Chapter 2187: National Mourning
The queue outside.
Pedro, the executive officer of the Baljik Kingdom, and the old king were queuing together here.
Why are you queuing here?
Logically speaking, you should be considered a state guest.
"We should be able to use the private passage." The old king asked Pedro, the executive officer in front of him.
Executive Director Pedro said with a slight smile, "I have a lot of free time this time."
They wanted to perform the same rituals as ordinary people.
I'll keep you company while I'm at it.
The old king looked at the procession ahead, walked slowly forward, and said as he walked, "I've come to see the children during this summer vacation."
I never expected to run into something like this.
The children all said they wanted to come and pay their respects, so I came along too.
Unexpectedly, the people of the Dragon Kingdom are so concerned about the Dragon Kingdom.
Such a grand memorial ceremony was held for the more than 8,000 people who died in a war.
Most importantly, these people came voluntarily.
For this memorial service, the Kingdom of Xiaolong did not make any mandatory requirements; it merely issued a public announcement.
One of my daughters was assigned here to be in charge of maintaining order.
She said the queues are so long they could stretch into tomorrow.
"Think about it, if this had happened in our former Baljik Kingdom, would it have been the same?"
Executive Director Pedro said, "No."
Because the Baljik Kingdom in the past simply didn't care about these ordinary soldiers who died on the front lines.
They were just a tiny number on the battle report; no one cared about their lives.
At most, if a son of a noble or wealthy family dies in battle, a grand celebration will be held.
Perhaps this is why the Kingdom of the Dragon Kings is so beloved.
After all, in their eyes...
The soldiers of the Dragon Kingdom are important; they are people who sacrifice their lives for their country, regardless of their previous identities.
At this moment, they are all soldiers of the Dragon King Kingdom and will receive the same treatment.
This is why the people of the Dragon Kingdom cherish the Dragon Kingdom in their hearts.
This is called exchanging sincerity for sincerity.
The old king looked at Executive Officer Pedro with emotion: "You've changed so much since then."
The old Duke Pedro would never have said something like that.
"Haven't you changed a lot too?"
"If it were the previous king, he wouldn't be queuing here to mourn these fallen ordinary soldiers."
Both of them fell into a brief silence.
"This is perhaps why the Dragon Kingdom was able to become powerful, while countries like ours, if we hadn't been lucky enough to board the Dragon Kingdom's ship, would have been much weaker."
I estimate that we will be buried in the tomb of history, just like those countries destroyed in the Northwest Continental War.
It was only after we saw and accepted this country's system that we realized this.
"We have only just begun to change our own thinking," the old king said with emotion.
He chuckled self-deprecatingly: "Now I'm teaching my students in the classroom."
I find it funny when I think about those historical monarchs.
Looking back on the decisions I made when I was emperor, I think I was a stupid fool.
Now, I can't understand why I made that decision back then.
Perhaps it's that saying.
That chair really can change a person.
“But this Dragon King is different; he hasn’t changed at all just sitting in that chair,” Executive Officer Pedro said.
"yes.
"That person is truly beyond imagination," the old king remarked.
Anyone want some water?
"There's free water here." Staff members in red vests pushed carts around, stopping every now and then to pour a glass of water for those in line.
"Raise your hand if you're feeling unwell!"
"Hey, hey, hey."
Don't think that just because this isn't in the city center, you can litter.
We're all keeping an eye on it.
Hold onto what you have in your hands first; there are designated trash cans at regular intervals!
If you're caught littering here, you'll still be fined!
Staff members wearing red vests can be seen everywhere; they are responsible for various aspects of the work.
They can even help hold a spot for someone in line who needs to use the restroom, or look after a child.
To ensure the smooth conduct of these people's memorial service, portable toilets can be seen at intervals.
Even at noon and in the evening, free boxed meals are delivered.
Although the boxed lunch is simple, consisting of three dishes and a soup, it also includes a meat dish.
