An even more intense and oppressive atmosphere than ever before enveloped the entire workshop inside the Royal Shipyard of Longshou Plain (now the First Locomotive Factory of the Great Han Dynasty). Thousands of skilled craftsmen and systems engineers held their breath, their gazes fixed on the massive silhouette shrouded in thick black cloth at the far end of the building.
On a high platform, Liu Xun stood with his hands behind his back, his system panel flashing a progress bar of interwoven gold and red light.
"Uncover it." With his cold command, dozens of Imperial Guards yanked on the chains and, with a 'whoosh', the black cloth was ripped off violently.
The cloth slid down to reveal a cocoon-like steel monster, entirely black and gleaming with a cold metallic sheen. It didn't resemble a carriage; it was more like a horizontal iron tower. A massive boiler lay atop six pairs of 1.5-metre-diameter manganese steel wheels, their complex linkages interlocking like the segments of an insect.
[System Equipment Parameters]
Model: Great Han Type I Strategic Steam Locomotive
Weight: 85 tons
Traction force: 45,000 lbs
Power core: high-pressure dual-action circulation system with perfectly matched rubber seals
Protection level: Manganese steel armour shell (protects against arrows, stones and ordinary gunpowder).
Liu Xun stepped forward, tracing the cold, rugged rivets with his fingertips. His voice was as firm as metal: 'With this locomotive, let us establish an everlasting dynasty. Name it Jianwu!" As the officials knelt and shouted, 'Long live the Emperor!', Liu Xun's consciousness sank into the system's deep modification interface. He knew this railway was the empire's artery and the throat that the Sage most wanted to cut. 'System, load the Hidden Self-Defence Module.'
[System Reinforcement Command]: 'National Fortune Value' consumed 2,000,000 points.Weapon A: 'High-Pressure Steam Jet Nozzle' — Can spray superheated steam at 300°C to both sides of the locomotive for melee clearing.
Weapon B: Electromagnetic Pulse Generator (Pseudo) – Uses the static electricity generated by the flywheel's rotation to interfere with bio-psychic waves within a 100-metre radius (targeting the bio-slaves of saints).
Weapon C: Chassis Anti-Surge Claws – Targets any explosives attempting to disrupt the tracks.
From the outside, it appears to be an ordinary freight train, but in reality it is a mobile fortress capable of rampaging across the tracks.
"Add coal! Increase pressure!' Gongshuqi personally shovelled a spadeful of top-grade coking coal from Bingzhou into the furnace, which resembled a demon's gaping maw. The flames turned a pure blue-green and the pressure gauge inside the boiler began to emit an ear-splitting screech. "Woo—!" The Jianwu sounded its first whistle. It was no longer the muffled groan of a water pump, but a terrifying howl capable of tearing apart the clouds and shaking the walls of Chang'an. Warhorses within several miles neighed in terror, officials turned pale with fright and the cowardly collapsed to the ground.
Liu Xun leapt into the cockpit and pulled the control lever himself. With a click, the massive manganese steel connecting rod suddenly exerted force, propelling the flywheel to spin and sending sparks flying from the friction between the rails and the wheels.
'It moved... it really moved!' This monster weighing tens of tons — the Jianwu — was moving steadily and domineeringly forward without any external traction.
'It doesn't need oxen or horses; it can walk by itself!' Old Minister Zhao Yuan stared blankly at the steel behemoth, billowing smoke and rumbling away. His last shred of obsession with the 'dragon vein' was instantly crushed by the heavy wheel tracks. Before absolute physical force, all mysticism seemed so pale.
Just as the Jianwu had successfully completed its test run, with the system progress jumping to 60%, a blood-red notification popped up:
[System Emergency Broadcast]:
'Western Saint' has sensed a complete tilt in the balance of civilisation and has activated the 'Great Flood Module (Partial)'. Detected: Unexplained surges in the waters of a tributary of the Wei River near Luoyang, targeting the No. 1 railway bridge.'
[Urgent System Broadcast]: The 'Western Sage' has sensed a complete tilt in the balance of civilisation and has activated the 'Great Flood Module (Partial)'. Detected: Unexplained surges in the waters of a tributary of the Wei River near Luoyang, targeting the No. 1 railway bridge.
