Episode 152 Good Opportunity

From August 1st to August 2nd, more than 30,000 former Qing prisoners of war and current Ming citizens staged a sit-in rally in front of the residence of the First Auxiliary Minister, waving various slogans expressing their reluctance to return to the Northern Qing Dynasty, and asking the First Auxiliary Minister to come out to speak.

But Shen Rongxuan never came out to meet them, but kept sending them ice water and mung bean soup. At the beginning, these ice water and mung bean soup moved these "new citizens" very much, they had only heard that the officials of the Ming Dynasty were all Qing officials and good officials, but they didn't expect it to be so good. came to besiege the government to ask for an explanation, but the government instead sent water and mung bean soup to itself...... On the first day, many people felt that they were sorry for such a good official if they continued to gather like this, and they all had the idea of quitting.

But the other companions, as well as the reporters around them, told them that they couldn't leave at this time, because the government was in a dilemma, and you had to put pressure on him. As soon as you withdraw at this time, the government is likely to exchange you for those thousands of Ming prisoners of war. As for sending you some ice water, mung bean soup or something, that's right. Otherwise, if someone faints in front of the official residence of the first assistant, the government will also suffer the condemnation of public opinion.

Many non-governmental political organizations and opposition figures also gave impromptu speeches at the scene, or helped them in their analysis, and also said that in the past, when mass gatherings and requests were made for relevant officials to come out and speak, officials basically came out to meet quickly. Whether you agree or not, at least you will give an explanation first. But this time is a bit abnormal, it is said that in the previous small gatherings, the first auxiliary minister would not come out if he did not come out, but this large-scale gathering of tens of thousands of people had such a big impact, it was unreasonable for Shen Rongxuan not to come out to meet. This shows that the cabinet government is indeed hesitating, and there is still a high possibility of sending them back to the Northern Qing Dynasty, so it is not yet possible to come out and face them and say "don't worry" to them.

So it's the next day. On August 2, the first assistant minister unusually did not show up all day and only delivered mung bean soup, coupled with the "ordering" of opposition figures and journalists, and the more than 30,000 former Qing prisoners of war were already filled with fear and uneasiness. Many people didn't want to come to the sit-in on a hot day, just because they were pulled in because of the face of their former comrades-in-arms and brothers, but by the next day, everyone was spontaneously fighting for their fate.

On the afternoon of August 2, the new citizens, who had only known how to chat during the sit-in, began to unite and shout slogans. Shandong accent, Henan accent, Hebei accent, Northeast accent, Northwest accent...... More than 30,000 "Beiqing accents" shouted in unison on the day of the earthquake:

"Resolutely defend the Ming Constitution!"

"The life and freedom of citizens are sacrosanct!"

"We are citizens of the Ming Dynasty!"

"Citizens shall not be arbitrarily expelled and exiled!"

"Citizens have the right to stay on their own soil!"

"Citizens are protected by the Constitution!"

"The government should not be unconstitutional!"

……

People from all walks of life and the media watched all this with great interest, and everyone had their own feelings.

Half a year ago or yesterday, these Manchu soldiers, who were the most ignorant, the most ignorant, the poorest, the least regarded by others, and who only thought of attacking Nanjing, rape, adultery, and plunder, were already sitting in front of the official residence of the first and auxiliary ministers of the Ming Dynasty half a year later, shouting that "the life and freedom of citizens are sacrosanct."

And the longest time they were released from the prisoner camp and truly integrated into the social life of the Ming Dynasty was only three months. The speed and thoroughness of "being transformed" surprised many people. At this time, many of them still don't know a single big word.

What's more, their appeals are still very accurate. It is not to emphasize how much we love the Ming Dynasty, nor to emphasize how pitiful we will be after being sent back, but to firmly grasp the "Ming Constitution" and grasp the fact that we are already citizens of the Ming Dynasty: we don't care who we were half a year ago, anyway, we only know that we are now citizens of the Ming Dynasty. The thousands of Ming prisoners of war who were imprisoned in the Northern Qing Dynasty were citizens of the Ming Dynasty, and we are also citizens of the Ming Dynasty, and no one is cheaper than anyone else. We have not committed any crimes, and if the government forcibly sends us out of the country, it will be against the Constitution.

Whether or not to respect the constitution is related to whether the Ming Dynasty can still go on the road of constitutional monarchy. This is also the common voice of many civil political elites and social activists who gathered around the rally.

