Late Ming Dynasty: Oops, I am surrounded by the Donglin Party

“Secondly, I think we should build a monument in a prominent place in the capital of our Ming Dynasty, and then set a festival that can enhance the sense of honor of the soldiers.

On this day, Your Majesty and the court officials should lead the people of the world to pay tribute to the brave warriors of the country who died in the battlefields of previous wars for the prosperity of the country and the stability of the people.

I know what Your Majesty wants to say. Our Great Ming has the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and in the Imperial Ancestral Temple there are also the meritorious officials of our Great Ming dynasty, but that is different.

Someone once said that the temple is too high to see its people. This great monument is not just to commemorate some high-ranking generals, but all the soldiers in the world.

Mr. Hai, please stop glaring at me. A monument doesn't cost that much money.

This is also what I am thinking about, an attempt to make the entire Ming army have faith and a sense of honor." Zhang Shikang said seriously.

In the past two years, Zhang Shikang has been working hard to improve the status of soldiers among all classes in the Ming Dynasty.

As a result, Zhang Shikang often criticized those civil officials who always felt that they were superior to the generals and soldiers.

Let them understand that the reason they can live a life of luxury is because there is a group of people working hard for them.

Let them know that the reason they can live a peaceful life is because there is a group of people carrying the burden for them.

This is true for the army, for craftsmen, and even for some scholars who claim to worry about the world before themselves but in their hearts look down on the lower classes of people.

When talking about military affairs, Zhang Shikang's whole temperament changed. Although Hai Zhongqi and other cabinet ministers did not like Zhang Shikang's personality and style of doing things, they had to admire him when it came to military affairs.

The overall transformation of the Ming army was visible to the naked eye. Three years ago, even the border troops were evenly matched in fighting the bandits.

Not to mention fighting the Jianlu, killing a few hundred people would be a great victory.

But now, the border troops have a new look. The Beijing camp, which was once regarded by everyone as a gathering place for the old, weak, sick and disabled, has won brilliant victories one after another.

Obviously, the chief minister of the cabinet, Li Banghua, understood military affairs. He had served as the governor of the military affairs of the Beijing camp and had reorganized the Beijing camp. He also knew how rotten the Beijing camp was at that time.

Therefore, Li Banghua was able to understand what Zhang Shikang meant. It was something different from conventional training or even rewards and punishments. It was a kind of cohesion on the spiritual level.

But it was different for Emperor Chongzhen. He listened very carefully but did not fully understand. Out of his confidence in Zhang Shikang's military, awe was written all over his face.

He was just about to say that if it really helped improve the army's combat effectiveness, then do it, but Zhang Shikang spoke first:

"This third option is also what I think is the most direct and effective."

Thirdly, Emperor Chongzhen kept his mouth shut, glad that he did not speak first.

"That is to carry out a series of patriotic education for military officers and soldiers.

Oh, to put it simply, patriotic education is to make them understand that joining the army is not just for the sake of earning military pay, but for the Ming Dynasty court and for the people of the world.

Specifically, it can be divided into many aspects. I will just give a few examples.

For example, we can organize a few historians to go to the army regularly to give lectures on history, so that the grassroots soldiers can know the history of the Ming Dynasty, understand how difficult our Ming Dynasty was, and how many martyrs and heroes gave their lives for the establishment of the Ming Dynasty.

For example, if we have a national flag, have we considered having a national anthem written by those of you who are well-educated?

Now that we have a military flag, have you considered writing another military song for the Ming army? So that soldiers all over the world can sing it?

With the national flag, a flag-raising ceremony can be held on specific days, which is what the Ministry of Rites is best at.

Think about it, when a flag slowly rises in the morning sun, will it remind the common people and soldiers of something, such as the difficult past of the Ming Dynasty and the prosperous future of the Ming Dynasty?

Not only in the military, but also in the Imperial College, prefectural schools, and county schools, if patriotic education in this area is regularly provided, it will be of great help to the court.

All of the above actually don’t cost much money, it just takes a little more thought.

But if we can do it well, it will not only enhance the cohesion of the army, but also enhance the people's centripetal force towards our Ming Dynasty court.

The above are the areas that I think we should focus on. If you have different opinions, please feel free to share them."

After Zhang Shikang finished speaking, he sat back in his seat.

The court was silent for three breaths. The chief minister of the cabinet, Li Banghua, slowly stood up and bowed to Emperor Chongzhen.

Then he bowed to Zhang Shikang, and then turned to Emperor Chongzhen and said:

"Your Majesty, I think what Minister Zhang said is true. The military spirit and faith can make the soldiers understand that being a soldier is not just for the sake of getting paid. If this can really be achieved, the army of our Ming Dynasty will surely be invincible.

The national flag... represents the flag of the country. Although this is the first time I have heard of this, if all the people in the world can understand the meaning of this flag, it will be very helpful for Your Majesty to govern the country.

Therefore, I second the motion!"

This was the first time that Zhang Shikang was supported by the Cabinet Chief Minister Li Banghua in the many court discussions he participated in.

After all, Li Banghua had military experience. He had seen everything Zhang Shikang said and did just now. He was almost certain that Zhang Shikang was really working hard to improve the combat effectiveness of the Ming army.

This was the first time he had heard the term patriotic education. If Zhang Shikang really had ulterior motives, this would probably be the last thing he would want to do.

Li Banghua stood up to express his position, and the other cabinet ministers soon stood up to second the motion. Emperor Chongzhen was also very happy. It was the first time that all the cabinet ministers agreed on something so unanimously, and he didn't even need to smooth things over.

In the end, the Ministry of Rites took on the task of designing the national flag, national anthem, military flag, and military song for the Ming Dynasty, and the Ministry of Works took on the task of designing and building a monument.

The task of preaching the history of the Ming Dynasty to the soldiers in the military garrisons across the country was given to many officials in the Ming Dynasty. After all, reading history is a basic skill for those who can pass the imperial examination.

Zhang Shikang also made a lot of suggestions for this, such as finding someone with good eloquence and someone who understands the writing style of the Spring and Autumn Period.

According to Zhang Shikang, the facts are not important. What is most important is to inspire the patriotism of the soldiers.

In fact, it is brainwashing. This word does not sound nice, but it is indeed the case in many cases.

After discussing the matter, Emperor Chongzhen asked his ministers if they had anything to add. Since this meeting was called a financial meeting, it would naturally focus on finances.

Everyone thought about it and it seemed that there was nothing more to add. There were really many places to spend money, but the emperor had already said that when the money was all spent, they would look for Zhang Shikang.

Seeing that everyone was fine, Emperor Chongzhen was about to announce the end of the meeting and send everyone home, but Zhang Shikang suddenly slammed the table and said:

"Oh, I just remembered something."

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