Although he is the president of the republic, at this critical moment, Yuan Shikai found that he had to meet with ministers of various countries in person, which was really helpless. In this regard, he was slightly envious of Chen Ke. Based on Yuan Shikai's experience, apart from the collusion of foreign devils, at least in China, he has never seen such a consistent political organization as the People's Party. Every representative of the People's Party is doing the same thing, and there is no difference in the overall goal of accomplishing this thing. Chen Ke personally intervened, largely because the young revolutionaries with him were relatively limited. At all times, however, what Yuan Shikai heard from the People's Party was consistent.

In contrast, whether it is the former Qing Dynasty or Beiyang, everyone has their own thoughts. For example, when facing foreign devils, Tang Shaoyi of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is actually unreliable. If the matter in front of him is handed over to Tang Shaoyi, the first thing Tang Shaoyi wants to protect is not the interests of the Beiyang government, but Tang Shaoyi's own reputation. So Yuan Shikai had to go into battle himself.

The British minister was a little surprised by Yuan Shikai's reopening of the quota trade agreement. After all, this is a matter between Chen Ke and Yuan Shikai, and things are as Chen Ke expected, and the British have no intention of refusing at all. Not only did he not refuse, but the British had an expression that he took for granted.

It wasn't until Yuan Shikai had probably finished talking with the British about the whole thing and was about to send off the guests that the British minister asked about Qingdao.

"If the military conflict continues like this, it will be a major loss to the interests of all parties." Yuan Shikai replied.

It can be said that only one and a half people have done it in the entire late Qing Dynasty in the entire late Qing Dynasty. The first is Yuan Shikai. When he was in Korea, in the face of the Japanese pressing step by step, Yuan Shikai solved the internal rebellion in Korea by dividing it by two, stabilized the situation in Korea, and shattered the Japanese attempt to get their hands on Korea. The other half is Feng Zicai, who led the victory of Zhennanguan. Since the negotiations were not Feng Zicai's responsibility at all, Guangxi was saved, but Annan was lost.

In 1910, Japan used traitors within Korea to sign the "Japan-Korea Merger Treaty", and Yuan Shikai's achievements that year were completely in vain. But now the People's Party has given Yuan Shikai another opportunity to take advantage of the victory in the war, and Yuan Shikai knows that Cixi can waste this opportunity wantonly, because it is impossible for Yuan Shikai and Feng Zicai to resist Cixi and the Qing court. But Chen Ke and the People's Party will never let Yuan Shikai waste so much.

"Qingdao is a matter of the Lend-Lease Treaty between Jiao and Macao, and I don't think we should treat it sloppily." The British minister's answer was very clear.

Yuan Shikai saw the British minister say this, and he also showed that he could procrastinate, "If the minister thinks that this matter should not be sloppy, we might as well wait and see what happens." After all, the war only took place in Lianyungang and Qingdao. It does not affect the situation in China as a whole. ”

The British minister frowned after hearing this, the situation in front of him was indeed tricky. If the BJP loses the war, then anything is easy to say. The great powers either took advantage of the fire to loot or intervened in China's affairs on the pretext of "upholding justice". For example, after the First Sino-Japanese War, Japan occupied the northeast and did not leave, and in the end, the great powers "upheld justice" and allowed Japan to earn a "ransom fee", while the great powers also maintained the balance of power in China's current situation.

However, the current situation was that the People's Party had seized Qingdao and inflicted heavy casualties on the German marines on the beach of Lianyungang. The German Emperor Wilhelm II was a typical unreliable, moody and moody person, and all kinds of "whimsy" made the more rational European diplomats think that this guy should not live in the palace, but in a mental hospital. But among Wilhelm II's cousins, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia was one of the most obedient cousins. If Yuan Shikai was unwilling to compromise in the slightest, the expansion of the war would not be a joke.

Britain and France were the closest in the legations, and the mental states of the ministers of the two countries were relatively normal. They all saw a problem, and if this war continues, it will be nothing more than a question of victory or defeat. The victory of the People's Party over Germany was not a very special event, but if China won after the war expanded, it would mean that China would get rid of its current situation of foreign control.

