After the Japanese captured Qingdao, Yuan Zheng. The government asked the Japanese army to retreat from the Shandong Peninsula to the leased land in Jiaozhou Bay, but the Japanese ** did not pay attention to it at all.

Yuan also sent separate notes to the British and Japanese governments. The government announced the abolition of the previously demarcated areas of engagement, and withdrew the troops from all over the country that had occupied the Shandong Peninsula before it. Japan Politics. Not only did the government still ignore it, but it also set up civil affairs bureaus in the counties that Shandong had occupied, erected military wires, and expelled Qingdao customs personnel, completely treating Shandong as an occupied territory.

China has sent several notes to Japan. On January 18, 1915, under the pretext of returning Qingdao and withdrawing the troops stationed in Shandong, the Japanese submitted a request to Yuan Shikai for the resignation of the troops stationed in Shandong. The government demanded secret negotiations.

After the Japanese captured Qingdao, Japanese Foreign Minister Takaaki Kato immediately summoned the Japanese minister to China, Nichito, to return to China to discuss a new strategy toward China.

At the end of December of the third year of the Republic of China, Zhiyi returned to his office in Beijing, and asked for an interview with Yuan Shikai under the pretext of returning to his post.

On January 18, Yuan Shikai met with Rizhiyi as scheduled.

Japan's minister to China, Nichi Takeshi, first handed over a document to Yuan Shikai in person, saying to Yuan Shikai: "Japan expresses its sincerity to the president and hopes that the outstanding Sino-Japanese case can be resolved at an early date. At the same time, if the Chinese side is sincere and also says that it is a good opportunity for the president to show goodwill to Japan, and the outstanding case between China and Japan is resolved, then Japan is willing to give the president more and greater help. Japan solemnly hopes that the President will ask your country to keep a secret during this negotiation. ”

The content of the document handed over to Yuan Shikai by Rizhiyi is divided into two items: first, articles, which are equivalent to the documents to be concluded in the form of a treaty; The first is the Jue Shu (known as the Advice Letter in China), which is also a matter that China needs to fulfill.

Yuan Shikai flipped the article slightly, and said very politely: "Please ask your minister to go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for negotiation."

There were many unwritten rules in international negotiations, before and after the First World War. For example, a country's minister can only negotiate with the host country through the foreign ministry of the host country. It was extremely rude at the time to go directly to the emperor or president of the country where he was stationed.

Japan's envoy to China actually asked its minister to submit documents to Yuan in person, which was an unprecedented move in the history of international diplomacy at that time. Perhaps, this shows that the Japanese side believes that only Yuan Shikai has the final say on China's affairs, and no one else has anything to say. This also shows that the Japanese side ignores China.

According to the wishes of the Japanese side, the Sino-Japanese negotiations are going on in secret, and the Chinese side does not want to do this. Soon, the news of Japan's request for secret talks with China was published in various Chinese newspapers, and the reporters of foreign newspapers in Beijing also wrote long telegrams back to China.

The United States, Russia, and Britain telegraphed their envoys to Japan to request from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs that they would like to know the contents of the secret Sino-Japanese talks, especially the terms of the Japanese side.

Unable to withstand international pressure, Japan has notified the more common 11 paragraphs to the countries in an official instrument.

These 11 articles are part of the above-mentioned articles, and this part of the content is understandable and justifiable in international law. The other part, especially the Jueshu, is mostly things that cannot be seen by people, and of course the Japanese side cannot tell other countries.

In fact, the binding force of the book and the treaty is the same in international law. The difference is that treaties are generally negligent, while jueshu is unspeakable or unwanted.

This time, Japan made a request to Yuan Shikai**, and the content of the treaty was still easy to accept, while the issues involved in the Jueshu part were extremely serious and harsh.

On the day that Yuan Shikai met with Ri Zhiyi, he pointed to the documents submitted by him and repeatedly said that this was a matter of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and that it was inconvenient to directly interfere. However, Ri Zhiyi insisted on asking the president to read it in person first, and when he was leaving, he specially emphasized that Yuan Shikai felt the importance of the situation.

After the Japanese envoy left, Yuan Shikai opened the document and looked at it, and was greatly shocked; Lu Zhengxiang, who was familiar with foreign affairs, was immediately summoned by telegram to return to China from Switzerland.

