"Whether the great powers interfere or not depends on the strength of your country, but I don't think that's a problem, is it?"

Wang Chenhao did not believe that the United States launched a war against Spain and was worried about the interference of the great powers, not to mention that the military strength of the United States had just risen, but the people were rich and rich, and the great powers of all countries did not dare to offend.

Of course, this is just Wang Chenhao's judgment. After all, this is the first time that the United States has taken action against a European power, and it is understandable that it is not steadfast in its heart.

Charles didn't have Wang Chenhao's confidence, he couldn't predict the outcome of the war, so he naturally had to be cautious. In Charles's opinion, Wang Chenhao is not worried about this war at all, and this kind of courage makes Charles admire it in his heart.

"To be honest, as a beautiful [***] person, I dare not predict the outcome of this war."

Charles raised his concerns, which Wang Chenhao thought was redundant, but he also understood Charles.

Wang Chenhao smiled: "Actually, there is nothing to be afraid of!" Spain has already declined, and its national and military strength has long been exhausted. We are not going to conquer Spain proper, as long as the Spanish colonial forces in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines are quickly annihilated, Spain will not fight endlessly. As for Spain's military forces in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the Philippines, they appear to be formidable on the surface, but in reality they are vulnerable. Cuba had more than 200,000 Spanish colonial troops, but most of them were old, weak, sick and disabled, and were surrounded by the Cuban Revolutionary Army in Havana and a few other remaining cities, and could not hold out for long. The same is true of the Philippines, where hundreds of thousands of colonial troops are pinned down by the Philippine Revolutionary Army and simply cannot spare their hands. Their navy is even worse and vulnerable. ”

Wang Chenhao then gave a brief analysis of the current international situation. In the Caribbean, Britain and France are the two powerful countries with interests, and other small European countries such as the Netherlands, Belgium, and Sweden are not to be feared. In the vicinity of the Philippines, only Britain, France, the Netherlands, Portugal and other countries have the right to interfere.

For Britain, Britain was at this time pursuing the "2Cs" plan in Africa, the "Cairo-Cape Town Plan", in an attempt to establish a British colonial empire across Africa. The plan conflicts with France's 2S plan in Africa. 2S plan, also known as "VS plan". French expansion plans in Africa at the end of the 19th century. After France occupied Senegal in 1895, it planned to expand from Senegal to Somalia in East Africa, in an attempt to establish a trans-African French colonial empire, thus implementing the "Senegal-Somalia Plan". The first letter of the English name of Senegal and Somalia is S, so it is called the 2S plan, and because Senegal has Cape Verde on the westernmost border, and the first letter of the English name of Cape Verde is V, so it is also called VS plan.

France's 2S strategy collided with Britain's 2C strategy, and a military conflict in Fashoda took place, which would have to last for at least two or three years. At the same time, the Transvaal Republic of South Africa and the Free State of Orlanz successively discovered the world's largest diamond and gold mines, and the British colonists coveted these treasures and were preparing a war against the Boers. The Boers were of Dutch descent, and Germany also had huge interests in Boer, and the Netherlands had joined forces with Germany, France, Sweden and other European countries to put pressure on the British.

It can be said that the only great powers that Spain can count on to intervene are Britain, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, and other countries, and now they themselves have eaten dogs, and they have no energy to care about Spain, let alone offend the United States for an irrelevant Spain.

Charles was naturally investigated, and he knew what Wang Chenhao said, in fact, he was also testing Wang Chenhao to see how well Wang Chenhao knew about the various Spanish colonies. Seeing that Wang Chenhao was so aware of the situation in Cuba, the Philippines and other Spanish colonies, he felt admiration in his heart, and at the same time raised his vigilance against Wang Chenhao, believing that if one day a friction and collision broke out between China and the United States, Wang Chenhao in front of him would be the number one enemy of the United States.

"Lord Wang really lives up to his reputation, and his profound grasp of the international situation is admirable."

Wang Chenhao hurriedly humbled himself, the main reason why he behaved in front of Charles was that he didn't want the Americans to look down on him. We must show our ability to deter the Americans, so that the Americans will restrain their actions on the Qing and Russian issues, and will not help the enemies of the Qing Empire, Yueben and Russia, with great fanfare. At the same time, if China and the United States jointly divide the Spanish colonies, if the Americans look down on them, I am afraid that the Americans will do their tricks when the time comes to divide the fruits.

