The Second World in Ancient Times

"Your Majesty, foreign hostile forces are now coming in with great force, and a border war is about to break out. They are encircling and blocking our country diplomatically, and at home, public sentiment is fluctuating due to unbalanced development. What should we do?" I said with a worried look on my face.

His Majesty clenched his fists. "My beloved, I will not let them succeed. Let's first discuss this diplomatic dilemma. Do you have any good ideas?"

I pondered for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, we can't just sit back and wait for death in diplomacy. We can send secret envoys to countries that aren't closely allied with the enemy and offer them significant benefits, such as shared trade routes and military and technological cooperation, to break their diplomatic blockade. This is like a diplomatic breakout strategy in modern geopolitical games, turning passivity into initiative."

The Foreign Minister said, "Your Majesty, this plan is brilliant, but it carries great risks. If the enemy discovers it, the envoy's life will be in danger, and those countries may not readily agree."

I said, "Sir, the envoys can be selected from among those who are both intelligent and courageous, disguised, and operating in secret. For those countries, we must deeply understand their needs and pain points, and propose targeted cooperation plans. For example, if a country desires our silk weaving technology, we can use this as bait. This is like modern diplomatic intelligence gathering and precise diplomatic strategy formulation, which increases the success rate."

On the military front, the Minister of War reported: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the enemy has assembled a large force on the border, and small-scale provocations and frictions occur daily. Although our troops are on high alert, morale will inevitably be damaged if this continues for a long time."

I looked at the Minister of Military Affairs and said, "General, we can adopt a rotational combat system to allow the soldiers on the front lines adequate rest time and maintain morale. At the same time, we can organize military exercises behind the border to demonstrate our strength and deter the enemy. This is similar to the modern military rest and military deterrence strategy to stabilize the border situation."

The Minister of War nodded. "Your Majesty, our army is still far too weak compared to the enemy alliance. If a large-scale war breaks out, I'm afraid it will be difficult to sustain the fight."

I said, "General, we can recruit new soldiers domestically and conduct emergency training. We should not only train them in combat skills, but also strengthen their ideological education, so that they understand the importance of defending the country. This is like the modern system of national defense mobilization and recruit training to expand military strength."

The problem of unstable public sentiment at home also needed to be addressed urgently. The Minister of Revenue said, "Your Majesty, due to the uneven development of various regions, the people in some poor areas have many complaints against the court. They believe that the benefits of the new policies have been taken by the wealthy regions, while they themselves continue to live in poverty."

I said to the Minister of Revenue, "Your Excellency, we can allocate materials and funds from affluent areas to impoverished areas for poverty alleviation and development. For example, we could establish handicraft workshops in impoverished areas, teach them production techniques, and stimulate employment. At the same time, we could send officials to various regions to publicize the long-term goals and overall plan of the new policy, so that the people understand that the country is on the path to balanced development; it just takes time. This would be similar to modern regional coordinated development and poverty alleviation policy publicity, rallying the people's hearts and minds."

In the harem, I gathered the concubines and said, "Sisters, the country is currently facing internal and external troubles, and we must share His Majesty's worries from the harem. You can organize the palace maids to make some comfort gifts and send them to the border to reward the soldiers. You can also visit the people in impoverished areas to comfort them and convey the court's care."

One of the concubines said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to go to the impoverished areas and do some practical work for the people."

I nodded and said, "Sister, you are very thoughtful. But you must be careful on your journey and make sure the people truly feel the court's care and love."

As the situation developed, friction along the border intensified. A general guarding the border sent an urgent report: "Empress, the enemy has recently increased its attacks on our border. Although our army has fought hard, we have suffered heavy losses. The enemy has also used some new siege weapons, which our fortifications are unable to withstand."

I said to the Minister of War, "General, it appears the enemy has made a breakthrough in military technology. We must immediately organize our craftsmen to research countermeasures and develop stronger fortifications and more powerful counterattack weapons. This is like a modern military technology race and a weapons and equipment development competition, maintaining a military technological advantage during war."

The Minister of War said, "Your Majesty, the craftsmen are working hard on research and development, but time is tight and the results are difficult to guarantee."

I said, "General, you could offer a reward to recruit skilled craftsmen from the public, giving them generous rewards and honors to stimulate their creativity. At the same time, you could refer to ancient records of military equipment and combine them with modern knowledge of mechanics to accelerate research and development. This would be like modern technology bounties integrating knowledge and innovation to promote the development of innovative military technology."

In the diplomatic field, secret messengers continued to bring back news. One messenger said, "Your Majesty, I have contacted a certain country. They are quite interested in our cooperation proposal, but are hesitant because they are worried about retaliation from the enemy."

