Yin Chang arrived in Fengtianfu in mid-December 1905, and Song Biao arrived in Dalian by train on December 27.

Sheyneth became the new governor of the Kwantung region, which was in fact the governor of the Far East that Russia had set up before the Russo-Russian War.

Shechenisky's acceptance of this post was largely due to the three conditions negotiated between Song Biao and General Madnidorf, and the fact that Brigadier General Brusilov was appointed deputy director of the Far Eastern Non-commissioned Officer School, which finally gave Shechensky a cheap deal.

Therefore, Xie Yenisky was very grateful to Song Biao, and went to the station with the guards to greet him very early, and then directly took Song Biao to the Kwantung Prefecture Governor's Mansion to live.

After retaking the city of Dalny, the Russians once again eagerly continued their dream of building it into the Paris of the East, and under the impetus of the great victory of the Russian army, as well as the serious instability in Russia, more Russian and French merchants began to flock to the city of Dalny, here in search of their dream of conquering the East.

More than one-third of the land in the entire city belongs to him, one-half of the port belongs to him, and the coal, iron, soybeans, medicinal herbs, and furs transported from the Northeast all need to pass through his Qingfeng Bank and Far East Commercial Bank.

The Russian lease in Dalian and Lushun was for 25 years, and by 1923 it had expired, and the Russians had the unbridled belief that they had actually taken ownership of the entire Liaodong Peninsula and that it was only a matter of time, but they should now understand that Song Biao would obviously not agree.

Because Song Biao is the master here.

After the Russian Military and Political Department in the Far East at Port Arthur and the lease of Port Arthur were transferred to the city, the Russian administration center of the "Kwantung Region" was transferred to the city of Dalny, which was a special city belonging to the Russian Ministry of Finance, and Russia really built the city with great momentum at any cost.

Song Biao came here three times, and each time the feeling was different, but now it became more and more like a bustling port, and the buildings built throughout the street still bear the brand of Russians.

He rode in a carriage towards the square, the streets were clean, four pure white Russian standard horses pulled the carriage in front, except for the carriage or rickshaw, the sky was blue, and even the air and the sea breeze were so clear.

Song Biao sat in the carriage, swaying and feeling the charm of this era, if he could, he really hoped to use the nuclear bomb in his hand to blow up the modern civilization of the whole world, blow up the Ford company, and let the world continue to maintain in this chaotic era, even if there are endless wars and barbarism, it is better than using the so-called civilization and modernization to destroy the whole world.

If human beings had been riding horses, perhaps the pace of development would have stopped, and the world would have been a little lovelier.

The new Russian Military and Political Headquarters in the Far East, located on the east side of Mykolaiv Square, next to Song Biao's Far Eastern Commercial House, represented two of the city's most powerful institutions, and the new military and political building continued to use the term "Kwantung Prefecture Governor's Palace" in Russian, and only used special names such as "Garrison Administration Department" on the English logo.

The reason why Russia could not even use the term governor of Kwantung Prefecture was that it was subject to the Sino-Russian "Luda Lease Treaty", although the Qing government axe tried its best to add a clause in the treaty that "Russia shall not appoint a governor in this leased land", and shortened the lease from 100 years originally proposed by Russia to 25 years, but for the Russians, the 25-year and no governor clause is bullshit, because the Qing Empire itself is bullshit.

As a result, the empire that really constrained Russia was the British Empire.

As a result, Russia played a word game between the Qing Axe and the British, and in front of the Qing Axe, they set up the post of Governor of the Kwantung Prefecture, and in front of the British Empire, this post was transformed into the Minister of Military Affairs of the Russian Leased Area in the Kwantung Region.

On the other hand, when Russia transferred the lease of Lushun to Yueben, it emphasized that the lease would end in 1923 and hoped that Yueben would get out of Lushun and the three eastern provinces after 1923.

For Song Biao, all this is bullshit.

Sheyenisky's "Governor-General" was an old friend of Song Biao, at least the Sheyenis-based would have thought so, and he held a very grand welcome luncheon for Song Biao in his "Governor's Palace," which was attended by diplomats from Britain, France, Germany, and the United States.

