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In order to negotiate the post-World War II international situation, foreign ministers from various countries once again gathered in Beijing to participate in the "Beijing Peace Conference" led by China, the United States, Britain, Germany, and France. The city of Beijing is lit up with lights, presenting a festive scene. Part of the old Forbidden City was opened to the public as a central park, and under countless flags, crowds of people walked along the paths, some adults stopped at the stalls to buy souvenirs or toys for their children, and some families went to restaurants to eat, where large and small bands played all kinds of Chinese and foreign music.

There are also a number of makeshift stalls made of bamboo poles and mats, which sell antiques, photographs, copper utensils, wood carvings, goldfish, pine eggs, bird cages, and other useful items and decorations. A number of itinerant acrobatic troupes perform in the paddocks, which people can enter for a small fee. The grounds of the Xiannong Temple and the Temple of Heaven are also crowded with festival visitors, and there are special performances in each theater. The whole city is in full swing for a week.

The streets are bustling. There are a large number of fat ducks, pigs, chickens, fish, and many baked goods and sweets, some of which are transported by various vehicles such as horse-drawn carriages and rickshaws, and some of which are carried in hand, and everyone is chattering endlessly, with a happy smile on their faces looking forward to the future.

Compared with Europe, which fell because of the war, the prosperous scene of Beijing has a deep memory for the foreign ministers of various countries. At one time, the nations of Europe thought that wars were short-lived, glorious, and could be won without much effort; But the soldiers suffered heavy casualties, but they were unable to push the blood-stained battlefield forward a few meters; After all, the illusions were shattered, and feelings of apathy, cynicism, and disgust filled the continent. Europe is in decline compared to China's vigorous economy.

President Song Xiaofei and Foreign Minister Liang Shiyi agreed to meet with these diplomatic envoys in three batches. The envoys of the Entente were a group, the neutrals were a group, and the Central Powers were envoys. When the president had a casual conversation with the ministers of various countries, the president's wife, Xi Muyan and Rong Rong, received the wives of the envoys in an adjoining living room, and naturally talked with them about matters of concern to women, such as how many people were in the family, choosing clothes, and so on.

At the beginning, we talked about the exchange of prisoners of war. In the first winter after the start of the war in Europe, Germany received reports of the suffering of German and Austrian captives in Siberia. They were transported there shortly after being captured in the summer and early autumn, still wearing summer military uniforms. They were herded like cattle into barracks that did not even have the usual equipment. There they suffered from the bitter cold of the Siberian winter; In order to protect against the cold, these barracks were sealed, so various diseases quickly spread. In the late stages of the war. The situation of the French and Russian prisoners was also miserable, because the German transport was blocked by the British Royal Fleet, and there was a shortage of food, and the prisoners' rations were reduced again and again. Now Russia is gone. The countries quickly agreed on the issue of prisoners of war. With the mediation of China and the United States, the Allies and the Entente soon reached an agreement.

During that time, Liang Shiyi, the chief of foreign affairs, served as the head of the Chinese diplomatic delegation, and "the cause of anxiety and fatigue caused illness" and the high fever did not go away. Song Xiaofei went to visit him and saw that everyone else had lost weight. When Liang Shiyi saw Song Xiaofei, he struggled to get up with gratitude. Song Xiaofei walked to his bedside and persuaded him to rest.

Liang Shiyi said with guilt: "Now is the turbulent time of diplomacy. But my body is not in contention, and I cannot serve my country. I'm ashamed. ”

Song Xiaofei said: "Chief Liang, you have worked hard day and night, and you are tired. Is there a suitable person from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to recommend you to participate in this Beijing peace conference instead? ”

Liang Shiyi recommended Lu Zhengxiang, 39-year-old vice minister of foreign affairs, and Cao Rulin, 32-year-old vice minister of foreign affairs.

"The two of them, is it really capable?" When Song Xiaofei heard this, although he was a little surprised, he did not deny Liang Shiyi's proposal and asked. The reason why he asked this is because Song Xiaofei deeply understands that "diplomacy cannot rely on the so-called patriotic feelings, and diplomatic ability represents the height of a government's IQ." Before he crossed over, he read a book called "The Truth of History", and Lu Zhengxiang and Cao Rulin, the two "hardcore traitors" at the Paris Peace Conference in history textbooks, were probably wronged.

