"If you can give us access to Western Australia's prospecting rights, we can support the Sachang Alliance." Zuo Zhidan said something that he didn't quite understand himself.

Wei Ze gave Zuo Zhidan the task of proposing the discussion of mineral development rights in diplomatic negotiations. If the British are willing to agree, then China can also agree with the British position in Japan.

The British ambassador blinked when he heard this, and this request was too unexpected. The British ambassador did not even suspect that China was going to invade Western Australia, which is a vast desert and a place where birds do not lay eggs. The mere absence of water is enough to give all the likelihood of invasion equal to zero. If the Chinese really arrived in Western Australia, could they live by drinking seawater?

As for minerals, it's, it's thousands of kilometres from Western Australia to China, and unless it's gold and silver to be transported, the cost of transporting such minerals is enough to turn any profitable trade into a loss-making one. There was only one thing on the British minister's mind, and China was sure to make an incomparably huge profit from the sale of minerals.

Whether it is the gap between the Chinese "moon" and the English "Moon", the moon in the sky will not be affected in the slightest because of the difference in human names. The British could not say the "difference between offensive and defensive forces" in Chinese, but the British knew that New China was completely different from China under the Manchu Qing Dynasty. The Manchus did their best to resist foreign infiltration into China, while the new China made every effort to expand its sphere of influence. London, England, was very uncomfortable with this, and sending thousands or even tens of thousands of troops to China was to send them to death, and it was impossible to make China submit.

The Crimean War had proven one thing, Britain could not win as long as the vast powers could fight. Britain's current strength is not enough to bring a vast power to its knees. How to deal with the sudden rise of a great power like China is a completely new issue.

"What kind of minerals do you want to develop?" The British minister asked tentatively.

"Iron ore." Zuo Zhidan replied very simply. After saying this, Zuo Zhidan and the British ambassador both had an extremely nonsense feeling. Iron ore was not a particularly precious thing in this era, Britain had its own iron ore, and Europe also had a lot of iron ore. At this stage, there is no shortage of iron ore in China. The Shilu iron ore mine on Hainan Island and the magnetite mine in Ma'anshan are enough for China's iron and steel companies to start working at full capacity. Not to mention whether there is iron ore in Western Australia, even if there is, transporting iron ore from Western Australia to China is an extremely outrageous choice no matter how you look at it.

Compared with the shock on the British side, Chinese Foreign Minister Zuo Zhidan's feelings are more mystical.

There has been a "joke" in the Guangfu Army in the past ten years, that is, Hong Tianwang founded the God Worship Sect, in fact, the real reincarnation of the Heavenly King is not Hong Xiuquan, but Wei Ze. It's a joke that doesn't count as a joke. In all fairness, if it weren't for the fact that Wei Ze popularized a lot of basic knowledge in the Liberation Army from the beginning, everyone would think that many things, including telegraphs, were spells. Even if everyone knows that this is not a spell, but what Weeser calls "science", but being able to create such a scientific system has a strong sense of mysticism in itself.

Why is it that only Wei Ze can see and create a scientific system in China, this is an "exception", this is an "isolated case". Mysticism is often the best explanation for this "solitary case". "Ordered by heaven", "bestowed by heaven" and "descended from the stars", China's unique explanations are inexplicably persuasive in China's scientific and technological development and industrialization. The more you emphasize Weeser as distinctive, the more convincing it becomes. The more convincing it is, the more it reinforces Weeser's difference.

From Weese's point of view, Western Australia's iron ore mines are extremely important to China. The iron ore in that hellish place is extremely pure, and the purer the iron ore, the lower the cost of steelmaking. Most importantly, the pure iron ore simplifies the production process and improves the quality of the steel. In the 21st century, Wei Ze's friends in the steel industry said that China's steel furnaces in the 21st century have been "extremely delicate", and they are afraid that China's own iron ore will blow up the furnace.

If Australian iron ore could be used, China's steel production in 1870 could easily exceed 300 or even 5 million tons. This is completely above the UK. Looking at the longer term, as long as it is profitable, China's maritime industry will swell at a terrible rate.

The construction of warships in the past two years has greatly promoted the development of civilian ships, and the Guangdong shipyard has proposed a design scheme for 10,000-ton ships. The traditional iron-boned wooden hull was subverted, and a transport ship design with a steel skeleton and steel hull was proposed. Only this design can realize the concept of rapid construction of 10,000-ton ships. This kind of 10,000-ton ship can undoubtedly greatly reduce the cost of ocean transportation.

