"What is the attitude of the Russian side?"

"We are required to relinquish control of Mukden and Liaoyang, that all Japanese forces in Liaodong be under Russian command, that an open treaty be signed that recognizes Russia's absolute rights and interests in Manchuria, and that Japan does not pursue any rights and interests in Manchuria, and that the rights and interests of the Korean Peninsula are to be shared between Japan and Russia, but that Russia has priority. ”

"What? This is really too much, it clearly tells us to surrender to Russia, and we must not agree. ”

"Yes, we will never agree to such conditions, otherwise how can we be worthy of those heroic soldiers who sacrificed in Manchuria. ”

"The Russians are too arrogant, they have all been beaten to the ground by us, and they dare to make such excessive demands, we should teach the Russians a good lesson. ”

"Forget it, now that the overseas Chinese army is less than 50 kilometers away from Liaoyang, and the overseas Chinese are still sending more troops to Liaodong, we have no ability to teach the Russians a lesson. I am afraid that it is because the Russians see through this that they will prescribe such excessive conditions to us. ”

"Hmph, do the Russians think that the overseas Chinese will only attack us, but not them? It is too short-sighted. ”

This is a Japanese cabinet meeting, and the meeting is attended by Japanese cabinet members and elders. Looking at everyone's indignant looks, Prime Minister Katsura Taro coughed lightly and said, "Everyone, now is to discuss our next plan, so don't talk about anything irrelevant." ”

When everyone listened, they calmed down from their indignation, but no one spoke again for a while, after all, no one knew what to say at this time.

At this time, Ito said, "So what is the attitude of the French government?"

Foreign Minister Komura Shoutaro smiled bitterly and said, "France also wants us to make some concessions to Russia." ”

Tibetan Prime Minister Matsukata said righteously: "Why do you want us to make concessions to Russia, overseas Chinese send troops to Liaodong, the target is not only Japan, but Russia is also their target." ”

Komura Shoutaro said: "And we also heard a rumor in France that Russia is still negotiating with overseas Chinese to jointly deal with us in Japan, and then divide the interests of Manchuria equally. ”

The patriarch Inoue Xin sneered and said: "Stupid, how can overseas Chinese be so easy to get along with, if we Japan loses, then the next one will be the turn of Russia, the Russians are really stupid." ”

Ito Hirobumi shook his head and said: "The Russians are not so stupid, this is just a means to put pressure on us, it is possible for Russia and overseas Chinese to negotiate, but overseas Chinese will never share the interests of Manchuria equally with Russia, so it is impossible for them to reach an agreement." ”

After the East China government entered the war, in addition to issuing government statements, Japan was also actively carrying out actions, but Japan's actions were mainly in the diplomatic aspect, in the military aspect, and could only require the Japanese troops stationed in Liaodong to strengthen their vigilance during this time, shrink the defensive line, and wait for instructions from Japan for the next move. Although the East China Government's naval blockade operation has only been carried out for less than 10 days, it has already brought tremendous pressure to Japan, because the East China Government's naval blockade is not a small fight like the Russian Vladivostok Detachment, and at least 10 or more ships patrol Japan's sea transportation lines every day, although it cannot be said to be seamless, but there is really not much space left for Japanese ships, and the Japanese Combined Fleet is so badly damaged that it is not capable of attacking at all, so there is nothing that can be done about it.

Originally, at least five Japanese transport ships arrived at Lushun or the Korean Peninsula every day, but under the blockade of the East China government, only six ships arrived on the Korean Peninsula during this period, and the other transport ships were either sunk or captured by the KPA Navy or forced to turn back to Japan. Although Japan has accumulated some supplies on the Korean Peninsula, so the Japanese army in Liaodong has not been in short supply for the time being, as long as the naval blockade of the East China government is not lifted, this situation can only last for about three months at most.

And Japan can only pin its hopes on diplomacy for now. Japan's first diplomatic measure was to improve relations with Russia, a decision that was also supported by Britain, so France also joined in, and after several rounds of contacts, Russia agreed on May 16 that the ambassadors of both sides would negotiate.

Although this result was somewhat disappointing to Japan, it turned out that Japan hoped that the ambassadors of the two countries would negotiate, because Britain was an ally of Japan and would definitely favor Japan during the negotiations, but Russia was not stupid and insisted on holding consultations with its ally France, and Japan had no choice but to agree to Russia's demands, after all, it was Japan that now had to ask for Russia.

