Episode 34 Going Crazy

Outside the noon gate directly south of the Forbidden City, but this place is different from the official residence of the first and auxiliary ministers, no one shouts slogans, no one speaks fiercely, people just gather here quietly, or stand or sit. Zhu Yourong, or the Ming royal family, is still very sacred in people's minds. The government directly exercises public power, and the people naturally do not trust it, so they can naturally scold it casually, but the royal family has always been relatively detached, and as a symbol of the country, it is still relatively sacred in the hearts of the people.

Suddenly, the noon gate slowly opened, and a military band of honor guards beat the snare drum, stepped on the slow and solemn drum beat, kicked the right steps, and walked out one by one.

The people outside the noon gate stood up in surprise and looked at them, and those who could not see behind jumped up to look, not knowing what was going on with such solemnity.

The military band marched solemnly into the open space in the square in front of the noon gate, and as soon as the snare drums stopped, all of them stood still, like a sculpture. Then, the conductor in the front row danced the baton, and the Ming national anthem "Mountains and Rivers of the Old Country" was played slowly.

The people did not expect the national anthem to be played suddenly, and it was much slower and lower than usual. Someone pointed above and whispered:

"Look, flag!"

With the rhythm of the national anthem, the Ming flag on the upper floor of the noon gate city slowly descended, lowered to the halfway point of the flagpole, stopped falling, and hung there listlessly.

Everyone understood that this was a moment of silence for Her Majesty the Empress to lower the flag at half-mast for the dead compatriots in Batavia. Quite a few people were the first to sing softly along to the tune, and soon everyone was singing along:

"Hu Lu is full of dust in Kyushu, and loyal ministers and righteous people are sad. There is no Bo prodigal son, and he must follow the example of the middle-class ancestor ......"

Many people shed tears while singing:

"The mountains and rivers of the old country have changed color, and the old Beijing Palace has turned into a mound. Revenge Snow shame knows when the day will be, and he will not swear to kill Loulan......"

At the same time, all the national flags in Nanjing were slowly lowering. Where there is no military band, it is played on a record. Throughout Nanjing, there was a mournful national anthem everywhere.

……

After Xiang Xiaoqiang's impromptu speech in Singapore Port, he boarded the Princess Yongan and sailed to Batavia amid the enthusiastic applause and cheers of thousands of listeners and reporters.

As soon as he returned to the cabin, the three old advisors surrounded him at once, and Song Ruhai asked anxiously:

"Sir, did you communicate with the government when you said that?"

"Huh? Nope. ”

The three old men looked at each other.

"Xiang-sama!" Sun Jiye thumped his chest and said, "You are too reckless!" ”

Xiang Xiaoqiang had just finished his speech at this time, and he was still in excitement, so he grabbed a cup and poured a lot of water, before patting his chest, relieving himself, and laughing:

"The people like me to say this, and Your Majesty likes me to say this, just have these two items!"

The three old men all stared at him, speechless for a moment.

Xiang Xiaoqiang then smiled:

"I can imagine that at this moment the ministers in the cabinet are sweating profusely, arguing whether to admit that my speech represents the Ming government. Ha ha. It's okay to admit it or not, although people applaud and cheer, but what did I say? I didn't say anything substantial! I just said that the friendship between the Ming people and the British people, that overseas Chinese were very happy under British rule, and that the Ming Dynasty would continue to respect the interests of Britain and the United States in Nanyang. These things, you can't help but admit them, right? That's what every Ming official would say.

"Well, I've talked about giants and children later, yes, I know I'm talking about the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies, but did I say what about the Netherlands and the Dutch East Indies? Didn't say a word! What I said is the same thing as the government's previous 'condemnation', 'serious condemnation', 'protest', and 'serious protest'! It's just a bit vulgar. In fact, there is a lot of leeway for our government. ”

The three old minds did not turn as fast as the young people, and they looked at each other for a while. But after thinking about it carefully, what Xiang Xiaoqiang said still makes sense.