Historically, Lu Zhengxiang has made outstanding contributions to the construction of the modern diplomatic system of the Republic of China. The "Official Rules of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs" adopted by the National Assembly were written by Lu Zhengxiang. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has set up "one office, one hall and four departments": the Secretariat, the Counsellor's Office, the General Affairs Department, the Foreign Affairs Department, the Trade Department, the Communications Department, and the General Affairs Department. During the period when Lu Zhengxiang was in charge of foreign affairs, he dared to prohibit the president from "dredging" personnel with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, insisted on selecting "diplomats who do not make jokes", and those who did not have a major in foreign language and foreign affairs were not conferred, and Yuan Shikai's nephew also left his post, and Gu Weijun was recruited into the ministry after returning to China after graduating from Columbia University in the United States. As for the Outer Embassy, Lu Zhengxiang abolished the old rule of the Qing Dynasty that the ambassador was responsible for the personnel and financial power of the Embassy, and the budget of the Outer Embassy was changed to the final accounts of the Central Committee every year, and the official personnel of the Outer Embassy had to be assessed and appointed by the central government. All in all, when the Republic of China was first established, the degree of specialization of the central ministries was very low, and only the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stood out, cultivating many outstanding diplomats and winning more power for China, a "weak country". Even at the Paris Peace Conference, the original historical facts were far from the stereotypes of the past century, and China's diplomacy achieved a major victory, which made the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs disgraced, restrained Japan's expansion in East Asia, and laid a solid foundation for the recovery of Shandong's sovereignty three years later.

And Cao Rulin, who was a high-ranking official in the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China in his early years, once advocated a constitutional monarchy and opposed Sun Dacang's "revolution", so he was saddled with historical stigma. In fact, he is very passionate about charity. Every winter, the Cao family gives 100 sets of cotton clothes to the coachman who pulls the foreign cart. The way of giving alms is also more special, every time the family errand man goes out with a few sets of cotton clothes, and sees a poorly clothed coachman on the street, he hires his car, pulls it to a secluded alley, calls the car to stop, gives a set of alms to the coachman, and then goes to find the next object, so as not to hurt their dignity. Initiated by Cao Rulin, a total of more than 20 people funded the construction of a hospital along the Baitasi ditch in the Fucheng Gate. The name of the Central Hospital is charitable, and the 200,000 yuan is used to support the hospital's expenses. Poor people come to see a doctor and are not charged for medical treatment. Cao Rulin has always served as the president and honorary president of the Central Hospital, and he has raised all the funds, and the coal for winter is also provided by the Jingcheng Zhengfeng Coal Mining Company, of which he is the chairman, but Cao Rulin does not receive any salary from the hospital. The most rare thing is that Cao Rulin is not in the Japanese puppet regime. When the Japanese invaded Tianjin, Cao Rulin came forward to call the Japanese army and said: "The people living in the new station are refugees, not soldiers. There was no hostility, so why shoot these innocent civilians? Only then did the Japanese stop shooting, and his son set up a shelter and porridge factory in Hebei Park. Refugees were sent away one after another.

Song Xiaofei knew that the dispute between "patriotism" and "betrayal" in domestic history textbooks was too face-painting, and the Chinese people could not learn the experience and lessons they should have from historical facts. Therefore, Song Xiaofei, who knows the truth of history, has a good impression of Lu Zhengxiang and Cao Rulin. Liang Shiyi strongly recommended Vice Foreign Minister Lu Zhengxiang and Cao Rulin, saying: "Lu Zhengxiang is this person. Do things calmly. Able to grasp the overall situation and familiar with Europe; Cao Rulin is loyal, kind-hearted, and knows Japan very well, and is a talent that can be created. ”

Song Xiaofei asked: "I heard that Lu Zhengxiang's wife is still Belgian, right?" Then his foreign language must be good. ”

Liang Shiyi said: "Yes. He is fluent in English, German and French. ”

Song Xiaofei said: "That's good." I'll do my best. Let Lu Zhengxiang succeed you as head of the Chinese diplomatic corps, and Cao Rulin as deputy head of the mission, to assist him. What do you think? ”

Liang Shiyi nodded and said, "The president is wise." That's what I mean. ”

Lu Zhengxiang and Cao Rulin really did not disappoint Song Xiaofei and Liang Shiyi. China's interests in North Japan were soon established in the form of the "Twenty-One Articles," which were supported by the United States, Great Britain, Germany, and France: the Chinese government acquired various diplomatic rights and interests of North Japan. No land or islands within North Japan or its coastal areas shall be ceded or leased to any other country. The Chinese government has promised to open up major cities in northern Japan as commercial ports. The Chinese government enjoyed a privileged position in North Japan and leased the port for a period of 99 years. China and North Japan jointly run police academies, local police offices, and employ a majority of Chinese. North Japan procures a certain amount of ordnance from China every year, and sets up a Sino-Japanese joint ordnance factory in North Japan, employing Chinese technicians and purchasing Chinese materials. If foreign capital is needed, it will first negotiate with China.