However, although Japan was mentally prepared for some unreasonable demands made by Russia, it did not expect that Russia would open its mouth and put forward conditions that Japan would not accept at all. The claims of Manchuria and Korea were to be carried out after the war, but Russia's demand that Japan sign an open treaty was unacceptable to Japan, because once it was signed, whether Japan finally insisted on it or not, it would not be able to give an account at home; and the relinquishment of control of Shenyang and Liaoyang would be tantamount to letting Japan give the initiative on the Liaodong Peninsula to Russia. Liaoyang, then Japan has no place to stand on the Liaodong Peninsula at all; and asking the Japanese troops in Liaodong to accept Russia's command is not only unacceptable to Japan, but even insulting, but Japan has fought Russia all over the battlefield to find its teeth, so these cabinet ministers have a sense of superiority over Russia in terms of mentality, and now they want the Japanese army to accept Russia's command, which makes them feel embarrassed.

According to Japan's idea, the rapprochement between Japan and Russia was based on the fact that the area occupied by the two sides was their respective spheres of influence, and on this basis, they would unite and form a joint command to jointly fight against the East China government. From Japan's point of view, Japan and Russia are now in a relationship of lip and tooth dependence, and their lips are dead and their teeth are cold, so of course such conditions are not excessive. Once the two sides unite, the Russian army must pass through the Shenyang and Liaoyang areas occupied by the Japanese to fight against the People's Army, so that when it becomes a joint command, Japan will be able to win the command of joint operations and command the Russian army.

In fact, Russia is not unaware that the goal of overseas Chinese is to monopolize Northeast China, and they are also enemies of overseas Chinese, but after all, the Russian army has not been at war with the People's Army, of course, in the Battle of Tsushima, the People's Army Navy has stewed the Russian fleet and the Japanese fleet, but the overall situation of the Battle of Tsushima has not yet been transmitted, and when the People's Army Navy participated in the war, the Russian fleet had been disabled by the Japanese fleet, so the naval battle was ignored by Russia.

On the surface, it is now the East China Government and Japan that are fighting, and Russia is sitting on the mountain and watching the tiger fight, and at the same time, Russia and the East China Government are indeed negotiating, and in Russia's view, since they are negotiating, there is naturally room for relaxation.

In the Russo-Japanese War for nearly a year and a half, Russia was defeated by Japan, which made Russia embarrassed and discredited, and this also made it really difficult for the Russians, who have always regarded themselves as a fighting nation, to accept it.

On the one hand, it is the instinctive arrogance and contempt of Europeans for Asians, not to mention France, which does not even pay attention to other European countries; on the other hand, the signing of the [Anglo-Japanese Alliance] was based on the [Russian-French Alliance] as an imaginary enemy target, and France will definitely favor its ally Russia, so in France's view, Russia's willingness to disregard its past suspicions and negotiate peace with Japan is already very face-saving for Japan, and Japan should not let a little blood go?

After a while, Ito Hirobumi said, "And what is the attitude of the United Kingdom?"

As early as the second day after the East China government entered the war, the Japanese government asked the British government to cooperate with Japan to fight against the East China government in accordance with Article 3 of the [Anglo-Japanese Alliance Treaty], but the British government believes that Article 3 of the [Anglo-Japanese Alliance Treaty] is aimed at sovereign states, and whether the East China government is a sovereign state, it will take time to determine whether the East China government is a sovereign country, and before the results are out, the British government is unable to fulfill the [Anglo-Japanese Alliance Treaty] of the Convention.

Britain's explanation made Japan very angry, but now Japan has a request from Britain, and can only swallow its anger, and Britain did not completely say death, only said that it wanted to determine the nature of the East China government, so there was still a glimmer of hope. Therefore, Japan put forward two conditions to Britain: First, it demanded that Britain take substantive action to put pressure on the East China Government, not to demand that the East China Government stop the war, but at least to stop the blockade, and the so-called substantive action was that Japan hoped that Britain would send warships to the waters of the Far East and even berth at Japanese ports, on the one hand, to threaten the East China Government and boost the morale of the Japanese people, or that Britain would take the lead in adopting a trade embargo against the East China Government, which would also weaken the war potential of the East China Government; and second, it hoped that Britain would do the work of France and let France try its best to persuade Russia to make concessions and negotiate a joint agreement with Japan as soon as possible。 It can be said that this is Japan's greatest hope, after all, Britain is still its ally, and Japan believes that these two requirements are not high, and the British government can do it.

After listening to Ito Hirobumi's questioning, Komura Shoutaro sighed again and said: "Yesterday, the British government has replied, and at this time, it is inappropriate to send warships to the waters of the Far East, and Britain has always advocated free trade, and the government will not interfere in the operation of the economy, so it cannot issue a trade embargo against the East China government." ”

When everyone heard this, their hearts were half cold, and it was difficult that even Britain was not optimistic about Japan anymore, so it was going to cut off Japan. If that's the case, then Japan is really finished.