Even so, Song Ruhai still lowered his face and said to Xiaoqiang in the tone of an old-timer:

"To your lord! It's dangerous for you to do that! Your identity is here now, and every word you say is thought to represent the Ming Dynasty. It's not a big problem this time, but is it guaranteed to happen every time? Please don't be so reckless next time! ”

Xiang Xiaoqiang's heart froze, and he suddenly woke up from his pride, muttered for a while, and said very seriously:

"The three elders are right, I'm too reckless...... I know that Your Majesty asked the three of you to take me with you, just because I was worried that I was young and easy to do such undesirable things...... Don't worry, I won't be so reckless below. I have no experience, and I ask the elders to continue teaching me. ”

Xiang Xiaoqiang's attitude is so good, the three old men are very satisfied, and there is nothing more to say.

During the voyage to Batavia, telegrams were kept on the lines to Xiaoqiang and Zhu Yourong. He learned that just an hour after he left Singapore, the Dutch ambassador to Nanjing asked the foreign secretary on behalf of the Dutch government whether Xiang Xiaoqiang's speech in Singapore represented the attitude of the Ming government. And the foreign minister gave an affirmative answer: this is the attitude of the Ming government.

And Zhu Yourong listened to Xiang Xiaoqiang's speech almost the whole time, and her attitude was: The language is too vulgar, which damages the image of the Ming government, but the strategy is in place, and the attitude is just right, and the three advisers are verbally rewarded.

Obviously, Zhu Yourong thought that this speech was set by the three old consultants for him, and then he played it, but he didn't know that it was arranged by Xiang Xiaoqiang alone from beginning to end.

Xiang Xiaoqiang left Singapore at 6 o'clock, and the cruise ship reached 31 knots, and it is expected to arrive in Batavia at about 4 o'clock in the evening. In the hours from six o'clock in the evening to half past eleven in the evening, Xiang Xiaoqiang and Zhu Yourong were like young people in later generations, and the two of them sent telegrams one after another, constantly passing back and forth. There are also fourteen grids of telegrams, which are also constantly coming. The radio on the ship, as well as the radio brought to Xiaoqiang, were busy at the same time.

How the Ming Empire handled this matter involved foreign policy and the geopolitical pattern of Southeast Asia, and Xiang Xiaoqiang could not have participated in it. But now Xiang Xiaoqiang has a trump card in his hand: Zhu Yourong. Now every major decision of the cabinet government must go from Zhu Yourong, and Zhu Yourong will definitely discuss it with Xiang Xiaoqiang. This formed a situation in which Xiang Xiaoqiang "remotely controlled" Zhu Yourong overseas, and then "remotely controlled" the Ming government. Even if it is not "remote control", it is still a considerable degree of impact.

For the Ming Empire, this matter was originally big or small. But Xiang Xiaoqiang is trying his best to guide it in the direction of "big". The safest way, of course, is to settle the Northern Qing Dynasty and then let go of the Dutch East Indies, so that even if there is a war, there will be no worries. …… However, Xiang Xiaoqiang knew that he could only stay in this time and space for five years, and there was obviously little hope of settling Beiqing within five years. Therefore, he wants to do this well for the Nanyang Chinese when he can still influence the Ming Empire.

Even if there is no war, even if the problem cannot be solved once and for all, then at least let the Ming government get used to no longer being afraid, and know how to make a move when it is time to act, and it will not be pinched to death by others with an oil card. As for what worries Britain and the United States will have, Xiang Xiaoqiang believes that this is only secondary to the safety of the lives and long-term status of tens of millions of Nanyang Chinese. In a way, a strong navy is designed to defend one's own interests abroad. If, in order to reassure our neighbors, we confine our fleet in harbors and do not defend our overseas interests, we are putting the cart before the horse.

……

At half past three in the morning of February 25, the Yongan Princess, led by the Dutch pilot boat, sailed into Batavia Bay.

