"I see." Although Wu Peifu was a little annoyed when he heard it, he also had to admit that Jiang Baili had already told the essence of the problem just now.

"Sometimes, it's a matter of how you look at the data. Some people are only willing to see the good and are not willing to admit some basic facts. Yang Shuoming looked at Wu Peifu, but he was asking Jiang Baili, "Brother Baili, how many people are there?" ”

"Ninety-one million."

"What about China?"

"Forty-three thousand-two million."

"China's land area?"

"About 11.5 million square kilometers." (At that time, it was not 9.6 million, special note.) ）

"What about the land area of Ben?"

"About 370,000 square kilometers."

"In the eyes of some, we are five times as many as we are in terms of people, and thirty times as many as enemies in terms of places. There is no reason why you can't win. Yang Shuoming said, "But is this really the case? ”

"Modern warfare is won by steel and national strength, and it is by no means decided by manpower and material resources alone." Wu Peifu nodded, indicating that he understood what Yang Shuoming meant.

"But that's not the case, some people just don't want to see this, and are always willing to shout empty slogans, just like the clear stream in the former Qing Dynasty, in my opinion, this generation has misled the country and the people, and there is no one who cannot be killed." "I know that every one of us here is by no means greedy for life and afraid of death, especially my generation, as a soldier, I will be shrouded in horse leather and serve the country loyally. But what I am thinking about is the future of the country and the survival of the nation. It is not the gain or loss of a war, if we continue to consume ourselves like this, our army will fight to the last soldier, if the strength is exhausted but cannot win, the people will be slaughtered, and the country will be ruined, even if our generation sacrifices his life on the battlefield, can we escape the historical responsibility of the country? ”

Hearing Yang Shuoming's last words, a chill crept into Wu Peifu's heart like an insect, leaving him speechless for a while.

"Although what Han Zhi said is true, in this situation, I am afraid that many people will not understand your painstaking efforts." Wu Peifu said, "Not to mention the incitement of the party, that is, judging from the current rising call for national resistance, it is not advisable to openly talk about peace." 'Water can carry a boat, but it can also overturn a boat', this is the truth. ”

"Just as Counselor Shi just said, the struggle between peace and war is not undesirable, and peace and war are not absolute opposites, Lao Ziyun: 'Misfortune and blessing rely on, and blessing and misfortune lurk', it can be seen that there is no absolute good and bad thing in the world. The key lies in how to unify the two, tend to their advantages and avoid their disadvantages, so as to transform the predicament and change the passive into the active. Jiang Baili said on the side.

"The goal of this war is similar to that of the Republic of China in the fourth year, that is, to promote peace through war. Only by promoting peace through war and seeking peace through peace can we boost the people's morale, prevent them from gaining an inch, and ensure long-term peace and stability in the world. This situation is similar to playing chess, where the player must master the overall attack and defense, advance and retreat in an orderly manner, and be good at transforming unfavorable situations, so that he can deal with the situation freely and turn danger into a disaster. Yang Shuoming said, "In addition, there is another important factor that cannot be ignored is that together with this war, the British and American powers will never turn a blind eye. If China annexes China, the Western powers will never sit idly by and watch their own interests be harmed and allow them to dominate Asia and stand idly by, but if China destroys China -- although this possibility is not big at present -- the Western powers will also not sit idly by, and they will not want to see a China that dominates the East, nor do they want to see the existence of a China whose strength surpasses that of Japan. ”

"In that case, we'll set ourselves on fire." Jiang Bai smiled fashionably and said, "Now that the interests of Britain and the United States and other countries in China have been tightly tied to the Sino-Chinese war, once this burning fire burns Britain and the United States, Britain and the United States will definitely come forward to contain it, whether it is against us or against ourselves." ”

