On the evening of July 5th, Zhu Yourong and Xiang Xiaoqiang sat together in the waterside pavilion of the Royal Garden, enjoying the cool air and eating seafood. They were very close to each other, and it was very sweet. Now the two of them are almost "unscrupulous", and they don't even cover up the basics.
, semi-public
They appeared in the palace as lovers. And their identity as "lovers" had already spread out of the palace, not only to the upper class, but also to the streets. Now, in addition to the Ming-Russian War, the people of the Ming Dynasty talk about
The most common thing is this.
At the same time, cabinet ministers are increasingly worried about the relationship between Xiang Xiaoqiang and the Queen. Although the Queen has promised to delegate power within one year after the war and realize a true constitutional monarchy, they are always worried that the Queen will still use Xiang Xiaoqiang to actually
To control the power. Or what is more worrying is that Xiang Xiaoqiang used the brand of "Queen's Husband" to control the People's Guard and became the actual controller of the country's power.
Now, as the relationship between Zhu Yourong and Xiang Xiaoqiang becomes public step by step, the cabinet ministers are getting increasingly restless. They all know in their hearts that His Majesty and Xiang Xiaoqiang did it on purpose. They deliberately let the rumors leak out and let the people gradually get used to it.
They had such an "ambiguous relationship" and gradually accepted it. When it was officially announced that the Queen would marry Xiang Xiaoqiang, everyone would feel it was more natural.
Shen Rongxuan originally planned to take Xiuxiu as his goddaughter. If he did, it might be useful in times like this. After all, Xiuxiu is Xiang Xiaoqiang's wife, so it's natural for her to be jealous of other women.
.As long as the instigation is done, it is not impossible for Xiu Xiu to interfere with it. But now that Xiu Xiu has made herself into a Ryukyu princess, Shen Rongxuan no longer dares to accept Xiu Xiu as his daughter.
Xiuxiu was the result of an affair between the King of Ryukyu and Mrs. Shen Rongxuan. This was a scandal that he tried his best to hide. Although Xiuxiu looks like both the King of Ryukyu and Mrs. Shen Rongxuan, no one has contacted them so far.
, they were still very successful in concealing it. But now it’s no longer possible.
, if Xiu Xiu is both the biological daughter of the King of Ryukyu and the goddaughter of Shen Rongxuan, it would immediately make the connection. Shen Rongxuan would never dare to take this risk. Therefore, since Xiu Xiu became the Princess of Ryukyu, Shen Rongxuan automatically
He never mentioned anything about having sex with his daughter.
…
But now, Shen Rongxuan is discussing with Minister of Foreign Affairs He Ziguang, and they must not "just sit back and wait for death."
"The cabinet should propose another marriage plan as soon as possible," said Foreign Minister He Ziguang. "At this time, we should not worry too much about His Majesty's preferences. Your Majesty himself can make sacrifices for the long-term future of the Ming Dynasty. As ministers, we,
We should be prepared to make sacrifices for the future of our country."
Shen Rongxuan took a sip of tea, glanced at him, and asked:
"What is the sacrifice of the cabinet? You mean..."
He Ziguang smiled and said simply:
"Since His Majesty has announced the decision to reform universal suffrage to the whole country, it is irreversible. Universal suffrage will be implemented within one year after the war ends. How long will this war last? In other words, it will only take two years. After that, neither side wants to fight again. The negotiation table
After some haggling on the price, both sides looked at the same price.
If we sign an agreement and end the war, then it is impossible for His Majesty to replace our cabinet within one or two years. Firstly, the time is too short, and secondly, during the war. Since it is no longer up to His Majesty whether we will be in power or step down in one or two years.
Having said that, it’s better for us not to be too constrained.”
Shen Rongxuan sighed and said:
"At present... we can only give it a try. Although His Majesty may not listen to us, but... we can make full use of the current situation in Northeast Asia and put pressure on Your Majesty. You see, it is suitable for us to talk to Daming at the moment. How many countries are there in the marriage alliance?"
He Ziguang clapped his fingers and said:
"You see, the two most valuable marriages at present are: Britain and Japan. Needless to say, Britain is a traditional friend of the Ming Dynasty. Both parties have many common interests, and the British royal family also has princes of the right age. The two countries have been together for so many years Since then, there has not been a marriage. You can consider setting a precedent by your Majesty."