Britain spent more than half a century, waged several wars, and spent a lot of effort in order to open up the Chinese market. Now they are about to approach the goal, Yuan Shikai's Beiyang government is already a relatively open government, and the traitorous People's Party simply takes the welcome of international trade as its basic policy. Building a solid trading system and further expanding trade with China has been at the heart of Britain's recent Far East policy.

If an uncontrollable war were to be fought, even if it was won, Britain's immediate interests would be greatly damaged. If it fails, then the damage will be greater.

Germany, which is on the cusp of the storm, is ruled by the unreliable Wilhelm II, and if the situation cannot be quickly calmed down in front of us, and the situation is allowed to expand, the stability that the Far East has now built with great difficulty will be broken.

"Aside from the quota trade agreement, doesn't Mr. President have any plans for Qingdao?" The British minister asked.

"If I send troops to seize Qingdao, I will dedicate Qingdao to Germany with both hands. The Germans will not appreciate it, and what kind of evaluation will I get in China today? Yuan Shikai asked rhetorically.

Although the British minister was well-informed, he almost laughed out loud when he heard Yuan Shikai's accurate evaluation of the Germans. Indeed, even if Yuan Shikai did this, the Germans would definitely not appreciate it, on the contrary, they would ask Yuan Shikai for a lot of things. This is what China is accustomed to.

"It's not a human thing inside and out, I won't do it. If Mr. Minister says, what solution am I going to come up with? I have one, Qingdao and Lianyungang are involved in the fighting, so we might as well turn these two port cities into economic development zones. Foreign commercial enterprises are free to invest, open factories and do business here. It is possible to take advantage of the vast trading area covered behind these two cities. If I do this, I will have to explain it to China. And Germany's face can also be taken into account. Yuan Shikai replied.

"Do you want to open concessions in these two cities?" The representative of the United Kingdom was somewhat surprised by that proposal.

"It's not a concession, it's an economic development zone. The sovereignty and justice of these two cities are fully governed by us, and you can conduct trade and investment in them safely and unfettered. ”

"Is there no restriction on who can invest and trade here?" The British minister was skeptical.

"Yes. No country will be restricted. Economic development zones are more akin to free trade cities, where local laws are entirely set by the people in those cities. Yuan Shikai's answer is quite legally conscious.

"This condition did not calm the anger of the Germans." The British minister thought that what Yuan Shikai took out looked good, but it was far from enough.

"There are two sides to the war: enemy property and civilian property. Now if calm can be restored, the assets of the German colonial ministry and the navy, I have no way to claim from the People's Party. However, I can consider getting back from the People's Party for the factories and enterprises invested by the private sector in Germany. After all, civil society was not involved in the conflict. If the conflict ends here, their legitimate interests should be protected. Yuan Shikai handed over the last hole card promised by Chen Ke, paused, and Yuan Shikai added: "Of course, if this conflict expands like this, the German private property will also be regarded as enemy property of the People's Party, and it will be useless for me to say anything at that time." ”

After saying this, Yuan Shikai seemed to be doing nothing, but he was a little uneasy in his heart. When he and Chen Ke discussed how this conflict would end, the two reached a consensus that this matter was useless, and the only thing that could be done was to persevere to the end. After all, Germany is a labor expedition, and Lianyungang is the territory of the People's Party, and if Germany attacks the base area of the People's Party, the People's Party will naturally assume the responsibility for its own defense.

Qingdao is in the hands of the Chinese, and it is impossible for the Germans to take it without paying a huge price. Chen Ke vowed that it would be absolutely impossible for the Germans to take Qingdao without paying more than 200,000 lives. If the Germans did send troops, the People's Party would be responsible for defending Qingdao, and there was no need for Yuan Shikai's Beiyang government to help.

What the Beiyang government needs to do is to be able to stick to its position unwaveringly. Chen Ke's attitude is very clear: if the People's Party is faced with a difficult situation at home and abroad, then the Beiyang government will be the first target of the People's Party.

