The time of the night passed quickly, and the next day was just after dawn, and the Japanese shogunate took the initiative to send someone to send a message, saying that the Japanese shogun had sent the shogunate elder Inoue Masachi as a plenipotentiary negotiator to negotiate with Wu Jun, and it was expected to arrive in Haneda Village at about 9 o'clock in the morning, and asked Wu Jun to make preparations for reception and prepare the negotiation venue in advance.

Out of consideration for the demeanor of a great power, Wang Fu did not intend to deliberately humiliate the Japanese negotiators in terms of basic etiquette, in addition to arranging the negotiation venue according to the specifications, he also asked someone to prepare a meeting gift for Hotta Masamu, preparing to salute first and then soldier, and politely cut the flesh and bleed from the Japanese. At the same time, Wang Fu sent people to contact the British negotiators and the consuls of France, the United States, Spain, and the Netherlands who volunteered to mediate, and asked them to wait in the rest place next to the negotiation venue, but he deliberately did not invite the Russian consul in Japan to come to the venue before Birovsky to prepare.

Finally, when the Japanese negotiators were about to arrive in Haneda Village at nine o'clock, the soldiers of the Wu army, who had received orders about the matter, politely invited Birovsky to the negotiation meeting and let Birovsky meet with Wang Fu and the representatives of the Western powers.

It is necessary to praise the so-called demeanor of Western diplomats, although they are very dissatisfied with Wang Fu for inviting him to the scene at the last moment, and although most of the European countries are not interested in Tsarist Russia and are even very hostile, but Western diplomats such as Aliguo, Birovsky, and Bloney still shook hands with smiles and saluted, praised the long-standing friendly relations between their countries and Tsarist Russia, and vowed to pass on this friendly relationship to future generations. The French consul, whose emperor was eager to chew the Russians, was also ingenious, praising Birovsky's well-fitting clothes and full complexion, and making him as close to Birovsky as if he had been separated for a long time.

In the end, after really not finding anything new to talk about, Ali Guo casually asked Birovsky, "Dear Mr. Birovsky, I forgot to ask you, when did you arrive in Haneda Village?" What is it for? ”

"What? Mr. Aliko, you don't know yet? ”

Birovsky asked in surprise, and subconsciously went to see Wang Fu, Wang Fu's accomplice Gong Cheng immediately took over the conversation and said directly in English: "Mr. Alikoku, please forgive me, I forgot to tell you that Mr. Birovsky only arrived in Haneda Village last night, and he hoped to participate in the negotiations as a mediator, but it was too late yesterday, and he was afraid that it would affect your rest, so he did not inform you overnight." ”

"A mediator?" Alikook, who was familiar with diplomacy, immediately understood that Birovsky was preparing to participate in the robbery of Japan, and it was not too strange, but he smiled and said: "Dear Mr. Birovsky, you have made a correct decision, and it is your smartest choice to persuade Japan to resolve this incident peacefully. ”

"Mr. Aliko, Mr. Birovsky has no intention of volunteering to help us." Gong Cheng snatched the conversation again and said in English: "Birovsky also hopes that you will join us in supporting his mediation exchange conditions with the Japanese, and help His Majesty the Tsar to obtain the gratitude of the Japanese." ”

"I hope we will support Mr. Birovsky's offer to the Japanese in exchange for mediation?" Obedient to the words, Ali Guo immediately woke up and said with a smile: "So, Mr. Birovsky, it seems that the negotiations you held with the Japanese shogun alone did not get the result you hoped for?" ”

"It can't be said that there is no result at all." Birovsky, who touched a gray nose in front of Tokugawa Ieshige, smiled and said, "The Japanese side promised that as long as the mediation is successful, they will give a satisfactory answer." ”

Ali Guo laughed again when he heard this, and there was still some contempt in his smile that could not be concealed, and asked: "Dear Mr. Birovsky, then you must take the liberty of asking, what do you intend to get from the Japanese this time?" How do you want us to support you? ”

It was really not a deliberate arrangement by the Wu army, and without waiting for Birovsky and Gong Cheng to answer, the Wu army messenger happened to come over to report that the ship of the Japanese negotiator Inoue Masachi had arrived at the temporary wharf in Haneda Village. ”

The wolves are about to eat the sheep, and of course the wolves will not mind doing a pre-meal exercise to show their politeness, so the representatives of the powers, including Birovsky, nodded together in agreement, and followed Wang Fu and Gong Cheng to the temporary dock that Wu Jun repaired yesterday to greet the chief of the Japanese shogunate, Nakakami Masagao. Not to mention, the result is not to mention, knowing that Wang Fu, the commander-in-chief of the Wu fleet, came to greet him in person, and was really a little flattered by the shame and humiliation of the inhole Masanao who came to sign the alliance under the city, and just after listening to the introduction on the dock, he couldn't wait to nod to Wang Fu and salute, and said respectfully: "General Wang, this time I really caused you trouble, and I ask the general to forgive me for the sake of the thousands of years of neighboring our country." ”

