"Let other peoples divide the continent and the sea, and the time when we in Germany were content with blue skies is over, and we also demand territory under the sun."

As the fourth chancellor of the German Empire, Bernhard? Feng? Pilov's foreign policy differed from the prudence of Bismarck's time, and more often than not, his foreign policy was risky and aggressive, especially the Moroccan crisis triggered by the blatant seizure of French power in Morocco half a year earlier, which at one point almost triggered a war with France, although a month earlier, with the intervention of Britain, Germany finally recognized Morocco as a French protectorate, but compensated for the acquisition of a part of the colony of 275,000 square kilometers in French Congo. Although the crisis ended, it intensified the confrontation between France and Germany, and strengthened the alliance between Britain and France.

But in Bernhard? Feng? In the eyes of Pilov and Kaiser Wilhelm II, this crisis fully demonstrated Germany's strength, and at the same time Germany was rewarded accordingly, a huge African colony, but it also made Germany soberly realize that under the control of Britain and France, it was not yet possible for Germany to expand its territory overseas by force.

In the aftermath of the crisis, some liberal politicians in Germany began to devise a new institutional design, seeking a "new model of world politics" with German personality on the way to avoid the isolationist crisis of war -- which is safe and reliable, can effectively avoid war, and is conducive to spreading German culture on the world stage and carrying out "moral conquest" without gunpowder.

It is precisely for this reason that Germany has begun to adjust its diplomatic arrangements, and its attitude towards China is also a foothold in this adjustment.

At this time in the Chancellery, in the face of this thick and confidential telegram from China, Bernhard? Feng? Pilov remained silent for a long time, and to be precise, the contents of the telegram completely shocked him for a long time.

"The estimated reserves are 250 million to 350 million tons of sodium saltpeter,...... The ore grade averages 7.89-10.43, with a local maximum of 35.07 and a mine-wide average of 11.90, which is more than the Humberite and Santa Rolla saltpeter reserves. ”

Foreign Minister Yagov shouted this sentence in a trembling voice as he put down the document in his hand, and despite being Foreign Minister, Yagov understood what this saltpeter mine meant to Germany.

Over the past 100 years, Europe's population has grown dramatically, and the fertility of the land has been depleted, and food production cannot grow in equal proportions without soil improvement. The British found that seabird droppings have the properties of fertilizer. From 1840 onwards, bird droppings off the coast of Peru began to be exported in large quantities. The waters off the coast of Peru are home to an abundance of fish, and the boobies and seagulls that depend on these fish have inhabited the islands off the coast since ancient times, leaving mountains of droppings there. These feces are rich in nitrogen, ammonia, phosphate and saline, which eventually turn into natural phosphate rocks.

However, soon after seabird droppings hit the international market, agricultural chemists discovered that saltpeter was even more nutrient-rich, and by 1850 the use of saltpeter as fertilizer was widespread in rural Europe. The Old World had long been depleted due to soil erosion, and the fertilized wheat fields greedily extracted sodium nitrate nutrients from saltpeter. Later, Chile monopolized the world's saltpeter supply through the "saltpeter war", and the abundant supply of fertilizer drove away the spectre of famine in Europe.

Although these saltpeter mines are on Chilean soil, they are controlled by the British, while Germany's agriculture, chemical industry, and military industry are inseparable from Chilean saltpeter, and the supply of saltpeter is not Chileans, but the British, the British Liverpool Nitrate Company monopolizes the export of Chilean saltpeter, and during the "Moroccan crisis", German mining sailboats have been stranded in Chilean ports, and local suppliers have semi-stopped exporting saltpeter to Germany on the grounds of limited production, and the shadow behind this is the Liverpool Nitrate Company, that is, the British government.

"Your Excellency, this saltpeter mine will meet the needs of Germany for the next three centuries, and we must get this huge saltpeter mine in any case......"

"Yes, even at any cost"

For a time, the whole office was full of opinions, almost everyone was surprised that this telegram mentioned the huge saltpeter mine, the reserves exceeded Chile, and the ore grade was not inferior to Chile, in the face of such a saltpeter mine related to the lifeblood of German agriculture and industry, no one could keep calm, especially after experiencing the "semi-embargo" during the "Moroccan crisis", everyone could clearly realize what this saltpeter mine in the hinterland of Chinese mainland meant to Germany. …,

"So, Yagov, why do you think the Chinese took the initiative to show us this report?"

Pilov turned his head and asked Yagov, in his opinion, the timing of the release of this report was too coincidental, that is, at a time when China was about to start peace negotiations with Japan, a report by the German geologist and Admiralty officer Georg? The mine resource report that Kaibo participated in the investigation was taken out by the Chinese and handed over to the ambassador to China by the emperor himself.

"The Chinese need our help"

Yagov replied without thinking.

"In the future negotiations, they need a real ally, and His Majesty the Emperor has already said that he will intervene in the Sino-Japanese negotiations, so in this negotiation, they need us to help them curb the diplomatic pressure from the British."