I said, "Emissary, you can promise them that we will provide military protection and speak on their behalf in international public opinion. At the same time, you can first sign some secret agreements to gradually build trust. This is like a modern diplomatic commitment and trust-building mechanism that promotes diplomatic cooperation."

Domestic poverty alleviation efforts have also encountered resistance. Local officials reported: "Your Majesty, when establishing handicraft workshops in impoverished areas, we encounter resistance from local residents. They believe this will disrupt their traditional way of life and worry that if the workshops fail, they will lose all their money."

I told the local officials, "Sir, please patiently explain the workshop's operating model and profit prospects to the people. You could initially provide them with some free training and start-up capital so they can see the benefits. At the same time, establish a profit-sharing mechanism between the workshop and the people, such as dividends based on shares, to boost their enthusiasm. This would be like the mobilization and interest-sharing mechanisms used in modern poverty alleviation projects, promoting the smooth implementation of poverty alleviation work."

I have been thinking about countermeasures day and night in the palace. Whether it is diplomatic maneuvering, military offense and defense, or the stability and appeasement of domestic people's livelihood, I have relied on modern thinking, knowledge and experience to try to find a way out for the country. I only hope to protect the country's peace and prosperity in this crisis-ridden predicament. I will also continue to write my own chapter of perseverance on this stage of history, and work tirelessly for the survival and development of the country.

As we responded to the enemy's new siege engines, I was reminded of the crucial role of intelligence warfare in war. I told my minister in charge of intelligence, "Your Excellency, intelligence warfare is crucial. We must send more intelligence personnel deep into the enemy's ranks to uncover their military deployments, weapons development, and internal alliance conflicts. For example, understanding the weaknesses of their new siege engines will allow us to develop targeted countermeasures. This is like modern intelligence collection and analysis, providing a basis for military decision-making."

The Minister of Intelligence said, "Your Majesty, the enemy is well-defended, and it is extremely risky for intelligence personnel to penetrate deep within."

I said, "Sir, you can select personnel who are skilled in disguise and quick-witted, and give them special training, such as training in language and customs, so that they can better integrate into the enemy forces. At the same time, establish secure channels for intelligence transmission, such as using carrier pigeons and secret passages, to ensure that intelligence is transmitted back in a timely and accurate manner. This is similar to the training of modern agents and the construction of intelligence transmission networks to ensure the smooth progress of intelligence work."

In the harem, I organized the concubines to learn some basic intelligence knowledge so that they would be aware of useful information when interacting with the wives of foreign envoys. I told them, "Sisters, we can also contribute to intelligence work in diplomatic settings. Pay attention to the words and expressions of foreign ladies, and from them, discover clues that may be useful to the country. This is like modern social intelligence gathering and the supporting role of women in intelligence work, contributing to the national intelligence cause from the harem."

The concubines responded one after another: "Your Majesty, we will pay close attention and contribute to the national intelligence gathering."

When the country was in crisis, I used modern thinking, knowledge and experience in all aspects and actively operated between the palace and the court. From military technology research and development to intelligence warfare, from diplomatic breakthroughs to domestic poverty alleviation, I tried my best to introduce modern concepts and methods, hoping to enable the country to find a turning point in its difficulties and move towards peace and stability. I will also continue to leave my own unique mark of struggle in this long river of history and contribute all my strength to the country's revival and development.

While encouraging intelligence gathering, I also considered the potential influence of cultural penetration in diplomacy and warfare. I addressed the minister in charge of cultural affairs, "Your Excellency, cultural penetration can serve as a supplementary tool in our diplomacy and warfare. By spreading our dynasty's culture—opera, poetry, calligraphy, and painting—in border regions, we can help enemy soldiers and the people of neighboring countries understand the charm of our culture and inspire them to yearn for it. This is like the export of cultural soft power and cultural diplomacy strategies of modern times, subtly influencing others."

The Minister of Culture said, "Your Majesty, this cultural dissemination may be interfered with by enemy forces in border areas. How can we ensure that it can achieve the desired effect?"

I said, "Your Excellency, we can organize a cultural delegation of folk artists and scholars to perform and showcase in the secure border areas. At the same time, we can incorporate our dynasty's cultural values, such as loyalty, justice, and peace, into the performances, allowing the audience to absorb our values ​​while enjoying the cultural works. This is similar to modern cultural communication strategies and the output of values, enhancing the effectiveness of cultural penetration."

Within the imperial harem, I also organized the concubines to create cultural works for use in border cultural dissemination. I told them, "Sisters, we can create works that reflect our nation's peaceful ideals and cultural charm, such as paintings depicting peaceful scenes and poems expressing patriotic sentiments. This is like modern cultural creation and national image-building, contributing to cultural diplomacy from the imperial harem."