"What? Want to beat your brother-in-law's idea? Huang Yunzhi immediately guessed her brother's mind and asked with a smile.

Huang Sining may have known that his abacus was guessed by his sister, and he smiled again.

"Brother-in-law, do you have any extra little steel cannon? Give me one - no, can I buy one? Huang Sining said to Yang Shuoming.

Listening to Huang Sining's request, Yang Shuoming couldn't help but be stunned, thinking that this naughty brother-in-law was joking with himself, but he quickly saw from the solemn look on Huang Sining's face that Huang Sining was not joking.

"It's the kind with a strap, the kind with a scale on the cannon, and one person can put it on his stomach," probably because he was afraid that Yang Shuoming wouldn't understand, Huang Sining hurriedly gestured with his hand, "What do they call it?" By the way, it's the 'portable mortar', I just watched them put it down, it's really exciting!. ”

Hearing what her brother wanted, Huang Yunzhi was taken aback.

"What do you want mortars for?" Huang Yunzhi stared at her younger brother's eyes tightly and asked in a deep voice.

"We're going to Shandong to fight the Japanese!" Huang Sining met her sister's gaze and said in a firm tone.

"What? Are you crazy? Huang Yunzhi exclaimed.

"We're not crazy." Huang Sining turned his head to look at Yang Shuoming and said, "I don't know what you think, brother-in-law, but I know that this time, we in China have reached the moment of life and death, and all Chinese with conscience and blood should stand up, otherwise, we Chinese will really become slaves like Koreans!" ”

"It looks like the situation in Beijing is not good." Yang Shuoming smiled and said, "You can tell me about what you see and know in Beijing." ”

Huang Sining couldn't wait to talk to Yang Shuoming about what he saw and heard when he was in school in Beijing, and after listening to Huang Sining's story, Huang Yunzhi became more and more worried.

At this time, Beijing, just as Huang Sining said, has shown a trend of mountain rain coming and wind full of buildings.

"Sure enough, as Poplar had predicted, the British were speaking for the Japanese."

At the party headquarters of the "National Social Democratic Workers' Party of China" in Beijing, Jiang Xueying handed a copy of "Shuntian Times" to her companions.

The front page of the newspaper, with a striking headline, carried an editorial reprinted from the British newspaper The Times about Japan's "21 Articles" to China.

“…… Japan's conditions to China were neither harsh nor unfair, and did not infringe upon the completeness of China's territory, equality of opportunity, and open-door doctrines, and we are convinced that Japan's aspirations are the same as those of Great Britain, and that they are only seeking to seek a clear position between China and Japan and to consolidate peace in the Far East......"

"It's ridiculous that the British have already sat on the side of Japan, and there are still people who hope that Britain will come out and administer justice!" A female classmate named Zhu Feng said angrily, "Look at this editorial by the British, does it mean to uphold justice at all?" ”

"However, it's always good to let foreigners know, and no matter how arrogant and arrogant the Japanese are, they have to have some scruples now." "I don't know what the attitude of the Americans is. ”

"Maybe you can be a little more positive than the British, but if you want to turn the other cheek with Japan for our China, I'm afraid it won't reach this level." Jiang Xueying's brows furrowed little by little, "Just like 'Poplar' said, if we really want to avoid the end of the country and the extinction of the species, we have to rely on our own strength." ”

"What should we do now?" Suijing asked.

"Call for more people to take action." Jiang Xueying said, "The bigger the momentum, the better." She looked at the printing press that was still working next to her and said, "Combine these materials, write an editorial, and send it to this issue of Seeking Truth magazine." ”

February 17, 1915, Beijing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China, Conference Hall.

The Japanese Minister to China, Hichi-yi, looked at the Chinese Foreign Minister Lu Zhengxiang slowly sipping tea from a teacup, and was very annoyed, but it was inconvenient for him to attack.

Every time he talks, after Lu Zhengxiang, as the host, finishes his opening remarks, he always asks the servants to offer fragrant tea and delicate snacks, and he takes the lead in tasting them one by one, and after drinking a cup of tea for a long time, he just can't get down, as if he is not drinking a cup of tea, but a jar of water. And each negotiation that takes less than two hours will always waste about half an hour in vain. ,

It was easy to wait for the Chinese foreign minister to finish the tea, and Rizhiyi, who was already a little impatient, impatiently brought the topic to the negotiations.

"The Japanese government has put forward these terms to clarify the relationship between the two countries for the sake of the future of the Chinese government," said Nichiyi, "and the Japanese army occupies Jiaozhou Bay for the sake of maintaining peace in East Asia, and the Japanese government does not want to occupy it permanently, and at the appropriate time, we will return Jiaozhou Bay to China." ”

It may be that the effect of blindly forcing the Chinese government to admit accounts these days is not obvious, and Rizhiyi began to plan to try the method of "inducement".