"Well said, well said." Wang Fu waved his hand casually and said very gracefully: "Mr. Inoue, the negotiation venue and your rest place have been prepared, please hurry, the time is not early, the negotiation is about to start." ”

Inoue uprightly agreed, but Gong Cheng, an accomplice of Wang Fu who was talented but morally corrupt, jumped out and said, "Wang Junmen, it's still early, let's introduce Mr. Inoue to the Western representatives first." ”

Knowing that Gong Cheng's move must be intentional, Wang Fu didn't have much to do, nodded and introduced everyone present one by one for Inoue Masao, but because of most of the acquaintances, there was nothing superfluous to say between mutual introductions, only when he introduced the Russian Consul in Japan Birovsky, the muscles on Inoue Masa's face trembled involuntarily a few times, and then without Gong Cheng being troublesome, Inoue Masachi took the initiative to open his mouth and asked cautiously: "General Wang, Mr. Consul Birovsky, also plan to participate in this negotiation?" ”

"Well, it looks like I've been scared by the appetite of the Russians." Gong Cheng, who had been observing Inoue's upright expression, was secretly happy in his heart, and hurriedly interjected: "Mr. Inoue, don't worry, I know that you and Mr. Birovsky have always had a friendly relationship, and this time, as long as our ally the British side agrees, Mr. Birovsky will participate in the negotiations as a mediator." ”

The look of fear on Inoue's face could no longer be concealed, and his lips couldn't help but tremble a little, knowing that today's level must be even more sad. Gong Cheng smiled again, and then turned to Ali Guo and said directly in English: "Dear Mr. Ali Guo, let's also discuss the matter of whether to accept Mr. Birovsky's mediation. Last night, Wang Junmen and I had a careful discussion, and we felt that Mr. Birovsky's mediation conditions were too harsh and might seriously affect the political and economic interests of our two countries in Japan. ”

Before the interpreter had fully interpreted Gong Cheng's words, Birovsky's face was already extremely gloomy, and Ali Guo was silent and asked, "Oh, what kind of mediation conditions did Mr. Birovsky propose?" ”

Gong Cheng didn't answer directly, but just asked his entourage to bring the record of the conversation between Wang Fu and Birovsky, and said: "Mr. Aliguo, this is the record of the conversation between Wang Junmen and Mr. Birovsky, please take a look." ”

Alikoku, who was proficient in Chinese, did not say a word, and directly took over the record to read carefully, and then soon, Alikook's face also changed, and he asked Birovsky with a mocking face: "Dear Mr. Birovsky, your appetite is really not small, even Hokkaido wants it?" If Japan agrees to cede Hokkaido to you, how much are you going to pay for the Konomai gold mine, which our British invested in Hokkaido? (Friends, remember?) It is the Hokkaido gold mine in Japan that Wu Chaoyue and Ali Guo have invested in. ）

"Hokkaido?" Birovsky was taken aback.

"Hokkaido?!" Masanao Inoue, who had been listening attentively to the interpreter, was even more surprised, and couldn't help but blurt out to Birovsky, "Mr. Birovsky, do you still want our Hokkaido in Japan?" ”

"When did I say I wanted Hokkaido?" Birovsky finally came back to his senses and hurriedly asked Wang Fu and Gong Cheng, "Wang, Gong, when did I say I wanted Hokkaido?" ”

"Mr. Birovsky, how did you forget what you said yourself?" Wang Fu finally seized an opportunity to speak, pointed to the conversation record in Ali Guo's hand, and said: "Fortunately, we were careful and found a bookstore to record the whole conversation between me and you. ”

Birovsky was stunned, snatched the record from Aliko's hand, and handed it to his interpreter to read it, but when he read the sentence, 'We only hope to get Hokkaido and all the affiliated islands of Japan,' Birovsky's interpreter was dumbfounded, and said, "Isn't that right? Yesterday, I seemed to be talking about all the affiliated islands of Hokkaido. Did I make a mistake when interpreting? Or was it written incorrectly when recording? ”

"It must have been their clerk who wrote it wrong! Tell these yellow-skinned monkeys in Chinese that it's their fault! ”

Birovsky angrily shouted orders in Russian, and the Tsarist Russia's own translator had no choice but to quickly defend Birovsky in Chinese, but Wang Fu and Gong Cheng of course immediately turned their faces and said: "Nonsense!" Last night, when you were interpreting, you said very clearly that you were preparing for the Japanese to cede Hokkaido and all the affiliated islands, and we heard it clearly. ”

The words were unfounded, and the unlucky interpreter also suspected that he had made a mistake in the interpretation, so he had to turn to Birovsky in frustration and said: "Mr. Consul, I'm very sorry, maybe it was really my mistake in interpreting and using the wrong key Chinese character." ”

