Chapter XXIX: Peace Negotiations

In March 1893, Tianjin of the Qing Dynasty, the governor of Zhili, Yamen

"Oh, Wenjue, haha-" Sheng Xuanhuai, who had just rushed back from Fujian after receiving Li Hongzhang's telegram, walked into the hall and saw an acquaintance, "Brother Wenjue said why he is here today......

"Brother Xingsun, long time no see."

Wu Tingfang, who served as the counselor of the Qing State in the United States, saw that it was his old friend Sheng Xuanhuai, and he also stood up and greeted him warmly.

At this time, Li Hongzhang, who was the governor of Zhili and the minister of Beiyang, walked in through the door, "Oh, Xingsun is back." ”

"My lord! - Sheng Xuanhuai and the others hurriedly stepped forward to salute.

"Well, come -- you also know this, this time I invited Wenjue, who is the counselor in the United States, to invite you, and I just want to ask you about something," Li Hongzhang introduced the two of them, "Sit, sit down." ”

"How are things arranged by the Fuzhou Shipping Bureau?"

Sheng Xuanhuai sat upright, "Ah, I am fortunate to be dishonored, and with the 300,000 taels of silver allocated by the adults, a total of 1.1 million yuan was raised to purchase the Harbour Bureau. Now the Fuzhou Shipbuilding Bureau has been renamed the Fuzhou Shipbuilding Company, and everything is on track after clearing redundant personnel and purchasing new machines. ”

"Good! Does the shipyard have a full range of workers and technicians today? Li Hongzhang pulled his beard.

"My lord Mingjian, since the legal person damaged the Fuzhou shipyard in the past, there has been a lot of loss of personnel and equipment, but after taking over from the humble position, shipbuilding technicians and craftsmen have been hired from Britain, Germany and other countries, and I believe that it will not take long to restore the weather."

Under Sheng Xuanhuai's courtesy, Li Hongzhang lit the pipe on the side of his mouth, "Well, if you let Fuzhou Shipyard rebuild the 'Pingyuan' ironclad cruiser in the past, can it still be completed?" ”

"This is not difficult, the early 'Pingyuan' cruiser series built by the Fuzhou Shipyard, when it is said that the British enough to reach the imitation models of the 'Jiyuan' class ships, the drawings of the past still exist. It's just that the parts, iron ribs, and iron armor used in the construction of the 'Pingyuan' six years ago were all purchased by the British, and if our shipyard still does this today, it will inevitably cost a lot of money, and the cost of building the ship can even be worth the money for buying two 'Jiyuan' ships in the UK. ”

"It costs so much," Li Hongzhang stood up and walked a few steps, "Now that the Hanyang Iron Works has been officially put into operation for more than a year, can you think of buying marine iron armor from Hanyang?" ”

Sheng Xuanhuai pondered, "I didn't think about this, if Zhang Xiangshuai's Hanyang Iron Works can really supply the shipyard iron armor, the cost should be reduced a lot." ”

"Forget it, I'll talk about this matter after I send a telegram to ask Zhang Huguang," Li Hongzhang turned his head and asked Wu Tingfang, who was already waiting on the side, "Wenjue, you can tell Xingsun about the matter." ”

"Yes, sir." Wu Tingfang is still Chen Zeyu's relative, and he is the second uncle of Chen Zeyu's fiancée Wu Xiatong.

"Tingfang's return to China this time was due to the Chinese riot in Luzon, Nanyang."

"Oh?" Sheng Xuanhuai's eyebrows jumped, "I have also heard about this matter, I heard that the local Chinese have driven away all the Spaniards?" ”

Wu Tingfang said, "Exactly, not only that, the Chinese here launched an armed riot because a local Chinese woman was ** Westerner**, and there are many reports in the newspapers, and now the Spanish governor in Luzon has been captured by him, and the Chinese on the island have opened a state, calling themselves Seris." This is a newspaper that I brought back from the United States, so please see it-"

"Oh?" Sheng Xuanhuai took the newspaper and read it briefly, then turned to look at Li Hongzhang who was drinking tea on the side, "My lord, this is ......"

After Li Hongzhang took a sip of tea, Fang said, "It's okay to do anything else, it's just that this newspaper said that there are many ironclad warships under the banner of the Seris uprising, and the Chinese people who rioted are also equipped with fast guns and artillery, I intend to let the two of you go to their country to visit them......"

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South Seas, Republic of Seris

In April, the Spanish negotiators, who had arrived from the Spanish mainland aboard the battleship Teodulo, finally arrived in Seris.

After weeks of repeated and fierce tug-of-war at the negotiating table, Spanish negotiator Mendoza and other officials, perhaps at a military parade specially organized for him, were intimidated by the strong strength of the Serris Navy and Army, and the tone of the negotiations also changed from the previous smell of gunpowder, and the negotiations between the two countries became smooth after that.

In fact, the incumbent Alfonso royal family on the Spanish side was unwilling to admit defeat, and even sent a telegram directly to the Spanish army of the Cuban colony in the Caribbean to suppress the "rebellion" in the Philippines.

However, you must know that at this time, Panama, the trench canal connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, had not yet been opened, and to transport colonial troops from Cuba, Puerto Rico and other places to the Philippines in the western Pacific, the Spanish navy would have to bypass the entire South American continent from the Drake Passage, and the fleet's sailing route would be extremely difficult.

In addition, the situation in the local colonies of Central and South America was so unstable that the governor of the colonies, Fernand Gilbert, was almost driven crazy when he heard the order.

Fortunately, at this time, the regent of Spain, the former princess of Spain, Maria Cristina, vetoed this stupid decision of the parliament, and then several high-ranking officials of the political axe, under pressure from the parliament, sent a fleet from the mainland to suppress the "riot".

Now the other ministers did not agree, considering that the liberal forces in Spain were now quite strong, and if the troops stationed in Valencia were reduced any longer, God knows if the events of 1868 would not happen again.

It was at this time that information about the exact strength of the Chinese League also reached Spain for the first time, and the conservatives were even more reluctant to send troops......

Just a week later, the negotiating team, represented by Chen Zeyu, formally signed a peace treaty with the Spanish negotiators.

The peace treaty stipulated that the Republic of Seris would "buy" the Philippine Islands, a colony of the Kingdom of Spain in the western Pacific, for £5.5 million.

This sky-high peace agreement instantly shocked the world's attention, you must know that in this era, 5.5 million pounds is enough to buy nearly 20 of my most advanced Yoshino ships, and its value is enough to buy the entire Beiyang fleet of the Qing Kingdom.

Is Chen Zeyu's republic really so rich?

I have to say that Chen Zeyu still has this money, but he is not ready to give the Spaniards a dime. The peace treaty was written in this way just to save face for the Spanish authorities, and Chen Zeyu did not care about it for himself, and turned around and returned it to the Spaniards after paying them a ransom of 5.5 million captured soldiers.

Chen Zeyu agreed to all these inconsequential conditions with an indifferent attitude, and finally Chen Zeyu formally signed a peace treaty with him.

After the negotiations, Chen Zeyu tentatively asked Mendoza and other negotiators whether Spain had any intention of selling its colony in the western Pacific, the Mariana Islands.

Chen Zeyu fell in love with Guam, but he was rejected by the other party on the spot, and walked away.

This guy is indeed excessive, after the loss of the Philippines, the Spanish colony on the Mariana Islands has become its only conduit connecting Latin America with the Indian Ocean, and it is no wonder that others will be angry when they hear his thoughts.

Chen Zeyu said in his heart, if you don't sell the Spanish political axe, I will have you crying, and I will pick up peaches when you and the Americans are fighting......

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