Wang Chenhao's remarks really shocked Charles, and conveyed it to the United States through Charles, and some politicians and military officers in the United States have expressed strong dissatisfaction with the transfer of Guam, Puerto Rico, and some Spanish islands in the Pacific Ocean to Wang Chenhao.

After Charles and Wang Chenhao set a specific battle plan for a joint war against Spain, both sides began to get busy.

The big play is performed by the Americans. However, the Americans were a little nervous about starting a war against the European powers for the first time, and they did not dare to be careless, and at the same time they had to plan carefully and not give other countries any excuse to interfere. Similarly, the US political axe and military are constrained by the US Constitution, and President McKinley has issued a strict order that the US people must not have any objections and objections to the US war against Spain, which has led Roosevelt and others to take a series of safest measures, even if they make excuses, they will not give the truth.

Roosevelt was the president of the United States from 1901 to 1908, and his outstanding contribution to establishing this position was that he single-handedly planned the Spanish-American War, and led the American [***] team to defeat Cuba, which established his political achievements.

Roosevelt had been planning the Spanish-American War for many years, but it had never been approved by the President of the United States. Back in the 1888 presidential election, Roosevelt was in the Midwest for Benjamin? Harrison helped in the election. After Harrison was elected president, Roosevelt was appointed to the U.S. Public Service Bureau. Harrison lost the 1892 election, and although Roosevelt was a supporter of the former president, President-elect Grover? Cleveland still kept him on as an adviser by his side.

Cleveland was a president who opposed the imperialist war, which made Roosevelt very depressed, causing his plans to be rejected by Cleveland several times.

In Cuba in 1895, years of revolt against the tyranny of the Spaniards culminated in the Great Riots of 1895. The insurgents were no less brutal than the Spanish rulers, who developed a policy of deliberate plunder. The policy states that Americans are not protected if they do not pay protections, which are used to financially support the riots and expand propaganda.

In fact, the main reason for the involvement of the United States in this matter was to protect the sugar cane plantations and sugar mills owned by the Americans. The profits of these large plantations and sugar mills are not negligible, with an investment of $50 million and an annual trade volume of up to $100 million. The Spanish political axe has decided to put an end to this intolerable situation in Cuba.

At the beginning of 1896, the Spanish political axe army general Valeriano? Velaire went to Havana to take drastic measures. Velaire's solution was to drive civilians into concentration areas so that they could not aid the rebellion. Poor sanitation conditions in the concentration areas have killed thousands of people, most of them women and children.

Roosevelt suggested to Cleveland that this was a good time to intervene in Cuba and at the same time occupy Cuba's rich sugar, tobacco and other high-profiteering industries.

As a result of the ingenious incitement carried out by the Cuban rebel regime in New York, the American public reacted strongly to the inhumane practices of the "executioner Velaire" and demanded that the rebel "political axe" be recognized immediately. In response to public outcry, Congress passed a resolution calling for the recognition of the Cuban rebel regime. President Cleveland, who opposed imperialist policies, dismissed this resolution as an interference with his executive power, and declared his refusal to send troops to war with Spain; On the other hand, he made it clear to the Spanish government that the United States' respect for Spanish rule in Cuba "will be replaced by a higher obligation, which we will not hesitate to recognize and fulfill."

Cleveland's commitment to Spain led to the collapse of Roosevelt's plan to occupy Cuba. As a result, Roosevelt stopped helping Cleveland and went to the police department.

However, with the Republican Party's new coming to power, McKinley's attitude towards Cuba was in line with Roosevelt's plan, so Roosevelt was appointed by McKinley as the deputy chief of the U.S. Navy Command, which enabled Roosevelt's plan to occupy Cuba.

On October 15, 1897, the U.S. envoy who had secretly infiltrated Cuba contacted the Cuban rebels. At this time, the Cuban rebels were in M. Gomez? He? Under Báez, he had taken control of most of Cuba, and more than 200,000 Spanish defenders retreated to major cities. The United States envoy reached a secret agreement with Gomez to help the United States political axe create a pretext for war in Cuba.

On the 18th, the US envoy betrayed an American-owned sugar factory in downtown Havana, Cuba, and Gomez sent troops to raid the sugar factory, detained 30 Americans who had come to negotiate for the purchase of sugar, and threatened the Spanish colonial government to withdraw from Cuba and recognize Cuban reading.

The US political axe immediately sent a note to the Spanish minister to the United States, demanding that the Spanish authorities guarantee the safety of the hostages, allow the US [***] ship to enter Havana to protect American citizens, and at the same time threaten the Spanish political axe to recognize Cuban reading power and a series of other conditions.

