"Never before had the British colonial bureaucracy been running at such a high speed, and in such a short time they had been able to find out who had leaked information about the concentration camps in South Africa. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info and drove her out of South Africa in the name of 'enemy of the fatherland'. The French government had already sent warships to welcome the noble lady to France to continue exposing British atrocities against the Boers. ”

The French people were very excited about the news published by the French newspapers. The atrocities of the evil British, the noble lady, and the bullying of the British, these elements resonated deeply with the French people. Although it was actually the French nobles who betrayed Joan of Arc back then, it was the British who burned Joan of Arc.

Any propaganda needs to be promoted, and France has always been an important center of public opinion in Europe. When the French came forward, the countries of Europe began to react.

The British were not afraid of this kind of propaganda, and they had done countless more brutal things than the concentration camps in South Africa. The British now provided the Boer captives with food and barbed wire shelters. If it had been aimed at other weak people, the British would have used massacres to solve the problem.

Just when the British were thinking that if they held out for a few days, this boring thing would subside. It was found that public opinion throughout Europe began to strongly accuse the British. At a time when the British massacres were considered so-called 'barbarians' by Europeans, the European newspapers were silent. When Britain and European countries joined forces to kill other European countries to the point of a mountain of corpses and bloodshed, such as the Crimean War, the European newspapers were silent.

Now, when Britain is cracking down on some white people who have long called Africa home, as far away as South Africa, the newspapers across Europe have overwhelmingly and strongly attacked Britain. The UK has a more advanced civil service than the rest of the world, which means there are more specialised divisions and more civil servants. The official in charge of intelligence gathering performed his functions, so the cabinet members listened to the secretary to the foreign secretary read the corresponding report.

“…… The newspapers that supported the empire were scolding the British, and the newspapers that were supporting the republic were scolding the British. Communist-inclined newspapers are scolding the British, and pro-capitalist newspapers are scolding the British. Whether directed against the capitalists, the scholars, or the workers, all factions and strata throughout Europe denounced the atrocities of the British against the Boers......"

“…… The only thing that has made these different positions and different scope of newspaper forces so effective in recent times is China's invasion of the United States......"

The Foreign Secretary's expression was very calm, he was more concerned at this time not about the criticism of Britain from Europe, but about the work of the newly adjusted analysis department of the Foreign Office. In the past, the field of diplomacy was the absolute domain of a few very talented people. If there were no talented people at that time, the diplomatic field would have to look for talented people to maintain their jobs. Therefore, the power of the people has a very large influence on British diplomacy, for example, the Times is called the second foreign office.

With the rise of China, the United Kingdom, which had been preparing to reform its civil service, found its way. They imitated the Chinese model and established a series of specialized schools. There are standards for the skills and qualifications required for each job. Today's intelligence analysis is a successful demonstration of this system. If there is no professional curriculum in the school to classify and summarize newspapers, these staff members who are not really from high backgrounds are afraid that they will not understand the general characteristics of each newspaper.

However, the personal self-satisfaction of the foreign secretary did not affect the entire British upper echelons, and even if it was only a diplomatic storm, they felt the pressure. After the secretary finished reading the report, the prime minister said coldly: "Yesterday, Tsar Alexander III of Russia sent a telegram to Her Majesty, hoping that the Empress would not carry out such cruel torture against small African countries. The Russians cared so much about the Boers that they did not say a word in the face of the Chinese torture and killing of the Americans! ”

The British cabinet members actually knew why Russia reacted in this way, and in recent years, the only ones who actually went to war with the Russian navy and sank and captured Russian warships were the British. At a time when the contradictions between Britain and Russia are becoming more and more intense, Russia has adjusted its strategic direction and chose to maintain good relations with China, which has a long border.

Of course, at the level of the British, they actually knew that Russia's choice was actually right. The United States has a more developed industry than Russia, and although the population is not as large as that of Russia, there is no big gap. The United States also has a long distance from China, with Russia bordering China on the Asian mainland. Such an America has been beaten by China to the point of destruction, not to mention the Russians who have been killed by China.

Knowing this, the British cabinet members were particularly dissatisfied. The Russian Tsar not only sent a telegram to the Empress of India, but also contacted other countries, hoping that the countries of Europe would intervene to mediate. So the prime minister said coldly: "I hope to be able to send a telegram to this tsar, hoping that he can use such enthusiasm to mediate the Sino-American war." ”

With a teasing smile on his face, the Foreign Secretary said, "I fully support this view, do you want to send a telegram in the name of our Ministry of Foreign Affairs?" ”

The prime minister thought about it, but still felt that it was better to have more than one thing at this time, so he shook his head. The Foreign Secretary looked at the Prime Minister's somewhat bewildered expression, he glanced around the people around him, and said: "Our Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been instructed to find out who is pro-British in the upper echelons of China. So far, there is probably a result, but our analysts are skeptical. ”

"Who is it?" The Prime Minister's eyes lit up immediately. Other cabinet members also showed concern. What the Foreign Secretary said, the Cabinet members also knew. From all angles, China's attitude toward Britain, which relies solely on force, is actually very ambiguous. In fact, the conflict between China and Britain is still within the scope of considerable restraint. The only explanation for this development is probably that there are people in the upper echelons of China who are pro-British. So finding this person, or even such a group of people, and liaising with them, is very beneficial to the UK.

