Chapter 403: Heroes of the World (VII)
In the city and in the countryside, the staff of the conscription office were busy spreading the Chinese court's war objectives to thousands of households.
In the city square, fountains under the aqueduct gurgled out clean drinking water. Everyone who came to fetch water could see the posted notices. The conscription officers told the people the significance of this war: if the Qing Dynasty was eliminated and the whole of China was liberated, everyone would no longer be threatened by war.
There were also notices from the conscription office on the blackboard at the entrance of the rural supply and marketing cooperative. The village head of the village etiquette department led the conscription office staff to visit those families with clean family backgrounds door to door to encourage young people to join the army.
In Gongyi, the Qing army had been stopped by two divisions of the Fourth Field Army. The Huaxia Army did not take the approach of luring the enemy deep into the territory and encircling and annihilating them. After all, the Huaxia Army's strength had long been reduced to 150,000, not the 400,000 troops of its heyday. A large number of troops entered the local area to eliminate the feudal secret societies, and it would take time for the troops to regroup.
However, in Kaifeng, Huo Chong fell ill. The reason was that he caught a cold. Everyone thought Huo Chong was extremely healthy, even very strong. However, a small cold made Huo Chong sick. Although the doctors expressed their attitude of "Your Majesty is fine" with the greatest confidence, after seeing so many patients, the doctors were not optimistic.
It was not uncommon for an old man approaching 60 to have some accidents in this era. Moreover, Huo Chong's long-term work was something that even young men could not handle, but Huo Chong persisted.
Qian Qing noticed something and asked the doctor privately. The doctors could only say that Huo Chong had a minor illness and needed to rest. Although she did not get any dangerous news from the doctor, Qian Qing still felt very uneasy. She had known Huo Chong for more than 20 years, and the most serious illness Huo Chong had was just diarrhea. She had never seen Huo Chong lying on the hospital bed.
Seeing Huo Chong's white hair, Qian Qing's heart was filled with worry.
Gao Pang and others were also extremely worried. They had to work during the day and sent people to Huo Chong to greet him at night. Seeing the worried expressions of the people, Huo Chong, even though he felt that his health was indeed very bad, just smiled bitterly and said, "Don't worry, look at your expressions, are you going to mourn for me?"
Gao Pang gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, I request that the prefect of Kaifeng be appointed."
Huo Chong had been ill for several days, and although his condition had not deteriorated rapidly, it had gradually worsened. This was not the case with a sudden onset of illness, and Gao Pang was extremely worried.
"Kaifeng prefect? Haha. Ahem." Huo Chong understood what Gao Pang was talking about. The Song Dynasty was quite interesting in the way the crown prince was appointed. As long as the prince was granted the title of Kaifeng prefect, he would be the next emperor. However, when the emperor was young and strong, the Kaifeng prefect would still be appointed as an official.
Huo Chong didn't expect that he would reach this point. He closed his eyes and thought about it, then asked his secretary to bring him paper and pen.
Gao Pang was overjoyed and couldn't help but turn his head to look at Luo Yiren beside him. This idea was given by Luo Yiren. Although Gao Pang agreed with Luo Yiren's suggestion, he felt that Huo Chong might not be so open-minded. But Luo Yiren insisted that Huo Chong would not be so weak. Now it seems that Luo Yiren is right.
Huo Chong picked up his pen and wrote a handwritten note, then turned to Luo Yiren and said, "The Minister of Rites is in charge of the affairs of the Ministry of Rites. If the Minister of Rites also serves as the Vice Minister, he will be the Prime Minister of the Cabinet. If not, the Vice Minister of Rites will be the Prime Minister of the Cabinet. "
Luo Yiren and others were shocked, and Luo Yiren quickly asked: "Why?"
"The Ministry of Rites is the banner of our Huaxia Dynasty. The Ministry of Rites leads officials and the Ministry of Rites leads the army. If the Minister of Rites is an official, it means that the officials lead the Ministry of Rites. This is absolutely not allowed. So I set up the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Rites is composed of workers. It must not become a military supervisor. If the Minister of Rites is not able to understand the ideals and lead the Ministry of Rites to adhere to the ideals and practice the ideals, what is the use of the Ministry of Rites? If the Minister of Rites is incapable of doing so, let the Vice Minister of Rites be the Prime Minister. Xiao Luo, you should understand the key point."
