The electric clock in the central command hall of the Purple Mountain Fortress just read 6:40, and then the female announcer's voice on the radio said sweetly:
"It is now 6:40 in the morning in Nanjing time... The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has submitted formal notes to all major powers, notifying the beginning of the unification war... My lords, we have just surprised the whole world..."
All positions in the hall were working nervously. After hearing the last sentence, many people burst into laughter. Then they continued to lower their heads and continued working. Then, a team of cooking soldiers pushed a trolley into the command hall.
Serve breakfast at every workplace.
In front of several temporary desks of the People's Guard, Xiang Xiaoqiang commanded his two generals: Li Gensheng, who had a stomachache, was busy with them. He and Li Gensheng would soon contact the People's Guard mobile teams on the left and right to learn about the situation on the left.
The advance status of the armored division on the road and the laying status of the pontoon bridge on the right road; later, we will contact the intelligence network of the security team in Beiqing to collect various reactions from Beiqing in a timely manner and whether a large number of troops will be mobilized southward.
A few tables next door are the temporary offices of the Dongchang. The Dongchang and the People's Guards are the two largest intelligence networks of Nanming in the Beiqing. Now the two are just sitting next to each other, and they have completely entered into the most "intimate" relationship.
Cooperation status. If there is any problem with one intelligence network, raise your head and shout to the other side, and the information from the other intelligence network will be supplemented in time.
The war has now started for one hour and forty minutes, and there are still no obvious signs that the Northern Qing Dynasty is moving large forces to the south. Even after constant feedback from two intelligence networks in Beijing, it seems that the news has not reached Beijing yet.
!At least Emperor Guangwu doesn’t know yet!
The "air defense drill" conducted in eight cities along the river in the early morning has now lasted for more than two hours. Citizens in these eight cities are still hiding in air raid shelters.
However, according to the timetable, while submitting notes to various countries, the general public should also be informed of the war situation...
…
Sure enough, at 6:40, loudspeakers were set up in the central squares and intersections of major cities across the country. Jinling Broadcasting Company also resumed broadcasting and solemnly informed everyone that they would soon hear Her Majesty the Queen's speech.
Speak for everyone.
In various air-raid shelters in eight cities along the river, citizens are complaining, and many places are already agitated and noisy. This air-raid drill lasted too long, and the alarm has not been lifted yet. Rumors are rife in major air-raid fortifications.
It was said that maybe the Qing captives had really invaded the south. An atmosphere of panic spread.
But suddenly, the announcement system in the air-raid shelter rang, connected to the radio, and the familiar voice of the Jinling Broadcasting Company announcer came to everyone's ears:
"Now, let us ask our beloved Her Majesty the Queen to speak to everyone."
The crowd soon fell silent. Something huge happened - something huge, something huge happened... This was everyone's first thought as their hearts sank.
God, please don’t let the Qing invaders invade the south...
…
"Subjects of the Ming Empire..." Zhu Yourong's voice appeared, "Just today, at 5:00 a.m. on October 4, our heroic army launched a comprehensive and sudden attack on the puppet Qing-controlled areas in the north.
In the past hour and forty minutes, at 800 kilometers
On the front of Li Chang's offensive, the Qing army's defenses have collapsed... Our army's leading troops have penetrated 10 to 20 kilometers into the Beiqing controlled area... Our Ming Dynasty's comprehensive counterattack against the Qing captives has begun! The Ming Dynasty aims to
The war to regain the north and unify China has begun!"
Suddenly, a burst of fanatical cheers rang out from all the air-raid shelters. Warm cheers also rang out in the streets and squares of cities behind.
The cheers were mainly from young people. Especially in various universities, college students shouted loudly, threw their hats into the air, stamped their feet, whistled, blushed, and tried their best to vent their excitement. Many students hugged each other and struggled.
Then, he climbed onto the desk and performed various dances...
The pain caused by the Qing invasion last time, the prisoner of war incident this time, and the oppression caused by the humiliating "Treaty of Port Arthur" were all vented at this moment.
However, most of the older people, the middle-aged and elderly people, are not as excited as the young people. The expressions on their faces are very complicated.
