"During the Qingming Festival, it rains a lot, and the pedestrians on the road want to break their souls."

The sky of Qingming Festival is always drizzling, as if it is the tears of mourning in the hearts of the people who go to pay tribute. Qingming Festival has been a traditional festival of the Chinese nation since the Spring and Autumn Period, on this day to sweep the ancestors' tombs and ask for the protection of the ancestors. However, today's Qingming Festival in Yanjing City is different from previous years. The old and young masters in Yanjing City were all elated, dragging their families or riding in carriages or on foot, to the ruins of the former royal garden - Yuanmingyuan.

The Old Summer Palace was once famous for its grand regional scale, outstanding construction skills, exquisite architectural scenery, rich cultural collection and profound national cultural connotation, and was known as "the model of all gardening arts" and "the garden of ten thousand gardens". The Old Summer Palace is a magnificent large-scale work, using various gardening techniques and integrating various garden styles, and is the pinnacle work in the history of Chinese garden art. Because the emperor of the Qing Dynasty came here every midsummer to escape the summer, listen to the government, and deal with military and political affairs, it is also called the "summer palace".

The Old Summer Palace embodies the essence of ancient Chinese gardening art and is one of the most outstanding large-scale gardens at that time. Emperor Qianlong said that it was: "The area of the real heaven and the earth and the spirit, the place where the emperor travels, there is no way to surpass this." Moreover, it also occupies an important position in the history of garden architecture in the world. Its fame spread to Europe and was known as the "Garden of Ten Thousand Gardens". In 1861, the great French writer Victor Hugo commented: "You just have to imagine that it is a fascinating building like a castle in the Moon Palace, and the Summer Palace (referring to the Old Summer Palace) is such a building." "It is often said that Greece has the Parthenon, Egypt has the pyramids, Rome has the Colosseum, and the East has a summer palace. It is a breathtaking, unparalleled masterpiece.

Unfortunately, in October 1860, this world-famous garden was brutally looted and burned down by the British and French forces, and a generation of famous gardens was finally reduced to ruins.

Today's Yuanmingyuan is still in ruins, but it has been turned upside down behind it. A wide road has taken shape, and a new garden is being rebuilt around it. This is exactly the first thing Emperor Guangxu did after returning to Beijing - to build a martyr's cemetery.

The reason why the martyr's cemetery was chosen in this location was that Guangxu had thought it through.

The world's largest garden was destroyed in the war, and it was precisely because of the incompetence of the political axe and the army that not only the capital but also the Yuanmingyuan were lost. Let the main gate of the martyrs' cemetery face the ruins of Yuanmingyuan, so that everyone who comes can remember that if it were not for the bloody soldiers in the cemetery guarding the country with their lives, then they would have to face a world like ruins.

Under the command of the Ouchi guards and the Imperial Forest Army, and under the coordination of the officials. People who come here pass through the ruins of Yuanmingyuan in an orderly manner and enter the viewing area that has been planned for a long time. Everyone's face was full of regret, and everyone's mouth was full of deep regret. Once the world's first garden, now only ruins remain. But as long as you walk through the ruins of Yuanmingyuan, you can see the busy construction site and the newly built martyrs' cemetery, although it is not yet completed, although it is still messy, but the huge stone monument engraved with "Patriotic Heroes Immortal" has been erected high.

As early as more than a year ago, Guangxu issued an edict. It is scheduled to be held in the 21st year of Guangxu Qingming Festival, and a military parade will be held in the martyrs' cemetery. The first is to review the meritorious units that have returned from the battlefield, and the second is to demonstrate the national and military prestige of the Qing Dynasty. And allowed the officials and people of the capital to go to the martyrs' cemetery to watch the ceremony.