……

Xiang Xiaoqiang was very concerned about this matter, but he felt that it was not suitable for him to get involved. This matter is standardly "government affairs", that is, the scope of the cabinet government. Xiang Xiaoqiang is on the side of the army, and he is also the commander of the empress's pro-army. Neither the military nor the empress can meddle in this matter.

What's more, Xiang Xiaoqiang himself is also a northerner, although in the upper echelons of the Ming Dynasty, his background is a former British intelligence officer, but the default background to the outside world is still the agent of the Ming Dynasty's development in the Northern Qing Dynasty, and after saving the members of the Grasshopper last time, he escaped. So his position is more awkward. He is in a high position, has a huge influence on His Majesty, and is from the "Jiangbei Gang", and he is still a fellow countryman with those former Qing prisoners. So it's not about talking for them, it's not about not talking for them.

But in the past two days, Xiang Xiaoqiang has a stomachache and Fourteen Gege sent people to the scene to observe the situation, and collect various relevant reports and pay close attention. Especially Fourteen Gege, she simply took this as her own business, and she was even a little nervous in the past two days. Xiang Xiaoqiang also understands her position: that is, these former prisoners of war must not be handed over. Because she herself is a "southern fugitive", it is nothing more than a high status. In her opinion, if Emperor Guangwu can hold thousands of Ming disciples hostage this time and succeed in getting back tens of thousands of "southern escapees" from the hands of the Ming Dynasty, then Guangwu may hold someone hostage again next time, and he will also return her fourteen Gege. In that case, she would end up miserable.

There were also a large number of reporters who surrounded the entrance of the People's Guard Corps headquarters, demanding an interview with Xiang Xiaoqiang and 14 Gege. The main thing is to interview Fourteen Gege. However, Xiang Xiaoqiang strictly ordered all personnel of the People's Guard, including the 14 Gege, not to express their views to the media without permission. Xiang Xiaoqiang has this power, and public officials such as the military and political officials do not express their personal views to the media without authorization, which is also in line with traditional practice, and reporters have no choice.

This is also a decision made by Xiang Xiaoqiang after following the admonitions of Xiuxiu and his mother-in-law Shang Xiaojun. No matter what aspect of this matter, he must keep a low profile to Xiaoqiang, and it is best to stay away from everyone's attention. Because this is an opportunity to watch Shen Rongxuan's good show.

But Qiu Qiu's point of view is clear: that is, the thousands of Ming disciples in the hands of the Manchu Qing must be exchanged back. In her opinion, no matter what constitution is unconstitutional or not, although there are few thousands of Ming soldiers, they were captured in order to protect their families and defend the country and resist the Qing captives. Although there are many of these tens of thousands of "new citizens", they were still "cleared" a few months ago, and they came to invade the Ming Dynasty in the south, not because I invited them to carry a sedan chair because of our hospitality. Many of them still have the blood of the Ming soldiers and the common people on their hands. They have just come over for a few months, and they have not contributed anything to Daming, but Daming has given them 100 Mingyang each, why do they have the same fate and price as those thousands of Daming soldiers?

Qiuqiu's view also represents the views of many "grassroots" in the Ming Dynasty. They do not have the same "constitutional consciousness" as the well-educated middle class and the upper "elites", and most of them support the handing over of these "former Qing prisoners" and the exchange of thousands of the Ming Dynasty's own soldiers.

Although Xiang Xiaoqiang did not allow the officers of the People's Guard to express his views to the media, he himself quietly conducted an investigation in the headquarters, made his stomach ache and sent someone to investigate, and learned that most of the officers in the headquarters advocated that they must replace their soldiers at all costs. Xiang Xiaoqiang has also been participating in the war planning of the Command these days, and in the officers' canteen of the Headquarters, the officers have also discussed this matter for the past two days. Xiang Xiaoqiang listened to the general views of the officers and found that most of them wanted to send these tens of thousands of "former prisoners" out and exchange their thousands of soldiers back. Everyone seems to have one point of view:

Those thousands of Ming officers and soldiers were captured to defend their homes and the country, if we have the opportunity to exchange them back this time without changing, and let them forever be in the hell of the Northern Qing Dynasty, and never be able to reunite with their families, then who is willing to defend their families and defend the country in the future, and then risk being a prisoner to charge into battle.