Shen Rongxuan smiled and shook his head and said with a smile:
"The biggest problem in the UK is that there are different races. The remaining children are mixed-race. If Ming Dynasty marries a princess, it doesn't matter. She is the queen now, and the queen's children will inherit the throne in the future. This is related to the future. The issue of royal blood. Mixed blood is not an option."
He Ziguang nodded and said:
"That's Japan. The two countries are both great powers in Asia. Their restoration and rise times are almost the same. They have the same political system, the same race, and the same culture. It can be said that they have too many things in common. And now the Ming Dynasty is under serious threat from Russia. , and Japan is gearing up to attack Russia, and will soon become a united front with the Ming Dynasty. If the two countries join forces, defeating Russia will almost be a certainty. In the future, the two countries can equally share Russia's interests in the East, and Japan will gain the Far East. By taking possession of Central Asia, the Ming Dynasty can also jointly curb the spread of Bolshevism in Asia. Although both countries are naval powers, as long as the two countries marry, they can eliminate mutual distrust to a large extent. These are very realistic things. Mr. Ge thinks, if these truths are put in front of His Majesty, how likely is it for Your Majesty to sacrifice love for the sake of the country?"
Shen Rongxuan laughed, thought for a while, and said:
"If it was the Prince of Siam at that time, I dare say there is at least a 60% chance. Now... I only dare to say there is a 30% chance."
He Ziguang clapped his hands and said:
"Okay! Even if it's only 30%, does Mr. Ge think that this 30% possibility is worthy of us standing up to him and fighting for the interests of the country?"
Shen Rongxuan pondered for a moment, nodded, and said with a smile:
"What about Japan? Don't worry about it for a long time. It's just wishful thinking on our part."
He Ziguang is very confident:
"As long as Japan starts to attack the Soviet Union, we will be able to find someone to ventilate it immediately. Japan will squat on the shore, but as long as it also goes into the water, it will be unable to help itself, even if it falls into the East Asian continent. After all, we are a big country, even if It can't win quickly but it can't afford to delay. Japan is a small country and its new territories are all barren. It can't produce a single screw, so it can't afford to delay. Once Japan joins the war, it will definitely be more anxious than us. As long as we are like this Japan will only cater to Ben Yi. Now Hirohito's younger brother and his princess have passed away, and they happen to be the right age. This is also very realistic."
Shen Rongxuan listened thoughtfully, finally nodded and said:
"Okay. You should worry more about these diplomatic matters. I will just keep an eye on His Majesty and Xiang Xiaoqiang."
…
At the same time, in the Imperial Garden, Zhu Yourong was still having sex with Xiang Xiaoqiang. Xiang Xiaoqiang's most anxious thing now, besides guarding against Japan, is to get rid of Zhu Yourong as soon as possible. From now on, he plans to come to the palace every one or two days and find various reasons. You have to come in. If you can't do it, you can continue to give Zhu Yourong "military lessons". I have been chasing Zhu Yourong for a year, and I should have something. After marrying the queen, and in the few years before handing over the military power, I have made great achievements. Prime time for big plans.
At least, I have long wanted to build the Ming Dynasty Navy from a "battleship-based navy" to an "aircraft carrier-based navy", but unfortunately my identity is the commander of the People's Guard, which basically belongs to the "army".
And their influence in the military is limited to the Army. Those in the Navy always feel that there is no need to win over an "Army Commander", and there is no need to be won over by an "Army Commander", so it has always been difficult for the Navy to reach out.
After becoming a prince, Xiang Xiaoqiang's identity was suddenly upgraded from an "army commander" to a "comprehensive level". The identity of "army general" will be diluted a lot, and "Prince of Ming Dynasty" has become Xiang Xiaoqiang's first identity
.Those proud seas
Military marshals and admirals may feel that it is a bit demeaning to associate with a "lieutenant general" or even the "Queen's male favorite". But a prince, the husband of the current Queen, associates with them. As courtiers, they will never
I feel like I have lost my identity.
Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zhu Yourong were eating seafood and chatting about the general trend of the world. At this time, Wei Zijin ran over from the shore along the promenade. Behind him, Wu Yanbin was holding a radio and was also panting.
