The Second World in Ancient Times

"Your Majesty, the current situation is critical and foreign enemies are eyeing us covetously. We must act as soon as possible. In terms of border defense, I think the most urgent task is to increase troops. Elite troops can be drawn from various military regions in the interior to rush to the border, and at the same time, new soldiers can be recruited and trained to supplement the troops." I spoke first.

The Minister of Military Affairs nodded in agreement. "Your Majesty, you are absolutely right. I will immediately arrange the deployment of troops. However, the recruitment and training of new soldiers will take some time and require the supervision of experienced generals."

I looked at the Minister of Military Affairs. "General, we can use a rapid training method for new recruits, focusing on basic combat skills and teamwork. We can have some retired veterans return to serve as instructors. Their rich experience can quickly train new recruits to combat effectiveness. This is similar to the modern emergency military training system, which can build a combat-ready division within a limited time."

Then I said, "Stockpiling grain is also urgent. Minister of Revenue, how are the grain reserves in the national treasury?"

The Minister of Revenue quickly responded, "Your Majesty, although the national treasury has a certain amount of grain and grass, it may be difficult to sustain it in the face of the long-term consumption of war."

After a moment's thought, I said, "Sir, in addition to allocating grain from local granaries, we can also encourage the people to donate grain. The court will reward donors with certain rewards, such as tax reductions or honorary titles. At the same time, we can organize caravans to purchase grain from unaffected areas to ensure sufficient food and fodder along the border. This is like the mobilization of war materials and the integration of civilian resources to ensure logistical supply in modern times."

Regarding the construction of fortifications, the Minister of Works said, "Your Majesty, the border terrain is complex. Building strong fortifications is not easy and requires a lot of manpower and materials."

I said, "Sir, you can recruit civilians from the border regions to participate in the construction and provide them with compensation. For materials, we can combine local resources with materials shipped from inland areas. We can also design fortifications based on modern military engineering principles, so that they can both withstand enemy attacks and facilitate our own counterattacks. For example, we can build a multi-layered defense system with traps and bunkers. This is like combining modern military fortress construction concepts with ancient practices to create a solid line of defense."

The Minister of Military Affairs then proposed, "Your Majesty, upgrading our armaments is also crucial. The enemy's weapons and equipment are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and our swords, bows, and crossbows are already somewhat outdated."

I said, "General, you can organize your craftsmen to develop new weapons. For example, improve the crossbow mechanism to increase its range and power; create sharper and stronger swords using special forging techniques. At the same time, you can try to develop some simple firearms. While they may not be comparable to those of later generations, they can still achieve unexpected results on the battlefield. This is like combining modern military technology with ancient weapon innovation to improve the level of military equipment."

His Majesty listened, nodding occasionally. "My beloved concubine and the other ministers are quite right. These measures must be implemented as soon as possible. However, the sentiments of the people at home cannot be ignored. Without a stable public sentiment, even the strongest border defenses will make it difficult to sustain a sustained war."

I said, "Your Majesty, I have considered this. For the people of our country, we must first address their livelihood issues. Local officials need to go down to the grassroots level and understand the suffering of the people, especially those in areas impoverished by uneven development. Poverty alleviation policies should be implemented in impoverished areas, such as distributing seeds and farm tools, teaching agricultural techniques, and supporting the development of handicrafts, so that the people have jobs and food. This is like modern targeted poverty alleviation and livelihood improvement projects, which will stabilize the domestic situation."

A local official said, "Your Majesty, it's just that the people in some places are skeptical of the court's policies, and there may be resistance to their implementation."

I said, "Your Excellency, this requires officials to patiently explain the situation and take concrete action. We can first conduct pilot projects in a few villages, and then expand the policy after it proves effective. At the same time, the court can send some highly respected ministers to inspect various regions to oversee policy implementation and listen to the people's voices. This is like a modern policy pilot and supervision mechanism to ensure that policies for the people's livelihood take root."

In the harem, I gathered the concubines and said, "Sisters, the country is in trouble. Although we cannot fight on the battlefield, we can pray for the soldiers and the people in the rear and support the front in our own ways. Everyone can donate some of their personal wealth to buy cotton-padded clothes and quilts and send them to the border to protect the soldiers from the cold."

One of the concubines said, "Your Majesty, I am willing to do my best to donate all my jewelry in exchange for some supplies to be sent to the border."

The other concubines also responded: "Your Majesty, we will also fully support you."

As various defense and livelihood measures progressed, news arrived from the border. A general defending the border said, "Empress, reinforcements are underway. The new recruits are training diligently and their morale is high. Construction of fortifications is also progressing smoothly. Following your instructions, we've implemented a multi-layered defense structure, which will surely make it difficult for the enemy to break through. However, the development of armaments will take time, and the craftsmen are working day and night."

I replied, "General, thank you for your hard work. Please ensure your men remain vigilant and monitor enemy movements. If the enemy launches a small-scale exploratory attack, we must respond decisively to boost our military's morale."

Domestically, local officials also reported on the success of poverty alleviation efforts. One official remarked, "Your Majesty, since the implementation of poverty alleviation policies in this area, the lives of the people have improved. Many have learned new skills, and their family incomes have increased. They are deeply grateful to the court and have expressed their willingness to serve the country and defend against foreign enemies."

