Super Dictator

Thank you to the two brothers 'gozira1975' and 'I'm with you tonight' for their support. Xiaochong bowed to express his gratitude.

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In the capital, the Battle of Liaodong did not affect the leisurely or tiring life of the people in the capital. On the streets, there were still people who considered themselves elegant, carrying a birdcage, and walking leisurely around the Temple of Heaven and other places.

Of course, there are also working people who get up early to do business, shouting, the gurgling sound of rickshaws, traffic, and people coming and going, creating a bustling scene.

The people in the capital have developed an open-minded attitude of not being surprised when the mountains collapse. Even when the British and French forces invaded the city, countless people gathered around to watch and be surprised, but they were not afraid.

Even if the war in Liaodong is far away from their lives, even if it is close, they will continue to do whatever they have to do. Small people cannot change the current situation. Although big people are worried about the current situation, they can't let go of eating and drinking.

Only a group of passionate people who are worried about the world are left in sorrow.

Lin Zhixing, Beijing-based editor-in-chief of the Gazette of All Nations, came to the newspaper office early. The Gazette of All Nations is headquartered in Shanghai and is sponsored by Lin Lezhi, a missionary from the American Board of Supervisors. It is the longest-running and most influential magazine in China.

From important government officials such as Li Hongzhang and Zhang Zhidong to the Emperor of Japan, they all subscribed to this magazine for a long time. "To Li Hongzhang" and "To Li Hongzhang" written by Sun Yat-sen of later generations were also published in the Gazette of All Nations.

In 1876, the Qing government commended Lin Lezhi for his contribution and awarded him the fifth-grade official title. The Gazette of All Nations also affected the whole country, with branches in some big cities. Especially on the occasion of the Sino-Japanese War of 1884-1894, the news in the capital It has attracted the attention of the world, and the staff of the Beijing branch of the Gazette of All Nations are extremely busy.

"Jia Zhi, is there any new news ahead?" Lin Zhixing asked about the Sino-Japanese war in Liaodong as soon as he entered the newspaper office.

Since the beginning of the war between China and Japan, it has shocked the whole of Asia. The world's powers are paying close attention to it. They are watching the outcome of the war between this old empire and the emerging countries in Asia, and they are all waiting to step in and get a piece of the pie.

Before the war between China and Japan, Russia and Britain were mainly competing for hegemony in Asia, and other countries could not get involved.

Now, due to the war between China and Japan, the stagnant water of Asia has been muddied, and all countries want to profit from it. Not to mention the old European empires of Germany and France, even the emerging power in the Americas, the United States of America, will not miss this opportunity.

A fierce battle of smoke-free diplomacy has long been launched between China and Japan. After you sing, we will appear.

However, the development of the war left all countries dumbfounded. Not only did the Qing Dynasty, which they were originally optimistic about, lose their vassal country North Korea, but now even their own Liaodong has been occupied by more than half. The Qing army has been defeated again and again. Now all countries are waiting It depends on when the two countries will cease war, and what benefits they can get from it.

Chinese and foreign newspapers also actively reported on the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1894, which attracted the attention of all parties, or published comments and suggestions, or called on both sides to cease the war.

Qian Jiazhi was one of the editors in the newspaper who specialized in collecting the Sino-Japanese war situation and intelligence. Hearing Lin Zhixing's inquiry, he couldn't help but sighed: "After the Huai army lost Lushun, they lost Gaiping again! The whole court cannot One-minded, fighting or drifting, my China is in danger."

"Could it be that we, the Chinese people, cannot withstand the Japanese pirates' advance? Isn't there some good news from Liaodong?" Lin Zhixing remembered that he had just won a great victory at Caohekou not long ago, and that Liaoxi was retreating steadily. He still had doubts about the existence of Liaodong. Some expectations.

"In Liaodong, the defenders of Dakaoling on the east route repelled several attacks by Japanese pirates. However, I heard that Xiuyan was lost on the west route again, and the defenders retreated to Ximu City." Qian Jiayi said with a frustrated look.

