Just as Liu Xun was planning to implement the gold standard in Chang'an, the Zhennan fleet — originally tasked with escorting gold from Javanese mines — encountered a once-in-a-decade super cyclone in the southern Indian Ocean on its return voyage.
Gale-force winds tore at the sails like monstrous beasts. Despite the support of the 'Dragon-Subduing Wood' keel, the warships were like withered leaves amidst waves reaching hundreds of metres high. After the storm had passed, the star map had shifted and the captain was astonished to discover that they had veered off their intended course and arrived on the edge of an immense, reddish-brown continent that had never been recorded on the Han Dynasty's nautical charts.
"System, locate current coordinates! Scan surrounding geographical attributes!' Far away in Chang'an, in Liu Xun's mind, the previously grey map of the Southern Hemisphere suddenly burst forth with a dazzling golden light.
[System Command]: 'Host's subordinates have been detected venturing into unknown territory. Coordinates locked: 12°–44°S, 113°–153°E.'
Core Prompt: 'Large Southern Landmass' discovered — the Australian continent.
Resource scan: It possesses the world's highest-grade iron ore (in the Pilbara region), open-pit coal mines, bauxite and a unique marsupial biota.
Liu Xun abruptly stood up, pushing aside the memorial before him. He knew that it was no longer just an island, but rather a 'steel womb' capable of sustaining the Han Dynasty's unshakable industrial hegemony for eternity.
'Report, Captain! The shoreline here is full of red stones, and the compass is beating wildly!' The fleet's physicist brought back a heavy, ochre-red ore sample. When Liu Xun scanned the ore with the 'remote molecular sensor', he could almost hear the roar of the blast furnaces of the future.
[System Plugin Activated]: 'Geological Treasure Hunt: Iron Will'
Analysis report: This ore has a grade of over 62%, belonging to the world's top-grade 'hematite'.
[Strategic Significance] If the Han Dynasty is to usher in the 'Great Railway Era' and the 'Giant Dreadnought Era', then this is the only 'refuelling station'.
Liu Xun took a deep breath and launched into his 'Top Performance: The Ambitious Pioneer." In the Xuan Shi Hall, he issued an order to the void: 'Order the Zhennan ship not to return. Set up a temporary camp there and name it Nanhua Province. Every blade of grass and tree there must bear the mark of the Han Dynasty!"
In order to survey the water sources, a team of Han special forces ventured deep inland. They saw groups of red kangaroos ahead and exclaimed in disbelief: 'What are those? They have fox heads, yet they hop like toads and they even have pouches inside their bellies!"
The Han soldiers gripped their revolver muskets, ready to fire.
They even discovered a bizarre creature with a duck's bill and furry skin — the platypus — on the edge of a swamp. These creatures from different eras sent the Han Dynasty's naturalists into a frenzy of note-taking.
[System Notification]:
[Biological Encyclopedia Progress]: Increased by 15% (unlocked a large amount of Southern Hemisphere species data).
[Imperial Territory Expansion]: Increased by 120%.
Achievement acquired: Conqueror Who Discovered a New Continent
Unlocked rewards: High-phosphorus iron ore defossilisation technology and the basic livestock large-scale improvement programme (prerequisite for Merino sheep).
That evening, Liu Xun summoned Gongshu Qi and drew the outline of the Australian continent on a brand-new piece of parchment.
'Gongshu Qi, Java in the south has gold; that's blood. But this continent has iron; that's the skeleton.' Liu Xun's pen landed heavily on Western Australia. 'I want to establish the Han Dynasty's largest "steel harvesting base" here. From now on, the Han Dynasty's steel will be measured by the mountain, not the kilogram!" He knew that with this continent, the industrialisation process of the Han Dynasty would break free completely from the constraints of 'timber and handicrafts', entering directly the era of 'ten thousand tons of steel'.
