March 2, 1920, London, England, Whitehall.

"There is no point in asking how the ceasefire happened." British Prime Minister Lloyd George looked at the British Imperial Ministers and generals in the conference hall and said with a gloomy face, "It's time to end this war." ”

"Bulgaria and Turkey have surrendered, the Germans can no longer hold out, victory is at hand." The Minister of Defense said with some reluctance, "It is not appropriate to give up the war at this time. ”

"But the problem is, we can't hold on anymore." The Minister of the Seals said in a deep voice, "The wealth of the empire has dried up, and we are now relying on American money to fight against Chinese manpower!" ”

"And what's worse is that the people and the soldiers are tired of the war." An official followed, "This ceasefire is proof of that." ”

By 1920, the only remaining German Allies were exhausted, and the Allied belligerents were teetering on the precipice. They used all their energy and will to support themselves from falling. Their souls roared, their bodies festering, and blood oozing from their bones. Although they have not fallen yet. But how long they can stand, no one knows.

The Entente mobilized more troops and deployed more wealth, but until now, it did not mean to have much of an upper hand. It is difficult to judge whether this phenomenon is due to the mysterious will of God or to the exquisite stupidity of the generals of the belligerent countries.

Britain was now no longer the soul of the Entente.

Britain's status has now declined to the point of no return.

Once upon a time, the wealth of the British Empire was unrivaled, and its financial power spread all over the world. London is the most brilliant city in the world and the most beautiful flowers in the world. It is glorious, at the pinnacle of the civilized world. Money poured into the city from every corner of the world, but over time, like a camel crossing a great desert, it had to start consuming its huge hump. By 1918, Britain had invested two-thirds of its GDP in the military, but that was still not enough. Britain's financial assets have been depleted and it has had to borrow from the capital markets. for themselves, but also for its allies. London still absorbs the world's wealth, but once as a return on investment, but now as a borrowed loan. Britain had to rely on American money and Chinese manpower to fight the war. The British camel may have the largest hump in the world, but even the largest hump has been exhausted. And the end of the desert is still nowhere to be seen.

Up to now, Britain has remained impregnable, but it has struggled in a dark night that has no end in its weakness.

Britain has a secure strategic location, a stable and flexible political structure, and citizens who have never lost faith in their country. Although Britain does not have to worry about the enemy invading its own territory, this sudden "Christmas truce" shows that there is also a danger of a revolution breaking out in Britain that will lead to its collapse.

"The French political axe will not agree to us making peace with the Germans." The Secretary of War said.

"If it weren't for the arrival of the Americans and the Chinese, France would have been able to hear the roar of destruction." Lloyd George sneered and said.

Thinking of the massive army mutiny that had once taken place in France, the War Ministers and generals kept their mouths shut.

At that time, France was arguably the most dangerous moment.

If it were not for the timely arrival of the Chinese and American troops and the proper handling of General Petain, as well as the large amount of supplies and equipment pouring in from overseas allies, and if it were not for France's sound open-boil system, France might have completely collapsed in 1917, just like Russia.

Now, the unexpected "Christmas ceasefire" has made politicians and generals aware of the precursors of a great crisis.

Years of bloodshed, hunger, and frustration have worn out the passion of the people. They no longer support the war, but endure it. Enthusiasm turns to numbness, and then to anger. Once this anger begins to be unleashed, the political axe will crumble like a house made of cards.

"What is the attitude of China and the United States?" Someone asked.

"Isolationist sentiment in the United States is beginning to revive again, and President Wilson hopes that the war will end sooner rather than later." Lloyd-George said, "The political situation in China is unstable, and the voice of opposition to the 'imperialist war' is getting stronger, and the Chinese political axe is worried about the revolution in the country, and wants to end the war as soon as possible." ”

"What about me? What do they mean? Someone then asked, which immediately caused a burst of disapproving laughter in the room.

"Say myself! Hum! Say myself! Lloyd-George sneered, "What I think, we don't have to think about it." ”

Guangxi, Nanning, Guangxi and Guangxi patrol embassy offices.

"This is an urgent and confidential telegram from General Gu of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs." An officer sent a telegram to Yang Shuoming's desk, "Please take a look at it, general." ”

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should have forwarded the telegram to the Border Governor's Office, what is the matter with transferring it here?" Chen Jiongming, who was sitting next to Yang Shuoming, smiled and said knowingly.

"Be kind and compete." Yang Shuoming laughed, picked up the telegram and read it.

As one of the big warlord forces in China, even the Anhui family of Duan Qirui, who holds the real power of Yanjing's political axe, has to consider the attitude of this young "high-tech warlord" in some things.

Cheng Biguang and Chen Jiongming, who were sitting on the side, looked at Yang Shuoming's face together, wanting to judge the content of the telegram from the change in his expression, but Yang Shuoming did not give the two of them a chance to confirm his judgment, he quickly finished reading the telegram, handed the telegram to Chen Jiongming, and motioned for the two of them to take a look at it too.

"Germany wants to make peace with our country alone?" Chen Jiongming looked a little surprised after reading the telegram.

Yang Shuoming nodded quietly.

