On the sixth day of He Yingqin's handling of the Zhuangding issue, Zhou Hexuan received an urgent summons from Lao Jiang.

Chang Kaishen looked very anxious, he squeezed out a smile and said, "Mingcheng, sit down!" The government has taken a proper handle of the problem of the strong man you reacted to, and I believe that similar incidents will not occur again in the future. ”

"I hope so." Zhou Hexuan replied casually.

Chang Kaishen said a few more nonsense, and suddenly said: "Mingcheng is willing to go to Britain?" ”

Zhou Hexuan asked, "What's wrong?" ”

Chang Kaishen smiled bitterly: "Britain has compromised with Japan and wants to close the Yunnan-Burma Highway. ”

"What does the U.S. say?" Zhou Hexuan said.

Chang Kaishen said: "The United States has an ambiguous attitude. ”

Zhou Hexuan sighed and said, "Then I'll try it, but I'm afraid it won't work." ”

Chang Kaishen said: "Do your best, I believe in Mingcheng's ability." ”

In 1940, the international situation became too fast, and in March, Lao Chiang began to hold on, and sent three people to Hong Kong to secretly negotiate peace with Japan. No one knows the specific details, but it is obvious that the two sides did not negotiate, and Lao Jiang could only continue to fight to the end.

Some time ago, the Anglo-French alliance was defeated, and China immediately became a sweetheart. Britain and the United States were afraid that the Japanese army would move south, and hoped to win China into the anti-fascist camp. Germany and Italy are also courting China, hoping to promote Sino-Japanese peace talks and form a fascist alliance with China, Japan, Germany, and Italy as the core.

Chang Kaishen was quite excited to join the fascist alliance, but Japan opened its mouth and wanted to turn China into a vassal state, so it was completely impossible to continue the discussion.

However, the international situation is obviously favorable to China, and Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, Germany, and Italy are actually throwing olive branches to China, so some time ago, Lao Chiang was very happy, and he can take advantage of this situation.

Everything was broken by the surrender of France, and Japan forced the French puppet government to close the Yunnan-Vietnam Highway, leaving China with only two routes: the Yunnan-Burma Highway and the China-Soviet Highway. Immediately afterwards, Japan put pressure on the British government, threatening that if the British government did not close the Yunnan-Burma road, then the Japanese army would go south to attack the British colonies.

Britain had already regarded the United States as a father at this time, and hurriedly asked about his father's attitude. After China learned of the inside story, it immediately asked Hu Shih to build momentum for Britain in the United States, hoping to create public opinion that the United States would support Britain, and it would be best to get Britain and the United States to fight with Japan.

Roosevelt was more inclined to enter the war, but was coerced by domestic isolationism and could only choose to remain neutral. Therefore, in response to Britain's temptation, the US Foreign Ministry replied: "I hope that Britain will not completely compromise with Japan, but also not provoke Japan to cause war." ”

The British government instantly understood what the United States meant, that is, Dad did not want to help for the time being. Coupled with the imminent presence of Japanese troops near Hong Kong, Britain was so frightened that it immediately retracted, and the British bureaucracy began to discuss how to sell China.

Ambassador Guo Taiqi to the United Kingdom was not idle, he and Hu Shi acted at the same time, one in the United Kingdom and the other in the United States, constantly conducting diplomatic lobbying.

The diplomatic efforts of Guo Taiqi and Hu Shih paid off, and on July 1, the British Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs replied to Guo Taiqi: "Britain will not cut off the lines of communication of free countries (China) because of a third party." ”

That night, Britain formally rejected Japan's unreasonable threat to close the Burma Highway, but the British cabinet quarreled fiercely. Churchill was also inclined to betray China, believing that it was stupid to go to war with Japan now, and that Britain could not withstand the attack of Germany and Japan, and that the United States should bear the burden of this matter.

However, Britain still rejected Japan, and Japan was so angry that the War Office clamored for "immediate war against Britain," and the Foreign Ministry immediately issued an ultimatum to Britain: "The British Government must settle the problem within a week or 10 days." ”

Britain finally compromised and promised to sell China, but now it has not officially replied to Japan, and Guo Taiqi is still making the last diplomatic efforts.

Chang Kaishen said: "Britain's closure of the Yunnan-Burma Highway is a foregone conclusion, and it is estimated that by the time Mingcheng arrived in London, Britain had already made a diplomatic reply." You have a great responsibility to convince the British to reopen the Burma Highway. ”

"I understand." Zhou Hexuan said.

"Alas," Chang Kaishen sighed, "the state is in difficulty, everything is please." ”

Zhou Hexuan said: "Actually, the key to convincing Britain is in the United States, as long as the United States comes forward, Britain's attitude towards Japan will immediately harden." ”

Chang Kaishen shook his head and said, "It's useless." Judging from Hu Shih's report, although the public opinion in the United States sympathizes with China and Britain and calls for diplomatic and economic sanctions against Japan and Germany, the American people are afraid of war, isolationism is rife, and it is impossible for the United States to clearly turn to either side in the short term. ”

Historically, after Britain closed the Yunnan-Burma Highway, the United States actually took the initiative to make goodwill with Japan, and it was nothing more than an attempt to sell China to dispel Japan's "southward expansion policy" and hope that China's interests would satisfy Japan's appetite -- it was best to induce Japan to fight the Soviet Union.

Roosevelt had already written the script, and as a result, Japan and the Soviet Union signed a neutrality pact, which smashed America's small calculations.

Zhou Hexuan said: "President Chiang, persuading Britain to reopen the Yunnan-Burma Highway is equivalent to persuading Britain to start a war with Japan in the Far East. In order to achieve its goal, Britain must be given a reason to choose to go to war. ”

"Why did you choose to go to war?" Chang Kaishen didn't understand.

Zhou Hexuan nodded: "Yes, force the British government to make a choice - either go to war with Japan, or accept the worse truth." ”

Chang Kaishen asked: "What is a worse fact than going to war?" ”

Zhou Hexuan said: "China has become a vassal state of Japan, joined the fascist forces, and attacked Britain's Far Eastern colonies together!" ”

"No way!" Chang Kaishen was furious.

Zhou Hexuan smiled: "Of course this is fake. ”

"Fake ones don't work." Chang Kaishen does not want to bear the stigma of betraying the country.

Zhou Hexuan said: "Pick a scapegoat, let him negotiate quietly with Japan, agree to all Japan's rude demands, and sign a draft contract in his personal name." At that time, the contents of the contract will be quietly leaked to the British, and even if it is exposed by the media, it has nothing to do with you, the president. If you deny it, let the scapegoat bear the name, and the British government will inevitably panic. ”

Chang Kaishen was speechless: "You have a bad idea." ”

Zhou Hexuan said: "This is the only way I can think of. ”

"I'll think about it again." Chang Kaishen still couldn't make up his mind.

Zhou Hexuan got up and said, "I'll go back and prepare first, and I'll leave for the UK in two days." President, if you have a positive decision, send an A to the Embassy in the UK, and if you don't agree with the plan, send a B to the Embassy in the UK. ”

"Okay." Chang Kaishen had a headache.

Zhou Hexuan didn't care about this, anyway, the Yunnan-Burma highway was only closed for three months in history. Of course, if it can reopen a month earlier, it will also be very important for China, because it can bring in a lot of supplies, and even curb the soaring prices to a certain extent.