Xiang Xiaoqiang was shocked into a cold sweat. If this view is so popular among middle and senior officers, then it is needless to say about junior officers and ordinary soldiers. That is to say, whether it is the People's Guard or the Ming Army, anyway, the hearts of the people on the side of the army will do whatever it takes to exchange those thousands of Ming officers and soldiers. Otherwise, it will hit morale.

……

On the afternoon of August 2, when the General Headquarters was holding a routine war planning meeting, an adjutant came in and quietly called Zhang Zhaoxian out. When he came back, Zhang Zhao looked at everyone first and said:

"Ladies and gentlemen, it seems that we need to make a clearer expectation of the duration of the war. Now the government needs us to give an approximate time for the start of the war in order to determine the diplomatic strategy for this POW crisis. What the Cabinet means is that the sooner we go to war, the better it will be to deal with this diplomatically. Ladies and gentlemen, although we have many differences on this issue, we cannot put it on hold any longer. I propose that a decision be taken this afternoon to determine the approximate time for the start of the war. ”

The generals in the conference room looked at each other and agreed.

Xiang Xiaoqiang originally advocated a war in the spring of 37. This would allow for a few more months of preparation, and would also be seasonally appropriate for an attack. If all goes well, the war can be ended before the harsh winter arrives. It is best to do so in late April, because that time is just when the crops in Huanghuai, North China, Northeast China, Northwest China and other regions have finished planting. Fighting at this time will not have a great impact on the harvest in the second half of the year, and will not cause a large-scale famine.

But the Northern Expedition a little earlier, after all, was hoped for by Xiaoqiang. Now, because of the prisoner crisis, many generals are inclined to carry out the Northern Expedition this year. Unlike Xiang Xiaoqiang, who wanted to stay out of the matter, some of the core generals who participated in the formulation of the war plan had a "conspiracy", that is, they wanted to use this prisoner of war crisis to stir up the spirit of hatred and hatred of the people and the whole army, and to wage a "general war" against the Qing Dynasty.

A decentralized, middle-class majority country is not very easy to stir up the war mood in its citizens. In a country where the majority of the people are poor and stupid, it is easier for the people to mobilize their citizens and tighten their bellies to engage in a "general war." Therefore, for Daming, this prisoner of war crisis is a rare opportunity. In short, no matter which one the Ming government chooses, it must make the whole country angry with the people of the Northern Qing Dynasty, and it is best to reach the level of the defense of Nanjing at the beginning of the year. Of course, not so easy. But something is better than nothing.

Zhang Zhaoxian smiled:

"Huh...... It is said that war is a continuation of politics, and it seems that you really have a good political vision...... Shen Ge Lao said that because of this matter, the sooner the Northern Expedition, the more beneficial it would be, which should be what it meant......"

……

After an afternoon of discussions, it was finally decided that the war against the Northern Qing should begin in October 36, that is, two months later. This will face winter operations. But it also had a benefit for the Ming army. In winter, the "green gauze tent" in North China and Northwest China, which is more than one person high, is gone, and the "flat river" is truly realized, and the land outside the highway is basically hardened. This will be immeasurable for the Ming army's mechanized and motorized corps to give full play to its superiority. And because all the fields were bare, the Qing army on the ground had nowhere to hide, and the air superiority of the Ming army could also be maximized.

It's only been two months, but the Ming Empire has actually been preparing for war since December last year, and it hasn't stopped. By now, the wartime economic system and the expansion of armaments for most of the year have been able to support the empire to fight. Moreover, in two months, the Yangtze River defense line will be even more impregnable. This is also the reason why most of the generals decided to fight.

-- Our army has an absolute mobile advantage, and at most the attack will not go smoothly, and it is unlikely that it will be surrounded and annihilated by the Qing army on a large scale. If it is really found that the strategic goal cannot be achieved in the short term and that there is a possibility of protracted war, then it is necessary to retreat. Anyway, it is unlikely that the Qing army will break through the Yangtze River defense line and hit home.

The approximate time has been set. Thinking that in two months, he would recover his homeland and the Central Plains in Beiding, and that the dream that his ancestors had not been able to realize for generations could be completed in his own hands, every general seemed very excited, and at the same time felt heavy on his shoulders. Whether it is the veteran general Zhang Zhaoxian or the young general Xiang Xiaoqiang, there is a feeling of sudden dream:

That's how we decided? Is this true?