The Empire will continue to win

Chapter 104 Professor Shen Spends Day on the Dragon Bed

As Shen Moqing listened to the cheers that rose and fell, he looked at the thighs tightly wrapped in woolen breeches in front of him—straight, round, and long—and suddenly thought of an old friend.

Telegraph operator Derling.

The master and servant have quite a few similarities.

"Clench your fist and raise your right hand!"

Shen Moqing poked at it with his finger and whispered. His intention was simply to have the Empress Dowager add some gestures during her speech, nothing more than a minor persuasive technique.

"Clench your fist and raise your hand!" Empress Dowager Cixi said to the entire audience.

Wow~

All the representatives stood up, some raising their right hand, some clenching their fists, and a very few raising their left hand.

Shen Moqing rubbed his forehead.

The world is a giant makeshift operation.

Alright~

Let's just continue down this path of error.

If you think Professor Shen will continue to elaborate on the problems that have arisen in the current empire, you would be mistaken. A mature leader can acknowledge the existence of problems, but does not need to point out the specifics of them.

The key is attitude!

The Empress Dowager Cixi, repeating herself: "I swear before the great Chiang Kai-shek, I will dedicate my life to the Empire, and I will make the great United Empire even greater!!"

There was a pause.

Shen Moqing listened intently. Although there was a slight commotion in the hall, it was generally quiet. The fifth-level representatives were no longer excited; being great was fine, but don't spend money.

Talking about money hurts feelings.

Let's not talk about money then, let's talk about something that everyone likes to talk about.

"Just this July, that tiny country that was so subservient to the Empire actually bared its fangs at us. Overestimating its own strength, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, they are only courting their own destruction."

In August, just as we were about to achieve victory, a small group of foreign arms dealers and bankers secretly provided support to the East Sang people.

The empire cannot tolerate betrayal.

no way!!

We must unite! We must unite into an unprecedentedly powerful empire! Victory will ultimately belong to us! Victory will ultimately belong to us!

At this moment~

Empress Dowager Cixi gritted her teeth, her phoenix eyes sharp, and pointed at the people below: "I don't want your money."

My request is simple: from this moment forward, no citizen shall ever buy a single foot of cloth from an enemy country.

As citizens, we should love our country.

I hope that after you return, you will appeal to the people of your hometowns to support this war. Those who have no money can shout a few words of patriotism, and those who have money can donate a few coins.

Donations are entirely voluntary; the imperial court will never force anyone to donate, whether they choose to or not.

"In front of Chiang Kai-shek's portrait, loudly swear an oath: Can you do it?"

The crowd was energized and finally dared to shout at the top of their lungs, "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

Cheers erupted.

Empress Dowager Cixi's face turned as red with excitement, partly from the thrill of success and partly from the professor's manipulation.

"The Han Chinese are the greatest nation in the world!"

In this world, no force can stop the rise of our great nation!

I hereby swear to annihilate all enemies and traitors, to send those damned arms dealers and bankers to the guillotine, to send the war criminals of the Eastern Kingdom to the guillotine, and to let Kyoto be engulfed in flames.

"Yay!"

The crowd erupted in cheers, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing.

Sudden.

A disheveled army officer rushed in through the main gate, holding a telegram and shouting about a great victory. In full view of everyone, he actually ran all the way to the balcony.

"Your Majesty, a great victory has been achieved in Liaodong!"

The room was completely silent.

Empress Dowager Cixi took the telegram, glanced at it, and announced loudly: "Breaking news: Our army has annihilated an enemy division outside Fengtian City and an enemy brigade outside Liaoyang City."

After saying that, he threw the telegram down.

The thin telegram fell, instantly igniting an even more fervent passion.

"Yay!"

A deafening roar, like a tsunami.

Another naval officer rushed into the Grand Theatre, only to be stopped by the revelers. The telegram, which was meant for the Empress Dowager, was read by the delegates first.

The telegram was simple: the Northern Fleet had been frequently dispatched and had sunk a total of 23 enemy transport ships at Weihaiwei base.

A young reporter who managed to snatch the telegram stood on the table.

"A great victory! Our valiant Imperial Navy has just sunk 23 enemy warships, and the Yellow Sea is filled with enemy soldiers' heads."

""

"Yay!"

Cheers again.

The sound waves were like ocean tides, filling everyone's eardrums.

Above the dome, the thick snow was shaken, and even a small avalanche occurred.

Journalists are used to embellishing their articles.

This person brought their own food.

