Empire Conquest

Chapter 598 - 594: Compromise Solution

Because the offensive operations in East Ocean were still in the initial preparation phase, there was no rush for time. Unlike usual, Bai Zhizhan did not return to the Empire by catching a ride on the imperial shuttle after handing over the fleet to Li Mingbo, especially since no planes could fly directly from Alexandria to the Empire’s mainland.

When he arrived in Colombo, he learned that nearly half a month prior, Li Yunxiang had gone to Boi Country.

The battle in Boi Country had long since been declared over.

Not long after Lian Xusheng arrived at the front lines in Boi Country, the Boi general defending the capital surrendered, although it took some time afterward to negotiate the terms of the surrender.

At the heart of the matter was how to treat this nation that had declared independence from the Ter Empire during the last great war.

That was, to say the least, the most difficult issue to resolve.

During the first contact, the negotiating Boi general claimed they had buried thousands of tons of explosives in the capital. If the Imperial Army outside the city launched an assault, they would immediately detonate the explosives and destroy the millennia-old capital with its numerous cultural relics and more than a million residents.

Subsequently, operatives from the Sixth Bureau confirmed that the Boi general was not making empty threats; explosives had been buried all over the capital.

In the following negotiations, the Boi general further proposed that they would withdraw from the Alliance Group and cease all resistance in exchange for post-war independent status.

Clearly, the Imperial Authority could not agree to such terms.

The Imperial Authority had already made a commitment to the Ter Republic to incorporate the New Moon Region, including Boi Country, after the great war ended—either through annexation by the Ter Republic or operating under its influence to protect the core interests of the Ter Republic.

According to the secret plans of the Ter Republic, nations like Boi Country that had emerged independently from the last great war would be annexed after the war, at most holding the status of a provincial administrative unit with a high degree of autonomy. As for maintaining an independent and autonomous status, that was definitely not allowed.

However, having reached this point, unless they were willing to abandon the millennia-old city, they had to make compromises, or rather, necessary concessions.

Fortunately, the Boi generals also knew that neither the Liangxia Empire nor the Ter Republic would agree to all their demands.

After several rounds of negotiations, especially with representatives from the Ter Republic participating and talking face-to-face with the Boi generals, they finally agreed upon a result acceptable to both sides.

After the great war, Boi Country would become an ethnic autonomous region of the Ter Republic, holding nearly all autonomous rights except for defense and foreign affairs, and with a period of 49 years—that is, a public referendum on whether to become an independent nation would be held in the 50th year following the end of the war, or 50 years later—which would determine the final affiliation, whether it be to continue as an autonomous entity under the Ter Republic or to become an independent nation.

The Liangxia Empire and Tiaoman Empire would act as guarantors for the agreement.

For this, 20 major cities including the capital, Tehran, would provide concessions to the Liangxia Empire, and another 10 cities would provide concessions to the Tiaoman Empire.

Such arrangements were mainly to avoid oppressive rule by the Ter Republic.

Indeed, the Empire also made a promise that they would maintain a military presence in the Boi region until the referendum was held, and the size of the garrisoned troops would never be less than 150,000.

These troops, apart from being stationed at military bases, were primarily deployed within the concessions in the 20 cities.

However, after the war, through negotiated agreements and with the consent of both the Ter Republic and the Boi authorities, the Empire gradually reduced its troop presence in the region. When unrest erupted in Boi and evolved into a revolution, the number of imperial troops stationed there had fallen to less than 30,000.

Certainly, this number of soldiers was not sufficient to control the Boi region with a population of 60 million.

Of course, these were matters for later.

As for whether the Tiaoman Empire sent garrisons, that was unrelated to the Empire.

Thus, before Bai Zhizhan and his associates arrived in Colombo, the battle in Boi Country had been declared over.

Before then, Li Yunxiang had already gone to Boi Country.

The reason was straightforward, they began strategic bombing against the Luosha Federation’s Baku on the western shore of the Broad Sea, in order to weaken the Luosha Federation’s war potential.

Li Yunxiang was so proactive precisely to expedite the initiation of strategic bombing against the Luosha Federation.

Previously, on the Giant Continent battlefield, the strategic bombing against the Luosha Federation seemed more like a show, where the propaganda value far exceeded practical combat value.

The reason was straightforward, the Luosha Federation’s focus was on the West Continent, and almost the entire Giant Continent side was wilderness.

Even Leaf Castle was nothing more than a populous military fortress, economically reliant mainly on forestry and serving as the Luosha Federation’s largest timber harvesting and processing base.

Before the outbreak of the war, 90% of the Luosha Federation’s factories were located to the west of the Ural Mountains.

Additionally, the transportation conditions in the hinterlands of the Giant Continent were extremely poor, preventing the Strategic Air Force from deploying forward and only allowing their stationing behind the front lines.

This severely limited the operational efficiency of heavy bombers and consequently reduced the significance of strategic bombing.

Not to mention anything else, the Imperial Land Air Force had not yet conducted strategic bombing against the capital of the Luosha Federation.

Although departing from Boi Country, reaching the capital of the Luosha Federation was still a great distance, beyond the operational radius of the majority of heavy bombers, it could still cover the industrial and agricultural regions in the northern part of the Mo Sea and also pose a threat to the military industrial base to the west of the Ural Mountains.

Of course, the key was that it was close enough to Baku!

As long as Baku was destroyed, causing the oil fields to completely cripple, perhaps before the arrival of the next spring, the Luosha Federation might surrender due to the cutoff of oil supply.

To this end, the Imperial Land Air Force had already dispatched thousands of heavy bombers to Boi Country.

According to the battle plan drafted by Li Yunxiang, about 3,000 bombers would be deployed in Boi Country, 1,000 of which would be the "Divine Eagle" with an operational radius of 3,000 kilometers. The strategic bombing against the Luosha Federation was scheduled to start in the first quarter, aiming to unfold comprehensively in the second quarter.

However, initially, they would concentrate their firepower on bombing Baku.

It wasn’t that there weren’t enough bombers, but rather that they were constrained by logistical support.

For now, the bombers could only be stationed at the southern coastal airports of Boi Country, unable to deploy in the north, therefore unable to bomb targets in the heartland of the Luosha mainland.

On a military level, initially only Baku needed to be bombed heavily.

Winter had arrived and fuel supply would determine everything!

Besides, the Land Air Force would also coordinate with the Navy to launch operations in the Mo Sea, redirecting a portion of their forces to bomb the Luosha Federation’s ports and military bases in the Mo Sea.

This was also the reason for Li Yunxiang’s personal visit to Boi Country.

The actions of bombing the Luosha Federation from Boi Country had already been decided, and the arrangements had been made, but the operations in the direction of the Mo Sea had not been taken into account, as at the time of planning, the Fleet under the command of Bai Zhizhan was still circling in the Fan Flame Ocean.

Since it was not in the plan, many of the early preparations had not been done, thus Li Yunxiang made a special trip, while also establishing good relations with the Ter military.

By implication, it was necessary to consider deploying the Air Force to the Ter Republic.

After occupying Boi Country, the Ter Authority had already agreed to provide airports to the Imperial Land Air Force to assist and support the Empire’s operations towards the Mo Sea direction.

The Ter Republic was so actively involved that it was clear they were doing more than just contributing.

It was at this time that Bai Zhizhan came to know that the Ter Authority, regarding the operational actions against the Luosha Federation, had made new demands to the Empire.

The key was that it was an ambitious request.