Xiang Xiaoqiang was woken up, rubbed his eyes and walked up to the deck, leaning on the railing to look around Batavia Bay.

Batavia was dark in the night. In the distance, the sky was dark red, and smoke could be seen billowing by the light of the fire. The rest of the large swath of the city was dark and rarely lit.

Those few places where the sky is red by the firelight should be the neighborhoods where the Chinese are concentrated. Xiang Xiaoqiang clutched the railing tightly with both hands, staring at those places with gloomy eyes.

The harbor is brightly lit. Under the light, it was a miserable scene.

Vast expanses of Chinese sat on the ground, black and oppressive, with cries, screams, and moans incessantly, just like the wounded who had been evacuated from the war. Too many people have blood on their bodies, some of them are their own, and some of them are of their dying relatives in their arms.

There were already several steamers in the harbor carrying refugees, three of them from the Ming Dynasty, one from Britain and one from the United States, moored at their respective docks, and the crews helped the refugees get on board under the gangway. There are also a number of medical personnel in the port, wearing red cross armbands, who are treating the wounded. They were probably from the Batavia Red Cross.

On the left, a small freighter, several thousand tons, flying flags, two German sailors are carefully carrying a wounded Chinese onboard, and below are more Chinese refugees lining up, silently waiting to board the ship and leave this hellish place.

"Upper Salzburg."

Alfred Krupp stood behind Xiang Xiaoqiang at some point, looked at the bow name of the German ship and said.

Xiang Xiaoqiang turned to look at him, and saw that the young heir of the Krupp Empire, a person with a strong sense of honor in this country, had meticulously put on a suit and leather shoes, and also wore a red armband. Despite the sweltering heat of the nights in Batavia, his tie was tightly fastened to the neckline, not at all like his own shorts and shorts, and he was dressed in an expedition outfit.

Xiang Xiaoqiang nodded, patted his arm, and shook his hand vigorously:

"I thank the German people."

At this time, the ladder of the Yongan Princess had been lowered, and the customs officers of the Dutch colonial authorities ran up with the documents, and were startled when they saw Xiang Xiaoqiang and Krupp wearing armbands. The bespectacled customs officer didn't expect there to be a Nazi here, and he was a little hesitant to go through the formalities with them. Xiang Xiaoqiang ignored him, but the first mate on the ship greeted him and got off the boat with him.

As soon as the Yongan Princess lowered the gangway, hundreds of expatriates rushed over, waiting to board the ship. The ship's medical team also immediately disembarked and joined the ranks of saving lives. The crew also began to distribute water and food to the expatriates, gathered them, guided them to wait together, and carried the seriously wounded aboard the ship first.

Qiu Qiu's true character as a soldier and on-the-spot command talent came into play at this time, looking at the tragic situation in her eyes, although her face was also pale, she still quickly entered the state, and quickly organized the doctors and nurses on the ship to screen and treat the wounded in an orderly manner.

The wounded who were brought up were horrible to see, one man had one arm cut off, no longer from the shoulder, wrapped in gauze, and bright red blood was constantly oozing. He was lying on a stretcher, unconscious, and his complexion was pale.

A young girl with her hair disheveled, her body torn to rags, her upper body almost naked, and all bloodstained, but judging by her tattered clothes, she seemed to be a young lady of high society. But she didn't stop crying, just quietly helped the doctor treat the injured. After she helped to carry up a little girl with blurred flesh and blood, she saw to Xiaoqiang that she was beautiful and beautiful, but her face had been tattooed with a few letters.

The girl seemed to be completely numb to being ** and disfigured, she straightened up and looked at Xiaoqiang silently, without saying a word, and got off the boat to continue to carry the wounded.

Xiang Xiaoqiang's face turned pale, trembling and taking a deep breath, and slowly exhaled. He turned back and asked:

"Why hasn't our consul come yet?"

The guard in charge of the radio station behind him quickly replied:

"My lord, go and call and ask."

