The Ming Dynasty began from Sarhu

Chapter 947 Liaodong Counterattack
The news that the various vassal states of Liaodong were about to launch a rebellion spread like wildfire in Tianxin City, but people did not feel any fear or unease. Many people even had happy smiles on their faces.

"It's time to make a name for ourselves."

"To uphold the republic and quell the rebellion, there is no time to lose!"

"In this time of crisis, we must stand as the mainstay!"

The State of Qi had enjoyed a long period of peace, and the brutal wars existed only in the distant memories of the elderly. The last large-scale war occurred half a century ago, during the conquest of Burma, in which Qi suffered 60,000 casualties, and the emperor suspended court for three days to express his grief.

Today, two generations are unfamiliar with warfare, and young people have romanticized notions of war.

All these imaginings stem from mass-produced, inexpensive novel stories and the magnificent stage plays performed day and night at the Tianxin City Grand Theater.

In these novels and stage plays, the core plot often revolves around a group of soldiers from remote areas or a general with various minor flaws. Before the war breaks out, they engage in all sorts of petty theft and thievery. But when the war arrives, they all suddenly seem like completely different people overnight. For the sake of the Great Qi, and for a reason that even the author (or director) himself doesn't believe, they unhesitatingly sacrifice their lives. Of course, there are usually several tortuous and moving love stories interspersed throughout.

Now, in the entire city of Tianxin, perhaps only the old emperor Liu Xuan and the elders in the council who have experienced the brutal war are wary of war and unwilling to start a war lightly.

For others, especially young people growing up under a republican system, war was alluring.

Like a weekend outing, their memories of the war are generally limited to their Boy Scout training organized by their schools ten years ago. All they had to do was take up arms and go to the battlefield; the rest was up to God.

The temptation to eradicate the imperial system and establish a republic was too great, and many young people dreamed of contributing to the pacification of Liaodong.

Recently, newspapers and periodicals issued by various vassal states have been publishing front-page headlines with petitions for war signed by local people. "Patriotic people" are all eager to fight, vowing to wipe out Liaodong and turn the rebels into dust.

In the eyes of this group of "patriots," the achievement of pacifying Liaodong and restoring the republic was enough to earn them a separate page in their family genealogy.

In other words, a group of people carrying deadly weapons such as muskets and cannons traveled thousands of miles to Liaodong, stepping onto unfamiliar land, to slaughter another group of strangers they had never met before, simply because these strangers had different political demands from them, and for this reason alone, they wanted to exterminate these strangers.

This is what is known as keeping the land but not the people.

Perhaps this is the advantage of the Great Qi republican system.

Aside from political demands and other reasons, men need war to prove themselves. War is undoubtedly an excellent opportunity to enhance a man's sense of existence, at least women don't go to the battlefield much.

Against this backdrop, rumors were already rampant in Tianxin City and other places even before the war to quell the rebellion had begun.

The parliamentary army, which they had never had before (at least since its inception), suddenly became, in the mouths of these patriots, an invincible and indomitable force, a force that had never suffered a defeat since its founding.

When the people of Tianxin City talked about this mysterious army, they described it in roughly the following way:
"Has the Parliamentarian army ever participated in any actual combat?"

"No, but in the annual Black and White exercises, the Black side, represented by the Parliamentarian army, has always won."

In other words, this army is either winning or on its way to winning; in short, it has never lost.

Having never participated in a war, how could there be victory or defeat? Therefore, there was no defeat.

According to some, the Parliamentary Army, representing the will of the Great Qi, is brave and skilled in battle. They are invincible on land, with each soldier capable of taking on a hundred men. In addition to their strict discipline and excellent equipment (supposedly the best in the world), the soldiers are particularly good at enduring hardship. They can go three days without food and eat only earthworms, appear on the Siberian wilderness in January wearing only a thin shirt, and fold their uniforms into the shape of pork belly. All of this leads people to conclude that although this army has never been on the battlefield, it is invincible on the battlefield and has no rivals.

As for the other side of this war, those arrogant and fierce soldiers from beyond the Great Wall were described by people as chickens and dogs, a motley crew that would collapse at the first blow. They were poorly equipped, poorly trained, and had a weak fighting spirit—at least they couldn't go hungry for three days straight, let alone cross half of Siberia in winter wearing only a thin layer of clothing.

In short, all the rebellions in Liaodong were futile and overestimating their own strength. The attempt to restore the imperial system was nothing short of hysteria, demonstrating that the deposed crown prince stationed in Liaodong and his lackeys were a bunch of lunatics.

