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In the Yamen of the Admiral of Guangdong in Humen, the first formal diplomatic negotiations between China and Britain, uh, what should have been the Ming and Britain, had been going on for nearly two hours. Again and again, steaming fragrant coffee was brought into the main hall of the Admiral's Yamen, which was used as the scene of negotiations, and placed on a Western-style long conference table that had been moved from somewhere.

Zhu Jishi has been in Europe for many years, and has long been accustomed to drinking coffee, but now although he has gone to the East, he still has not changed to drinking tea - the women who served him have all learned the whole art of grinding and brewing and straining coffee under the teaching of Madame Duran. And this time it was Madame Duran herself who followed Zhu Jishi to the north, so the coffee served was even more fragrant.

However, in Zuo Zongtang, it is all the same taste, bitter and astringent, I really don't know how Zhu Jishi likes this thing? After taking a sip of the Italian coffee with milk that Mrs. Duran specially brewed for herself, Zuo Zongtang frowned, put down the coffee cup, stretched his neck to Zhu Jishi's ear, and said in a low voice: "Hunan, and Jiangxi must be owned by the Ming Dynasty, otherwise there is no way to self-sufficiency in the grain of Liangguang and Fujian." Moreover, the Hunan people have always been hard-working than the Cantonese people, and they are all good materials for being soldiers, but they cannot be in the hands of the Manchus. ”

This Zuo Zongtang actually has no resistance to the matter of splitting the great motherland, and only thinks about incorporating his hometown into the territory of the Ming Kingdom!

Zhu Jishi thought about it and sighed helplessly in his heart. This Zuo Zongtang's idea can't be said to be wrong...... Now Daming has only laid down two counties, Bao'an and Dongguan, and there is still a distance from unifying Guangdong! Not to mention taking the five provinces of Guangzhou, Fujian, Hunan, and Jiangxi. And this meal needs to be eaten in one bite, and the rebellion has to come step by step! This is 200 years of Manchu Qing. How can there be no local roots? It is in the two counties of Bao'an and Dongguan. Now there are still many filial sons and grandsons of the landlord class who are resisting the great soldiers! Not to mention Hunan and Jiangxi, where the anti-Qing foundation is weaker?

If you really want to conquer these 5 provinces. There is no two or three years to ensure that such a large piece of land is really mastered? Don't be like the Kuomintang reactionaries, who only control a few big cities, and let the landlord class loyal to the Manchus come to the countryside to surround the cities.

In addition, the ground has to be developed! Factories, schools, mines, ports, railways, telegraphs...... And so on, and so on, and there will be no results at all in a few years. How can the construction of this base not be carried out?

If we don't fully grasp the localities and don't engage in modernization, we can just cover our heads and go north. Arms and finances are dependent on trade. Isn't that top-heavy, and if you're not careful, you'll have to fall and bleed.

Thinking of this, Zhu Jishi put down the small coffee cup in his hand, frowned and said, "Sir Davis...... As you pointed out, what is going on now, indeed, is a war of independence! However, it was not a war of independence in the Liangguang and Fujian regions, but a war of independence in the whole of southern China...... The Ming Dynasty was in Jiangnan, in Yunnan-Guizhou, in Sichuan, and in Huguang. All have a broad mass base. ”

Let's start with the lion's big mouth, although it is impossible to eat South China in one bite with this little capital in his hand. However, this request can still be made. Otherwise, what else is there to talk about in negotiations?

Hearing Zhu Jishi's statement, Sir Davis and Fat Qiu furrowed their eyebrows at the same time. The whole of South China...... But I swallowed the best part of China in one bite! At least 80% of the Manchu Dynasty's annual income of about 45 million yuan was contributed by South China, right? Having lost South China, could the Manchu dynasty still be sustained? Isn't that a joke?

Sir Davis shook his head and simply said "NO!" ”

Zhu Jishi is actually an insider of the European Game of Thrones! There's no nonsense to talk about with him, just say "no".

"Jason, London won't accept all of South China being ruled by you." Robert. Churchill gently turned the coffee cup in his hand, and considered the words. "Although I am very much looking forward to you becoming the ruler of all of China, but ...... This is not in the interests of the British Empire! ”

Zhu Jishi smiled coldly, the current British Empire is really a behemoth that can't be provoked!