Song Biao's trip had been determined a month ago, under the special invitation of Senior General Sheyenis, the level of the banquet was very high, the United States Minister to China Rockhill, the British Minister to China MacMill, and the French Minister Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to China Lu Ban all came, the first two had already dealt with each other before, Lu Ban was the first time to come, because the military rank of the supreme commander of the army in Lushun must be lower than the rank of major general, Oshima Yoshimasa failed to serve as the commander in Lushun and the governor of Lushun, The newly appointed commander of the brigade in Arthur was Rear Admiral Shimamura Suo, who was also invited to the banquet.

Accompanied by Brigadier General Xie Yenis, when Song Biao entered the banquet hall wearing a blue-and-black military dress coat made in France, there were about 20 guests waiting here, in addition to family members, most of them had been in contact with each other before, and the more special ones were Rear Admiral Shimamura Suo and French Minister Lu Ban.

Out of respect for Song Biao, the other guests lined up in an irregular line to greet him, and the few guests who didn't know each other shook hands under the introduction of General Xie Yenis.

At this time, Song Biao generally had four very special symbols in the hearts of the diplomats of these powers: first, he was the governor of the three eastern provinces and the actual controller of the northeast; Second, he was the highest-ranking army general in Asia, and probably one of the best in the world, having been a lieutenant general of the Russian infantry and would most likely become a lieutenant general of the Russian infantry; thirdly, he was the protector of the interests of Russia and France in the Northeast, and the governor of the three eastern provinces that could be accepted by all countries and had high expectations; Fourth, he is the most powerful capitalist in the Northeast and a real warlord.

Song Biao walked over one by one and shook hands with each of them, thanking them for their welcome, until finally, when he met Rear Admiral Shimamura Suo, who was carrying an interpreter.

Rear Admiral Shimamura Suo bowed first, and said with a solemn expression: "It is a great honor to meet you here, Your Excellency is a Chinese god general whom I respect very much, and it is not a pity that I am not an army general, so I could not meet you on the battlefield." ”

He was already a soldier in his fifties, and his temples were a little gray, and if it weren't for the fact that he was going to be sent to Lushun as the commander of the garrison, he would have been sent to the Naval University as the president, especially in the theory of naval operations, and he has always been called the father of the Navy.

Song Biao bowed in return, and after the interpreter interpreted, he shook hands with Shimamura Suo and replied indifferently: "You guys are overcredited, wars always have to take risks, and I just bet right." Although we have not met on the battlefield, and may never have met at all, I hope that it is better not to meet again, because there is no need for Asia to continue this internal competition and war. ”

Song Biao has always been very hypocritical, he talks about people when he sees people, and he talks about people when he sees ghosts.

Rear Admiral Shimamura replied politely, "I hope it will be as you say." ”

Song Biao believed that although in the next few years, the dream of invading and occupying the mainland would not be ignited again, but after the end of World War I, when they changed from a debtor country to a creditor country again, and when their navy assisted Britain in winning the First World War, they would continue to burn the dream of occupying China.

Oh, for them it's just the occupation of China.

Everyone had been waiting for a long time, and after Song Biao arrived, the banquet began, and Song Biao also sat down in the position of the guest of honor, methodically arranging the tableware in front of him, spreading a purple napkin on his lap, and waiting for Sheyenisky to finish his opening remarks.

Russian banquets are always indispensable for caviar and butter roasted salmon, local materials, the main dish here is Russian-style butter roasted roe deer, the dishes of the Russian high society are basically learned from France, but more greasy, salty, and rougher, because the cooking materials are very wide, focusing on game and roasted stew, Song Biao feels that it is acceptable.

After serving the first course of butter grilled fish, the main course was officially served, and before a short time to clear his mouth with champagne and prepare for the formal luncheon, Song Biao thanked the guests: "Thank you for participating in the banquet that welcomed me, I am very happy, because most of you here are old acquaintances. Since you're all here, I'm announcing a piece of good news. ”

Everyone stopped and listened to Song Biao's speech, because he spoke in Russian, and the interpreters behind the banquet table had to interpret briefly as soon as possible.

Song Biao wanted to speak in simpler English, but his English level was really unattainable, and it was basically about the same as his speaking level.

