After being silent for a while, Wu Changshi asked tentatively at Bai Hecun, "So what does Lord Baihu want me to do now?" ”

Bai Hecun walked up to him, patted him on the shoulder, and then whispered in his ear: "Naturally, I invite you to sing this big drama to the end, although these scholars are on the street, they are only making trouble with their alcohol strength and courage."

As soon as they sober up, or if someone of sufficient prestige comes out to persuade them, perhaps the procession will disperse. Giving up halfway is not a good habit, nor is it the style of our Jinyiwei.

Besides, tonight's march in the streets was originally motivated by your instigation. But when things got up, you retreated, and tomorrow it spread, how can you gain a foothold in the Fushe and Shilin?

Although my Jinyiwei doesn't have a good reputation, I won't raise any waste. Therefore, if you continue to go out into the streets to agitate those scholars, it is better to win the hearts and minds of these scholars, and then point the finger mainly at the relationship between Jinling University and the examiner. ”

Wu Changshi's face suddenly turned ugly, and he hesitated for a long time before replying: "But didn't Jinling University be opened by His Majesty's own order?" If I point the finger at Jinling University, will it cause His Majesty to be angry? ”

Bai Hecun suddenly laughed, and only after a few breaths did he stop and say mockingly: "You think of Your Majesty now, why did you say so impassionedly in the old courtyard before?" ”

"The subordinates are just confused for a while, confused..."Wu Changshi hurriedly lowered his head and made a small distinction for himself.

Bai Hecun waved his hand at him and said, "Okay, okay, this time it can be regarded as being hit by you." The next time you do something like this, you should report it to me first, otherwise I may not be able to help you shoulder this responsibility.

Although Jinling University was a university ordered by His Majesty to carry out a reform based on the Nanjing Guozijian, the officials in charge of the university's education were close to the Donglin Party, the local gentry, and the students from the local academy.

His Majesty established Jinling University, which was to promote the new learning advocated by Xu Shangshu and others, but not to gather and integrate the Donglin Party and the children of the academy, and then become a base against the imperial court.

What's more, Nanjing is one of the two capitals, and it is the center of the imperial court to control the politics, economy, and culture of the southern provinces. It stands to reason that Nanjing should have followed the same path as Beijing, followed the pace of the imperial court in everything, supported the policies issued by the imperial court, and implemented them in the southern provinces.

However, today, except for the Qinhuai Fengyue, Nanjing is a pool of stagnant water in other aspects, and there is nothing refreshing at all.

The officials of the six ministries set up in Nanjing either regarded Nanjing as a place for retirement, or became the mouthpiece of public opinion for the gentry in Jiangnan to oppose the policies promulgated by the imperial court.

You instigated the scholars to make trouble this time, no matter who the board fell on in the end, it may not be a good thing for the imperial court. And I, Jinyiwei, may be able to take this opportunity to reorganize the southern branches, which can be said to be counted in one fell swoop. ”

Wu Changshi's mouth suddenly felt a little bitter, and he realized that the incident he provoked tonight had made him a gun in the hands of others. No matter what the gun hits, the person holding the barrel of the gun will earn it, but he must be careful not to stab himself on the iron plate and kill the person if he touches the gun.

Looking at Wu Changshi's hesitant appearance, Bai Hecun comforted him in a soothing tone, "You don't have to worry too much, now there are five or six thousand scholars in the capital who are rushing to take the exam, and the number of scholars who have failed is as high as nearly five thousand, will these scholars have no resentment in their hearts?" It's weird. I look at them, and they haven't found a chance to vent.

As long as there is instigation from it, at least half of the scholars will participate in the demonstration. With so many reading seeds on the street asking for justice, even if His Majesty faces this matter, he must think twice before acting.

So, you don't have to worry that you will be held accountable by the imperial court for tonight's incident. And if you do well in the parade, your reputation in the Restoration Society will also increase.

The head of this restored society may not be your turn..."

Bai Hecun's words finally made Wu Changshi's heart feel a little more comfortable. He stepped back slightly, pulled away and saluted Bai Hecun and said, "The student respectfully obeys the orders of Lord Baihu, Lord Baihu is really extraordinary. ”

Bai Hecun shook his head and replied to him: "What I just said was not something I came up with by myself, but I was trained in the Jinyiwei School in the capital, and I just felt it for a moment today."

Okay, now that I've got what I'm supposed to convey, it's up to you to arrange the rest. I live in the Caijia River House next door to you, and you can come to me every day at 4-6 p.m...."

When Bai Hecun came out of the river house where Wu Changshi lived, a servant in green clothes greeted him and whispered to him: "Master, our sedan chair is under the willow tree over there, please come with me, is it time to go back to the apartment?" ”

Letting go of a few scholars who hurried to the Gongyuan, Bai Hecun had time to say to his servants: "No, go to the eunuch's mansion first and say hello to Gonggong Cao, so as not to be told that we have lost our manners..."

