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"This is our bottom line, and it is also a requirement, in the process of opening the door to the West, we will never be easy for any Western country to force China's subject countries to open their ports at will!"

In the garden of the governor's mansion, facing the visiting Midile, Zhu Yifeng said in an unceremonious tone. Pen × fun × Pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

"There is absolutely no room for compromise on this issue!"

"Is there really no room for further negotiations?"

Again, Midile asked in a tentative tone, he knew where the British bottom line was, but he was not willing to give up.

"There is no negotiation, there is no room for compromise!"

The reason why Zhu Yifeng was so tough was actually entirely because of the setback suffered by the British in the Pacific -- three months ago, the British and French fleets began to attack Petropavlovsk, which is the most important Russian base in the Far East, and the two countries mobilized a total of 3 cruisers, 1 steam cruiser, 1 light cruiser, 1 two-masted schooner, and 1 steamboat, equipped with 218 guns, 2,600 crew members and marines.

After the outbreak of the Crimean War, Britain was very concerned that the Russian navy would threaten the trade routes of China, Southeast Asia, and Australia, so it was determined to find an opportunity to annihilate the Russian Pacific Fleet and uproot the Russian strongholds in the Sea of Okhotsk and Kamchatka. In the Far East, the Anglo-French forces had a great advantage in terms of naval power, with a total of 25 warships, including 6 steam warships, while the Russians had only 6 warships at first, and soon only 4 warships were available for battle due to the disrepair of the flagship Paullada and the damage of the Diana in Shimoda, Japan.

But despite this, Russia has a strange luck, first the British Pacific Fleet, which has superior military power, but under the leadership of Commander Plath, closely tracked a lone Russian warship Aurora around the world, from Peru in South America to Kamchatka. The best strategic opportunity was missed, giving the Russians enough time to prepare. Then, a very strange thing happened: during the attack on Petropavlovsk, Plath shot himself in his cabin,

Plath's death is a mystery, and no one knows why he committed suicide, but it is certain that in any case, this incident had a great impact on the morale of the Anglo-French forces. On 31 August and 4 September, the Anglo-French forces carried out two hasty landing operations, with extremely high casualties, especially on 4 September, in which 209 of the 700 men were killed and most of the rest were wounded, while only 35 were killed on the Russian side. This defeat forced the Anglo-French forces to lift the siege of Petropavlovsk, and the French fleet sailed to San Francisco, and the British fleet to Vancouver.

And the defeat of the British and French fleets also means one thing - China's opportunity has come!

It's not just that Britain is forced to accept Japan's opportunity to re-isolate the country, because Zhu Yifeng knows very well what Britain needs, and their merchants don't even look down on Japan at all, the so-called golden country, where there is no market they need, they don't need ports there, only the Americans care about Japan, that's because American whaling ships crisscross the entire Pacific Ocean. In this case, a moderate amount of toughness will allow Britain to make a rational choice.

"Your Excellency, you must understand that this is likely to lead to resentment in the United Kingdom!"

Midile said in a rather helpless tone, he has a very good impression of Wuchang, and naturally he doesn't want to see them affect diplomatic relations with Britain because of their reckless actions.

"Actually, these problems could have been solved after Your Excellency unified China!"

Midile's suggestion made Zhu Yifeng smile, but he sighed helplessly in his heart, if he could, he didn't want to provoke confrontation with other countries because of Japan now, but he didn't have too many choices.

The arrival of the black ships shocked Japan, but the real awakening was still a few years later, but even so, in the next few years, in the discussions between the whole of Japan, many Japanese will propose the future of Japan -- Japan should strive to strengthen itself, and then conquer Korea, Manchuria, and China, which are easy to take, and once the warships and cannons are slightly replenished, it can open up Ezo, seize Kamchatka, the Sea of Okhotsk, make the Ryukyus, make it join Korea, reproach Korea, make it pay tribute, cede the land of South Manchuria, and take Taiwan and the Luzon Islands. and even occupy the whole of China and rule over India.

This is not the hubris of 1930, but the future of Japan, which Yoshida Matsuin pointed out two or three years later, and which affects even the whole of Japan. Affecting Japan's future steps, it can be said that from the very beginning of the founding of the country, compared with China's "keeping", Japan can be said to have "big ambitions" and continue to work towards this goal.

However, Zhu Yifeng will never allow anyone in Asia to challenge China, and he cannot even tolerate the emergence of a "second Asian boss," but at the moment attacking Japan is trapped by a lack of strength, and he is also unable to regard Japan as self-reliant.

