When Comrade Berkov visited Chen Ke for the second time on June 1, 1919, his attitude was much more stable than the last time.

Comrade Lenin has openly called out to China to unilaterally and permanently abrogate all unequal treaties imposed on China by Tsarist Russia after 1896. This attitude has put tremendous pressure on the Russian Communist Party. Russia, as a member of the Great Powers, is well aware of the principle of unanimity among the Great Powers. Once a concession is made to a member of the Entente, it will inevitably lead to a series of chain reactions.

Although Comrade Lenin tried his best to persuade his comrades that it was necessary to reach good relations with China and pry China, an unstable member of the Entente, off the chain of the Entente. But after the bitter battle of 1918, the Russian Communist Party already had a certain confidence in dealing with the European and American powers, and the comrades were not in favor of such large-scale concessions to a weak Eastern regime at this time.

The information on China brought back by Comrade Berkov was taken seriously, but what information was not worth paying attention to at a time when the nascent Soviet power was facing the catastrophe of annihilation?

With the task of trying to get China's bottom line by all means, Comrade Berkov once again went through a long journey and finally sat down in front of Chen Ke.

Chen Ke did not want to add any difficulty to Comrade Berkov's task, and when Berkov asked where China's bottom line was, Chen Ke took out a map on which China's requirements were already marked.

This is a map of the northern frontier that the Manchu era once had, and Berkov was speechless for a while after reading it. In the western sector, China entered Central Asia, and in the eastern sector, China restored the borders of the Nebuchu Treaty, simply including the vast expanses of the Trans-Siberian Railway, and if China had fulfilled its purpose, the northern part of Russia would have been completely placed on the ice sheet.

Berkov did not want to refute anything, Comrade Lenin was now almost single-handedly directing the Russian Communist Party in a bloody battle. Chen Ke in front of him, like Comrade Lenin, almost single-handedly restored China from a declining Eastern country to its present appearance. In that case, jumping, roaring, and swearing should be useless to Chen Ke. Comrade Berkov calmly asked: "May I ask Comrade Chen Ke, what is your purpose in drawing up this map?" ”

"The places I painted were all places where the Manchu Dynasty had been. If further back in time, Russia did not even exist. That kind of border means nothing to our two countries. Chen Ke pointed to the Trans-Siberian Railway in the eastern section of the map, "Since it was built by Russia, we are willing to recognize Russia's ownership of this railway." On the basis of the recognition of Russian ownership, a treaty for the joint use of the railway was negotiated. ”

Comrade Berkov felt sincerity in Chen Ke's tone, so he especially did not understand Chen Ke's attitude. Frowning, Berkov asked: "Comrade Chen Ke, I wonder what you think this border line you have drawn means?" ”

"I think that once this border is determined, then this border will represent peace. I very much hope that our two countries will not be stationed on this border. And in the long run, I hope that a mutual trust mechanism can be reached when the two sides move battalion-level troops within 50 kilometers of the border. There are also friendly policies such as visa-free travel for border personnel. Chen Ke replied very seriously.

Comrade Berkov was really speechless, he felt that there must be a bottom line for pretending to be crazy and stupid, especially for a character like Chen Ke, there was no reason to be stupid. Comrade Berkov had to remind Chen Ke, "Comrade Chen Ke, what I want to ask is, why do you think that our country will accept such a border line? ”

Chen Ke calmly replied: "Because in the territorial battle that will inevitably break out in the future, you will find that the Chinese army you are facing is not an imperialist army. Our aim was not hostility to Soviet power, nor was it the destruction of Russia. All we want to get back is the land we lost. I know that Comrade Lenin, when he was fighting against the Entente armies in Europe, made the Allied armies give up their will to fight against you by propagating the nature of the imperialist war, by propagating the foolery of the imperialist ruling class against the armies of their countries......"

Listening to Chen Ke's calm narration, Comrade Berkov's expression was not calm. Chen Ke did very clearly expound many of the key policies adopted by the Russian Communist Party, and they were policies that played a huge role. This shows that Chen Ke knows the Russian Communist Party very well, and it is even possible that there are people in the Russian Communist Party who provide intelligence to the People's Party.

