The War of Korean Extermination
Science had discovered the advent of Steam Power, and soon the secrets of Medicine were on the way. Mao put his workers and slaves (which outnumbered the workers 4 to 1) to laying rails across China. The discovery of coal made it possible to start building the Iron Works in Hangchow.
Through the destruction of the Japanese and Indians, Korea was wedged in from the north and south by Chinese territory. Korea held twelve cities, ranging from the west to east coasts of the continent. Careful observation had revealed that they possessed cavalry in decent numbers, though not enough to worry Mao.
However, just before Mao gave the order to march, an odd feeling came over him, like he was missing something important. He almost felt he needed more information before engaging in the war, but he knew waiting any longer would possibly be devastating, and force him to hold the war off until a later time. No, the war must happen now.
Two seasons ago, Mao had received word that the Korean had signed a Mutual Protection Pact with Rome. The season after that, Korea signed a similar agreement with Carthage. He was not worried about them, since he knew they were across the ocean, and could not immediately bring their armies to bear against him.
Mao also knew Carthage did not have iron. Very bad for warfare, in his opinion. He kept that knowledge in mind, for it would play an important role in the future.
Mao signaled the troops, and at thirteen points along the Korea-China border, his cavalry rode into Korean lands.
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Mao was not prepared for this war, no matter how much planning he had done. His first cavalry encountered riflemen defending a city. Mao checked with his advisors, and found that Korea had entered into the Industrial Age right behind him, and had upgraded all his units to riflemen. Most were veterans, and prepared for the Chinese invasion.
Luckily, Mao's invasion was so swift, so sudden, that not many preparations were made by the Koreans. In the first season, five cities fell before the Chinese cavalry, each one being integrated into the Chinese whole.
His first objectives were met in the second season - denial of resources. Cavalry cut off most of Wang Kon's supplies of Horses, Iron, and Saltpeter.
The second season of the war was the worst Mao had ever seen. Of the 58 divisions of cavalry that invaded, ten were destroyed in battle, and twenty more were wounded to the point that they needed to return to base camps for rest. Wang Kon's counter attack was weak, but effective, and rendered even more units severely wounded.
Two more cities fell the second season, leaving five cities across the heart of the Korean empire, stretching from coast to coast.
Mao also launched two galleons loaded with cavalry to locate and destroy any Carthiginian towns on islands.
In the early phases of the war, two great leaders emerged - Civmania and Nightfang. Both raised armies and filled them with cavalry, and sent back to the front lines to continue the war effort.
At this point, the conflict began to stagnate, but Mao left it to his generals to figure out how to handle the situation. War Weariness at home was hurting his peope and the production of his cities, and Mao had to return to Beijing to watch over his people. He raised luxuries, and worked hard to keep his people happy. Furtunately, the capture of Pyongyang had given him access to the Sistine Chapel, which made things a little better.
Six seasons into the war, Pyongyang, which never came out of resistance, flipped back to Korea. Unrest sprang up all over again, and Mao ordered the capture of the city again. Lucky for him, he had the foresight to keep his armies out of the city, for they would have been lost had he not. Pyongyang was recaptured, and the extra forces from there were deployed into the Korean lands to capture the city that was providing a culture push on Pyongyang.
Mao's generals were throwing soldier after soldier at Seoul, but nothing could crack their shell. Elite riflemen now stood at the defense, and once Mao learned of this, left Beijing to join his men on the battlefield. Ancient Grudge and his forces were destroyed in the assault on Seoul.
Pyongyang was recaptured by the Koreans, once again leading to severe unrest in the Chinese empire. Mao ordered it retaken at all costs. The following season, it was once again a part of the Chinese empire.
Mao arrived at the scene, and called his generals. He beheaded each one for their incompetance, and devised a new battle strategy, which went back to his first objective in the war.
Ordering the cavalry to surround the city, he had them cut all roads and destroy all improvements around Seoul. There was no escape for the Koreans, now. Mao ordered this to be done with each Korean city. Within three seasons, the five remaining Korean cities were cut off from the world.
The Protection Pacts expired, and Mao made peace with the Romans and Carthiginians, having to pay Rome 100 gold to placate them. He immediately made deals to bring in the luxuries his people were missing.
Twenty five seasons into the most brutal war in history, one that pit most of the world against each other, Mao struck.
The two coastal cities fell without much of a struggle. Wang Kon's brutalized economy was forcing him to disband units. His people were starving, and he was conscipting his own populace to fight a losing battle.
Two more great leaders emerged on that day. One, Moonsinger, was sent to Beijing to rush the completion of the Theory of Evolution, which gave the Chinese knowledge of Replaceable Parts and Industrialization. Another, Killer, was turned into an army. With this being the third army in the field, Mao began building the Pentagon in Beijing.
The Iron Works, completed in Hangchow, then provided its resources to building Universal Suffrage.
On the twenty sixth season, Mao put an end to the war. It took only five cavalry divisions to capture Seoul. Three more divisions took another city, and only two were needed for the last.
Korea was no more. Wang Kon was driven before Mao, who ordered the Korean leader executed.
The war had turned Mao harsh and bitter. He knew that the time had come, that no one in this world could be trusted, and that China was alone. They controlled the entire continent, but the three cultures to the east would be a major problem for him now. Everyone knew he wanted to control the world, and they would do anything to stop him from doing it.
When he invaded across the sea, he would not make the mistakes he made in the war with Korea. His scientists told him about something called combustion, and the rifinement of a slick black substance they called oil. Mao felt this was the next, and final, step to being the ruler of the world.
Peace was not to last long, though. An Egyptian Caravel that had been sailing up and down the east coast finally deployed two cavalry and a knight onto Chinese lands. Egypt declared war on China the next season...