In the face of everyone's expectant attention, the foreign minister even rarely hesitated. "Uh......, this person is ......, and this person is most likely, Wei Ze, the emperor of China."

Although the foreign secretary did not deliberately create an effect that shocked the audience, the real effect was to silence the cabinet members. Everyone looked at the Foreign Secretary with incredible eyes, as if they were trying to squeeze out the lies in the Foreign Secretary's body.

In such an atmosphere, the colonial minister Cecil?? Rhodes spoke, "Anyone other than the cabinet members, please leave first!" ”

This sentence made the prime minister immediately find what to do at this time, and he immediately repeated Cecil ?? Rhodes' words. The non-core personnel who were also shocked by the news and were speechless were asked out.

Wait for these people to leave, Cecil?? Rhodes immediately said, "I personally support this judgment. Although I don't know why the Chinese emperor made this choice, the Chinese emperor himself seems to have always had a good opinion of the British. ”

"Do you feel like you're going to beat us all the time?" There was a strong mockery in the War Secretary's voice.

Colonial Chancellor Cecil?? Rhodes was not moved at all, and he said flatly: "I don't know how the Chinese emperor wants Britain to fulfill his personal wishes." But the emperor we have seen so far, he probably only kills the object he doesn't like. ”

These words made the core leadership of Britain, the colonial empire, feel the same way. As Cecil?? Rhodes said that the Chinese emperor did not have a natural leniency towards Europeans. The upper echelons of Spain still hated the Chinese emperor, because after the fall of Luzon, the local Spanish men and disobedient women were killed. The remaining looted women, regardless of their previous status, were given to Chinese in poor mountainous areas as wives. More than 20 years have passed since that incident, and a lot of news has gradually spread.

"We can't base it on speculation that even if the Chinese emperor himself had a great affection for the British, he would not act in the interests of the British." The Prime Minister immediately made a judgment. After speaking, the Prime Minister asked the Foreign Secretary again with doubts, "Are you sure that your judgment is correct?" ”

The Foreign Secretary was only skeptical of this outcome, and when he was questioned about his ability, the Foreign Secretary immediately replied in a serious tone: "We have analyzed the people at the top who can determine China's policy. It was discovered that they had nothing to do with Britain at all. In fact, China has adopted a policy of repression and attack on those who have deep interests in the United Kingdom. ”

Since the Foreign Secretary has said so, others can only accept His Excellency's view. British cabinet members are also temperamental people, and if they question too much, these people are likely to pick and choose. Now that the Conservatives have come to power, the opposition Liberals have actually made a big fuss about it, criticizing the 'brutality' of the Cabinet and the War Office. This kind of reaction to fame and reputation has actually been greatly criticized and opposed in the UK, but it can be regarded as echoing foreign movements.

"Let's work with the Boers." said the Prime Minister. Britain's enemies in southern Africa were not the only ones of the Boers, the Zulu Kingdom was also a great enemy of the British. Now half of the British Expeditionary Force was against the Boers, and half was against the Zulus. The Boers had fought so well against the Zulus over the past few decades, and if the Boers were willing to make peace with the British and work together with the Zulus, it would not only solve the diplomatic pressure faced by the British, but also solve the real problems of the British.

"Your Excellency, I have an opinion." Cecil?? Rhodes was the first to speak, "I think it is possible to temporarily withdraw from several cities of the Boers. ”

As soon as this suggestion came out, the members of the British cabinet immediately became energetic. Hundreds of years of-stirring stick genes make it easy for these British bigwigs to feel that this advice contains many points of good strategy. Pulling one faction and fighting one faction has always been the core concept of British foreign policy.

Sure enough, the colonial minister Cecil?? Rhodes's proposal is built with this in mind. Compared to the British, the Boers actually considered the Zulus to be more threatening. If the British withdrew from the occupied Boer lands, the Boers would have to try to go back. At this time, they were faced with the Zulu kingdom, which wanted to restore the homeland that had been recaptured by the Boers. At that time, the Boers had to fight the Zulu to the death. In the face of such an entangled enemy, Britain's-stirring stick has room to fully exert itself. This is how they have tossed countless big things in Europe for hundreds of years, and thus grabbed huge profits.

"Will the Zulus be obedient?" Cabinet ministers were skeptical.

"We can talk to the Chinese about this." Cecil?? Rhodes continued.