"Smack!" Birovsky first slapped the unlucky translator in the face in anger, and then hurriedly said to Alikook in stiff English: "Mr. Alikook, this is a diplomatic mistake, I didn't ask the Japanese for Hokkaido, I just hope to get all the affiliated islands of Hokkaido!" ”

Extremely famous in terms of territory, Rovsky's explanation did not convince Aleksandar about it. When Ali Guo rolled his gray and yellow eyes and calculated, the Dutch consul in Japan, who had not spoken much, suddenly stood up and said: "Mr. Birovsky, your appetite is too great, we came forward to mediate, but we just want Japan to release more coastal ports, you have not done anything, and you are asking the Japanese to cede so many islands, is this too much?" Also, I also know a little Russian, and you just abused the yellow-skinned monkey in Russian, isn't it too lacking in the demeanor of a professional diplomat? ”

It must be explained that it is not a good idea for the Dutch consul to stand up and expose the shortcomings, the main reason is that Japan has always been relatively friendly with the Netherlands, before the Black Ship Incident, it was only to open the port to the Netherlands, and there are still many pro-Dutch elements of the Lan School in the country, and the Netherlands has many economic interests in Japan, and they are extremely unwilling to see Japan dismembered by Tsarist Russia, and they are actually very dissatisfied with the Wu army's attack on Japan, but they are afraid of the British obscenity and dare not attack. This would both deter the ambitions of Tsarist Russia and provoke a conflict between China and Russia, and the Dutch consul certainly did not hesitate to inform.

Although the Dutch consul was not careful, he also gave Gong Cheng the opportunity to expand the matter, and after the interpreters from several countries helped interpret his words into English and French, Gong Cheng's face immediately changed, and he said in proficient English: "Mr. Birovsky, I ask you to apologize, otherwise, our humiliated Chinese warriors will propose a duel to you!" ”

After finishing speaking, Gong Cheng turned to the Wu soldiers next to him and said in Chinese: "Brothers, this Russian consul scolds us for being yellow-skinned monkeys, if he doesn't apologize, I'm going to find someone to duel him for me, which of you is willing to help me?!" ”

"I do!"

Countless Wu soldiers present agreed in unison, and a few of them with short tempers directly drew their swords, and Gong Cheng turned to Birovsky and shouted: "Mr. Birovsky, apologize!" Otherwise, we'll duel! ”

"I'm a diplomat and have consular immunity." Birovsky replied a little timidly.

"The duel has nothing to do with consular immunity." Gong Cheng said coldly: "You insulted me, I asked you for a duel according to the rules of the West, if you refuse, you are a coward!" ”

The Wu soldiers were even more angry, and the consuls of the Western powers present were silent, and Birovsky hesitated again and again, so he had to say very reluctantly: "Okay, I apologize, I shouldn't have insulted your personality." ”

Gong Cheng smiled, first waved his hand to let the soldiers of Wu Jun put away their swords, and then symbolically talked with Wang Fu for a few words, and then turned to Aliguo and said in English: "Mr. Aliguo, in view of the excessive demands of the Russian consul, our Chinese representative has decided not to accept Russia's mediation, and does not want the Russian consul to participate in this peace talks. ”

He rolled his eyes again, although he was not sure whether Birovsky's request to cede Hokkaido was a misunderstanding, but first, because he had a very good personal relationship with Wu Chaoyue, second, he was extremely dissatisfied with Birovsky's lion's mouth wide open, and he wanted to take the biggest cake without sending troops without making efforts, and third, he was worried that after the Tsarist side got the subsidiary islands of Hokkaido, sooner or later it would attack the main island of Hokkaido, which was buried with a large number of gold mines, and threaten the economic interests of Britain and itself. Ali Guo quickly made up his mind and said, "General Wang, Mr. Gong, please rest assured that your two countries are advancing and retreating together in this matter, and we do not accept Russian mediation, and we do not want to see Russian representatives appear at the negotiating table. ”

The interpreter interpreted Ali Guo's words into Russian, and Birovsky's face suddenly became more ugly and ugly, and he didn't wait for Wu Jun to give the order to expel the guest, and left on his own initiative as soon as he shook his hand. Gong Cheng first thanked the Al-Li Guo and the Dutch consul, and then invited everyone to go to the negotiation venue together, and finally Gong Cheng seized the opportunity and said to the Japanese negotiator Inoue Masachi through an interpreter: "Mr. Inoue, give you a bottom, this time we will not ask your country for a single inch of land." Now who is a friend and who is an enemy, Mr. Inoue, you should know, right? ”

"Grateful, grateful." Inoue nodded his head and thanked him, and said with some excitement and sincerity: "Co-prosperity, Greater East Asia co-prosperity." ”