Standing on the balcony, overlooking all living beings, with an air of absolute dominance throughout the ages, Empress Dowager Cixi spoke in a high-pitched, impassioned voice, occasionally waving her arms, though her movements lacked power.

If Shen Moqing were to stand here and give a speech right now, his hair would be flying everywhere.

Greatness needs no further explanation.

The entire venue erupted in chaos, like a pot of boiling water. People were acting like madmen, shouting and jumping wildly.

Especially in the left-wing seats, the "white-clad scholars" and "ordinary citizens" cheered and raised their hands, many shedding tears of emotion.

Ancient genes are stirring; how can humans fight against genes?

The Empress Dowager is wise!

-

The "naval and army officers" sitting in the middle area were also very excited. Just because of the four words "Kyoto is engulfed in flames", they all stood up and saluted the warmonger Empress Dowager Cixi who was standing on the high place!

War is good.

If we don't fight, what will we eat?

Only in war can officers have the opportunity for promotion. The situation is excellent; after such a large-scale and victorious war that destroys a country, lieutenants become field officers, and field officers become brigadier generals.

The Empress Dowager is wise!

Let's not even talk about the "newspaper elites." Words like "nation," "war," "victory," and "greatness" really hit a nerve with them.

A reporter climbed onto the table and excitedly shouted in front of everyone: "Why shouldn't a man carry a Wu hook and seize fifty states beyond the passes? Please ascend the Lingyan Pavilion for a moment, which scholar has ever become a marquis of ten thousand households? Gentlemen, I, Huang Zunxian from Guangdong, want to abandon my pen and join the army."

Empress Dowager: "Granted."

This sparked even louder cheers.

"Long live!!"

In such a fervent atmosphere, it is difficult for an individual not to be infected by the collective.

Except for the right-wing seats.

The wealthy businessmen didn't react much.

The scientific elite reacted, but not very strongly.

The royal family members pretended to react strongly, but their acting was very unconvincing.

The reactions from the left, center, and right were truly honest. Although Professor Shen, who was squatting, couldn't see, he had already seen it all in his mind.

Win, win, win!

Poke poke.

Empress Dowager Cixi shifted uncomfortably in her position, then continued repeating herself: "Distinguished representatives who are devoted to the country and of high moral character, raise your hands and vote! In order to make the empire even greater, and to make the capital city shine brightly, I will establish a special operations headquarters outside the Forbidden City. I will personally serve as the supreme commander of this headquarters, with absolute authority, and my words will be law, controlling both the army and navy, as well as all my subjects."

-

Those who support me, please raise your hands.

"slow!"

A young man stood up from the wealthy merchant district: "My name is Sheng Xuanhuai. May I ask Your Majesty, what is the difference between the supreme commander of the Grand Command and the emperor of a feudal dynasty?"

It's like pouring a bucket of cold water into a hot pool; it's not that it has no effect, but it's very limited.

Some people seemed to be deep in thought.

The others glared at them angrily.

Empress Dowager Cixi was silent for ten seconds before speaking: "There is no difference; both require centralized power. However, the position of Supreme Commander is temporary, a necessary measure taken out of necessity for the war. It is written in black and white, and public opinion is irrefutable. I swear before Chiang Kai-shek's portrait that on the day the war ends, the General Headquarters will be immediately disbanded, and the Supreme Commander will immediately resign."

Some nodded, while others were suspicious.

"Then, Your Majesty, how long will you serve as supreme commander? What if this war lasts for 30 years?"

-

hiss~

A worthy opponent indeed; they even considered that possibility.

Shen Moqing gritted her teeth and whispered, "300 days."

Unexpectedly, the Empress Dowager Cixi held up two fingers in public and exclaimed, "200 days!"

Holy crap~

This woman is no ordinary person.

The entire audience fell silent.

Even the cunning and shrewd Sheng Xuanhuai was at a loss as to how to wage a reasonable struggle.

All I could see was the Empress Dowager standing on the balcony, waving her arms and continuing to shout, "200 days!"

Give me 200 days!

If we cannot win, if we cannot force the people of Dongsang to kneel and surrender, I will resign, and you will elect a new supreme commander.

The soldiers at the front are fighting a bloody battle and have no time to waste.

Gentlemen, let's vote by raising our hands.

Fearing it might not be safe, he continued shouting:

Long live the Empire!

Long live the Great Han!

Long live the Six Saints!

Long live God!

Long live all patriots!

Long live the 400 million citizens!

brush~

In an instant, hands appeared like a forest.

We won!

