The night of May already made people feel a little hot. In the imperial study, the young emperor's words were powerful and deafening. For a moment, everyone in the room wore solemn expressions on their faces as they cupped their hands to listen to the lecture.
The night wind blew in quietly, ruffling the curtains and candlelight. The room was silent for a moment. Cheng Zhouhai and Wenren Er looked at each other and cupped their hands. "… Your Majesty is right."
"Your Majesty's understanding is a great fortune for the nation."
Zhou Pei also nodded. Li Pin cupped her hands but didn't immediately accept the order. Jun Wu pressed his hands on the table. After a few breaths, he slowly sat down. Seeing the others exchange glances, he asked, "Is there a problem?"
Wenren Bu 'Er took a step forward. "Your Majesty's words are enough to determine the future direction of the Wu Dynasty. In my opinion, it is a good thing. The situation of the decisive battle in Hanzhong is exciting. If Your Majesty wants to release it, then release it … But before that, I have something to say. "
Jun Wu blushed slightly. "Speak."
"Your Majesty, as long as the news of the southwest battle and the decisive battle in Hanzhong and the defeat of the Jurchens is released, it will be very gratifying. The Wu dynasty has been humiliated by the Jurchens for many years, and countless people of the Wu dynasty have died at the hands of the Jurchens. Sealing the news is indeed not the way of a benevolent ruler. Therefore, I support Your Majesty's decision. But there are some small problems in the general direction of this decision that I think we must pay attention to. "
Wenren Bu 'Er paused. "First, when the people know about the battle in Hanzhong, how should we let them know the reason for the victory of the Huaxia army? Second, what Your Majesty said today is straightforward and enlightening. Your Majesty's determination to forge ahead and cut off all means of retreat is also the reason for the revitalization of a nation. So, by releasing the news of the decisive battle in the southwest, is it purely to share the joy of the people, or do we hope that when they hear the news and feel gratified, they can also feel the same determination and sense of urgency as Your Majesty? In my opinion, if we want to achieve the best effect, we need to make some modifications …"
He didn't speak quickly, choosing his words carefully. For a long time, Jun Wu had been relatively modest, conservative, and good at accepting advice. Although he had been generous in times of life and death, he had done what he was supposed to do. For him to be so impassioned today, it was clear that he had been greatly motivated by the war of the southwest and had gained a true understanding of the word 'progress'.
Regardless of whether it was the path of a ruler or the grand strategy of a country, there were many times when being radical or conservative was not wrong. More importantly, the person at the helm had chosen a direction and then carried out a series of correct actions. Jun Wu's choice might seem difficult, but it wasn't unreasonable. In fact, deep down, everyone was more than willing to move in that direction.
As Wenren Bu Er said this, Jun Wu slowly sat up straight and his eyes lit up. "That makes sense. I was too impulsive just now. I drank too much … There's a lot of room to maneuver …"
Wenren Bu 'Er nodded, "The Hua Xia army defeated the Jurchen in the Battle of the Southwest and the Battle of Hanzhong. It's not an exaggeration to say that this is the turning point of the world. So, how is this turning point, and where do we want the world to turn to? For example, Your Majesty has always wanted to promote the study of investigating things, but the Imperial Court and the people have been very resistant. Many people don't know the benefits of investigating things, so this is an excellent opportunity … "
"That makes sense, that makes sense …" Jun Wu knocked on the table, then stood up and took down a few wooden models on the wall behind him. "These days, I've been asking people to find out what kind of weapons the Hua Xia army used in the Battle of Yanqiao. Actually, the theory behind it is just a big kick, but their stuffing is more powerful and more accurate. The Hua Xia army used this to easily defeat the thirty thousand Yan Mountain Guards with seven thousand men … "
The sky was filled with interwoven stars, and the night in Fuzhou was quiet. It was also in this quiet background that the Emperor in the imperial study began to talk about the study of investigating things. His eyes had already lit up, and he couldn't help but jump up and down. He had already realized something and became even more excited. Zhou Pei walked out of the room and ordered the servants to prepare porridge for supper. In the study, Cheng Zhouhai and Li Pin's voices occasionally rang out.
"… Regarding the advancement of the Ministry of Works, this is also an excellent excuse …"
"… As for the Hua Xia army's concept of military governance, we can also deduce it again …"
"… This matter needs to be done quickly, and we need to take care of everything and make sufficient preparations …"
"… In addition, there's no harm in ordering General Yue to quickly go to Quanzhou. There's no need to wait any longer …"
The discussion in the room continued. After a while, more aides were called in to discuss more matters. Zhou Pei walked out of the courtyard and into the quiet courtyard next door. She used the candlelight to read all the intelligence reports brought by the servants regarding the entire southwest campaign page by page, all the way until she saw Wanyan Sheya's death and Zong Han Xiyin's escape.
