@@@@@

The snow is fluttering, and the breath is turning into ice.

The mist drifting from the sea shrouded the city of Tianjin, even if the sun was high. The majestic Dagukou Fort in the distance is faintly visible, but the old Tianjin people are always full of helplessness in the face of the dark castle bluestone full of mountains. The Treaty of Xinchou in the year of Gengzi disarmed the fortress that held the gateway to Gyeonggi, and the huge cannons of the Qing Dynasty piled up with snowflakes and silver were dismantled. The army is gone, the officials are gone, the concessions are numerous, and foreign soldiers are rampant, if it weren't for Yuan Shikai to get an army without guns to maintain, maybe the current Tianjin would have been gone.

Therefore, Tianjin people have special feelings for Beiyang, and after the abdication of the Manchu Qing Dynasty, a large number of Manchu nobles fled to the Tianjin concession, and the Republic of China set the capital of Nanjing, and Tianjin became the largest commercial city in the north. With the withdrawal of Japanese forces from the mainland, the Wehrmacht participated in the European War, and then the Russian concession was completely canceled, and the United States also canceled the Tianjin concession, and also withdrew the troops stationed here, and the only ones still holding on are the British.

The Tianjin Power Plant is British-owned, the Dagu Shipyard is British-owned, and even the wharf has the words "British-owned".

But this privilege is already in jeopardy. As January 1 approached, the British Empire felt more and more an invisible pressure looming over it. Under Yang Qiu's all-round market-for-diplomatic offensive, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Portugal, which are in urgent need of funds for reconstruction, have agreed to issue a joint communiqué to cancel the unequal treaties with China that are no longer of great use to them, and the United States has actively participated in trying to take advantage of the opportunity that Europe has not yet returned to deepen economic and trade relations with China, so the British Empire and Japan, which still occupies Taiwan, have been isolated all at once.

When Yang Qiu arrived, the troublesome Haizilun had already been dragged by the guards to the former Daosheng Bank's special wharf, and the citizens and good people who rushed to hear the news surrounded the wharf, and the military and police reluctantly let the reporters go in first to take pictures after separating them with guns. The cargo hold is still as it was when the fire was exchanged. Even the personal belongings left by the Japanese sailors were not cleaned up. A large number of documents brought out of Russia, boxes with Russian characters, and Russian-made guns and ammunition all show its relationship with its former powerful northern neighbor. Nobuta Oricho stood on the ship with handcuffs and a dozen captured Japanese sailors, his face dejected. After confessing and writing a confession under special interrogation methods, the last psychological defense line was destroyed. Not to mention a public trial at this moment, they don't even have the courage to serve the emperor.

"This is the little Japan that fought with the sailors a few days ago? Why is there no spirit of the year? ”

"Ass! I don't know who I meet. Commander Yang is also something they can provoke?! ”

"That's right! These little Japan just don't have a long memory, they just cleaned up a few years ago, and they dare to come back. I've heard about it, Cai Dashuai. Yue Dashuai and Lord Feng of Beiyang, they are all here this time, I think this is about to start a fight again. ”

"Hey, if you want to say that the days are much better now, it's not a matter of fighting every now and then."

"Is that what we're going to fight? This time it's a little Japanese trouble! I've heard about it. Hundreds of sailors died. Even the two large ships that were bought back a few years ago were damaged. ”

"What? Was the warship broken last time? I fuck him as the eighth ancestor of the Japanese emperor. ”

The whispering gradually turned into scolding, and after the real evidence that triggered the conflict was publicly displayed, patriotic public opinion was once again aroused with enthusiasm. Fueled by the reporters, the whole country immediately formed a unanimous voice that the Japanese navy and government must be punished, justice must be restored, and dignity must be earned!

Reinsch and Hangel, who also rushed here, also saw this visceral hatred. This made both of them happy and worried. Happily, the Anglo-Japanese alliance is facing tremendous pressure, and the United States has long hated this alliance but has no choice but can do anything about it. Now that China has jumped out, it is natural to be happy. The concern is whether China will use this conflict to build up its strength. Compared with Japan, which is a small country, China has much more power in its body. Will it threaten U.S. interests in the Pacific in the future? Of course, this kind of worry is still too far away at present, and Yang Qiu does not yet have the ability to compete with the United States for hegemony in the ocean. No matter how hard he tried, it was difficult to shorten the time factor immediately, not to mention the strong industrial capacity of the United States, and there was still a big gap between it and Japan, which could independently manufacture Nagato-class battleships. At least from the analysis of various signs at present, China has only just had the ability to build 305mm naval guns, while Europe and the United States are already developing in the direction of 406mm.

