Perhaps, Yuan Shikai always felt that he had something to say, and soon, he sent a secret message to the civil and military governors of the provinces, the full text of which is as follows:

"Today, the country is not self-reliant, and the difference between strength and weakness is up to personnel! Since the Meiji Restoration, Japan has been united in its efforts to move with the times, and to become angry and angry, and for more than 40 years, it has been nothing more than a political strategy to achieve its great empire in East Asia.

"At the time of the merger of Korea, Prime Minister Shigenobu Okuma had appointed himself as China's future superintendent. The plan of covering its camp and advancing at the same time, the strategy of long-distance friendship and close attack, is deliberate, and it is not a one-time. The reason for its strength is that national education is the foundation, and the war of shame lies in education.

Therefore, everyone takes it as an obligation to be a soldier, and it is an honor to die in battle. In recent years, the military has requisitioned and issued an army of up to one million, and the navy warships have exceeded 600,000 tons.

"At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the government lost its program, and the leakage became a trend, and people had no foresight, and they used their relatives and nobles, bribed the public bank, and each had his own private family, how do you know how to defend the country? When the Wuchang incident began, the court was at a loss, and the great powers responded and collapsed.

"The Japanese ronin, taking advantage of this opportunity, plotted and conspired, and did everything; The lives and property of our people are indirectly and directly damaged, and it is incalculable.

"Cang Chi He Gu, the words are runny! Fortunately, God blessed China, and the chaos was leveled, so that he could survive the decline and illness, and the overall situation was determined, which was unexpected by strong neighbors. Recalling that day, I was in danger and still has palpitations. The state affairs are rough and the European war is broken, which has a great bearing on the balance of power.

"Japan took advantage of the standoff of the European powers, took advantage of the beginning of the establishment of China's new state, disregarded public law, and undermined the neutrality of our Shandong. The most embarrassing of these were the words that the Chinese territory should be preserved, that the Japanese should be hired as effective advisers to various important policies, that the necessary localities should jointly set up police, and that the Japanese should purchase a fixed number of Japanese weapons from Japan, and that they should jointly set up machinery factories and use their materials. These four people will die and Han will look at me! If one is allowed, the country will not be a country, and the cattle and horses will be slaves, and there will be no return.

"Seeing these four articles, he swore to all the important members of the civil and military forces in Beijing that they would not promise to break up, even if they unfortunately negotiated a break, but there was no reason to obey them. With this determination, the personnel of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs should persist in consultations, and in addition, all those who have suffered more serious losses and rights must be considered word by word and make every effort to make amends.

"The Japanese took advantage of our country to disrupt the party, disturb everywhere, spread rumors, and incite other countries, and dispatched the six armies of Dazhi to Shenyang in Mukden and Jinan in Shandong, and the navy also cruising in the Bohai Sea from time to time. As a result, the whole country was panicked, the world was shaken, and they did not know what their intentions were. It is the responsibility to protect the country, and to the outside world, we will hold firm views and never waver; Internally, the people will be appeased, not to disturb themselves, and will be in April, and they will be strong, and they will force me to admit it with an ultimatum.

"However, the four extremes of the worst will be eliminated, or the whole bank will be eliminated, or the case will be freed, and other heavier losses will also be reduced due to repeated discussions, and the statistics have lost a lot of rights! Heartache and indignation. The past is gone, and the future is long. Japan has had a great political strategy and has been planning for a long time, but since then, it has been carried out without stopping.

"Weak and ambiguous, there is a clear precept in ancient times, how can I be weak and ignorant, and be willing to continue the death of Han? In this competitive world, the axiom is powerful, the power is opposed, people have the power to succeed, I have no axiom at all, how can I be a country in the long run? After the settlement of this negotiation, how should all the hundreds of offices learn from the pain and try to cheer up? Fu is still flickering, forgetting the past, I am afraid that the catastrophe is coming in an instant, God is fortunate not to be invited repeatedly, Shenzhou is six sinking, and I don't know where to die.

"To the old man! Saving the country and sacrificing one's life, the heavens mourn their will, or slow down for a while, so as not to see the destruction in person, taking care of the people in this forest, the teeth are less than the giver, and the descendants will not be avoided, and the descendants will not care! For those who say this strange pain, they are unwilling to say it, and they are sincere to survive and breathe, and they are not given the power of one hand and brother, so they can turn around, hold the danger and help the upside, and work together.

"The officials of our country have accumulated too many habits, and those who are unscrupulous dare to fake the public and private, and the mediocre people also have many playthings and lose their minds, and the enemy is troubled abroad, indifferent, and martial, almost into a trend, perfunctory, and ill; The ink is shining, and the period is improving.

"I hope that all the hundreds of professions will be hung in their minds with the words of destroying the country and exterminating the species, stimulating the conscience, eliminating private opinions, practicing their duties, and working together. The same officials are the same as the bureaucrats, and they encourage each other, benefit the country, and live and die.

"Those who have the duty to be close to the people should especially try to persuade the people at all times, so that the people who are not good will be aware of the general trend of each country and the obligations of the people. However, those who can govern people should follow their names and responsibilities in everything, and everyone who is governed will regard the country as their home.

"If you can do this, then China can be strong, and our people and their children and grandchildren can avoid the pain of losing the country. But perseverance can be achieved, and vanity is enough to harm things. All officials outside Beijing should advise their subordinates, make an example of the people, endure humiliation and burdens, and beg for themselves, and do not act in vain and abuse in vain. Do everything you want to do and work hard to do it.

"Today's revolutionaries are called full, try to think that Manchuria has entered China with 12 million people, and the country is still in power for nearly 300 years, and if our Han nationality cannot rule its country for a long time with 40,000 people, people will regard our Han nationality as the nature of natural servitude, and there is no qualification for human self-reliance, which is not a shame! I, the Han people, are all descendants of the gods, can I be willing to endure it? Its death is tied to the bud mulberry, but if you know it, you will not die. Where there are hundreds of offices, their secret will! This edict. ”

When the Japanese and Yuan Shikai discussed the 21st article, the Kuomintang had two different opinions. Some of them advocated a temporary cessation of opposing Yuan and that "Yuan can concentrate on dealing with Japan." Huang Xing, Li Liejun, Bai Wenwei, Chen Jiongming, and Niu Yongjian jointly issued a telegram saying that they would not interfere with Yuan during the negotiations with Japan.

Lin Hu, Xiong Kewu, Li Gengen, and others from the European Affairs Research Association also issued a telegram, echoing Huang and others' proposals, and Dianyun: "My first opinion is to put the country first and then politics, and politics first and then parties. If there is success in politics, what is the difference between the party. Therefore, our people's ** is evil to others, and there is not enough for their government, although they want to reform their politics and dare not go against the country. ”

Some of these claims are in. Mr. Shan disapproves. Lin Sen once sent a telegram to Sun Yat-sen asking for his opinion on Japan, whether the domestic revolutionary movement could be suspended, and a concerted defense against insults should be implemented to avoid being condemned by the Chinese people.

Sun Yat-sen replied: "Yuan Shikai deliberately flattered Japan and betrayed the country, and he will never be able to defend the national power unless he gets rid of it.

