After several days of debate, the East China Government and Japan finally negotiated and decided on the name and main contents of the [East China Government-Japan Government Mutual Defense Cooperation Treaty]: 1. This treaty is only aimed at the situation in Northeast China and related countries, and does not involve other countries or regions; 2. The Japanese Government will respect China's sovereignty and territory in Northeast China, and the East China Government will recognize the interests of the East China Government in Korea; 3. The two sides of the treaty may decide on the political, military, and political affairs according to their respective actual conditions. In the event of a war between one party and a third country, the other side shall do its utmost to support and supply material needs at preferential prices; (5) in the event of a war between one side of the treaty and a third country, it is necessary to ensure the safety of the residents, merchants, and factories of the other side in Northeast China; and (6) the two sides shall cooperate in intelligence.

After receiving the draft, the East China government immediately convened an executive meeting to discuss the draft treaty. Wang Yunpeng first said: "How can you call a treaty of mutual cooperation instead of a treaty of alliance?"

Li Sanjie said: "If it is an alliance treaty, the two sides must have the obligation to jointly declare war, even if it is a conditional joint declaration of war, but our treaty does not have this content, so it cannot be regarded as an alliance treaty, but can only be regarded as a cooperation treaty." ”

Xiao Jianjun said: "Such a treaty, are we a little lost, except for the second article, our other goals do not seem to have been achieved, not only can not restrict Japan's actions, once the war starts, we will also supply materials to Japan at preferential prices, but also to protect the safety of Japanese residents, merchants, and factories in Northeast China?"

Xia Bohai said with a smile: "This is not a loss, as long as it is a reciprocal negotiation, it is impossible for one side to take all the advantages, there will always be a place for mutual compromise, the most important thing is that there is a second article, in the future, we will propose to Japan that the territory of the Northeast has a legal basis, and the other terms are basically equal to both sides, anyway, each maintains a relatively large degree of freedom, so it is not a loss for us." ”

Ye Yanfu also said: "Yes, the supply of materials to Japan at preferential prices is also the same thing, how much supplies are supplied, and how much discount is given, isn't it all up to us?"

Xu Jichao said: "I'm afraid that Japan will not respect the treaty in the end, and I think it will be difficult for them to spit out the places occupied by them." ”

Qin Zheng said with a smile: "We didn't expect Japan to respect the treaty, but it was enough for us to have a legal principle, and if we didn't teach Japan a hard lesson, we wouldn't be honest." I can be sure of these things. ”

Xia Bohai also nodded, and said: "Then let's settle it, but our next step should also be transferred to a state of combat readiness, according to the experience of the old time and space and the actual situation, Japan will definitely start a war in 1904, and we should participate in the war in 1905, so the time left for us is not much, only about two years, all combat readiness work, army construction must be stepped up, and the Military Commission must come up with several detailed combat plans as soon as possible." ”

Xiao Jianjun said: "These tasks have been done, and several plans have been made, and it will take about a month to sort out the details, and they will be taken out immediately." ”

The next day, Li Sanjie, on behalf of the East China Government, and Uchida Yasuya, a representative of the East China Government, signed the [East China Government-Japanese Government Joint Cooperation Treaty on Defense Russia]. Although this is not a military alliance treaty, the joint purpose of the East China and Japanese governments against Russia's expansion in Northeast China is very clear. And after receiving this news, the unanimous reaction of the countries was that a war of great scale would break out in the Far East.

After the treaty was signed, the British Government first expressed its pleasure to see the East China Government and Japan jointly safeguard peace in Northeast Asia, and the Consul General of Qingdao, Jin Zhang, submitted an official letter from the British Government to the East China Government, expressing its welcome to the treaty; it was naturally followed by the Russian Government, which expressed in very strong terms that this treaty of cooperation was completely aimed at Russia and was absolutely unacceptable, and that Russia would not be afraid of any pressure or threat, and would swear to defend Russia's interests to the death; the French Government expressed regret over the treaty, holding that the signing of this treaty would not help to improve the tense relations in the Far East; and other countries also expressed their attitudes one after anotherThey expressed their concern about the increasingly serious situation in Northeast Asia, and expressed the hope that all parties concerned would exercise restraint, settle disputes peacefully, and avoid the outbreak of war, and even if war broke out, they would do their best to control the scope of war and not affect trade in the Far East.

Li Sanjie sat in his office, watching the evaluation and dissemination of this cooperation treaty in various newspapers, when someone came to report that the French Consul General in Qingdao, Du Shilan, had come to visit Li Sanjie.

After Li Sanjie heard this, he couldn't help but be a little surprised, because although France also moved its consulate in Tianjin to Qingdao, the exchanges between the East China government and France were not deep, and the trade contacts were not much, and France and Russia were allies. So he ordered someone to invite Du Shilan in.