So after checking the situation at the dock, the two immediately went to the Tianjin World Hotel where Yang Qiu was staying.

After arriving at the hotel, before I saw Yang Qiu, I saw the French ambassador to China, Cont and Sa Zhenbing, talking and laughing, walking out, and their expressions seemed to be very intimate. This made the two very surprised, didn't it mean that the head of the Chinese Navy was thinking about the loss of two capital ships? Could it be that Hanger and Reinsch glanced at each other and thought of one thing about the battleship!

What is China lacking now? Capital ship for sure! Although China and Japan each had two capital ships damaged, compared with Japan, which had four battle cruisers, China's naval gap was too great, and the Japanese navy alone was currently leading 6 to 2, and the lead number would reach 10 to 4 in January. To make matters worse, with the Nagato-class about to be launched, Japan will have six capital battleships, while China will only have two inefficient Combined Forces classes, so the day after the Yellow Sea conflict, the Chinese government officially asked countries to buy four or six capital battleships.

But Reinsch didn't know much about the navy and asked, "Your Excellency Hangel, do France have battleships for sale?" ”

Hangel shook his head, France lost 40% of its warships in World War I, and it was not enough to have capital ships to sell. However, if it is said that the period of rebuilding is too long, according to the mood of the Chinese Navy at this time, it must first be finished and not newly built, and the only ones in the world with the ability to sell finished battleships are the United States and Britain. No matter how Britain says it, it is still an ally of Japan, and Japan's defeat is not in the interests of Britain, and it is impossible to buy from Britain, so in addition to checking the situation, the two of them also hope to take the opportunity to win this big deal.

"Is it Normandy?" Hanger suddenly remembered four unfinished battleships that had been launched in 1918. Having the experience of the last Anhai-class, he already knows some knowledge of naval shipbuilding. Generally speaking, the launch indicates that in addition to the outfitting work such as naval guns and ranging, the rest of the structures, including armor and power, are basically completed, and the overall completion rate is about 70%. What France lacks at the moment is the money, not the technology, and at least 20 of the 340mm guns used on the ship have actually been manufactured. Because the land pressure was too much before, it was misappropriated, so it can be used to make up the number and install it. If France moves at full speed, then the possibility of completing and delivering two ships within half a year cannot be ruled out.

With suspicion, the two walked towards the hotel. In fact, Hanger guessed correctly, Kant came to sell four Normandy-class battleships. Anyway, France has no funds to complete the project, so it has been hoping to find a big boss to sell it. After all, if you dismantle it, you will face the embarrassment of losing money. Therefore, Kant came with great hopes this time, and even promised that as long as the Chinese government paid cash, it could guarantee that two ships would be provided within six months, and all four ships would be completed within a year. And the French government is also happy to see China and Japan fight, and it is better to drag Britain into the water. It is also necessary to consume China in the north, and it is better to have a second Boer War, which can not only relieve the pressure on the French East Indies, but also allow France to dominate Europe from now on.

When the two met Yang Qiu in the small living room, he happened to see off the British ambassador to China, Bernard. Not seen for a while, Hanger found him to seem very tired. Kind and concerned: "Your Excellency, Vice President." You should take proper rest and take care of your body. ”

Yang Qiu nodded gratefully, the troop movements in the past few days, the follow-up arrangements, the communication in Nanjing, etc., did make him a little tired. Jean Kwong Xukun made coffee for the two of them before saying, "Thank you, Mr. Hangel. Do you two have something to do with me? Are you here to persuade me to compromise with Japan? ”

Three years ago, Reinsch answered yes in the affirmative. But now the situation is completely different. The United States was already extremely disappointed in old Europe, especially Wilson's crushing defeat at the Paris Peace Conference. As a result, the United States, which borrowed tens of billions of dollars and sent four million troops, did not even get the benefits of a hair. Therefore, the domestic crowd is now excited. Coupled with the improper aftermath of the veterans, riots occurred almost everywhere. At this time, Britain actually sold four battle cruisers to Japan, which was a great stimulus for the United States, which dreamed of dominating the Pacific Ocean, and it is said that President Wilson's stroke had something to do with this deal.

