Uh, what does that mean?

However, although Guan Zhuofan is thick-skinned, he is not easy to ask directly: Oh, why does Princess Louise regard me as her idol?

He just smiled faintly, said "ashamed", groaned slightly, and said: "Regarding Frederick ****'s visit to China, the governments of China and Prussia will have to discuss again before they can finally reach a conclusion. Pen %Fun %Pavilion www.biquge.info"

Ali Guo could hear that this was not an excuse, on the contrary, His Royal Highness the Prince had agreed to postpone the date of Frederick's visit to China in a very tactful way, waiting for Princess Victoria and Princess Louise. Otherwise, Frederick's visit to China had already been decided -- that's what the Prussian minister to China, Li Fuss, told him, and said that "there are too many involved, and it may be difficult to change it" -- so why "discuss again"?

He stood up, bowed slightly, and said with a smile: "Thank you Your Royal Highness for your trouble, I am waiting for good news." ”

"Sir is so polite."

After resuming his seat, Ali said, "Yesterday I received another message from London to inform His Royal Highness - but this is good news. ”

"Oh? Please speak. ”

"Her Majesty's Government," said Aliko, "has submitted to Parliament a special bill stipulating that, in the event of war between China and a third country, the active Royal Navy members of the Chinese Navy shall be transferred to reserve service or retired from active duty; Once the war is over, it will automatically return to active duty. In addition, the duration of the war is counted towards the length of their naval service in the Royal Navy. ”

After a slight pause, "This bill is also known as the 'Dictor Act' - the person responsible for drafting the bill is Lord Dicktor, the First Sea Lord. ”

Guan Zhuofan's eyes are shining: This is really good news!

In China's young navy, there were a large number of "British service men", who either served as advisers or directly held various positions, and in the event of a war between China and France, France would inevitably demand that Britain "maintain neutrality" on the grounds of public law. Most of the "British service personnel" in the Chinese Navy are active military personnel of the Royal Navy, and if the British government really "maintains neutrality," this group of "British service personnel" will have to temporarily withdraw from the Chinese Navy, or at least, they will not be able to directly participate in the war.

If this is the case, the combat effectiveness of the Chinese Navy, which is still a student, will be seriously affected.

If Britain refuses to "maintain neutrality", it will be unjustifiable in public law, and it will inevitably have a serious impact on the relationship between Britain and France.

If the British government's "Dictor Bill" is successfully passed in Parliament, theoretically, the "British service personnel" in the Chinese navy will not be bound by the public law of all nations and their own government and can directly participate in the war. At the same time, because "once the war is over, it will automatically return to active duty", and because "the duration of the war shall be counted as the length of his years of service at sea in the Royal Navy", the rights and interests of the "British service person" themselves will not be affected.

France has nothing to say either.

When the time comes, if the French have objections, the British can spread their hands very aggrieved: Ouch, when the legislation was first enacted, we could never have imagined that this "third country" would be you France? - Hey, you can't even think of yourself, can you?

Indeed, the French themselves could not have imagined it.

The Navy is no better than the Army, and the construction and maturity of the Navy is a long process.

The Xuanjun sent the first batch of naval students so far, but it has only been five years; Received the first new giant warship, the Champion, then called the King Umberto, only three years later; The first batch of graduates of the Fuzhou Naval Academy has just officially graduated and entered service. Therefore, the Chinese navy is still an authentic student, and it is far from being "out of the division".

Therefore, a war against the world's second naval power, whether the world's first naval power is at war or not, is of great importance to China and Guan Zhuofan himself.

So, that's really good news! Great news!

In addition, Dicktor, the First Sea Secretary who drafted the "Dictor Act," also had another close relationship with the Chinese Navy -- his nephew Dictor Jr., the former deputy commander of the Royal Marine Corps Fleet Detachment, with the rank of colonel, served as the "assistant chief instructor" of the Chinese Navy.

Guan Zhuofan stood up, arched his hand at Ah Liguo, and said with a smile: "Sir, it's all silent!" ”

Ah Liguo hurriedly stood up as well, learned from Guan Zhuofan's appearance, also arched his hand, and said in a loud voice: "His Royal Highness the Prince is too polite, he can't afford it, he can't afford it!" ”

The two sat down again, and Ali Guo said: "There is another matter, Her Majesty's government, Her Royal Highness the Prince, has high hopes. ”

"Please."

"Her Majesty's Government," said Aliguo, "is about to formally claim sovereignty over the area south of the South Fahr River and west of Bloemfontein, look, Your Highness the Prince—"

The area south of the South Fahr River and west of Bloemfontein - the Kimberly-Clark region, where the Kimberly-Clark diamond and gold veins are located.

Okay, the last moment you cast it with a peach, and the next moment you repay it with a li.

"As soon as your government formally raises the above sovereignty claim," Kwan said without hesitation, "the next day, Citigroup will issue a statement of firm support for the British Empire's position." ”

"Good, good!" Ali Guo said happily, "His Royal Highness is really a believer! ”

After a pause, "I hope that Her Majesty's Government will be able to provide security, order, infrastructure, and reasonable taxation and trade management and services for your 'Citi Mining Company' as soon as possible." ”

"That's my hope, too."

At this point, the "big deal" reached by the two sides has officially "fallen under the hammer".

"I have a small proposal," Ali Guo rubbed his hands excitedly, "It's the icing on the cake, I don't know what His Royal Highness thinks?" ”

"Sir, please."

