Zhu Erdian was very dissatisfied with the other form of resistance of Yuan Shikai, who had always been obedient to the British Empire, and wanted to attack on the spot, and then walk away, but thinking of the gradually deepening dissatisfaction and accusations against him from the cabinet, he finally endured it and said: "The president has misunderstood, this is only a proposal from a few members of our country, and I will try to get the parliament to veto the troop increase bill." However, the Qingdao affair always has to be resolved, and the 2,000-strong army seized by the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance must be released unconditionally. This requires some necessary help from the central government of your country, I wonder what the President wants? ”

Need help? It's just that he likes the righteousness of the Beiyang central government, and wants to use this to force Wang Mo to release people. It can be seen from this that the British may really have nothing to do with Wang Mo, so they will try to use diplomatic means to force a hard-line warlord to comply.

Yuan Shikai scoffed at Zhu Erdian's thoughts, and of course, on the surface, he still put himself in the other party's shoes and said: "Your Excellency, if the central government of our country can help, it is naturally incumbent. However, as you know, local warlords like Wang's father and son have always disobeyed the central government. Especially Wang Mo, he is young and vigorous, and he doesn't pay attention to many world powers, including your country. If our central government ordered him to release your army, it would be counterproductive. ”

Zhu Erdian, who is a China expert, naturally understands this, but he still said confidently: "The president can rest assured, I didn't mean that." On behalf of the British Empire, I am here today to invite the central government of your country to join in the mediation of the war in Qingdao. This mediation will involve not only the British Empire, but also the Kingdom of France, the Russian Empire, and the United States of America. I believe that no matter how arrogant and unreasonable Wang Mo is, he will not ignore the attitude of the entire civilized world. ”

When Yuan Shikai heard this, he was both surprised and shocked, and a little disgusted.

The so-called mediation is nothing more than a group of colonizers working together to protect their own interests, and they also put on a false appearance of working for world peace and efforts. It's disgusting.

In the face of the interference of so many world powers, Yuan Shikai really didn't know if Wang Mo could withstand such pressure, anyway, he didn't think he had the courage to fight these Western powers. Could it really be that the older the rivers and lakes, the less guts there are?

Yuan Shikai just wanted to open his mouth to agree to Zhu Erdian's request. At this time, Yang Du, who was on the side, suddenly interjected and said: "Your Excellency, I would like to ask, your country has united so many countries to intervene and mediate the war in Qingdao, I don't know what your country's attitude is towards the ultimate ownership of Qingdao, and can you support my country to recover Qingdao?" ”

Heard Yang Du's interjection. Yuan Shikai immediately swallowed back what he was about to say, he really didn't have the courage to fight against the Western powers, but this did not mean that he did not want to safeguard national sovereignty and interests.

Although Yuan Shikai, the president of the Republic of China, is not particularly competent, he has not been seriously derelict in his duties. Generally speaking, he, as the great president, still has China's national sovereignty and interests at heart.

At the beginning of 1912, when the Republic of China was first established, Outer Mongolia took the opportunity to raise troops to rebel, and Yuan Shikai categorically ordered troops to quell the rebellion, and finally annihilated the rebels. Outer Mongolia was forced to change from independence to autonomy.

Now, if he can take the opportunity to recover the sovereignty of the leased land in Jiaozhou Bay, Yuan Shikai will naturally be happy to see it happen.

Hearing Yang Du's question, Zhu Erdian's face froze, he was very reluctant to answer this kind of question, but he noticed that all the Chinese present looked at him with burning eyes, thought about it, and had to say: "I, the British Empire, have always recognized your country as the owner of the sovereignty of the leased land in Jiaozhou Bay, but ...... After the expulsion of the Germans, the Jiaozhou Bay lease was handed over to whom. It depends on the outcome of the mediation. President, personally, I am naturally willing to see your central government take back the jurisdiction of Qingdao. ”

He is worthy of an experienced diplomat, and he will come as soon as he opens his mouth. It's the same as if you didn't say it.

Yang Du said coldly with an ugly face: "If my country can't even recover its territorial sovereignty, I can't think of any reason for my central government to participate in mediation. ”

Zhu Erdian's face suddenly became a little gloomy, he didn't understand what was wrong with the Chinese, thinking that they were obedient to the British Empire, for fear of angering the British Empire, and now they are all refusing and offending the majesty of the British Empire one by one.

"Your Excellency, the President. May I ask if that is what you mean? May I take it that your country refuses to participate in mediation? Zhu Erdian asked Yuan Shikai with some anger.

The deterrent power of the world's number one power in this era is still very large, and seeing that Zhu Erdian showed signs of anger, Yuan Shikai hurriedly said: "Your Excellency the Minister has misunderstood, and my country has no intention of refusing to participate in mediation. However, you have to understand that the central government of our country has to give an account to the people of the whole country. ”

Now that Wang Mo led the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army to recapture Qingdao is basically a certainty, if the central government in Beijing participates in mediation and does not take back Qingdao, then Yuan Shikai will not be drowned by the saliva of the people of the whole country, and the entire Beiyang government is afraid that it will not be far from stepping down.

