The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 933 Pre-war Public Opinion Preparation

As Tianxin City stretches outwards, the land at the horizon is covered with a layer of white snow.

Snowflakes fluttered down from the sky, as if an endless mist had enveloped the world.

As dusk fell, crackling sounds filled the air, and the red glow of exploding firecrackers illuminated the night sky, immersing Tianxin City in the festive atmosphere of the New Year.

The palace was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and Liu Xuan, as usual, held a family banquet in the Qianqing Palace on New Year's Eve.

Besides the Queen and the Crown Prince, the Prime Minister and several high-ranking officials from Parliament also attended the banquet.

The emperor was no longer able to wield absolute power as before, and instead maintained good private relationships with his ministers, which was conducive to consolidating imperial power.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, at the beginning of the Chen hour (7-9 AM), the emperor personally went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to pay homage to his ancestors.

The entourage entered the Imperial Ancestral Temple in a grand procession. Led by the master of ceremonies, the emperor knelt before the prayer mat, while the accompanying eunuchs burned incense.

As the morning bell rang, the emperor began to devoutly worship his ancestors.

"I am not a warmonger, nor do I wish to see the country become closed off. It is just that the European countries cannot understand the great cause of the Great Qi and have rashly sent troops to interfere in our internal affairs, trying to interrupt the process of the new policy. This is intolerable!"

Amidst swirling smoke, Liu Xuan vanished, leaving behind a long sigh.

"Alas, if the new policies fail, what is the point of the Great Qi's existence!"

And so the worship ceremony finally ended with that sigh.

Liu Xuan hoped that his ancestors, especially Emperor Taizu Liu Zhaosun, would bless him in heaven so that he could defeat the European nations.

Emperor Taizu fought over a hundred battles in his lifetime, winning every single one. He was like a god of war, earning him the reputation of Nicholas the God of War. With Liu Zhaosun's blessing, defeating Europe should not be a problem.

There are still more than a dozen telegrams that haven't been processed since last night's banquet.

So he asked the accompanying eunuch Liu Chengen:
"Cheng'en, what did the telegram that was sent yesterday say?"

The accompanying eunuch Liu Chengen helped the emperor remove the ceremonial robes he wore for the sacrificial ceremony and put on a heavy bearskin cloak. He whispered, "Your Majesty, this is the attitude of the gentry and common people of Liaodong towards this war, as well as that of other vassal states."

"Who wrote them?"

"Your Majesty, the one from Shaanxi is an old soldier from Tongguan. The one from Liaoyang is a fur merchant..."

Liu Xuan waved his hand, and seeing that the emperor was agitated, Liu Chengen stopped talking.

Now, retired veterans can also send telegrams directly to Tianxin City and contact the emperor, and of course, they can also discuss national affairs.

There was no other way; this was a rule left by the late emperor, which, in the words of the parliament, guaranteed freedom of speech and ensured that every voter had the right to speak freely.

But do ordinary people on this land really need freedom?

The people can understand the meaning of freedom; perhaps what they need is to be exploited and fooled.

So why did the Emperor grant freedom to these foolish men and women in the first place?

This was a question that Liu Xuan could never understand.

"Let's go and take a look first. Liaodong is the birthplace of the Chinese emperor, and public opinion there is of utmost importance. The same goes for Shaanxi. I need to know whether the local people support the use of force against Europe."

"His Majesty,"

Liu Chengen hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

"Speak freely." "Your Majesty, I have heard that some people in Tianxin City are opposing the war and are planning a major uprising. They may take action in the next few days, and Your Majesty must be on guard."

Liu Xuan knew that this was the latest intelligence from the Straw Raincoat Guard to the Grand Eunuch. Regardless of whether the intelligence was accurate or not, anti-war people in the country always created all sorts of trouble for the new policies.

"I understand. I've already instructed the Straw Raincoat Guards to prepare in advance. This operation will wipe out the rebels in one fell swoop. Go."

Liu Chengen accepted the order and led the way for the emperor.

Liu Xuan trudged through the thick snow, the sound of it pattering echoing through the palace. He walked behind, staring at the grand eunuch in front of him who shared the same surname. He thought to himself that once he defeated Europa, he would completely abolish the eunuch system, not only in Tianxin City, but also in all the vassal states and throughout the country.

Liu Chengen, you may be the last eunuch of the Great Qi Dynasty.

With that thought in mind, Liu Xuan walked out of the palace gate.

The two passed the bare flagpole in front of the Jinshui Bridge.

The Chengtianmen Square stretched out before Liu Xuan in winter, merging into the shimmering sky at its end.

The city walls, trees, and houses gradually faded in the morning light, losing their original shapes and disappearing at the edge of the snow-covered world.

As the sun gradually rose, the emperor and the chief eunuch walked across the square, and several palace maids emerged from the white snow.

Young eunuchs were playing a game of building snow castles in the square. They wore mittens, boots, and thick cotton-padded coats, looking like wrapped-up rice dumplings.

The eunuchs brought snow to build walls for their castle and complete the construction of the bastion.

White mist billowed from its tiny mouth and nose.

Once the castle was completed, the children immediately started playing a game of attacking and defending it.

As Liu Xuan pondered the matter of abolishing the eunuchs, he tried hard to make out the mumbled shouts of the young eunuchs, but he couldn't hear them.

Ten minutes later, the emperor and the chief eunuch arrived at the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

The eunuch presented all the telegrams to the emperor. Liu Xuan casually picked one out and read it aloud:

“True revenge is to forgive others, make yourself stronger, and then surpass them. The suffering you endured in the past will then vanish. Your Majesty, I believe that war will only destroy the next generation, sending millions of young people to their deaths as cannon fodder, all for a hollow sense of honor and dignity. I think this is extremely foolish…”

Liu Xuan put down the memorial, let out a long breath, and began reading the second one.

"Preparations for war with Europe should cease immediately. Europe has provided the Great Qi with much assistance over the past century, supplying us with grain, fertilizer, and iron ore... We should remember Europe's support for the Great Qi. As for war, let war die. Whoever wants to start a war should first become cannon fodder..."

"Let whoever wants to fight go! The people here can't even afford rice, yet they still want to fight. What kind of war is this? Anyone who dares to incite war in front of the Emperor again, I suggest sending them to Kuyi Island to fish!..."

The emperor hadn't seen a memorial like this, plain and unadorned, in a long time.

The emperor angrily slammed down the telegram, his rage barely contained, and said:
"A bunch of fools, fools who have been fooled by Europeans! Cheng'en, we need to make our people believe that the neighboring countries are hostile to the Great Qi, and make this imagination a reality."

Wang Chengen rubbed his hands together eagerly and said, "It should have been done long ago, Your Majesty. Just give me your plans!"

Liu Xuan pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke:

"It seems it's time to launch a propaganda war! We absolutely cannot let these capitulationists influence public opinion nationwide!"

In July, new plays began to be performed in various theaters in Tianxin City, and a new novel was published by a publishing house, mainly denouncing the invasion and harm inflicted on Qi by Europe.

According to the emperor's plan, the propaganda department must make all European countries that have invaded Qi pay the price. Although not many people know exactly what crimes Europeans have committed against Qi in the past hundred years, this does not hinder everyone's hatred.

Hatred is enough; you don't need to worry about anything else!