Wei Jichen's record of annihilating two Japanese cavalry squadrons was drowned out by the news of the loss of Xiuyan City. Even if he won a battle, it would not change the overall situation of the loss of Xiuyan City. Others would only remember the Chinese army retreating to Ximu City. Who would I will remember that during the retreat, the Chinese army had a small victory.

The more Lin Zhixing listened, the more depressed he became, and he said angrily: "It takes a thousand days to raise an army, but it takes only a short time to use it. When it comes to going to the battlefield, each of these armies is like eggplants beaten by frost, withering. As for Wei Jichen, the court didn't treat him last time." Are you proud enough to go to heaven and earth?"

Wei Jichen was shot while lying down. No matter how powerful he was, he only had a thousand men at his disposal. How could he change the situation of the Qing army's complete defeat?

Wei Jichen was just a model promoted by Li Hongzhang and Guangxu to inspire the morale of all soldiers to resist the war.

"Wei Jichen!" Qian Jiazhi thought for a moment and suddenly said, "If you didn't tell me, I would have forgotten that there happened to be an article about him in the Beijing News."

The Beijing News was originally a government newspaper, but over time, it has become a semi-official newspaper and has been sold to the public. You can subscribe as long as you pay. Of course, most of the emperor's edicts and ministers' memorials are published on it. and government documents.

Since it is a semi-official newspaper, newspapers from all over the world are of course paying close attention to the news on it. Some newspapers will reprint it if they find valuable articles in it.

"Oh, let me see." Lin Zhixing complained casually. He also knew that Wei Jichen was just a small general and not the commander-in-chief of the entire army. Of course, he couldn't change the overall situation. He didn't expect that after asking There is really news about him.

Qian Jiazhi turned over the Beijing News from the table and handed it to Lin Zhixing solemnly.

Lin Zhixing glanced at it briefly. Most of the pages talked about how the imperial court actively fought against the Japanese. This one expressed to the imperial court that he was willing to lead troops to Liaodong, the other expressed that he was willing to die to serve the country, and there were some commendation orders to reward meritorious soldiers on the front line. They looked dull. Tasteless.

It wasn't until he turned to the back that Lin Zhixing found a report related to Wei Jichen.

"We, the famous Qing general Wei Jichen, captured a group of Japanese soldiers. Inspired by Lafayette and the emperor, these Japanese soldiers expressed their willingness to join our country and expressed their anger towards the Japanese who provoked the war. The Japanese did not care about the domestic situation. The people's lives and lives were taken into account, and the war was provoked, which caused great harm to the people of the two countries. I hope the Japanese government will not turn a deaf ear and continue to initiate the war regardless of the lives and lives of the people. "

What follows is the surrender letter written by a Matsunano native, polished by Li Yunfei, and signed by many Japanese prisoners.

Wei Jichen asked the sergeant who returned to the rear to first hand over the surrender to Li Hongzhang. After Li Hongzhang obtained it, he naturally would not miss this opportunity to undermine the morale of the Japanese, and immediately published the instructions in the Beijing News.

After all, Japan is a small country and its people are poor. Although it has won consecutive battles on the battlefield, it cannot support a long-term war. As the war has developed so far, ordinary people can no longer bear it. Peasant uprisings have broken out in many places in Japan, and society has also become turbulent.

Some contents in Matsuno Man's surrender also represent the voices of some lower-class people in Japan.

After Lin Zhixing finished reading, he slapped the table and said: "Okay, okay, reprint it immediately. We must make this surrender cause a sensation and let the ordinary Japanese people feel that the Sino-Japanese war provoked by the Japanese government will only Their lives are becoming increasingly difficult.”

Lin Zhixing decided on the matter on the spot and prepared to reprint it in tomorrow's Gazette of All Nations.

Qian Jiazhi raised another manuscript in his hand and said with a smile: "In addition to this surrender, this Japanese and some other Japanese prisoners also wrote a biography."