After the signing of the 21st Article between China and Japan, the whole country of Japan had a carnival, Prime Minister Okuma entered the palace to congratulate the emperor, and Japanese expatriates openly held insulting demonstrations against the Chinese people on Chinese territory.

The Japanese diaspora in Beijing drank and danced, shouting: "Long live the Great Japanese Empire."

The Ministry of the Interior ordered the National Police Agency to protect them and sent plainclothes detectives to monitor Chinese residents living in the vicinity of the Japanese diaspora.

On 13 May, when the Japanese diaspora in Hankow prepared to hold a lantern celebration, many patriotic students were indignant and wanted to make a demonstration against the march to prevent the Japanese from carrying lanterns to celebrate.

The shops in Hankou stopped the night market, closed their doors and turned off the lights, and the Japanese side actually sent sailors to suppress it. Later, it was the Chinese military and police who came forward to stop the patriotic demonstration, and the Japanese soldiers withdrew to the Japanese ship.

Afterwards, the Japanese minister in Beijing actually issued a warning to Yuan ** on the grounds that the Hankou riots were anti-Japanese, and Yuan ** also solemnly apologized to the Japanese side.

During the "21 Articles" negotiations between China and Japan, Yuan Shikai deliberately leaked the contents of the negotiations in order to seek diplomatic assistance, so as to win the sympathy and covert assistance of various countries. At the same time, it will use domestic public opinion and public sentiment to exert pressure on the Japanese side. For example, he secretly instructed some newspapers and periodicals with background to disclose some news about Japan's proposal for the "annihilation of China" clause, and let the newspapers publish some articles expressing patriotic and anti-Japanese remarks, so as to encourage people from all walks of life to launch a boycott of Japanese goods and a campaign to save the country's reserves, and provide support for the negotiations.

Since the news of the "21 Articles" spread, Beijing, Shanghai, Hankou, Guangzhou, Mukden, Jilin, Harbin, and other places have successively launched a boycott of Japanese goods, which has rapidly spread throughout the country, resulting in a sharp decline in Japan's exports of goods to China.

After the signing of the "21st Article," domestic public opinion was in an uproar. Patriotic groups in major cities ran and shouted, rallied and marched, vowing not to recognize the "21 Articles" of betrayal of the country. A national convention attended by more than 10,000 people from all walks of life in Shanghai expressed their rejection of Japan to the end. Workers in Shanghai and other places went on strike, and young students from all over the country organized groups to call for anti-Japanese salvation and set off a huge boycott of Japanese goods. The National Federation of Education has decided to designate 9 May, the day of accepting Japan's ultimatum, as the "Day of National Shame."

Rizhi Yixiang Yuan Zheng. The government exerted pressure and demanded that Yuan Zheng. The government banned the exclusion of Japanese goods in various provinces.

Yuan Shikai was afraid that the situation in the whole country would get out of control, and he did not dare to allow such anti-Japanese sentiment to swell.

On 16 June, Yuan Shikai issued an order: "Reiterate the order to ban and exclude Japanese goods." The Hunan patrol made Liu Xinyuan be removed because of his ineffective ban on the exclusion of Japanese goods, which caused the dissatisfaction of the Japanese consul.

At the same time, he issued an order: "In case of riots and leaflets spread by a chaotic party and inciting trouble, it will be punished immediately." On the one hand, he instructed the Senate to pass the "Regulations on the Punishment of State Thieves," which was promulgated on June 16.

The "Regulations on the Punishment of National Thieves" contain an article that "prohibits the signing of treaties between Chinese industrialists and foreigners," which caused the Japanese and Chinese ministers to lodge a tough protest on 8 July. It took a lot of lips and tongues to perfunctory.

Amid the strong opposition to the signing of the "21 Articles," slogans were also shouted throughout the country to punish traitors. The most named were Vice Foreign Minister Cao Rulin and Minister to Japan Lu Zongyu, and Lu Zhengxiang, who presided over the talks, was certainly not spared.

When Lu Zhengxiang first entered the diplomatic circles, it coincided with the Treaty of Shimonoseki. Xu Jingcheng once said to him sadly: Zixin, Zixin, don't forget Maguan, and in the future, you should work hard to wash away the national shame and collect my lost land.

After becoming foreign minister, Lu Zhengxiang asked Lin Qinnan to write the words "Don't forget Maguan" and hang it in the office to remind himself not to forget the national shame.

After the signing of the "Twenty-one Articles", Lu Zhengxiang felt physically and mentally exhausted, and he said to Yuan Shikai: "I signed and signed my own death case. ”

Perhaps, everyone knows that Lu Zhengxiang was temporarily launched, and he was forced to sign, and more often pointed the finger at Cao Rulin, who was considered to be pro-Japanese.

Telegrams from all over the country have begged: "Punish the traitor Cao Rulin to thank the world",

was so frightened that Lu Zhengxiang and Cao Rulin both resigned by telegram.

Lu Zhengxiang's telegram included "Vice Chief Cao signed four words by mistake, and he hesitated". Cao Tongdian said: "This case was settled peacefully, on the one hand, because of the president's arbitrariness, and on the other hand, because of the public will of the commanders-in-chief. …… The Japanese envoy asked for the fifth item, and only after asking Chief Lu Zhengxiang to ask for instructions from the main seat by phone did he dare to add a note to allow the Japanese to negotiate. Regarding the addition of the words "Rongri consultation", Yuan said that Cao made an arbitrary decision without asking for instructions, while Cao Rulin said that he would act after asking for instructions.

In fact, the signature has been signed, and it doesn't matter much whether these four words are added or not.

Cao Rulin (1877-1966), whose name is Runtian, was originally from Zhejiang, a senior official in the early years of the Republic of China, and the head of the new transportation department. Born in Shanghai. He entered a private school at an early age, and later went to study at the Hanyang Railway School. In his early years, he studied at Hosei University in Japan.

Cao Rulin wrote about this period of history in his memoir "Memories of a Life": "At this meeting, I and President Lu Zixing (Lu Zhengxiang) worked hard to plan and move...... Japan proposed 21 articles, and the consensus was less than 10 articles; The fifth humiliating condition was finally rejected and withdrawn. Although we cannot be complacent about the results of the meeting, President Lu and I have done our best. "The people of the world do not pay attention to the content of this negotiation, and they will lose the truth by spreading false rumors."

Cao Rulin's "Me and Twenty-One Articles" provides a lot of detailed information, which is appended below:

In the second year of Yu's inauguration (vice minister of foreign affairs), that is, in January of the fourth year of the Republic of China, the whole country was reunified, and all countries officially recognized that the bandits of the white "wolf" had been pacified, the prestige of the central government had been established, and the country was rough and decided, and it was possible to engage in construction.

However, the European war was in full swing, and Japan had occupied Qingdao. At that time, Japanese Prime Minister Shigenobu Okuma and Foreign Minister Takaaki Kato, both of whom had ambitions for China, suddenly ordered the Minister to China, Nippon Zhiyi, to report on his work, show his strategy, and agreed on a twenty-one letter of enlightenment, so that Minister Nichizhi Yi would return to his post with him.