"Zijin?" Zhu Yourong raised his head and smiled, "What's going on? Is there any important news? Are you running in such a hurry?"
Wei Zijin smiled and said:
"Your Majesty... please listen to the radio. Jinling Station asked you to listen to this segment..."
"Jinling Terrace?" Zhu Yourong was startled, "Do you want me to listen to your roll call? What should you listen to?"
Wu Yanbin put the radio on the ground and turned a button.
The announcer's smiling voice came from the radio:
"... Jinling Women's Normal College, Jinling University, Meihuashan College, Imperial Medical University, Army University, Nanjing Ship Design Institute, and, of course, Donglin University. The above are the voices of the academic community. To sum up, there are currently
22 universities, 31
companies, and 1,243 people from all walks of life signed to participate in tonight's blessing event...Your Majesty, and Mr. Xiang, if you two are listening, I respectfully ask you to look up at the stars at eight o'clock tonight...
We have something to tell you..."
Zhu Yourong was startled again:
"Looking up at the stars? Eight o'clock? Have something to say to me?"
Xiang Xiaoqiang was also stunned and said curiously:
"And me? No...no way..."
He took out his pocket watch and saw that it was almost eight o'clock.
"Miss Wei, Yan Bin," Xiang Xiaoqiang was very puzzled, "do you know what is going on?"
Wei Zijin also shook his head and said with a smile:
"I don't know... Sir, we just listened to the broadcast."
Before he finished speaking, there was a flash of light outside the water pavilion, and a few seconds later a muffled sound floated in.
Several people immediately walked out of the waterside pavilion, holding on to the railings and looking into the distance.
I saw only a fragment of light remaining in the distant sky. That was fireworks.
Almost at the same time, several flashes of light rushed into the sky and exploded one after another. Then, countless bright spots appeared in all directions, far and near, and the entire Nanjing night sky was suddenly ablaze with fireworks.
Loud sounds overlapped, and bright lights reflected on people's faces. Several people in the waterside pavilion looked up greedily. Zhu Yourong covered his ears, his face was full of surprise. Xiang Xiaoqiang and the others also enjoyed watching,
But I still don't understand why.
After the brilliant fireworks were set off for five minutes, total silence suddenly fell, and the night sky returned to darkness.
Several people looked at each other and smiled, thinking that it was over. But...
"Boom!!!"
There was a loud noise that shook the earth and the mountains, and the sky became bright. Several people looked up and saw fireworks forming a line of large golden characters:
——Congratulations to Your Majesty and Mr. Xiang for finally getting married!
…
Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zhu Yourong stared blankly at the big characters in the sky, almost unable to believe their eyes.
At this time, the large characters of fireworks slowly disappeared, and the announcer's voice came from the radio next to him:
"Miss Sun from the Imperial Medical University wrote to say: Our Majesty has given up so much for the happiness of the people. Now, His Majesty should also pursue his own happiness. Mr. Zhang from Donglin University wrote to say: Look at the current situation at home and abroad, worthy of
Apart from General Xiang Xiaoqiang, who else is the young nobleman who has come to serve His Majesty? No. Mr. Huang from the Army University wrote a letter saying..."
Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zhu Yourong stared at each other blankly, neither of them speechless. After a long while, Xiang Xiaoqiang murmured:
"Damn...it's really fake..."
Zhu Yourong slowly smiled and tears rolled out:
"Stand it..."
"Then what are you waiting for!"
Xiang Xiaoqiang rushed towards him, hugged Zhu Yourong in his arms, and the two kissed deeply. Wei Zijin and Wu Yanbin looked on, smiling from ear to ear, as if they also felt the happiness at this moment.
…
At the same time, in the official residence of the Chief Minister, Shen Rongxuan and He Ziguang stared at the radio, with faces pulled.
"Okay, don't think about anything." Shen Rongxuan leaned back on the sofa, "Master He, now you can worry less."
He Ziguang was still unwilling to give in. He pointed at the sky outside and frowned:
"But...but what is this? We are here for...but those people outside..."
Shen Rongxuan smiled bitterly and said:
"Okay, admit it. Let's face it: if we still want to be in power in the future, we should not make those people outside angry."