In the spacious conference room of the British Consulate, British Consul Thompson withdrew from the conference room after introducing the two sides, leaving the opposing sides in the room looking at each other coldly.

The negotiators were headed by Okamura Ninji, and the others were Fujiwara Kiyo, the naval attache to Kamoto, and Shoichi Nakayama, charge d'affaires of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; On the Chinese side, there are only Xiong Bin and Zhuang Jihua.

From the moment he entered the room, Zhuang Jihua had been looking at Okamura Ningji, his face was thin, his cheeks were fleshless, and his lips had a slightly curved downward curve, which added a touch of fierceness to him, and his eyes behind the lenses looked a little dull, and he looked like an old farmer in the countryside. But Zhuang Jihua knew that this was a very fierce and cunning person, and his name even knew him, a person with a not very good history.

After a short silence, Zhuang Jihua spoke first: "General Okamura, I have admired the name for a long time. ”

Okamura Ningji's eyes rolled, when Zhuang Jihua looked at him, he was also secretly looking at Zhuang Jihua, as early as seven years ago, he had heard of this name, the result of the Niu Xing War was beyond the expectations of all their advisors, and since then he was a little curious, wondering what the person of the Niu Xing War was like, and today he finally got his wish.

"I have long admired General Zhuang, I wanted to meet General Zhuang seven years ago, but unfortunately I have always seen him, and I have been able to taste what I want." Okamura smiled a little and said respectfully.

"Seven years ago?" Zhuang Jihua muttered in wonder, what is this Okamura doing with this?

"General Zhuang fought a very wonderful defensive battle in Niuxing, and finally laid the foundation for General Sun Chuanfang's defeat." Okamura looked at Zhuang Jihua and added calmly: "At that time, the contemptible person was General Sun's adviser. ”

"Oh," Zhuang Jihua suddenly realized, this was something he didn't expect, he looked at Okamura and nodded calmly, and accepted his compliment: "General Okamura seems to have been in China for a long time, from Jiangnan to the Northeast, and from the Northeast to North China, seven years, running half of China, such a long time, if you say this, it is enough to run three or four round-trips." ”

Everyone present was stunned, and Okamura's eyes flickered: "Yes, I really want to run all over China, and I think it will only take half the time to go again." ”

Zhuang Jihua looked at him quietly, and suddenly smiled: "Hehe, I'm afraid not, general, you can't do it even if it takes twice as long, I have full confidence in this." But I will go to this book to meet His Majesty the Emperor of your country, and I have heard that he is very hospitable. ”

Okamura Ningji showed an angry face, and he unceremoniously interrupted Zhuang Jihua: "You don't have a chance, on the contrary, I have a greater chance than you." ”

"I heard that many people like ancient Chinese culture, and are very enthusiastic about the Four Books and Five Classics, calligraphy, tea ceremony, Buddhism, etc.," Zhuang Jihua did not dwell on this issue, but suddenly changed the topic, which made Okamura and others a little confused: "Many things in your country have been passed over from our country, even including the respect for the king proposed during the Meiji Restoration, but it is a pity that the noble [***] people abandoned China's military books and war strategies after the Meiji Restoration, General Okamura, I suggest you carefully read "The Art of War" , war is not a matter of a few cannons. ”

Zhuang Jihua's last sentence almost crooked the nose of Fujiwara Kiyo, who was also a soldier, and he jumped up and shouted: "Eight grids! ”

Zhuang Jihua unceremoniously cut off his words: "Please pay attention to your demeanor!" This is a diplomatic occasion, not a book! Not even your home! ”

This choked Fujiwara Kiyo, but Okamura Ningji's face was as unmoving, and he didn't even move his face, he waved his hand to signal Fujiwara Kiyo to sit down, and then looked at Zhuang Jihua coldly, and suddenly solemnly bowed: "Thank you for your reminder, I will study "The Art of War" carefully when I go back, I believe we will meet again." ”

Zhuang Jihua looked at Okamura with a serious expression and said, "Well, it seems that we will definitely meet again." ”

After some verbal arguments, the topic turned to the main topic, and Shoichi Nakayama first read out the terms of the armistice on this side: "....The Chinese [***] team must retreat to the line of Kaiping-Yutian-Shunyi, and the 20 kilometers south of this armistice line is a demilitarized zone, and the Chinese [***] team is not allowed to enter, and in order to supervise the situation in this area, our side has the right to send planes and investigation teams into this area." …”

Listening to Zhongshan Xiangyi's somewhat strange words, Zhuang Jihua couldn't help sneering in his heart, he already knew the bottom line of this aspect, since you want to ask for a price, then don't blame me for paying back the money.

"The country's political axe can't accept such conditions," before Xiong Bin could reply, Zhuang Jihua replied first: "Please General Okamura listen to our conditions."

1. The army withdrew from the territory of the central and western part of Rehe, including Chengde, and the armies of the two sides took Niuyingzi, Beganfu, and Sheman Temple as the line.

2. Return all occupied territories in eastern Hebei.

3. Thirty miles east of Niuyingzi, Bekanfu, and Sheman Temple is a demilitarized zone, and it is said that this army is not allowed to station here, and it is not allowed to use this area to carry out activities of aggression against China.