They are different from those young people who don’t know how to feel. They have too many responsibilities on their shoulders. They have seniors and juniors, and they have a large family to protect and feed... What does war mean and what will it bring?
, they know much better than young people.
In addition to age, different reactions to the war also occurred in various strata of Ming society.
The poor at the bottom, the proletarians who had nothing but their hands, who usually complained the most about the government, now overwhelmingly supported the war and became the most loyal supporters of the government. Those who were born in poverty, were young, had low education, and had low education.
The "three low-income people" were immediately moved by Her Majesty the Queen's speech. Soon, long lines formed at various recruitment points. Most of the people who signed up to join the army were these people.
What drives them to the battlefield is, on the one hand, the boiling blood in their hearts, wanting to be a part of "Northern Settlement of the Central Plains and Unification of China"; on the other hand, they also want to use the army to change their destiny. They lack education and can only
Engaged in simple and low-level labor, among capitalists
Work in the "sweatshop", get the minimum wage, and work the longest hours. But now, the war is coming, and there is no place with more opportunities than in the army. During the war, as long as you fight bravely and perform well, even if
There are also many opportunities for minions to rise through the ranks like a rocket.
However, in the middle class and upper class society, people's welcome to war is very different.
This is also a class where intellectuals are concentrated. Intellectuals are different from low-educated groups. The biggest characteristic of low-educated groups is that they are prone to fanaticism, while the biggest characteristic of intellectuals is that they are easy to wake up.
They could clearly foresee what fate the Ming Empire might face after the war, and what the citizens would gain and lose.
It's very simple. First of all, these cities, counties, towns, and villages in areas close to the Yangtze River defense line are likely to become victims of shelling and air raids by the Qing army. People in these areas will live in fear of war from now on, no matter day or night.
As soon as they heard the alarm, they would rush into the air-raid shelter with their children, food and water in their arms. They didn't even know if their home would still be there after the alarm was lifted.
Secondly, even if people in the mainland will not directly face the horror of war, their sons, brothers, and husbands are on the front line, dealing with death every day. As the war continues, letters of death notices will continue to be sent.
When reaching families in the rear, more and more families will lose their loved ones and fall into lifelong pain that is difficult to heal. Now the Ming Dynasty’s army has reached more than two million people, while the entire population of the Ming Dynasty is only 90 million people. It can be said that,
Most families have relatives in the military.
Thirdly, in the early days of the war, except for the frontier areas, the quality of life of people in the mainland may not have changed much. But as the war continues, the supply of various materials will become increasingly tight. According to the experience of the European war, on a large scale
During the war, the citizens of each warring country lived an extremely difficult life. Various daily necessities had to be supplied in rations. High-calorie nutritional supplements such as sugar, oil, meat, and eggs had to be purchased at high prices on the black market.
.
There are also fuels, coal, gasoline, etc., which must be given priority to the army. Heating in the winter will be a problem for ordinary families, and it is difficult for wealthy people to get gasoline for their cars. There will also be a limited supply of cloth, and ladies will not
No matter how cheap you can buy a dazzling array of clothing... In short, the pain of war will deeply invade every detail of people's lives.
Finally, and the most terrifying possibility, is that the Ming army loses the battle on the front line and suffers a major defeat. The war potential of the Beiqing Dynasty gradually comes into play, and the balance of the war gradually turns to the Beiqing side... In that case, the Ming army may be retreating steadily.
Finally, we retreated to the Yangtze River Defense Line. At this time, we have to face the problem of local defense. Facing the Qing army's millions of victorious troops, whether the Yangtze River Defense Line can be held is a question. Of course, in the eyes of most people, the Yangtze River Defense Line
Still very competent.
Moreover, Her Majesty the Queen also promised in her speech that she will definitely give everyone victory, continuous victory, and will never let the war threaten the mainland of Nanming. Moreover, Her Majesty the Queen personally promised that if unfortunately it comes to that point, she will do what she did in the last war.
Same, stay in Nanjing, and
The Yangtze River Defense Line will co-exist and die. The people still believe this, because Her Majesty did it last time. And most people also believe that when it comes to that point, with Her Majesty the Queen and the defense line co-existing, the defense line soldiers will fight to the death.
, it is impossible not to be able to hold on.