Zuo Zhidan didn't know about this change, he just felt that Wei Ze's leapfrog thinking had made him unable to keep up. He asked the incredulous British ambassador: "Can the British side accept it?" ”

"If it's really just iron ore......" the British ambassador almost said the word "NoPloblem." But in the skill of diplomacy, the British ambassador swallowed the two men back into his stomach. He pondered for a moment and replied, "I'll report this back to China." However, Japan's problems still need to be determined. ”

"The matter of iron ore is uncertain, but the matter of Japan cannot be certain." Zuo Zhidan also wants to make this matter into a dead loop. After all, such a commercial discussion is too outrageous, China has never been to Australia at all, and it is unlikely that Weeser knows about Australia's minerals division. Rather than swearing to talk about what will happen next, it is better to use this as a bargaining chip to block the demands of the British. At this time, Zuo Zhidan suddenly suspected that Wei Ze also thought the same, diplomatically it is true that he has to tell the truth, but sometimes the truth has to be completely treated as nonsense. That's what it takes to bargain.

"I don't think it's appropriate for Minister Zuo to link Sino-British trade with Japan." The British ambassador also understood Zuo Zhidan's thoughts, and he immediately protested.

Zuo Zhidan glanced at the British ambassador, and he said: "China and Japan have been neighbors for thousands of years, whether Britain intervenes or not, we are neighbors, and we will continue to do business." Britain demanded that China side with Britain in the Japanese Civil War, and I do not see any reason for Britain to order China. We had no intention of intervening in the Japanese Civil War. ”

The British ambassador was speechless for the British ambassador to say that the closest Britain is to Japan is Malaysia, which is almost as close as the distance between Western Australia and Guangdong, China. As Zuo Zhidan said, it is impossible for China's trade with Japan to be interrupted, which is determined by geography. Just as Britain's trade with France could not be interrupted, a narrow English Channel could not change Britain's relations with France.

While he was thinking about how to negotiate this matter, the British ambassador heard Zuo Zhidan continue: "Goryeo is a vassal state of China, and recently Goryeo has recognized the new Chinese Zhengfu as the suzerainty of Goryeo. Based on this relationship, we do not accept any country to intervene in Goryeo. ”

Wei Ze asked Zuo Zhidan to settle the problem with Goryeo, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent someone to contact Goryeo, and the king of Goryeo finally reluctantly recognized the suzerainty of New China. Although it still has to beat Goryeo, before it beats, China has to make its attitude clear to other countries.

The British ambassador was not happy when he arrived, and the trade between Korea and Britain was basically zero, and China was the largest trading country between the Western Pacific and the United Kingdom. But this did not mean that Britain would honestly admit China's ownership of Goryeo, and Britain would have to try anyway before recognizing China's domination in the Far East. "We are asking Korea to be open to us in the UK!" The British ambassador made his attitude clear.

"We don't stop you from doing business with Goryeo, but we don't accept any military action against China's vassals." Zuo Zhidan also made clear China's position.

After these talks, Zuo Zhidan made a report to Wei Ze. Weeser's evaluation was only three words: "Well done!" ”

Zuo Zhidan asked: "Your Majesty, there is some trouble in Goryeo, they want to get the land west of the Yalu River. ”

"Let them wash and sleep." Wei Ze said mockingly, "As long as the Hunan army is still there, it will not let Goryeo fight the Yalu River." ”

After finishing speaking, a rather strong malice suddenly appeared on Wei Ze's face. This kind of malice made Zuo Zhidan feel very familiar, and he always had this expression when Wei Ze came up with some ingenious ideas. Zuo Zhidan couldn't help but ask: "Is Your Majesty ready to let the Manchus send troops to Goryeo?" ”

Wei Ze sneered: "Originally, the boundary between China and Goryeo was not the Yalu River, but it was only in the Ming Dynasty that the territory east of the Yalu River was given to Goryeo. I would like to contact the Hunan army, if they can guarantee to occupy the old land of the Han family, and they can maintain that kind of territory when we enter Goryeo, then I can consider sparing the lives of the Hunan army. ”

With the sins of the Hunan army, it is unlikely that the Guangfu army will let them go. Even Foreign Minister Zuo Zhidan could understand this, he never expected that Wei Ze would be able to spare the Hunan army because of the old land of the Han family. Zuo Zhidan almost instinctively objected, "Your Majesty, I don't think it's appropriate." Although Goryeo had many excuses during the negotiation, they finally agreed......"

Wei Zele said, "We can't enter Goryeo in person, the Goryeo people won't really be convinced." But let's look at Goryeo's attitude in this matter. As far as I know, the Manchu Qing Dynasty who retreated to the outside of the customs was not having a good time. ”

Zuo Zhidan really doesn't know how sad the Manchu Qing people who retreated to the outside of the customs are concerned, the territory outside the customs is vast, and it is said that the total number of Manchus who withdrew is less than 200,000, and it is still the so-called elite. What is the sadness of 200,000 people outside the border? You must know that in Kannai, a county must also have a population of 200,000. And how can a county be able to compare with the size of the territory outside the border?

"Anyway, I won't accept any territorial expansion in Goryeo now. That's our bottom line. Rather spare a thief than a foreign country! Weeser gave the bottom line.