That night, in the Jiangxinzhou section of Nanjing, a total of 92 southward escapees entered the water from the west bank of the Yangtze River. In the end, only 25 people survived to reach the other side of hope.
Tonight, the Yangtze River is stained with blood and tears.
Those who were rescued on the Ming army patrol boats all collapsed on the deck. A few seconds later, they hugged the Ming army sailors in front of them tightly and cried loudly.
Several people grabbed the railings of the patrol boat and cried loudly for their relatives toward the Qing patrol boat that was gradually moving away to the west. They were in agony. A few hundred meters away, in the direction of the Qing patrol boat, there was also a faint sound of the same heartbreaking sound.
The shouts. However, the voices over there were not only the grief of flesh and blood being separated forever, but also the shrill cries of severe physical pain.
On the patrol boat of the Ming Army, the sailors quickly put sheets on the newly rescued defectors, and then gave them a large gulp of white wine to help them recover their physical strength and body temperature. Although it is summer, the Yangtze River in the flood season is not as warm as a swimming pool.
It's also cold. Even if it's not as bone-chilling as winter, it's enough to make people lose their physical strength over time.
These grown men who dared to gamble and fight, who had gone through countless hardships with the strongest will and body and narrowly escaped death, were now like children, crying bitterly while holding these Nanming sailors who were more immature than themselves.
He was sobbing, mumbling something vaguely, with tears and snot all over his face.
This was not the first time for most of the sailors to perform such a response mission, but they still felt their hearts trembling. The sailors also hugged the trembling compatriot tightly, patted his back and comforted him:
"Good brother, well done...well done...it's okay...you escaped...you are free...you will be free from now on..."
"Ah..." The thirty-year-old man in the sailor's arms held his nose and tears, let go of his voice, and said while crying, "I'm here...I'm here after all..."
"Yes, brother, you are here...you don't have to go back anymore..."
"No need to go back..."
"Yes, there's no need to go back. You succeeded. Well done to you."
"You here...are ordinary people and won't be bullied by officials, right..."
The sailor hugged him tightly, patted his back and said:
"Don't worry, brother, it would be nice if the common people here don't bully the officials."
"Then... I heard... the king's law is the strongest here, and the common people have been wronged, so there is room for reasoning, right..."
The sailor smiled and said:
"That's not a big deal. Of course, the king's law is the best. Our young prince beats someone and still pays for it."
The man's crying slowed down a bit, he took a deep breath, and asked again with choked sobs:
"Brother...I heard that you can eat well here, and you can all eat fine grains, right..."
"Tie, fine grains don't matter. As long as you are not lazy and willing to work, eating meat every day is very realistic."
The man's chest rose and fell violently several times, and tears came out of his eyes again. He curled his mouth, wiped away the tears with his thick arms, patted the sailor on the back, choked with sobs and nodded:
Several patrol boats of the Ming army continued to search the river, mainly to salvage corpses so that those who did not reach Ming Dynasty alive could set foot on the land of Ming Dynasty after death and be buried here.
In addition, they also held a fluke mentality, hoping to find one or two living escapees... But this hope was already very slim. It had been almost an hour, and no more moving people were found on the river. On the east bank
On the Ming army's defense line, dozens of large-caliber searchlights were also turned on, and illumination bombs were fired one after another continuously over the river, illuminating this section of the river as if it were daytime.
When the fugitives crossed the Yangtze River before, the Beiqing side tried their best to provide lighting, and the Nanming side tried their best to fire smoke bombs. Now the main task is to salvage corpses, so the Beiqing patrol boats are no longer competing with the Ming army. The Ming army began to do everything they could. It can illuminate the river surface.
The patrol boats that rescued the people returned to Jiangxinzhou Pier.
There was no sound in the observation fort for a long time, and everyone was quiet.
Until Zhu Yourong let out a long sigh and ordered:
"Turn on the lights."
The red light turned back on, and Zhu Yourong looked at everyone. Everyone's face was complicated. Whether they were ministers or military generals, whether they were in favor of or against the Northern Expedition, it was obvious that their spirits were shaken, or stimulated. .There is red light in the observation fort, and the color cannot be seen clearly. But if it were ordinary light, many people's faces would be pale now.
Shen Rongxuan spoke first:
"Your Majesty, do you want to meet these defectors now? Say a few words to them?"
Zhu Yourong shook his head:
"No need... what they need most now is not my audience, but food and sleep... By the way, what kind of treatment do we receive in Ming Dynasty when we receive defectors from the north?"