Liu Xun's note: 'You want to flood my railway tracks? Then I'll send the 'Jianwu' with heavy artillery to show your river god the 'physical rules'!
Today, Chang'an — the heart of the Han dynasty — ceased to beat.
Households closed their doors and markets shut down as millions of people surged towards the starting station outside the West Gate like a tidal wave. This magnificent building was constructed from marble and manganese steel, with tracks stretching from deep platforms to the distant horizon.
As dawn broke, the Imperial Guards, armed with manganese steel halberds, formed an impregnable barrier on either side of the tracks.
'It's coming! Look, that smoke!' someone shouted.
On the distant horizon, a thick, black, straight column of smoke rose like a sharp sword piercing the morning mist of Guanzhong. Immediately afterwards, a deep metallic rumble grew louder as it approached, echoing, 'Clang... clang... clang...' The earth began to tremble rhythmically, not with the ferocity of an earthquake, but with a powerful, orderly force.
As the massive, gleaming black locomotive of the 'Jianwu' emerged from the fog, deathly silence fell upon the millions of people present.
Pulled by no horses, it dragged twelve heavy, dark-painted carriages. The menacing boilers resembled the torso of a dragon, their dense rivets like steel scales. The high-pressure jets of white mist from either side of the locomotive obscured half the platform. "Woo—!" Liu Xun sounded the whistle himself, a sound no longer befitting the human world. High-pitched and violent, it carried the arrogance of the nascent industrial civilisation and instantly resounded throughout Chang'an, startling even the birds nesting deep within the Weiyang Palace.
'A miracle! It truly is the birth of the Black Dragon!' Countless people knelt, their faces filled with terror and awe. In their understanding, only ancient mythical beasts could utter such a resounding roar that resonated in the soul itself. Dressed in a dark military uniform with a manganese steel dagger at his waist, Liu Xun stood on the footboard of the 'Jianwu' train's driver's cab. Rather than sitting in the luxurious imperial carriage, he held onto the scorching steel handles.
'My esteemed ministers, follow me into the carriage.' Liu Xun surveyed the group of trembling princes and ministers. These men, accustomed to a life of luxury, now found their palms sweating involuntarily as they gazed at the fire-breathing, smoke-spitting monster.
[System Atmosphere Rendering]
[Imperial Pressure] Full Power Activated.
Effect: All passengers will experience the desperate exhilaration of "life being dominated by steel". As Liu Xun pushed the throttle valve, the 'Jianwu' let out a muffled roar and its wheels ground violently against the rails, sending sparks flying. One mile, five miles, ten miles!
The scenery outside the train window began to rush past. What used to take a whole day's journey could now be completed in the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, thanks to the steam engine's roar. The ministers stared in horror at the blurred tree shadows outside, their stomachs churning, but they had to maintain the dignity of the imperial family.
'Your Majesty, is this the speed of immortals riding the wind?' Zhao Yuan gripped the handrail tightly, his face deathly pale.
'No,' said Liu Xun, staring at the straight railway tracks ahead. His eyes gleamed with fanaticism. 'This is called "industrial efficiency". From this day forward, the decrees of the Han dynasty will no longer be delayed, and its military might will no longer be limited by distance!'
Just as the train reached the middle of the Wei River Bridge, the warning on the system panel suddenly changed from yellow to red and displayed the message: 'System Emergency Mission: 'The Sage's Malice: Wei River Interception.' Three bio-engineered 'deep-sea crocodiles' lurking at the bottom of the river had been detected attempting to ram the bridge's pillars. Liu Xun ordered, 'Activate the Jianwu's hidden weapon — the high-pressure steam harpoon.'
He snorted coldly and patted the control panel at the front of the train. 'Trying to add some festivities to my opening ceremony? Gongshu Qi, prepare to bleed! Today, I will turn the Wei River red!'
The waves of the Wei River trembled beneath the steel tracks of the 'Jianwu' train. The last bio-engineered beast attempting to shake the bridge pier was pinned to the riverbed by a high-pressure steam harpoon. Yet the train did not slow; instead, billowing white smoke poured from its chimney as it roared towards Luoyang.
