On 30 May 1927, Britain, the United States, France, the Netherlands, and China announced joint mediation in the war between the Soviet Union. He also announced that he would ban all military supplies from entering the Soviet Union in order to promote the rapid realization of peace.

Both Ben and the Soviet Union ostensibly accepted this, but their respective military operations showed no signs of stopping. The Soviet Red Army continued to move to the Far East through the Trans-Siberian Railway, and Ben also built fortifications around the city of Boli day and night, preparing for the Soviet counteroffensive, and at the same time intensifying the artillery bombardment of Vladivostok...... It is clear that in order to get enough bargaining chips at the negotiating table, he is already determined to seize the first fortress of the Far East!

At this time, in the hall of Zhongnanhai Juren Hall, there was a staggered schedule, and a banquet was going on at its most lively. The room was already full of seats. More than a dozen blonde and blue-eyed foreign adults and civil and military magnates from the north and south of China are scattered among them. The table was full of exquisite dishes, and servants in white coats were shuttling around. Some of them were also carefully carrying ice buckets, which were filled with champagne and Italian sparkling wine, and when they saw that everyone was empty, they went over to fill them up with graciously.

This is China's nominal number one, and the host of the Yenching Peace Conference is Zhang Dashuai, who invited the ministers and diplomats of the four Western countries participating in the mediation and the two peace envoys of the Kuomintang to have a dinner, and at the same time to discuss what kind of mediation method should be used. In other words, I want to learn from all the foreign adults and understand the rules of "mediation". Let's talk about this, this is the first time that China has been involved, in the past, China was bullied by other foreign countries, and then other foreign countries came to pretend to "mediate", and at the same time, they also had to gain a lot of benefits...... Now that this kind of good thing is my turn, it's really a little uncomfortable.

When it comes to mediating international disputes, the British Empire is definitely an expert among experts, and they have been doing this kind of thing in Europe and the world for hundreds of years. As for whether it is to mediate a small conflict into a major war, or to mediate a major war into a world war...... Then it all depends on the interests of the British Empire. Therefore, when Zhang Dashuai humbly asked a question, it was Sir Rampsang, the minister of the British Empire, to answer.

Sir Rampson was in his fifties, with neatly combed silver-white hair, a pair of gold-rimmed glasses framed on the bridge of his nose, and a standard diplomat-like smile on his face. Before answering Zhang Zuolin's question, Sir Lan Pusheng first nodded in greeting, and then smiled slightly and replied in fluent Chinese:

"The so-called mediation is not about mediating conflicts from a middle or impartial position, but about coming up with a solution that can turn these factors into practical benefits based on the situation on the battlefield and the comparison of the strengths of the two sides of the conflict...... In other words, it allows the losing side to avoid greater losses, and at the same time allows the victorious side to quickly realize their results, and finally the mediator can also reap the corresponding benefits. As far as the war between the Soviet Union and the Soviet Union is concerned, the benefit that we hope to obtain from the mediation side is the "Asian Peace Treaty" in which the two countries participated. As for what the USSR will lose...... What Ben will get depends on their performance on the battlefield, and we are just assessing the price of their results. ”

"Then may I ask Your Excellency, in terms of the results of the battle between the two sides, how much benefit could have been gained? And at what cost should the USSR pay? Luo Yaoguo asked this question, and it was the first time he participated in this kind of mediation, so he inevitably had no bottom in his heart.

Lan Pusheng glanced at Luo Yaoguo, who was sitting next to Zhang Zuolin, for this person, the British Legation and even the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already set up a special file to pay close attention to. In the opinion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this person may become one of China's leaders in the future.

"General Luo, it's hard for me to answer this question now...... Because neither the USSR nor the USSR was a particularly normal country. Who knows what they think? If the war had taken place between normal countries, the Soviet Union's current situation would have been that of the defeated side, and tens of millions of dollars in compensation or the cession of Sakhalin North Island would have been a reasonable solution. But...... If Vladivostok is also captured by the Chinese army, then the cost of the Soviet Union to understand this matter will probably be very huge! You are a military man, you should understand the military value of Vladivostok, right? ”

Luo Yaoguo nodded lightly, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously hooked slightly. The port of Vladivostok is now a nail stuck in the transport line! The current transport route is the Soviet-Harbour and the Soviet-Harbour road to Boeje, and this fragile transport line now sustains the supply of 50,000 troops at the front...... At present, Heilongjiang Province has the 18th Division of the National Revolutionary Army there, so without the nod of the Kuomintang, the Feng Department did not dare to let Yuben pass through Chinese territory to obtain supplies.

If the nail of Vladivostok is pulled out by Yu himself, then the supply line of the Boli front line will be unimpeded! He said that he could send more troops to the south bank of the Amur River. According to the assessment of the German advisers who watched the defense of Khabarovsk, in order to defeat the defensive line held by 50,000 Japanese troops, the Soviet Union had to invest at least 150,000 to 200,000 troops, and also have enough artillery, especially siege artillery! If there were as many as 100,000 troops on the Boli front, the Soviet Union would probably have to invest 300,000 to 400,000 troops to break through the defenses of the Japanese army. Does this mean that the Soviet Union and the Soviet Union will shed a little more blood?