These resolutions were finally submitted to the UN Security Council for discussion and adoption. The Japanese delegation, headed by Prime Minister Shigenobu Okuma, was so angry that it refused to go to the UN Security Council resolution, and Song Xiaofei ordered the mobilization of troops and ships to threaten and intimidate Japan, and issued an ultimatum, claiming that he would not hesitate to fight. Duan Qirui, as the commander-in-chief of the army, had already begun to secretly prepare for war, and the night transportation was non-stop all night.

"Weak countries have weak diplomacy", Okuma Shigenobu saw that the Chinese diplomats had already understood the rules of the game of the international community, and were no longer in a state of ignorance of closing off the country, so he had to compromise, and sent a telegram to the Japanese Emperor Taisho: "How can I be willing to admit in humiliation, looking around at each other's national strength, I have to compromise and ask for the whole ear, and Your Majesty should understand the comparison of the strength of the two countries." ”

The Japanese delegation was still fighting on the front line in Beijing, and a raging fire broke out in the backyard, and the crowd was furious, and students poured into the streets, comparing the "21 Articles" and various subsequent Sino-Japanese secret treaties, pointing the spearhead directly at Okuma Shigenobu and other officials, and Okuma's home was burned.

Because after the war in Europe, there was an urgent need for a long period of rest and economic recovery, and because all countries had to spend energy to deal with domestic trade union organizations, etc., at the Beijing Peace Conference, China, Germany, France, Britain, and the United States quarreled and shouted for half a month, and finally reached reconciliation one after another, establishing a new order of domination by the imperialist powers, including China, in Europe, Asia, and Africa, and a new world had arrived!

On European territory, Germany withdrew from Belgium, but Luxembourg was annexed by Germany, and countries such as Ukraine and Poland became Germany's sphere of influence. France recovered Alsace and Lorraine, England and France recognized the independence of Austria, Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic, that is, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was dissolved; Russia's overseas colonies were divided between Britain, France, China, and the United States. Russia ceased to exist, and Siberia and the Far East were recognized as Chinese territories. Finland, Afghanistan and other places were divided between Britain and France. Southeast Asia is part of China's sphere of influence. The Middle East became British territory. The Americas became America's sphere of influence. The Ottoman Turkish Empire was also shattered, leaving only those territories of Turkey proper. The rest of the territory was divided between Britain and France and Germany. India was split in two, and the areas occupied by China formed Pakistan, which became China's sphere of influence. The rest of the territory was lost to British India. The Americans also wanted the right to free trade in all countries.

In the newspapers of some weak countries, such as Japan, the Beijing Peace Conference was a meeting of the five major powers, China, the United States, Germany, Britain, and France, to share the "spoils." Song Xiaofei read these reports and felt very bored, it was completely the helpless moaning of the weak, China is now also an imperialist country, an eastern power, this is the "last word"!

After the redrawing of the world pattern, in the new world, the power of various countries changed, and China, the United States, and the United Kingdom became almost the most powerful countries in the world, followed by Germany and France. Territorially, the host country was China, the biggest winner, followed by Germany, and France, in addition to recovering Alsace and Lorraine, also added colonies.

In the New World, Germany was strong enough to contain Britain in Europe, and Britain and France were wary of Germany enough. The signing of a series of treaties by the United Nations has also led to the easing of international relations.

In the middle of the night, at two o'clock in the morning, Song Xiaofei had not yet slept, sitting alone in the president's office, and it was silent outside. He began to think about the breakthrough point of domestic reform, after all, the removal of the privileges previously imposed on state-owned enterprises, the government's involvement in land transactions, and the subordination of political power to the rule of law will be more difficult to solve than foreign wars.

In particular, in 1910, China was already a superpower, although it practiced a political system with Chinese characteristics and absorbed the experience of modern civilization of all mankind, but after all, it was pragmatism, and whatever was useful was used, it would also cause confusion in people's minds and the materialism of the whole society. Moreover, with the development of the economy, the collusion between officials and businessmen has led to the prevalence of corruption in the country, and the emergence of a new privileged class, resulting in increasingly serious social injustice and injustice. High housing prices in big cities have seriously affected young people's confidence in the country......

These practical problems are all difficult problems in front of Song Xiaofei, and he knows that those countries that say that there is no fairness and justice in the world are often not justice. His ideal is to build a fair and just civil state, and to protect the belief of humanity. The government he wants to establish is an efficient government in which no one dares to ask for anything from the people, no one dares to deliberately make things difficult for the people, and no one drags out affairs for the people.

Song Xiaofei knows that the road ahead will be very difficult, but if he doesn't go, the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation is just an empty word! The new world is not the end, but the next beginning! (To be continued......)