Obviously, the Spanish political axe will not agree.

Three days later, Cuba's colonial governor, Valarianoweylerynicolau, immediately took a forced rescue operation, resulting in the deaths of many Americans.

This move immediately angered the US political axe, and US President McKinley immediately made a speech, creating public opinion in the United States that was favorable to the US political axe's interference in Cuban affairs.

The Spanish political axe has long been aware of the ambitions of the United States against Cuba, and considering the huge power gap between the United States and the West, the Spanish political axe has chosen to back down. As a last resort, Spain's new Liberal Cabinet recalled Velaire and publicly apologized to the American people to quell the anger of the American people. At the same time, Spain made concessions to the U.S. political axe, allowing the U.S. to send a warship into the port of Havana to protect the country, relaxing its efforts to drive civilians into concentration areas, and allowing Cubans a degree of autonomy.

The Spanish concessions were clearly not in line with the purpose of the American political axe, but by this time the Americans had begun to lose interest in the Cuban question.

As a last resort, the American political axe once again caused trouble, and one of the incidents was the publication of a frivolous private letter in the New York Monthly. The letter was addressed to the Spanish minister to Washington, Dippie? Morality? Later, it fell into the hands of Cuban rebels, written by Lomé, in which the minister alluded to Spain's deception in negotiations over a pending trade deal and said that President McKinley was a "shameless politician."

This suddenly made the Americans scratch again.

At the same time, McKinley argued that Roosevelt's current strategy of provoking Spain was ineffective, and that Spain's concessions made the American political axe not enough reason to start a war. So, McKinley took Wang Chenhao's advice from Charles and ordered the American battleship USS Maine, which was heading to the port of Havana, to cause trouble in the name of protecting overseas Chinese, and then blow up and sink the battleship to accuse the Spanish political axe.

On 25 October, the US battleship USS Maine sailed into the port of Havana, Cuba, and the US Navy on board deliberately flaunted the strength of the warship to the Spanish Navy and provoked the Spanish port water police.

However, very in the evening of the same day, the captain of the USS Maine, Rear Admiral P. Henry, received a top-secret document.

At ten o'clock in the evening, in the port of Havana in Cuba, a Spanish colony, many ships were moored. An old lighthouse overlooks the sea, and behind the lighthouse is the majestic figure of Morro Castle, built by the Spaniards in 1590. The US warship "Maine" also docked here at this time. The evening breeze blows from the sea, and the sailors who have worked hard all day are enjoying the beautiful seaside night view on the deck and listening to the sound of the sea. Suddenly, "Boom! There was a loud bang, smoke billowed and flames rose into the sky, and the "Maine" exploded. Many officers and soldiers died before they could ask what had happened. According to later statistics, 164 people were killed and 100 injured in the explosion.

The USS Maine bombing caused a sensation throughout the United States, and it immediately made headlines in many newspapers. What is even more striking is that the US officials concluded that it was the Spaniards, who said that they had attacked the "Maine" with mines. As soon as the news spread, the slogans of "avenge the Maine" and "fight to the death with the Spaniards" immediately sounded in the United States, and the American [***] team really began to prepare for the game.

At the same time, the Spanish side stated that it had nothing to do with the incident. The United States and Spain quarreled endlessly over this matter, and finally decided to set up an investigation team. However, when the Spanish investigators asked to board the "Maine" for investigation, the United States resolutely refused them. Not long after, the United States dragged the damaged "Maine" to the Atlantic Ocean and let it sink to the bottom of the sea in the empty waves. In this way, the investigation could not continue, and the American sentiment against Spain grew stronger.

The explosion and sinking of the USS Maine in the port of Havana, Cuba, aroused strong reactions from the US press and the anger of the people at home. On 2 November, the United States, through its envoy to Spain, put forward conditions demanding that Spain cease fire in Cuba and abolish the concentration camp law. In order to avoid war against the United States, Spain declared a truce on November 9. However, the U.S. Congress then stepped up its efforts and issued a resolution demanding that Spain recognize Cuba and withdraw from Cuba. At the same time, the President of the United States was granted the right to use force and declared that the United States had no intention of annexing Cuba.

The Spanish political axe had understood that the Americans were ready to start a war, but Spain needed to prepare, so it delayed the declaration of war by the United States as long as possible.

The Americans painstakingly searched for an "ideal" pretext for war against Spain, and as much as possible to make the whole world think that the Americans were forced to go to war.

