The Second World in Ancient Times

"Your Majesty, there's more good news from the front! Our army has been pursuing the enemy with unstoppable force, and has captured many enemy camps in succession, recovering a large amount of lost territory. The morale of the soldiers is high, and they are continuing to advance into the enemy's heartland." Wanqing said excitedly.

I took the battle report and read the good news, my heart filled with joy. "Great! Your Majesty and the soldiers are truly brave and fearless. This news of imminent victory will surely inspire the people of this country."

I immediately addressed the ministers, "My Lords, our army's morale is now greatly boosted. We must provide stronger support from the rear to maintain this momentum of victory. Minister of War, how is the replenishment of troops at the front?"

The Minister of War stepped forward to report, "Your Majesty, according to the previous arrangements, the new soldiers have gradually arrived at the front line and are cooperating well with the veterans. Our army is fully manned and is encircling and suppressing the enemy as planned."

I nodded and said, "Excellent. During combat, we must remind our soldiers not to underestimate the enemy. Although our army has won consecutive victories, the enemy still has remnants and may become desperate. We can use modern intelligence collection and analysis methods to keep abreast of the enemy's movements. For example, we can place secret sentries along possible enemy escape routes to learn their intentions in advance so that our army can make early preparations."

The Minister of Revenue continued, "Your Majesty, the supply of food and supplies has been uninterrupted. As our army has recovered lost territory, we have also organized local civilians to assist in the transportation of supplies, which has reduced the transportation pressure and enabled us to deliver supplies to the soldiers on the front lines more quickly."

I said, "Your Excellency, this is a brilliant move. When utilizing local civilians, you must provide them with appropriate compensation and ensure their safety. This is like a modern labor employment relationship. Only fairness and justice will make civilians more willing to serve the military."

I then addressed the imperial physicians at the Imperial Hospital, saying, "My fellow physicians, although the number of wounded on the front lines has decreased, we must not slacken our efforts in medical care. We can teach our female physicians and apprentices on the front lines advanced medical concepts, such as aseptic wound treatment and the prevention of infectious diseases. This will help reduce the mortality and disability rates among the wounded, allowing more soldiers to return home in good health."

The imperial doctors received the order: "Your Majesty, we will make arrangements as soon as possible."

After the rear-line affairs were properly arranged, I said to Wanqing, "Wanqing, arrange for people in the city to widely publicize our victory. Post more victory notices and organize celebrations for the people. Let everyone feel the joy of victory, and at the same time inspire more young people to join the army and contribute to the country's ultimate victory. This is like modern propaganda and mobilization, inspiring the people's patriotic enthusiasm and sense of participation."

Wanqing responded, "Yes, your Majesty."

I also considered diplomatic arrangements. I told the minister in charge of foreign affairs, "Sir, now that our army is on the verge of victory, the attitudes of neighboring countries will inevitably change. With those countries that were previously friendly, we must strengthen our alliances and jointly discuss post-war regional peace and development. For those countries that colluded with the enemy, we must make them pay. We could demand compensation for war losses or offer us greater concessions in trade, diplomacy, and other areas."

The Foreign Minister said, "Your Majesty, I understand. I will flexibly utilize diplomatic strategies based on the circumstances of each country to maximize the interests of our dynasty."

In the palace, I said to everyone in the harem, "Sisters, victory is coming. We must prepare more care for the soldiers on the front lines. In addition to the previous comfort items, you can organize everyone to write some letters home and send them to the soldiers on the front lines. Let them know that their families miss them and care about them, and let them feel the warmth of the home front. This is like modern emotional support, giving soldiers spiritual comfort."

The concubines responded one after another: "Your Majesty, we will do it right away."

As our army continued to advance, news came from the front line that some enemy generals began to waver and were considering surrendering.

I said to my ministers, "My Lords, we must treat the enemy's surrender with great caution. We can establish standards and procedures for accepting surrenders. For example, surrendering enemy troops must disarm, and their commanders must submit to our court's trial and supervision. During the surrender process, we must ensure the safety of our troops and prevent the enemy from feigning surrender. This would be like the modern prisoner-of-war handling process—standardized and orderly to avoid accidents."

A minister said, "Your Majesty, if any high-ranking enemy generals surrender, we can persuade them to surrender and have them persuade more enemy troops to lay down their arms, thus reducing our casualties."

I nodded and said, "This plan is feasible. We can arrange for some eloquent men to persuade the surrendering generals with reason and emotion, while also demonstrating our dynasty's lenient policies so that they can surrender with confidence."

During this time, I received another letter from a general on the front lines. The letter said, "Empress, during our pursuit, we discovered that the people in some areas occupied by the enemy are living in dire straits, many without enough food or clothing. I would like to provide some relief measures, but supplies are limited and I don't know what to do."

After reading the letter, I immediately told the Minister of Revenue, "Sir, please quickly dispatch a batch of supplies to those areas. The people are suffering, and we cannot sit idly by. During the relief process, we must encourage the local people to help themselves, such as reclaiming wasteland and resuming production. This is like modern poverty alleviation and disaster relief efforts: not only providing aid, but also helping them recover and develop their capabilities."

The Minister of Revenue replied, "Your Majesty, I will arrange it immediately."