On the morning of April 12 in the third year of Chongzhen, it was a good weather with no clouds and beautiful sunshine. On a hill in front of Xishan Mountain in the western suburbs of Beijing, thousands of Ming soldiers stood on the square in front of the Baozhong Huguo Temple.

This nameless hill, which was originally used as a cemetery for the elderly eunuchs in the palace, has now completely changed. The hill has been cleared of miscellaneous trees, and rows of pines and cypresses are planted around the outer walls of the temple, and beyond that are rows of cemetery areas.

Most of the soldiers who died in the battle of the new army, except for a small number of personnel, were buried in the newly built martyr's mausoleum outside the Huguo Temple.

After the completion of the martyrs' mausoleum, Zhu Youzhen brought the General Staff Headquarters and some officers and men in the army to pay respects.

After the worship ceremony was completed, Zhu Youzhen, who was standing on the front steps of the cemetery, turned around and said in a heavy tone to the soldiers standing below: "Today, we come to pay tribute to these martyrs who sacrificed for the country, not only to mourn the sacrifices of the martyrs, but also to remember what they sacrificed for.

In order to protect the motherland, in order to protect their families, and in order to let the people of Daming live a stable and peaceful life, this is why they lie here.

If one day, we forget this, it will undoubtedly be tantamount to betraying our comrades lying here. ”

Zhu Youzhen suddenly stopped when he said this, looked up at the blue sky in the distance, and pondered for a moment before continuing to speak: "I, Emperor Zhu Youzhen of the Ming Dynasty, ask all the heroic spirits and monarchs in the sky to testify.

I, Zhu Youzhen, swear here today that throughout my life, I will take the protection of the country and the people as my thoughts. If one day I break my oath today, then I will be forsaken by heaven and earth.

I don't need to build any imperial tombs after I die, I should be buried with all the martyrs, and I can choose a tomb among the martyrs and bury them..."

The emperor's short speech in front of the martyrs' cemetery immediately moved the Ming soldiers who were erected in front of the cemetery. These Ming soldiers didn't care, whether what the emperor just said was in line with the etiquette of the Ming Dynasty, what they felt in their hearts now was Chongzhen's respect and love for the sacrificial soldiers in his words.

The officers and soldiers of the new army, who were already closer to Chongzhen than other armies, all felt tears in their eyes in the emperor's speech at this moment.

The officers and men of the new army, led by Yan Yingyuan and other military academy graduates, couldn't help shouting to Chongzhen after the emperor delivered his speech, "Long live my emperor!" "Long live the Ming Dynasty!" and other slogans.

The originally quiet and solemn Daming Babaoshan Martyrs Cemetery is a little less sad at the moment, and a few more bright colors.

Mao Yuanyi and his colleagues from the General Staff Department stood seven or eight steps away from Chongzhen, looking at the emotional changes of the soldiers in front of him, which made him, who had always regarded himself very highly, a little sour in his heart.

Whether it was the General Staff, the Army Military Academy, or the units of the Forces nouvelles, it can be said that he participated in the process of forming these departments.

He also made great efforts to adopt various military regulations adopted by the new army. However, he never felt any special affection for him that these new soldiers had close attachment to.

Mao Yuanyi also knew in his heart that in addition to Sun Chengzong, the chief of staff, his power in the General Staff could be said to be the second candidate. As long as he issued an order to the Forces nouvelles in the name of the General Staff, any unit under the name of the Forces nouvelles would choose to obey.

But once he took off his status as a member of the General Staff, he could not move except for a small group of students who were close to him.

And the new army's feelings for Chongzhen exceeded the loyalty of the Ming army to the emperor in the past. As a former soldier in Liaoxi Town for a period of time, he naturally knows what the old army of the Ming Dynasty looks like.

Although in theory, the courtiers of the Ming Dynasty should owe allegiance to the emperor, and the army must do so. But in fact, except for some generals, it is normal for soldiers to be loyal to the small and medium-sized generals directly under them, and the small and medium-sized generals are loyal to the generals who control the border towns or the nobles of the court.

The loyalty of soldiers and mid- and lower-ranking officers tends to shift with the change of senior officers. This is the military custom that soldiers are generals and military generals are transferred.

However, since its establishment, the new army has shown a different style from the old army. The private ownership of the generals over the army has been weakened, while the influence of the General Staff over the army has increased.

This was originally a good phenomenon, but Mao Yuanyi gradually felt that the emperor's influence on the new army was slowly surpassing that of the General Staff. Although at the request of Chongzhen, the first allegiance of the new army should be to the Ming Dynasty rather than the emperor, but now in the eyes of the new army, the Ming and the emperor have gradually become one.

And the ordinary soldiers who originally had a weak sense of loyalty to the emperor also started from their allegiance to the Ming Dynasty and pinned their loyalty on the emperor who represented the Ming Dynasty. In a word, the slogan of loyalty to the Motherland, not only did not reduce the loyalty of the army to the emperor, but strengthened it.

What worries Mao Yuanyi the most is that some soldiers regard Chongzhen as their faith, and it seems that as long as the emperor's order is the most correct. If this continues, he is always worried about whether it will cause an imbalance of power between the DPRK and China.