When Luo Yiren heard this, he stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I understand. The Ministry of Rites is not an official organization, but a gathering place for workers who believe in ideals. If the Ministry of Rites loses its ideals, then the Chinese court loses its ideals. I, entrusted by your majesty, will organize a study session so that all members of the Ministry of Rites will understand this matter. I will also let the Chinese court understand this matter."
"Ahem." Huo Chong felt his breathing temperature rise, as if there was a fire in his respiratory tract. He had to explain something at this moment, so he suppressed all the discomfort in his body and explained his design for the Ministry of Rites and the entire Chinese court to Luo Yiren, Qian Qing and the cabinet members in the room.
"Since we have our stance, we are actually forming a clique. However, forming a clique is for personal gain, and the world believes that forming a clique is only for the private gain of a certain party. That's why I used the name of the Ministry of Rites. There is nothing wrong with this usage. Rites are the righteousness of the country. It is the righteousness of serving the people. Of course, we fully agree with this concept when we are young and need help. But when we grow up and gain power, things will naturally change." Having said this, Huo Chong had to take a few breaths to continue to keep his thoughts clear and coherent.
"Most of us originally wanted to get selfless help from others. But when faced with others asking for help, we can't help but feel afraid of difficulties. This is human nature. But the reason why members of the Ministry of Rites can become members of the Ministry of Rites and become people who shoulder the moral responsibility of the world is that they move forward despite difficulties. This is by no means an easy task, so we must be extra careful in selecting talents."
"Your Majesty, please take a rest. I understand." Luo Yiren said, his voice choked with sobs.
If someone else said this, Luo Yiren might still feel that the person was just bragging. Even if he gave an extremely kind evaluation, it was probably because a dying person's words were kind.
But facing Huo Chong, Luo Yiren had no other thoughts except being moved. Because thousands of people, including Luo Yiren, have achieved what they have today thanks to Huo Chong's selfless help and education.
"Let me say a few more words. We serve the people and must not follow behind them. Following behind the people is nothing but flattery. The Ministry of Rites must have the courage to be the first in the world. If you want to liberate others, first try to learn to liberate yourself. If all members of the Ministry of Rites are bound by power and interests and become slaves to their own interests, they will surely degenerate."
At this point, Huo Chong felt his head begin to feel dizzy. Qian Qing couldn't bear to watch it any longer and quickly called the doctor in.
The cabinet members quickly retreated. Outside the door, Luo Yiren wiped away his tears and said to the other cabinet members: "Your Majesty, God has given you the will, and you will definitely recover. Comrades, we swore an oath back then. Please don't despise me, and just follow my words."
After saying this, Luo Yiren wiped his tears again and began to read: "I, Luo Yiren, voluntarily join the Chinese Ministry of Rites."
After hesitating for a moment, Gao Pang and others followed Luo Yiren in reciting the oath they had made in front of the flag of the Ministry of Rites.
Even though they were in high positions and had long been tempered, they recalled their original oaths and their willingness to join the Ministry of Rites in order to realize their ambitions and aspirations, even though they did not know the significance of the Ministry of Rites. Many people shed tears and their voices were choked with sobs and could not read clearly.
Luo Yiren was equally moved, but after reciting the oath, he felt at ease. He said loudly: "We have followed Your Majesty for more than ten years, each of us has worked hard, and we have been taught by Your Majesty carefully, which is why we are here today. Now that Your Majesty is in poor health, it is our turn to shoulder the burden of the Chinese court so that Your Majesty can rest in peace. Making mistakes is inevitable, but the courage to take responsibility must not be lost. The members of the Ministry of Rites and Your Majesty are comrades, and please do not disgrace the title of comrades with the same ideals."
The cabinet members nodded. Gao Pang wiped away his tears and said, "Since Minister Luo said so, why not ask Minister Luo to convene a meeting of the Ministry of Rites to decide who will be the prime minister. Then we can complete the work according to the prime minister's order."