The U.S. government has had to deal with the consequences of interfering with the outside world because of the sudden surge of domestic isolation, and as a diplomat, Reinsch certainly cannot go against the will of the country, so he said: "We are not here to be lobbyists. Of course, the U.S. government does not want to see war, let alone peace in the Far East, but we can understand the feelings of you and your people at this moment. We only hope that you will exercise as much restraint as possible, because war is not the only way to resolve disputes, and as a politician you should know very well. ”

These few words were so beautiful that even Yan Xishan, who had just walked to the door, admired Rui Enshi's eloquence, and quietly pulled Kuang Xukun over and asked, "What's wrong today?" How do the words of the Americans sound like they are helping us? ”

Yan Xishan is located in Beijing and Tianjin, and in recent years, he has been nicknamed "the chief manager of Beijing and Tianjin", and some people have even included him in the list of the next Nanjing government. It's just that compared with other cutting-edge, his international outlook and overall outlook are still a little worse, which also limits him from getting closer. Kuang Xukun followed Yang Qiu, and his vision was already extraordinary, so he quietly told everything that happened in the United States during this time. Hearing that there was a war of veterans in the United States, President Wilson suffered a stroke as a result, and the government even sent troops to suppress it, Yan Xishan was shocked.

Yang Qiu, who was in the living room, of course, knew these things, and asked: "I will seriously consider the opinions of the two and President Wilson, and please take me to express my heartfelt wishes to him, hoping that he can recover soon, the world needs him as a peace fighter." ”

"Thank you." After thanking him, Hanger said: "Your Excellency Vice President, in fact, I am here today with Your Excellency the Ambassador to discuss with you the intention of cooperation in the Irkutsk oilfield project. ”

Yang Qiu frowned quietly. Since the discovery of the Irkutsk oil field, the government has set up the Northwest Petroleum Company to prepare for development and utilization. And what is the intention of proposing an oilfield project that cannot be hit by eight poles at this time? After thinking about it, he asked tentatively: "We are indeed looking for manufacturers to buy equipment, and we also hope to get the help of large international companies that have the ability, but this matter will not be decided until January 1st, and do you think I have the heart to take care of this matter now?" Maybe you should go to the Ministry of Commerce and ask. ”

"No, no."

Hanger shook his finger as he took his coffee. He knew what Yang Qiu meant by waiting until January 1 to mention development, because at that time the Chinese government would definitely force a unilateral end to all unequal treaties. Irkutsk, which was originally ceded by Russia in the Treaty of Nebuchu, became Chinese territory after it was declared null and void. Since the United States has recognized the annulment of all treaties, it is natural that it must recognize China's recovery of the northwestern territory.

He narrowed his eyes, and after glancing at Rui Enshi, he suddenly smiled mysteriously and changed his title: "Dear Yang, to develop such a large oil field, you need to purchase at least 40 million US dollars of extraction and refining equipment, the United States is currently the country with the most complete oil industry in the world, we are not only very willing to sell you these equipment, but also willing to help you build a large-scale oil refinery." And we think that such a large contract must have some other items attached.

Like selling a couple of battleships! ”

Yang Qiu immediately understood what the United States was thinking. Whether it is the former French ambassador Immanuel Kant, or the current Hunger and Reinsch, the sale of battleships is actually just a collateral benefit, and even if they can be bought, they must be some old goods, or something like the Normandy class, their real meaning is very obvious. In the most popular words, it is to say: "Brother, let's do it, pull the British Empire into the water, and we will cheer you up." "That's political implications! After the Paris Peace Conference, the United States had no gains, and it had long hated Britain, otherwise it would not have supported Germany and supported Germany to reduce reparations, and even had plans to support the poor party, all in order to break up the Anglo-Japanese alliance and expand into the Pacific. France, on the other hand, wanted to dominate Europe if someone could take out Britain, and at this time there was a big rift in the Anglo-Japanese alliance, and Japan was accused of colluding with the poor party. Even if it were Yang Qiu himself, it was estimated that he would pounce on it and take a few bites.

So it doesn't matter if you want a battleship or not, but he is very willing to be a bird. Picking up his coffee, he made a celebratory gesture and smiled, "So should we have a toast and celebrate the dismantling of a nasty alliance?" ”…… (Site. Your support is my biggest motivation. )