Wei Jichen asked the sergeant to submit this manuscript to various newspapers in Beijing. Qian Jiazhi found it immediately after seeing the article published in the Beijing News.

"Oh, this must have been done by Wei Jichen again. It seems that in addition to being good at fighting, Wei Jichen also has a lot of research experience on the role of our newspapers and magazines." Lin Zhixing said with a smile, completely forgetting that he had been there before Still yelling at Wei Jichen.

Lin Zhixing picked up the manuscript and read it carefully, his face became a little strange for a moment.

"Should this be read as a biography or a novel?" Lin Zhixing put down the manuscript and asked, dumbfounded.

No wonder the Beijing News did not publish this. It seems that the imperial court also felt that some of the things in it were a bit too nonsense.

"Editor-in-Chief, do you think this can be published in a newspaper?" Qian Jiazhi asked hesitantly. The Gazette of All Nations is also a well-known old newspaper. It focuses on political and current affairs, but such as the Encyclopedia of Japanese Generals When I looked at it, there were some randomly made-up articles that had never been published before.

"Let me think about it." Lin Zhixing took the manuscript in his hand and walked back and forth for a few steps. In the end, it was the names of Wei Jichen and Shanxian Youpeng that impressed him.

"It will be published in the front of the newspaper together with surrender tomorrow." Lin Zhixing placed the manuscript heavily on the table and made a decision in his heart. Even if this is a nonsense, as long as it can dampen the arrogance of the Japanese, even if I, Lin Zhixing, It's worth being blamed by the headquarters.

Lin Zhixing didn't know that this small decision of his would make this issue of the Gazette of Nations sell out of stock.

At the same time, newspapers of all sizes in Beijing received this manuscript signed by Matsunano. Some newspapers found it valuable, and some laughed and put it aside after reading it. However, most newspapers decided to reprint the surrender article.

It didn’t take long for Matsunano’s article to spread to all parts of the country at a terrifying speed.

Early the next morning, the sound of newsboys hawking in the streets and alleys of Beijing was still ringing.

"Selling newspapers, selling newspapers, big news, the Japanese soldiers surrendered to General Wei Jichen and expressed their willingness to break away from Japan." What is the biggest skill of the newsboy? It is to brag that two groups of ants are fighting in the Amazon rainforest. After they Once the mouth changes, it will turn into hundreds of thousands of North American soldiers fighting.

Several prisoners surrendered, and when the newsboy shouted, it seemed like a huge Japanese army rebellion had occurred.

"Sell newspapers, sell newspapers. The number one war madman of Japan's invasion of China, Yama County Youpeng, has been betrayed by private information. Let's talk about some unknown things about Shan County Youpeng."

"Do you want to know why Yamagata Aritomo became so cruel and cruel? Deciphering Yamagata Aritomo's character development is absolutely sensational. It was completed in one go by a well-known Japanese political reporter after decades of research and the collection of numerous materials."

The newsboy didn't hesitate to add more information and sell it loudly.

Sure enough, these cries immediately attracted pedestrians coming and going.

Pedestrians stopped and donated their bags one after another.

"Here's some."

"Give me one."

"It's the Gazette of All Nations, yes, two copies."

It didn’t take long for the newspapers in the hands of newsboys everywhere to be sold out.

"This old guy is so promiscuous." Pedestrians who bought the newspaper couldn't wait to read it, and started talking about it from time to time.

"It's so pitiful. It's a shadow left in his childhood. No wonder he is so loyal to the Emperor of Japan. It turns out there is an unexplainable relationship between them."

Some passers-by who had not bought newspapers were very excited and asked what happened.

It didn't take long for various news about Youpeng in Shan County to spread throughout the capital. Some of the stories seemed to be profitable, so they took advantage of the trend and adapted the articles into reviews, which were widely reprinted in other newspapers. , Shanxian Youpeng's reputation spread throughout the country.

Even those Japanese spies in China who were collecting intelligence about China saw this and quickly bought a few newspapers. After reading it, they were shocked and quickly uploaded it as important information back to the country and the front line of the invasion of China.