Luo Yiren was delighted to see that the ministers who were also members of the Ministry of Rites did not ask for a meeting and discussion as before, but instead followed the increasingly established system of the Chinese court and the Ministry of Rites.
Whether or not he could become prime minister was not particularly important to Luo Yiren, because at this time, the prime minister had to bear great pressure. If he failed to do well, he would either be ruined or have no future.
Compared with this kind of power and responsibility, the previous mode of consultation before the establishment of the imperial court was more conducive to shirking responsibility. However, the reason why Huo Chong stopped the action of completely defeating the Qing Dynasty, gathered talents, established the imperial court, the Ministry of Rites and grassroots organizations was to complete such institutional construction.
Gao Pang's suggestion is undoubtedly proof that this arduous action has been successful.
Huo Chong's condition worsened, with a high fever, difficulty breathing, and a brief coma. He was completely unable to handle government affairs.
The Ministry of Rites quickly convened a meeting, and those who were far away communicated by telegram. After the enlarged meeting, Luo Yiren decided to make the Minister of Rites the Prime Minister.
In other departments, the Shangshu is the head and the Shilang is the deputy head. But in the Ministry of Rites, Shilang is equivalent to the central ministry of the Ministry of Rites, and the Shangshu of other ministries may not be able to become Shilang of the Ministry of Rites.
Finally, the voting results came out. Gao Pang was elected as the Minister of Rites and became the Prime Minister of the Huaxia Dynasty.
Once elected, Gao Pang immediately convened a meeting and began to arrange work.
Huo Chong's disease was very severe, and several people around him also showed similar symptoms. This made the doctors determine that this was a very serious infectious disease.
Masks were put on and disinfection was intensified. Although no one knew what the disease was, at least everyone knew that this was definitely not a disease they had seen before.
Fortunately, Huo Chong was in very good health, and although he was in great pain, he was not in critical condition. With everyone's careful care, after being tortured by the disease for nearly a month, Huo Chong's condition finally stabilized, his fever subsided, and his breathing became smooth again.
The doctors finally put their minds at ease. It was Huo Chong who proposed the most effective treatment method. Huo Chong took the method of assisted breathing to deal with his breathing difficulties. He obtained oxygen through electrolysis, and used a rubber air bag and a respirator to assist breathing. Huo Chong, whose health had deteriorated rapidly due to lack of oxygen, once again received sufficient oxygen. This prevented the condition from worsening.
Among those who were also infected, there were people who were younger than Huo Chong, but they almost died. With the help of assisted oxygen inhalation, Huo Chong was able to survive such a terrible disease at his age, and those young people recovered faster.
Doctors were not embarrassed to learn a trick from patients while treating them. This new idea opened up a new space for doctors. Many diseases that seemed almost unthinkable before now seemed to have a solution. This made these doctors particularly excited.
But no one dared to disturb Huo Chong. Although his condition had improved, Huo Chong was still very weak. After almost a month, Huo Chong was finally able to walk without help.
At this time, Qian Qing, who was not allowed to come to accompany Huo Chong because Huo Chong was worried about being infected, was finally able to reach Huo Chong's bedside and hold Huo Chong's hand.
Seeing Qian Qing's haggard face, Huo Chong smiled and said, "You've worked hard these days. You have to take care of the children and participate in military affairs. And you have to think about me."
Hearing this, Qian Qing grabbed Huo Chong's hand and cried, "Sir, please... take care of yourself. If you are gone, I don't want to live anymore."
Huo Chong remembered that even when Qian Qing was first captured and taken back to Zhangzhuang, she had never cried like this. After thinking for a while, Huo Chong asked, "Qing'er, the first time you cried like this in front of me was when I went to Yanjing to assassinate Yongzheng, by the Daqing River."
Qian Qing was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter: "Sir, you can still remember what happened back then, you must be healthy now."
"It seems that you are no longer confused. What's going on outside?" Huo Chong asked.
Qian Qing told Huo Chong what had happened over the past month. One of the tasks of grassroots organization was to organize militias, and this conscription was based on the militias, and it went very smoothly.
In the past, the Chinese army only recruited men from good families. Although the soldiers they recruited were all excellent, the source of soldiers was limited, so recruiting soldiers was very difficult.