At that moment, space was shrinking and the feudal logic of the Han dynasty, built up over two thousand years, was gradually collapsing amid the deafening screech of wheels against rails. Inside the carriages, civil and military officials experienced the most thrilling three hours of their lives.
'Report! Your Majesty, the train has passed Huayin in three quarters of an hour!'
'Report! The outline of Shanzhou can be seen ahead; it will take one hour and twenty-five minutes!" Zhao Yuan trembled as he pulled the 'wind-up pocket watch' issued by the Academy of Sciences from his pocket. He was horrified to discover that this 'black smoke behemoth' had reduced the journey, which would have taken three days and nights at full speed, to the time it takes to drink a few cups of tea.
[System Dimension Analysis] Traditional Locomotive: Average speed: 15 km/h (including rest stops). Journey time from Chang'an to Luoyang: 3–5 days.
Jianwu Locomotive: Average speed: 45 km/h (continuous power). Journey time: 6 hours.
Significance: The heart (Chang'an) and lungs (Luoyang) of the empire achieved 'instantaneous resonance'. Sitting in the main seat of the carriage, Liu Xun held a stack of briefings that had just been received from the 'telecommunications room' at the rear of the train. With wired telegraph lines being laid alongside the railway, Liu Xun was, in that moment, more powerful than any emperor in history.'I have the accounts for the three hundred taels of silver that were embezzled by the Prefect of Luoyang last night,' said Liu Xun, flipping through the pages and maintaining a chillingly calm tone. 'The garrison commander of the Western Regions just finished lunch half an hour ago. His telegram of greeting is right here. Gentlemen, although I am sitting in this carriage, I have my eyes fixed on every inch of Han Dynasty land.' The ministers' faces turned from pale to purplish-blue. They finally realised that the era of 'a general in the field may disobey the emperor's orders' was well and truly over. In this network of rails and copper wires, the emperor was omnipresent.
As the train approached the outskirts of Luoyang, a red alert suddenly appeared, indicating unrest in a localised area.
System monitoring showed that the remaining powerful clans in Luoyang were inciting refugees to storm the train station in an attempt to prevent the 'demon dragon' from entering the city. Liu Xun ordered that the 'Jianwu' train's own 'Special Train Battalion' would carry out an immediate crackdown, without mobilising the local garrison.
'The moment the train comes to a complete stop is the moment the butcher's knife falls.' Liu Xun launched his 'top-tier performance: the cold-blooded dictator'. He didn't need lengthy military orders because he led the most elite troops and fastest supplies to the front lines himself. This three-pronged approach of 'administration + military + logistics' rendered all conspiracies and tricks insignificant in the face of absolute speed.
When the 'Jianwu' train rushed into Luoyang Railway Station, trailing a long whistle and sparks, the rioters carrying torches and attempting to burn down the tracks were utterly terrified by the overwhelming steel pressure. Before the train had even come to a complete stop, the armoured doors on both sides of the carriages roared open.
The Dragon Guard filed out like a precise harvester, wielding 'manganese steel razor blades' and 'steam-powered crossbows', and physically wiped out the rebellion at Luoyang Railway Station in less time than it takes for an incense stick to burn. As Liu Xun stepped off the train onto the red gravel, all the officials of Luoyang Prefecture knelt on the platform. The moment he set foot on Luoyang soil, the system panel emitted an unprecedented white light.
[System Announcement] Core Mission Accomplished: Integration of Changchun and Luoyang
Information and Communication Revolution
Industrial Revolution Progress: 70%
Imperial Power Bonus: [Absolute Control] (Domestic resistance probability reduced by 90%).
Unlocked technologies: [Alternating Current Generator], [Basic Radio Principles]
Liu Xun looked back at the Jianwu train, which was still emitting residual heat. Its boilers were humming softly, mocking the sluggishness of the old world. 'Speed is justice.' He gazed at the western horizon, the last stronghold of the Saints. 'Saint, my train has arrived in Luoyang. Next stop: your Silver Tower!'
The whistles of the Changluo Railway shattered the courage of the old bureaucrats and swept across the Central Plains like a golden hurricane.