"They are about balance of power and checks and balances. Once the balance of power is broken, he will definitely work with Britain and the United States to deal with us, because he will never consider going to war with Britain and the United States. Cai said. Baili and I once studied in this book, and we are familiar with the surname of the Yamato nation that bullies the weak and fears the hard. Don't look at the fact that they do whatever they want in Asia, they all suffer from 'Europhobia' from the emperor to the commoners, and regard Westerners as demons and monsters. It is said that the majestic Emperor Meiji famously said, "It is better to be patient than to go to war with Britain and the United States!" It's a good proof of that. ”

Wu Peifu's clenched fists slowly relaxed, and at this moment, his mind had broken free from the shackles of reality and found the right direction. The cool breeze outside the window blew in, and the restlessness that had accumulated in his heart disappeared at this time, and his spirit was lifted.

"Britain and the United States have always claimed to be peace- and justice-loving countries, and some time ago they said that they would never tolerate their own misdeeds in China. The British and American ministers assured on more than one occasion that the British and American political axes would do their utmost to guarantee the peace of China's reading power in order to prevent the spread of Soviet Russian Bolshevism to the East. Shi Zhaoji said, "This actually shows that they want to mediate the war and do not want to see one side sit big." ”

"That is to say, we should preserve our strength now, and not let Britain and the United States conclude that we have signs of being above the capital, and we will develop in the future, right?" Wu Peifu turned to Yang Shuoming and asked.

"Yes." Yang Shuoming nodded, "Moreover, Soviet Russia is also a great threat to Britain and the United States and our country, so we can take this opportunity to solve it together." ”

At this moment, a guard quietly came in and reported to Yang Shuoming that there had been another shooting incident at the foot of the mountain in the morning. Hearing the guard's report, a trace of worry flashed unconsciously in the eyes of Cai Yi, Wu Peifu and others, but Yang Shuoming only bowed slightly, signaling that he knew, and did not seem to care too much.

Yang Shuoming himself is not worried about this, because he knows that he has the help of the "supercomputer eye", and any conspiracy to plot against him is trivial and destined to fail.

However, he must stop these conspiracies from spreading to the people around him and even to the whole of China from the source!

"The result of the current peace talks is that the political axe has agreed to give up all rights and interests in our country, but they do not seem to intend to hand over Taiwan and North Korea to us," Yang Shuoming said. ”

"I don't think I'm afraid I'll agree to give up North Korea and Taiwan." Shi Zhaoji replied.

"We can make a deal with them," a strange smile suddenly appeared on the corner of Yang Shuoming's mouth, "Of course, what we trade out is generous to others." ”

Hearing Yang Shuoming say the words "generous to others", everyone present was stunned.

At this time, Yang Shuoming's eyes suddenly fell on the huge map on the wall, and Cai Yi, Jiang Baili and Wu Peifu noticed the location of the Central and Eastern Siberian regions that Yang Shuoming was staring at, and couldn't help but suddenly realize.

On October 6, 1921, Britain and the United States proposed a joint mediation between the Sino-Chinese war.

On 10 October, US President Wilson issued a statement on behalf of the US political axe, putting forward a four-point proposal for resolving the Sino-Chinese war. It also proposed an immediate ceasefire between the two sides.

On October 13, China's political axe publicly expressed its acceptance of the US political axe's peace proposal.

On 14 October, he said that he accepted the Anglo-US peace proposal and held peace talks, but he did not express his acceptance of the US ceasefire proposal.

The Imperial Palace, Tokyo.

Two American-made cars drove one after the other across the moat, through the empty and quiet Park of Palace Square, and along the gravel-paved boulevard for about five minutes, before quietly stopping under the stone steps outside the heavily guarded gate.

A tall attendant military attache stepped forward and pulled the car door.

"General Uehara, please come with me to meet His Majesty the Emperor."

It was noon one day in the late October of the 10th year of Taisho, and the spicy sun in the northern hemisphere of the equator was fiercely shining on the peaceful and quiet glade of the palace complex without a human figure. Uehara walked solemnly, his facial expression solemn and dull, his waist straight, and the soldier's steps were straight and standard. But the long saber slung to his waist kept striking him on the ankle, hindering the soldier's leg movements, and making all his efforts look like a robot that had gone wrong, stumbling and unable to help himself.