"But isn't that the starting point for us to intervene in the Sino-Japanese conflict?"

Pilov frowned and said that His Majesty the Emperor intervened in mediating the Sino-Japanese conflict in order to increase Germany's influence in China, especially when the Chinese were dissatisfied with Britain because of the British betrayal, all Germany needed was to appear in a fair, fair, and slightly tolerant attitude towards China, which was enough to make the Chinese grateful.

And this saltpeter mine, is it really a gift from His Majesty the Emperor?

In the face of this report, Pilov fell silent, this saltpeter mine is an irresistible temptation for Germany, or even any country, why would the Chinese give this gift to themselves?

“…… In a province in northwest China, most likely Gansu or Xinjiang, I can't pinpoint the location of the mine because of the secrecy along the Chinese......"

Is this Georg? Kaibo replied after pulling the inquiry telegram.

"Gansu, Xinjiang ......"

Looking at the names mentioned in the telegram, Pilov commanded his secretary.

"Bring me a map of China right now"

A few minutes later, a map of China appeared in the prime minister's office, and after the map was rolled out, Pilov quickly found the location of Gansu and Xinjiang, and then looked at the edge of the map, and Pilov laughed.

"Haha, I knew, I knew, it wasn't just a gift"

As soon as he raised his head, Pilov, who was full of smiles, said to Yagov.

"Let's go, let's go to see Your Majesty together, maybe this saltpeter mine will be the best New Year's gift Your Majesty has ever received"

"This is indeed the best and most meaningful New Year's gift I've ever received"

Putting down the telegram in his hand, Wilhelm II did not show any ecstasy or too many mood swings, he slowly stood up, walked to the huge globe, turned the globe, and found the location of China.

"The Chinese emperor wants to use our strength to counter the Russians, otherwise, the greedy Nikolai will definitely not watch such a saltpeter mine under his nose without any crooked thoughts, so he needs us to intervene, and, I think, ......"

Despite his arrogant personality, Wilhelm II was keenly aware that this saltpeter mine was not just a gift from the Chinese.

"I'm afraid they'll use this saltpeter mine to get a lot of things from us, like loans, well, is there a railroad there?".

"Your Majesty, the Chinese railway to the west has not yet been built to Xi'an, and if it is in Xinjiang, it may need to build 2,000 kilometers of railway."

Pilov answered truthfully about some of the information about western China that he had looked through on the way to the palace.

Wilhelm II threw a look at Pilov that was exactly what it was.

"Now one thing is certain, the Chinese will definitely want Germany to bear the funds for the construction of the railway, 2,000 kilometers of railway, at least 100 million marks, but also the future construction of the mine, I think Germany needs to bear at least 150 million marks, it is possible to get part of the equity of this saltpeter mine, and at least until five years later, our fleet is likely to ship back the first batch of Chinese saltpeter."

"Your Majesty, your decision is ......"

Polov hurriedly asked.

"Of course, of course we need saltpeter, our agriculture, our industry can't do without saltpeter, without saltpeter, we don't have enough fertilizer, without saltpeter, the army doesn't have explosives and gunpowder, so, we want to get this saltpeter mine," ...,

Wilhelm II said with great certainty, then pondered for a moment.

"As for this funding, I think the German banking syndicate should be more than happy to bear it, maybe in ten years, this saltpeter will bring Germany a return of hundreds of millions of marks a year, but I hope that we will be able to get enough benefits in the negotiations."

After a moment of silence, turning to face Yagov, Wilhelm II suddenly smiled.

"Draw up a telegram and send it to the Emperor of China in my name, telling him that I myself and the German Empire are more than happy to stand firmly on the side of China during the negotiations, friendship, which is based on the friendship between Germany and China, and at the same time tell him that I am more than happy to see that Germany and China will cooperate more broadly and comprehensively in the future......"

"Our plan worked"

Putting down Wilhelm II's reply telegram, Chen Moran smiled.

His "white stepping stone" successfully knocked on the door of Germany, and now Wilhelm II has bitten this fishhook, and slowly he will bite harder and tighter.

"Your Majesty, we ourselves are fully capable of building railways and mining saltpeter mines, so why do we have to pull the Germans?"

Liang Dunyan couldn't figure out why His Majesty would make such a decision anyway. In his view, once the Sino-Japanese negotiations are over and a huge amount of reparations is obtained, China is fully capable of doing all this on its own.

"Why?"

Smiling slightly, Chen Moran looked at Liang Dunyan, they couldn't have their own intentions at all.

"We ourselves are capable, but we must take into account the Russian factor, the hatred between Japan and Russia is very beneficial to us, once because of the Xinjiang saltpeter mine, caused by the contradictions between China and Russia, causing Japan and Russia to join hands, the impact on us can not be estimated."

