Beijing, Zhongnanhai, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China.

Ministers from Britain, France, Russia, Japan, the United States, and other countries came together, so much so that Yuan Shikai had to put down what he was doing and rushed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to meet with the ministers of various countries.

As soon as he saw Yuan Shikai, the British Minister Zhu Erdian said in a menacing manner: "Your Excellency, on behalf of the Minister, I would like to lodge the strongest protest to your country, your country's wanton and unreasonable increase in import tariffs is a serious obstacle to trade freedom!" ”

When he learned that Wang Mo had raised import tariffs a few days ago, Yuan Shikai expected that the ministers of various countries would inevitably come to Xingshi to ask for the guilt, but he didn't expect it to come so quickly and so aggressively.

Yuan Shikai can be regarded as an old fox who has been rolling in the political arena for many years, of course, he will not be frightened by this little position of ministers from various countries, and said calmly: "Your ministers have served in our country for many years and are well aware of our country's domestic situation, so you must know that the increase in tariffs is not the work of our central government, but the self-initiative of the autonomous government of the provinces in the south. ”

The ministers of various countries looked at each other a few times, of course they understood that this matter had nothing to do with Yuan Shikai's Beiyang Group, and the reason why they put on a posture of asking for guilt was just to force Yuan Shikai to express his position, so as to use the Beiyang Group to suppress and even eliminate the southern royal forces that they had regarded as a thorn in their eyes.

"That being the case, Your Excellency, our legation hopes that your country, in the name of the central government, will send a telegram to reprimand you for the arbitrary act of raising tariffs by the autonomous government of the southern provinces of your country." Zhu Erdian said on behalf of the ministers of various countries.

Yuan Shikai didn't say anything, but Foreign Minister Lu Zhengxiang immediately stood up and said: "Ministers, tariff pricing is China's internal affair, and no matter whether the tariff is raised by China's central government or the autonomous government of the Southern United Provinces, no other country has the right to interfere. Now, the ministers have asked the central government of our country to send a telegram to rebuke the autonomous government of the United Provinces, which is an extremely unreasonable act of grossly interfering in China's internal affairs! ”

Although Lu Zhengxiang's accusations and rebuttals to ministers of various countries are reasonable and well-founded. But the ministers of various countries did not care, for a poor and weak country like China, a semi-colony, where there was nothing to interfere in in its internal affairs.

Therefore, the ministers of various countries did not respond to Lu Zhengxiang's words, but just looked at Yuan Shikai with burning eyes.

In the face of the persecution of ministers from various countries, Yuan Shikai did not have the courage and courage to turn his face at all. Moreover, he was already very disgusted with Wang Mo's repeated troubles for the central government, so he nodded slightly and said: "Okay, I will then have someone in the name of the central government order to reprimand Wang Mo for his reckless move to raise tariffs." ”

Although Lu Zhengxiang knew very well that the central government could not withstand the joint pressure of so many ministers, he was still extremely disappointed when he heard that Yuan Shikai obediently agreed to the minister's request.

If it were Wang Mo, I am afraid that he would be extremely tough on the spot and turn against these foreign ministers, right?

Looking at the elderly Yuan Shikai, Lu Zhengxiang couldn't help but have such a thought in his mind.

Yuan Shikai, the current president of the Republic of China, was so persecuted by ministers from various countries, and his heart was naturally very unhappy. It's just that now he still needs to rely on the support of foreigners. Expand the strength of the Beiyang Army, so I don't want to get into trouble with the ministers of various countries.

Maybe it was to appease Yuan Shikai, maybe it was to support Beiyang to suppress the Wang family in the south and harm the interests of all countries, after Zhu Erdian saw Yuan Shikai agree, he immediately put down the posture of asking for guilt, and said with a slight smile: "The president is indeed a friend of the civilized world, and we have never been stingy with friends. We, the Ministers, are here this time. In addition to the tariffs, there is also a reply to the President's recent request for an additional 20 million pounds in loans. ”

Mention of additional loans. Yuan Shikai's spirit couldn't help but be lifted, the loan of 20 million pounds was related to the heavy weapons and equipment of various units of the Beiyang Army. The powerful firepower displayed by Wang Mo's troops really made him jealous, otherwise he would not have given up the great opportunity to send troops south. If he did not equip the main divisions of the Beiyang Army with enough heavy weapons, he really had no certainty of winning the war.

"Oh?" Yuan Shikai knew that it should be good news as soon as he heard Zhu Erdian's tone, but he still asked a little impatiently, "I wonder if the banking group has agreed to my country's request for additional loans?" ”

As expected. Zhu Erdian nodded, and replied, "Thanks to the efforts of the ministers of our legation, the banking group has agreed to your country's request for an additional twenty million pounds. ”

Hearing this, Yuan Shikai was immediately overjoyed, this is really great news.

However. Yuan Shikai was not happy for long, and at this time, Zhu Erdian's words changed again, and said: "However, the banking group requires that your country must come up with the corresponding loan collateral. As you know, President, this is a necessary condition for banks to provide loans, and even governments have no way to interfere. ”

The loan requires collateral, and Yuan Shikai is not surprised by this. Which loan, these insatiable foreigners do not take the opportunity to knock on the bone and suck the marrow. If one day a foreigner does not want any mortgage to provide a loan, he may not dare to ask for it.