The once solemn Han pioneering camp on the beachhead of Nanhua Province (Australia) was now eerily silent. Hundreds of battle-hardened Han soldiers — veterans of countless battles, who had torn tigers and leopards apart in the Western Regions and fought elephant cavalry in the South Seas — gripped their revolving crossbows tightly. Their faces were grave; some were even swallowing hard and sweating palms.
A hundred paces ahead, on the red earth, stood a group of 'monsters' unlike anything they had ever seen in the Classic of Mountains and Seas or the system's atlas.
'Sergeant, look at that thing! It has a donkey's face but ears like a hare's. And it's taller than me when it stands up!'
An old soldier pointed ahead and said. The monster's body was covered in bulging reddish-brown muscles. It stood firmly on two incredibly thick hind legs and had a tail as thick as an adult's thigh. It exuded a somewhat arrogant air.
[System Command]: Detected fluctuation in soldier's sanity (sanity value).
Target scanned: Red kangaroo (Macropus rufus). Scientific data: Adult males can reach two metres in height, possess exceptional jumping ability and exhibit a "fighting instinct".
System suggestion: It is recommended that the host activates 'Biological Encyclopedia Synchronisation'; otherwise, soldiers may mistake it for a 'mandrill' and launch a devastating attack.
Liu Xun witnessed this scene via 'holographic real-time broadcast' and couldn't help but chuckle. He immediately issued an order: 'No shooting! That's the 'mascot' I chose for Nanhua Province. Anyone who dares to harm it will be punished by having to repair a steam engine for six months!"
Seeing that the monster had no claws or teeth, Ma Meng, a lieutenant general in the Han army known as 'the strongman', became bolder. He removed his armour, intending to teach this 'donkey-headed monster' a lesson according to the rules of the Han army and then capture it alive to present it to His Majesty.
"Hey, you beast! Take this!" Ma Meng charged forward, attempting to encircle them. What happened next was something that no Han soldier would ever forget.
The red kangaroo merely snorted in contempt, deftly feinting with its front paws like a boxer. Then, using its tail to brace itself, it delivered a precise double kick to Ma Meng's chest with its powerful hind legs.
'Bang!' Ma Meng, who weighed two hundred pounds, was sent flying five metres like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the red earth.
Just as the Han soldiers were preparing to attack their general for being humiliated, the most bizarre scene unfolded: a slightly smaller female kangaroo hopped into the fray. After a few ripples on its belly, a furry little head appeared, looked at the Han soldiers, yawned, and retreated back into its 'flesh pouch'.
'A demon... a monster!' It can create clones! It hides its cub inside its belly!'
'Could this be the "Child-Bearing Demon" from the Classic of Mountains and Seas?' The Han army was thrown into chaos. Even the usually composed Gongshu Qi trembled as he pulled out his notebook, his hands shaking. 'In Nanhua, there is a beast with a donkey's head. It stands like a human and carries its cub in its belly. It is skilled in wrestling and strong enough to shatter stones...'
Meanwhile, Liu Xun sat in the Xuan Shi Hall of Chang'an, watching the elite troops cower in fear before the kangaroo. He laughed so hard that he spilled his wine.
[System Notification]
[Humour Value]: +500 (Successfully created a 'species conflict' humour point).
[Nanhua Exploration Progress]: Unexpectedly discovered the potential for abundant 'kangaroo skin' and 'high-protein meat'.
Unlock rewards: Australian Ranch Fence Technology and Kangaroo Skin Tanning Process (High-Grade Leather Raw Material).
'Send an order to the Nanhua Fleet,' said Liu Xun, his laughter ceasing and his expression turning serious. 'Tell them that those creatures are called "kangaroos", and that the pouch is used to carry children, not ghosts. Capture a few alive and transport them back to Chang'an in the refrigerated hold of the Xu Pingjun. I want to open the eyes of those self-proclaimed wise old ministers.'
He gazed at the distant horizon, thinking to himself: Now that I've seen kangaroos, how far away can those emus that can wear out the Han army be?
