C441 Refuge Valley (1/2)
The French strategic bombardment ended at dusk. The initial twenty-four hours of bombardment only lasted for twelve hours before Gong Cheng's goal was reached, and that was fear.
An entire day of indiscriminate bombardment did not dare say that it was enough to make the Ryukyu's family feel filial piety. In this bombardment, more than ten thousand houses were destroyed, and the number of casualties was no less than fifty thousand.
Shang Tai stood at the entrance of the deep valley, looking at the citizens who were fleeing. The women and children were crying, the adults were sighing, the injured were crying and the ones who had lost their loved ones were suffering, everyone's faces were filled with deep fear.
Many military doctors and nurses wearing white coats were walking back and forth in the crowd. Many of them were already exhausted, but they were still persisting. The families of the wounded were looking at them as if they were gods.
Most of them were in military uniforms. Some of them were giving out rations, some were taking care of the wounded, and some were cleaning the corpses. It was currently a scorching heat, so all the dead had to be buried in time.
Every time a corpse was carried out of the crowd, his friends and relatives would all cry like wolves. Every time Shang Tai heard such miserable cries, his heart would break.
”Your Majesty, you should drink some water …” Jin Changsen brought a broken porcelain bowl over. Before His Majesty could take it, he spoke in a low voice, ”Your Majesty, I was watching from the hillside, the French have not fired a shot at Shouli City today. The palace is safe, but it's almost dark now.
Shang Tai shook his head: ”The citizens are bleeding, do I have to be happy in the palace? I don't have the ability to kill the enemy. Can't I accompany the common people in suffering? ”
With that, Shang Tai took the water from Jin Changsen's hands, and turned to hand it to the wounded man beside him.
”Your Majesty …” The injured and the surrounding commoners subconsciously wanted to kowtow, but they did not expect that Shang Tai would hold them back, ”Don't, don't, don't … Don't move, none of you move... ”I am the incompetent one. If I can't protect this country, I will be the one to blame!”
”Wuwuwu …” The crowd cried, ”Your Majesty, don't say that. In the hundreds of years of the Ryukyu's history, we have never heard of an emperor who goes through hardships with ordinary people. We have never heard of a king who goes through military disaster with his people. You are a Saint Lord! ”
Shang Tai laughed bitterly. Ignoring the dirt on the ground, he sat down on his butt, ”Don't kneel, what kind of saint am I? Seeing that my people are bleeding and I am unable to do anything, what kind of saint am I? ”
Wang Mo shook his head and sighed, ”I have already made up my mind. If we are able to survive this time in Ryukyu, we will be able to safely get through this calamity … ”I've decided to join the army. I'm going to military academy as well. I'm going to start with a soldier with a big head. I won't be a useless emperor anymore …”
”No way!” Jin Changsen and the surrounding civil servants kneeled down. They looked at Shang Tai in fear, as they could hear clearly that he was speaking about them, not them.
Heavens, what exactly was thinking? He actually wants to join the army and become a soldier with a large head? Was he going to abandon his literature and join the army? Is he abandoning our Gui Chen?
It had to be said that ever since the Song Dynasty, the difference between martial arts and martial arts had always been a problem in the hearts of the Confucian disciples.
The Emperor wants to join the army? ~ This is impressive, the tradition of East Asia since ancient times is to use literature to control martial arts, isn't this what Shang Tai is going to do? Although Xiao Letian was holding the title of Prime Minister when he led the troops, these old officials still talked a lot about him.
”Wuwuwu …” Your Majesty, the son of a thousand gold does not sit still. You are the hope of a nation in Ryukyu. Countless people smashed their heads into the ground, causing blood to flow all over their faces.
He smiled faintly and helped all of the Gui Chen s who were kowtowing to him up: ”Don't say it like that, the Saints have long said that it is better for the people to respect the Lord, am I not strictly abiding by the words of the Saints?”
”What is the foundation of the Ryukyu? It depends on whether or not the people recognize this nation. As long as there is a Ryukyu in the hearts of tens of thousands of people, even if the nation is destroyed, the people's hearts can still be restored to their country … ”
”This is the country and people that the prime minister spoke of. Before, I only vaguely understood them, but today, I finally understand them all …”
Just as these Gui Chen were about to bitterly persuade him, a loud voice came out from outside the valley, ”Your majesty is right, what is the martial arts path? Those were the words of the corrupt scholars who were in trouble with the country and its people. They were all great men who stood between heaven and earth. Why couldn't they be civil and military talents? What's the use of distinguishing between the two? If the country is broken, everyone is a slave! ”
Everyone looked up. The one who spoke was General Liang Kun, who was injured. His forehead was bandaged with white cloth, and two soldiers were lying on top of it with a stretcher. There was a bullet wound in his left leg.
”General, are you hurt?” Shang Tai and the group of officials immediately rushed over.
”I am ashamed that I was unable to complete my mission … When they met the French artillery on the northern road, the Guotou Village still did not manage to take it down. ” Liang Kun lowered her head in regret.