Chapter 648 Zhenhai Martyrs' Monument
Before the afterglow of the coronation ceremony had completely faded, another project, even larger in scale and more significant in meaning, was already underway at the foot of Mount Fuji, next to the newly leveled plaza.
In October, Li ordered the construction of a magnificent "Monument to the Heroes of Zhenhai" to commemorate all the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the founding of the Donghai Kingdom.
Once the order was given, the entire power of the East Sea Kingdom was mobilized.
Skilled craftsmen from Jinzhou, Jian'an, Jiangnan and even the southern part of Dalong were all recruited with high salaries;
The registered Japanese subjects and slave laborers, under the supervision of the naval soldiers of the Zhenhai Army, quarried stones and transported timber.
Giant trees felled from the newly formed plains were made into logs and supports;
The newly built workshops in Dinghai City are working day and night to create the materials needed to build this giant monument.
Li Shiyue's requirements for this stone tablet were almost demanding.
She didn't want those ornate and impractical carved railings and jade steps; what she wanted was a profound and solemn presence that could transcend time and strike the soul.
Ultimately, she chose a giant granite piece that had been newly discovered in the nearby mountains and remained intact despite the changes in the earth's veins.
This giant rock is a natural formation, standing over ten zhang (about thirty meters) tall, as if it were born to bear this heavy memorial.
Thousands of slave laborers and livestock, using pulley systems, ramps, and endless sweat, spent a whole month to detach this behemoth from the mountain and painstakingly transport it to the huge foundation that had been built in advance next to the square.
The subsequent carving work was even more complex and meticulous.
A master stone carver from Jiangnan personally supervised the work, and hundreds of craftsmen worked in shifts day and night, using chisels and hammers to painstakingly carve dense characters onto the hard granite surface.
On the front of the monument are five powerful characters, "Monument to the Martyrs of Zhenhai," which were personally inscribed by Li Shiyue and then enlarged and engraved by craftsmen.
The characters are deeply embedded in the hard stone, the strokes sharp as knives, carrying a sense of solemnity and determination.
The other three sides of the stele, and even the part above the base that can be engraved, are filled with the names, hometowns, and military ranks of all the Zhenhai soldiers who followed Li Shiyue in fighting against Japanese pirates, in expeditions against Japan, and who died in battle or from illness during the upheavals and subsequent cleanup after Li Shiyue rose to power in Jian'an.
This is a massive undertaking.
Civil officials brought in mountains of military registers, which were checked one by one by dozens of clerks to ensure that not a single name was missed.
From the old soldiers who fell while fighting against Japanese pirates on the shallow coastal beaches outside Jian'an City, to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives while fighting against Japanese pirates during the expedition.
There was also the Zhenhai Army who followed Li Shiyue after landing and fought from Shimane Prefecture to Hyogo Prefecture;
And the Xuanjia Dark Blade, which had to be sacrificed to carry out Li Shiyue's assassination order;
And the elite female soldiers who sacrificed their lives along the way, who had made great contributions;
Even the auxiliary soldiers in the logistics department who died from overwork... Their names are all engraved on this cold boulder.
Almost a year has passed. When the warm autumn sun of the following year shines on the monument, the deep and shallow engravings cast mottled light and shadow, as if countless heroic souls are silently gazing at this land they gave their lives for.
The stone monument stands majestically, backed by the serene Mount Fuji and facing the vast, newly formed plain. It stands there silently, yet it is more powerful than any shout.
The day the stone tablet was completed coincided with the end of autumn, and the first grand memorial ceremony for the martyrs, which Li Shiyue had set out for, was held at this time.
As dawn broke, Mount Fuji Plaza was already packed with people.
Compared to the coronation ceremony, the atmosphere here was more solemn and dignified, less noisy and more heavy and stagnant.
The 20,000 naval officers and soldiers of Zhenhai were still in full uniform, their black battle robes with gold trim fluttering in the morning breeze. However, the expressions on their faces were no longer simply fervent, but rather a complex mix of emotions including remembrance, grief, and pride.
They formed a huge square formation in front of the monument to the martyrs, according to their respective battalions, and the vast square was practically silent.
Following the military formation were Han Chinese immigrants from all over the East Sea Kingdom, the largest group being from Dinghai City and the newly built villages in the surrounding area.
They brought their families and looked respectful.
"Thump—thump—thump—"
The heavy sound of war drums replaced the horns, the rhythm slow and powerful, each beat seeming to strike the hearts of the people.
Li Shiyue, she appeared.
She was not wearing royal robes today, but instead wore a black military uniform. She did not wear a golden crown, and her hair was simply tied up with a jade hairpin. However, the long sword was still hanging at her waist.
Her face was expressionless, only a deep silence.
Senior officers such as Sun Xiaoliu, Chen Yong, Li Qiutian, and Ding Haisheng followed closely behind, also dressed in formal armor and with solemn expressions.
Li Shiyue walked slowly to the huge bronze sacrificial cauldron that had been placed in front of the Martyrs' Monument and personally lit the camphor wood piled inside.
Wisps of smoke rose, carrying a unique fragrance that drifted outwards.
The priest was Sun Xiaoliu, who now held a high position of power, but whose demeanor had become more composed.
He unfurled a scroll of plain silk, his voice booming yet trembling slightly, and began to read aloud the long list of names of heroes who bore witness to countless lives.
Each name uttered is like a small knife plunged into the chest of certain people.
Occasionally, suppressed sobs could be heard from the Zhenhai Army's formation; these were the surviving comrades who had heard familiar names.
It took nearly an hour to read out the list.
The only sounds in the square were the wind and the suppressed sobs.
Then, Li Shiyue stepped forward, facing the monument to the martyrs, and also facing the thousands of soldiers and civilians below.
She raised her head, her gaze sweeping over the giant monument engraved with names, and her voice, clear and cold, echoed throughout the entire square: "Since I raised an army in Jian'an, crossed the sea to conquer the east, and until the world was reshaped, I pacified the four great islands."
The inscriptions on this monument commemorate the heroic souls of our Zhenhai Navy, the very foundation of our East China Sea Nation!
"They were our brothers and sisters who cooked with us and slept with us!"
They used their own flesh and blood to pave a path to survival for us!
They rest here in eternal sleep, but their spirits will forever guard the East Sea!
"Without their sacrifice, there would be no such paradise under our feet where our compatriots in Dalong can live and work in peace!"
Without their blood, there would be no Donghai Kingdom today!
Her voice suddenly rose, carrying the sound of metal and stone: "I, Li Shiyue, hereby swear!"
This is also a promise to all the soldiers who follow me and trust me!
"As long as I, Li Shiyue, am still alive in this world!"
As long as the flag of the Zhenhai Navy stands tall!
I will take care of the parents of all the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for my Donghai Kingdom!
I will take care of his son-in-law, wife, and children!
I am proud of his family!
We must not let them bleed and weep!
"This stele bears witness! Heaven and earth bear witness!"
"Ring the bells! Beat the drums! To honor our fallen heroes, may their souls rest in peace!"
"Clang—clang—clang—"
The huge bronze bell was struck, its sound reverberating far and wide.
The war drums thundered once more, this time with a stirring rhythm, as if to send off the heroic souls.
The soldiers of Zhenhai Army drew their swords in unison, pointed them diagonally to the sky, and roared thunderously: "May your souls rest in peace! Victory! Victory!"
The roar was like a tsunami, instantly sweeping across the entire Mount Fuji Plaza.
The Han Chinese immigrants who came to witness the ceremony were deeply moved and bowed down in worship.
Many people also had tears in their eyes, knowing that their current peace and security were indeed built on such sacrifices.
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