When Minister Nichi returned to Beijing, he asked him to meet with President Yuan Shikai, who thought that he would be visiting for the ceremony of returning to office. After greeting each other, the Japanese envoy said: "For the sake of permanent goodwill and peace between the two countries, my country has prepared a letter of enlightenment, and I hope that your president will attach importance to the relations between the two countries and order the implementation of the ruling as soon as possible." The President replied: "The goodwill between China and Japan is in my favor, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shall handle the matters under the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and when they are brought back to the outside world by Vice Minister Cao, the Minister of Foreign Affairs shall negotiate with your minister." He said that he was about to put the book on the table and did not read it. As soon as the Japanese envoy resigned, the president said to me: "The Japanese book is here for me to peruse." "Yu is the return department.

The next morning, the president summoned Foreign Minister Sun Baoqi, Secretary-General Liang Shiyi, Zuo Cheng Yang Shiqi, and the rest of the four people to the palace.

The president said: "The letter of enlightenment put forward by Japan this time is of great significance, because they have taken advantage of the fact that the war in Europe is in full swing and that all countries have no time to look eastward, and they see that our country has already been decided, and they are suspicious and jealous, so they mention this letter of enlightenment with the intention of controlling our country and should not be taken lightly." In the fifth item of the book of enlightenment, the DPRK regards our country as non-negotiable. Then he said, "Let me read it carefully and then hand it over to the ministry." ”

Everyone was left at his command. At that time, Lu Zixing (Zhengxiang) did not agree, (the record in the book "The Biography of Lu Zhengxiang" is inconsistent with the facts, and it is even more nonsense to say that Mu Han and I advocate that we should admit it immediately, and there is no need to discuss).

The Vietnamese president summoned me to the palace, and he said: "I have read the instructions one by one, and you and Zixing will discuss them accordingly." ”

There are five types of books:

First, on the issue of the limitation of the South Manchurian Railway;

second, the issue of roads and mines in the three eastern provinces of Inner Mongolia and the purchase of commercial ports;

Third, in the future, Japan will lease the land of Qingdao in Germany, and still return it to China, but the rights and interests acquired by Germany in Shandong, as well as the Jiaoji Railway, shall be inherited by Japan;

Fourth, South Manchuria and Inner Mongolia must build railways, Jifeng and Jifeng provinces should allow the Japanese to live together in the interior, and Fujian Province should not be ceded to a third country, Hanyeping Iron Ore Iron Mine Iron Works Sino-Japanese joint venture, and develop connected iron mines, Zhejiang-Fujian railway;

Item 5 (Note: Desired Conditions), 1. Employing Japanese as military advisers. 2. To jointly establish an arsenal, and China and Japan will use the same ordnance. 3. Hire Japanese as police instructors in major provinces and cities. 4. Chinese primary schools employ Japanese teachers. 5. Japanese monks are allowed to preach in Chinese mainland (the main purpose is this, and the order of the entries is incorrect).

The president gave instructions in a red pen one by one, which was extremely detailed, and instructed that when the meeting was held, it should be discussed item by item, and it should not be discussed in general. Now I can only remember the gist of it as follows:

Regarding the first article, this book was agreed to continue Russia's unexpired period at the time of the meeting of the three eastern provinces of the Sino-Russian agreement between the Qing Dynasty and Japan, and it will be renewed by Japan. However, if it can be recovered in the future, it has little to do with the number of years, and there is no need to argue about this article.

On the question of recognizing German interests, he said: How can Japan agree on it if the two sides are collegiate, and I will admit that this is a matter for the future, and there is no need to discuss it in advance, but it can be postponed.

For the joint mining approval: one or two can be promised, which must be handled in accordance with the mining regulations, the less the better, and can be left to the Chinese people to do it themselves.

For the construction of railways, the administrative power of railways must be managed by the Chinese themselves, and Japan can only allow the accounting audit power to manage the loans, but it must be considered carefully.

For the approval of opening commercial ports: the method of self-opening must be used, and it should be restricted, so as to avoid the flooding of Japanese and anti-customer.

Batch of Hanyeping Iron Ore Plant; This is a commercial company, and it cannot be consulted.

Approval of Zhejiang-Fujian Railway: It is necessary to check the file, which seems to be related to the United Kingdom.

Concession to Fujian: absurd and absurd, how can the territory be ceded to a third country.

Approval of mixed living in the mainland: Mixed living cannot be allowed until the extraterritorial jurisdiction is withdrawn.

As for the fifth item, it is criticized: This restriction of China's sovereignty is almost like treating the DPRK as a condition, which is not something that an equal country should propose, and it is really hateful. Japan itself also feels inappropriate, so note "hope conditions", ignore it, never open a discussion, remember to remember (two sentences with a dense circle of Zhu pen).

On the second day of Vietnam, the interpreter Takao called me and asked me when the meeting would be held. Yu replied that your envoy did not hand over the letter to my chief, so how could he hold a discussion? Cover its direct delivery to the president, there is an anecdotal diplomatic convention also.

The next day, the envoy of the Japanese office came to see General Sun (Foreign Minister Sun Baoqi) and handed over the book.

Chief Chansun took the book, read it for a while, and commented on each article one by one.

The Japanese envoy smiled and said: "Your chief is so clear about the content of the book, and it will be easier to negotiate in the future." ”

When he said it, he laughed at me, and ridiculed me on the phone and said that he had not handed over to the foreign minister, and his words were clearly lies.

The notes of the talks between General Sun and the Japanese envoys (this is an external practice and has always been written in meetings with the envoys) were presented to the president, and the president was very disapproving after reading them, saying: "I have instructed not to discuss in general, why is Mu Han (Sun Zi) so confused, and when they meet for the first time, they criticize and discuss one by one, and how can they continue to discuss in the future." Mu Han is ridiculous and too rude to be in this position. ”

That night, he instructed Yang Xingcheng (Zuo Cheng of the Political Affairs Hall) to obtain Lu Zixing's consent (Lu was a senior adviser at the time), and the next day he ordered Lu Zhengxiang to be the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Sun was transferred to the tax office to supervise it. Outsiders call it agile, but Japan has an afterword.

In late January, the meeting was held at the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, attended by Lu Zhengxiang, chief foreign minister, Cao Rulin, vice minister, Shi Shiben, secretary of the Japanese side, Minister Nichichi Hichi, first secretary Yukichi Kohata, and interpreter Hiroshi Takao.

This meeting of General Minister Lu of our country is of great importance, and he has concentrated his attention and engaged in discussions.

At the first meeting, the Japanese minister delivered a speech to the effect that the terms proposed this time would be agreed upon as soon as possible for the sake of the permanent goodwill between the two countries. President Lu also delivered a speech, agreeing that China and Japan are really dependent on each other and should be friendly to each other, and that he has always advocated goodwill between the two countries, and cited the former Prime Minister's tenure as evidence that Baron Yoshiro Sakatani was appointed as an advisor by the Ministry of Finance, Dr. Hirai was appointed as an advisor by Communications, and Dr. Ariga was appointed as an advisor by the Lawyer.

The Japanese envoy said that he has long admired your chief minister's diplomatic affairs and has a good reputation in Europe and the United States, and it is a great honor for him to hold talks with him today. This time, we are very keen to conclude this matter quickly, so we plan to meet five times a week, starting at 2 p.m. each time.

Chief Lu replied that five times a week, I am weak, and the ministry must meet with the legation once a week, how about changing it to three times a week? The envoy immediately agreed.