Empress Dowager Cixi wanted to bow her head, but with tears in her eyes, she said to the professor, "Mo Qing, we have won. I will reward you handsomely."

But not.

Otherwise, it would be the biggest scandal in the world.

A few minutes later.

"I announce that a total of 812 delegates are present at today's Grand Assembly, of which 666 delegates have raised their hands."

According to Article 3 of the Imperial Charter, the Grand Council will temporarily grant my Empress Dowager supreme command authority for 200 days.

Please sign and affix your fingerprints in a moment; this will be kept on file.

With tears welling in her eyes, Empress Dowager Cixi shouted once more, "Long live the great United Empire!"

"Long live."

The sound resounded through the sky.

enduring.

In a corner of the venue.

The well-dressed diplomats from various countries whispered among themselves, exchanging opinions. They were a group of well-traveled and knowledgeable people, and calmness was ingrained in their very bones.

-

Judging from their expressions, they didn't seem very happy.

Louise Michel, an AFP journalist and former member of the Paris Commune, wrote tremblingly in her notebook: Long live the United Empire, long live the Empress Dowager Cixi, long live our 400 million compatriots.

Then, tears streamed down her face.

Just now, she recalled her years in Paris, those years of fighting side by side, amidst gunfire, bloodshed, and ideals.

Sitting next to her was Bertrand Russell, a colleague from The Times, his face grave. He had written a line: "A specter, a colossal specter, is wandering across Eurasia."

Five minutes later.

The crowd shouted themselves hoarse and clapped until their hands were swollen, but they still weren't satisfied.

It would be best to hold such a grand court assembly, with all the officials present, two or three times a year. Some of the well-off representatives have even started discussing renting houses in the capital.

Sheng Xuanhuai, his face contorted with rage, strode away.

Under his direction, a large group of wealthy merchants and gentry left in a hurry.

The Grand Theater, backstage.

Inside a luxurious dressing room, Emperor Xuanwu, Empress Dowager An, and Prince Gong all had ashen faces.

They lost, they lost miserably. And to make matters worse, the Empress Dowager Cixi actually won.

"I don't understand."

Weng Tonghe leaned closer to the dejected young emperor and whispered, "Your Majesty, during your speech just now, the Empress Dowager used the 'Winning Path'."

"What path?"

The young emperor was startled by the terrifying word, and Empress Dowager An's eyes widened as well.

"Yingdao, also called Yingxue, means the same thing. Ahem, it was Shen Moqing who mentioned it by chance, which inspired my creative inspiration, but he is a man of shallow knowledge and cannot summarize it. Later, I spent a month or so at home writing the first draft of 'A New Branch of the Sacred Teachings - Yingxue,' which I have not yet had time to show to His Majesty."

"Why didn't you present this incredibly useful theory of winning to me sooner?"

"I never expected it to be so useful! Sigh, sigh~" Weng Tonghe stomped his feet in anger, overestimating the Grand Council and underestimating the Empress Dowager Cixi, and regretted it too late.

Everyone sighed in admiration, realizing that the Imperial Tutor was no ordinary person.

Emperor Xuanwu gritted his teeth and said, "If only this man had been employed by me sooner! What a pity, what a pity! Why won't he obediently kneel before me?"

Looking at the emperor's contorted expression, Weng Tonghe tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, is it possible?"

"No. Your mother has tasted the sweetness of this man and is now addicted to it. How could she let go? Unless he suddenly dies, he will be the sharpest sword in your hand."

Sudden death~

This statement was a bit too blunt, and everyone was pondering it.

Empress Dowager An stared at Prince Gong: "Sixth Prince, now that things have come to this, what do you suggest we do?"

Prince Gong shook his head with a wry smile: "We can't possibly stage another coup and overthrow the Western Palace, can we?"

"Why not?"

Looking at the murderous Empress Dowager An, Prince Gong suppressed the surging fear in his heart and explained, "Sister-in-law, let's not talk about whether we can win if there is a mutiny."

If another mutiny breaks out in the capital, Shanhaiguan will definitely fall. If the enemy forces advance into North China, what will become of us: a westward hunt? A westward hunt is also a death sentence.

We've lost the foreign war and the capital. Even if the southern gentry don't intervene, our 400 million citizens won't forgive us. Not only will we die a horrible death, but we'll also be cursed by posterity for ten thousand years. And who knows, you and I might end up as bronze statues kneeling by West Lake.

No, no, you mustn't!

silence.

"Sixth Prince, are we just going to do nothing and wait to be killed by her one by one? Who will remember our kindness?" Empress Dowager An was furious and her hair stood on end.