Zhu Erdian also understood Yuan Shikai's concerns and difficulties, so his face softened slightly, and said: "President, personally, I am very willing to support the central government of your country to recover the leased land in Jiaozhou Bay. It's just that it's hard to say what the specific results of mediation will be, and it's impossible for me to make any promises. However, I have to remind Your Excellency that the prestige of Wang Mo's local warlord among your people is now faintly greater than that of your country's central government. Just now, the guards in front of your mansion were full of admiration for Wang Moke. ”

Zhu Erdian is an authentic China expert, and he knows that Yuan Shikai cannot be shaken from the perspective of national righteousness and interests, so he started to persuade Wang Mo from his threat.

Sure enough, these words hit Yuan Shikai's weakness. Not to mention anything else, Wang Mo's threat to the rule of the Beiyang Group is real and imminent.

As Wang Mo continued to fight against foreigners, his prestige among the people was rising day by day, and many people were already looking forward to the prospect of Wang and his son replacing the Beiyang Group and leading the Republic of China to rejuvenation and prosperity.

Thinking of this, Yuan Shikai's face was a little ugly, the Wang family and his son were indeed a great threat, especially now that Wang Haoshan had led the Sichuan army to wipe out the Kuomintang in the southern provinces, and he really had the strength to compete with the Beiyang Group.

However, Yang Du was very disgusted by Zhu Erdian's provocation, and said in a deep voice: "Your Excellency, whether Wang Mo will pose a threat to our central government, I think this is my internal affair, and it has nothing to do with your country, and it has nothing to do with participating in mediation and recovering Qingdao!" ”

"Hello, what nonsense, don't you hurry up and apologize to Your Excellency the Minister!" Yuan Shikai immediately reprimanded Yang Dudao.

Zhu Erdian shook his head and said that he didn't care, and said: "Mr. Yang is not wrong, this is indeed your country's internal affairs, I just stood in the position of a friend to remind the president, this has nothing to do with the diplomacy of the two countries." However, I hope that your country's central government will give careful consideration to the participation of the central government in mediation, because this is not only an invitation from the British Empire, but also from the countries of the civilized world, such as France, Russia and the United States. ”

These countries are all some of the most powerful colonial countries in the world today, and Yuan Shikai naturally understands the weight of this, and his expression is suddenly a little solemn.

It seemed to understand that it was not easy for Yuan Shikai to really make this decision, and Zhu Erdian did not continue to speak persecutively, but continued: "Your Excellency, in two days, all countries will jointly send representatives to Qingdao for mediation, and I hope to see representatives of your central government there. ”

After finishing speaking, Zhu Erdian got up and said goodbye and left, leaving the angry Yang Du, the silent Yang Shiqi and the worried Yuan Shikai.

……

On the outskirts of Qingdao, the Second Division of the Yimeng Autonomous Allied Army was cleaning up the battlefield, taking prisoners of war, and treating the wounded.

"Our wounded must be treated with all their might, and those who are seriously injured and need to be rescued will be immediately sent to the Foreigners' Hospital in Qingdao for first aid, and the Germans will never dare to hinder them."

Wang Mo walked in the wounded resettlement barracks to visit the wounded, and repeatedly told Yan Jin, the director of logistics.

This battle was not so much won by the Yimeng Autonomous Coalition as it was won by a fighting effort.

The Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army did annihilate more than 20,000 Japanese troops, but its own casualties were not small, especially the first division was basically disabled.

The 1st Division of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army, which has nearly 10,000 people, now has only about 4,000 people left with light and serious wounded, and more than half of the casualties are truly tragic.

Yan Jin, the director of the logistics department, naturally understood Wang Mo's importance to the treatment of the wounded, and hurriedly responded: "Commander, please rest assured, not only have the seriously wounded of the Second Division been sent to the Qingdao foreigners' big hospital overnight for treatment, but the wounded of the First Division are also being sent over as soon as possible. ”

The Yimeng Autonomous Alliance Army did not have an ever-expanding and developing contingent of military doctors like the Sichuan Army, and the doctors involved in the treatment were basically civilian doctors who were temporarily recruited from nearby by Yan Jin, so it was the best way to send the seriously wounded to the hospital of Qingdao foreigners.

Fortunately, in the current situation, the Germans would not and did not dare to refuse to treat the wounded of the Yimeng Autonomous Alliance, otherwise Wang Mo would really have no good way in a hurry.

seemed to think of something again, Yan Jin wanted to speak and stopped, looking embarrassed.

Seeing Yan Jin like this, Wang Mo said angrily: "Just say anything, Lao Tzu is not an unreasonable person, if it is really the objective conditions that make it impossible to do it, I don't blame you." “

Yan Jin replied, "Commander, it's not this...... That's it...... Does the Oriental wounded need to be treated? ”

With the hostility and ruthlessness that the commander has always shown towards the Orientals, Yan Jin is very skeptical that the commander will order the surviving Orientals soldiers to be killed.

Wang Mo thought for a while, waved his hand, and said: "Save, but give priority to saving our own people, if the Oriental people really can't be saved, then they are unlucky!" ”

While the two were talking, a communications soldier trotted over and reported to Wang Mo: "Report, the German side in Qingdao sent someone to send a letter. Then he took out a letter and handed it to Wang Mo.

After Wang Mo opened the letter and read the contents, he immediately smiled coldly and said, "Mediation? What a mediation! (To be continued.) )