"His Royal Highness The Prince's Government intends to award him the Order of the Bath in recognition of his outstanding contribution to Southern Africa by leading the Mine Protection Team, not only to safeguard the property and personal safety of Citigroup in South Africa, but also to the stability and harmony of the social order in the Kimberly-Clark area...... Is it appropriate? ”

After a slight pause, "I know that officials of the Chinese government and the military are not suitable to accept honors from foreign governments at will, but as far as I know, Mr. Jiang Yitian had already retired from active duty in the Chinese army before he was stationed in South Africa. ”

After that, he looked at Guan Zhuofan with a smile on his face.

Guan Zhuofan secretly scolded in his heart: Old fox!

The full name of the "Order of the Bath" is "The Most Honorable Order of the Bath", and the recipient is called the "Knight of the Bath". The "Knights of the Bath" formed the "Knights of the Bath", and the leader was the Prince of Wales, that is, His Royal Highness the **** of the British Empire - at present, it was the Prince Edward who Ali said he would visit China.

The recipients of the Order of the Bath are usually senior officers or senior civil servants, and those who are not British princes and citizens are called "Honorary Bath Knights", honorary members of the "Knights of the Bath".

Of course, the "icing on the cake" was also one of the considerations, but Guan Zhuofan understood that the more important purpose of this old fox was to test the sincerity of Guan Zhuofan's "cooperation" -- in southern Africa, did the "Citi Mining Company" sincerely accept the "security, order, infrastructure" and "reasonable taxation, trade management and services" provided by the British Empire?

As for "as far as I know, Mr. Jiang Yitian had already retired from active duty in the Chinese army before he was stationed in South Africa" -- hehe, this is what His Royal Highness Prince Guan said himself.

"Thank you to Her Majesty the Queen and Your Excellency Sir for your love," Guan Zhuofan said calmly, "I think this is Jiang Yitian's honor." ”

Ali Guo's face shone brightly: "Contemptible people are also honored!" ”

*

After Ali Guo resigned, Guan Zhuofan immediately sent someone to inform the Prussian Legation to see when Minister Li had time to visit Prince Xuan's mansion?

At that time, Li Fusi was having lunch, he took two bites of three, stuffed the remaining bread and sausages into his stomach, rinsed his mouth, wiped his mouth, and ran to the north street.

When he arrived at Prince Xuan's mansion, Guan Zhuofan had just had lunch.

Kwan Cheuk-fan told him frankly about Ali Guo's demands, including that the British government had submitted the "Dictor Bill" to Parliament -- anyway, this matter is no secret soon.

Of course, the South African thing, and "Princess Louise can be considered your admirer", will not be said.

Li Fusi groaned slightly, and then said that the timing of Frederick's **** visit to China can be appropriately adjusted and postponed for a period of time to wait for Princess Victoria and Princess Louise.

He held that the "Dictor Act" is of great significance to China, and that if China and Prussia join hands in dealing with France, the "Dictor Act" will also be of great significance to Prussia -- to ensure victory on the Asian front is to ensure victory on the European front.

Therefore, in the pattern of trilateral interaction between China, Prussia, and the United Kingdom, it is necessary to take due care of the interests of the British side.

Li Fusi said that he was responsible for explaining the situation to Prussia and coordinating the actions, and he believed that His Majesty the King, His Royal Highness **** and His Excellency the Prime Minister would give full understanding and cooperation, and His Royal Highness the Prince did not need to worry.

Guan Zhuofan was very pleased and said, "Then there is a labor envoy." ”

"Your Royal Highness need not be polite," said Liforths, "and in fact Prussia must also make overtures to Great Britain, after all, in the Austro-Prussian War not long ago, Prussia destroyed the Kingdom of Hanover. ”

Before the Austro-Prussian War, the Kingdom of Hanover was a state of the German Confederation, and in the Austro-Prussian War, it sided with Austria against Prussia.

The Kingdom of Hanover had a very close relationship with the British royal family at that time.

At that time, Britain was ruled by the Hanoverian dynasty, and the two "Hanovers" were one and the same. George I, the ancestor of Queen Victoria and the first monarch of the Hanoverian dynasty, was the son of the Elector of Hanover, Germany, because Queen Anna of England at that time, the cousin of George I, died without an heir, and in order to prevent the throne of the King of England from falling into the hands of the Catholics, he crossed the sea to England to take his cousin's class.

The "Order of the Bath" mentioned above was founded by this George I.

The Congress of Vienna held in 1814, in order to give the British king more say in German affairs, promoted the Electoral State of Hanover to the Kingdom of Hanover, and formed a "confederation" with Britain, with the British king as the head of the confederation.

However, after Queen Victoria's accession to the throne, because of the implementation of the "Sarlie Law" in Germany, which forbade women to inherit the throne, the British king automatically lost the qualification of the head of the "Confederation of Co-Lords", and this "Confederation of Commonwealth" was in fact dissolved.

However, in any case, Prussia's destruction of Hanover was tantamount to digging up the roots of the British royal family on the European continent, and in the future, it would be more difficult for Britain to intervene in German affairs and even in continental European affairs, and the British would naturally not be happy about this.

"Now," said Liforth with a slight smile, "the British do not like the French, and the main line of their continental policy is to support Prussia against France, and some small things have to be endured." However, in the words of the Chinese, you are polite to me, I cannot take it as luck, and when the time is right, Prussia must also show something. ”

Guan Zhuofan laughed, "Your envoy can see it thoroughly!" ”

"Shame!"

Li Fusi smiled, pondered for a while, and said: "However, Your Royal Highness, with all due respect, Ali Guo said that Britain will send Prince Edward to visit China, and this matter may not be reliable. ”

"Oh?"

"The Prince of Wales," said Liforths, "is afraid that he will be unlucky, and if he is not stripped of his right to the throne, he should be thankful that he will visit China on behalf of the royal family and the government. ”

Guan Zhuofan raised his eyebrows slightly, "Please explain the details." ”

*(To be continued.) )