Shen Rongxuan replied:
"Back to Your Majesty, before the war last year, each ordinary defector was given a one-time subsidy of 100 Mingyang as settling-in allowance. This was enough for a defector to rent an apartment in a city like Nanjing and purchase a set of basic furniture and daily necessities. The remaining The money saved is enough to maintain a simple life for half a year. However, after the war this year, we improved the treatment for defectors and raised the settlement allowance to 150 yuan. This is enough to provide them with a year of living security."
"Then..." Zhu Yourong asked, "What if a year has passed and their livelihood has not been settled?"
Shen Rongxuan smiled and said:
"Your Majesty, this kind of thing has never happened before. Those who can successfully come from the north are the ones with the strongest will and the most eager to change their destiny. Although their education is generally very low, and some are even illiterate, these are all It's not very important. Once they are given a fair fighting environment, they can do better than the natives of Ming Dynasty. Many of our industrial and commercial tycoons in Ming Dynasty, as well as many outstanding leaders in other industries, are all people who escaped from the north. .”
The trauma in Zhu Yourong's heart got some comfort. She nodded and said softly:
"So good."
She paused for a while, breathed a sigh of relief, and said:
"My dear friends, I said that I would join you here to finish our meeting. So, now I will say a few more words."
When Zhu Yourong said this, Zhang Zhaoxian raised his eyes and glanced at the commander of Jiangxinzhou Fortress. The fortress commander immediately understood, winked at several of his officers, and then leaned forward and said:
"Your Majesty, I will leave for now."
Then he left with a few officers and closed the door.
A Dongchang intelligence officer came in and whispered a few words to Shen Rongxuan. Shen Rongxuan nodded and asked him to go down first, and then whispered a few words to Zhu Yourong. Zhu Yourong nodded, looking slightly relieved.
At this time, there were only participants in the Empire's Supreme Military and Political Council in the observation fort.
Zhu Yourong said with emotion:
"When I was a child, I read the books of sages, and Yasheng had a classic, "Gongsun Chou Chapter 2", which impressed me the most. But I was still young at that time, so I couldn't understand its meaning very deeply. Later, when I grew up, I also understood it. More military and national events are connected, and I feel that I will benefit more and more.
"Especially tonight. After tonight, I don't know how you feel about it. I really have a new understanding of Yasheng's classic work, and I have more respect for the sages. More than two thousand years have passed, and Yasheng's shining words
, as if it was tailor-made for tonight’s situation..."
Xiang Xiaoqiang, like everyone else, lowered his head and listened to His Majesty's "Lectures". Although he traveled from later generations, he also knew that Zhu Yourong was talking about "lesser sages", referring to Mencius. In Chinese Confucian culture, Confucius is respected as a saint.
Mencius is respected as the Lesser Sage. As for which chapter in "Mencius" this "Gongsun Chou Chapter 2" is specifically
Xiang Xiaoqiang didn't know about it. In middle school, he had only studied a few chapters of The Analects and Mencius. But he knew that the people in front of him were not only ministers, but also military generals.
Having been familiar with the classics of Chinese sages since childhood, Xiang Xiaoqiang, a later generation college student, didn’t know this, and couldn’t help but feel a little ashamed.
Zhu Yourong slowly turned around, holding her hand on the cement lower edge of the observation window, looking out at the brightly lit Yangtze River and the Ming Dynasty patrol boats shuttled above to recover bodies. After a while, she softly chanted:
“...the weather is not as good as the right place, and the right place is not as good as the people.
"...A city of three miles and a country of seven miles, if you attack it in a circle, you will not be victorious. If you attack it in a circle, you will definitely have the right time. However, if you cannot win, the weather is not as good as the right place.
“…The city is not too high, the pond is not not deep, the military and military revolution are not not strong, and the rice and millet are not not abundant, but if we leave them behind, the favorable terrain is not as good as the harmony of people.
"...Therefore it is said: The people of the region do not rely on the boundaries of the frontier, the country is consolidated without the dangers of mountains and rivers, and the power of the world does not rely on the benefits of military revolution. Those who have gained the Tao will have many help, and those who have lost the Tao will have few. When there is little help, relatives will be there.
If more help comes, the world will obey you. If the world obeys you, attack where your relatives are. Therefore, if a gentleman does not fight, he will win in battle."
The ministers lowered their heads and were silently comprehending Mencius's famous policy statement. Xiang Xiaoqiang now understood that the so-called "Gongsun Chou Chapter 2" turned out to be the famous "The right person will get many help, the wrong person will get little help". This
This chapter is one of the few sage chapters that was learned in middle school in the early years. It is also one of the most widely circulated and most deeply rooted immortal chapters in "Mencius".