Saying this, Chen Moran knew in his heart that whether it was the Sino-German joint establishment of the Xinjiang Nitrate Company or the loan provided by Germany to build the railway from Haizhou to Dihua, in fact, he had made up his mind that after nine years, he would directly confiscate this large enterprise and stop repaying the loan.

War, war can change a lot of things.

Now, saltpeter may be white gold, but after World War I, the German chemist invented synthetic nitric acid, the end of saltpeter has come, and now he is just using a sunset industry for China in exchange for the greatest benefits, a thousands of kilometers of trunk railway is the most important, as for the last "windfall profit" earned by saltpeter exports in World War I is almost negligible, and what they and China need is only that railway.

"So, by introducing Germany into the saltpeter mines, and Germany going against the Russians, we can be in a detached position in the middle, after all, this saltpeter mine took place by German geologists."

Smiling, Chen silently apologized in his heart to the company staff who found this saltpeter, for the sake of the country, it can only be so.

"And, more importantly, whether it is the huge investment in the railway and the future investment and huge return on saltpeter mines, it will make German investment in China overwhelm the traditional European powers of Britain and France, and at that time, China will become Germany's most important trading partner and investment market, then we can talk to Germany about the introduction of technology from Germany, and at the same time hire German experts to help us carry out the national industrial development plan, in the next ten years, help us build a complete set of industrial system, so that Only then can we become a great power in the true sense of the word. ”

After a little silence, Chen Moran looked at Liang Dunyan and said.

"Moreover, Germany's leading position in China will inevitably lead to the vigilance of Britain and France, in order to compete for the market, they will further reduce the price of industrial machinery, which is more conducive to our introduction of equipment and technology, so, in any case, in this game between countries, the final winner is only China, as for Germany, Britain, and even the United States, it is just a stepping stone on our development road."

Interests, the interests between countries is a game, and compared with those countries, they control the future development, they have taken the lead, as long as they grasp this opportunity, they can get unimaginable returns.

"For China now, if you want to develop, you must make full use of the contradictions between countries, skillfully strive for our interests, and at the same time do everything possible to ensure that our interests are maximized, which is the basis of our rapid development, and now, we want to pull the Germans in through railways and saltpeter mines, and in the future, they are trapped, and then we will persuade them to spit out Qingdao, and when the time comes, the Germans will only be able to do this for our ally"...,

When he spit out these words, Chen Moran felt a little smug in his heart, he used the "white gold" that was equivalent to chicken ribs to himself, in exchange for too many things, both immediate and long-term, in short, he just gave full play to his utility.

Yes, in the future, when the railway is built in Xinjiang, the labor punishment battalion of the Ministry of Internal Affairs must be transferred to Xinjiang to grow cotton there, and this is another good return.

This is the future in my hands

With a sigh in his heart, looking at Liang Dunyan who was sitting there, Chen Moran smiled.

"We have to prepare two negotiations now, one is with the Japanese, this negotiation is not so much a negotiation with the Japanese, but a game with Britain and the United States, and now that Germany is involved, as long as they are on our side, the pressure on the British side can be offset, and the only thing to consider is the United States."

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid that if we want to get the support of the United States for us, we must not only consider it diplomatically, but also ...... it."

Without waiting for Liang Dunyan to finish speaking, Chen Moran took it.

"US Dollar"

"To Your Majesty,"

Liang Dunyan nodded heavily, this is a strategy set by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after careful study.

"Now the United States has the world's largest industry, the most powerful financial economy, even Britain in the Boer War, need to finance the United States, France although the world's largest financing market, but, in terms of its financing potential, I am afraid of the United States, and the United States banking has always had the ambition to compete with the British financial community, if we want to ask for reparations, we said that we can consider using the dollar settlement, then the U.S. government will at least support most of our reparations claims to Japan, of course, We also want to induce the U.S. financial community to force the U.S. government to support our demands in exchange for dollar settlements, so that the Americans get what they dream of, and we can still get huge reparations, and of course most of the territorial claims can be satisfied. ”

Referring to this, Liang Dunyan looked at His Majesty again and said.

"Of course, it ultimately depends on how important a role Germany is willing to play in this game, without the full support of Germany, if we ask for the use of US dollars, I am afraid it will cause a strong reaction from the British side, and at this time, we need the support of Germany, but on the other hand, the German financial community also has the same demand, which we must take into account......"

"Then use the dollar and the mark, and settle it together, as for the proportion, it depends on how much effort they make to reveal this to them, and today's behavior determines tomorrow's return"

(The new book was released, title: New Era 1912, in this novel, in a weak country, countless individuals with the ideal of "citizens of a great country" entrust their future and destiny to the country, devote themselves to study, and strive to become a part of the team of the country, all of whom strive for the same big goal, this group of people is called the people.) And this goal could not be simpler - "the citizens of a great power". Oh, I hope you will continue to support speechless, thank you, if you have a recommendation, please vote for the new era, thank you) ......,