Furthermore, to meet the needs of different people, there are also different types of meal packages (A, B, C, and D).
"I really didn't expect that."
The Kingdom of Dragons provides such excellent service in every aspect.
From our perspective, this kind of thing is completely pointless.
On the contrary, it takes more time, energy and manpower.
"It's a completely thankless task." - Executive Officer Pedro
The old king nodded: "That's what I thought too."
But then I learned a word.
That's called public opinion.
I also learned a sentence.
The people of a country are like water.
Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it.
Look at the waters of the Dragon Kingdom; they are flowing towards the Dragon Kingdom.
These children.
What they learn and see now will plant a deep-rooted patriotic thought in their hearts in the future.
They will fight to the death for this country!
The old king looked at the children who had come with their parents.
It was a bit tough and tiring.
But these children held the little flowers they had folded and the letters they had written.
Everyone was looking forward to visiting the graves of those martyrs, and there was no feeling of annoyance at all.
When I'm tired or sleepy, I lean against my parents and take a nap.
"Father." At that moment, a woman wearing a red vest walked over.
It's Princess Polly, who works at the neighborhood office.
I was transferred here because of work requirements.
She was holding several lunch boxes in her hands.
He handed it to his father, mother, several stepmothers who had come with him, and Executive Officer Pedro.
"This is a meal I prepared especially for you."
"I even added chicken drumsticks!" Princess Polly whispered.
"drumstick?
"Won't this make you break the rules?" the old king said with some concern.
"fine.
I bought these chicken legs myself.
I asked the chef to help me with that.
Just make sure no one sees you eating.
There's also mung bean soup here.
I also brought you small stools and umbrellas.
"Sit down if you're tired." Princess Polly handed over everything she had prepared.
"So many things, this..." The old king was somewhat inclined to refuse.
"Take it first."
I did the math.
The current team.
“You’ll have to wait in line here until at least tomorrow morning before you have a chance to enter the cemetery,” Princess Polly said.
Hearing this, no one objected.
Eating the food and mung bean soup prepared by Princess Polly while sitting on a small stool was much more comfortable than before.
It got dark very quickly.
However, streetlights have appeared on both sides of the road. These were put up in an emergency during the day to ensure that the road can be lit at night.
Most of the people here have been queuing for over ten hours and are now almost dozing off.
"We're giving out numbers to everyone now."
Keep your numbers safe.
Then you can lie down and rest.
When it's your turn in this group, our staff will contact you.
The team will not move forward before tomorrow daytime.
Therefore, everyone can stay where they are and rest.
The staff walked around with a megaphone, shouting as they went.
Staff members were also distributing straw mats and blankets.
Some men asked for a straw mat, spread it on the ground, and slept without a blanket.
Some women and children were given blankets.
that's all.
Everyone felt reassured and went to sleep with their numbers in hand.
The old king had originally thought he wouldn't fall asleep.
But in the end, he lay down on the straw mat with Executive Officer Pedro, listening to the chirping of crickets, cicadas, and toads on both sides of the road.
Everyone quieted down that night.
It wasn't until dawn that it started to get light.
Soft calls could be heard from the surroundings.
"Those with numbers 22000 to 22500 can get up now."
"Follow us forward!" The staff woke up the people in the queue.
After these people woke up, they looked ahead.
The people who had been queuing in front of them were nowhere to be seen.
"Get up." The old king patted his wives and children.
Everyone woke up and rubbed their sleepy eyes.
Then they gathered up the straw mats and blankets on the ground and continued walking.
When these straw mats and blankets are halfway through their journey, there is a designated place for their recycling.
After a simple cleaning, it will be provided to the next person to come.
It takes a few minutes to walk up the steps.
Finally, we entered the gate of the martyrs' cemetery.
The moment we stepped inside, everyone felt heavy-hearted.
The air smelled of something burning.
Here, we respect the reasonable cultural customs of each place.
Burning paper money or other things is permissible as long as approval is granted.