Lu also said that there was no need to sign the minutes of the meeting, and the Japanese envoy agreed to it, and stated that the meeting could not be leaked to the outside world until it was published. Lu also agreed, and the meeting should be held in an orderly manner according to the original conditions, and one article should be decided, and then one article should be discussed, and Japan also agreed. The meeting was opened.

Article 1: The Japanese envoy said that this was an established fact, but that most of the time of the Japanese reception had already passed, so please renew it according to the original date.

Lu replied that when the three eastern provinces were meeting, the time limit had expired, and your country had full authority to inherit the unexpired years of Russia, so why should it be redefined now?

The principle of re-dating has not changed, and it is hoped that it will be accepted.

After a little debate, it was agreed to pass, and the Japanese envoy said with a smile: "Your chief is really happy to understand, and I hope that the rest of the articles can be agreed on in this way." ”

At the second meeting, the second item was discussed, and the Japanese envoy said that the rights and interests obtained by Germany in the lease of land in Jiaoao were declared by Japan in an ultimatum to Germany, and that Japan had declared that it would unconditionally cede to Japan. After the transfer of Germany, in order to respect the sovereignty of your country, China should be asked to recognize it. As for the leased land (referring to Qingdao), after Japan acquired it from Germany, it was completely returned to China.

Lu replied that when Japan declared war with Germany, he declared that he had obtained the entire territory of Jiaoao leased by Germany and returned it to China, but did not mention other rights and interests.

The Japanese envoy said that Japan's capture of Qingdao was to assist the Entente and to respect China's sovereign territory, so it made a special declaration to return it to China after it was obtained. The rights and interests therein shall be acquired by Japan as such, and it shall be agreed upon appropriate disposition at the time of the future peace conference, so it is not necessary to declare it to your country first. The method agreed upon by the Peace Conference is of the same significance as Japan was asked to recognize Russia's rights and interests at that time.

Lu Shi replied that since it was necessary to agree on the peace conference in the future, there was no need to admit it in advance now, and he would look at the situation when the peace meeting began, so why should he make a statement in advance.

The Japanese envoy said that Japan had obtained the rights and interests of Germany, which was an established fact, and that the general purpose of the agreement now would save the need for further rhetoric in the future.

Lu Youhe replied that the capture of Qingdao and the participation of Britain were not only a matter for Japan.

Although the Japanese envoy said that Britain participated, Japan contributed the most and sacrificed the most, and Britain had absolutely no objection to how to agree.

We are always not allowed to make a statement in advance, and the Japanese envoy said that please discuss the scope first, and only limit it to matters related to Qingdao, and never go beyond the scope. They debated with each other for a long time until the meeting was dismissed, and there was no resolution.

The envoy of the next meeting proposed that the issue of the Northeast Road mine be discussed first.

We replied to the minutes of the three eastern provinces that there was no agreement on the parallel line, and this article violated the previous discussion.

The Japanese envoy said that the person who discussed this time was the communication between South Manchurian and Inner Mongolia, and it was two different things from the previous meeting. The fact that the area was bordered by borders and was prosperous in commerce was only an ancient means of transportation, which was not practical, and could not be developed without a railway, which was of great benefit to the local area, and was not intended for Japan.

Our side said that the Mongolian atmosphere has not been opened, and we are afraid of being opposed.

The Japanese envoy said with a smile that the people of Inner Mongolia are no different from the people of Eastern Province, and they are willing to build railways to facilitate transportation, and they will never oppose it. As a result of the consultation, I only remember to allow the road first, and then look at the situation later, and I can't remember the route clearly.

Following the proposal to open a mine.

The Japanese envoy said that China has a large land and abundant resources, and it would be a pity if it was allowed to hide in the ground and not be exploited, so it should be investigated by each other first and then discussed. This matter can be jointly handled by China and Japan, so that the interests of the two countries can be shared and the local people will also be greatly benefited.

We agree to investigate first and choose the best first, but the joint method must be in accordance with the mining regulations of the People's Republic of China, that is, China uses mineral rights as the capital of the joint venture, and must assign a supervisor. If there is a surplus, it should be distributed reasonably.

The Japanese envoy said that the joint venture company is a commercial nature, and China is a shareholder, so it can equally elect directors and supervisors, and there is no need to send a supervisor, and the interests are of course equal. So he allowed to investigate two or three places first, and he couldn't remember the names of the places.

Following the discussion on the issue of opening more commercial ports in the three eastern provinces. The Japanese envoy said that the three eastern provinces are developing rapidly, which is different from the past, and the commerce between China and Japan is advancing with the times, and the original commercial ports are not enough to cope with the reality, so it is necessary to open additional commercial ports, and still follow the example of your own commercial ports, which can also enhance trade between the two sides.

We replied that many commercial ports in the three eastern provinces had been opened at the time of the aftermath meeting of the three eastern provinces, and according to the current situation, there seems to be no need to open more.

The Japanese envoy said that China would open its own commercial ports, and that all the administrative powers of the police would still be handled by China, but that it would facilitate trade between various countries, and that it would not only develop commerce between China and Japan, but also have interests in all countries. Later, after considering the actual situation of the locality, it was still allowed to open three or four more commercial ports according to the method of opening commercial ports.

The Japanese envoy continued to raise the issue of intermingling in the hinterland. The Japanese envoy said that Japan was narrow and densely populated, but the eastern province was vast and sparsely populated, and if Japanese immigration to the eastern province was not restricted, it would be a mutual adjustment and each would benefit from each other.

Lu Shi replied that there are many commercial ports in the province to the east, and now they are allowed to be added, all of which are to solve the problem of living in your country, not only for business. The atmosphere in the interior has not yet been opened, education has not been popularized, and customs and habits are different. In the future, it is too early for the people to become wiser and more educational, and it will naturally be possible to open up and live together. In addition, the climate of your country is mild, and the eastern province is cold, and when I was in Russia, I saw that the Russians had to move to the south, and I did not see the southerners coming to the north.

I also added that the people of Shandong, China, who go to the eastern provinces, are returning from spring to winter, and this is also for this reason.

The Japanese envoy smiled and said to me, "You have been in Japan, and you should know that Hokkaido is as cold as the three eastern provinces, but there are not a few people from our country who go to Hokkaido."

Foreign Minister Lu said that extraterritoriality has not yet been withdrawn. Before the extraterritoriality of your country is withdrawn, outsiders are not allowed to live together in the interior.

We debated with each other several times, but our side insisted that it could not be resolved.

The Japanese envoy proposed that the case be studied and rediscussed with each other, and that the Shandong issue should be discussed before but without result. We agreed (and we revised the answer).

The day was right, and the fall was injured, and the meeting was stopped three times. Kohata came to the ministry to tell me that the minister's injury had not healed, his leg was in plaster, and he could not get out of bed, but he was in a hurry for the meeting, and he planned to ask General Lu to meet with you at the embassy in vain.

Chief Yu agreed and moved to the Japanese embassy for a meeting. The envoy could not get out of bed, so a table meeting was set up in front of the bed.

The Japanese envoy first said that he was sorry, and then said that it was difficult to solve the problem of intermingling in the hinterland, so we first discussed the issue of opening a port in Shandong and jointly establishing a mining industry. We agree.

