A few days ago, an officer at the military station suddenly asked Yuan Yiqing if he was willing to join the anti-Japanese army, and Yuan Yiqing didn't even hesitate at that time, so he immediately nodded in surprise and agreed.

Then he was arranged to go out to sea with three anti-Japanese soldiers who had never met before, Wu Nianhua, Pan Tingzhou, and Zhang Mingxi, with a pigeon cage, on a coal ship.

Last night, when the coal ship sailed to the waters of Chengshanjiao, it put down a small boat, rowed the boat into Rongcheng Bay, went ashore at the fishing wharf in Longxu Bay, and returned to the dilapidated home with four walls.

The old father in the house thought that his son had become a deserter, and he was so angry that he was about to beat him with a shovel and stick, until Wu Nianhua came forward to stop him, saying that he was on business, and the old father turned his anger into joy.

The old mother was full of tears of joy, busy cooking on the fire.

There was no rice noodles in the house to entertain guests, so he asked his daughter Xiaochun to go to the neighbors' houses to borrow white noodles, and after walking for most of the day, nine-year-old Xiaochun borrowed a few thick noodles and black nests.

——This neighbor, except for a few large families that can't climb high, which of the rest is not hard to live, and how can there be any surplus food?

Yuan Yiqing sat on the beach, thinking about his thoughts.

Last night, when he saw that the noodle jar in the house was empty and covered with cobwebs, and the house was leaning on the sweet potato belly, he burst into tears.

At this time, he felt that the preachers at the military station were not speaking well, but speaking very, very well, and spoke to his heart.

This morning, the three of them came to the Chengshanjiao Lighthouse, and Wu Nianhua gave the old man Wu at the head of the tower fifteen eagles, saying that the three of them ate and lived here for half a month.

That's a dollar a day.

Old man Wu bit the bright light one by one, and his face was smiling like a flower, and he agreed repeatedly.

For a whole day, Wu Nianhua, Pan Tingzhou, and Zhang Mingxi stayed at the top of the tower except for going to the toilet.

Moreover, Zhang Mingxi also asked Yuan Yiqing to go to the fishing port to buy a quilt bed board, and built two big beds on the top of the tower, eating and sleeping at the top of the tower.

Yuan Yiqing knew that Wu Nianhua was a Nanyang native, and he had also been to Yidali (Italy), and the Nanyang soldiers in the Anti-Japanese Army were all 'treasures' of the Anti-Japanese Army, and almost all of them were company-level officers.

Although Yuan Yiqing didn't know what kind of 'official' Wu Nianhua was, he didn't think it was too low, and the three of them all had gluttonous revolvers in their hands, as well as the three pigeons in the pigeon cage.

All this made Yuan Yijing secretly feel that these three people definitely had a very important task.

Although the three of them didn't tell Yuan Yiqing what the task was, he couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

However, Yuan Yiqing also secretly decided that he must cooperate with them to complete the task and become a 'glorious and great anti-Japanese army' as those preachers said.

Into the corner of the lighthouse, the top of the tower.

Wu Nianhua, a captain officer of the first intelligence department of the New Army, put down the binoculars in his hand and said with satisfaction: "This location is very good, as long as you pass by, it is impossible to escape our sight." ”

Zhang Mingxi, who had settled the pigeons in the tower below, asked, "What kind of ship did you just pass, is it clear?" ”

"It's a merchant ship, and it's not completely clear whether it's China Merchants or where it is."

Wu Nianhua looked at Yuan Yiqing sitting on the reef, and said with a sigh: "The people of Ludong are really miserable!" ”

"That's good, at least it's filling."

Pan Tingzhou said faintly: "You haven't seen the great drought in Henan, one village after another, starving to death, the road to escape from the famine is full of dead people, and if you can't pull out after eating Guanyin soil, you will use your fingers to pull out piece by piece; Otherwise, you will be raised to death! ”

At the top of the tower, the three were silent.

"Thankfully, there is hope now!"

Zhang Mingxi couldn't calm down in his heart, so he took out the book "The Scream" in his arms, and looked down carefully by the light of the lighthouse.

"Yes!"

Pan Tingzhou was also in good spirits: "When the Japanese army is defeated, the commander-in-chief sits——"

"Ahem!"

It seemed that the wind on the tower was strong, and Wu Nianhua coughed violently.

So, Pan Tingzhou stopped talking.

However, there was an inexplicable glint on his face.

(Top of form.)

(Note: The blue pigeon is a famous high-flying pigeon in China.) The body shape of the blue pigeon is a thick face, a short beak, large eyes, a round body, thick legs, white wings, and excellent flight ability. Strong pigeons can fly 20 hours a day, reaching an average speed of 1 km and 1 minute, and can fly thousands of miles in a day. ）

Toyo, Maseki.