Coming to the tall and gloomy Onmyeongjeon, which is a place dedicated to the god Amaterasu and the royal family to worship their ancestors, according to the usual practice, except for members of the imperial family and a very small number of noble ministers, the footsteps of ordinary ministers end here, and no one is allowed to cross the thunder pond. However, the Emperor's military attaché did not stop, and he led Yusaku Uehara around the main hall, ascending a stone staircase, and walking through a quiet corridor for about ten minutes, before arriving at the Western-style Imperial Academy's Screening Hall, where His Majesty's Imperial Authority and Office were appointed.

At this time, Yusaku Uehara felt a rare dizziness similar to a high blood pressure attack, blood gushing, chest swelling, and shortness of breath, so that his ears began to buzz. During his life of loyalty to the Empire, the army general Sakamoto, who was born as a feudal lord in the capital, never dared to hope that one day he would be able to enter the Emperor's palace and be summoned alone. But after all, this moment of glory came suddenly, and due to the lack of sufficient mental and psychological preparation, Yusaku Uehara seemed a little top-heavy and helpless in the face of this great happiness.

Especially when the war on the front lines is in complete chaos.

Yusaku Uehara complied with the instructions and took off his saber, handed his hands to the chief of the imperial chamberlain standing at the door, and then was led into a hall called the "Phoenix Hall" rather stiffly. The inner chamber was empty, and although the emperor decreed that he would see him, he did not say when he would see him, or whether he would see or not would depend on the emperor's interest, so the exuberant veteran had to kneel on the ground reverently and maintain a bowing posture that was ready to be summoned.

In fact, at this time, Emperor Taisho and His Majesty the Empress were taking a nap at the "Fukigami Imperial Palace" two hundred meters away. Of course, the emperor's sleep is a very sacred event, because the person who is sleeping is often very angry once he is woken up, so the imperial attendants will never dare to take the risk of offending the dragon face to wake the emperor, especially when the emperor's mental condition is getting worse and worse.

The preoccupied army general always maintained this respectful posture that was close to corporal punishment and knelt facing the wall. In the sweltering heat of October in Tokyo, in the sacred small room filled with the smell of tung oil and pine wood, the gray-haired sixty-five-year-old man Yusaku Uehara knelt motionlessly on the ground, waiting for the rare gift and summons of the emperor, who became famous for the "telescope incident", and there are conclusive sources that Uehara shogun knelt on the ground for at least an hour that day. For a moment he felt very hot, sweating profusely, a dull ache in one leg, and even the muscles in his lower back began to cramp because he could not bear the weight of his body.

"People, after all, I'm old,......" Yusaku Uehara thought sadly, lying on the ground, "What does His Majesty the Emperor want me to do?" What else can I contribute to His Majesty the Emperor? ”

Ninety minutes passed, and with his strong will and extraordinary mental strength, Uehara transformed himself into an immovable statue, expressing his loyalty to the imperial family in a solid and obscure manner. Time seemed to stand still in endless silence, the Screening Room seemed to have been forgotten for a whole century, and the general's brain even began to have various hallucinations alternating between blank and reality.

In a trance, he even felt that he was in the smoke of the Chinese battlefield.

Just recently, the news of the defeat at the front has repeatedly come, causing a huge shock among the people, and people do not believe at all that the invincible Emperor [***] team will be defeated by the Chinese army, which they have always looked down on.

But whether the people believe it or not, that's how it happened.

Because the situation of the army on the mainland is unfavorable, Uehara Yusaku, who has always had little deal with the navy, pinned his hopes on the navy to achieve victory, break the naval blockade of the Chinese, seize sea supremacy, and ensure the army's backup. However, to his disappointment, the navy did not engage in a decisive battle with the Chinese navy, but shrunk and fought a confusing night battle, losing two capital ships and suffering a heavy and humiliating defeat.