"The Germans have a bad calculation," Cheng Biguang sneered, "but unfortunately this is simply impossible." ”

"At the beginning, they played this hand with Russia, and the Russians did not agree." Yang Shuoming said calmly, "It's even more impossible for us." ”

As early as 1915, Germany had made an attempt to negotiate peace with Russia through Denmark, and later sent a series of letters to Tsar Nicholas II through a female official in the Russian Imperial Palace, and the result was successful. From July 1916 onwards, Germany and Russia held frequent unofficial diplomatic talks in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. At that time, Germany tried to make peace with Russia separately in order to achieve the goal of dividing the Entente bloc and getting rid of the dilemma of fighting on two fronts. However, due to the fierce opposition of the main war faction at home and Russia's fear of withdrawing from the war, the material support of the Allied countries would be interrupted, and Germany and Russia failed to negotiate peace alone. In the first half of 1917, as the political and economic crises in the belligerent countries intensified, the internal contradictions intensified, and the people's calls for peace became louder, the peacemakers within the ruling circles of each country also began to actively carry out activities to achieve the goal of easing the internal contradictions.

Just after the "Christmas ceasefire," Germany preemptively put forward the proposal for "peace talks," and the German political axe, in the name of itself and its allies, sent a note to the belligerents of the Entente countries, suggesting that peace talks be held, but the Germans did not put forward specific conditions for peace talks, but only vaguely expressed "peace and reconciliation." In contact with the Chinese political axe, the Germans did not give any specific price.

"It's a miracle that Germany has survived until now. It has no allies like Britain and Russia, and only small players like Austria-Hungary and Turkey. These small characters can only be strong, and it is difficult to use them for any great use. Chen Jiongming said, "Germany relied on much less resources than the enemy, fought on two fronts, defeated Russia, blockaded Britain, and almost destroyed France several times." The strength of the German people's combat power is really amazing. ”

"Yes! It is a real miracle to fight six great countries alone with the strength of one country. Cheng Biguang also sighed.

"Such a miracle stems from Germany's industrial potential, but also from Germany's military system." Yang Shuoming smiled and said, "Germany has the best command and staff system in the world. Of course, there were fools among the German generals. On the whole, however, the German generals were much more clever than their British and French counterparts. They've made untold mistakes, too, but they're generals, not granite heads like Offy, Haig, and Nivel. ”

But behind the miracle is a terrible calamity. Germany's human resources are on the verge of depletion. If you want to produce normally, you can't fight a war normally; If you want to fight a normal war, you can't produce normally. Germany's resources were insufficient, and its wartime economy was not as well organized as Britain and France. Yang Shuoming continued, "There is always a misunderstanding among the Chinese people, thinking that it is easy for the country to 'concentrate on doing great things', and the wartime economy should be stronger." Not really. In wartime economies like Britain, France, and the United States, the war economy was more balanced, material distribution was more reasonable, and the people suffered less economic suffering. ”

After listening to Yang Shuoming's analysis of the gains and losses in the European competition, Chen Jiongming and Cheng Biguang both nodded again and again.

"Now that Hunan autonomy is on the right track, thanks to Hanzhi's full help." Chen Jiongming heard the deep meaning of Yang Shuoming's words, and tested him with a smile, "When does Hanzhi plan to help Liangguang achieve autonomy?" ”

"Guangxi's foundation is thin, wait and talk about it, Guangdong can do it now." Yang Shuoming looked at Chen Jiongming and said, "I just don't know if Jingcun is willing to be the governor of Guangdong." ”

Listening to Yang Shuoming's answer, Chen Jiongming's body shook slightly, he looked at Yang Shuoming's eyes, hesitated, and did not answer immediately.

Chen Jiongming, who is extremely smart, of course heard what Yang Shuoming meant when he made himself the governor of Guangdong Province.

For Chen Jiongming, who is considered a local warlord in Guangdong, becoming the governor in charge of civil affairs on the premise that Guangdong imitates Hunan's autonomy will mean giving up military power in his hands.

"If Guangdong is also autonomous like Hunan, the governor can be elected, and it is not up to Hanzhi to appoint anyone." Cheng Biguang didn't seem to hear the subtext in Yang Shuoming's words, "At that time, it wasn't who could say anything with one word." ”

"It's another matter whether you can choose or not, I just want to know, is the competition willing?" Yang Shuoming looked at Chen Jiongming and asked.

"Of course I do," Chen Jiongming replied happily, "I'm just worried, there is no military guarantee." After all, the success of Hunan's autonomy is due to the support of Hanzhi, a 'high-tech warlord'. ”

"I'm right, I'm actually worried about that." Yang Shuoming bowed slightly, as if he was very satisfied with Chen Jiongming's answer, "The provincial constitutional autonomy that has been established so easily is very easy for one or two careerists to destroy by force. ”

Of course, Yang Shuoming remembered that in July 1926, Tang Shengzhi, who had taken refuge in the "Guangdong Revolutionary Army and Political Axe", led his army into Changsha City, making Hunan once again a battlefield of the contest between the north and the south; Subsequently, the constitution of Hunan Province was abolished, and the provincial assembly, county council, and courts at all levels were abolished. The six-year-long "Hunan autonomy" has become a dream of Nanke.