But in the Far East, for Wang Chenhao, he doesn't need so many flashy excuses. But it is necessary to let the Qing Zheng axe allow Wang Chenhao to declare war on Spain, Wang Chenhao has no right to declare war, after all, he is not the emperor, if he does too much, it is not good to give people a handle.

Wang Chenhao reported his plan to Guangxu, but Guangxu vetoed it on the grounds that he should not take the initiative to provoke foreigners.

Guangxu disagreed, so Wang Chenhao had to find another way.

As a result, Wang Chenhao immediately encouraged newspapers all over the country to report on a large scale how the Spanish and Philippine colonial political axes collaborated with the local aborigines to harm the Chinese and overseas Chinese, and got a large number of photos to be published in the newspapers, pointing out the crimes of the Spanish and Philippine colonial political axes.

This move immediately angered the Chinese, and large-scale condemnation and boycott of Spanish goods against the Spaniards broke out throughout the country, and some radicals even attacked the Spanish churches and churches, and a large number of Chinese congregants attached to the name of the Spanish church were also besieged.

The Spanish minister in China immediately submitted a protest to the Qing government axe prime minister Yamen, which immediately alarmed the imperial court, Guangxu knew that this matter must have something to do with Wang Chenhao, but Guangxu had no direct evidence, so he did not dare to be angry with Wang Chenhao, who was already fledgling.

Guangxu ordered the prime minister, the minister of the Yamen, to deal with this matter with full authority, and he was able to negotiate with the Spaniards, and in front of the Spaniards, he was suddenly frightened.

So Yixuan found Wang Chenhao and asked Wang Chenhao to give him ideas.

"Lord Wang, you have to give this king an idea, this Spaniard is menacing, but how is it good?"

Wang Chenhao said with a smile: "Prince Qing doesn't have to be afraid, you just have to fight with them, the Spaniards just want to save face, you don't have to be afraid of them." ”

Yixuan cried and said: "What you said is light, then the Spanish minister Barcelona talked to the king as if he had eaten gunpowder, and he was vicious." Shouting when you meet, where is it like a minister? It's clearly a market shrew. Doesn't diplomacy mean sitting together and drinking tea with a pleasant face? ”

Wang Chenhao smiled, knowing that Yixuan was not that material at all, where did he know the real diplomacy.

"Prince Qing doesn't need to be surprised. You said that drinking tea with a pleasant face is for outsiders and ordinary people who don't understand politics. In fact, diplomats are rogue shrews, and whoever is thick-skinned enough and scoundrels is the winner. If it's just a quarrel, it's a common occurrence. Even if it fights, it's normal. ”

Yixuan was surprised: "Can you still fight?" ”

Wang Chenhao nodded, smiled and said, "Of course! Do you think it's so easy for a diplomat? The two sides fought over the door and fought a lot. However, when the door is opened, in the face of reporters and public opinion, both sides will pretend to be nothing, and even shake hands and hug each other, so that outsiders can only see their gentle side. The bitterness behind this is absolutely unrevealed! ”

Yixuan listened to a cold sweat on his forehead, and kept wiping it with a handkerchief.

"I thought that the Prime Minister's Yamen would be a good errand, but how could I think there would be such a thing! Foreigners are really uncivilized barbarians! ”

Then, Yixuan paused and asked, "Lord Wang, this king is also a prince, so what is the Spanish minister?" If you scream at this king, he bites me, I can't bite him too, right? When this is spread, how can this king still have a face? ”

Wang Chenhao couldn't help but laugh and said: "You don't have to be afraid, even if you fight, he won't hit you in the face, this is the rule, you can't let outsiders see it." If you're scared, leave an assistant by your side to keep an eye out. ”

Yixuan nodded for a while, shook his head for a while, and finally shook his head and said, "No!" Lord Wang, you have to save me, this Spanish minister Barcelona is a military attaché, he was so fierce and vicious on the first day, if you talk about it tomorrow, maybe you will do it? ”

Wang Chenhao suddenly rolled his eyes and said, "Don't worry, ordinary people won't do it!" ”

Yixuan shook his head and said, "I think that Barcelona is possible!" If he is allowed to beat this king, this king will not dare to speak out, and he will definitely have to suffer a dumb loss. No, Lord Wang will give me a solution, right? ”

Wang Chenhao was speechless for a moment, and said, "Then you ask others to talk to him!" ”

Yixuan smiled bitterly: "This king doesn't know how to deal with foreign devils, he originally sent a few people to talk to the Spaniards, but they were all blasted out, saying that it was not equal!" ”

Wang Chenhao said helplessly: "Then there is no way!" I'm not from the Prime Minister's Yamen, so I can't take care of it. ”

Yixuan suddenly said: "Lord Wang, this king means to ask Lord Wang to negotiate with the Spanish minister on behalf of this king. With the power of Lord Wang today, I think the Spaniards will give face! ”

Wang Chenhao suddenly realized this time, it turned out that this girl came with this idea.

