Chang Ruiyuan smiled faintly and pointed to the Wen Jiàn bag on the table: "This Japanese has already calculated that the eldest brother will have this question, and the answer is in this Wen Jiàn bag." Mr. Kita Ichiki asked me to hand it over to you personally, and I have checked everything inside, and I don't know the text written in English. Mr. Kita Kazuki also said that if the eldest brother agrees in principle to sign a non-aggression pact with Japan, then Mr. Okamura Ninji will soon come to Nanjing to negotiate with you on behalf of the Japanese military. ”

Chang Ruiqing smiled: "Bei Yihui is thoughtful enough, but just one Okamura Ningji, the weight seems to be insufficient, right?" He is nothing more than the rank of Dazuo. As he spoke, he opened the Wen Jiàn folder, took out a stack of Wen Jiàn inside, and looked at it carefully.

In fact, there is nothing special about Kita's plan, which is an agreement for China and Japan to carry out secret cooperation. The core content of the agreement is two points:

1. China and Japan divide the sphere of influence in the South Seas, and the territory including Burma, Siam, and French Indochina belongs to China's sphere of influence. The rest of the South Seas, as well as Australia, were part of Japan's sphere of influence.

2. China and Japan signed an open non-aggression pact and a secret arms treaty. China must guarantee that in the next 20 years, it will not develop a large navy, not build and possess cruisers and armored cruisers with a displacement of more than 10,000 tons, and will not build or possess battleships and battlecruisers. Japan, on the other hand, pledged not to develop tanks and armored vehicles, not to develop large bombers, not to expand its cavalry units, and to reduce the number of peacetime army divisions to 17.

In addition to these two main points, there is also an analysis of the future situation in the world. Kita Kazuki thinks. The world war and the Russian revolution were the end of the white race's domination of the world. Moreover, the oppression of Germany by Britain and France and the emergence of Soviet Russia had already laid the seeds for the next world war. Not more than 20 years. A new world war will break out between Soviet Russia and Britain and France, the purpose of which will be to fight for hegemony in Europe! And this world war is likely to end with the defeat of Britain, France and Soviet Russia, and then it will be the best time for the rise of China and Japan, the two yellow Asian countries! Japan could aim southward, seizing the colonies of Britain, the United States, the Netherlands, and other countries in the South Seas and Australia, while at the same time defending itself against a counterattack by the United States, another great power of white civilization. China, on the other hand, should focus its development in the north and west, seizing the Asian territories of Soviet Russia while defending against a joint counterattack by the Caucasian countries of Europe. And after China and Japan joined forces to "liberate" Asia and win World War II, the two countries could also consider forming a federation. Make it the basis of the World Federation

After reading these texts, Chang Ruiqing took a deep breath and said in his heart: "I don't know if this North Yihui is crazy or the whole of Japan is crazy?" Having obtained nearly 400,000 square kilometers of the Far Eastern State, they are still not satisfied, and do they really think that with China and Japan, two countries that can be regarded as second-class powers at best, they can defeat the entire Western civilized world in 20 years? How much steel will Japan have by then? 5 million tons, or 10 million tons? How many more can there be in China? Probably not more than 15 million tons, right? Combined, the two countries are less than half of the United States! Not to mention that the Western world can invent something called the atomic bomb in the future! ”

Even though I thought so in my heart. But Chang Ruiqing was still unwilling to reject this group of Japanese madmen. Didn't they want to expand, to swallow most of the South China Sea and the whole of Australia? So why don't you let them give it a try? Anyway, it was the British, French, and American powers that were unlucky. Why don't China act as a chain to tie Japan's mad dogs! It would be better for Japan, Soviet Russia, and Hitler's Germany to go crazy together, probably and that's it. In order to make China, which has at most 15 million tons of steel, make a lot of money in World War II, right? That's right, that's it!

Tokyo, Japan.

A long, cold winter finally left the capital of the Japanese Empire. This past winter was the coldest most Tokyo residents can remember. It's not that the temperature is low in the meteorological sense, it's that the rationing of coal for heating is too inadequate. As a result of the unrest in Korea and China's total ban on the use of "bank bills" (including banknotes issued by the Bank of Japan), coal imports to the Japanese archipelago have fallen by at least 30 percent, much of which has to be supplied to the military, arsenals, some naval and merchant ships that are still burning coal, and heavy industry manufacturers. However, I am afraid that such a difficult day will have to persist for a few more years. This is because the Japanese government has begun to tighten economic control in order to raise sufficient resources for the development of the Far Eastern states. Strict rationing of major household goods, including rice, was introduced, and foreign exchange, gold and silver were banned.