Lu Shi first said that the coastal areas of Chashan have been opened as commercial ports, and this time you proposed that all the places are close to the hinterland, there are no sea routes, and ships cannot enter or leave, so they do not meet the conditions for opening ports.

After the discussion, the Japanese envoy allowed to withdraw it first, and then discussed it after investigation.

First of all, the issue of mining was discussed, and the Japanese envoy said that there were coal mines and iron mines in Shandong, and they had been hidden in the ground for a long time, and they were not allowed to be mined, which was a pity, and if China and Japan jointly organized mining, it would be beneficial to each other.

We agree that this is the same intention, but the mines you mentioned have not been cancelled if the people have already obtained mining licenses.

The Japanese envoy said, "I have heard that the merchants and citizens of your country often obtain licenses, obtain profits, and never exploit them, and such rights should be cancelled immediately and given to others."

Lu replied that there is also a time limit for Chinese businessmen to apply for licenses, and if they do not survey beyond the time limit, they will also be revoked.

Yu also added that there are also discretionary circumstances, and those who will be revoked before the deadline expires, but it is not easy for Chinese businessmen and people to raise funds. In order to sympathize with the people's hardship, the government has a long limit, which cannot be compared with the enthusiastic investment of the businessmen and citizens of your country.

Lu Youyun, all the places you mentioned have not exceeded the limit, so it is inconvenient to revoke it.

The Japanese envoy asked the competent ministry to conduct a detailed investigation again, and if there is no investigation beyond the limit, or if it is known that it is unable to raise funds for mining, it should be revoked in accordance with the law.

Later, the Ministry of Commerce cleared and revoked one place, and allowed to co-operate with Japan, but the declaration must be in accordance with China's mining regulations.

After a few days, the Japanese envoy was able to walk on crutches, and the meeting was still moved back to the official residence, but the answer had been changed three times.

For each bill, it is always necessary to negotiate two or three times, so the answer is repeatedly changed and the president is asked to act.

When moving back to the external meeting, the Japanese envoy said that the issue of rights and interests in the leased land of Jiaoao had not yet been resolved at the last meeting, so how about this issue be resolved today?

Lu insisted that he would not be allowed to discuss first.

The envoy asked why?

Lu replied that there must always be relative facts before deciding whether to recognize or not, and that I am not very clear about the German rights and interests of Tsingtao, so how can we first recognize them in general? And things may change, so wouldn't it be difficult to admit it in advance in the future?

The Japanese envoy said that Japan's occupation of Qingdao and the Jiaoji Railway was a fait accompli and would not change.

Lu said that everything changes, how can it be predicted?

The Japanese envoy asked, "I can't understand what your so-called change means, so please understand the instructions."

Lu said that your country occupies Qingdao and will still return to our country in the future, and there is no change in this self-determination. As for the other rights and interests, I have not yet ascertained what will be the future of the rights and interests acquired by Germany at the time of the future peace conference. The government decided, how can it be discussed now.

The Japanese envoy said that Germany's rights and interests in Qingdao should be inherited by Japan, and that there would be no objection to any other countries in holding a peace conference in the future.

After arguing with each other for two days, Lu insisted on refusing to discuss first.

The Japanese envoy stressed that Japan will never force China to recognize it on the basis of something that has not been recognized by China, and since your chief minister is unwilling to discuss it first, and if he sees that the peace conference will be held in the future, there will be absolutely no difference from today's, so he can only put the case on file first.

Later, the issue of the Fujian-Zhejiang railway was discussed, and we sued that because the case was related to the United Kingdom, it was necessary to inform the British before discussing it. The Japanese envoy said that since it was related to Britain, we could withdraw it. This was the first time that Japan had withdrawn from the British alliance, which shows the importance that Japan attached to the British alliance.

The Japanese envoy raised the issue that Fujian could not be leased to other countries. Lu's Zhengse said, Fujian is a province of our country, how can it make concessions with other countries? It is deeply regrettable that your country has filed this case.

The Japanese envoy laughed and said, because your country has a precedent, so please pay attention.

Lu Weiqian ** has such a foolish behavior, and this ** will never have such a thing.

The Japanese envoy still repeatedly demanded that he should make a statement, and that he would not change letters or make a statement to Japan.

Later, China declared that China's territory will always protect its own integrity, and no matter what province it is, it will never make concessions to other countries, and Fujian is no exception, and a copy of this statement will be sent to Japan.

I think this method is tantamount to deceiving oneself and is not very appropriate, but since Lu has already done so, there is no need to say it again.

Regarding the issue of Han Yeping's joint operation, we replied that this is a private commercial company, and we cannot overstep the bounds of the conspiratory, and should discuss with the company on our own.

The Japanese envoy's request for an introduction was not allowed.

Vietnam and Japan also discussed the issue of intermingling in the hinterland, and the Japanese envoys persisted very vigorously. The meeting was held many times, and each side insisted on one word, but it was not resolved.

Whenever the meeting could not be resolved, the president always ordered Yu to exchange views with the Japanese envoy or Kohata for side discussions, to find out the true intentions of the other party, and sometimes to find a way to solve the problem.

This time, the president also ordered the rest of the parties to hold talks, which were only personal acts and did not bear the responsibility of formal meetings.

I went to the Japanese envoy and told me that my country was embarrassed by the Japanese living together in the interior.

The Japanese envoy said that China does not allow Japanese people to live together in the interior, but they still have a sense of xenophobia.

I replied that China was not xenophobic, but that the Japanese had too much superiority, which caused unpleasant things to happen to each other. The Chinese have always treated foreigners equally and are very polite, while the Japanese often treat our people with contempt and even bullying, so that when the Chinese cannot stand it, they will provoke unpleasant things and hinder diplomatic relations with the country. Therefore, it is not allowed to live together in the mainland, but this is still the case in the city, let alone the mainland?

The Japanese envoy said that the eastern province is far away and sparsely populated, so what does it matter if there are more Japanese people? I replied that in the interior of Fengji and Jiji provinces, there are also densely populated places, and the people of the eastern province are accustomed to living in clusters, often a township is a clan, and they are not willing to live with other ethnic groups, let alone live with outsiders? With so many commercial ports in the Eastern Province and a vast annex to South Manchuria, is it not enough for the Japanese to live?

The Japanese envoy said that the commercial port and the attached land, one is for business, and the other is for road protection. The Japanese are good at farming, you know, if people live in the interior today, they can engage in farming and reclamation, and within ten years, the wasteland in the eastern province will become mature and produce more grain, which will benefit both countries.

I remember that when he was at the meeting, he didn't mention the words of farming.

I said that this is indeed beneficial to both countries, but the Japanese are not accustomed to cold ears.

The Japanese envoys laughed and said, this is their own business, I also said, China rents land for farming, and all provinces have ** habits, and they are not the same everywhere, can the Japanese people follow the local habits?

Of course, the Japanese envoy should follow local customs.

He resigned, reported to Chief Lu, and reported to the president that what the Japanese envoy said was intended to reclaim the land and cultivate, and if it was in this sense, it would be different from living together.