I wrote back to the generals on the front lines: "General, you care about the people and are a true hero. I have arranged for the delivery of supplies. General, you can organize the people locally and restore production and life according to the plan. After the war is over, the court will have more support policies."

As victory drew near, my busy schedule between the harem and the imperial court grew busier. I addressed the minister in charge of cultural affairs, "Sir, we should organize a grand victory celebration. Invite scholars and artists from across the nation to participate. Create poems, songs, dances, and operas about the victory and perform them at the ceremony. This would not only celebrate victory but also promote national culture, allowing the people to experience the glory and strength of our nation through joy."

The Minister of Culture said, "Your Majesty, this is a grand event. I will meticulously prepare it and make it a classic."

At this moment of near victory, I, drawing on my modern thinking, knowledge, and experience, comprehensively plan for the nation's ultimate victory and postwar stable development. Whether in military logistics, diplomatic strategy, care for the people, or cultural development, I strive for perfection, laying a solid foundation for national prosperity, enabling this nation, having endured the hardships of war, to rapidly rise and usher in a new era of peace and glory.

While preparing for the victory celebrations, I considered the need for a system of commendations for the soldiers who participated. I addressed my ministers, "Your Excellencies, our soldiers braved life and death in this war and achieved remarkable feats. We must establish a comprehensive system of commendations. Beyond the traditional system of conferring titles and accumulating gold and silver, we could also create special honorary titles, such as 'National Defender's Hero' and 'Ever-Victorious General'. Furthermore, we could build monuments to honor them, engraving their achievements and ensuring their eternal remembrance for future generations. This, like the modern system of honors and recognition, inspires generations to fight for the honor of our nation."

The ministers all expressed their agreement: "Your Majesty, this system will surely inspire the fighting spirit of the soldiers and make them fight even harder for the country."

I then said to Jinshu, "Jinshu, collect and compile the heroic deeds of the soldiers on the front lines so that they can be publicized at the celebration. These deeds will become the spiritual treasure of the nation, inspiring the people to love their country and their families and to be positive and progressive."

Jinshu accepted the order and left: "Yes, my lady."

At the palace, I continued to follow news from the front lines and various matters in the rear. I addressed the minister in charge of education, "Your Excellency, after the war, we must promote military and patriotic education nationwide. We should ensure that children learn about our nation's history, the significance of war, and the bravery of our soldiers from a young age. We could develop specialized textbooks and incorporate them into the school curriculum. This would be like modern national defense education, fostering a national awareness of national defense and a strong sense of patriotism."

The Minister of Education said, "Your Majesty, I will organize scholars to compile textbooks as soon as possible and train teachers to ensure the smooth promotion of education."

As our army continued to triumph, more and more enemy troops surrendered. I addressed my ministers, "My Lords, we must properly resettle the surrendered enemy soldiers. We can disperse them across the country and assign them to productive labor, such as reclaiming wasteland and building water conservancy projects. During this process, we must also reform their thinking and assimilate them into our culture and society. This is like the reform and resettlement of modern prisoners of war, transforming enemies into friends and contributing to the nation's development."

The ministers took the order and left, actively arranging the resettlement of the surrendered enemy troops.

In the harem, I organized the concubines to prepare exquisite handicrafts for the victory celebration, such as banners embroidered with victory patterns and sachets symbolizing peace. These products will be presented at the celebration to the meritorious soldiers and envoys from various countries who come to congratulate them.

I said to the concubines, "Sisters, these handicrafts of ours may be small, but they carry our blessings for our country's victory and our yearning for peace. We must use our own way to add glory to this great victory."

The concubines made them with great care, pouring their hard work and love for the country into every stitch and thread.

In this wave of victory, relying on my modern thinking, knowledge and experience, I have woven a huge and detailed network between the palace and the imperial court, covering various fields such as military, politics, economy, culture, education, etc., to safeguard the country's ultimate victory and long-term development. I only hope that the smoke of war can completely dissipate, and the sunshine of peace can always shine on this land, so that the country can stride forward on the new journey and move towards a prosperous and strong tomorrow.

While focusing on the resettlement of surrendered enemy troops, I also considered the restoration and expansion of commerce. I addressed the minister in charge of commercial affairs, "Sir, with the war drawing to a close, we must quickly restore domestic commerce and expand trade with neighboring countries. We could formulate preferential policies to attract businesses to invest and start businesses, such as tax reductions and exemptions, and the provision of space. In foreign trade, we could trade our dynasty's advantageous products, such as silk and porcelain, for supplies needed by the nation, such as war horses and iron ore. This would be like modern commercial trade policies, promoting economic prosperity and development."

The Minister of Commerce said, "Your Majesty, I will follow your instructions and formulate a detailed business plan to promote the recovery and expansion of commerce and trade."

I then addressed the imperial physicians at the Imperial Hospital, "My fellow physicians, after the war, we must conduct a comprehensive review of health conditions throughout the country. War often leads to the spread of disease, and we must proactively prevent it. We can organize female physicians and apprentices to travel to various locations to spread knowledge about hygiene, such as drinking water hygiene and environmental sanitation. This would be like modern public health work, safeguarding the health of the people."

The imperial doctors all expressed their willingness to actively carry out this work: "Your Majesty, we will spare no effort to protect the health of the people."