And in this era, Yang Shuoming will never allow such history to be reproduced in his own hands!

"It's been a long time since I've seen Matsupa."

Yang Shuoming's words changed, and he suddenly talked about Cai Yi, who was far away in Yanjing.

Chen Jiongming and Cheng Biguang obviously didn't keep up with Yang Shuoming's thinking jump, and the two glanced at each other, their faces stunned.

Yanjing, Renhe Hospital.

In a senior ward, three people were engaged in a lively conversation.

"The teacher should have gained a lot from this trip to Europe."

Cai Yi, who was sitting on the bed, coughed lightly, looked at Liang Qichao, the teacher sitting opposite, and said with a smile.

"The purpose of my trip was to investigate the prosperity of material civilization in Europe and the reasons behind it, but I did not expect that it would be completely overturned." A bitter smile appeared on Liang Qichao's face.

In 1918, when the First World War was in full swing, Liang Qichao set off to Europe to investigate.

In the new Congress, Duan Qirui and Xu Shuzheng's "Anfu Department" that was temporarily put together for the election won a big victory, and among the 472 seats in the two houses, a total of 295 seats, accounting for 62?5%, while the Progressive Party only won 42 seats, accounting for only 9%, and a little-known small party, the National Socialist Party, accounted for 36 seats. Al-Shabaab has 30 seats, Transport has 10 seats, and the rest is occupied by smaller parties. The Progressive Party of the Research Department, headed by Liang Qichao, originally intended to make some gains in the new Congress, but in the end, they never wanted to lose a big loss, and they were left with only underwear.

Although Chinese politics has always been known to be shady, it is actually very transparent, and the people in the research department are not stupid, and of course they understand how they lost. Liang Qichao and others were disheartened after the fiasco in the parliamentary election, and broke with Duan Qirui's Anhui system because of this.

Liang Qichao, who had suffered repeated setbacks, went to Europe to investigate, but this trip to Europe made a huge change in his thinking. The ruins and difficulties of the people under the fire of the European war impacted the "social Darwinism" that Liang Qichao had long believed in; This impact has been exacerbated by the popular "reflection" in European academic circles that "the West is tending to be destroyed due to the excessive prosperity of material civilization". All this made Liang Qichao finally turn into a critic of European industrial civilization.

"When the people who say that science is omnipotent, full of scientific success, the golden world is about to appear. Now, at last, the material progress of one hundred years has increased several times compared with the previous three thousand years, but we human beings have not only not attained happiness, but have brought many disasters. The Europeans had a big dream of scientific omnipotence, but today they call science bankrupt. Liang Qichao sighed, "I don't know what he, Yang Hanzhi, will think of this matter now." ”

"We want to learn from foreign countries, we have to catch up, not follow him backwards. Now that we are advocating reform, we must not say that we have learned something like Europe and the United States at present, and we will be satisfied. Huang Xing said, "The culture of Europe and the United States has only recently been more advanced than that of China. We envy their new civilization and advocate change. The implementation of reform at this moment is, of course, to put China above Europe and the United States. Transform into the world's newest and most progressive country. ”

"Keqiang's remarks seem to be the idea of the Soviet Party." Cai Ye looked at Huang Xing and said.

"As for the Soviet Party, Songpa must not be taken lightly." Liang Qichao said, "Fashionable politicians in various countries are recognized as lawless and radical Lenin's political axe, and the newspapers say that it will die young, but it has become a tumbler, supported it for two years, and it is still said to exist today." Whatever the outcome of the Soviet regime in the future, its spirit will not be erased. The empty ideals that most people once ridiculed have become a solid system. In the future, its historical value will not be at least under the French Revolution. ”

While criticizing the bankruptcy of Western material civilization, Liang Qichao had already taken note of the Bolshevik regime in Russia that had lasted for two years without falling.

"Now in Europe and the United States, like France and the United States, there is neither an emperor [***], the people can be said to be extremely equal and free, and civil rights can be regarded as extremely developed. But we can only talk about the people's ownership and people's governance, not the people's enjoyment. Just look at the oppression of the common people in their country by the capitalists, the poor by the oppression of the rich, what kerosene king, steel king, railway king, one person's wealth can be the enemy of the country. The civilians and laborers could not even find bread. What a picture of inequality? Therefore, Europe and the United States have now given birth to a big problem of inequality between the rich and the poor. Huang Xing said, "The Soviets have tried to get rid of this great evil, but their laws are too crude and not desirable for our country." ”

"The doctrine of the Soviets is aimed at radically transforming the present unfairness of economic organization. In short, whatever is considered inhumane by the present economic organization must be reorganized. Liang Qichao nodded and said, "When it comes to the national economy and people's livelihood, the doctrine he holds is naturally one of the most valuable doctrines in modern times. But my opinion, advocating this kind of doctrine, spirit and method cannot be talked about together. The spirit is absolutely to be adopted, and this spirit is not foreign, it is inherent in us. When it comes to implementation, the communal organization, and even the Soviet system, the facts cannot be applied to China, and it is better to be slow. ”

(To be continued)