At this time, the cabinet members were shocked, and the foreign secretary couldn't help but say: "What if China takes the initiative to grab the gold mines?" ”

"Unless we are ready to start an all-out war with China now, if we don't have such a plan, the Chinese will completely liberate us from the unfavorable situation!" Cecil?? Rhodes even smiled when he said this.

When the cabinet members think about it, this is really the case. If China were to take over the invasion of the Boers, all the European pressure on Britain would be borne by China. However, the members of the cabinet were not happy about this, their faces were heavy. The British know that the industrial strength of the United States is developing rapidly, and Britain also knows that the United States has a tradition of being brave and ruthless. Such a United States has no power to fight back in the face of China, and China is in a position to break through in North America, and it is about to kill the United States.

The British faced such a small number of Boers probably not as many as the British expeditionary force, and they fought for two years without achieving a final victory. Such a contrast has caused Britain to feel a strong sense of frustration. Once China has eliminated the United States, who will be able to resist the millions of troops that have fought a hundred battles? Britain, which could not even solve the problem of more than 300,000 Boers and a black Zulu state, probably did not have the ability to protect itself when facing China.

Just when the members of the British cabinet felt powerless, the colonial secretary Cecil?? Rhodes broke the silence again. "Gentlemen, I said it a long time ago. I would also like to say that if we accept the goodwill that China has shown before, we will join forces with China to carve up North America. I think it's a good scenario. ”

Cecil?? Rhodes had long proposed to regain the colonies of the thirteen North American states, and the British at that time still thought that this was a gamble on the fortunes of the country. But at that time, the British still felt that they could do it, but they felt that the gains outweighed the losses. Now that they have been fighting with the Boers and Zulus for so long, the British cabinet has greatly reduced its evaluation of the combat effectiveness of its own army. In the face of the guerrilla warfare of the Boers, in the face of the movement of the Zulus, the British Expeditionary Force had no choice. It is easy to cooperate with China, but it would be self-righteous to expect such an army to hold the 'spoils'.

"Your Excellency Rhodes, do you think the Chinese Emperor is a traitor?" The prime minister said coldly.

Cecil?? Rhodes did not argue, replying, "Why don't we send an envoy to talk to the Emperor of China about this?" I'm sure our diplomats will be able to discern the Emperor's attitude. ”

The prime minister shook his head when he heard this, "I don't think the people will accept such a risk, and the MPs are even less likely to accept it." Including the forces that now stand firmly behind us, once they knew that we were going to take such a big risk, they would never have voted for it! ”

Cecil?? Rhodes felt a strong despair in his heart when he heard this, and he knew that the prime minister was right. The risk is so great that the vast majority of people are discouraged. And if the British cooperated with China in the partition of the United States, it would mean carrying the infamy of uniting the infidels to exterminate the white state. The elimination of the small Boer state was met with a huge backlash, and Britain, in collusion with China, would never again be accepted by Europe. Cecil?? Rhodes is well aware of this.

That's that clear, Cecil?? Rhodes felt hopeless. All his life, he wanted Britain to become a continental country, but now the last possibility was going to come to naught, Cecil?? Rhodes only felt that he was so burned that he couldn't even speak.

And the Prime Minister did not want to discuss the topic anymore, he said: "Then use the current channel to contact the Boers." ”

It's summer in February in South Africa, and a bunch of black soldiers shout trumpets and drag long ropes with all their might. Under the training of Chinese instructors, tug-of-war has become one of the regular competitions and entertainment of Zulu soldiers. Now this activity works well for dragging heavy rails. With the sound of the earth-shattering horn, the rails with the screws removed quickly broke away from the sleepers and were dragged to the side of the railway. The sleepers were also dragged down like this. Then he poured gasoline on it and burned it. When the rails were already burning hot, Zulu warriors wearing thick asbestos heat-dissipating suits and insulating masks ran over and poured cold water on the rails. The cool water creaked on the rails, and in a very short time, a large amount of white mist was raised.

Regardless of what happened next, the Zulu soldiers left the ruined railway, mounted their horses, and walked through the cut barbed wire in the direction they had come. Suddenly there was a loud explosion behind him, which was the sound of the explosives that Zulu fighters had planted to blow up the roadbed and detonate. Amid the earth-shattering roar, in the euphoria of accelerated blood flow due to massive exercise, Zulu warriors took the lead in singing.

One person sang Hundred Harmony, and the Zulu warriors of the entire cavalry unit sang.

"The sun is about to set in the west, and the end of the white man is coming, play my beloved earthen lute, and sing a beautiful song. Climb on a fast train, like riding a galloping horse, the station and the railway line are a good battlefield for us to kill the enemy! We climbed the speeding car, the one with the machine gun, the one that hit the train, the one that blew up the bridge, and beat the white man with fear, like a steel knife into the enemy's chest! ”

The rough Zulu singing had the heroic taste of a soldier, and the black cavalry rode through their horses and disappeared below the horizon like a gust of wind.