So saying, he got off the ship and went to the port to look for the phone.

The entire port was bloody, chaotic, and black, and no one has noticed Xiang Xiaoqiang except for the customs staff of the authorities. Xiang Xiaoqiang looked at everything on the port, felt that his heart was bleeding, and he didn't want to be in the limelight, so he just leaned on the railing and watched quietly.

Xiang Xiaoqiang stared at the girl, watching her carry the wounded onto the boat again and again. Just after carrying the tenth wounded, the maiden seemed to be tired and no longer carried the wounded. She rested for a moment, then slowly walked to the slipway and jumped down without warning.

Xiang Xiaoqiang was taken aback, he couldn't believe his eyes, and when he was sure that he saw the water splashing in the dark sea, he immediately shouted loudly:

"Someone jumped into the sea! Help! ”

A couple of sailors and nurses ran over and stared down at the pitch-black water, but there was nothing but the aftermath of the water. A sailor jumped down and dived into the water to touch.

Xiang Xiaoqiang anxiously climbed the railing and stared, but the sailor floated up twice, shook his head, and didn't find it.

Xiang Xiaoqiang was anxious, but this girl watched her jump down in front of him. He took off his jacket and shoes, rushed to the slipway, and said:

"Get up, look at me!"

Before his subordinates could hold him, Xiang Xiaoqiang had already plunged into the water.

The first thing he felt when he was surrounded by water was that it was so cool. Then, the scene that was lurking in the water of the Pukou slipway came to mind.

Xiang Xiaoqiang showed his swimming talent and drilled down hard, but the water at the pier was very deep, generally about ten meters, and he could only dive to a depth of more than one meter or nearly two meters, and then he would have a headache and couldn't dive.

After trying again and again for a long time, he also knew that there was no hope, so he climbed onto the slipway exhausted.

Xiang Xiaoqiang was shirtless and didn't wear a shirt anymore, so he sat down on the dock to rest, took the jar of water handed over by the nurse, and drank it.

The expatriates next to him hadn't recognized him yet, and they thought he was an expatriate who was about to get on the ship. An old woman advised him:

"It's useless...... You can't save it...... There were already quite a few ladies and wives jumping into the sea at the pier tonight...... The police don't care, it's up to us to save ...... Alas, I can't save it......"

…… There are already quite a few ladies and wives jumping into the sea at the pier......

Xiang Xiaoqiang hung his head, listening to this bloody sentence, he didn't say a word, just gritted his teeth.

At this time, the guard who ran to make a phone call came back and said in Xiang Xiaoqiang's ear:

"My lord, I'm afraid it's a little bad, but when the riots started yesterday, Mr. Consul went to pick up her daughter from school and never came back. Later, the consul's wife also went out to look for her husband and daughter, and never returned, and now only the maid is left in the house, and she does not dare to go out. Look, my lord, ......"

Xiang Xiaoqiang couldn't hold back any longer, stood up "Teng", threw the teapot on the ground with his hand, and scolded:

"** x !!"

The expatriates all around looked at the roaring young man, and then saw several people all around him in fear, and they all talked about it, not knowing what kind of character this young man was.

Xiang Xiaoqiang suppressed his anger and commanded the guards. The guards received the order and immediately turned around and rushed back to the ship.

After a while, the ship's two searchlights turned on and shone brightly on the hull building. Then, a huge Ming flag hung down from top to bottom, and on the bright yellow flag, a fiery red dragon opened its teeth and danced its claws, seemingly ready to pounce at any time.

Gradually, the people of the whole wharf were stunned, whether it was the Chinese or the local police, they all looked at the huge Ming flag on the Yongan Princess in a daze.

Xiang Xiaoqiang took a microphone and said "Hey", and the sound echoed throughout the port through the ship's loudspeaker.

"I am Xiang Xiaoqiang, the minister of the Ming Empire," he said lightly, "and I invite the Governor of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the East Indies to come and see me." ”