When the first freight train, loaded with coking coal, cotton and manganese steel, arrived in Luoyang, Liu Xun stood on the platform and watched the crowds of merchants with red, tear-filled eyes. A smile of absolute control spread across his face. He knew that 'power' had been combined with 'productivity', and that the first 'industrial giants' of the Han dynasty were about to emerge.
'Your Majesty, this is this month's commercial tax report,' said Gongshu Qi, handing over a scroll of urgent telegrams and handing them over with slightly trembling hands.
[Freight Cost Collapse] Previously, transporting coal from Bingzhou to Luoyang cost 70% of the goods' value due to animal power consumption and road tolls. Now, however, with railway transport, freight costs had plummeted to just 5%.
[Rapid Turnover]: silk loaded in Luoyang last night had appeared in Chang'an's West Market this morning, increasing capital turnover speed by 20 times.
[Price Stabilisation] Grain prices in Guanzhong stabilised rapidly due to railway transportation, causing powerful families who had previously hoarded grain to go bankrupt within a day.
[System Business Assessment]: Market activity increased by 400%, and a new production class, 'Industrial Partners', emerged.
Liu Xun's Order: Activate the 'Great Han Royal Bank – Industrial Loan Module' to support loyal industrialists effectively. He did not intend for the royal family to monopolise all factories, but rather to have a group of 'industrial hounds' who were frantically pursuing profits and were absolutely loyal to him. At a secret banquet in Luoyang, Liu Xun summoned Shen Wanshan, the largest cotton mill merchant in Guanzhong and a high-IQ business prospect selected by the system.
'Minister Shen, I am granting you the patent for the steam-powered loom, as well as "first-class priority" for railway transportation.' Liu Xun swirled the wine in his glass, his eyes as sharp as knives. 'But I require three things from you. Firstly, I will set your wages. Secondly, I will send people to oversee worker training. Thirdly, your factory must be able to switch to producing military uniforms at any time.'
Shen Wanshan fell to his knees with a thud, his forehead touching the cold floor. "Thank you for your great favour, Your Majesty! I am willing to weave a banner covering the sky for Your Majesty's steel torrent!' The railway connected two cities and created numerous "coal and steel hubs" along its route.
Zhengzhou Node: Originally just a small county town, Zhengzhou was located at the intersection of the Changluo Railway and the future southward route. Hundreds of inns and warehouses sprang up overnight.
[Tongguan Factory District] Using the water power of the Qinling Mountains and coal from the railway, the Han Dynasty's first large-scale cement plant was built. Grey powder became a sacred substance used to reinforce border fortresses. While emerging industrial giants revelled in champagne and steam, old landowners clung to their land and refused to invest in railways. They watched in despair as their wealth eroded.
The commander of the Imperial Guard reported in a low voice, 'Your Majesty, the powerful clans of the Guandong region have submitted a joint petition claiming that the railway has robbed dockworkers and grooms of their livelihoods and caused the displacement of hundreds of thousands.'Liu Xun scoffed as he activated his Top Performance: Era Crusher. 'Livelihoods? Those are the shackles of the old era. Tell them to either work in the factory or get on the train to develop the Western Regions. I will crush anything standing in the way of the railway, whether people or livelihoods." With the emergence of the first industrial giants, the Han Dynasty's national fortune began to grow exponentially.
[System Announcement] Achievement Completed: Primitive Capital Accumulation and Industrial Division of Labour
Industrial Revolution Progress: 75%
Unlocked rewards: Basic Rubber Vulcanisation Workshop, Standardised Ball Bearing Factory
Important foreshadowing: Seeing the immense wealth of the Han dynasty, the Western 'Sages' have begun to incite 'commercial competitors' within the Han, planning a surprise financial attack.
Liu Xun stood atop the tallest watchtower in Luoyang, gazing at the roaring factory chimneys below in the night-time sky. His eyes were deep and thoughtful. 'Wealth is merely ammunition. Now that we have ample ammunition, Gongshu Qi, activate the 'lightning rod' that I have prepared for so long. I will ignite a true 'heavenly fire' in this city of Luoyang!'