He glanced around lightly and said, "As you may all know, as the newly appointed governor of the three eastern provinces of the Qing Empire, I am indeed a clumsy and young politician, and this is obvious, just a month ago, I shocked my ancient motherland and this Qing Empire with a military-style military parade. I need to explain here that I really have no more intentions, this is a misunderstanding, the former general of the Fengtian Province has overreacted, and for now, the matter has been settled. It was undoubtedly a little episode in which I unexpectedly obtained everything I wanted, including all the real power, in an unintentionally provocative way, and it really surprised me, a clumsy young politician. On this basis, as Mr. Governor of the three eastern provinces in the true sense, I can't wait to start a new political and new road of development, we all know that railways are always the basis for the reclamation and development of a region, and for this reason, I intend to build a railway from Yanji to Jinchuan County in three years, which will connect Vladivostok on the east side and the Qing Empire's entry railway on the west side, which will be the first horizontal connection of the entire Far East. ”

All of you here were amazed that they had never heard anything like this before, and everyone was heartily happy that this meant the development of a region, and the great benefits that came with it.

Of course, they are more concerned about who will invest in the railway, who will build it, and who will manage it, and that is the most important question.

Song Biao glanced at everyone and discussed with Xie Yenis: "There is no doubt that no matter who and which country will invest in this railway, it will cause a lot of controversy and all kinds of unnecessary troubles. Therefore, I decided to set up a company in my name and the Far East Commercial Company to invest in and operate the railway, and to undertake part of the construction, as well as the training and organization of most of the workers. I may need a part of the loan, as well as a part of the recruitment of shares, including the hiring of a certain level of consultants, and the identification of one or two partners for the construction of the railway. As part of the partnership, they are involved in the distribution of shares, as well as in the long-term management of the shares. Although I am a clumsy young politician, I love this vast land, I have a deep affection for it, and I know how to make this land richer, and how to make it a bigger international market, and I have the same fair mindset that businessmen and capital from every country are welcome to invest, start businesses, sell goods, and buy goods here, which will be a happy land of free trade. Although I am clumsy, I will stand by my ideals and justice. So, the best news is that I am going to build a rich and open province in the three eastern provinces, from which every investor and everyone can benefit and find everything they want, and the railway that we want to build now, and many more in the future, is just a can opener for wealth. In the three eastern provinces, we can open a mountain of gold with a small wrench. ”

Song Biao's words were very wonderful, and everyone present gave warm applause and a cordial smile, although everyone had different feelings in their hearts.

Xie Yenis would be a little embarrassed, he had no idea about such news before, and he subconsciously felt that this matter would not develop according to his and the Tsarist Empire's expectations, otherwise Song Biao should not have suddenly said such a big news on such an occasion.

U.S. Minister Rockhill stood up first and politely congratulated Song Biao: "Your Excellency General Song, Governor of the Three Eastern Provinces of the Qing Empire, first of all, please allow me, on behalf of the U.S. Legation in China, to convey the belated blessings and greetings of the U.S. Political Axe for your appointment as Governor of the Three Eastern Provinces. After the end of the political struggle between you and His Excellency Zhao, the former garrison general, the final result is satisfactory to everyone, as you said, you have further control over more real power in the three eastern provinces, which also means that the three eastern provinces will be more stable. I and the U.S. Minister to China are more than happy to convey your ideals and justice to the United States to the United States, and to tell Your Excellency the President, as well as U.S. investors, that we are more than happy to assist you if you have any need for me and the U.S. Legation in China to work in the development of the three provinces. As for this railway that runs through the three eastern provinces, there is no doubt that we are willing to provide free and excellent technical services in the first place. Finally, I hope that I will have a happy future with Your Excellency, as well as with our country and the three eastern provinces and the Qing Empire, including fair and all cooperation. ”

Song Biao stood up and thanked him: "Thank you, Your Excellency Minister Rockhill, and thank you for the blessings of the American political axe and the legation in China, there is no doubt that any blessing in this world has no concept of being late, no matter whether it comes early or late, it is a very important message." ”

Minister Rockhill happily replied: "You are a very young man of special wisdom, and you may be a clumsy and young politician, as you say, but it should be a well-known fact that you must believe in your own strength and worth." ”

Song Biao thanked again.

Watching the two of them thank each other, the others were a little overwhelmed, and almost everyone could have a premonition that a thrilling battle was about to start for the railway that Song Biao suddenly proposed.

He was already out, and probably the only chance was to export the rails.

