To say that among the mediation delegations, the most annoyed and angry people who led the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army led by Wang Mo to take over the defense of Qingdao from the Germans were the Japanese minister Iji Hikoyoshi and the British minister Zhu Erdian.

Long before the outbreak of the Qingdao War, the Japanese regarded the entire Jiaozhou Bay leased land as something in their pockets and declared war on Germany with great interest.

However, he never expected that Wang Mo led the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army to suddenly come out, kicked the Japanese army away, and then sat down in Qingdao by himself.

Mr. Zhu Erdian's mood was even worse, he took great pains to unite the great powers to organize mediation in Qingdao before the war in Qingdao began, Wang Mo led the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army into Qingdao, what is the difference between this and slapping him in the face?

With the brand of the world's number one power on his body, Mr. Count Zhu Erdian has served in the Far East for so many years, and he has never been the only one who is tyrannical, how can he be so humiliated. That night, Mr. Count Zhu Erdian, who has always regarded himself as a nobleman, scolded Wang Mo like a shrew in the hotel room for half an hour, but the evil breath in his heart did not diminish at all.

Although Zhu Erdian did not want to see Wang Mo who repeatedly challenged the majesty of the British Empire, he still sent someone to inform Wang Mo that the mediation meeting would take place as scheduled a day later. For him, the ownership of Qingdao was just a matter of face, but the rescue of the 2,000 British prisoners was a task that the cabinet gave him to complete.

Wang Mo took over Qingdao in fact in front of the mediation representatives of various countries, and the chain reaction triggered was very large. The most obvious point is that the original intention of the great powers to jointly exert pressure on Wang Mo is now almost gone, and the ministers and representatives of various countries have their own calculations and thoughts.

In 1914, that is, on November 4, the third year of the Republic of China, the mediation conference on the war in Qingdao, initiated and organized by the British Minister Plenipotentiary to China, Zhu Erdian, was held in the conference room on the third floor of the Kempins Hotel as scheduled.

Before the mediation meeting began, ministers and delegations from various countries gathered in the large conference room, which was not as harmonious as outsiders imagined.

Zhu Erdian said something with the French representative Millers with a deep face, not knowing whether he was talking about the situation in the European war or Wang Mo, who was extremely arrogant and arrogant in their eyes.

The Japanese minister, Hikoyoshi Iji, seemed to want to get up and say something to Zhu Erdian, but Zhu Erdian, who was in a bad mood, didn't seem to want to deal with him much for the time being.

Russian Minister Kudashev was discussing something in a low voice with the secretaries, counselors, military attachés and others in the Russian delegation. From time to time, he looked towards the door of the conference room, and seemed to be very concerned about when Wang Mo would arrive.

On the right side of the conference room, the American minister Rui Enshi found Lu Zhengxiang chatting, trying to test the attitude of the central government in Beijing towards Wang Mo.

"Minister Lu. Congratulations to your country on the fact that it has successfully recovered the Jiaozhou Bay lease. Although there may be some diplomatic troubles, I don't think it will be difficult for Your Excellency the Minister. Rui Enshi smiled slightly.

In the face of Rui Enshi's congratulations, Lu Zhengxiang really didn't know whether to be happy or worried, and said with a complicated expression: "Thank you, but my country still hopes to take back the Jiaozhou Bay lease in the name of the central government." The Republic of China has always had good relations with your country. I wonder if His Excellency the Minister can provide some support to China in recovering the leased land in Jiaozhou Bay in the name of the central government? ”

"Your Excellency the Minister should understand that, unlike the colonial strategy of Western countries, I, the United States of America, have always advocated an 'open door' policy that tends more towards equal cooperation. Therefore, China is very happy to see your country take back the leased land in Jiaozhou Bay. Rui Enshi said very righteously.

Lu Zhengxiang scoffed at Rui Enshi's statement in his heart, if he really believed this, he would be a fool. He is very familiar with the international situation, and of course he understands that the United States is peddling "open doors" everywhere, but it is only because the colonies of the world have been carved up by the European powers, and the United States, as an emerging country, has nowhere to intervene at all.

As a diplomat, of course. Lu Zhengxiang still has the city mansion, and on the surface, not only did he not reveal a trace of his true thoughts, but he showed a very grateful look.

Just when Lu Zhengxiang was about to further enlist the support of the United States for the resumption of Qingdao by the central government in Beijing, Rui Enshi's tone suddenly changed and he said: "However, Your Excellency, in the position of our country, there is no difference between the resumption of the leased land of Jiaozhou Bay in the name of the central government of your country in Beijing and the resumption of the land by your king. ”

Hearing this, Lu Zhengxiang's heart sank, and he immediately said, "Your Excellency, Minister." You and I, both diplomats, should understand the important difference. Wang Mo is just a local military officer in China, and the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army is not at all in the regular establishment of the Republic of China Army, and can only be regarded as a civilian armed force at best. It does not have the main qualification to recover the leased land in Jiaozhou Bay. The central government of Beijing inherited the Jiaozhou lease contract signed by the former Qing government, and is the only entity that is qualified to terminate the contract and recover the Jiaozhou Bay leased land. ”

Lu Zhengxiang's well-founded words made Rui Enshi a little crying and laughing, which is indeed the case from a legal point of view. But in today's world where the weak eat the strong, the law has always been just a layer of paste, and if it is useful, it will be pasted. Tear it if it's useless.