When the first batch of dried kangaroo meat was sent to Chang'an as 'immortality meat', Liu Xun's gaze pierced the leaping kangaroos and settled on the boundless natural grasslands of southeastern Nanhua Province (modern-day Australia).
The soil here was so fertile that it seemed as though you could squeeze oil out of it, and the climate was mild and humid without the harsh cycles of drought and flooding experienced in the Central Plains. For an agricultural empire, this was not just land, but the 'granary and clothing storehouse' for the Han dynasty for the next five hundred years.
'System, initiate global agricultural potential assessment. Target the Murray-Darling Basin in Nanhua Province.'
[System Command]: 'National Fortune Value' consumed 35,000 points.
Scan results: The region possesses hundreds of millions of acres of high-quality natural grassland which is extremely suitable for large-scale sheep farming and wheat cultivation. Its core advantage lies in the 'Great Artesian Basin', which contains vast amounts of groundwater and solves irrigation problems during droughts. The strategic recommendation is to introduce 'Merino sheep' (a system-improved version) and 'winter wheat', thus initiating a 'textile industrial revolution' for the Han Dynasty.
Liu Xun drew a huge circle on the holographic map: 'This will become the "Southern Granary" of the Han Dynasty. Not only will I ensure that the people of the Han Dynasty have meat to eat, I will also ensure that the whole world wears wool sweaters bearing the mark of the Han Dynasty!"
In the Xuan Shi Hall, Liu Xun issued his most radical decree since ascending the throne: the 'Southern Reclamation Decree'.'All Han Dynasty citizens who wish to relocate their entire families to Nanhua Province will be granted 500 mu of tax-exempt land for ten years. The Imperial Court will also provide steam-powered bulldozers for rent, along with improved wheat seeds and high-quality breeding sheep.' Previously anxious due to the land shortage in the Guanzhong region and without land to cultivate, the displaced people and demobilised soldiers were now filled with excitement. 'Long live the Emperor! Let's go to Nanhua and become landlords!'
[System Notification]:
[Population Mobility Rate]: Increased by 400%.
[Popular Loyalty]: Due to the resolution of the land distribution issue, the grassroots support rate has reached 95%.
[Achievement Acquired]: 'Sower of Civilisation'.
Several months later in Nanhua Province: Hundreds of enormous steam-powered bulldozers, belching black smoke, line up across the vast wasteland. Unlike the slow ploughing of the Central Plains, these 'steel behemoths', wielding massive ploughshares, neatly turned over the red earth that had lain dormant for millennia.
'Gongshuqi, look at this iron ox,' said Liu Xun, pointing to the dust cloud in the distance. 'What used to take a hundred strong men a month to do, this machine can finish in three days. This is industry's 'lower-dimensional attack' on agriculture.' To cope with the seasonal drought in the Australian outback, Liu Xun activated the 'drilling patch' awarded by the system.
In the centre of the pioneering camp, the first steam-powered deep-well drill roared deafeningly. When the drill bit pierced thousands of feet of rock, clear groundwater gushed out under pressure, forming a ten-foot-high fountain. Tens of thousands of immigrants wept with joy and knelt on the red earth.
'His Majesty gave us not only land, but also "borrowed" water from the underworld!' Standing on high ground, Liu Xun watched the water flowing into channels and nourishing the newly planted wheat. He activated his 'Ultimate Performance: The Creator's Overlook' and whispered to Gongshu Qi, "We have rubber, we have iron ore, we have gold, and now we even have granaries.
'We have rubber, we have iron ore, we have gold, and now we even have granaries. Gongshu Qi, I finally have the confidence to discuss ownership of the planet with the Roman emperor hiding in the Mediterranean."
In Nanhua Province, Australia, the winds carried a primal, scorching heat as they swept across the deep red hills of the Pilbara region. Liu Xun stood on top of a makeshift command tower and gazed into the distance. What lay before him was no longer barren red earth, but rather the starting point of the Han Empire's march towards the 'All-Metal Age'.