Rear Admiral Shimamura Suo thought so, but he probably didn't expect at this time that Song Biao wouldn't even give the opportunity to the rails, don't joke, he was preparing to invest a lot of money to build the largest steel plant in Asia, and the first big business of this steel plant was all the tracks of this railway.

Song Biao was ready to exchange the shares of the railways for the foreign investment and various technologies he needed, especially in the field of steelmaking, as well as some special cooperation, and if the conditions of the other party were high enough, and it was countries like Germany and France that had an opportunity in the First World War, he could even take out more shares, provided that he had to ensure the military management of the entire railway.

In addition to Russia, his second largest partner in the three eastern provinces will be decided in the battle for the railway.

Song Biao has long considered this, and he has enough cards for Russia to temporarily avoid joining the competition and give him the opportunity to obtain more benefits.

According to the original plan, at the banquet, Song Biao, as the governor of the three eastern provinces, would negotiate the current situation in the three eastern provinces with the diplomats, and disclose some information that everyone is more concerned about, so that other countries can confirm this information.

Even after the banquet, Song Biao had to have an informal conversation with the ministers of France, the United States, and Britain on the protection of the interests of each country in the three eastern provinces.

All these itineraries arranged by Britain, France and Russia were disrupted by Song Biao's direct use of the Huijin railway issue, and at the banquet, everyone was basically asking about this railway, as well as some follow-up questions about the Northeast New Deal, after the banquet, the American and British ministers and Rear Admiral Shimamura Suo couldn't wait to negotiate for the time being, while Song Biao and Xie Yenis would negotiate first.

Entering the small reception room, Song Biao was just about to sit down, and General Xie Yenis asked him in surprise: "What's going on, we haven't heard of this matter before?" ”

Song Biao calmly patted Xie Yenisky on the shoulder, comforted him to sit on the sofa with him, and said, "Don't mind, this is actually the result of my closed-door discussions with the newly appointed Fengtian Governor Mr. Yin Chang two days ago, even if I know it now, it is not too late for Russia." ”

Benchmark General Sheyenis couldn't wait: "We need the management of this railway, there's no doubt about it. ”

Song Biao said unhurriedly: "There is no doubt that Russia has neither the need to control this railway, nor the possibility of this surname. Considering the chaotic situation in Russia, I cannot get more support from Russia at present, and considering the contention of the Anglo-Japanese alliance for interests in the northeast, I must continue to unite with other countries outside of Russia and give them fewer benefits, but it is enough to ensure that Britain and the alliance will not have the opportunity to have more to do with our rights and interests in the northeast, and not to give the Anglo-Japanese alliance a chance to break through my control over the three provinces. Therefore, the reason why I declare here is to deal with the unfair in a fair manner, and the result will be that the British and the Confederacy will not earn even a single silver coin on this railway, and on all the other Northeast railways. If the situation is more ideal, I hope that the railway will be split up and built in two of the three countries, Germany, France and the United States, and that my new Far Eastern Railway Company will be the main body in management. ”

Hearing this, Benchmark General Sheyenis couldn't help but nod in agreement.

If Song Biao is a young and clumsy politician, General Xie Yenis is not even a politician, but he has always had a very good friendship with Song Biao, and regards Song Biao as a special close friend.

Baseline General Sheyenis was silent for a moment before saying, "Okay, maybe that's the better way to go, but you really should have informed me in advance so that I and the Empire can report this matter." ”

Song Biao said: "It's not too late to report now, I said, this is indeed a temporary work, because before this, I didn't have any chance to think about this matter, and I didn't have the ability to control this railway in my own hands." It was only a few days ago that I really controlled all the power of the three provinces, and from now on, every new railway in the northeast will be up to me, and my plan is just the beginning, in the next five years, my railway company will start the construction of about five or six new railway lines, no matter how I bid for it, in the end it will not be any benefit from the British and the Ben, this is our attitude, unless the British give up their support for the Benth. If the British Empire was convinced that it would be able to gain benefits in the northeast, it was doomed to gain nothing in the three eastern provinces. If we want to do this, we must bring Germany, France, and the United States together and isolate the British alliance, especially the British alliance. In short, only if you give the wolfdogs enough meat will they help you take care of the home, what a simple truth, Your Excellency Sheyenisky? ”