"Everyone should understand the meaning..." Zhu Yourong said softly and piously, "It is a small city. The enemy has a superior force to besiege it, but it cannot be conquered for a long time... Since the enemy can besiege it for a long time, it must have occupied it.
Weather, season, total troop strength and other innate advantages. The 'timing' here can be completely expanded and understood.
Therefore, the total strength advantage can be a logistical advantage, or a resource advantage, etc. In short, it is collectively called the 'Tianshi'. But even with these advantages, it is still difficult to defeat this city... The reason is very simple.
, the defender relies on the high city and the deep pool to defend, so one can equal ten. Therefore, the right time is not as good as the right place.
"However, it is the same city, even bigger and taller than the previous one, with a deeper moat, better defensive equipment, and more food stored in the city. However, the defenders abandoned the city and fled, or surrendered easily.
Okay... This is not a matter of location, but of people.
The problem... In the final analysis, what determines the outcome of a war is not the weather, the balance of forces, the topography, or the equipment... but the people, the people who use them. In other words, the people's hearts. People's hearts are out of control.
The problem is that no matter how good other conditions are, it will not help.
"In the recent battle to defend Nanjing, the Qing captives used their overwhelmingly superior force and took advantage of the heavy fog on the Yangtze River that had not happened in fifty years. They were determined to win and launched an unprecedented scale of southward invasion. It can be said that they had all the time. But our defense line on the Yangtze River in the Ming Dynasty was impregnable.
, I, the Ming garrison general, regarded death as if he were home, and united as one. The Qing captives could not attack for a long time, and returned in defeat. To say that "the weather is not as good as the right place", this is the perfect place.
"Let's go a little further. Three hundred years ago, in order to deal with the Jiannu slaves of the Later Jin Dynasty and regain the entire Liao Dynasty, the Ming Dynasty adopted a strategy of moving steadily, building castles and gradually reducing the Jiannu slaves. At that time, the country was raking in rice and grain, and along the Western Liaoning Corridor
A series of military fortresses were built. At that time, large cities and small forts echoed each other, and the forts were connected. It could be said that it was a high city and a deep pool, which was indestructible. Especially Shanhaiguan, which defended the capital, was also known as 'the most powerful pass in the world'.
"At that time, our Ming Dynasty had an absolute advantage over Houjin, whether it was the total population, total military strength, economic capacity, personnel quality, land area, grain output, industrial capacity, or influence on surrounding ethnic minorities. Even if it was delayed.
Protracted war, economic struggle, fake
In time, I can completely drag down Jiannu... But it is painful. At that time, my Ming Dynasty had weak ministers, treacherous eunuchs were in power, and the government was deeply corrupt. Civil servants were greedy for money, and military generals were afraid of death. If you look around, the whole dynasty is full of rats. Even though
Those who sincerely serve the country will soon be unable to gain a foothold in jealousy and ostracism.
"Although the fortresses in western Liaoning have the strongest city defenses, the most sophisticated armor, and the most abundant military rations, neither the supervisors nor the generals inside had anything on their minds when facing the Jiannu attack.
Killing the enemy to serve the country is not about how to save one's own life and future. Because in their view, resistance may fail and die after all, and abandoning the city and escaping is undoubtedly a 100% possibility.
Safe. The hearts and minds of my Ming Dynasty have long since dispersed... So, with a wrong general retreat order, countless Liaoxi fortresses, high cities and deep pools, countless supplies, ordnance, food and grass... were instantly reduced to ashes. My Ming Dynasty
The strategy of running Western Liaoning and reducing the establishment of slaves, years of huge investment, and painstaking efforts, have all been wasted. The best opportunity for Ming Dynasty to eliminate Hou Jin has also been reduced to ashes.
"At that time, a few hundred slave-building cavalry could chase tens of thousands of Ming soldiers like me. It was as easy as hunting... At that time, there were some who defected to the slave-building, there were those who killed people and took credit, and they sold rice to support the enemy.
There are those who are greedy for military funds, and there are those who are good at
There are those who kill great generals, and there are those who slander and deceive the emperor... In the end, even the Shanhaiguan guard who was guarding the capital turned into a traitor... Shanhaiguan is the most powerful pass in the world... so what if it is the most powerful pass? It cannot stand up to the guards.
Be a traitor!
"Everyone... in the final analysis, no matter whether it is the right time or the right location, there is only the last one that can really make them work - human rights. Back then, I, the Ming Dynasty, took advantage of all the good time and good location for Jiannu.
But our hearts have been scattered. We have failed in the aspect of 'humanity'.