…… Vladivostok Fortress (Vladivostok), early morning of June 2, 1927.

The commander of the Far Eastern Front of the Soviet Red Army, Yegorov, as usual, stood in a shelter located on the Russian mountains, overlooking the entire fortress and the Ussurisky Bay and Amursky Bay on both sides of the fortress.

The offensive and defensive battle of Vladivostok is about to begin! Even people who don't understand military affairs know this very well. After almost a month of repeated shelling, now the first fortress of the Far East, which was once impregnable, no longer exists! This coastal fortress, built at the end of the 19th century, is completely outdated today in the twenties of the twentieth century. The four fortresses No. 9 to No. 12, which were located on Russky Island and had thick protective walls, were completely vulnerable to fire from the battleships at close range, and were completely destroyed by the guns of the battleships themselves in just a few days...... Nothing was left but a shocking pile of ruins.

After destroying fortresses No. 9 and 12, the battleships sailed into the Amursky Bay and aimed their guns at the Amursky Bay, passing through Muravyev. The Amursky Peninsula finally reached the fortress area of Ussuriysk (Twin Cities), and destroyed a series of carefully constructed fortress defense systems, such as fortified areas No. 1 to No. 5, spectacle forts No. 1, 2, and 3, multi-sided forts No. 4 and 5, bulge forts No. 1, 2, and 3, forts No. 5 on the Russian Mountains, and fortified areas No. 4 on the Sapenny Peninsula. At this point, the front of the Vladivostok fortress has been completely opened in front of the combined fleet, just waiting for them to send the army to the beach!

Suddenly a huge fleet appeared at sea level, and through the telescope in his hand, Yegorov clearly saw that it was a fleet of transport ships! It should be carrying the landing force of the Japanese army! The landing operation in Vladivostok is finally about to begin!

...... "Comrade Stalin! I said that I began to ...... Landing in Vladivostok has begun! Comrade Egorov sent an urgent telegram requesting that the troops be withdrawn to Ussuriysk, where a decisive battle would be fought with the Japanese army! "It was Voroshilov who crashed into Stalin's office in a panic. The head of the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR was now Stalin's herald, and was only responsible for conveying Stalin's instructions to the front.

"Why give up the fortress!" Stalin frowned, and his two cold and deep glasses glared at Voroshilov. Let this honest and wooden Soviet greatest soldier shudder.

If only Comrade Stalin could stare at his own battleship with this look! Maybe...... They're going to flip over on their own, right? In this way, Vladivostok will be held.

In addition to this absurd method, Voroshilov really can't think of a way to deal with those battleships now. He glanced timidly at Stalin and gritted his teeth with the proposal of the Revolutionary Military Council: "Comrade Stalin, here's the thing, this fortress of Vladivostok...... It doesn't exist anymore, it's just a ruin! Moreover, this fortress city is surrounded by the sea on both sides, and his battleships can freely cruise on the sea, using their huge cannons to support the landing infantry! That's all 300mm or more! How can our infantry resist? Even the strongest fortress in the world was easily destroyed by them......"

With a snap, Stalin slapped his desk heavily and snorted coldly: "Now the peace conference in Yanjing is also underway!" If...... Vladivostok was captured by the Chinese army, do you know what that will mean? What do you ask our representatives to bargain with imperialism? Is it really necessary to cede Sakhalin (Sakhalin) North Island to them? Tell Yegorov that Vladivostok must hold! You can't take a step back! This is the Bolshevik Party, an order of the Soviet Fatherland! No bargaining is allowed! ”

…… Almost at the same time. In the conference room in the welcome building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Yanjing, representatives of the two sides and representatives of the five countries responsible for mediation were seated. His son-in-law, Ambassador Yoshizawa Kenkichi Yoshimoto, sat on his right, and Rihachiro Sakanishi, military attache of the Legation in China, sat on his left side, wearing an khaki military uniform. The three of them were now all proud victors, with their chins held high, and they did not even look at the Soviet representative Zirnykh.

So far, this war has been won by a wide margin, although ...... The ban on the export of military supplies to both sides of the war by the five countries has dealt a great blow to the war potential, and the two divisions of the company have also suffered heavy losses in the Battle of Boli, but these are all secrets, and there is no clue to be seen in the face of a cunning politician like Inu Yangyi.

Zirnykh had a stiff face, and before entering the venue, he already knew the news that the Japanese army had begun to land in Vladivostok! This first bastion in the Far East is probably the only place that the Soviet Union can count on in this war, right? If Yegorov could take advantage of the fortress to inflict heavy losses on the army, maybe the negotiation would have been easier, right? Of course, he didn't know it at this time...... The so-called first fortress in the Far East has been bombarded into ruins by the battleships of the Japanese army. This kind of news is now firmly blocked by Stalin, and most of the people below do not know about it.

