"Xiang Xiaoqiang?" Sacra repeated in surprise, "Is this his name?"
"This person..." Miss Nalan turned her head excitedly, with a smile on her face and her index finger wagging slightly, "...if you can't handle it...I'll do it myself."
She pushed the table, stood up, and walked excitedly around the room. The plan in her mind began to brew...
…
Nanjing Forbidden City, Fengtian Hall.
Fengtian Hall is the main hall of the first three halls of the Forbidden City in Nanjing, commonly known as the "Jinluan Hall". The "Taihe Hall" in the Forbidden City in Beijing is modeled after it.
In the past, this was the place where officials of the Ming Empire went to court. Now it is the main indoor place for major celebrations, where the emperor meets with important figures, and holds important activities and celebrations.
Today, Fengtian Hall opened its doors again to welcome guests. The mercury lamps set up above illuminated the hall as if it were daytime. Several large fire pots burned brightly, and the pine wood blocks made a beeping sound. Although the hall was large, it was still warm.
, the air is filled with the fragrance of pine and sandalwood, which is very comfortable and elegant.
This time Her Majesty the Queen fell ill very suddenly, even a little strangely. She was going to attend the Royal Charity Auction in the evening, but in the morning she was suddenly declared seriously ill.
Zhu Yourong can also be regarded as a star among the royal families of various countries. She has beautiful appearance, talent, and is proficient in English and French. When she was a princess, she often represented the Ming Dynasty in diplomatic missions and often participated in various domestic public activities. She has always been in good health.
, there has never been such a situation as "suddenly falling ill".
Moreover, the royal family seems to have no intention of handling this matter in a low-key manner, and even specially chose this grand venue to hold a press conference, as if not doing so is not enough to show that the royal family attaches great importance to the press.
The bosses, editors-in-chief, and reporters of major newspapers are of course very satisfied. After all, there are not many opportunities to enter the newspaper for interviews.
This is also good news. Zhu Yourong has many fans both at home and abroad. As long as it is news about her, it will be a hot commodity in major newspapers.
For thousands of years, the secrets of the royal family have always been the most interesting thing for ordinary people, but they did not dare to discuss it casually in the past. Now it is better. There are both radio stations and newspapers. It is really enjoyable to report openly. And now the Ming Dynasty
Newspapers are not like Japanese newspapers. Some can write about the royal family and some cannot. In the Ming Dynasty, as long as what you write is not unconstitutional, no one can control it. Major newspapers in Nanjing generally have a "royal section".
If anyone digs out some inside information about the royal family, especially romantic affairs, the sales volume of the day will be guaranteed to double. If it is a relatively popular member of the royal family, such as Zheng Yucong, there will be paparazzi carrying camera tripods and ambushing them.
Around the mansion and frequently visited places, waiting for opportunities to take secret photos.
Although the Ming Dynasty has only had "constitutional government" for more than 20 years and has not yet had universal suffrage like Britain and the United States. The political arena is still full of party disputes and chaos, but public opinion is very powerful. People in the Southern Ming Dynasty began to learn from Western newspapers in the 19th century.
In addition, the Ming Dynasty did not have the tradition of literary prisons like the Qing Dynasty, and never used words to incriminate people. The former "Qingliu" became the main writers of major newspapers. Now private newspapers and radio stations have become extremely developed, and Ming Dynasty newspapers have become like French newspapers.
, became a very important political force.
Nearly a hundred reporters gathered in the center of the hall, equipped with spotlights, tripods, and large cameras. Many reporters were holding pens and notebooks and were recording quickly. The spotlights flashed "bang, bang" from time to time, and streams of white appeared.
cigarette.
Directly under the golden throne, there is a walnut podium, with the white light of a mercury lamp shining on it. An old man in a suit and leather shoes, with gray hair and a kind face, stood behind the podium, drinking water quietly and smiling.
Listening to a question from a reporter in the audience.
"...So, since the royal family has canceled His Majesty's charity auction tonight, does that mean..."
"Let me emphasize again," the old man said with a smile, and suddenly there were a few more spotlights, "Your Majesty's charity auction tonight has not been cancelled, but His Majesty's attendance tonight has been cancelled. The auction will still be held as normal. Your Majesty
I also told him during the illness that the children in the orphanage still need winter clothes, and the poor in the relief home still need food, so the auction must be held well."
"Master Liao," the reporter said reluctantly, "you are the spokesperson of the royal family and can speak to us on behalf of His Majesty. Since you said that His Majesty's jade body is not serious, then it is not serious, so how could it happen again?
Will it affect the activities in the evening? Please help me clarify my doubts."
Lord Liao smiled and said:
"Although I am a spokesperson for the royal family, I am not a doctor. The cancellation of the evening event was recommended by the royal doctor. As we all know, there are many diseases that are not serious, but rest is very important. Your Majesty personally does not want to cancel the attendance.
Yes, she wants to meet everyone. Because she knows that because of her attendance, the atmosphere of the auction may be better, there may be more people bidding generously, and orphans and poor people will receive more help... But
After the imperial doctor's persuasion, Your Majesty also understood that her health does not only belong to herself, but also belongs to the entire Ming Empire and all the people. Therefore, the future is long, and only by taking good care of your body can Your Majesty better serve the Ming Dynasty and benefit the people of the Ming Dynasty.
.”
