In the early hours of the morning, the north side of the palace inner garden Qinzheng Building, this baroque style of Qinzheng Building is different from the Government Affairs Yuan, here is the emperor's office to meet the ministers, there are more than a dozen guards in winter coats standing outside the Qinzheng Building, and the conference room on the third floor of the Qinzheng Building is still lit at this time.

However, the participants in the conference room at this time were no longer a few officials as before, but the majority of the cabinet members.

"Your Majesty, the General Staff has drawn up an assessment report detailing the feasibility of carrying out the "Moto-Hunting Plan" and the risk assessment ...... therein."

Chen Moran, who was rubbing his temples with his left hand, did not look at the report in front of him, and the whole plan was originally discussed by only two people, himself and Guan Mingtang, so he interrupted Jiang Fangzhen's report.

"I already know, the plan is going according to plan, and I don't need to take anything else into account!"

Saying that, he raised his eyes slightly and looked at the people sitting at the conference table, except for the Minister of Army and Navy, the Chief of Staff, the Minister of Finance, and the Director of the Imperial Intelligence Bureau, only Zhang Zhidong, Yuan Shikai, Liang Dunyan, and the Minister of Industry Shi Si were carefully looking at the evaluation report of the "Yuan Hunt Plan", and there were consultants who participated in this meeting, which were the departments involved in the "Yuan Hunt Plan", and the success of the "Yuan Hunt Plan", in addition to the military, finance, and diplomacy, the most important thing was the mobilization of domestic enterprises. That's why Shi Si was brought in to the meeting in the early hours of the morning.

As far as Chen Moran's original intention is concerned, he is unwilling to reveal this plan at this time, but after inadvertently revealing it, then it is necessary to explain it to the cabinet.

Zhang Zhidong and Yuan Shikai looked at the evaluation report of the plan, and after only turning over a few pages, their expressions changed drastically, until then the two of them finally understood why some of the actions that had made them wonder for the past few months, all for this "Yuan Hunt Plan" that they had never known about!

"Your Majesty, first of all, the minister did not want to ask when the "Yuan Hunt Plan" was formulated and who proposed it! ”

Zhang Zhidong was filled with strong uneasiness in his heart, and there would be almost no blood on his old face, and he had no opinion on the protection of overseas Chinese in the Dutch East Indies, the Netherlands was just a small country, and China was sure of victory, and he had no doubt that there might be foreign powers intervening, but their intervention could make the "Surabaya Incident" finally resolved diplomatically.

And this "Yuan Hunt Plan" is to bet the whole of China on a gambling table with an uncertain future, and the winning and losing tables are half the same!

"In the eyes of the ministers, this is an unprecedented adventure, and the future of the country must not be risked!"

"Hmm...... I've been setting precedents! ”

Chen Moran, who faced Zhang Zhidong's question, said with a smile.

His words were exchanged for the laughter of Cai Yi, Guan Mingtang, Shi Si and others, they are different from Zhang Zhidong and others, they will respect Chen Moran, but they will never put themselves in the identity of "micro-ministers" because of his identity change, which is also not what Chen Moran wants to see, just like the emperor and the minister are on an equal footing in the conference room of this Qinzheng Building.

"Your Majesty, you can set a precedent here! But you can't play with the future of the country! ”

Zhang Zhidong, who was stubborn, still said unrelentingly, he didn't want the country to perform another "Gengzi disaster" at the beginning of the country.

In the face of Zhang Zhidong's questioning, Chen Moran, who was a little lazy, propped up the handrail with his hand, and was about to speak, but Shi Si spoke.

"How dare you speak like that! Zhang Xiang, I have an obligation to remind you, "

Shi Si's body leaned forward slightly, and he turned his head to look at Zhang Zhidong.

"In front of you is His Majesty the Emperor of the Chinese Empire! You are talking to His Majesty the Emperor! ”

At this time, Shi Si's face was full of impassioned looks.

"Your so-called adventures and child's play are in fact the manifestation of your Majesty's foresight, and what is more important to China now than to reorganize the country's prestige and status! Not only do I not think this is a risk, but I think that this is the most courageous and courageous decision that any emperor Yanjing has ever made, and it is an attempt based on the foundation of the emperor's power and the international situation, if successful, we can take back all the national rights and interests that we have lost! At the same time, restore the dignity of a country! ”

At this time, Shi Si turned his gaze to His Majesty again.

"Maybe you have your worries, but if you ignore the responsibilities that come with being the Prime Minister of the Empire, then ......"