I said with relief, "This is great news. We must continue our efforts to benefit more people and unite the nation."

However, during the preparations for the war, some problems arose. Some recruits suffered injuries during training, hampering progress; the transportation of supplies to border areas was occasionally delayed due to poor road conditions; and in some parts of the country, unscrupulous merchants still hoarded goods and drove up prices.

After learning this, I said to the minister in charge of medical care, "Your Excellency, the issue of injuries among the new recruits needs to be properly addressed. We can set up a temporary medical clinic at the training camp, staffed with sufficient military doctors and medicine. Military doctors should provide scientific training guidance to the new recruits to prevent injuries caused by improper training. This is similar to the application of modern military medical care and sports medicine to ensure the health of soldiers."

He said to the Minister of Works, "Sir, the border road problem must be improved as soon as possible. We can organize civilians to repair the roads, widen the roads, and strengthen the bridges. This will ensure the smooth transportation of supplies. This is like the construction of modern transportation infrastructure and war logistics, providing strong support for the front line."

He said to the Minister of Commerce, "Your Excellency, we must crack down severely on merchants who hoard goods. We must strengthen market supervision and, if discovered, confiscate their goods and property to serve as a warning to others. At the same time, we can stabilize prices by taking some supplies from the treasury and putting them on the market at a fair price to ensure the livelihood of the people. This is like modern market supervision, law enforcement, and price control to maintain market order."

From the palace, I closely monitor the progress of various affairs. Drawing on modern thinking, knowledge, and experience, I work alongside Your Majesty and the ministers to address these numerous challenges. Whether it's building military defenses or ensuring the stability of domestic life, I will devote my all to safeguarding the nation's peace and dignity amidst the challenges that lie ahead. On this stage of history, I will continue to write my own chapter of perseverance, working tirelessly for the survival and development of my nation.

While addressing the issues of recruit injuries and border roads, I thought again about the importance of information transmission in war. I addressed the minister in charge of communications, "Sir, information transmission must be efficient and accurate. Establish a communication network between the border and the interior, combining beacon towers and carrier pigeons, to ensure that military intelligence reaches the court promptly. At the same time, develop a simple and clear communication code to prevent the enemy from intercepting and deciphering the intelligence. This, like modern military communication systems and information encryption technology, ensures the security and smooth flow of information."

The Minister of Communications said, "Your Majesty, although beacon towers and carrier pigeons are traditional, their reliability in wartime still needs further verification, and the compilation and use of communication codes requires specialized training."

I said, "Sir, we can organize personnel to conduct repeated tests on beacon towers and carrier pigeons to improve their reliability. For communication code training, we can select intelligent people and conduct concentrated training to ensure the correct use of codes. This is similar to modern communication technology testing and personnel training to improve information transmission capabilities."

In the harem, I organized the concubines to learn some basic communications knowledge so they could assist in relaying messages in emergency situations. I told them, "Sisters, learning this knowledge will help us contribute to the nation's information transmission in times of emergency. For example, learn to identify the markings of carrier pigeons and understand the meaning of beacon tower signals. This is like modern emergency communications training and the role of women in assisting in information transmission, contributing to the nation's communications efforts from the harem."

The concubines responded one after another: "Your Majesty, we will study hard and contribute to the transmission of national information."

During the process of the country preparing to fight, I fully utilized modern thinking, knowledge and experience, and actively operated between the palace and the court. From military defense to people's livelihood protection, from information transmission to medical rescue, I tried my best to introduce modern concepts and methods, hoping to enable the country to have sufficient response capabilities in the face of crisis and move towards victory. 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 information dissemination, I also considered the role of diplomatic and public opinion warfare in shaping a nation's image. I told the Foreign Minister, "Your Excellency, diplomatic and public opinion warfare cannot be neglected. We can send envoys to neighboring countries and even further afield to promote our nation's peaceful ideals, the charm of our culture, and the justice of this war. At the same time, we can expose the enemy's aggressive ambitions and brutal acts, and win international support. This is like modern international public relations and public opinion guidance, cultivating a positive national image on the international stage."

The Foreign Minister said, "Your Majesty, this diplomatic and public opinion war requires convincing evidence and clever propaganda strategies, and the envoy's eloquence and adaptability are crucial."

I said, "Sir, you could organize scholars to write propaganda articles outlining the enemy's evil deeds and our dynasty's good deeds. When selecting envoys, you should focus on their diplomatic skills and adaptability, providing them with specialized training covering the cultural customs of various countries, diplomatic etiquette, and techniques for guiding public opinion. This would be similar to the preparation of modern diplomatic propaganda materials and the training of diplomatic personnel, to win the battle for diplomatic public opinion."

In the harem, I also organized the concubines to participate in the preparation of some diplomatic promotional activities. I said to them, "Sisters, we can create some exquisite diplomatic gifts, such as silk scarves embroidered with peace patterns and folding fans depicting the beauty of our dynasty. We can have envoys carry them on their foreign visits, showcasing our dynasty's culture and craftsmanship. This is like the modern diplomatic gift culture and national image display, supporting diplomacy from the harem."