The President said: Even so, Japan must not fail to take precautions against its aggressive conspiracy in the name of land reclamation, and that if you come up with a plan, it is also a law to seek a solution in the area of farming. The proposed scheme is as follows:

"In the two provinces of Jifeng and Jifeng, regardless of whether the government has the land owned by the people or the people, the Japanese are allowed to enter into a contract to lease the cultivation (if it is an official shortage, negotiate a lease with the local officials), and set a fixed number of days (one day in the eastern province is about ten acres in the interior), and the term shall be 20 years, after which it shall be unconditionally handed over to the owner. Japanese tenants should be taxed accordingly, obey local laws and regulations in China, listen to the guidance of the police, and not violate the local custom of renting land for farming. ”

When he presented the president, he thought so, and continued to discuss the issue of mixed living.

Lu said that on the issue of mixed living, I respect your opinions, study it repeatedly, and draw up a new plan, which not only does not contradict the meaning of mixed living, but also takes the essence of mixed living, and hopes that your envoy will accommodate it and solve this case.

After reading it, the Japanese envoy said that this case can be studied and discussed next time.

At the next meeting, the Japanese envoy said that there was room for negotiation on the return of the case to the owner of the property within the time limit and on not violating local customs, but it was absolutely impossible to agree to obey Chinese laws and regulations and listen to the guidance of the Chinese police, and that the Japanese had no obligation to obey Chinese laws and regulations and listen to the guidance of the Chinese police. If, as you propose, you will be deprived of your rights under the treaty, you must know that your country has not yet recovered its jurisdiction. Although they have repeatedly explained and explained, they are still not allowed to agree to disperse.

I went to the embassy again to see the secretary of Kohata's palace, and I said that the plan we had drawn up was quite similar to that of the mixed house, and the minister did not agree with it, and it was a pity that he misunderstood the meaning of the plan.

Kohata asked, what kind of laws and regulations do you mean? How nature? Please for instructions.

I'm not talking about violating a police order, not the law. If you don't listen to the guidance of the police, there are two people fighting each other, and there is no persuasion from the police, there is no danger of causing human life. The tax is even lighter, this is local income, please add a survey, you can understand. The solution to this case is not to take this matter too seriously, but to think about the facts, not from the legal point of view. In the early years of the Meiji era, foreigners were confined to Nagasaki and were not allowed to travel freely. The situation in China today is similar to that of Japan in the early years of the Meiji era, but China treats foreigners much more leniently than Japan.

After a long debate, Kohata began to convey the minister's farewell.

We changed the 20-year plan to "30 years", and added "if both parties agree, it can be extended again, but not more than 10 years." ”

Obey local laws and regulations in China, and listen to the guidance of the police to change to "obey the laws of the Chinese police". The case has been discussed five times, discussed many times, and the answer has been changed three times, and the argument over "obeying the Chinese police decree" is the most intense, and our side has always believed that maintaining order is an indispensable article and has nothing to do with the treaty.

So far, all the cases that should be negotiated have been settled, and Article 1 is listed as a treaty, and eight (or nine) other cases have been agreed upon, all of which are used as exchanges of letters.

Chief Lu stood up and said: "We have always tried to respect your views on the conditions put forward by your country, and they have all been agreed upon, and it is also your minister's openness and sincerity, so it is a blessing for the future of the two countries, and I would like to express my deep gratitude to your minister on behalf of **." ”

The Japanese envoy also replied: "Your chief is well aware of the seriousness of the relations between the two countries, and that the future is not peaceful and goodwill is not enough to increase friendship. I also hope that if there is still a fifth clause, I hope that the goodwill and friendship between the two countries will be further strengthened, not only for the future of the two countries, but also for the maintenance of peace in East Asia. ”

Foreign Minister Lu replied: "At this meeting, I have done my utmost to reward your country's wishes. As for item 5, if your country is a condition of hope, and this is a condition that your country has put forward, which is detrimental to the friendship between the two countries, I absolutely cannot discuss it at the request of you, so I beg your forgiveness. ”

The Japanese envoys were not allowed to exchange views. At the Japanese envoy's repeated requests, Foreign Minister Lu said: "These conditions should not be put forward to a reciprocal friendly country, and I cannot discuss them in any case, so I should ask your envoy to withdraw them." "The words are quite intense.

The Japanese envoy also said: "In order to seek permanent peace and cooperation between the two countries, our country only put forward conditions, and it is a deep regret that your chief said that it hinders the friendship between the two countries." So the meeting broke up in displeasure (original note: the above account, due to the long time, there is no information at hand, only from memory, the clues are complicated, roughly so, it is inevitable that there will be mistakes, and I am deeply uneasy).

The meeting was adjourned for a week, and Yu did not go to see the envoys, and they were at a stalemate with each other, and they were on the verge of a break.

Before Japan made representations to China in the Twenty-One Articles, it had notified Britain to the United Kingdom in terms of alliance relations, but did not mention item 5. Later, I heard that our country was on the verge of breaking up because of its refusal to discuss the fifth item, and the British newspaper mentioned the fifth item, but the Japanese ** never mentioned it to the British **, and this important condition, not to tell the friends first, is not sincere.

Xibao also said that Japan's desire to monopolize the three eastern provinces and open its door to the United States with the interests of the United States is really contrary to its intentions.

Japan once came to question China for leaking the leak in advance, which violated the prior statement, and the Chinese side naturally vigorously denied it. In fact, at that time, the famous British journalist Morrison and the American reporter Duan Lai were both in Beijing, and they had contacts with counselors Gu Shaochuan (Wei Jun) and Wu Tiyun (Chaoshu), and they knew a lot about the meeting. Since the Japanese envoy had no evidence, there was no other way to protest verbally.

After a stalemate in the meeting for a long time, he finally had to find a way to open it, so he suggested to the president that he should ask Dr. Nagao Ariga, an adviser to the secret government, to return to China to clear up the Japanese elders.

The president asked, is this valid?

Dr. Ariga not only had a high status as a scholar in Japan, but he was also an officer of the Senate when it was established in the early Meiji era, and he was a colleague of Mutsu Munemitsu (the Japanese Foreign Minister at the time of the peace talks with Li Hongzhang at Shimonoseki after the First Sino-Japanese War), so he had a lot of connections with the senators. Japan Politics. The government has great respect for the senators, who are all far-sighted people, and if the fifth condition is met, it will not only be disadvantageous to the two countries, but will also easily arouse the people's hatred of Japan. I talked to Ariga about the negotiation, and he was very impressed. I ask the president to summon Youga, and if he is sincere and sincere, he will be willing to serve.

The President then summoned Ariga to the palace and told him that the General and Deputy Ministers of Foreign Affairs would do their utmost to express Japan's wishes. Today, the Minister has asked for a discussion on the fifth item of Japan's wishes, which is really difficult for me, and I would like to ask you to return to your home country and explain it in detail to the senators, ask for his understanding, and take into account the friendship between the two countries. You will be able to understand my will, and the government. If the government is in a difficult situation, please be kind and detailed.

Ariga really volunteered, willing to return to China and try his best to report to the patriarch, and to say the benefits.

At that time, the Japanese elder Matsukata Masayoshi was most concerned about the situation in China. The government has tried its best to negotiate the various articles of the Japanese Jue Letter, and the Japanese minister has to negotiate the fifth item of the desired condition, which is inevitably too forceful. The government was embarrassed and refused to discuss.

When Matsukata Hou heard the fifth item, he didn't seem to know, and when he heard the fifth item of the Ariga report, his face was surprised, and he immediately summoned Foreign Minister Kato to interview him, and he felt that there was a fifth item in the book, why didn't he report it?