After the land reform, everyone was given land. With the grassroots working hard to popularize production skills, the area controlled by the Huaxia Dynasty expanded greatly, and the number of good families increased dramatically. In less than a month, 350,000 young new soldiers who had received militia training were recruited.
Huo Chong's previous restoration of the army was extremely thorough, and it also left a foreshadowing. The staff led by the Ministry of Rites specially set up a model unit to continue the research of the previous field army. Over the years, the military knowledge and system that the field army had painstakingly accumulated was not lost, but was systematically sorted out and summarized.
At this time, the 50,000-strong framework troops and the 35 new recruits formed a 400,000-strong army. Not only did they resist the attack of the Qing Dynasty, but they also began to continue training and reorganization. The Military Commission has completed a plan to completely resolve the Qing Dynasty's plan.
"Who is the Prime Minister?"
"Gao Pang."
"How did you do it?"
"The Ministry of Rites held a meeting and elected the winner. As your Majesty's agent, I signed on your behalf to approve it."
Huo Chong couldn't help but say, "You are right to sign. But Qing'er, this is government affairs, just like a war. No matter how much you dislike some people, you have to use them according to the rules."
Qian Qing touched Huo Chong's arm and said, "Don't worry, sir. I am also a man who has fought my way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. I know that the person chosen by the Ministry of Rites, I cannot refuse."
"If I don't see our children grow up, or if I don't see that kid grow up to understand this, it should be you who teaches him these things. The system is the system, and the reason why we have privileges is not to destroy the system, but to maintain the system. Problems encountered by the system should be solved from the system. Privileges are to suppress the unrest caused by people's hearts. Expediency is by no means to open a gap in the system, but to add more considerations after the conflict is over, so that the system can improve and improve itself."
Qian Qing burst into tears again, "Sir, please stop talking and take care of yourself. I understand your feelings for me. Instead of passing this burden to me, it would be better for you to live a few more years. That would be better than anything else."
It was already three months after Huo Chong fell ill that he was finally able to attend to his duties. At this time, the troops had been trained for three months and had stored a large amount of food and other supplies in Zheng County by horse-drawn rail vehicles.
The commander of the Western Expedition was not an old brother. After discussion, the Ministry of Rites believed that the younger generation should be promoted, so the burden of commander-in-chief was given to Yu Qian. Although Yu Qian was only in his twenties, his past performance was unanimously recognized. Especially in the past few years, Yu Qian performed well in the research of improving the field army system.
So the report on Yu Qian's appointment and the report on his appointment as general were sent to Huo Chong. Huo Chong just read it and signed the report without making any comments.
However, just as Yu Qian and a group of military backbones completed the awarding ceremony, Spain sent news. The British and Dutch naval forces launched a fierce attack on Luzon. Although the Spanish Governor of Luzon fought desperately and barely managed to resist the British and Dutch coalition forces, the British and Dutch coalition forces still brought a large number of Indian vassal troops and established a stronghold in Luzon. It will take some time for the Spanish fleet to arrive, and the Pacific Ocean is different from the Atlantic Ocean. There is no force threatening the Spanish fleet at sea. Even if the large fleet arrives, those civilian ships cannot fight against the warships of the British and Dutch coalition forces.
The Military Commission did not take this matter seriously. The Western war had little to do with China. If it had not involved maritime trade, this matter would not have even been brought to Huo Chong's attention.
The committee also suspected that the strange infectious disease might have been introduced to China from the Spanish, just like the damn syphilis was introduced from the Spanish.
Although Huo Chong did create a special medicine, the Chinese court had already imposed strict activity restrictions on the Spanish fleet personnel and would never allow them to spread such a terrible disease in China.
Therefore, the Spanish envoy was not allowed to meet Huo Chong.
However, to everyone's surprise, Huo Chong called Yu Qian to talk for more than an hour before conveying the order. A southern expedition force was to be formed, not only to aid the Spanish allies, but also to follow the path of Zheng He and go all the way south to the Strait of Malacca, rebuild the old port of the Ming Dynasty there, and keep the British and Dutch west of the Strait of Malacca. The east of the Strait of Malacca was to be taken over by China.
The commander of this mixed maritime force was Admiral Yu Qian.
