Tsumen, British Consulate in Zizhulin.

The Lunar New Year of the Qing Dynasty does not have any special meaning for an Englishman at all.

Even the ambitious cosmopolitans in Britain saw a gradual change in the customs of the East Asian holiday, until finally the natives of East Asia knew only Christmas.

Completely forgot what lunar Chinese New Year's Eve, Lantern Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, these messy things.

It is the mission that the civilized British Empire is committed to accomplishing.

British Minister Ogg, Consul General of Tianjin Gate, Vice Admiral Philmantle, Commander of the British Far East Fleet, Captain of the Cardinal, Colonel Miller Lagres, Captain of the Consulate of Tianjin, Captain Hudson Taylor, Chief of the British Artillery Department, Lieutenant Commander Proud, and Hornby, reporter of the British Illustrated London News.

A few people sat on several sofas, gathered in a small salon, eating dried fruits, pastries, smoking cigars, and drinking brandy.

The world outside is filled with the sound of firecrackers, which sets off the silence inside.

"This group of Oriental clowns is really bold, Gao Sheng is like this, and now Shanhaiguan is like this!"

Vice Admiral Philistine, commander of the British Far East Fleet, put the cigar in his hand on the notch in the crystal ashtray, and said in a deep voice:

"For such a country full of ambition and speculation, cruel means, with a population of nearly 50 million; Don't gentlemen think how terrible it would be to let them grow up calmly? ”

"It's terrible, and it's terrible for Tsarist Russia and the Qing Dynasty."

The British minister, Ogg, glanced at Filimant lightly: "Northeast China and Korea are the fate that the Qing, Japan, and Russia can never get rid of, unless one side is completely beaten down and loses the qualification to fight; Since the Qing Dynasty is no longer good, then change to the East to go to the ring, these two large pieces of fat meat are close at hand, and the East has to fight if it is not fighting, unless it is willing to be a weak country forever! ”

"Your Excellency, as far as I know, the East Ocean is an island country, and its location is as far as East Asia is like the empire is to the European continent."

British Imperial Far East Navy, Captain Miller Lagres, captain of the Cardinal, nodded very vaguely.

"The western Pacific Ocean is far from the Atlantic, and the United States has been ambitiously seeking to dominate the Americas and the Pacific Ocean all these years; The year before last, the United States also united with the East to abolish the king of Hawaii, and in September last year, the East Yaeyama brought a group of East farmers to Hawaii, so it failed to catch up with the Battle of Dadonggou in order to grab Hawaii with the United States. ”

Consul General of Jinmen, Bao Shide, said with a smile: "To the east of the continent is Tsarist Russia, to the west of the sea is the United States, in the future time and space, there is no possibility of conflict between the empire and the East Ocean." ”

Hornby, a reporter for the British "London News Illustrated", said sharply: "So the empire has to be humiliated and tolerant of the warnings of the Orient that have repeatedly flouted the empire? If this situation is allowed to develop, the empire on which the sun never sets will be impudently provoked by the humble forces around the world! ”

This hat is really big enough, and it makes Ogergon and Bao Shide change color a little.

If this annoying guy really wrote this, how would China evaluate his achievements in East Asia?

"Mr. Hornby, I think you have misunderstood what I meant, and of course the Empire will react to such impulsive and impolite behavior of the Orient."

"'Impolite'? Hehe, that's to keep warning? ”

Hornby smiled, but looked at Oggar sharply, "I'll add that in the newspaper." ”

"The confrontation of the Qing and Japanese armies in Lushun, as well as the fact that the Beiyang Fleet had just sunk an Oriental ship, including this and the last two Shanhaiguan battles, all show that the Qing Dynasty still has good military force; At this time, it is very likely that Toyo will not get enough of it. ”

Bornby patiently explained: "The reason why the minister ordered peace talks and let the Japanese army stop in the mountains and seas is to let the Qing and Japan negotiate first and determine the bottom line of the Qing Dynasty, not that he really intends to end the war immediately and completely. ”

Hornby only understood what he had said, but he immediately noticed that the topic had been diverted by the cunning ambassadors.

Hornby immediately brought the topic back: "However, Dongyang is still ignoring the orders of the Empire and attacking Shanhaiguan? ”

Ou Ge said with a smile: "It's not attacking Shanhaiguan, it's outside the pass, the Japanese army is just playing a side game; However, I have sent a telegram to Foreign Minister Kimberley, and he will make the most accurate decision. ”

"Ever since Pyongyang saw the new army of the Qing Dynasty, I've been thinking, is this the right thing for the empire to do? How terrifying is this country with a population of 400 million and a country of thousands of miles once it truly awakens? It will completely change the world pattern! More importantly, if the rise is unstoppable, you must not take the initiative to form enemies first. ”

Lieutenant Colonel Puley, the head of the British Artillery Division, said with a solemn face: "Gentlemen, don't forget the 'Yellow Peril Theory'!" ”

"Therefore, the empire will never tolerate the annexation of the Qing Dynasty by Tsarist Russia, nor will it allow the East to defeat the Qing court; Only by allowing the Qing Dynasty to continue its internal friction and the Qing court to continue to implement the policy of ignoring the people to rule the Qing Dynasty is in the interests of the empire. ”

Ogge said very seriously: "In this Qing-Japanese war, the empire has a purpose and a bottom line: the purpose is to use Korea, the territory of the northeast of the Qing Dynasty, and the war reparations of the Qing Dynasty to support the East against Tsarist Russia, and the bottom line is to ensure the integrity of the rule of the Qing court; As for the details, methods, and means, there is no problem. ”

"I think Lieutenant Colonel you've overthought it;"

Seeing that everyone looked over, Dai Desheng, the captain and military attache of the Jinmen Consulate, said: "It is normal for a country of 400 million people to have some extraordinary characters, but after all, it is a rare minority, and it is impossible to truly revitalize such a large nation. ”

Hudson Taylor's words made sense, and everyone nodded in agreement.

"Gentlemen!"

Og took a long breath, stood up with his wine glass in his hand, and said: "There is an old Chinese saying that 'follow the customs of the country', and today is the festival of the aborigines of the Qing Dynasty, toast to the better tomorrow of the empire!" ”

"Cheers!"

All the British nobles stood up, raising their glasses in their hands high and with pride.

Toyo, Hiroshima base camp.

The British Minister to Japan, Chu Enchi, sent a sternly worded telegram from the British Imperial Foreign Minister Kimberley, which had already been transmitted.

Now the bigwigs are looking at the telegram from the base camp to clear the telegram of the First Army.

More than 1,200 people were killed in the battle, nearly 100 were seriously wounded, and the main city of Shanhaiguan was burned and burned.

Seeing all the bigwigs, their faces were full of iron.

"Shan County played a sideshow, but in the face of British power, no one would reason with the empire."

Ito Hirobumi rubbed his temples with a headache, which was a headache for the fickle and backsliding Britain, and a headache for the unruly and unruly Yama Prefecture Arito.

In this big gamble, the empire gambled on everything to walk a tightrope, and below is the abyss, and if you are not careful, you will be crushed!

Since the beginning of the war, how many nights have Ito Hirobumi been waking up sweating profusely and with fear on his face.

These warriors in the hateful Shanxian County, with simple minds and well-developed limbs, do not understand the sinister and difficult situation of the empire at all.