What is the so-called "slaughter", that is, to cut off the heads of foreign devils. Japan obviously does not have this ability, but what if they help them themselves? Help them "exclaim" and "invite" foreign devils out of Japan and make them re-isolate the country, so that Japan, which continues to live behind closed doors, will there be a future to speak of?

Moreover, this lockdown will only become tighter, and one of the tasks of the Chinese Navy in the future is to help Japan "lock the country". In the future, the fleets stationed in Japan's vicinity will regard "closing off the country" as a top priority, and at least for the next few decades, a self-blockading Japan will have no future or future. In the future, they can only obediently be China's followers, instead of challenging China's "East Asian order".

Of course, this naturally provoked the discontent of the United States, which forced Japan to open the country in order to provide its whaling ships with supply ports and a foothold in the western Pacific. But since now even the Far Eastern Fleet is packed, what's the big deal? The United States today is not the United States of a hundred years later, and compared to the United States, the only great power that needs to be appeased is Britain.

Now it is not only necessary to get Britain to accept China's "suzerainty" over Japan, but also to reconcile their grievances. In this regard, Zhu Yifeng has long been in the chest, because compared with Japan, the British have more important problems to solve.

"Midile, this time in Japan, we have received reliable intelligence that Russia has invaded Kuye Island in China, and in order to avoid Russian occupation there, the rebel army will send troops to Sakhalin Island, what is the British attitude towards this?"

What the!

Handu's words made Midile almost can't believe his ears, what is he talking about, is he trying to say, is China ready to go to war with Russia?

No, it's not China, it's the Han army!

"Although we have not yet defeated the Manchus, we will not be easy for other countries to steal Chinese territory, for the past few decades, the Russians have been stealing Kuye Island by setting up transportation stations, etc., and I am ready to order the fleet to expel them!"

Zhu Yifeng's expression became very serious, now that the Russians are extremely weak in the Far East, and they have been hit hard by Britain and France, in this case, it is the time to take advantage of the fire to rob, how can he miss such an opportunity.

"This is an act of war!"

Taking a deep breath, Midile said tentatively.

In the bottom of his heart, he was secretly excited, could it be that this Han Du was ready to completely fall to England? The British Far East Fleet was quite concerned about this rebel fleet that completely annihilated the US Far East Fleet.

"No, it's to protect our homeland!"

Zhu Yifeng shook his head, then looked at Midile and said with a smile.

"In order to maintain our friendship with the British, I am willing to take on some responsibilities in the Far East, such as transferring my fleet to Hakodate to be on guard against Russian attacks in the Pacific, but this means that my fleet will go to war with the Russians, and at this time, I need to know the attitude of the British!"

What will be the attitude of the United Kingdom, what will be the attitude of the United Kingdom?

Oppose?

How can it be! Cutting off those damned Russian ambitions to get into the Pacific is the basic policy of London. In the face of Han Du's inquiry, Midile said almost immediately.

"Britain will certainly not support Russia's aggression against China, Your Excellency, you and your regime have always been Britain's closest partners in the Far East, and I believe that in the future, Britain and China will have more extensive cooperation, and if they can, I believe that this will be a start!"

That's right, it's a start!

"Of course, my friend, this is certainly a new beginning!"

Zhu Yifeng smiled, this is indeed a start, which means that China will step on another path from now on.

Now, at least to some extent, he has the consent of the British, and the rest of the matter will be taken care of. At this time, Russia's power in the Far East was too weak, and I really don't know how they maintained their rule, and this also made Zhu Yifeng's ambitions somewhat possible...... To be honest, I really should be thankful for showing the way to that guy Yoshida.

"As soon as the warships and artillery are slightly replenished, they can open up Ezo and capture Kamchatka, the Sea of Okhotsk ......"

Perhaps Matsuin Yoshida, who told his students about this idea two years later, was a little arrogant, but he said the reality in one sentence - these areas were weak barren lands, and he proposed this idea at a time when Russia was under the control of the Crimean War, and if Japan had a fleet at that time, it would have been possible to realize this idea, but history did not give Japan a chance, because the Crimean War ended very quickly. But now...... China must seize this opportunity!

From now on, in this world of the jungle, China is no longer a weak man who is left to the flesh of a mermaid, but a wolf that bites food, although this wolf is still weak...... (To be continued.) )