in the pile.

It was a technical summation from the Ministry of Industry—a single page, densely packed with data, and bearing a red seal at the apex signifying its high-priority, classified status.

He read it through once, then a second time.

Afterward, he placed it down and leaned back in his chair, contemplating.

The wired telephone.

Three months prior, the initial prototype had been finalized. Over the subsequent six weeks, field tests had been meticulously conducted, commencing within the palace grounds, then extending to the Ministry of War situated two li away, and finally linking Jinling with a relay station forty li to the north.

Each and every trial had culminated in success.

The profound ramifications of this achievement were not lost on him. Military operations spanning distances that once necessitated days for courier dispatches could now be managed in mere minutes. The coordination of supplies, the transmission of intelligence, and the swiftness of emergency responses—every facet of imperial governance reliant on the velocity of information was poised for transformation.

He had anticipated this development for years, naturally. It was a certainty he recognized in the same way one acknowledges that spring invariably succeeds winter—not with surprise, but with the deep understanding of an inevitability that nevertheless carries immense weight when it finally materializes.

he mused internally.

Such was the inexorable march of technological advancement. The nascent stages were often sluggish—involving foundational research, the establishment of fundamental sciences, and the creation of a robust manufacturing infrastructure coupled with a talent pool. Progress during these periods felt gradual, at times even maddeningly so.

However, once the groundwork was sufficiently solidified, each subsequent innovation began to exponentially accelerate the next. Advances in chemistry directly benefited metallurgy. Enhanced metallurgy led to improvements in machinery. The development of superior machinery enabled the creation of more accurate instruments. These refined instruments, in turn, unlocked entirely new domains for scientific inquiry.

The empire now stood at such a pivotal juncture. He could discern this acceleration not only in this specific report but across the entire spectrum of documents that reached his desk weekly. The tempo of progress was undeniably increasing.

He was aware that Great Britain was striving to keep pace. Victoria was by no means naive, and her advisors were undoubtedly competent individuals. They had, through various channels, acquired some of the fundamental scientific knowledge of his empire and were applying it with their characteristic British persistence.

Yet, there existed a fundamental distinction between possessing a map and truly understanding the landscape.

His empire had dedicated fifteen years to meticulously constructing that terrain. Britain, conversely, was attempting to navigate using a map with substantial sections conspicuously absent.

he conceded to himself.

He rose from his desk and approached the window.

Below, the palace gardens lay cloaked in darkness, illuminated solely by the strategically placed lanterns lining the principal pathways. Beyond the imposing walls, the undulating sounds of Jinling at night ascended—distant, familiar, the characteristic hum of a metropolis that had expanded significantly since his initial arrival.

His thoughts then gravitated toward the crucial cabinet meeting scheduled for the following day.

The subject of the telephone would undoubtedly be addressed. However, of far greater significance was the broader strategic panorama. The territories in Southeast Asia. The situation in India. The complex question of how best to govern the ever-expanding territories under the empire's dominion.

These were not issues amenable to simple solutions. Fei Ji was likely to advocate for resource extraction with minimal direct governance. Zhan Xingchang would likely emphasize the demographic implications and the long-term territorial strategy. Pang Yukun, in his characteristic style, would probably endeavor to broker a compromise.

Each held a degree of truth in their perspectives, rendering the forthcoming discussion genuinely valuable.

What none of them had yet fully grasped—though Zhan Xingchang was perhaps the closest—was that the core challenge transcended purely military or even administrative concerns. It was fundamentally a civilizational matter. An empire that disseminated advanced technology and sophisticated governance to its subordinate territories was, over the course of time, inadvertently cultivating the very conditions for those territories’ eventual independence. Conversely, an empire that deliberately withheld such advancements was not only foregoing potential economic benefits but also fostering deep-seated resentment without the mitigating advantage of genuine progress.

The optimal path forward lay in a more nuanced approach than either extreme suggested.

He harbored his own considered opinions on the matter. These he intended to articulate during the meeting tomorrow.

He returned to his desk, retrieved the technical summary once more, and embarked on a third reading.

The proposed wired telephone network, upon its complete implementation, would necessitate the establishment of relay stations at predetermined intervals. The Ministry of Industry had already put forth a proposal for a phased deployment strategy—prioritizing major urban centers, followed by inter-provincial connections, and ultimately extending to the remote military outposts along the frontiers.

He picked up his brush and inscribed a concise note in the document's margin:

He carefully set the brush down.

Outside, the imperial lanterns cast a tranquil glow against the nocturnal darkness.