Then, she sat quietly for a long time.
… …
The dawn of the first of May gradually passed, and a faint white light rose from the horizon in the east. The curfew was lifted, and the fishermen began to prepare to go out to sea. The officials at the harbor and docks were taking their morning attendance. The refugees gathered in the eastern part of the city waited for the distribution of porridge in the morning and the counting of people entering the city during the day. It looked like another busy and ordinary day in the city. Li Pin hastily washed her face and rinsed her mouth as she rode in a carriage through the streets of the city.
There was a cacophony of voices.
Many emotions were brewing in his heart, and his fingers were lightly pinching together as he counted one name after another.
Upon returning to his courtyard, he immediately summoned his servants, the staff of the newspaper office, and the Confucian scholars who were sitting and discussing the Dao and occasionally helping him out. He quickly began to issue orders and arrange work.
Some people were assigned to take care of meals, others were immediately put in charge of carriages, and even more people received lists of names and began to gather manpower from all over the city … this was the manpower reserve that he had been paying attention to in the last several months. The majority of them were young Confucians with radical thinking, and there were also some older Confucians with active thinking, but they only made up a small portion.
The people who received the orders left the newspaper office's courtyard and joined the bustling crowd, like drops of water flowing into the ocean. For the hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Fuzhou, their total number was not that great, but there were a few things that were already brewing in the depths of the sea …
… …
The sun gradually rose, casting a scorching light over the city.
Something big was about to happen …
Chen Cangji, who had passed through the streets of Fuzhou and arrived at the Feng Heng Academy in the west, felt a different atmosphere. Many Confucian scholars had already gathered here. Some of them were old acquaintances, and even those who did not know each other could see that many of them had an extraordinary bearing. They had all been summoned by Li Pin, and Li Pin had recently been a favorite of the Emperor's. For him to gather so many people in such a hurry, it was clear that something big was about to happen.
Those who were familiar with each other communicated, but for a time, they did not gain anything.
Around nine o 'clock, there were probably over a hundred people here, and they saw Li Pin coming in from outside. He first roughly greeted everyone, and then went to the front of the courtyard's steps — the inner courtyard of the academy was a closed structure on all sides, so it was easier to speak — he stood by a table, and after waving his hand for everyone to quiet down, he cupped his hands and put away his smile. "Everyone can treat this gathering as an imperial examination."
This sentence was very heavy.
After he finished speaking, the crowded crowd in the courtyard seemed to become even quieter than before. Everyone thought in their hearts: The Emperor is going to use people.
Of course, many years later, more people would still remember the words they heard later on this day.
Li Pin looked around in silence, and then said, "Today, I am going to talk to everyone about some very important matters. Everyone will be surprised and shocked. Because there are so many people, I want everyone to be prepared. Later, no matter what news you hear, please do not make a ruckus, do not discuss with each other. From today onwards, there will be endless time for discussion … Then, I will begin. "
With one hand on the table, he immediately stepped on a stool and went to the square table. Standing high up, he could even see the people at the back of the courtyard clearly. Only then did he continue.
"Today, I am going to talk to everyone about the decisive battle between the Hua Xia army and the Jin army of the Western Road that happened in the southwest … Bits and pieces of news about this matter have been circulating in Fuzhou for the past few months. I know that everyone here has heard a lot, but the situation in the outside world is chaotic, and there are all kinds of strange news. What you have heard may not be true. Because of certain reasons, the imperial court has not told everyone in detail about this information before today … But from today onwards, this information will be made public, including the entire battle that happened in the southwest. The information received by the imperial court will be shared with everyone, and then through the articles you write, through the news papers, it will be announced to the people of the world!"
There was a faint buzzing sound in the crowd, but then it quieted down. Li Pin took a breath. "First, I can tell everyone that the battle in the southwest has ended. On the 24th of April, the decisive battle in Hanzhong ended. Wanyan Zonghan and Wanyan Xiyin attacked the 20,000 men led by Qin Shaoqian with an army of 100,000, but were directly defeated! Qin Shaoqian cut down the horse of Zonghan's son, Wanyan Xiyin, in front of Zonghan, and Zonghan and Xiyin fled in panic. Since then, the Western Road Jurchen army has suffered a crushing defeat in the process of moving south, and not many people are left … "
"… Silence! I know that you are all very curious, and I will show you all the information later … After receiving this news, there were actually two ideas in the imperial court. One of them was, of course, to block the news. Everyone knows about the discord between the Wu dynasty and the Hua Xia army, and some people felt that this news should not be revealed, for it would only boost the enemy's morale and diminish our own. But this morning, His Majesty said something … "
"Everyone! His Majesty said this … "
Li Pin bowed to the table, then began to repeat Jun Wu's words loudly. There were some embellishments and omissions, but Jun Wu's determination and determination were evident in her words. Someone couldn't help but speak, and there was a faint buzzing sound in the courtyard. After Li Pin finished, she waited for a moment.
