Chongzhen revived the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 866 Mingdao's Selection of Generals and Procedures
Because of Zhu Youjian's attitude, the Battle of Niuzhuang did not cause much of a stir in the court; instead, it made the officials realize the emperor's determination.

However, among the general public, there were all sorts of reactions.

Although it did not cause as much panic in the capital as the Battle of Liuhe, there was a growing voice calling for a halt to the fighting.

These people believe that the Jurchens are not a significant threat at present, as long as they do not attack or provoke them.

Zhu Youjian ordered a severe rebuke in response. He also recognized that the Ming Dynasty needed a more unified voice.

March 18th is the birthday of Nuwa and Houtu, and is also Mother's Day according to the Gregorian calendar.

On the same day, the Beijing Music Festival opened. Zhu Youjian did not cancel the festival because of the war, but instead ordered them to hold it at the Martyrs' Cemetery.

Construction on the cemetery began last year, and although it is not yet fully completed, there is already enough open space.

The Royal Orchestra's drama troupe staged a heart-wrenching performance of "Blood of Liaodong" at the cemetery, which featured a realistic set recreating the landscape of Liaodong.

The audience was deeply moved, especially after learning that the play was based on true events, which made them realize the brutality of the Jurchens and the despicable nature of the traitors.

The cry of "Expel the Tartars and restore Liaodong" resounded through the sky and became the consensus of the people present.

Zhu Youjian also watched the play, accompanied by his court officials.

After the play ended, he led his officials in a remote memorial service for the soldiers who had died in Liaodong, and then delivered a speech:

"I know that some people do not want to fight."

"But once war breaks out, there is no room for complacency."

"Only by winning the victory can we honor the fallen heroes."

He then pointed to the open path in the middle of the cemetery:

"Decades of bloody battles in Liaodong have buried countless heroes."

"In the future, we will compile a list of all the martyrs and build a monument to them in Liaodong."

"Let's first build a monument to the unknown heroes to commemorate those heroic souls whose names we do not know."

"May their spirits bless the soldiers and help them achieve victory in the Liaodong Campaign."

He personally dug the first shovelful of soil and erected a monument to the unknown heroes in the middle of the martyrs' cemetery.

The monument will be inscribed with texts such as "Your name is unknown, but your deeds will live on forever."

The Congressional Military Committee established a special Committee of Heroes and Martyrs to find the names of those who sacrificed their lives and to record their deeds.

The crowd was incredibly excited and kept shouting "Long live!"

Finally, Zhu Youjian ordered Grand Secretary Han Kuang to publicly read the "Proclamation to Conquer the Jianzhou Tartars." The proclamation enumerated the atrocities committed by the Jianzhou Tartars against the people of the Ming Dynasty since their rebellion and expressed the determination to fight to the end.

At the same time, on behalf of the cabinet, he formally transferred the power of the court to the wartime committee.

Yuan Keli then led the members of the wartime committee to take an oath on behalf of all the soldiers in front of the martyrs' graves, promising to do everything possible to win the war.

The voices of the entire government and the public were unprecedentedly unified: that is, to exert all our strength to strive for victory in the war.
-
After these events were published in the newspapers, public doubts about the Liaodong campaign were completely dispelled. All public opinion was united in one voice.

Taking advantage of the situation, the Ministry of Revenue issued war bonds. After Zhu Youjian, in the name of the emperor, took the lead in purchasing 10,000 yuan worth of bonds, the total amount of bonds, amounting to one million yuan, was quickly sold out.

Members of the royal family, nobles, ministers, and imperial merchants almost rushed to buy war bonds.

Some people even burned bonds in public, signifying their donation to the imperial court.

However, Zhu Youjian did not approve of this approach.

Because he treated war bonds as a regular means of raising military funds, he argued that this approach was unsustainable. Therefore, he used the story of Zigong redeeming people to illustrate the inadvisability of this practice. He then bestowed titles and ranks upon nobles and officials in the emperor's name, treating their act of burning the bonds as a form of donation.

This further encouraged some people to burn bonds, and Zhu Youjian eventually rewarded more than seventy officials with a total amount of nearly 80,000.

Officials in the Ministry of Revenue were overjoyed, as their previous doubts about issuing bonds were completely dispelled.

Previously, they were worried about not being able to pay the interest on their over-lived debts, but after the bonds were burned, they no longer had to worry about repaying the money or the interest.

Because the burned bonds could fully cover all the interest.

Many officials in the Ministry of Revenue were inspired to consider issuing more bonds in the future.

Zhu Youjian was also pleased because the act of burning bonds by these people had attracted public attention.

Taking advantage of the public's support, he also had Yuan Keli issue orders in the name of the Wartime Committee to control public opinion during the war.

The wartime media control that was later criticized by some people began to emerge from this point onward.

The Privy Council and the Congressional Military Committee jointly established a temporary committee to manage public opinion, responsible for related public opinion control.

The press release mechanism has been strengthened, providing a massive amount of information for the media to choose from every day, thus squeezing out the space for the spread of rumors.

Music festivals also played this role, appearing before the public in a softer manner and attracting their attention.

Songs such as "Serve the Country with Utmost Loyalty" and "A Man Should Be Self-Reliant" began to spread from the military to the general public.

Newly emerging songs such as "Scholars Joining the Army," "Song of Driving Out the Tartars," and "Yanhuang War Song" also shone brightly.

This music festival received high praise from many people. It also made many ministers realize why music could be mentioned alongside ritual.

Minister of Revenue Bi Ziyan even expressed his excitement:

Music played a role in raising military funds that was no less significant than that of the tax police.

It's much easier for them to collect taxes now. Many people who used to delay paying taxes have taken the initiative to pay their taxes after learning that the imperial court was short of funds for military operations.

The various adjustments made by Zhu Youjian beforehand were further refined during the war, resulting in a powerful fighting force.

The aging machine of the Ming Dynasty was forced to start operating again under the stimulus of the Liaodong War.
-
Zhu Youjian observed this change and planned to use this battle to test the results of the reforms and summarize the previous reforms.

At the same time, it is necessary to determine the emperor's role in the war, to prevent him from being sidelined as the war progressed, like Kaiser Wilhelm II.

According to Sun Tzu's *The Art of War*, the five most important factors in war are: the Way (morality), Heaven (heaven), Earth (earth), the General (general), and the Law (method).

"I cannot control the timing of events or the advantages of location, but I can influence which ruler is virtuous, which general is capable, which laws are effectively enforced, and which system of rewards and punishments is fair."

"My duty in war is to clarify the principles, select generals, and enforce the law."

This is Zhu Youjian's self-awareness. His speech at the Martyrs' Cemetery was a combination of sacrificial and military purposes, and it also referenced King George VI's wartime speeches, demonstrating his influence as a monarch and uniting the entire nation.

This is called "the Way" in Sun Tzu's Art of War: to make the people agree with their superiors.

His actions clearly defined the path, guiding the government and the public towards a common goal.

Selecting generals and enforcing rules are things he does regularly. He has the power to appoint and dismiss military personnel, and at the same time acts in accordance with the law and imposes rewards and punishments.

Mastering three out of the five key elements is essential to maintaining control over the army and laying the foundation for victory in war.

The wartime system established during the Liaodong Campaign will become part of the new legal and ethical system.

(End of this chapter)