With the secret of the imperial court and the continuous persecution of the East, the 'peace talks' between the Qing and Japan immediately accelerated the pace.

On March 22, at 4:15 p.m., the Chinese and Japanese plenipotentiaries held the fourth negotiation at Chunfan Tower.

Li Hongzhang gradually recovered from his injuries and participated in person.

Also on the Chinese side were Minister Plenipotentiary Lee Ching-fong, Counsellors Ng Dinh Fong, Ma Jianzhong and Lo Fung Luk.

However, Japanese Foreign Minister Mutsu Munemitsu was too excited to drink too much and fell ill and was unable to attend the 'peace talks'.

In addition to Minister Plenipotentiary Hirobumi Ito, Toyo also included five participants: Daiji Ito, Katsunosuke Inoue, Keiyoshi Nakata, Hiroyoshi Mutsu, and Tamamasa Narahara.

The peace talks are here, because Ito Hirobumi already knows the bottom line of the Qing Dynasty, so what is rare is not the persecution that comes up and gets straight to the point, but a friendly and 'homely affair' with Li Hongzhang.

Ito Hirobumi praised Li Hongzhang and Li Jingfang, saying that their father and son were friendly to Qing and Japan and made many contributions that the East will remember.

Li Hongzhang has also repeatedly said that the Qing and Japanese countries are separated by a strip of water, and that the relationship should be 'intimate,' and he expressed his deep 'sorrow' over the current quarrel and hoped that peace talks would be reached at an early date and that the two countries would be reconciled with the 'past'.

After the small talk, I started to get to the point, and Ito Hirofumi immediately began to play a rogue face, and took out the prepared abridged revision clauses, and said to Li Hongzhang: "Zhongtang saw me this abridgement, but there are only two sentences: 'allow' and 'not allowed'. ”

The implication is that if you don't allow it, you will turn around and start a war.

Li Hongzhang saw that Ito Hirobuntu gave an ultimatum, and knew that there was no room for bargaining, so he had to promise to give a final reply on the 26th.

However, Ito Hirobumi felt that it had taken too long to accept it, and finally agreed to reply to the Japanese side's ultimatum on the afternoon of the 24th.

The fourth peace talks between the Qing and Japanese sides ended immediately.

After the talks on the same day, Li Hongzhang drafted a telegram requesting a decision.

At 10 o'clock in the evening, the power was sent to Tongzhou, and it was forwarded to the Prime Minister's Yamen overnight, informing him of the daytime negotiations.

In the telegram, Li Hongzhang wrote: "The Oriental is greedy and brazenly disregarded, which is really unreasonable. I ask you to reply to the letter in three days, and if it is not allowed, you will definitely add troops. More than 60 transport ships are now berthed in Hiroshima, which can carry tens of thousands of troops, and they will set off on the same day. We have exhausted all our efforts and earnestly requested a decision as soon as possible. ”

On the morning of the 23rd, Yanjing called back:

The camera responded, depending on the urgency of the situation, thinking that it was the party that was welcome. ’

'He covets the mines of Jinzhou, and Taiwan is especially profitable. The minister is able to convince the land of both places; As a last resort, perhaps the land and the people still belong to me. ’

The content is still ambiguous.

On the afternoon of the 23rd, Li Hongzhang, who was in a hurry to get the telegram, sent several telegrams back to Yanjing:

'Ito is getting tighter and tighter, and there is no way to negotiate anymore, so should he immediately make a contract according to the terms and conditions that Ito had previously revised, so as not to miss the overall situation. Begging for a quick request, and the telegram will be complied with. ’

'I said, I will wait until four o'clock tomorrow to meet and make a decision, and then I will give up. The stakes are very high, if it is allowed, then the Jingshi can be guaranteed, otherwise, it is unimaginable! ’

Late at night on the 23rd, the ministers in the Forbidden City's Heart Cultivation Hall were still hoarse, with red faces and thick necks, but they still couldn't come up with a strategy.

At this time, the curtain behind Guangxu moved, and Cixi opened the curtain and walked out.

The hall fell silent.

"Tell Li Hongzhang that he can fight as much as he can; That's it, let's do it. ”

The old woman's voice echoed faintly in the silent hall, and no minister dared to squeak again.

On the morning of the 24th, the Tongzhou telegram was sent to the Post and Telecommunications Bureau of Maguan Waihama Town, and the edict was made to Li Hongzhang:

"If you want to win a point, you will gain a point. If there is nothing negotiable, then follow the previous decree and make a contract with it. ”

When this telegram was sent to Ito Hirobumi and Li Hongzhang.

And so it all stopped.