In order to get a loan of 20 million pounds, Yuan Shikai said without hesitation: "This is a matter of course, so let's use the fiscal and tax revenues of my country's directly affiliated areas in the next three years as collateral, how about it?" ”

Originally, the best mortgage should be the Lianghuai Salt Tax, but although the Wang family has not forcibly intercepted the Lianghuai Salt Tax because of their scruples and influence and the lack of wanting to stimulate Beiyang, once the central government mortgages the Lianghuai Salt Tax to foreigners, according to Wang Mo's style of acting, he will definitely condemn the Beijing Central Government as soon as possible, and then swallow the Lianghuai Salt Tax in one gulp.

As a last resort, Yuan Shikai could only choose to use the financial and tax income of the Zhili region as collateral, after all, he really didn't have any valuable chips in hand.

"Without the fiscal and tax revenues of the Zhili region, I am afraid that it will affect the normal operation of the central government of your country. Your Excellency is a friend of our civilized world, and how can we embarrass the President. Zhu Erdian looked like he was wholeheartedly thinking about Yuan Shikai.

"Then I don't know what kind of collateral the bank group requires?" Yuan Shikai asked, would he believe that these foreigners really regarded him as a friend and did not embarrass him.

"What the bank group means is that it is enough to refer to the mortgage of the previous 10 million pound loan." Zhu Erdian replied.

The previous 10 million pound loan was secured by the customs revenue of various northern ports, Yuan Shikai glanced at the ministers of various countries present, and understood the real purpose of these people's coming today.

Without waiting for Yuan Shikai to respond, Zhu Erdian immediately said: "Your Excellency, the banking syndicate hopes that your country will use the customs revenue of the southern ports as collateral, and in order to ensure the repayment of the loan, the banking syndicate needs to send a commissioner to supervise the customs. ”

Speaking of which, these foreigners still want to control China's customs.

Yuan Shikai frowned and said, "Don't you ministers know that the customs of the southern ports are controlled by the people of the Wang family, and with that young marshal Wang's consistent tough style, how can he agree to the central government of our country to mortgage the customs revenues." ”

It seems that Yuan Shikai would say this for a long time, and Zhu Er pawned and said: "Therefore, we hope that Your Excellency the President will let the Beiyang Army go south as soon as possible and completely wipe out the warlord forces like the Wang family, which is the meaning of our British Empire." ”

"That's what we mean by the Great Japanese Empire!" Japanese Minister Hikoyoshi Ijichi stood up and chimed in.

"We, the French Republic, couldn't agree more!" The French minister said the same.

"That's what we in the Russian Empire mean!"

"We in the United States of America do not want to see your southern government obstruct free trade!"

There is no doubt that the envoys came to put pressure on Yuan Shikai and urge the Beiyang Army to move south as soon as possible.

Of course, Yuan Shikai also hoped to sweep away the forces of the southern Wang family as soon as possible, but he still said cautiously: "Naturally, our central government also wants to send troops south as soon as possible, but the combat effectiveness of the Wang family's various units is so strong, I think you are also very clear, I still need a little time to improve the strength of the Beiyang divisions." Furthermore, Your Excellency Minister Zhu Erdian and Minister Ijihiki, the artillery and other heavy weapons that your two countries have promised to sell to our country have not yet arrived, so how can we go to war with the various forces of the royal family with strong firepower? ”

The Japanese Minister Ijihikichi nodded without hesitation and replied: "No problem, Your Excellency the President, I, the Imperial Japanese Empire, will transport the batch of artillery that was previously discussed as soon as possible." ”

"I can get the Cabinet's approval to transfer a batch of heavy artillery from Nanyang." Zhu Erdian said that in order to deal with Wang Mo, a thorn in the flesh, he did his best.

Although these foreigners were trying to ensure their own interests, Yuan Shikai was still very satisfied with their strong support, and finally nodded and agreed: "In this case, please rest assured, ministers, once the weapons and equipment of the divisions of the Beiyang Army are in place and the integration is completed, troops will be sent south." ”

Although it will take at least two or three months for the weapons and equipment to be in place, adaptation and integration, Zhu Erdian and the others are already very satisfied that they can get such a positive answer from Yuan Shikai, and the subsequent conversation of everyone is harmonious

At the junction of Shaoguang in Guangdong and Ganxian in Jiangxi, the Second Division of the Sichuan Army confronted the Guangdong Army at a pass.

Wang Mo stood on a high slope in the position of the Second Division of the Sichuan Army, holding a telescope and looking at the Guangdong army in the distance, which seemed to be facing a great enemy, followed by a large number of senior officers.

Putting down the binoculars, Wang Mo asked a person beside him, "Brother Fang Zhen, in your opinion, how many troops do I need to dispatch to be able to completely defeat the Yue army without paying too many casualties?" ”

That's right, the person next to Wang Mo is Jiang Baili and Jiang Fangzhen in the "Three Heroes of Non-commissioned Officers".

After the industrial and commercial consultation meeting that day, Zhang Xiaohuai introduced Jiang Baili to Wang Mo.

Jiang Baili sent such a military talent to the door, how could Wang Mo let it go. He immediately and kindly invited Jiang Baili to accompany him in inspecting the military and police units in the southern provinces so that they could carry out a comprehensive reorganization. (To be continued......)