“…… Comrade Berkov, there is a very interesting logical question here. I also hope that you will be able to make this clear to Comrade Lenin when you return to Moscow. If the Russian Communist Party thinks that it is just that you have inherited the Chinese territory seized by Russia through the war, then it is also a kind of justice for us to regain the land we lost through the war. So in the future war, you will find that the soldiers of our Revolutionary Army of Workers and Peasants, unlike the troops of the Entente, are not hostile to Russia, and we are not even interested in the territories that Russia has already occupied. What we want to regain is only the territory that we have lost in China. And we, the comrades of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army, will also know very well that both you and we believe in communism. Chen Ke continued his elaboration.

Comrade Berkov listened to Chen Ke's calm exposition and had mixed feelings in his heart. His biggest doubt was whether Chen Ke was an imperialist or not. There is no doubt that Chen Ke is definitely a nationalist, but his attitude is very different from that of ordinary nationalists. That is, Chen Ke does not seem to have a kind of disparaging of other ethnic groups because of nationalism. It's a very strange kind of place. Chen's nationalism is based on a very reciprocal attitude, and since Chen Ke recognizes his own nationalism, he will respect the nationalism of others as well. A mainstream nationalist who admits that the nationalism he identifies with is correct, will invariably believe that the nationalism of other countries is wrong.

"So is there any possibility of avoiding such a war." Comrade Berkov was unwittingly overwhelmed by Chen's attitude, and he began to try more flexible methods.

Chen Ke replied: "The way is for you to recognize this boundary line. Not only will we not go to war with you, but we will immediately begin to establish friendly relations with you. War is a very expensive thing, especially for the social system of the two sides, as well as the geographical location of this region, war will be a bottomless pit, in addition to the almost endless devouring of human life and money, the meaning of war may only be to determine a boundary line. ”

"Comrade Chen Ke, then why do you insist on this border line?" Comrade Berkov still tried his best to persuade Chen Ke.

Chen Ke replied: "This is the land we lost, and these lands are not the ones we voluntarily gave up, but the land that we lost under your bayonets. So we're going to take back these lands. This is China's problem, not our personal problem. This is also the difference between us and those imperialists, who are now besieging Russia because they have ideas about the Russian Communist Party and Russia. And we in China only have ideas about our own problems. Therefore, I hope that Comrade Berkov will be able to tell Comrade Lenin and the comrades of the Central Committee of the Russian Communist Party about my attitude clearly. Even if a war breaks out between our two sides, I hope that this war will be clear, and not a senseless war mixed with all kinds of lies and propaganda. After all, no matter how the war ends in the end, I hope that after the war is over, I will be able to begin to restore friendly relations with your country. War may last for a long time, but everyone wants peace. ”

Comrade Berkov knew that there was no longer any need to continue the talks, and that Chen Ke was either telling a big lie or telling the complete truth. But in any case, one thing has now been determined, the People's Party is going to march into Russian territory like other imperialist countries.

"Comrade Chen Ke, what do you think of the mutual establishment of liaison agencies between our two sides?" Comrade Berkov asked.

Chen Ke replied very simply: "Yes." ”

As soon as Comrade Berkov left the conference room and did not leave the door of the Central People's Party Committee, Chen Ke continued to discuss with the comrades of the Central Military Commission the specific implementation of the foreign war.

The Paris Peace Conference has now proved that China is probably temporarily free from the threat of foreign invasion, but China is still expanding its armaments. The CMC plans to expand the size of the army from the current 3 million to 5.5 million. A newly formed 10th Army was stationed in Laos, and the 11th and 12th Armies were stationed in northern Vietnam. Complete control of the local area should be completed as soon as possible, and the local integration into China should be completed as soon as possible.

In the north, the scale of the railway troops is vigorously expanded, and now the railway troops are building a railway to Kulen like crazy, Russia has the Trans-Siberian Railway, and the Republic is also preparing to build an east-west railway from the northeast to Xinjiang. Once the railway is completed, China will have sufficient maneuverability in the north. However, the completion of the railway is estimated to be at least five years away.

