Chapter 490: Appealing to Emotion

There is another scene on the outskirts of the west gate of Jinxia City.

Temporary camps previously established for refugees can naturally also be used to house captives.

But rather than cleaning their bodies, what they need more is a full meal to dispel the coldness accumulated along the way.

The Secretariat is not stingy in this regard - the porridge is made from seasonal grain stored in the grain depot, and you can insert chopsticks into it after cooking. The porridge was mixed with salt and fish mince, which was delicious and filling. It was more abundant than the food in the Privy Council's army.

The prisoners had never experienced such treatment. They all held bowls and wolfed down the food.

Even if this is the last meal in your life, you have to eat before you go on the road.

"Master Hong, the stage in the camp has been set up and can start at any time." Ding Pan reported to his superior. Ever since Hong Siqi turned his back on the dark side and officially gave up his official title of prefect, joining the Affairs Bureau and becoming the head of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, he, who was originally a domestic servant, also got a secretarial position.

Although the rank of this position is not high, it is also listed in the Secretariat. In layman's terms, it is the "official of the imperial court." Ding Pan is overjoyed to be able to achieve this position as a domestic servant. For him now, the most important thing is for Jin Xia to defeat the imperial court and completely replace it. At the worst, he must maintain his independence. Only in this way can he secure his official status and become a master in one fell swoop.

Of course, Ding Pan also knows that the propaganda of the Secretariat has always emphasized that officials should serve the people, so he can only think about this in his heart, but this does not prevent him from working hard towards this goal. For example, when it comes to treating prisoners, Ding Pan is particularly concerned - if these people are let go, they may return to the enemy's army, so if he wants to weaken the power of the Privy Council, it is best to keep them all. .

And this is what Hong Siqi thinks in his heart.

In other words, people who have served in the imperial court and the Privy Council of Qi State will all have the same expectation - only when the original regime falls can their position be stable.

Hong Siqi vaguely realized that Xia Fan saw this and entrusted him with the task of guiding the prisoners.

"Let's go there."

The so-called stage is a three-foot-square stage. When Hong Si climbed on it, the prisoners below were being escorted in one after another. It can be seen that after a hearty meal, everyone looks much better than when they got off the boat, and their eyes also have a little sparkle. However, when they were brought here by the Jinxia City guards, they showed obvious uneasiness and even some resistance.

Hong Siqi thought about it for a while, and suddenly realized that the stage was built in a hurry, so the layout was rather crude. At first glance, it looked a bit like a guillotine.

"Look what a stage you've put up!" Naturally, he would not admit that this was his omission, and Ding Pan scolded him, "Don't you think it looks shabby? Go buy some colored silk quickly and decorate it around. Both sides Put up a few more flower pots and save money here!”

Seeing the latter nodding quickly to do it, Hong Siqi cleared his throat and said loudly to the prisoners, "Everyone, listen to what I have to say -"

Under the effect of the amplified notes, his voice instantly spread throughout the western suburbs camp, and the more than 5,000 people below immediately became much quieter.

"This is not an execution ground. You don't need to worry about being decapitated. On the contrary, during this time in Jinxia City, you can enjoy the same meal every day until you get rid of your status as a prisoner."

As soon as they heard that they had enough food to eat every day, everyone's uneasiness was immediately curbed. No matter what the situation was in the future, at least they could feel relieved in the short term.

After the fear temporarily dissipated, it was replaced by doubt and speculation.

"Is Her Royal Highness really so kind?"

"Those white porridges have meat in them..."

“What does it mean to be freed from captivity?”

"They probably put us into the army."

Hong Siqi pretended not to hear the discussion and continued to speak loudly, "Now that we have eaten, it's time to talk about business. But it must be boring to listen to me nagging here alone, and it may not be very good. We understand Jinxia’s policies, so I’d better let you listen to Dr. Cha tell a few stories.”

After saying that, he actually walked towards the audience.

Next on the stage were a tea doctor and two piano girls.

This was the first time the prisoners encountered such a situation, and they all stayed where they were. The other party didn't care what the audience's reaction was. After playing a little tune, Dr. Tea told the story on the spot.

There are only a handful of entertainment projects in this era, especially for the lower-class soldiers. What's more, what the other party is talking about is not the entanglement between the young master and the eldest lady, but a new generation of vernacular novels written by the Propaganda Department at the request of Xia Fan. , the easy-to-understand beginning quickly made everyone immersed in it.

The story tells the past of three representative characters.

One is a soldier who was forcibly recruited into the army.

"He" originally had a happy family, but because of the outbreak of the war, he was forced to join the army by the yamen. He ate pie and gruel and received the lowest pay. Even so, he would be exploited by his superiors from time to time, and he would always be in front of the generals in battle. Comrades from all walks of life died in battle one after another. Although he was lucky enough to survive to the end, when he was sent back home, he found that his family had declined, his wife was prematurely old, and his family property had been sold off, leaving him with only a piece of deserted land.

One is a brothel girl who has the courage to travel from Gyeonggi to Jinxia alone in the face of change.

This part is basically adapted from Yu Shuangxue's experience, but in the story, her experience is more tortuous. In the end, she succeeded in her career and got married smoothly under the care of the policy, and lived a happy life in the new city.

The third is the deeds of Huo Ying, an official in Baisha County.

From an ordinary scholar to a reserve official in Jinxia City, and then to heroic sacrifice to protect the mine - this matter is remembered by all residents of Shenzhou. While his widow and descendants received generous pensions, they were also respected by the neighbors and cared for by the affairs bureau, which formed a sharp contrast with the soldiers in the first story who were ignored.

There are many stories like this in the Propaganda Department. However, after repeated reference and comparison, Hong Siqi finally chose these three stories as the focus of his preaching.

He was born as a prefect, and he also did the work of conscription. He understood the living conditions of the lower-level soldiers - in his opinion, the first story was already euphemistic. In fact, when the main labor force of a family was conscripted, the fate afterwards was far more terrible than the separation of wife and children. How long they could last depended on how much savings they had on weekdays. This is also what the soldiers are most worried about. After escaping the life-and-death battle on the battlefield and returning home alive, they find that their former home has long been changed. The farmland has been occupied by others, and their wives have been forcibly taken away, and they have nowhere to seek justice.

As Hong Siqi expected, the first story resonated greatly with the captives. When Dr. Cha talked about the protagonist returning home and finding that his family had undergone drastic changes, there was even a low cry at the scene. Combined with the sad tune of the Qin girl, the atmosphere was a little frozen for a time, forcing him to interrupt the narration on the stage to avoid a riot.