"I don't want the emperor to catch me, if I stand up for you, it will be an outsider interfering in the affairs of the prime minister's yamen, which is a taboo for the court!"

Yixuan smiled and said: "This Lord Wang, but please rest assured, this king has his own way." ”

Wang Chenhao was worried, can there be a way to look like a straw bag with a sharp-beaked monkey's gills?

Yixuan pretended to be impatient and said: "Lord Wang, whether to help or not, give me a happy word!" ”

Ya, and threaten Lao Tzu.

Wang Chenhao cursed in his heart, although he was not happy, but this person was still of great use to Wang Chenhao, so he nodded and said: "The prince's words have been said to this part, if I don't help, wouldn't it be too uninteresting!" ”

Yixuan immediately got up and said with a smile: "Okay! It's enough to have Lord Wang's words, you wait for my good news! ”

Yixuan left mysteriously, leaving Wang Chenhao alone on the sofa with a puzzled face.

Early the next morning, the imperial court issued an edict that Prince Qing Yixuan was unwell and took a week off. Prince Qing Yixuan recommended Wang Chenhao to temporarily act as the prime minister and minister of the Yamen, and had full authority to handle affairs with Spain.

After Wang Chenhao received the order, he immediately scolded the old fox. However, this matter is also good for Wang Chenhao, at least Wang Chenhao has the means to force the Qing Empire to go to war against Spain.

"My lord, this old fox is obviously wearing a pair of pants with the emperor, if he can't convince the emperor in this matter, the emperor will never let you act as the prime minister and the minister of the yamen!"

In the conference room, Ruan Zhongshu expressed his opinion in front of everyone.

Wang Chenhao said: "It's not enough to wear a pair of pants, at most, this Yiqiao is a wall grass that falls on both sides with the wind." ”

Zhang Feng said: "Yixuan, this person is a straw bag, greedy for money and lustful, and he is the scum of the court. However, such scum is good for adults and can be used to their liking. ”

Wang Chenhao nodded and said, "That's right!" Now it's just a matter of taking advantage of it. ”

Yang Shixiang said: "Among the several ministers of the military aircraft today, Prince Li Shiduo, Prince Gong Yi and Prince Qing Yixuan are three, Shiduo is old and faint, and he will not live for a few years. Yi is ill, and it is estimated that next year will be his limit. The three royal ministers went to the second, and Yixuan would cover the sky with one hand. This Yixuan only recognizes money, and if there is milk, he is a mother, so we can firmly control it, which is equivalent to controlling the military aircraft department. ”

Ruan Zhongshu, Zhang Feng, Zhou Fu and other staff members nodded in agreement.

Zhou Fu asked: "Your Excellency, Beiyang will be unprecedentedly powerful in the hands of your Lord, Lao Zhongtang has mentioned in front of me more than once that your Excellency is so resourceful, it is really Zhuge Liang in the world." ”

Wang Chenhao asked, "Does Lord Zhongtang call me Zhuge Liang?" ”

Zhou Fu nodded.

Wang Chenhao glanced at everyone and asked with a smile: "Then is there a dou for me?" ”

Zhou Fu was stunned for a moment, shook his head, and everyone laughed.

Soon, Zhou Fu seemed to understand from everyone's laughter, and he couldn't help laughing.

After the joke that seemed to be true or not, Wang Chenhao turned to the topic and said: "Since the emperor asked me to act as the prime minister and the minister of the Yamen, then we can't let down the emperor's hard work." ”

Zhang Feng looked at Wang Chenhao's smile and suddenly asked, "My lord, I'm afraid I'm going to set off another storm, right?" ”

Wang Chenhao nodded and said, "That's right!" If the imperial court does not agree to go to war against Spain, then we will force Spain to go to war against us! ”

Yang Shixiang asked, "What do you mean?" ”

Wang Chenhao then told everyone his method, and everyone was amazed after hearing it.

(To be continued)