Some tombstones have small paper figures, candles, incense, or other items placed in front of them.
Some of the family members who had been standing in front of the tombstones had already left.
Some people stay here all night because of the custom of keeping vigil.
When they see someone coming to pay their respects, they will nod and greet them.
The old king walked past one tombstone after another.
The tombstones bear the names of the soldiers, their original units, and black-and-white photographs.
Some of them are very young, only in their twenties.
As they walked, some people cried, and some clenched their fists in anger.
This is how we got here.
The old king and the others hardly spoke.
Something was weighing on their hearts, making them unable to speak.
Complete this loop.
You can see buses, trucks, and even military vehicles queuing up and waiting.
These vehicles will take them back to the capital city of the Dragon King.
I boarded a bus.
Princess Polly made a special trip to tell them to go back and get some rest.
He instructed his older siblings to take good care of their father, mother, and other brothers and sisters.
Tell them to eat properly, not to play too much, and to remember to do their homework.
She, however, needs to stay here on duty for a while longer.
The old king and her mother also told her to rest and take good care of herself.
The way out is exactly the same as the way in.
But now it's already getting light.
As the bus descended the mountain, the old king could still see rows of orderly queues stretching for over ten kilometers through the window.
It's hard to imagine.
How many people are there?
Moreover, the number of these people is constantly increasing.
You can even see buses that specifically bring these people here.
The bus carrying them back stopped at the Xiaolong Royal City Terminal.
When they got off the bus, they were surprised to find...
There was a large number of people gathered at the bus stop to board the bus.
They weren't going on a business trip to another city.
They were all on a temporary shuttle bus to the Martyrs' Cemetery.
Some of them even came all the way from other cities with backpacks.
As soon as I got off the bus, I asked how to get to the Martyrs' Cemetery.
A scene beyond imagination.
The old king was deeply moved by this scene.
He knew how terrifying the people's hearts were in the Kingdom of the Wraiths here.
However, this situation once again changed his mind.
"Let's go home," the lady beside her said.
They hailed several taxis outside.
I was originally planning to take the bus.
However, because a large number of buses were reassigned to the Martyrs' Cemetery special line, the number of bus services in the city decreased, and the waiting time became longer.
Executive Officer Pedro simply flagged down several taxis and paid for them.
Taxis already exist in the Kingdom of Xiaolong, but they are still not affordable for ordinary people.
The cost of this trip is equivalent to a day's wages for an average person.
Therefore, only wealthy people and those in very urgent situations take taxis.
However, this amount of money was nothing to Pedro, the executive officer and king of the Baljik Kingdom.
When you get into a taxi and it's driving on the street.
The old king saw the incredible sight again.
The entire city was dressed in white mourning.
Many people wore white flowers on their chests and white cloths on their shoulders. White cloths were also hung at the entrance and on the telephone poles.
The entire Xiaolong Royal City was filled with the silence of those few thousand people.
It's likely that this kind of thing isn't limited to the Kingdom of Dragonflight; it might happen in other cities as well.
The entire nation observed a moment of silence for the martyrs and heroes of a war.
This was something he would never have dared to even think about before.
Moreover, this was a decision made spontaneously by these people.
"This is a powerful country that enjoys the support of its people."
"How could such a country not be powerful?" the old king retorted.
Executive Director Pedro nodded; he agreed.
While everyone in Xiaolong Royal City was observing a moment of silence for the martyrs of this war.
Marshal Medusa, dressed in military uniform, walked into King Xiaolong's office.
She held a combat plan report in her hand.
"Hello, I wish to see His Majesty King Xiaolong." Marshal Medusa walked to the door and looked at the secretary standing there.
The secretary opened the door and said, "His Majesty has given instructions."
You can come right in.
The door opened.
Marshal Medusa went inside.
She looked at the Dragon King sitting at his desk.
"His Majesty.
Our naval forces have already formulated a preliminary operational plan.
Please take a look!