After Lu Zhengxiang returned to China, he knew that the matter was urgent and rushed to the presidential palace non-stop. Yuan Shikai was having a secret talk with Secretary of State Xu Shichang, and when he saw Lu Zhengxiang arrive, he breathed a sigh of relief, and then sent Xu Shichang away and invited Lu Zhengxiang to have a secret talk.

After seeing Lu Zhengxiang carefully read the Japanese documents, Yuan Shikai said to Lu Zhengxiang: "You will summon Sun Baoqi, Cao Rulin, and Liang Shiyi tonight to discuss countermeasures."

After dinner, according to Yuan Shikai's request, Lu Zhengxiang invited Liang Shiyi, chief foreign minister, Sun Baoqi, and vice minister Cao Rulin, to discuss at the State Guest House.

Lu Zhengxiang first explained the reason for convening the meeting.

After all these people had read the document, Sun Baoqi spoke first: "The Japanese minister will definitely come to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to deliver the documents, and he has been discussing with Vice Minister Cao for several hours. I believe that Japan has found a good opportunity made in heaven this time, and now that during the European war, all countries are too busy to take care of themselves, and China is not at peace internally, and Japan's methods this time are vicious, and it even directly delivers documents to the president, and this kind of means of contempt for China can be used, and it will inevitably exert force against China. ”

Next, several people repeatedly discussed this thorny and serious issue, and the final result was that there were only two ways to go: one was to accept the Japanese side's conditions; The second is to use negotiations to bargain with the Japanese side.

Of course, there is a third way is refusal, but refusal is tantamount to a rupture, in Yuan Zheng. Under the condition that the government is unable to resist Japan by force, this is something that everyone dare not think.

Sun Baoqi believes that the problem facing us today is that we can only accept Japan's conditions. Cao Rulin agreed with Sun's proposition.

Liang Shiyi objected, saying: "If you don't talk about it, you can accept it, there is no such example in diplomacy, we must negotiate with the Japanese side, what can we talk about, and we can count our hearts, otherwise how can we explain to the Chinese people and history?" ”

Lu Zhengxiang agreed with Liang Shiyi's opinion, so there were two proposals in this negotiation, each with two votes in support.

The next day, Sun Baoqi met with Yuan Shikai and reported the situation of the previous day's discussion, and Yuan listened and said: "Very good, let me think about it and then make a decision." ”

After Sun Baoqi withdrew, Yuan Shikai summoned Lu Zhengxiang again and said to Lu Zhengxiang: "Chief Sun came just now, and after careful consideration, I also advocate negotiating with the Japanese side, and I hope you can be the master. Xi, presiding over this negotiation. ”

Lu Zhengxiang pondered for a moment and replied: "This negotiation is too difficult, Zhengxiang is not physically strong, it is better to ask the president to send another agent." ”

At this time, Lu Zhengxiang's physical condition was indeed not good.

Yuan Shikai said: "The lack of energy is irrelevant, I can tell Vice Minister Cao to take more responsibility for the negotiations, and tell the Japanese side that Mr. Lu is physically weak and needs to rest." I entrust you with all my might, and you can rest assured to negotiate. ”

Lu Zhengxiang saw that Yuan Yi had made up his mind, so he had no choice but to accept it.

After Lu Zhengxiang resigned, Yuan Shikai summoned Sun Baoqi again and told him that he had decided to negotiate with Japan.

Sun Baoqi quickly submitted his resignation, resigned as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and recommended Lu Zhengxiang to Yuan Shikai as Minister of Foreign Affairs.

On 27 January, Yuan Shikai announced that Lu Zhengxiang was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs, and put him and Cao Rulin in charge of negotiations with Japan, and transferred Sun Baoqi to the post of president of the Court of Auditors.

When Japanese Minister Nichi Zhiyi heard the news of Sun Baoqi's resignation, he was extremely uneasy, so he went to the presidential palace to protest verbally to Yuan Shikai.