It is said that in the previous court meeting, it was unanimously opposed by all the ministers of military aircraft of the military department. Even the emperor's close ministers Tang Shaoyi and Lin Qizhao suggested that the emperor suspend this bill. On the other side of the ocean, Li Hongzhang strongly expressed his opposition, and his reason was that he was worried that it would cause a discussion between the government and the opposition, and let people with good intentions fan the flames behind her back to alarm the Queen Mother, implicating unnecessary rights and wrongs.

In the face of the collective opposition of the ministers, Guangxu just said: When I was trapped in the Grange, I promised them. The courtiers saw that since the emperor was determined, they naturally had to do it. The ministers were worried that if the people were allowed to attend the ceremony, they would be noisy and crowded, and they might cause trouble.

Guangxu said in an unquestionable tone: "What are the soldiers fighting for in the battlefield? For the sake of not the people of the world, but for the sake of guarding this peace. Let everyone in the world know who is defending them with their lives, and let the soldiers on the blood-stained battlefield know what they have exchanged for their lives. ”

The ministers of military aircraft, who were worried about all kinds of things, could only issue an edict to the world. When the news broke, the world shook. Accepting the emperor's review and accepting the cheers of the people is such an honor for the Qiu Ba who fought against the gun. When I thought that when I walked by with my head up and chest under the gaze of the emperor, there was the cheers of the people all over the world, and it was exciting to think about it. The new army built by the emperor himself was naturally under review, but the new army was only 10,000 people, except for the wounded and sick and the first division and the second regiment that was still in Korea. However, this military parade is a military parade of up to 20,000 people, and it makes all the armies and departments think about it in order to squeeze into the last 10,000 people. Song Qing, Zuo Guigui, Liu Shengxiu, Yi Ketanga and others even sent people to the capital urgently to carry out intensive research on Ouyang Zhenhua and Wang Shizhen, the leaders of the military parade. Finally, after confirming the list of people to be reviewed a month ago, these people personally led the team back to the capital, and until the review began, they did not stop training the troops in the standard queue.

The capital is even more boiling, and the streets and alleys of restaurants and teahouses are talking for a while, and the excitement is about to turn upside down. Since ancient times, which dynasty and which generation has allowed the small people to see the majesty of the army from the side, but now it is a holy oracle. Not to mention how excited I am, there are people on the other side of Tianjin who have begun to live in the capital, just to be able to catch a glimpse of this prosperous era that is rare to see in a thousand years. The capital, which is the center of all directions at the feet of the Son of Heaven, has seen more of the world, but this public military parade is the first time. In order to occupy a good position at the front, many people rushed to the martyrs' cemetery four or five days in advance to guard. As a result, small vendors selling tea, cakes, and snacks also rushed over. For a time, in front of the martyrs' cemetery, sheds were erected.

Naturally, ministers and journalists from various countries should be invited to participate in such a grand military parade. The journalists, fully armed, were already waiting in their chosen positions.

There are always good people saying good about everything, and some people saying bad things. If the military and the people are cheering for the parade, then the voice from the Queen Mother is a voice of opposition. Especially the bannermen in Beijing, since the Shenji Battalion was wiped out by the entire army that Yueben fought at sea, the bannermen were holding back their strength to avenge the Shenji Battalion. However, the revenge of the bannermen is limited to words, and they are unwilling to let them go to the battlefield. Now that the Han minions have won the battle and are being reviewed by the emperor, these bannermen are beginning to be unhappy again. Although the army of the Han people also protects the country of our Qing Dynasty, it really does not show the identity and status of our banner people, and this awkward taste is really impossible to say. Seeing that the military parade was getting closer and closer, more and more people in the capital began to rush to the martyrs' cemetery, and finally some flag people couldn't stand the fresh and lively energy. I don't want to put on an identity shelf: Master, the picture is a lively one. Someone started it, and it was easy to do. The big and small banners in Beijing also went to "live" one after another.