Long before the start of the negotiations, Nichi-yi and his subordinates set the policy of negotiations, using both coercion and inducement to force the Chinese government to comply, of which there are four specific methods of inducement: first, promise to return Jiaozhou Bay to China under certain conditions; Second, the Japanese government guarantees the status and security of Yuan Shikai's government; The third is to ban the sabotage of the Chinese government by the Revolutionary Party, the Socialist Party, students studying in Japan, and Japanese ronin under the protection of Japan; Fourth, bribing Yuan Shikai and his government officials. The means of coercion were to mobilize the garrisons in Shandong and Mukden to threaten the Chinese government, and to use the revolutionaries and Zongsocialists to overthrow the Chinese government.

But what Nikoki didn't expect was that the negotiations hadn't started yet, and the news seemed to have leaked out!

It seems that the current Chinese government is mentally prepared for the methods that the Japanese can take.

"We welcome the early withdrawal of Japanese troops from Jiaozhou Bay in Jiaozhou Bay, and the Chinese government is willing to bear part of the cost of the withdrawal of Japanese troops." Lu Zhengxiang immediately said, "I hope that your government can determine the date for the withdrawal of troops as soon as possible." ”

Hi Zhiyi just wanted to speak, but the sudden noise outside startled him.

"Get out of China!"

"Give me back Qingdao!"

"Resolutely oppose the Twenty-One Articles!"

"What's going on?" Rizhiyi slapped the table, stood up suddenly, and asked Lu Zhengxiang loudly.

"What's going on?" Lu Zhengxiang looked at Ri Zhiyi with an innocent face, spread his hands, and asked rhetorically.

"Before the start of the negotiations, we have repeatedly warned your government not to spread the news of the negotiations to the outside world, otherwise all the consequences will be borne by your government!" Rizhiyi stared at Lu Zhengxiang deadly, "Didn't Chief Lu hear the voice outside just now?" ”

"I ...... This one...... Older people, their ears are a little less bright, what did you just say outside? Vice Chief Cao? Lu Zhengxiang turned his head and asked Cao Rulin, the vice minister of foreign affairs beside him, in a matter-of-fact manner.

"It's just a slogan that some students are shouting nonsense, just ignore them." Cao Rulin sweated on his forehead, he took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat on his forehead, and said vaguely, "Please rest assured, Your Excellency the President, I and General Lu have been following the instructions of Your Excellency the Minister, and no one has leaked the news to the outside world. ”

"But now the news has leaked!" Hichiki roared, "Do you dare to guarantee that you don't have any responsibility at all? ”

"The Chinese government has not relaxed its vigilance against the sabotage activities carried out by foreign spies in our country," Lu Zhengxiang pretended to be a little helpless and looked at Ri Zhiyi and said, "You know, they are always everywhere......"

Lu Zhengxiang's anti-general army immediately had an effect, and when he heard him say this, Rizhiyi was speechless for a while, he sat heavily on the chair, and looked out the window with a blue face.

Lu Zhengxiang's remarks show that the Chinese Government is also well aware of the fact that the Japanese side has recently bribed Chinese government officials to steal intelligence, but it has not said it explicitly.

After a day of meaningless negotiations, Hioki returned to the Japanese Embassy in China in a rage, and as soon as he entered, he was told that the U.S. Minister to China, Reinsch, had arrived.

Hinata was taken aback, he hesitated for a moment, but still stubbornly walked towards his living room.

Jiangxi, Shuanglong Town, Huangjia Compound.

“…… The only few conditions set out by Japan to China were incompatible with the open door policy advocated by Britain in China, and contrary to the Anglo-Japanese alliance......"

Huang Shiyao slammed the newspaper on the table and let out a heavy sigh.

"This is what the British call 'justice,' Dad." Huang Sining looked at his father who was pacing there worriedly, and said, "We can't count on the interference of the great powers, in this jungle world, those who have fangs only respect their own kind. ”

"If you don't accept it, you have to go to war!" Huang Shiyao looked at his son with some annoyance, "You young people, shouting and killing all day long, when it comes to fighting, you don't even have to fart!" ”

"My son has already decided to train in the military with my brother-in-law for a month, and then return to Beijing, not to drive the Japanese from the Yellow Sea, and vow not to return to his hometown." Huang Sining looked at Yang Shuoming, then at his father, and said firmly.

"Fart! How capable do you think you are! Huang Shiyao was furious and roared at his son, "You are dying for nothing!" Do you know? He pointed to Yang Shuoming, who was sitting there in a military uniform, "Beijing has come to the order, and your brother-in-law is about to take his 5,000 men and horses north!" Let me tell you, don't look at him, the town guard, who has guns and cannons in his hands, it may not work if they go with so many people! ”

Seeing that Huang Shiyao was really angry, Yang Shuoming glanced at Huang Sining, and Huang Sining immediately stopped talking, just blinked his eyes and looked at his father unwillingly.

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