The British Minister to China, Sir Lampson, is the presiding officer of today's peace conference, which is the place of the British Empire in the present world. He smiled and opened his mouth to break the somewhat awkward silence: "Today is the beginning of the return of peace to the land of East Asia, and the terrible misunderstandings, the hatred born of misunderstandings, and the tragic wars will all be resolved at this peace conference." With the greatest goodwill, the civilized world looks forward to the reconciliation of the two countries, as well as to permanent peace in the Asian region! Expect that this unfortunate war will be the one that will end all wars in the Asian region! Mr. Zilnych, Your Excellency Inu, may you now make your respective requests? ”

A few words pulled the audience back from their thoughts. Inuyang Yi smiled, and first put forward the request of the Emperor: "The Great Empire is the victim of this war, and it is His Majesty the Emperor who first instructed the Korean rebels of the Soviet Union to attack our country!" Then our country had to fight back and won a complete victory! As both the injured party and the victorious side, the Reich had the right to a reasonable claim for compensation from the USSR. ”

"The demands of the empire were: the Soviet Union must cede the northern island of Katai (Sakhalin) to Yuben; The Soviet Union paid $300 million in reparations; The Soviet Union and the GC International must be responsible for disbanding the GCD and the Korean GCD, and no longer support similar rebel groups; The Soviet Union must send an envoy to apologize to him; The Soviet Union had to hand over the masterminds behind the bombing, the leaders of the North Korean GCD and the leaders of the Honhon. Only when all these conditions are met will the Reich cease its military operations and withdraw from the territory of the Soviet Union. ”

Speaking from the heart, the demands that are being made by this side are still within the reasonable range. It is estimated that they also took into account the mediation of the five countries and the war potential of the Soviet Union, and did not dare to make excessively high demands...... At least they did not propose the Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territories of the Far East.

…… June 2 at 7:29 a.m. The first boat, laden with soldiers, washed up on the beachhead in Sober Bay, on the east side of the Vladivostok fortress. More than a dozen Daredevils with strips of white cloth tied to their heads, enduring the feeling of dizziness, vomiting, and exhaustion, jumped one after another from the assault boat into the icy water, and then picked up the three-five naval rifles with bayonets in their hands and rushed forward shouting the slogan "Long live the emperor...... Behind them, there were countless small boats struggling to move slowly in the water.

The charge did not last long, and the remnants of the fortifications on the beach began to spew hot streams of fire. The army that rushed up from the beach was like cutting wheat, and the rows were knocked down, and soon the blue waters of Sauber Bay were dyed red.

From a certain point of view, Stalin's decision was still wise. Landing warfare in this era is not so easy to fight, and now there are no amphibious tanks, no landing craft, and no landing ships specifically for landing...... The landing force had to climb down the rope ladder of the transport ship with difficulty, go up to the small assault boats, and then row the wooden oars with all their strength. The process is quite time-consuming and laborious, and even the slightest wave on the surface of the sea can make the boat jolt up and down.

When the exhausted landing force finally rushed to the beachhead, and before they had time to catch their breath, the enemy machine guns that had been waiting there for a long time would spit out deadly fire. The whole process is like ...... Die! Thousands of miles away in boats, and then hard to row boats to the beach, and then for the defenders in the shore fortifications to shoot!

It's just that in the eyes of military experts, the death of these petty soldiers and junior officers is very worthwhile! The defenders' shooting would expose the previously well-concealed points of fire, which would then allow the light cruisers and destroyers to approach the shore and use their guns to destroy the exposed points.

The first wave of charges was made by the Marines of the Marines, who were not elite Marines like the U.S. Marines, but a very amateur Marines with rudimentary equipment. It is said that the idea of the navy has always been a decisive battle of the fleet, and it does not attach much importance to the construction of the Marine Corps, and the equipment is naturally extremely rudimentary...... The landing was followed by the core of the Hiroshima 5th Division, the Hiroshima 11th Wing. This Fifth Division is known as the foundation of the Imperial Army! It is considered the elite of the elite, and the Sendai Second Division is a level of troops. Successive targets for shooting poured onto the beachhead of Sauber Bay. The Soviet Red Army finally could not keep up with the speed of killing, and the guns of the light cruisers and destroyers that kept firing also posed a great threat to the Soviet firepower.

The shooting on the beachhead lasted about two hours, and by half past nine in the morning, the beachhead was strewn with corpses. However, the army, which had paid a heavy price, also gained a beachhead about one kilometer wide and three kilometers long. About 5,000 army hedgehogs with rudimentary weapons gathered on this hard-won position, and built a half-man-high breastop wall with the corpses of their comrades and the ubiquitous mud and sand on the beachhead.

Shortly after 10 a.m., the successful landing of the Japanese army began to attack the depth of the beach, and after a burst of fire prepared by the main guns of the cruisers and destroyers, thousands of Japanese soldiers and their dense charging formations launched a fierce attack on the Soviet Red Army on the high ground by the beach...... The fortress of Vladivostok was in danger.

(To be continued)