The Japanese envoy said: "As soon as our country handed over the request, China changed its foreign minister, which is obviously insincere, and Japan deeply regrets it. ”

Yuan Shikai replied: "Your minister's view is counterproductive, and China's change of foreign minister is a sign of sincerity. Moreover, the new Minister of Foreign Affairs is always patient in his work, and he will be able to negotiate with your country wholeheartedly. ”

The Japanese envoy went to ask the British Minister Zhu Erdian, the leader of the Beijing legation, and the British envoy replied that Lu Zhengxiang was very good. Nichiki had no choice but to telegraph to Tokyo, saying that China's change of foreign minister was really a kind gesture.

The day after Lu Zhengxiang took over as foreign minister, he met with Rizhiyi, and the two sides talked as follows:

"I have heard the name of the chief minister for a long time, and I know that the chief minister is a well-known diplomat, and I am deeply honored to be able to negotiate the Sino-Japanese issue with the chief minister this time. ”

Lu Zhengxiang replied: "I should do my best." When would you like your Minister to start the discussion, and will we set a date now? ”

Rizhiyi said: "I want to ask the chief to set a date." ”

Lu Zhengxiang replied: "Your envoy is in power. The government ordered, of course, that it is better to start negotiations early, then it will be opened tomorrow. ”

Rizhiyi said, "Can you allow me to make a little comment?" ”

Lu Zhengxiang replied: "Of course you can, of course you can." ”

"I hope that the negotiations will be held every day and on Sundays, and that the principle is to resolve them quickly," he said. ”

Lu Zhengxiang thought for a while and said: "It's okay to have a meeting every day, but it's going to be held on Sunday, and there is no such practice in diplomatic habits, so it seems that it is not necessary." On the other hand, although I have daily meetings, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, I cannot cancel all other official appointments, so I have to make time every morning to meet with guests, so meetings can only be held every afternoon. ”

Rizhiyi said, "Yes." ”

Lu Zhengxiang said: "Then it is good to stipulate that the meeting will be held at five o'clock in the afternoon every day. ”

"Five o'clock is too late, it's best to start at two o'clock in the afternoon, and you have to continue driving at night," said Rizhiyi. ”

Lu Zhengxiang said: "It is not a problem to hold at two o'clock, but if the meeting continues at night, my health is too bad, and I have to resign if it drags on for a week." ”

Rizhiyi asked, "Are we sure when we will have a meeting?" ”

Lu Zhengxiang replied: "How about deciding to hold talks at 3 p.m. on February 2?" ”

Hichiki said, "Okay! It's time to decide on this date. Today's meeting with the General Director is a great honor, and I hope that we can have a good result from this good start. ”

Lu Zhengxiang replied: "I should do my best!" ”

Lu Zhengxiang saw from this conversation that the Japanese side had taken a strong attitude, and that a minister and foreign minister of the host country had tried to arrange everything with him as the center.

Sun Baoqi (1867-1931), subtitled Han, signed as an old man Meng Jin in his later years. A native of Hangzhou, Zhejiang. From the late Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China, he was an important minister and diplomat.

He has been studious since childhood. He served as the head of the household department with his father's shadow, and later changed to an alternate direct Taoist. In 1900, the Eight-Nation Alliance entered Beijing and followed Emperor Guangxu to Xi'an. In 1901, he was appointed attaché to the embassies of Germany, Australia and France. In July 1902, he was promoted to Minister to France.

In 1905, he returned to China and signed Shuntianfu Yin. In April 1907, he sent an envoy to Germany to raise the issue of recovering Qingdao.

In 1908, he returned to China and served as the assistant minister of the Tianjin-Pudong Railway. In 1911, he was appointed governor of Shandong. In that year, the Xinhai Revolution broke out, and independence was declared in Shandong, and later the independence was abolished.

In September 1913, he was appointed as Yuan Shikai. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China. In February 1914, he also served as Acting General of State. Reason. In May 1914 he resigned as General of State. Full-time Minister of Foreign Affairs (Vice Minister Cao Rulin).

Resigned as foreign minister at the right time, it seems that Sun Baoqi still had foresight.

Of course, Lu Zhengxiang knew what kind of errand he was taking, but he had no choice, but he couldn't shirk it.

Because the document he was about to negotiate with Japan was the "21 Articles" that later caused a great shock to China and made the Chinese people angry and unbearable when they mentioned it.