After the two met, Du Shilan did not beat around the bush and said directly: "Mr. Commissioner, the French government is very worried about the current situation in the Far East, we France have major interests in Asia, and once a war breaks out, it will inevitably damage our French interests, so the French government hopes that all parties can resolve the conflict through negotiations, instead of going to war." ”

Li Sanjie said: "Mr. Consul, we have always been peace-loving, war is just a choice in the absence of other ways, but peace requires at least two sides to work together, not unilateral compromise and concession, the tension in the Far East, in the final analysis, is due to the Russian government illegally occupies the northeast region of our country, and France and Russia have an alliance, if the French government does not want war in the Far East, it hopes that the French government will exert influence on Russia, and ask Russia to implement the [Treaty on the Settlement of the Three Eastern Provinces] , so that naturally there will be no war. ”

Du Shilan said: "The [Treaty on the Settlement of the Three Eastern Provinces] is a treaty signed between Russia and the Qing State, and our French government does not take a position on this, if the East China government wants Russia to implement the [Treaty on the Settlement of the Three Eastern Provinces], we suggest that you have a direct dialogue and exchange with the Russian government." ”

Li Sanjie smiled slightly and said, "So is this the attitude of the French government, or is it the attitude of the Russian government to convey their attitude?"

Du Shilan said: "Sort it off, the Russian government hopes to have direct dialogue with the East China government, and hopes to set up a consulate in Qingdao to facilitate exchanges with the East China government, and the French government also hopes that you can fully communicate with each other." ”

Li Sanjie nodded and said, "I understand, France's suggestion, as well as Russia's request, I will report to the Executive Yuan, and I will inform Mr. Consul as soon as there is a result." ”

At present, a total of nine countries in Qingdao, Britain, France, the United States, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Obisi have set up consulates, of which the consulates of Britain, France, the United States, Germany, and Japan have been relocated from Tianjin, and the other four countries have been established after the establishment of the East China government. In fact, it turned out that Russia also had a consulate in Tianjin, but after the traverser occupied Tianjin, the Russian consul in Tianjin had a tough attitude, and as a result, the traverser regarded it as a typical example of killing a hundred people, closed the Russian consulate in Tianjin, and expelled the Russian consul, although the Russian consul has always lived in the French consulate and did not leave Tianjin, but the two sides have no official contacts. Moreover, Russia later refused to participate in the negotiations in Shanghai, so the Russian consulate in Tianjin was never restored.

Now that the situation in Northeast Asia is becoming increasingly tense, war is almost imminent, and the Anglo-Japanese alliance and the cooperation treaty between the East China government and Japan are all directed against Russia, although Russia has increased its troops in the Far East in large quantities, but it has also made Russia feel the tremendous pressure.

Although the aristocracy in Russia, including a considerable number of officials, generally looked down on Asians, they did not at all regard the East China government and Japan as believing that even if the two sides joined forces, Russia would easily win the war in the event of a war, and some people even compared the war to a light military walk, and a considerable part of the government gave up that this war was an effective means of diverting the political crisis in the country, and even Tsar Nicholas II believed that it was necessary to use a "victorious skirmish" to enhance the prestige of the monarch at home.

But after all, there are still many people in Russia who understand that it is the Russian military, especially the troops stationed in the Far East, because they have fought with the People's Army. The Battle of Shanhaiguan in the Eight-Nation Alliance's war of aggression against China was recognized as the largest and most valuable battle, and the People's Army used the tactics of landing and raiding behind enemy lines, resulting in the complete defeat of more than 23,000 Russians to the People's Army of only 10,000 men. This is also a battle in which the People's Army Army has officially established its authority since its formation, and although the People's Army has also won some battles before, it is considered that the opponent's strength is insufficient, the strength is too weak, and the gold content is insufficient, and it cannot prove its strength.

Although the Traverser used two tanks in this battle, they fought at night, and even cars were a novelty in this era, so no one except the soldiers of the KPA knew that the KPA had such advanced weapons. Although a small number of Russian soldiers also saw the appearance of tanks on the battlefield by the light of the explosion, first, they had never seen such weapons before, and the fire flickered on the battlefield, and the smoke was foggy, and they did not see too clearly.

In addition, the science and technology of this era are not developed, and the spread of information is not fast, and many people still believe in the theory of ghosts and gods, so some Russian soldiers think that what they see is some kind of legendary monster, and other Russian soldiers who originally did not understand what this thing heard after hearing this statement, they also agreed, and they all claimed that they saw the People's Army driving a kind of monster to fight, this monster is huge, with green fangs, eyes as big as light bulbs, teeth as sharp as blades, and horns on their heads. The body is covered with thick scales, which can defend against guns, and the mouth can breathe fire, etc., and it is said vividly. There are also people who draw patterns according to the soldiers, although the shapes are all strange, but they are more and more gods, after the end of the battle of Shanhaiguan, in the Russian army in the Far East, the priest was in short supply for a time.