Chapter 131: Heading to the Venue

Zhao Chengming then recounted to Zhang Desen what had transpired after Wangu was taken prisoner. It was a truly infuriating tale, one that perfectly encapsulated the incompetence and dim-witted nature of Emperor Zhao Xinglong of the Great Xing Kingdom.

At the time, after Zhang Desen had defeated the eighty-thousand-strong invading army from the Liao Ancient Kingdom, General Feng Yucai of the Great Xing Kingdom had immediately seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack. He quickly captured Wangu, the commander of the Liao forces, as he attempted to flee back north.

However, once Wangu was captured and brought to the Western Capital, Emperor Zhao Xinglong seemed to have lost his senses entirely. He began to fawn over Wangu in every conceivable way, acting as if it were the Great Xing Kingdom, not the Liao Ancient Kingdom, that had suffered defeat.

Originally, when General Feng Yucai personally escorted Wangu back to the Western Capital and threw him into the dungeon, it had been a cause for great celebration. Yet, the Emperor, gripped by a cowardly fear of the Liao military, begged the defeated Wangu for forgiveness as if he were the one who had lost the war. After treating Wangu like an honored ancestor for a time, he respectfully sent him on his way.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Desen could not help but feel both indignant and amused. He remarked, "I truly do not know what to say. This Zhao Xinglong possesses boundless creativity to have invented such a mind-boggling piece of history."

Zhao Chengming immediately chimed in, "Who could say otherwise? When General Feng Yucai heard the news, he was so enraged that he smashed his desk to pieces. Apart from the Crown Prince and Minister Qian, everyone agrees that this entire affair was handled with utter stupidity. It is just that no one dares to speak out too harshly for fear of offending His Majesty."

Zhang Desen asked, "What was the reaction of the Second Prince, Zhao Guangzhou?"

Zhao Chengming replied, "The Second Prince was very resolute and strongly opposed the decision. But the die was cast, and there was nothing anyone could do."

Zhao Chengming then described Zhao Guangzhou’s actions during the ordeal. To Zhang Desen’s surprise, the Second Prince had opposed the move so vehemently that he had even attempted to deploy his own retainers to assassinate Wangu. Once discovered, Emperor Zhao Xinglong had even considered executing his own son to appease Wangu. Had it not been for the desperate intervention of the civil officials led by Prime Minister Zhang Chengwei, the military commanders led by Feng Yucai, and the common people, the Second Prince would likely no longer be among the living.

Having heard all of this, Zhang Desen sighed, "Even a tiger will not devour its own cubs, yet it is unthinkable that Emperor Zhao Xinglong would seek to execute his own child just to curry favor with a defeated enemy..."

Zhao Chengming agreed, "Exactly. That is why the situation in the Western Capital has become so chaotic. By the way, there is more..."

Zhao Chengming went on to inform Zhang Desen that the airports at the United Industrial Park and the Yibei Aerospace City had been completed. The sole early-model transport aircraft salvaged from the ancient human warehouse had successfully flown from the Yibei Aerospace City airport to the Western Capital airport, proving the utility of both facilities. Everything had gone perfectly.

It is worth noting that this transport plane resembled the C-46 "Commando" used by the United States during World War II in Zhang Desen's original universe. Although the ancient humans had primarily left behind space-age technology, they had preserved one or two of these older, atmospheric aircraft. This vintage C-46 had now successfully linked the United Industrial Park and Yibei Aerospace City, which would prove highly beneficial for future development.

Furthermore, a large flat area outside Hezhou City, which had been prepared as an airport by Master Liu at Zhang Desen's request, was now ready. The "Cirque" was currently stationed there, and the C-46 was capable of flying to that location as well.

In Zhang Desen's original universe, the C-46 Commando was a transport aircraft adapted from a commercial high-altitude airliner. During World War II, designated as the R5C, it was used for military transport by the U.S. Army Air Forces, the U.S. Navy, and the U.S. Marine Corps. The C-46 became world-famous for its operations in the China-Burma-India (CBI) theater and the Far East. It was the primary vehicle for "flying the Hump"—the Allied nickname for the Himalayas—transporting vital supplies from bases in India and Burma to troops in China. Among the various transport planes deployed to this theater, only the C-46 could handle the wide range of adverse conditions faced by the U.S. Air Force. Unpredictable, violent weather, heavy cargo loads, high-altitude terrain, primitive facilities, and frequently flooded runways, combined with the nightmares of mechanical maintenance due to a lack of trained ground crews, posed extreme challenges for any transport aircraft of that era.

After a series of minor mechanical flaws were brought under control, and despite persistent maintenance headaches, the C-46 proved its worth in airlift operations. It could carry heavier loads than other Allied twin-engine transports in the theater, including light artillery, fuel, ammunition, spare aircraft parts, and occasionally livestock. Its powerful engines allowed it to climb to satisfactory altitudes even under heavy loads, and as long as it was not overloaded, it could maintain altitude on a single engine. However, "urgent military needs" often pushed the load limit to 4,000 pounds, which obliterated any safety margins.

After the troublesome Curtiss-Electric propeller pitch control mechanism was removed, the C-46 was widely deployed throughout the CBI theater and much of Southern China for the duration of the war. Its high payload capacity—double that of the C-47—large cargo doors, powerful engines, and long-range flight capability made it well-suited for the vast distances of the Pacific island campaigns. The U.S. Marine Corps, in particular, found the R5C version highly practical for amphibious operations, using it to ferry supplies and evacuate wounded from hastily constructed island airstrips. It was, of course, also used to drop paratroopers. The aircraft from this universe's ancient warehouse was truly identical in shape and function to the C-46.

Zhang Desen still hoped that the United Industrial Park would be able to replicate this technology as soon as possible; otherwise, they would remain far too passive. Upon hearing the news, he remarked, "Good, very good. Although we currently have only one early-model transport plane, once we successfully replicate the aircraft, we will surely have more flights."

Zhang Desen felt a surge of excitement, as did Zhao Chengming.

Some time later, after finishing breakfast and making the necessary preparations, Zhang Desen set out for Hezhou City with Li Longfang, Zhao Chengming, and over a dozen attendants—who were, in fact, members of the Special Forces—to attend the upcoming jade gambling convention. To avoid attracting too much attention, Zhang Desen, Li Longfang, Zhao Chengming, and the special operators wore Great Xing-style robes over their tactical gear. Because of this, Zhang Desen once again looked every bit the part of an ancient young nobleman.