Kato said that this is a condition of hope.

Matsukata said that since it is only a wish, and the other party is unwilling to hold a discussion, that is, it should not be forced to hold a discussion, and if the negotiation breaks up, how will you deal with it?

Kato replied that China could be completely conquered in less than three months without hesitating to use force.

Matsukata said with a smile that China should not be taken too lightly, and if it is used by force, I am afraid that it may not succeed in three years, let alone in March, and it should be dealt with by itself as soon as possible (Japan's words about goodness are quite serious).

Kato knew that Ariga was informed, so he ordered to monitor Ariga and not to act, but fortunately Ariga had fully reported it.

Kato was suspicious of his allies outside and reprimanded by the elders inside, and he was in a dilemma, trying to be poor and dagger to see him, and he actually decided to give an ultimatum to force our country; On the other hand, the fifth item was included in the ultimatum as "temporary disengagement and discussion later." This kind of wording is tantamount to withdrawing on its own, and it is still unruly on the outside, but it is already fierce on the inside.

Minister Lu (Zongyu) also found out the content and reported by secret telegram.

An ultimatum was telegraphed to the Japanese Embassy in Beijing, and a copy was sent to the Chinese Minister of Land in Japan, who immediately telegraphed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

When Beijing received an ultimatum from the embassy, it was sent to me to the outside world, and Kohata came to me and said, "Politics. The government is ready to issue an ultimatum at the expense of a war, and if the fifth item is considered a few articles, this danger can be avoided.

I would like to reply that your country has sent a copy of the ultimatum to our minister in Japan, and that you have sent a telegram to report that the minister is in charge. The representative of the government shall send it to the minister, that is, it will be sent to my government. The government, after the return of the ultimatum, what is there to talk about? Kohata whispered away.

Japanese diplomats always want to take credit for their efforts.

The next morning, the Japanese envoy sent an ultimatum to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to General Lu in person. Chief Lu only said "pity", and he took his leave. After issuing an ultimatum, the Japanese side instructed the Japanese overseas Chinese to prepare for retreat, issued a martial law order, and did everything in their power to intimidate.

At this meeting, Chief Lu Zixing and I worked hard to plan and move, and the president instructed at any time that Yu would go into the house every morning to report and arrive at the house at seven o'clock, and the president was already waiting in the public office to have breakfast together, report on yesterday's meeting, discuss the next policy, and sometimes go into the house to ask for instructions after the discussion.

Minister Lu Yansheng (Zongyu) also sent frequent telegrams on the inside of Japan.

Chief Lu can indeed abide by the president's instructions and will never go beyond the scope of the instructions. In addition to the formal meeting, there were side talks, and the Japanese elders were moved to save the crisis.

Of the 21 articles proposed by Japan, the 10 articles were not reached by those who negotiated them, and the fifth humiliating condition was finally refused to be withdrawn. Although we cannot be complacent about the results of the meeting, President Lu and I have done our best.

The twenty-one articles proposed by Japan are all-encompassing, gathering all the people, and the power ranges from Northeast China, Inner Mongolia to Fujian and Zhejiang, and the rights range from building railways, mining and commercial ports, and living in the hinterland. Even the fifth requirement is that the first organ should set up Japanese advisers, the two countries use the same armament, the police should be trained by Japan, the primary schools should use Japanese teachers, and Japanese monks should go to the interior to preach.

Under these harsh conditions, I was succumbed to the pressure of thunder with a single blow. If he does what he wants, he will destroy the country. Fortunately, our government and hospital are united and work together internally and externally, and this result is also a blessing for the country.

If the people of the world do not notice it, they confuse the twenty-one conditions of humiliation of the country, and if they have recognized all of them at the time of the meeting, they do not know the fifth article of the twenty-one articles, and they will not only humiliate the country, but also have the possibility of destroying the country, and they have resolutely refused to withdraw it.

and those agreed upon are less than ten. The people of the world do not pay attention to the content of this negotiation, and they use false rumors to spread the truth completely. In particular, although I attended the meeting as an observer, and the signatory of this treaty was Lu Zhengxiang, Minister of Foreign Affairs, how could I sign it as vice minister? People in the world mistakenly thought that I signed this agreement, and it was also incredible that Zhang Guan Li Dai did not mention the Lu family.

The President convened a plenary meeting of the heads of various agencies, the President of the House of Councillors, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vice-Minister of the Army, and the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs to discuss whether or not Japan's ultimatum should be accepted. Foreign Minister Lu Zixing had not yet arrived, so he urged Yun to meet with British envoy Zhu Erdian, and waited 30 minutes before Lu arrived to report on the special meeting with Zhu Envoy:

Zhu Envoy (British Envoy Zhu Erdian) Yun, today's conference is very important, and I am here to meet because of my concern. Because Japan was busy with the war in Europe, Japan put forward an ultimatum with the intention of provoking and not intimidating.

Wen Army Section Chief (Qi Rui) advocated tough treatment; I know that he has been secretly mobilized, and the night transport has been non-stop all night for three weeks, which is obviously preparing for war, and it is unimaginable to provoke him.

I have been friends with President Yuan for 30 years, and I don't want to see him suffer this tragic fate. At present, we can only endure humiliation for the time being, and as long as we try to improve ourselves and immerse ourselves in hard work, we will be able to compete with Japan in 10 years.

Today's meeting is focused on diplomacy, and your commander-in-chief should shoulder his responsibilities and strive for it, and not listen to the rash actions of the commander-in-chief. If you do not give me a firm answer, I will not leave, and tears will fall into my eyes.

I promised that today's meeting, chaired by the President himself, would be able to handle matters prudently.

Zhu Envoy reiterated the preface and held each other for a long time. When I saw that he was firm and sincere, I replied, "I will report to the President and the General Assembly with your advice, and if I do not follow your advice, I will go and fight for it."

Zhu Envoy resigned, so it was too late to arrive at the meeting, please forgive me.

After listening to Foreign Minister Lu's report, the president spoke cautiously, saying that Zhu was also thinking about China's future. The letter of enlightenment proposed by Japan this time has attached the fifth item, which is really a condition for the death of the country. The external authorities, who have scrupulously followed my instructions and persistently refused to discuss item 5, have been able to fulfill their responsibilities and have been able to do their duty, so that the fifth item of the Japanese ultimatum has been withdrawn on its own accord and saved a lot. However, the answer to the ultimatum is only the words "no" and "no", and I am entrusted by the people, and I dare not take the liberty of doing it, and I am willing to listen to your opinions.

Chief Duan immediately objected, saying that if he accommodated like this, how could he establish a country? It is better to be broken than to be complete.

The President said that Chief Duan's remarks are right, but we should also assess the situation and act according to our capabilities, and if item 5 is not withdrawn, I will share the same opinion with Chief Duan. Now that it has been withdrawn, the resolution of the various articles, although it is detrimental to interests, is not yet a condition for the death of the country; I only hope that everyone will remember that this admission is an ultimatum, and that it is a great shame and humiliation, and that they will do their jobs and strive for self-improvement, and that they may be able to do something in the future, as Zhu Envoy said. If you forget things and don't cheer up, North Korea is not far away, and I have an unshirkable responsibility, and you are also responsible.