"But Liangguang and Fujian are too small...... These three provinces are not grain-producing areas, and if tens of millions of my people do not have enough to eat, the regime will not be able to sustain itself! ”

Qiu Fat Man nodded, as if he was quite approving, he turned to Sir Davis and said, "Sir, this is indeed a problem...... Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian do not have much flat land to feed so many people, and grain has always been imported from Jiangxi and Hunan provinces. I think that the future Ming Kingdom should include these two provinces. ”

This is called two-headed persuasion, and thin mud. Regardless of whether the future Ming Kingdom includes Hunan and Jiangxi, he has completed the mission of "splitting China", and the rank of major general is a matter of time, and he can be knighted if he is not good. In the future, whether you are in the army or politics, you will have the capital.

"Hunan, at most one more Hunan!" Sir Davis also removed Jiangxi Province from Churchill's offer, leaving only Hunan to Zhu Jishi.

"Gannan must be controlled by me, otherwise it is not conducive to the defense of Fujian and Hunan!" Zhu Jishi also bargained seriously, although he did not intend to abide by this agreement at all.

"Sizz, that's true, Gannan is very important for the defense of Hunan and Fujian." The fat man turned back to persuade Davis.

"Okay." Davis thought for a moment and nodded heavily, "The territory of the future Ming Kingdom will only include Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian, Hunan, and the southern regions of Jiangxi Province. He paused for a moment, and then said, "In addition, the Ming Kingdom must recognize the Treaty of Nanjing and ......."

"Wait!" Zhu Jishi looked at Davis in surprise, "Sir, I heard you right, right?" You want our Ming Kingdom to recognize the Treaty of Nanjing? This is not in line with international practice! Our Ming Kingdom is not the successor of the Manchu Empire, I don't think you have any objection to that, right? ”

Davis was stunned for a moment, and after thinking about it, it seemed to be the case. Since the Ming Kingdom and the Qing Empire are two countries, there is really no reason for the Ming Kingdom to recognize the "Treaty of Nanjing" according to public international law? Otherwise, this shijie won't be messed up?

Zhu Jishi continued to analyze: "Besides, there is no way for us to recognize the "Nanjing Treaty", because Shanghai in the treaty port stipulated in the "Nanjing Treaty" is not the territory of the future Ming Kingdom!" Moreover, the degree of openness of the Ming Kingdom in the future will definitely exceed that of the five ports of trade in the Treaty of Nanjing. The British Empire's foreign firms can invest anywhere in the Ming Dynasty! ”

This is not nonsense, the largest foreign bank of the British Empire in the Far East was opened by Zhu Jishi!

"Can I understand that the future Ming Kingdom will not set up any trade barriers to prevent the import of British goods?" Sir Davis said tentatively.

"Of course not!" Zhu Jishi's face sank, "Sir, the future Ming Kingdom is a sovereign and independent country, not a protectorate of the British Empire, so we have the right to formulate a reasonable trade policy according to our own needs!" ”

After listening to Zhu Jishi's words, Zuo Zongtang's face was a little ugly, what's the big deal about this trade issue? It's not worth arguing with the British for this!

Sir Davies also felt a little uncomfortable, and what he had just said was the opium trade...... He was not worried that Zhu Jishi would ban the import of other British goods, because Britain was too far away from China, and most of the goods were not competitive because of the long distance - in history, British products could not be imported into China in large quantities, in fact, not because of China's self-sufficient feudal economic system, but because of the long distance! Otherwise, how could the Chinese love the high-priced and inferior Jiangnan native cloth and reject the British foreign cloth? The Chinese people are not so patriotic.

Churchill frowned and said to Zhu Jishi: "Jason, now the opium trade policy of the Manchu Qing Dynasty has been loosened, if you insist on it any longer......

"Robert, there is no room for compromise on this issue! I don't think you in England will turn your heads against the Ming Dynasty for the opium trade of up to two million taels a year, right? Big deal, I guarantee that the total value of textiles and machinery imported from the UK is more than £1 million per year! That's all right, right? ”

Seeing that Churchill and Davis were still hesitating, Zhu Jishi said in a deep voice: "I will publish this decision in The Times, and the factory owners in Manchester will make the right decision for Albert at that time!" ”

Davis sighed and nodded slightly. Inside the British Parliament. The shili of the factory owner is much more than the opium dealer, not to mention the big problem of more than two million unemployed workers in Britain! Any policy that would reduce unemployment would be most popular among British parliamentarians. (To be continued......)