4. The Chinese side has the right to enter the area at any time for inspection. ”

In this condition, it is said that the Ben side wants to give up almost all the Rehe cities, including Chengde and Chifeng, which is equivalent to letting the Yuben army give up the results of the battle for more than three months, and Okamura Ning has to accept such a condition, and after returning to China, I am afraid that he will have to apologize.

"You have no sincerity for peace!" Fujiwara Kiyo immediately accused: "The imperial army must not accept such conditions. ”

"Is your condition peace and sincerity?" Zhuang Jihua said coldly: "What you can't get on the battlefield, you can't get it at the negotiation table." ”

Xiong Bin was worried that Zhuang Jihua would stalemate the negotiations, so he hurriedly interjected: "General Okamura, our side has come with peace sincerity, but we really can't accept your country's conditions. ”

Zhuang Jihua knew that it was not good when he heard it, didn't he expose the psychology of being anxious for a truce to the other party? At the same time, he also hinted to the other party that the conditions just now were not our official terms, and they were worse.

Sure enough, Okamura Ninji immediately grabbed Xiong Bin's words and said, "The Imperial Army is also very sincere, and we hope to see the rewards we deserve, rather than treating the Imperial Army's concessions as weak." ”

Zhuang Jihua was so angry in his heart, what is wrong with these people now, why can't they even bargain, the shrewdness shown by the Northwest Army when dealing with Chiang Kai-shek has gone there.

"Our conditions are well thought out," Zhuang Jihua said unceremoniously: "The Eighth Division is surrounded in the northwest of Gubeikou, and the destruction is only in the evening, and the Kuancheng army is also precarious, except for these two armies, there is no longer an army in Rexi, and after the destruction of these two armies, Chengde can be passed on, General Okamura, from this point of view, there is no Gui [***] team in the central and western parts of Rehe, and in this case, the Gui [***] team must also withdraw from Chengde, Pingquan, Ningcheng and other places. So our claims are by no means unfounded. ”

"The Eighth Division is not surrounded," Okamura retorted unceremoniously, "They just obeyed the express orders of our army to temporarily stop the attack, so that you have an opportunity to take advantage of it." And you don't have the strength to destroy the 8th Division. ”

Zhuang Jihua couldn't help but be happy when he heard this, he said to Okamura indifferently: "General, it's not that we can't eat the Eighth Division, but that it means nothing to us to eat the Eighth Division, and the sword of Damocles is the most terrifying only when it doesn't fall." ”

Okamura's expression did not change, but he became nervous in his heart, if the Eighth Division was really annihilated, then the biggest scandal in the military history of this book would break out, and there were many people in the Kwantung Army Headquarters who would be implicated, including him Okamura Ninji.

Could it be that the Chinese are really capable of annihilating the Eighth Division? Okamura's heart fought fiercely, Xiong Bin was a little at a loss at the moment, he saw Zhuang Jihua unceremoniously hard and hard with Okamura, and he was a little worried and wanted to speak, but the leg under the table was gently kicked by Zhuang Jihua, and he immediately closed his mouth.

But he found him, and after a few words, it was clear that Zhuang Jihua was not easy to provoke, and he had no choice but to fight Xiong Bin's idea.

"General Xiong, in the previous talks, I believe that you must have understood our sincerity for peace, we cannot accept the conditions put forward by your country, if this is the case, we can only fight, I can tell you responsibly, the Kwantung Army has begun to mobilize, and within a week, a division will march into Rehe, and this force cannot be stopped by your country." Fujiwara Kiyo said very sincerely.

Xiong Bin was slightly flustered in his heart, he coughed lightly twice to keep his composure, and then showed a smiling face: "Fujiwara Nakasa, I personally hope that peace can be achieved immediately, but we can't accept your country's conditions. ”

Okamura pondered for a moment and then proposed a new clause: "We can use the Great Wall as the boundary, and the passes of the Great Wall will be occupied by you, but no garrisons are allowed within ten kilometers of the Great Wall, and the passes can only be garrisoned by police. ”

Xiong Bin was excited in his heart, and he was about to agree immediately, but Zhuang Jihua rushed in front and said slowly: "The past does not forget the future, General Okamura, after experiencing the events of Wicker Lake, Shanghai, and Shanhaiguan, I don't think anyone dares to be so lax in front of your [***] team." Secondly, according to this condition, we must retreat about thirty kilometers from the territory we are currently occupying, as well as the western part of Rehe, which has been completely occupied by our troops. Then he shook his head and said, "General Okamura, your calculations are really good. ”

Okamura's face was gloomy, and he glanced at Zhuang Jihua fiercely: "General Xiong, who is in charge of this negotiation?" ”

"Naturally, General Xiong is in charge, and I am just his deputy." Zhuang Jihua grabbed the conversation again.

"So what is General Xiong's attitude?" Okamura asked.

Xiong Bin thought slowly: "Deputy Zhuang's words are good, we can't guarantee that the Great Wall Pass guarded by the police will not easily fall in the next Shanhaiguan Incident or the Wicker Lake Incident. So we still can't accept that. ”

Zhuang Jihua's nervous mood immediately relaxed, this Xiong Bin finally became smart once, but he didn't know that Xiong Bin was very nervous at the moment, and his real idea was that Okamura's conditions were acceptable.

(To be continued)