An epic, golden quest appeared on the system's visual screen in Liu Xun's mind.
[System Command] The system has detected that the host has occupied a top-tier global mining area. An epic mission has been issued:
Great Han No. 1: Construction of a Steel Industry Base.
Mission Objective: Establish a modern conglomerate integrating mining, crushing, smelting and forging in Nanhua Province.
Core indicator: Annual steel production of over 100,000 tonnes (20 times the Great Han Dynasty's current total national output).
Rewards preview: [Complete open-hearth steelmaking process], [core design drawings of a heavy-duty hydraulic press], [industrial-grade standard nut specification sheet].
Liu Xun closed his eyes and felt the metallic pulse emanating from the depths of the Earth's crust. He then began his "Top Performance: The Caster of an Era." His deep voice resonated throughout the entire area: 'Gongshu Qi, the world believes that gold can buy peace, but I tell you, only steel can determine the justice of this world!'
On this red earth, it is not soil that has been piled up, but extremely high-grade hematite. Under Liu Xun's personal supervision, ground was officially broken on the first "steam-powered open-pit mine". Dragged by steel chains, massive steam-powered buckets plunged into the mountainside, unearthing tons of deep red ore with each thrust.
'Your Majesty, this ore doesn't need washing! It turns into gold (iron) directly in the furnace!" The mineral resources officer trembled with excitement.In order to transport this heavy ore, Liu Xun ordered the use of the 'Narrow-Gauge Railway Construction Module', which had been awarded by the system. Using Nan Zhong rubber as sleepers and Nan Hua dragon-taming wood as a foundation, the railway was quickly extended towards the coastline. The 'Longxing' locomotive, billowing black smoke, pulled dozens of ore-laden carriages across the wasteland at the accelerated pace of Han Dynasty industry. Three water-cooled, improved blast furnaces, each twenty zhang high, also rose from the ground.
Using the 'Hot Blast Furnace Technology' obtained through the system, Liu Xun increased the intake temperature of the blowers beyond anything seen in traditional Han Dynasty smelting workshops.
'Preheat the coke, adjust the limestone ratio, start the blast!' With this command from Liu Xun, the massive steam blowers roared like thunder and the dark red ore at the bottom of the blast furnace instantly disintegrated and fused under the extreme heat.
The first stream of dazzling molten iron, like golden lava, roared down the channels towards the moulds, dyeing the sky over Nanhua Province a magnificent orange-red — the underlying colour of civilisation.
In contrast to the wildness of the steelworks, the millions of acres of natural pasture in the Murray–Darling Basin had already been divided up.
Liu Xun watched the Merino sheep, improved by the system, wriggle on the grassland like white clouds. In order to protect this precious 'white gold', he used the steel base's output to mass-produce galvanised wire mesh.
'Steel is used to make guns and cannons; wool is used to make cloth.' Stroking a ball of soft, snow-white wool, he said to Gongshu Qi, 'When our warships are armed to the teeth with steel and our people wear cheap, warm wool sweaters, the so-called Roman nobles and Parthian remnants will all have to kneel before our factories, begging for a job.'
[System Notification]:
[Steel base construction progress]: 75% (first batch of high-manganese steel rails produced).
[Livestock Index]: Surges 500%.
Achievement acquired: [Master of Steel and Wool]
Follow-up unlocked: Basic Industrial Corrosion Insulator and Manganese Steel Alloy Recipe.
Late at night, Liu Xun stood on the seawall, looking at the constantly burning lights of the factory complex in the distance. He knew that with the iron of the Pilbara, the Han Dynasty would break free from its dependence on animal power completely, and with the wool of Nanhua, it would control the global textile market. And this was only the beginning.
'Your Majesty, the first batch of manganese steel alloy has been cast. As per your instructions, we have made it into the ramming bow of the ship,' reported Gongshu Qi quickly.