"The Paris Peace Conference is almost over, do those comrades hurry up and withdraw the medical team in Europe?" Chen Tianhua asked.

"First of all, the Chinese medical personnel from Britain will be temporarily evacuated to France. At the same time, a request for chartering a ship was submitted to the United States, and it should be handled as soon as possible. Chen Ke replied. The war needs a large number of logistical and medical personnel, and the Chinese side really needs these comrades who have gone abroad for training.

"So whether we want to sign a final agreement, there is no question of China's sovereignty recovery in the agreement at all." This is what comrades care about the most.

"Let them sign it. As long as there are no treaties that harm China's interests, we have signed them. Sometimes you have to be patient. Chen Ke replied.

Soon, the Chinese delegation received telegrams from China, and they were far away from setting up embassies and consulates in European countries, and trying their best to discuss and sign business agreements with European countries.

Italy's work efficiency is too low, and the Orlando Prime Minister is blowing the sky, and in fact the progress is very limited. For the reconstruction of Europe, steel was in short supply. In addition, Italy thinks that China is easy to coax, and even opened a sky-high price, and the price of each ship is twice that of similar ships in the United States.

Shang Yuan had to tell the Italian prime minister very bluntly, "People can't be too greedy. ”

God knows how the prime minister boasted about it with the Italian domestic ship manufacturers, and after Shang Yuan politely refused to make a deal at a sky-high price, the Italian prime minister immediately sent Shang Yuan a harshly worded telegram, accusing Shang Yuan of "no commercial credit".

"him!" After reading the telegram, Shang Yuan was angrily scolded in the Henan dialect of his hometown, he thought that although the imperialist powers Britain and France engaged in hegemonism were extremely hateful, it was good for Britain and France to do business, and it was better to talk about the most basic business ethics. The People's Party is strict in grasping it, and if it is not deceived, it can still do basic business. Italy now doesn't even talk about the most basic commercial credit. It's really weird.

Zhang Yu persuaded: "If the Italian had been diligent and down-to-earth, wouldn't he have become a world power like Britain and France." Believe that the Italians are our own fault, adjust the strategy. ”

Shang Yuan knew that what Zhang Yu said was right, but he never expected that even if the situation was so bad, no one in Europe was willing to do business with China seriously, and it seemed that the people who could really cooperate were Britain and France, the two old imperialist countries, which could not help but make Shang Yuan feel extremely aggrieved, and he said angrily: "In the current situation, we are likely to return empty-handed in Paris." ”

"Aren't we here just to fight the front station, and we definitely can't talk about returning empty-handed." Zhang Yu continued to persuade. Although persuaded to return, Zhang Yu was also very surprised by the bad situation. At the Paris Peace Conference, which was dominated by Britain and France, if it were not for the comrades' attitude of "dare to touch China's things, we will fight with you" to resist vigorously. Not to mention that the People's Party can't make other people eat meat and make some soup to drink, even the contents of the People's Party's own pot are almost fished out. If it had the slightest illusion about the Paris Peace Conference before setting out, China would have to suffer a great loss.

At the Paris Peace Conference, China has already had a lot of dealings with other countries in the world. But will things turn out to be as Chen Ke envisioned, bringing significant benefits to China? The comrades did not dare to be unconditionally optimistic.

This concern has also proved to be unfounded.

US President Wilson tried his best to promote the concept of his "Fourteen Points" in Paris, and the United States has a strong industrial strength, and through the efforts of US President Wilson, the United States has finally achieved a level of competition with Britain on the key naval issues related to the world.

In addition, US President Wilson can be regarded as "taking good care" of China, and with Wilson's help, all proposals and agreements harmful to China have been dragged to the Paris Peace Conference for separate discussions by the relevant parties on the grounds of "unilateral agreements."

Therefore, although Europe and many regions have completed the framework of the so-called "Versailles Convention system" with various treaties, China, with the help of the United States, still cleverly avoided the possibility of being restricted by the Versailles Convention.