The defeat has never been so tragic, and the defeat actually caused the tragedy of the Mongolian and Yuan Dynasties to be repeated in China... Fortunately, after the Ming Dynasty retreated to the south of the Yangtze River, we learned from the pain, worked hard from then on, and gradually stabilized ourselves. Later, although we faced the Qing captives several times.
The invasion from the south was finally able to be resisted.
"A century ago, the gunboats of the Western powers came to East Asia indiscriminately. They brought two things: trade treaties and excellent institutions. The Manchu Qing Dynasty, Nanming Dynasty, and Japan each made different choices. The Manchu Qing Dynasty regarded the Western powers
They hated and feared the invaders. They took away the foreign trade treaties and excellent systems
They were all regarded as a loss of power and humiliation of the country, so they had to accept the former and extremely rejected the latter. As for the Ming Dynasty and Japan, one was a defeated general of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and the other was a student of Chinese civilization for thousands of years. Their mentality was much more humble than that of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, and both could
Let go of your dignity, regard the Western powers as your teachers, and learn from them humbly.
"Our Ming Dynasty followed the example of the British and took the initiative to enact constitutional reforms. Today, thanks to the excellent system of democratic constitutional government, our Ming Dynasty has enlightened people, a developed economy, and a strong industry. It has become the first choice for immigration and political asylum for outstanding talents from various Asian countries.
It has become the most civilized, richest and most impressive country in Asia.
The longing country. The vast territory, rich resources, and large population of the Manchu and Qing Dynasties were all things that our Ming Dynasty could not compete with in the past. But now, we have offset them. Not only have they offset them, our advantages
It is still increasing, and the north and south of the Yangtze River are already changing offensive and defensive positions.
"Ya Sheng said it well: The people of the region do not rely on the boundaries of the border. It is futile to rely on the barbed wire fence on the border to prevent the people from choosing to surrender to a better state power. If you do not let the people choose with their hands, the people will
Know how to choose with your feet. Use a machine gun like the Manchu Qing Dynasty
and barbed wire fences, turning the country into a big prison and turning all the people into prisoners. What will be the result? Everyone saw it tonight. The people there would rather escape from the cage than die. The human heart can be imprisoned for a while.
, cannot be imprisoned forever.
"You can imagine what would happen to the people if we fought there. What would happen to the soldiers of the Qing army. The soldiers of the Qing army are also the sons of the people. Now the Manchu Qing regime has lost the people's hearts. Not only the 'people' have lost their hearts.
, even their Eight Banners disciples, the most caring of their own people, were forced by themselves to become their enemies...
"Why do I know that there is a large-scale escape to the south tonight? Because Dongchang reported to me that the best tank designers of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, namely Dr. Dorobeile and Aisin Gioro-Pu Heng, are also on the list of those who fled south.
Among them... Mr. Pu Heng studied in Germany in his early years and later in the UK.
He studied mechanical design and tank vehicle design successively. After returning to Beiqing, his famous works were the 'Balutu' tank and the 'Kubu' tank. But even so, because Britain is our traditional ally of the Ming Dynasty, Mr. Pu Heng
His status as a student in the UK has always made him deeply marginalized by politics...
"After Germany recently broke off diplomatic relations with the Manchus, Mr. Pu Heng's status as a student in Germany has become the source of his disaster... Until the past two months, in order to save Mr. Pu Heng from further persecution, our Dongchang underground organization and him
Got in touch and arranged for him to escape south... I just
After receiving the report, Mr. Pu Heng has safely landed on Jiangxinzhou. From now on, the Manchu Qing Dynasty will no longer have outstanding military experts. Their only "excellent" military expert has been forced to defect to the Ming Dynasty.
.And since then, our Ming Dynasty has gained another excellent tank designer.
"Waging a war is to attack the people's hearts. A civil war between the same nation is even more damaging to the people's hearts. As the saying goes, those who are righteous will get more help, and those who are unjust will get little help. When little help comes, relatives will be around. When there is much help, the world will obey.
The Manchu and Qing Dynasties were already "relatives rebelling against them", but compared to the Manchu and Qing Dynasties, our Ming Dynasty was truly "the world obeyed them".
"My dear friends, this is the end of the Supreme Military and Political Conference of our empire. Now I solemnly announce that the next national policy of the Ming Dynasty is to expedition to the north of the Manchu Qing Dynasty and restore China. What I will bring you to see with your own eyes tonight is not only
An escape across the river affects the hearts of both sides of the Taiwan Strait. I hope that everyone can sincerely unite and work together to complete our historical mission. I ask everyone to firmly believe in this sentence:
"——If the people of the world are submissive, they will attack the rebellion of relatives. Therefore, if a gentleman refuses to fight, he will definitely win in battle."