Benchmark General Sheyenis praised: "yes, isn't that it? It's just that the empire cannot, in any case, accept the special case of other countries having railways in the Northeast. ”

Song Biao continued: "Russia should think more deeply, if it is not open to construction, the three eastern provinces are just a barren, we need it to become richer, so that it is in our interests." I am well aware of Russia's strength, and even Russia's own railways have to be built with loans from the French, and in addition to the huge debts brought about by this war, and the state of civil insurrection, according to my calculations, Russia will not have enough financial resources to invest in the Northeast Railway in the next five years, or even ten years. Therefore, it is better not to insist on this unreasonable principle, you and I both know that this is a meaningless insistence. When Russia wants me to be the governor of the three eastern provinces, and to pin their hopes on me to protect Russian interests, you should understand, especially you, Your Excellency Seyenisky, that the three eastern provinces are my sphere of influence, and that I need them to become more prosperous and provide me with more taxes and revenues. In short, I need more income to expand my army, to develop more interests and occupy more power in the decaying world of the Qing Empire, and as my power expands, Russia will undoubtedly always be the first stakeholder. ”

General Xie Ye could only nod in agreement, and said: "Yes, this is the case, then I will try my best to explain this matter to the Empire, I initially thought that you came here only to discuss the issue of financial plans, and I really didn't expect to suddenly talk about the railway issue of the three eastern provinces." ”

Song Biao bowed slightly, adding: "If our financial reform plan does not have the acquiescence and support of France, I think it will be difficult to get enough support and help." It is a more crucial matter to knock out the financial power of the three eastern provinces and the British ones, and they must not be allowed to have any form of money issuing power in the three eastern provinces, which is our goal, and it is also our most important goal, and the so-called railway problem is only to protect the realization of this goal. ”

Benchmark General Sheyenis exclaimed: "Who said that you are a politician who is young and clumsy, in my opinion, Song, you are simply the most seasoned politician. ”

Song Biao sighed without denying it: "Yes, who said it wasn't!" ”

The two talked for a moment on the railway, and after reaching an agreement, Song Biao, accompanied by Brigadier General Cheyennes, went on to meet with German and French diplomats and explained the full length of the Yanjin railway, the approximate total amount of money to be invested, the construction period, and the possible return on investment.

Song Biao plans to divide this railway into two parts, namely the western section of the Fengjin Railway and the eastern section of the Fengyan Railway, obviously, because the Fengjin Railway is a part of the Beijing-Fengjin Railway, which is connected to the most prosperous and important Zhili area of the Qing Empire, the yield will definitely be higher, and the section of the Fengyan Railway not only has a large number of mountains, the scale of investment is large, the construction difficulty is high, and the newly reclaimed areas along the way are barren, and the yield is much lower.

In order to increase the possibility of profitability, as well as reduce the difficulty of construction, Song Biao also prepared another alternative, that is, to build a railway from Fengtian to Jilin, and then build a branch railway at the mouth of the Meihe River to Tonghua, and finally build a railway from Tonghua to Yanji, and from Yanji to Jilin and Changchun. Naturally, the yield will increase significantly, and the western route is just a railway.

Germany and France are typical countries for the nationalization of railways, while the United States and Britain are countries that have privatized railways.

Both aspects have their own advantages, the former in terms of return on investment calculation is more relaxed, the goal is to open up the market, the construction period can be arranged more tightly, the latter will be more concerned about the rate of return, delaying the construction period is definitely a normal situation, but there will not be too much fighting at the level of political axes.

The total investment on the western front is expected to be about 1.7 million pounds, and the eastern front is expected to invest 7 million pounds.

After discussing with the French Minister Lu Ban and the German Counselor to China, Song Biao generally predicted that the competition on the western front would be very fierce, and for the eastern front, it seemed that he would have to wait for further opening terms and the choice of higher-level politicians in various countries.

It will be fierce in the end, Song Biao is convinced of this.

As for Xin Liping, it is worth mentioning that in the next fifteen years, Xin Liping has been an important German diplomat in China, during the First World War, in order to prevent Duan Qirui from declaring war on Germany, Xin Liping and Mr. Sun Yat-sen had very close contact, hoping to support Mr. Sun Yat-sen to lead the civil war to overthrow Duan Qirui's political axe, and Mr. Sun Yat-sen's price was to ask the German political axe to provide 20 million US dollars in free aid, and provide other military support and so on.