The military parade was the first time since the founding of the Qing Dynasty, in order to demonstrate the national and military prestige of the Qing Dynasty. The Queen Mother was quiet in the garden. It's just that according to unreliable rumors, after the Queen Mother heard about this, she said coldly: What shows the national and military prestige of the Qing Dynasty, that is to show the authority of the emperor is true.

No matter what the government and the opposition discussed, the parade began as scheduled.

On the day of the Qingming Festival, the genius has just been released. The drizzle in the sky never stopped. In front of the martyrs' cemetery, people wearing hats or holding oil-paper umbrellas have long been crowded, and everyone is looking forward to this first event in the world.

The sound of "knock knock" came from the back of the crowd, and the sound of getting closer and closer was like a giant walking quickly, and the ground beneath his feet began to tremble. Unknown people began to look back, and in the distance, troops in summer yellow khaki uniforms were lining up in a neat line, all of them moving in unison and running quickly in the rain. When the neat steps stepped on the ground at the same time, people realized that the sound that shook the earth was stepped on by these mounds with their feet.

The people who saw the officials and lords in the capital who were shouting loudly were stunned for a moment when they suddenly saw such a neat army, and the crowd that was still noisy instantly quieted down. The advancing armies were majestic, and a gloomy aura rose spontaneously.

"Father, why don't they have umbrellas when it's raining? Aren't they afraid of the cold? A boy who was only five or six years old sitting on his father's shoulder asked his father angrily.

The father just smiled and said, "They are all heroes, and heroes are not afraid of anything." ”

"Then when I grow up, I want to be a hero like them." The child's innocent answer made the father laugh under his breath.

The child suddenly exclaimed, "Okay." The father and his relatives hurriedly reached out to cover the child's mouth, for fear of alarming the peaceful crowd again.

Just as the child's voice stopped, a voice from the army that was running forward commanded: "All of them, salute—"

For a while, all the soldiers faced the crowd, their feet did not stop, and they raised their right hands and saluted a standard military salute. This ignited the excitement in the hearts of all the people who came to watch the ceremony. "Okay." Cheers echoed through the clouds.

The soldiers in the cheers of the crowd also felt the most sincere cheer from the crowd, and all the soldiers tried to straighten up. It was not until the last row of soldiers crossed the crowd that they lowered their saluted right hands and ran to the designated waiting area. Then one after another, the troops under review also marched in orderly steps, with the cheers of the people.

What made the parade reach the first ** before it even began? What makes the reserved Chinese burst out with such enthusiasm? Is it just a neat army? No, I think it's an outburst of impulses that have been suppressed in my heart. I don't know what kind of impulse it is.

These were the first words written by New York Times reporter White at the parade.

"The Emperor has arrived-" With the arrival of the troops under review, and with the envoys of various countries in place, the military parade officially began.

Flags are unfurled, and war horses neigh. Groups of soldiers lined up in a neat phalanx, led by officers holding high command swords, and walked towards the reading platform with neat steps. The sound of neat footsteps came like rolling dull thunder, and the soldiers at the front held high a banner - the five-star dragon flag.

In front of the parade stand, the commander raised his command knife high, and all the soldiers raised the guns on their shoulders in unison. The bayonets braving the cold light rose in front of the reading platform like a dense forest, the military boots stepped on the ground like thunder, and the young faces were extremely resolute at the moment.

"The emperor is mighty. China mighty. The neat shouts came like a sea of mountains. At this moment, the people who were ceremonial outside the martyr's cemetery were a little dumbfounded, and they opened their mouths and couldn't speak in extreme shock.

The old soldiers of the Eight Banners who are used to opening their mouths and closing their mouths to call their masters, the Beiyang double spearmen who are used to listlessness, and the greetings who bend over to fight thousands. He has never seen such a modern army with a completely Western-style performance, how have he ever seen the perseverance of bayonets, and how have he ever heard such majestic footsteps. The neat and thick shouts were like a surging tide that hit the mood of the spectators. At this moment, their hearts are also surging like a tide. The armies that walked in front of him were all killed in the sea of corpses and blood in the Liaodong battlefield, and the kind of slaughter after a hundred battles was like the golden dragon painted on the military flag, raising its noble head and making a sound that shocked the nine heavens.