Liu Xun sneered as he patted the cold steel sample. 'Very good. Once this batch of steel has been transported back to the country, I will replace Xu Pingjun's 'heart' with an all-metal one. At that time, this ship will be invincible throughout the four seas!"
As the torrents of steel and the snow-white wool from Nanhua Province in Australia flowed northwards, Liu Xun astutely perceived the hidden danger beneath the empire's hegemony: information lag.
In ancient times, it took months for memorials from thousands of miles away to reach Chang'an. This was ample time for a rebellion to sweep across half the continent, or for massive transoceanic trade to collapse due to price fluctuations. Standing before the geomantic map of Weiyang Palace, Liu Xun realised that, in order to rule such a vast empire, he would need to establish a cutting-edge information transmission system — a 'global postal system'.
"System, activate the 'National Administrative Efficiency Optimisation Module.'" Objective: Establish communication links between the Han Dynasty, Nanyang (Southeast Asia) and Nanhua.'
System instruction: Consumes 40,000 points of National Fortune.
Strategic Core: Set up a three-dimensional postal network using "fast ships, airships and radio signal stations".
Core nodes: Chang'an (central hub) – Guangzhou (seaport) – Annam (relay station) – Java (supply point) – Nanhua (terminal).
Technical support: Morse code, a basic patch and lightweight, rubber-coated, waterproof canvas, as well as a pigeon breeding improvement plan.
Liu Xun wielded his vermilion brush, drawing a crimson dotted line across thousands of miles on the map. 'I will ensure that the decrees of the Great Han reach every mining area in Nanhua within seven days!' In order to transmit documents quickly, he ordered the construction of the first six 'lightweight, high-speed postal ships' at the Nanhua Shipyard.
These ships did away with heavy broadside cannons in favour of high-pressure steam engines fuelled by refined heavy oil from Nanhua, and their hulls were coated in polymer paint to reduce drag. They did not carry cargo, only letters and imperial edicts sealed with royal lacquer.
"Regardless of the wind direction, the 'Messenger' must maintain a speed of twenty knots." Liu Xun watched as these slender, white ships cut through the huge waves of the South China Sea as though they were peregrine falcons. Along the coasts of Malacca, Guangzhou and Chang'an, towering signal towers rose from the ground.
Using the 'basic wired/wireless hybrid telegraphy technology' acquired through the system, he installed telegraph machines connected by rubber-insulated wires at the top of the towers. "Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap…" The first line of information, encoded with an electrical current, was sent from Guangzhou. It traversed mountains and valleys and appeared on Liu Xun's desk in just one hour. This was no longer a contest between manpower and horses; it was a leap from light to electricity.
System notification: Han Dynasty Administrative Control: Increased by 200%.
Global Financial Synchronisation Rate: Java Gold Price Achieved
Daily Updates
Unlocked rewards: [High-Purity Acidic Electrolyte Formula], [Experimental Design of Long-Distance Submarine Cable].
To make the system self-sufficient, Liu Xun introduced the Han Dynasty Postal Certificate (Stamp) system.
Letters from home, which were once seemingly impossible to deliver, can now be sent via official postal routes for just ten five-zhu coins, which feature a stamp of a "Qilin playing with a pearl".
'Your Majesty, the term "postal service" is a stroke of genius,' Gongshu Qi exclaimed, deeply moved. 'The soldiers of Nanhua once thought they had been abandoned by the world, but now, receiving letters from home every week, their morale is as firm as a mountain.'
Late at night, the Chang'an Postal Administration was brightly lit, with thousands upon thousands of letters passing through the sorting table, each carrying vital connections for the Han Empire.
Liu Xun stood atop a high tower, gazing at the flashing signal lights in the distance.'Gongshu Qi, look at these myriad lights,' said Liu Xun, launching into his 'Ultimate Performance: The Guide to Eternal Peace."
"Now we have connected the oceans. Next, I will make every fibre of these lights flow with the energy of the Han dynasty — electricity!" He knew that, with information transmitting instantly, the Han banner would make this planet smaller than ever before.