Yuan Shikai has put his net worth and life on the line this time, and it is impossible if he does not have the slightest anxiety.

The British minister only raised a few minor questions about it, and then took his leave. Yuan Shikai felt a sense of relief in his heart, the development of things was indeed as Chen Ke expected, as soon as it was mentioned that the assets of the German people would not be confiscated for the time being, the British representative would not be aggressive for the time being. However, if Chen Ke's prediction is correct, now is only the prelude to the storm, and the British will not be able to contribute so easily, and Germany will not give up so easily. If the two sides find it pointless to fight any further, there will be no end to this conflict.

Can Yuan Shikai stand firm in this conflict, and can he not compromise in the face of various threats? Yuan Shikai could see that Chen Ke had little confidence in himself. In fact, if he hadn't been forced to do this, Yuan Shikai himself would not have any special confidence in himself.

After the victory at Zhennanguan, when Yuan Shikai suppressed the Korean civil strife, Yuan Shikai was extremely disappointed in the imperial court led by Cixi. Because the imperial court didn't care about the victorious results of these people who fought for the country abroad, and even had a kind of abandonment. Now the fruits of the People's Party's victory are temporarily in the hands of Yuan Shikai, and Yuan Shikai finds that he actually feels that this is a hot potato. It's not to take, it's not to lose.

Because this is not a final victory, but a simple phased victory. If the Beiyang Central Committee wants to continue to use this victory, it will have to pay more price. And with it comes the dangers, even greater than before.

The bottom line is, even if you win in the end, what can you do? It's just that Yuan Shikai and Feng Zicai have become the existence of "high-powered masters". Just like this time, if it is really victorious in the subsequent struggle, the People's Party, as the original attacker, will also gain influence over the Beiyang Central Committee.

Thinking of this, Yuan Shikai couldn't help but smile bitterly. No wonder when Chen Ke saw him, he said straight to the point, "As for the current interests, I still believe in the saying that suffering a loss is taking advantage." And "But as long as the president is not the emperor, I absolutely only support Yuan Gong as the president." ”

Chen Ke is indeed not afraid of losses, as long as this matter can be done, everything that Chen Ke seems to have not gained because of losses, whether it is status or interests, as soon as Yuan Shikai dies, Chen Ke will be able to include it all. Sure enough, "to suffer a loss is to take advantage." ”

Chen Ke didn't care what Yuan Shikai thought, the party's history proved one thing, in the face of the Israeli people's war, any invasion by the European and American powers that tried to destroy China would not succeed. Historically, the base areas have become stronger and stronger, and there is no reason why the BJP cannot do this. If the foreign devils really invade China like the Japanese army, although they are facing a terrible situation, the People's Party will definitely be able to win the final victory. Moreover, this victory is bound to be a great victory for the complete liberation of China.

"If we seek peace through struggle, we will live in peace, and if we seek peace through compromise, we will die peacefully." Grandpa Mao's understanding of history is so profound. So although Chen Ke reached some kind of agreement with Yuan Shikai, Chen Ke didn't really regard this God knows if it was a reliable agreement as his bottom line.

In the old black-and-white movies of the fifties and sixties, the devils went to the countryside and said that they were twenty devils and hundreds of puppet soldiers. This is a clear textbook. Chen Ke is not afraid to make things bigger, or even to change history. For example, armies that had been fighting each other in Europe united to attack China. After all, when Japan invaded China, the Japanese devils could still pull up a decent puppet army in China. At the current stage, it is impossible to have a puppet army of such size and quality as a servant army of the enemy.

Even if 10 million foreign devils enter China, if they gather in a big city, they will be eaten by themselves. If these foreign devils go down to the countryside and build turrets and strongholds, it can basically be considered that these scum are just sending meat to the door. Europe now has a population of only 300 million, and there are 90 million young and middle-aged men. The loss of 10 million young adults means that one in every nine young adults will die. Europe doesn't have to mix it up anymore. They themselves will crumble.

If there really is such a war, it is definitely not the Europeans who will be liberated in the end. The decisive factor in this war is simply the extent to which the BJP can be united with the people.