Mr. Liao's mouth looked like it was smeared with honey, and he had a kind look on his face. His reading glasses reflected the light in the spotlight. The reporters below were busy taking shorthand, and there were also several cartoonists from the newspaper who were drawing cartoon sketches on the spot.
Then, the scene became noisy again, with reporters scrambling to ask questions.
"Okay, please, the person on the left in the second row."
"Sir Liao, I am a reporter from Jinling Business Daily. Can you tell me what illness your Majesty is suffering from?"
Master Liao smiled slightly:
"Someone has asked this question since the beginning. I said, I have no comment."
There were snickers and whispers, and the Queen's condition was exaggerated to become more and more mysterious.
"Okay, please sir."
Mr. Liao gestured to a tall foreigner in the back row to ask a question.
The foreign reporter stood up, bowed slightly, smiled and said a string of words in English. The royal family's translator translated into Chinese almost at the same time:
"Master Liao, I am the reporter of The Times in Nanjing. Three years ago, when His Majesty was studying in the UK, I had the honor to take a photo with His Majesty who was Princess Yong'an at the time..."
Many people turned to look at him, and Mr. Liao also smiled and nodded slightly.
"... At that time, Her Royal Highness Princess Yong'an was prepared to attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the 'Queen Mary' cruise ship at the invitation of Her Majesty the King and Queen, but she declined the day before due to physical discomfort... May I ask, Mr. Liao, Your Majesty is ill today?
Could it be related to the 'discomfort' three years ago?"
All the reporters were whispering. They didn't know that His Majesty had done something like this in England back then. Some people were already speculating whether he had any medical history.
Lord Liao smiled and said:
"This, everyone is worrying too much... I have specifically asked His Majesty's Chief Physician before. This Physician has been responsible for His Majesty's health since he was a child. As far as he knows, His Majesty has never suffered from any long-term illness.
Or it could be a chronic disease. So, there is no connection between Your Majesty’s illness three years ago and this time today...Okay, please, please, for the middle man.”
A tall and thin man stood up, with bright eyes and a grin, showing his bright white teeth. He said in a bright voice:
"Master Liao, my surname is Tumen, I am a reporter from "Qing Daily"..."
The pot boiled with a bang in the hall, and everyone turned around and stared at the tall and thin man, guessing that he was playing a prank or something.
Almost at the same time, the surrounding spotlights flashed "bang bang bang bang", and the hall was suddenly filled with smoke.
In the commotion, Mr. Liao said nothing. After the initial surprise passed, he stared at the man below carefully, sizing him up, trying to tell from his face what the sentence meant, whether it was true or false.
Tumen did not shy away, grinning and staring at Lord Liao provocatively.
Almost everyone in the hall was guessing and asking. Only the two of them stared at each other quietly.
…
"Qing Daily" is the official newspaper of the Manchu Qing Dynasty. It is also the only newspaper in the entire Qing Empire.
A large empire with more than 300 million people, until the 1930s, only had one radio station and one newspaper.
This newspaper is hollow and false. It is completely a propaganda tool for the Manchu and Qing court. It relies on compulsory subscriptions to ensure circulation. In Beiqing, where the per capita income is only one-sixth of that of the Southern Ming Dynasty, the price of this newspaper is four times that of the same newspaper in the Southern Ming Dynasty.
A peasant household whose whole family is illiterate is forced to spend a fraction of their income to subscribe to several copies of Daqing Daily. How many people are in the family will order several copies. If they don't subscribe, they will be bundled at home.
people.
It is such a newspaper. Its international reputation is worse than that of Pravda.
…
In front of a large number of Chinese and foreign reporters, and in front of cameras from all over the world, what should the spokesperson of the Ming Dynasty royal family say?
If the Imperial Guards were captured on the spot or expelled, they could continue to show their tough attitude towards the Qing Dynasty. But "Qing Daily" is also a newspaper, and its reporters are also reporters. If they are not allowed to ask questions or speak, they will arrest and expel them.
This again contradicts Ming Dynasty’s consistent image of press freedom.
If you ask him to ask questions like other reporters, it will be equivalent to giving the "Qing Dynasty" newspapers the same status as other countries. This makes the Ming Empire, which has not recognized the "Qing Dynasty" for three hundred years, how the Ming royal family should deal with themselves
?
An official from the side quietly ran out. After a while, several people in black clothes and top hats poked their heads at the door of the hall.
The reporters made another noise, and the spotlight flashed at the men in black again, and they quickly retreated outside.
The reporter from "Da Qing Daily" glanced at the door with disdain, grinned again, and looked at Mr. Liao provocatively, deliberately waiting for the other person to speak first.
…
Master Liao took a sip of water, lowered his face and said:
"Mr. Tumen, since you are a member of the Puppet Qing Dynasty, and this is the palace of the Ming Empire, I will ask someone to invite you out and then deal with the situation. But this is also a press conference, and you are a reporter. We in the Ming Dynasty
There has always been a tradition of respecting press freedom. So before asking you out, I allow you to raise your questions. Okay, let’s talk.”
He put down the water glass and stared at him sternly, thinking fiercely about what questions he might ask.
"Master Liao," Tumen asked in a higher tone, "I have every reason to suspect that your pseudo-Ming royal family is deceiving everyone. The pseudo-Ming empress Zhu Yourong is not sick at all!"
…
As soon as he said this, the whole hall was in an uproar. Several reporters from foreign newspapers had already whispered to the attendants, asking them to quickly go to the telegraph office and occupy the window.