In addition to intellectuals and the middle class, another class with mixed feelings about war is the upper class and the rich class. The poor have nothing to lose in the war, but the rich have too much to lose. Therefore, their
There is much more to consider.
But the rich class is different from the middle class. The middle class is overwhelmingly opposed to war and does not like winning or losing. The middle class likes to maintain the status quo and hopes to have a stable social environment. Therefore, the middle class is also a country that maintains
The cornerstone of stability. The greater the proportion of the middle class in a country, the more stable the country will be. But the rich are different.
Those rich people who established industries and owned productive enterprises such as industries and mines welcomed the war. On the one hand, they were extremely wealthy, and the lowering of living standards during the war had little impact on them. More importantly, the door to making war fortunes was opened.
During the war, they didn't have to worry about sales. They would sell as much as they produced. Usually they were worried about not having enough orders, but now they only need to worry about whether there are enough production lines and workers... Of course, although this type of rich people welcome the war,
But there is a prerequisite, that is, the battle must be won. If the battle is won, all the fruits can be kept. If the battle is lost, then they will all belong to the Qing Dynasty.
Therefore, it is this group of people who are the most enthusiastic to buy patriotic war bonds not only out of patriotic enthusiasm, but also out of profit considerations. At the same time as the Queen's war speech, the branches of the Imperial Bank and the Royal Bank in various places opened their doors in advance at the same time.
The sale of war bonds began. A huge amount was sold in the first few hours. It was mainly these "patriotic businessmen" who had people buy them. Because they were a community of interests tied to the Ming Empire.
However, other wealthy people, those who opened shopping malls, engaged in entertainment, luxury goods and other consumer industries, frowned and cursed the war. During the war, the whole society must have operated according to the wartime system, and the consumer and retail industry was hardest hit.
It's best not to even think about making money by hoarding and driving up prices. You'll have to "get" yourself into jail.
…
On the morning of the first day of the war, the entire Ming Dynasty's reactions to the war were so completely different, like a glass of mixed wine. On the streets of various cities, parades with different political views shouted slogans and marched on the same road.
Walking towards each other, there is a row of nervous police in the middle...
Various parades and assembly groups also lost their usual calm and civilized image. Amidst all the fanaticism and excitement, countless young people and college students with opposite opinions began to yell at each other, throw things at each other, and sporadic fights broke out.
...Everyone believes that the country and the nation are now
At the most critical moment, I, a "common man", am responsible. What's more serious is that each faction believes that their side is truly patriotic and cares about the country and the nation, while the other faction is deliberately trying to destroy the country and the nation.
He wants to kill 100 million people and push 100 million people into the abyss of eternal destruction...
Each side sang the national anthem, waved the national flag, and insulted and attacked the other side...
Soon, in Nanjing alone, large-scale group fights broke out in several places... The policemen, holding shields and waving batons, squeezed into the chaotic crowd, handcuffed those who were fighting, and dragged them out...
...However, this cannot control the situation at all.
Fire trucks were brought in, and high-pressure hoses were sprayed into the crowd. In the late autumn of October, this trick was very effective, and the group fights were dispersed one after another...
…
In the Purple Mountain Fortress, Zhu Yourong had just finished his speech and before he had a few drinks of water, he received reports of varying degrees of chaos in cities across the country.
This was beyond her expectation. She sat blankly, unable to say a word for a while.
"Why is this happening?"
She murmured to herself.
Just in time, Xiang Xiaoqiang came in to ask her for instructions. Because the People's Guard is no better than other armies, it only has Zhu Yourong as its superior.
When Zhu Yourong saw Xiang Xiaoqiang, he immediately reported this to Xiang Xiaoqiang as if he had a backbone.
"Tingzhi, how could this happen? What did we do wrong?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang was so busy that he read the report hastily and said with a smile:
"Your Majesty, this is not worth making a fuss about. It is obvious that our people still lack exercise. Compared with the British and American citizens, the people of Ming Dynasty are still like toddlers at the moment. It is inevitable that they cannot walk well and fall. It doesn't matter, take your time.
If you take your time, you will be as good as others. Your Majesty, what the people need to see most now is victory. A series of victories. Your Majesty, soon you will see that the morale of our people is high."