After inspecting Qingdao, Chen Ke returned to Xuzhou. In addition to the comrades of the People's Party, there is also Tao Chengzhang waiting for him. After seeing Chen Ke, Tao Chengzhang stepped forward and said, "Wenqing, I came here this time to be entrusted by the comrades of the Restoration Society. If foreign devils fight China, all the comrades of our Liberation Association are willing to fight for China under the banner of Wenqing. ”

Chen Ke was suddenly very moved, and now, the only one in the whole of China who is willing to stand on the side of the People's Party with a clear banner is the Guangfuhui family. As for the other forces, the spies who came to inquire about the news have been arrested quite a lot. The rest remained silent. But it can't be helped, everyone is not a fool, the BJP did not achieve a decisive victory. What if the other provinces showed their support and were targeted by the Germans for revenge? Moreover, the attitude of the great powers is now so unclear that it is also the right choice for the various forces to protect themselves. The Germans in the Far East were far from the point where the wall was toppled and everyone pushed it.

Chen Ke said with a smile: "Thank you Mr. Tao and the comrades of the Liberation Society for their support. Now that the war is over for the time being, there will be no action in the short term. Germany is thousands of miles away from China, and it will be a few months before Germany really starts a war again. ”

Tao Chengzhang thought that Chen Ke would be extremely excited after experiencing such a big victory, but seeing that Chen Ke was still as calm as ever, he was greatly admired. After the fall of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, the situation in China had initially stabilized, and the result of the autonomy of the provinces was that all provinces focused their attention on their own provinces, and no one wanted to have any turmoil for the time being. The Liberation Society occupies southern Zhejiang, which is basically in a situation of local autonomy. Under the leadership of Cai Yuanpei, the local officials in southern Zhejiang were all arranged by the Restoration Society itself. Cai Yuanpei's Liberation Society, a group of people who are committed to competing for seats and influence in the Zhejiang Parliament. The so-called "all the comrades of the Liberation Society" are only some of Tao Chengzhang's subordinates, Xu Xilin in western Zhejiang, and Qiu Jin.

At a time when all provinces are pursuing quiet, the BJP has always been on the cusp, and whether this approach is "bold" or "stupid" is widely evaluated by all parties. Moreover, Tao Chengzhang did not come this time simply to support the People's Party. He hoped to seize the whole of Zhejiang, and the easiest way to achieve such an outcome was to ask for the support of the People's Party. The only question is under what circumstances this request will be made to Chen Ke. At least when Chen Ke just returned from Qingdao, it was obviously inappropriate.

The Party Central Committee immediately convened a meeting, and Chen Ke informed of the provisional agreement with Yuan Shikai. He also explained the fragility and unreliability of this agreement. Comrades have long been accustomed to Chen Ke's "insidiousness", and the People's Party has never believed that relying on others is of much use. One of Chen Ke's favorite phrases is "Rely on the mountains and mountains, and rely on the rivers to dry." "Do it yourself, have enough food and clothing". It is not that there are no comrades who have paid the price for failing to implement Chen Ke's ideas ideologically.

"So what are we going to do now?" Shang Yuan asked.

Chen Ke is mainly thinking about this problem along the way, and in the face of unprecedented changes, he must come up with a way to deal with it, "The current job is to strengthen party building, although the level of material preparation is still far from being available." However, in the current situation, we must go beyond the current material preparations and carry out ideological construction. I want to share all my personal understandings and presuppositions with you. ”

Hearing this, the eyes of all the Huaihai Provincial Party Committee, as well as the central members who rushed to Xuzhou, lit up. Chen Ke is not only the leader of the BJP, but also the biggest mystery in the BJP. Needless to say, his mysterious origin, and the most important thing is that Chen Ke's perception of the world and the vision of China's future in his mind are unimaginable and full of great curiosity for every comrade in a key department.

"Party building is, to put it bluntly, a question of whether our party stands on the standpoint of the propertied or the position of the laborers. In the new China created by our People's Party in the future, what kind of people will the ruling class have? Chen Ke used these words as an answer and opening remarks.