Chief Duan still disagreed, saying that the Republic of China was prosperous, that is, to admit this case, if other countries follow suit, if it can be dealt with? The president also analyzed the general situation and explained, how can I be willing to admit humiliation, looking around at each other's national strength, I have to compromise the whole ear, and you should understand the comparison of the strength of the two countries best. Duan was speechless and adjourned the meeting.

After the meeting was adjourned, I went back to the outside world to discuss with Counselor Gu Shaochuan (Wei Jun) the draft of the note for the resumption of the Japanese envoy's note. We think that although we accept the ultimatum, we should still state that we should refute it, and carefully consider it, and ask Shaochuan to translate the draft of the Three Changes into English, which is also appropriate.

It was already past four o'clock in the evening when he left the script, and he slept for a while, and after dawn, Yu immediately brought the manuscript into the house, and the president was already in the office, looking very excited, as if he had not slept yet.

When the manuscript was being read, the Japanese embassy called and asked Yu to answer. When Yu answered, he said that the deadline has reached today, when will your reply be sent? I promise to send it out within the time limit.

He also said that the ultimatum reply is only a promise or no, and if it is mixed with other words, debate with each other, and after the time limit has passed, it is necessary to pay attention to the mistake of countering terrorism.

I replied that I understood, and I hung up the phone and reported back to the president.

When the President heard this, he sighed and ordered the chief of the country, Nguyen Dou Zhan, to redraft the draft, and handed me the original manuscript for reading, and said that all the places of debate would be deleted, as long as it was simple, except for the fifth item, and at the end he said "except for the fifth item."

After Takao came to the ministry again, in the public mission, please read the reply first, so as not to temporarily miss the time limit, but inconvenience.

Yu interfered too much and was not allowed to be read. He repeatedly asked, and said that if you don't allow it, please see the chief.

Yu Nai asked the chief, and the chief said that the time was cramped, so as not to cause any troubles, that is, let him read it first.

He said that the phrase "except for item five" is not the original text of the ultimatum and must be corrected according to the original text.

Yu said that this is true, and there is nothing wrong with it.

He said that the original text was "to be said after the temporary disintegration" and that it had to be corrected according to the original text. The secretary negotiated and changed the draft several times, but finally disagreed. Until dusk, when the time limit is approaching, it has not yet been agreed,

Chief Lu said that I was responsible for this matter, that is, according to the original text, whether or not to discuss it later depends on the situation at that time, and there is no need to dispute over the text at this time.

The final draft was finalized and sent to the Japanese embassy by General Lu and Secretary Yu Hefang, and handed over to the Japanese envoy for benefit, and it was already at midnight, at 11 o'clock on May 9.

It is a feeling of desolation, if there is a sense of pro-surrender.

On the way home, he was in the same car with the chief minister, and he said that before the Russian Pavilion, Russian Finance Minister Vid did not negotiate with Yang Qincha for the issue of Lend-Lease Brigade, and then he actually put the treaty on the public bill and asked Yang Qin's envoy to sign it.

Yang replied that he could not sign without the order of our emperor. Vader roared, spoke disrespectfully, and was arrogant and rude, and the situation was much more ferocious than this time, and Yu was an interpreter, and he still felt palpitations.

Yang was angry, old and old, and slipped and fell on the stone steps when he went out, so he couldn't afford it. The diplomacy of weak countries is a pity.

The local magistrates were afraid that they would not be able to understand the fact that the commercial lease was a pioneering act, so they specially summoned the two provinces to send negotiators and police chiefs to Beijing to inform them of the difficult situation of the negotiations.

Japan has put forward conditions for interhabitation in the interior, but the Ministry has not yet recovered its extraterritorial jurisdiction. As soon as this case was opened, all countries followed suit, and there was no hope of recovering their extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Commercial lease is not a sale, and it is not the same as pawn rent, the term must be specified, and how to distribute the profits should be in accordance with the customs of various places, and the lease deed should be concluded. The lease should be issued by the government and applied everywhere with a view to uniformity. The fees for collecting deeds that should be stamped can be set by the provinces. As for the eight words "obey the Chinese police decree", it took several fights before it was agreed. This is related to sovereignty, and the Ministry attaches great importance to it, and it is not necessary to make extraneous complications in its implementation, nor can it be arbitrarily accommodating.

As for the police regulations, both provinces have provisions, and it is best that the two provinces have the same general purpose, so that there are no complications when they are implemented.

However, it must be implemented earnestly, and once accommodating will become a common practice, please pay special attention to the words and disperse.

Later, the two provinces followed, in the era of Zhang Zuolin, did not hear of the problem, after Zhang Xueliang inherited his father's business, abolished the commercial lease charter, the people have acres of commercial rent, to steal and sell the land.

The Japanese consul general protested against Xueliang's unilateral cancellation of the agreement between the two countries, but Xueliang ignored it. When the Japanese were in Wanbao Mountain, they rented acres of land adjacent to them and rented a piece of land for ditching and diverting water to plant rice fields, but the landlords naturally did not dare to rent it, so Japan actually sent police to protect it and began to dig a ditch. China also sent police to stop it, and they clashed with each other. Japan reassigned its troops, and our side also reassigned its troops, and the two sides opened fire on this, and the quarrel became bigger and bigger, until the cause of the September 18 Incident was found. Therefore, the 918 incident actually originated from the Wanbaoshan incident.

After the President issued a letter of admonition to the hundred bureaucrats, he tried to cheer up his ministers and urged all the ministries to give detailed instructions to the construction of the country in Xingli, so as to do everything in the way, and to be vigilant and indignant at the State Council.

At each meeting, a new bill must be put forward for discussion, and all ministries will be ordered to draw up a plan according to the new plan and put it into practice. Especially with regard to the military, special attention should be paid to it, saying that when the war in Europe was fought, there could be no external assistance, and the only way to do it was to make efforts to build a steel-making plant, add the Gongxian Arsenal, rectify the various arsenals, the Fujian Shipyard, and train the model regiment into three mixed brigades.

For sorting out the finances, issuing domestic public bonds, reforming the currency system (abolishing two yuan), rectifying taxes, asking countries to return the Gengzi indemnity, and setting up special schools, some have been implemented and some are in preparation. The ministries also bred up their spirits and worked hard, and they were quite energetic for a while.

The Japanese Diet has attacked the government. The government's inappropriate policy toward China, and the Western Newspaper also praised President Yuan for his diplomacy as a weak country, and finally won the victory, so he gradually became complacent. Given the adversity between the left and the right, they thought that Japan's tricks were nothing more than that, and as long as they dealt with them with their hearts, they did not have to worry about it.

And suddenly whimsical, thinking that looking around the world, except for the United States, there are many monarchies, Japan and China are in the same Asia, the same race, I changed to a republic, and the Japanese political system is different, it is easy to be estranged, and the idea of the imperial system is self-made, and it has been brewing in the chest since then. In addition, Zhang Xun, Ni Sichong and others often say that the local people's feelings are incompatible with the republican system, and Yang Huizi (degree) and others also cite the words of the US adviser Goodnow as evidence that it is too early for China to implement the republican system. Xiang Cheng was infiltrated by these words, and his political affairs became slack.

Once upon a time, it was a pity that the vigor became the twilight again.