When it really matters, women are the toughest.

"How about we go and test her attitude?" Prince Gong said with a bitter face.

Backstage, dressing room.

The victorious Empress Dowager Cixi walked with a brisk pace, her eyes sparkling with spring.

"Congratulations, Master! Congratulations, Master!"

"Help me change my clothes."

-

Yes~

Although the palace maids and matrons verbally agreed, they stood still, constantly stealing glances at Shen Moqing, as if to say: Lord Shen, you should leave quickly.

"Listen up, everyone. From this day forward, I will not keep anything from him. He may enter or leave any room in the Hall of Mental Cultivation at will, without needing to announce his arrival." The Empress Dowager pointed her scarlet fingernail at Shen Moqing.

A notorious empress.

She has a fiery personality and a meticulous mind.

Knowing how to grasp the principal contradiction!

If we can win, all the romantic escapades are nothing.

If you can't win, even erecting eighteen memorial arches for your chastity won't help.

She has been a widow for six years.

I've had enough of those 3650 bland and tasteless days!

With the help of palace maids, he first removed his heavy woolen double-breasted military uniform, revealing that he was only wearing a white silk stand-up collar shirt with a lace pattern underneath, but he still felt hot.

-

Sweat trickled down his temples, washing away streaks of the thick makeup on his face.

"What were the Empress Dowager's feelings about her first experience with democracy?"

"Hmph~" Empress Dowager Cixi sneered with disdain, "A rabble!"

Shen Moqing remained noncommittal, thinking to herself, "You're going to suffer a great loss sooner or later by making such a simplistic and crude definition."

"Mo Qing, I didn't expect to win so easily."

"No, Your Majesty, we've only won half the battle. If we want to continue winning, there's something very important."

Double entendre.

Politically mature.

Empress Dowager Cixi pushed aside the palace maid who was touching up her makeup, walked gracefully to the professor, her face slender and her makeup relaxed, bold and outspoken, her breath sweet as orchids.

"I will fulfill my promise now."

Granny Wang was an experienced woman who had seen it all. Seeing how close the two were, she knew something good was about to happen. She quickly parroted what the others said, stomping her feet and clapping her hands: "The master has urgent business to attend to. Everyone, leave quickly."

Whoosh~

An empty dressing room was left behind.

Colonel Jiang Yilan pulled off the warrant officer's leather belt, causing his riding breeches to fall down. He then turned and walked towards the dressing table piled with bottles and jars, sweeping his arm across it.

Ding ding ding.

All the bottles and jars were swept away and placed on the ground.

"Didn't you want me to keep my promise?" The beautiful Empress Dowager leaned against her dressing table, twisted her waist, turned her head, raised her chin, and said this.

"Empress Dowager, make love to me!" Professor Shen cried out and strode forward.

Xiaoxiaosheng once wrote a poem:

Do not covet youthful beauty and rosy cheeks, nor greedily indulge in rouge and emerald ornaments. Such allure is harmful to health and life, and even the most alluring beauty cannot surpass it. Do not indulge in these things; nourish your inner energy, for a life of few desires leads to longevity. From now on, I will relinquish idle pleasures and sleep alone amidst plum blossoms and paper curtains.

The poet wanted to warn people not to be greedy for beauty, so that they could live a long and healthy life.

Unfortunately, people don't listen to advice.

-

Xiaoxiaosheng, you lived a life of debauchery and pleasure in your youth, and now that you're old, you're trying to persuade us to become knights? Pah!

Therefore, a different poem would be more appropriate.

Not bamboo, not silk, not stone, the fleshy sound is different from my own mumble.

The tassels rustle and the green gauze hangs down, making it impossible to distinguish the notes of the pentatonic scale.

Just as the fight was in full swing, Shen Moqing suddenly froze, his brows furrowing.

"What's wrong?"

"Your Majesty, I suddenly remembered two urgent matters."

"How urgent? Does it have to be done now?"

"It must be now; these two things are extremely important, but we can have our servants handle them."

"Alright then~"

So he called out softly.

"Granny, come in."

When Wang Qianniang entered the room and saw that her master was covered in sweat, she didn't feel embarrassed at all. A mature maidservant would automatically treat herself as an object in front of her master.

"Granny, make the following record." Professor Shen dictated the order fluently and confidently. The Empress Dowager, seeing this, was even more enamored with him.

[To my wealthy and generous readers, this humble Professor Shen is begging for your monthly votes.]

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