Although Shi Si said that he was in his heart, Chen Moran was worried about Zhang Zhidong's feelings, although he knew in his heart that he was only a transition, but he was still the prime minister of the country.

"Shi Qing! Watch your wording! You're facing the Prime Minister of the Empire! ”

Zhang Zhidong, who was originally angry by Shi Si's "no respect", only blew his beard and stared, only then did he glance at the emperor gratefully, calm down a little excited, Zhang Zhidong stood up again and said.

"Your Majesty, it is the responsibility of the prime minister of the empire, and I have to say that the future of the empire must not be placed on top of a big gamble, China has been weak for a hundred years, and what capital can be placed in such a big gamble!"

Yuan Shikai, who had not said a word, saw the situation in front of him, especially when he saw Shi Si's reproach to Zhang Zhidong, although His Majesty reprimanded him, there was no doubt that Shi Si won His Majesty's other eyes, and he stood upright, bowed to His Majesty, and then looked up at Zhang Zhidong who bowed to His Majesty.

"Zhang Xiang, China has lost too much because of its weakness for a hundred years, what do we have to lose now? What else have we not lost, apart from the tariffs that have recently been recovered and which are still in the middle of the situation and which are controlled by foreigners? Perhaps this is a big gamble with half the victory or defeat, but the military affairs, there were originally two wins and two defeats, this year's Guards Army reached 1.6 million people, and has been trained for nearly half a year, the weapons are strong, several times that of the book, and the military industry is not inferior to the book, that is, the country can be gambled, we are barefoot are still afraid of wearing shoes? ”

Yuan Shikai said that he was generous, but compared to Shi Si's unscrupulous scruples because he didn't understand the number of officialdom, his words were more of a speculation, he was appointed Minister of the Interior of the Empire, and he naturally understood that what he needed now was to try his best to get closer to His Majesty, maybe he was the same as Zhang Zhidong, the same as the leader of the Royalist Party, that is, the leader of the Royalist Party, then he should first move closer to His Majesty, what His Majesty can give him is by no means what Zhang Zhidong can give.

"Your Majesty, the minister agrees to the implementation of the "Moto-Hunt Plan", and the Ministry of the Interior will do its best to help the Guards win this battle! ”

When he sat down, Yuan Shikai glanced at Zhang Zhidong, as if he wanted to remind him of something, and Zhang Zhidong, who was isolated in an instant, gave Liang Dunyan a look when he received this look, he was an operator he brought from Hubei.

"Your Majesty!"

Liang Dunyan, who could no longer avoid it, had to stand up.

"The minister agrees with Zhang Xiang's prudent opinion, but what Minister Yuan said is not unreasonable, in this plan, diplomacy is ultimately needed, no matter what, the minister will do his best to fulfill His Majesty's wishes!"

This will get rid of such sloppy eyes, Liang Dunyan really doesn't know what to do, on the one hand, Zhang Xiang, who has the grace of knowledge, and on the other hand, His Majesty.

"That's it! In this case, the plan proceeds as usual, and Liang Qing submitted a protest to the Netherlands in the morning! Stand down, everyone else! Zhang Xiang stays! ”

After a while, only Chen Moran and Zhang Zhidong were left in this conference room.

As the "image" of Nanjing, Guangfu Avenue, in addition to planning the world's widest road, but also on both sides of the road planning a series of new buildings, the building planning and design on both sides of the Guangfu Avenue is still both Western and Oriental colors, in addition to the planning of the tall department stores, luxury hotels, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, the Central Bank and a series of political axe organs are also built along the street.

In contrast to the slow construction of theaters, luxury liquors, and department stores, which were carried out by private construction contractors, the building was carried out by army sappers to rush the construction schedule, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building at No. 32 Guangfu North Road was one of the first buildings to be completed along Guangfu Road.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs building adopts a Western-style flat roof, reinforced concrete structure, and the plan is T-shaped, with five floors in the middle and four floors at both ends. Jiuhua Mountain granite legs, brown Taishan brick decoration wall, brick brick silk joints, under the eaves with brown glazed bricks to build a similar Chinese style ang decoration, the porch is wide and open, three sides of the walkway. The façade adopts the "three-section" division method of Western Renaissance architecture, with traditional Chinese decoration in detail, and internal ceilings, caissons, etc. The exterior wall is finished with Taishan bricks. This design method is an attempt by Chinese architects to combine Western modern architecture with Eastern styles, which is also the characteristic of "imperial architecture".