The white smoke from the Jianwu locomotive had barely dissipated inside Luoyang Railway Station when Liu Xun entered a strategically located, confidential room made of heavy granite.
In the central hall, a ten-zhang-long (approximately 33-metre) "Global Han-Style Map", pieced together from dozens of sheepskins, covered the entire floor. Liu Xun changed into a pair of deerskin boots and, much to his ministers' astonishment, stepped directly onto the map, which depicted the land's mountains and rivers.
'The Changluo Line is merely the dragon's throat.' He took the crimson cinnabar brush handed to him by Gongshu Qi, bent down and, starting from Luoyang, swept the brush tip, sharp as a blade, westward across the endless yellow sands of the Silk Road, the vast snowfields of the Pamir Mountains and the thousand-mile plains of the Parthian Empire. Ultimately, the red mark locked onto the distant coast of Daqin (Rome) like a shackle.
'I want to extend the railway to the ends of the earth.' Liu Xun straightened up and marked the westernmost point on the map with a vermilion pen. His eyes burned with an ambition called 'Great Unification'.
[System Strategic Simulation]
Project Name: Western Regions Grand Trunk Line · Silk Road Steel Transformation
Estimated mileage: 12,000 kilometres
Core challenges: - Stabilising the roadbed in shifting sands
- High-altitude, oxygen-deficient boiler combustion
- Cross-border logistical pressure
Assessment: Once completed, the Han Dynasty's ability to project power westwards will elevate from a 'grade' to a 'day-level'.
'Your Majesty, it's tens of thousands of miles away!' said an old minister, still shaken by the Changluo Railway. 'Even with fire dragons, how can human strength withstand the sandstorms of the Gobi Desert and the bitter cold of the snow-capped mountains?' Moreover, the Western Regions are home to various kingdoms with millions of believers and followers. Once this railway is built, we'll probably build one line and lose another.'
Liu Xun walked up to the old minister and began his 'Ultimate Performance: Dimensional Reduction Ruler."
'Zhao Qing, do you think I'm building roads? Actually, I'm stitching the world together.' Liu Xun clenched his fist. 'Wherever the railway extends, that land becomes part of the Han Dynasty. As for those kingdoms that block the way, my trains can haul not only coal, but also 'coke cannons' that can reduce city walls to ashes.'
In order to achieve this grand goal, Liu Xun spent a significant portion of his accumulated industrial points in the system shop on:
[Quicksand Solidification Method]: utilising a special quick-setting agent produced by the Luoyang Cement Plant combined with reed checkerboard patterns to forcibly stabilise the roadbed on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert.
[Pressurised Boiler] — Targeting the low-pressure environment of the Pamir Plateau, the system unlocked 'secondary pressurisation technology', ensuring the 'fire dragon' could still roar indomitably atop the snow-capped mountains.
[Mobile Fortress Station]: establishing a water and coal replenishment station every hundred li, simultaneously equipped with a 'manganese steel bunker battalion', turning the railway into a defence line.
'Issue a decree to the Protectorate of the Western Regions,' ordered Liu Xun, sitting back on his dragon throne. 'Proclaim to the thirty-six kingdoms of the Western Regions that any kingdom which provides labour, timber and water for road construction will be granted free trade port status by the Han Dynasty and enjoy the same prices as Chang'an.'
'And if they refuse?' Zhou Meng asked, his hand on his sword.
Liu Xun revealed a sinister smile. 'Those who disobey will be considered remnants of the Sage. When my railway reaches their city gates, it won't be merchant caravans that disembark, but my Dragon Guard. I will personally teach them what it means to 'truth lies only within the range of the railway'."
The instant Liu Xun finalised his Western Regions strategy, the system in his mind emitted frantic dark red ripples — [System Emergency Report]: '[The Western Sage] has realised that conventional forces cannot stop the Han Dynasty. The enemy has activated the Forbidden Spell — Earthquake Tremor, attempting to create a permanent fault line in the Central Asian crust by triggering ecological changes.'
Liu Xun's note: 'Playing with earthquakes? Perfect. I was just worried that the tunnel project was too big. Since you want to create an earthquake, I'll use the resulting cracks to pave a bloody path straight to your lair!'