Although the navy did not admit defeat and claimed that the losses were insignificant, and said that the four new-type battleships that had been newly built had completed their training and officially joined the naval battle sequence to prepare for a formal decisive battle with the Chinese navy, Uehara Yusaku at this time no longer had much confidence in the battle situation.

"Aiqing, please step forward...... I want to ...... Speak ......"

Uehara suddenly heard a faint and indistinct voice in his ears, as if it came from the distant space, as if it came from a chaotic dream. He struggled to straighten up and staggered forward two steps before he saw that his monarch was already sitting on the chrysanthemum throne indoors and smiling at him. This smile is undoubtedly divine, benevolent, radiant and exalted. At this time, Emperor Taisho, who was said to be the supreme emperor, was wearing a fine pajamas, and there was a ring of white sweat stains on his neck, and Uehara Yusaku could even smell a faint sweat sour smell on the emperor's body similar to overnight food.

"I will give Aiqing a heavy responsibility, this is a critical moment to realize the great cause of my empire in the past hundred years, Aiqing must advance in the face of difficulties, tenacity and perseverance, and live up to my high expectations."

At this time, Emperor Taisho was looking at Yusaku Uehara with a pleasant face, and there was not the slightest hint of blame on his face.

The minister of the palace immediately opened a scroll of edicts and read it in a frustrated tone, and Yusaku Uehara hurriedly prostrated himself again, holding his breath and listening. The supreme instructions leaped out of the minister's mouth like beads, and splashed on the ground with a clang.

“…… the interests of the empire, the strength of the nation, the prosperity of the countries of Asia and the East...... The Emperor [***] team swept away the Soviet Russian forces on the Siberian continent, implemented enlightened measures, and re-established the benevolent government...... I hereby order Army General Isamu Uehara to be the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Siberian Dispatch Army, that is, to go to Siberia to fight...... Chin this. ”

Emperor Taisho stood up quite amiably and placed a long sword with a silver emblem of imperial chrysanthemums in front of the shogun.

The emperor's grace is as vast as the moon, like rain and dew, like a rolling river, and like a surging sea. At this time, Uehara Yusaku was already moved to tears, his heart was like suffocation, he wanted to touch the hand of Emperor Taisho, or kiss His Majesty's benevolent feet, but he didn't dare, he even straightened up and said "Hurray!" …… Hooray! Courage is gone, just as all those who are too happy or too desperate are temporarily deprived of their thinking and verbal functions. I don't know how long it took, when the general who was crouching on the ground slowly raised his head from the blissful vertigo, the room was already empty. Only the Imperial Attache standing at the door was smiling at him unfazedly.

Yusaku Uehara felt a dazzling sun of grace hanging high in the sky, and its huge heat energy was being released continuously, scorching Yusaku Uehara's whole body. Now the sun is rising, shining in the heart of Yusaku Uehara. At this time, Yusaku Uehara, who existed as an individual, had been melted, and all the surnames, thoughts, morals, and surnames of people had been melted into the dazzling light of His Majesty the Emperor. At this point, there was only one purpose left for Uehara to survive, and that was to fight hard or work diligently, to fight for the emperor and not for himself, and for some other more good reason, to complete the task of conquering Siberia.

Wait a minute...... Siberia?

Why Siberia? And not Manmeng, China?

Now increase troops in Siberia? Vladivostok is already in the hands of the Chinese army!

What's more, the navy has just suffered a defeat, the Chinese navy's blockade of the mainland has not been lifted, and Chinese submarines are still haunting the various routes leading from the coastal ports of the city, and some time ago the operation of transporting troops to the Korean Peninsula, which is only separated by a strait from the city, has suffered heavy losses, and now it is going to Siberia, which is thousands of miles away? ……

Beads of sweat oozed from Yusaku Uehara's forehead, and he now even wondered if the honor that Emperor Taisho had just given him was a prank caused by a "brain disease".

But what is written in the edict cannot be a hoax!

(To be continued)