In the end, however, it was the United States itself, and President Wilson found that despite his efforts to promote his personal "idealism" abroad, the U.S. Congress did not admit it. Congress voted twice to reject the proposal for the United States to join the League of Nations. As a direct result of this, the Americans who jumped at the Paris Peace Conference did not become a member of the "League of Nations," which was the core part of the Versailles Treaty.

On the contrary, China, because of Chen Ke's instructions, although there are many conditions that are not very favorable to China, China has officially become a member of the "League of Nations" as a signatory.

When the Treaty of Versailles was finally signed, the head of the Japanese delegation, Saionji Konobo, finally had a one-on-one meeting with Shang Yuan. After being insulted in person by Chinese Propaganda Minister Zhang Yu, Japanese Foreign Minister Nobuaki Makino resolutely refused to have any further contact with the Chinese delegation.

The leaders of the two major powers in the Western Pacific sat together to discuss the issue of "racial equality" raised by Nobuaki Makino on the Japanese side.

Japan's plenipotentiary Nobuaki Makino was prepared to shoot a bird in the head, and called for the abolition of racial differences and the promotion of racial equality to be written into the joint statute. In the prior negotiations, the United States and Britain proposed to amend certain articles, which is acceptable. However, Australia has publicly rejected the proposal. The BJP had no enthusiasm for the proposal at all, and simply voted in favor.

After the committee officially began, the United States, which had the same problems as Australia, and the United Kingdom, Australia's suzerainty at the time, changed their previous position and clearly expressed their opposition. Subsequently, Japan proposed a more compromise plan, that is, to add "agree that all countries are equal and treat their citizens fairly" in the preamble of the Statute of the Union. The result of the vote was endorsed by 11 out of 17 countries. However, US President Wilson, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, declared the proposal invalid on the grounds that "such issues need to be unanimously approved by all members before they can take effect."

Nobuaki Makino was frustrated in this way, but fortunately he made this speech at the conference: "I am worried about the future of the League of Nations, and I will certainly bring up such issues again when I have the chance." After the meeting, British Prime Minister Lloyd 61 George walked up to Makino, shook hands with him, and said, "I admire Japan's attitude very much."

Saionji found that although the People's Party voted in favor of the proposal every time, it was clearly indifferent. However, the United States, which is considered an ally of China by various countries, firmly opposes this proposal, but China does not echo the United States in the slightest. The subtle feeling between this made Xiyuan Temple Gongwang risk the possibility of being insulted again, and he also had to talk to Shang Yuan, who looked quite calm in the People's Party.

Shang Yuan said with a smile: "Mr. Xiyuan Temple, Australia and the United States are very xenophobic. It's simply not possible for you to get them to vote yes on this matter. You must know that the "Chinese Exclusion Act" in the United States has not been repealed until now. ”

Of course, Saionji knew about the "Chinese Exclusion Act", and this was also the thing that the Japanese side found most confused. Why is China able to endure such insults, and why is it still colluding with the United States? After being insulted by Zhang Yu, Makino Shinaki returned to the Japanese mission and couldn't help but scold, "The United States is China's godfather!" ”

Shang Yuan looked at Xiyuan Temple's suspicious expression, and couldn't help but smile: "Equality is a noun and an evaluation. We are looking for de facto equality, and it is useless to shout anything. ”

The Gongwang of Xiyuan Temple still couldn't quite understand what Shang Yuan meant, and still looked at Shang Yuan with suspicious eyes. Shang Yuan didn't have any illusions about the strength and mentality of the Japanese, he got up and wrote a sentence and handed it to Xiyuan Temple Gongwang.

A gentleman is ashamed not to cultivate, and he is not ashamed to see dirt; Shame does not believe, shame does not believe; Shame can't be, shame is useless.

Shang Yuan's calligraphy is quite good, and after writing, he handed the paper to the Xiyuan Temple Gongwang, "I hope that Mr. Xiyuan Temple can encourage me!" ”

This is Shang Yuan's true words!