Moreover, even if the various vassal states of Liaodong united, they would be no match for the parliamentary army. To oppose trillions of people and reverse the course of the republican system is doomed to failure!
People characterized this rebellion as "a dying counterattack by the remaining royalists," "a meaningless struggle," and "a final flicker of imperial power." Of course, those who believed they were winning all along were unaware that the Liaodong vassal was advancing relentlessly on the battlefield, sweeping away all obstacles and defeating the parliamentary armies that came to suppress them one after another.

Initially, the parliament ignored Liaodong's request for peace talks. However, in early March, after losing tens of thousands of elite troops and paying a price of tens of millions of Qi coins, the parliament finally lowered its stance and began to formally discuss the peace terms proposed by Liaodong.

The rebels (or what could be called royalist forces) put forward the slogan of preserving the emperor, and their demands were quite simple, with only three core points:

First, restore the supreme imperial status of the old emperor Liu Xuan;

II. Cease dismantling and withdrawing from Zhongwei Army;

Third, further abolish the feudal domains (mainly referring to the feudal lords within Shanhaiguan).

In addition, there were punishments for members of parliament. Any member who resolutely advocated abolishing the imperial system was immediately dismissed and never to be employed again. The reason given by the Liaodong authorities was that these people were attempting to incite the Great Qi to split, plunging the empire into utter ruin.

The above demands are less of a demand and more of a declaration of war against the republican system.

Whether the Central Guard remains or is further stripped of its vassal states, these are crucial issues concerning the very foundation of Qi's rule, and cannot be neglected. As for punishing the councilors who support the abolition of imperial power, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Tianxin City will absolutely not accept these terms.

The various regional lords were sharpening their swords, waiting for the old emperor to relinquish military power so they could wage war to seize land, or at least expand their own territories. In their view, the conditions offered by Liaodong were outrageous, bordering on insane.

Therefore, there is absolutely no need for negotiation.

Therefore, the only correct choice at present is to continue to increase troops, so that the various vassal states will no longer hinder each other, but will work together to reinforce the parliamentary army and pacify Liaodong as soon as possible.

Several respected councilors entered the palace and advised the old emperor not to be deceived by outsiders and not to fall into the trap set by the various vassal states of Liaodong, especially the crown prince. They urged him not to get involved at this time.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, the old emperor Liu Xuan remained quite indifferent to the Liaodong rebellion.

"In my opinion," the old emperor stroked his beard without looking up, "there is essentially no difference between a republic and a monarchy."

Everyone was shocked, not expecting the old emperor to say such a thing. But then Liu Xuan continued, "These are just appearances. The people of Great Qi need a thorough education."

The education the emperor spoke of was what was called enlightenment, which was to make the people have self-awareness. Only when they realized this could all rights possibly return to them.

Otherwise, everything is nothing but a mirage, a reflection in the water and a flower in a mirror. Don't be fooled by the current prosperity of the Great Qi; in the end, it will all just be a bubble.

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"Since the Ming Dynasty lost Liaodong in the Liaoshen Campaign, the land has been shaken. For twenty years, the imperial throne has shifted. Now, Kaiyuan has rebelled, openly restoring the imperial system. Tieling, Shenyang, and other places have responded, shaking Liaodong. If we do not suppress this rebellion, thirty years of nominal monarchy will be destroyed. The only way now is to increase war taxes, issue patriotic bonds, raise funds for the army, launch a large-scale campaign, and save the Great Qi..."

In the council chamber of Tianxin City Building, councilors who had rushed from various vassal states gathered together, engaging in a heated and passionate discussion about the current situation.

Some committee members loudly proclaimed their future policies towards Liaodong: would they persist in abolishing the imperial system or proactively restore imperial power?

An army marches on its stomach.

War requires money.

The Ministry of War and the Ministry of Economy had a serious disagreement on whether to use force. The Ministry of War believed that war should be waged, and a major war should be waged. The elite troops of various vassal states should be mobilized to Liaodong to encircle and annihilate the rebels in Kaiyuan and other places in one fell swoop, and send the head of the deposed crown prince to Tianxin City!
The Ministry of Economy then used detailed and verifiable data to tell everyone that if a large army were sent to Liaodong now, the finances of the Great Qi might collapse immediately, and of course, Liaodong would not be the only place to rebel.

"Therefore, it is better to send troops sooner rather than later; the Battle of Sarhu during the Ming Dynasty is a case in point..."

"Does Representative Huang mean that the State of Qi will repeat the mistakes of the Ming Dynasty? Then why did your Ministry of War hastily agree to eliminate imperial power, and at the same time fail to pay enough attention to the rebellions of the various vassal states in Liaodong?"