A week after the bronze plaque of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was hung, it was replaced by a bronze nameplate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Imperial Republic of China, and in the early morning of the fifth day of the first lunar month, when the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs entered the courtyard of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to begin their day's work, a Pegasus car with the Dutch flag drove into the parking lot of the courtyard of the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

A few minutes later, in the spacious living room of the minister's office on the fourth floor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Dutch minister to China, Krober, was pacing back and forth anxiously, and at five o'clock in the morning he received an official letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Chinese Empire, hoping to meet with him before eight o'clock.

Just before he came to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the newsboys on the streets of Nanjing began to shout "Surabaya Massacre"! The Chinese escalated the Surabaya case to a massacre, leading Krober to believe that the Chinese would take advantage of the negotiations to try to extort something from the Dutch.

Yesterday, after receiving instructions from his homeland, he tried to win the support of the ministers of various countries for the support of the Netherlands, whether it was England or the United States, or Germany or Russia, and almost every country put on the appearance of helplessness, in the words of Rou Keyi.

"You slapped His Majesty the Emperor of China in the face at the most inopportune time, your courage is commendable, and your actions are stupid!"

Although he agreed with Rou Keyi's words and scolded the stupidity of the colonial officials in his heart, Krober knew what he had to defend!

"Your Excellency, the Minister is waiting for you!"

A Foreign Ministry official led Mr. Krober into the reception room next to Mr. Liang's office.

"Good morning! Your Excellency, Minister! ”

Krober bowed first.

"Your Excellency, Minister!"

Fang saluted repeatedly, and Liang Dunyan, who had a serious expression, took out a written official letter.

"Minister Krober, on behalf of the Chinese Imperial Political Axe, I formally lodge a written protest to the Netherlands over the Surabaya massacre!"

"Your Excellency, the incident in Surabaya is just a misunderstanding that will lead to ......"

Without waiting for Krober to explain, Liang Dunyan reprimanded in an unusually stern voice.

"At the same time, the Imperial Political Axe asked the Netherlands, does the massacre of our Chinese Empire expatriates in Surabaya mean that the Netherlands intends to declare war on the Chinese Empire when His Majesty the Emperor of the Chinese Empire ascended the throne!"

Krober couldn't help but be surprised, he looked at Liang Dunyan with a serious expression and angry eyes in surprise.

"Your Excellency, this ...... So what's the matter! ”

"The Imperial Axe has made a decision, if your country intends to declare war on the Chinese Empire, then our country will have to accept your declaration of war! Although China is a weak country, it is determined that its 40,000,000 people will unite and seek ultimate victory! ”

Under this kind of "inducement" of overwhelming power, Krober couldn't help but panic, the Netherlands is not Britain, and even the Netherlands is not a great power at all, not to mention that it will not declare war on China, and there is also no such force to declare war on China.

"Nope! Your Excellency, this is just a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding! ”

"Misunderstanding!"

Just like the strategy laid out at the Imperial Meeting, Liang Dunyan's voice sank.

"The military and police of your East Indies colonies shot and killed our overseas Chinese, killing and wounding hundreds of people, and our overseas Chinese boycotted the market to protest against other atrocities, and you arrested thousands of overseas Chinese and forced the opening of the market, Minister Krober, may I ask, is this a misunderstanding?"

As Krober pondered how to answer, his words took a turn again.

"If my [***] police shoot and arrest your country's expatriates, how will your country treat them!"

Almost as soon as they met, Liang Dunyan took the upper hand with a series of questions, without giving Krober a chance or time to argue.

"War! In the face of such atrocities...... War is the only option! That's your answer five years ago, isn't it? ”

"......"

"In the same way, in the face of the same atrocities, war may be our only option!"

Krober, who had originally prepared a full rhetoric, was petrified at this moment, and he looked at the Foreign Minister and Foreign Minister of the Chinese Empire in front of him in a daze, opening his lips and exerting almost all his strength before he spit out a sentence.

"This ...... Is this an ultimatum? ”

"Nope! Your Excellency, this is our correct response to the atrocities tolerated by human law, and at the time of our dialogue, the Chinese fleet has sailed out of port, and we must defend all the legitimate rights and interests of our nationals with our actions! ”

"Your Excellency ...... Minister"

"Your Excellency, please come here!"

Without waiting for him to speak, the staff on the side made a gesture to send off the guests, and Liang Dunyan also withdrew from the reception room, only when he turned around, the serious face of Shu Dunyan showed a hint of timidity.

Hope......

(To be continued)