"Everyone! What His Majesty said is indeed the words of a wise ruler, but what does His Majesty mean? All these years, the Wu dynasty has never defeated the Jurchen people, but the Hua Xia army in the southwest did, so we can't gloss over our mistakes! They must have their reasons for defeating the Jurchen people. We can fight against the Hua Xia army, but we can't ignore this reason. We have to open our eyes and see the reason why they are so powerful. We have to learn the good things, and we have to work hard to catch up! The world is changing, and I've been sitting with you all these days, and there is one thing that is clear: sticking to the old ways won't work … "
"Why do we have to release the news about the southwest? Let me tell you, many people in the imperial court don't want to, but we have to face the Hua Xia army and learn from them. This can't be done in a day or two, and it can't be explained in a few words. So from today onwards, His Majesty hopes that a group of quick-witted people will learn to face it and analyze it … "
"You have to find the reason why the Hua Xia army is so powerful, and use your articles to tell the world these reasons! You have to tell the world what we have to do! At the same time, you can't think that just because the Hua Xia army defeated the Jin Kingdom, the Hua Xia army must be good. You have to see for the world what the Hua Xia army's problems and shortcomings are! You have to tell the world what we can't do, and why we can't do it … "
"All of you are smart people who have studied literature all your lives, hoping to serve the country with a useful body. Everyone, the Wu dynasty has existed for more than two hundred years, and today, the Wu dynasty is in danger. We arrived in Fuzhou and had nowhere to retreat. Many people knelt down, including the small imperial court in Lin 'an. Countless people knelt down, and the Hua Xia army repelled the Jurchen people, but they are extreme. They killed the emperor, and they want to destroy the Confucian school … Their path can't work, but our path has to be changed. We have to see, we have to learn, we have to learn from them, we have to learn from them, we have to learn from them, we have to learn from them, we have to avoid their disadvantages! "
"Next, you won't just be looking at the intelligence on the Hua Xia army. Why have you gathered here today? Where is Feng Heng Academy? Some of you know this, and some of you don't. Next to this courtyard is a branch of Jiangning's Institute of Geophysics. The Hua Xia army promotes the study of geophysics and studies the rules of all things in the world. The Institute of Geophysics has already begun to deduce and study the various strange weapons and firearms that appeared on the battlefield in the southwest, especially at the Battle of Bi Qiao. These are some of the most important things regarding the Hua Xia army and the future of this world. In a little while, everyone will have a chance to see and understand them. "
"And once you understand, you will be able to tell the people of the world just what the so-called geophysics of the southwest is."
Li Pin paused. "The reports on the southwest and Hanzhong will probably be published in the newspapers tomorrow. Today, you can read them and think about them. Of course, if you have a good article, you can give it to me tonight. Perhaps it will appear in the newspapers tomorrow. But in general, there's no need to rush. Write about this war according to your own ideas, write down the principles and lessons learned. If you write well, we'll publish it on news paper in the next month or a few months and distribute it to the world. We'll even compile it into a book. Your words will be read by countless people. Even His Majesty will read your articles … "
"Next, if anyone has any ideas, you can tell me. Whether in private or in public, it's all fine."
The sun was already high in the sky, and the city was as busy as ever. Li Pin was talking himself hoarse in the courtyard, beads of sweat beading on his forehead. It wasn't long before all sorts of voices rose and fell, and he began to answer the questions one after another.
The people gathered here were the first batch of people he could think of. Perhaps there weren't many who could be of use, but that didn't matter. More people would come one after another. The inklings of a revolution were appearing. Of course, at that time, not many people could think of its significance.
When Li Pin was speaking of these things in Feng Heng Academy, Jun Wu had already personally inquired about the various matters of the Geophysics Institute, including how to introduce the principles of geophysics to the visiting scholars, how to choose words, and how to frighten people with alarmist statements. In the Imperial Court, arrangements for the reform of the Ministry of Works were being prepared. In private, Cheng Zhouhai had taken on the task of spreading all sorts of public opinion and rumors. While the people of the world had the right to know about the miserable defeat of the Female Zhenren in the southwest, this did not mean that they had to promote the Huaxia army. This was the world of grown-ups.
The order for Yue Fei to stop the slow negotiations and swiftly capture Quanzhou was already galloping along with the warhorses.
Heavy rain fell over Lin 'an, occasionally accompanied by the sound of thunder.
Several days later, Wu Qimei and the others finally received news of the unusual activity that had occurred in the direction of Fuzhou …
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