Rui Enshi shrugged his shoulders and said, "Your Excellency, your words are very reasonable, and I agree with them very much. However, it is a pity that our country will not have a bad relationship with Wang Mo, who has actually controlled the entire southern part of China and is not inferior in strength to your Beiyang, because of this. ”

"Your Excellency, Minister ......," Lu Zhengxiang still wanted to say something, and strive to win Rui Enshi's support.

Rui Enshi unceremoniously stopped Lu Zhengxiang's continued persuasion: "Okay, Your Excellency Minister." I believe that as long as your country is able to get your country to recognize your country's resumption of the Jiaozhou Bay lease after this mediation meeting, then Your Excellency the Minister has fulfilled his duties well. As for whether or not to take back the Jiaozhou Bay lease in the name of your central government, I don't think the people of your country should take this seriously. ”

At this time, the oak door of the conference room was pushed open with a "snap", and Wang Mo strode into the conference room under the escort of several personal guards.

"Ministers and deputies, because our army has just taken over the defense of Qingdao and is busy with affairs, it is a little late to come a little later. I apologize for waiting for a long time. Wang Mochao arched his hands and said to the ministers and representatives of various countries in the conference room.

Seeing Wang Mo's extremely hateful face, the Japanese minister Iji Hikoji couldn't help but say coldly: "As far as I know, Commander Wang, you are only self-appointed, and you don't have any official position in your country at all. Those present are all ministers or plenipotentiaries of various countries in China, what qualifications do you have to come here so late, is this contempt for your ministers and representatives? ”

Iji Yanji is not stupid, he never forgets to hate Wang Mola, and at the same time isolates Wang Mo without a trace.

Wang Mo was not surprised by the reaction of the Japanese, smiled coldly, and said: "I said, the military affairs are busy, so it was delayed. Whether or not my late arrival is an act of contempt depends on the understanding of the ministers and delegates. I wonder when the Japanese minister was able to represent the ministers and representatives of various countries with full powers. ”

Hearing this, most of the ministers and delegates of various countries frowned, obviously very dissatisfied with the words and deeds of Iji Yanji who took it upon himself to draw them to the opposite side of Wang Mo.

If he had just arrived in Qingdao, the ministers and representatives of various countries would have united to suppress Wang Mo as discussed with Zhu Erdian.

However, since seeing the strength of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance, the minds of the ministers and representatives of various countries have changed. Uniting to suppress Wang Mo, they will not be able to gain any benefits. But if they can befriend a powerful warlord like Wang Mo, it will always be beneficial to their interests in China.

Moreover, the Russian Minister Kudashev and the American Minister Rui Enshi both have their own little abacus, and they both have what they want from Wang Mo, so they naturally will not choose to have a bad relationship with Wang Mo.

"There are always many things that need to be dealt with urgently, and Commander Wang is a little late, and I understand this." Rui Enshi was the first to stand up and speak.

"Although Commander Wang does not have an official position in China, I think none of you present will think that Commander Wang does not have the qualifications to talk to us, because the military affairs will come a little later, and there is no contempt." Kudashev said after Ruiensch.

This wind is not in the right direction, how could the Russian minister and the American minister speak out in support of Wang Mo?

Zhu Erdian chuckled in his heart, and suddenly had an ominous premonition, in order to avoid this wind direction from affecting the mediation meeting, he stood up and said: "Okay, since Commander Wang has arrived, there is no need to dwell on these irrelevant matters. Ministers and delegates, please take your seats, and the mediation meeting on the war in Qingdao has officially begun! ”

Subsequently, the ministers and representatives of the various countries participating in the mediation took their seats. The conference table is a large round table, so there is no question of host and guest seats, and it is obviously to avoid disputes over seating.

As soon as the ministers and representatives of various countries sat down, the Japanese minister Iji Hikoyoshi couldn't wait to say to Wang Mo: "Commander Wang, on behalf of the Japanese Empire, I would like to lodge the strongest protest against your army!" In the war between our Entente and the Central Powers, your country was a neutral country, but your army interfered in the battle between our Anglo-Japanese forces and the German army in Qingdao for no reason, which is an extremely unreasonable and barbaric shameful act! Now, on behalf of the Great Japanese Empire, I demand that your army immediately withdraw from Qingdao and compensate our Imperial Japanese Army for all its losses in the war! ”

This is said in an overbearing manner, and if you don't know, eighty percent will think that the Japanese army is the one who won the war, and Wang Mo and the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army are just the losers of the defeated and peaceful quest.

Wang Mo smiled coldly, looked at Yiji Yanji with great disdain and said, "I said, your skull is broken, right?" ”

"Nani?" Hikoyoshi Ijiji couldn't believe what he was hearing, and involuntarily spat out a sentence in Japanese.

Wang Mo said word by word again: "I mean, your skull is broken!" (To be continued.) )