Anyway, in the era of the Republic of China, warlords and politicians had no temperance to speak of.

After the open meeting with Germany and France, Song Biao had to continue to negotiate with the French minister Lu Ban alone, they had to talk about a lot of things, these are all yards into one yard, many of which are things that have been in contact before, Lu Ban is accompanied by the French military attache in China Pedre, the brigadier general has had many meetings with Song Biao during the Russian War, and the two sides are still very familiar.

After the departure of the German Counsellor and the Commander of the Shyennes, Lu Ban could not wait to propose to Song Biao: "Governor Song, whether from a private or political public standpoint, I suggest that you choose to cooperate with our country. If both sections of the line are given to our country, our country is willing to provide all loans. I believe that the reason why you have spoken openly about this and invited all countries to participate in cooperation must be because Russia is at present relatively weak and not strong enough to support your effective rule over the three eastern provinces, and you are the one who really understands Russia, and I think I am not wrong, and France is willing to support you. In fact, we have made it clear from the outset that we are in favor of you, and you know very well that Brigadier Federary has been in contact with you in depth, and he has a very high opinion of you, as well as me and the French political axe. We hope that the cooperation with you will be carried out in depth, of course, all the cooperation we have negotiated before will not be affected by the tender for this railway, but there is no doubt that if this railway is finally handed over to France to prepare and manage, it will have a better impact on our cooperation. ”

Song Biao thought for a moment and replied: "You are a wise person, and I deeply feel that the cooperation with France has always been very pleasant, especially in the transfer of equipment from the Chatro Arsenal, including in the cultivation of cavalry and military horses, as well as financial cooperation, everything is very pleasant. Such cooperation is very beneficial to both parties, and it is my responsibility to ensure that this cooperation is deepened and maintained, and that French investment interests in the three eastern provinces are safeguarded. However, as I have stated, the railway must be operated by my company and have a majority stake. On that basis, all countries have ample room for negotiation. The answer I can give you is simple, that France is the closest to the right to take a stake in the railway, but I have to ask for a more detailed report on the investment. ”

Lu Ban said: "This is certain, we will send the best railway engineers and exploration personnel as soon as possible to cooperate with your railway company to carry out investment and construction research." We are confident enough in you that we will never ask for special terms such as garrison rights, and we will not exceed your majority shareholding requirement in terms of shares, but the specific total amount of investment and total loan amount also needs to be linked to the shares, do you think that is true? ”

Song Biao bowed slightly.

The fact is obvious, the real closest to the railway joint venture management rights are the French, before that, Song Biao and the French have been very close cooperation, Mosin Nagant rifles in the early production process, there have been a number of factories for the production, the largest of which is the French Chartro gun factory, followed by the United States Remington and Westinghouse machinery factory.

After France stopped producing Mosin Nagant rifles, the supporting production equipment was sold to Song Biao and transferred to Song Biao's Northeast Arsenal, and the French Chartro Gunsmith also sent more than ten engineers and skilled technicians to be responsible for the training of workers, plus Song Biao obtained the production patent right from Russia very cheaply, or it would not be long before Song Biao could produce Mosin Nagant rifles and matching Nagant bullets in his Northeast Arsenal.

In the next few years, the French will help him produce the 8mm Mauser rifle cartridges required for the Murata Type 22 rifle, as well as the 75mm and 76mm shells for the 31-year rapid-fire gun and the 3-inch Lucia field gun, including the supporting gunpowder factory.

In Song Biao's preparation for the implementation of the war horse breeding plan, the Horse Breed Department of the French War Department will also give great support, and the French Cavalry Section will provide full training and the supply of excellent horse breeds.

Including the upcoming financial reform of the three eastern provinces, the printing machinery of the Northeast Bank's silver and copper dollar bills, and the training of plate making may be provided by France, although there are some other changes on this point.

Song Biao and the French Minister to China Lu Ban want to talk about things that are definitely not as simple as the railway, the two secretly negotiated for two hours, because they negotiated for too long, originally wanted to use this meeting to meet with Song Biao, Minister Roxhire and Ying Yue representatives can only leave first, and agree on a new time for talks.

(To be continued)