I could no longer suppress the tsunami-like cheers of the excited crowd in my heart: "The emperor is mighty." China mighty. Hooray-" The whole parade was completely boiling, and nothing could stop the cheering crowd.

Guangxu rode a pure white high-headed horse, smiling slowly in front of the parade troops. Guangxu raised his hand lightly and beckoned slowly in front of the troops: "Hello everyone." ”

"Your Majesty." The uniform shouts of 20,000 people show the results of more than a month of intensive training. It is not a difficult problem for the units of the New Army that have already received similar training, but on the contrary, the former Beiyang units can still perform like this, and it can be seen that they have made great efforts. Who said that the squadron is weak, and the squadron is not short of iron-blooded soldiers, as long as there is an officer who dares to fight, no matter in the past or present life, the squadron has never been afraid of anyone.

"The soldiers have worked hard."

"Long live the emperor."

"You're the real heroes."

"The emperor is mighty. China mighty. ”

The crowd erupted again into one shout after another, and everyone endured the rain gear in their hands, cheered in the rain with their hands raised, and boiled in the rain.

After turning around, Guangxu returned to the reading platform, slowly raised his saber and pointed forward: "Did you hear it?" Did you hear the deafening cheers? It is the people who are cheering for you, because you are heroes who have returned victorious from the battlefield. You deserve the cheers, and you deserve them. All of them, turn backwards. Salute to the people who cheer for you—"

Suddenly, 20,000 military salutes were neatly displayed in front of the people. The crowd cheered again. Guangxu raised it to signal the crowd to be quiet: "In front of all of you is a ruin. What was once on the ruins is one of the world's first gardens, and it is the highest level of architectural essence for the entire human race in the whole world. However, it disappeared and turned into ruins. Because the army at that time was like on the Korean battlefield, it was crushed. So Yuanmingyuan was ruined. But today, there are you, in the Liaohe River and in Tianzhuangtai, it is you who are fighting against the enemy's artillery, and you are not giving up an inch of land. It is you who have built an impassable line of defense with your blood and your lives. That's why there was a victory, that's why there is a military parade that you are cheering for today. ”

"But the victory is over, will we be able to win again tomorrow? Do you who won today remember the sea city that burned in the flames of war, and who else remembers the cow village that has long been reduced to ashes. That's why I chose to parade here because I want you to remember. If even you fail, then our own homeland, once full of flowers, will become a ruin in front of us. ”

"Tell me, tell everyone in the world. Will you fail? ”

"Invincible, invincible. Invincible, invincible. Invincible, invincible......" shouted from the army gradually reached the crowd of spectators. At the moment when everyone present shouted in unison, Guangxu saw the sleeping dragon in the east begin to move his already numb limbs.

Who said that the Chinese do not have blood, who said that the Chinese only understand the mean. Since the Xuanyuan Yellow Emperor unified Kyushu and founded China, the history of this ancient empire is a thick history of wars, when the country is strong, foreign wars, when the country is weak, civil strife continues, and wars have never been interrupted in this country. The martial spirit and impulsive blood accumulated over 5,000 years have long taken deep roots in this country. It is a pity that the hypocritical theory of Zhu Xue in the pre-Ming Dynasty completely subverted the essence of Confucianism, which once created the pinnacle of the world. Especially since the Qing Dynasty, the Manchu slavery education has made the country's citizens accustomed to humiliation. When the ships and cannons of the foreigners roared in, from Guangzhou to Yanjing, when the Yuanmingyuan was burned to ashes, the once big empire changed from being accustomed to glory to being accustomed to humiliation.

If the indomitable spirit of the Chinese nation can be activated in such a way, then the future China will be an existence that will make the whole world tremble. (To be continued.) )