The only hope for life to improve is probably the Far East. Grassroots governments and schools also began to repeatedly publicize the bright prospects for the development of the Far Eastern State, so some Japanese who had been oppressed by the hardships of life signed up to go to the new land that had been exchanged for more than 200,000 heroic souls of the imperial army. But they don't know. The huge investments needed to develop the Far Eastern states, as well as the expansion of the navy. The military expenditure on maintaining the army and building a defense system for the Korean Far East has already made their cabinet prime ministers feel cornered.

Hara's car was parked in front of the mansion of Aritomo in Yamaguchi, Japan's first patriarch who seems to have had a bit of a physical problem lately and is said to have been bedridden since early March. However, Yuan Jing, who has a close relationship with Tongshan County, knows that although this veteran is old, there is no big problem with his health, and he should be able to live for a few more years. Most of the recent illness was caused by his disciples and grandchildren in the army, right? Like China at present, Japan is also engaged in a dispute between land and sea, and although Yamayama has already stated that it will cut the army and focus on developing the navy, the army officers below do not buy it.

Both the Far Eastern Army and the Korean Army submitted reports at the same time requesting additional troops, and the Far Eastern Army believed that it was necessary to defend Soviet Russia from the north and China from the west at the same time, so it needed to be equipped with at least 15 divisions and regiments, and also wanted to spend huge sums of money to build two modern defense lines! The North Korean army demanded the strength of ten divisions to suppress the North Korean resistance and defend the Yalu River. At the same time, it also wants to build a defense system along the Yalu River. And the General Staff Headquarters also put forward the arguments that "China and Soviet Russia pose a huge threat" and "the lifeline of the Far Eastern states."

They believe that China and Russia are both land powers, and there have been signs of easing relations recently. It is likely that an anti-Japanese alliance will be formed in the future. In the future, the Far Eastern State will have to provide most of the raw materials needed by Japan's heavy industry, and the fertile land of the Far Eastern State will also provide Japan with enough food, and once the Far Eastern State is lost, Japan will not have the strength to expand southward at all. Therefore, Japan must give the highest priority to the defense of the Far Eastern State, and the army must not be weakened, but strengthened.

Japanese Army officers in Tokyo also went to the mansion of Aritomo in Yamaguchi in droves to persuade the army's commander-in-chief to oppose the plan to cut the army. When Yuan Jing got out of the car, the first thing he saw was a long car with a military sign parked outside the mansion of Shan County. Thinking of these army soldiers who shed blood and sweat for the empire, and are now experiencing a "laid-off crisis". Yuan Jing's heart couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic to them. However, for the sake of the long-term development of the empire, the prime minister can only sacrifice the short-term interests of the army.

Although many leading figures of the army visited, the inside of the mansion in Shan County was still unusually quiet, and people who came in and out deliberately relaxed their steps, which inadvertently added to the heavy atmosphere here. Under the guidance of the adjutant of the county government, Yuan Jing bowed his head and walked towards the private Buddhist hall in the county - it is said that the mountain county now spends a lot of time every day reciting sutras for soldiers who died in the battle against Soviet Russia. As soon as he passed through the corridor, he saw Yoshiichi Tanaka, who was wearing a general's uniform, appear in front of him. The Minister of War didn't look good, and he walked out of the Buddhist hall in Shan County with his head down, and bumped into Yuan Jing face to face. Yuan Jing frowned slightly, and called out to Tanaka: "Tanaka-kun, what is the opinion of the army now?" ”

Yoshiichi Tanaka stopped, and Asahara said with a wry smile, "Your Excellency the Prime Minister." I'm already trying my best to convince the generals of the Army. But the different opinions are very reasonable, the Far Eastern State is indeed the lifeline of the imperial state, and the border with China and Russia is too long, and the terrain is easy to attack and difficult to defend. ”

Yuan Jing thought for a moment and walked in front of Tanaka Yoshiichi: "Then have you and the Shan County Pavilion changed their minds?" If the focus of future development is on holding on to the Far East and North Korea, it can actually be for more than 60 million people. The empire now has more than 900,000 square kilometers of land that is sufficient. If we just stick to it, we might be able to make life much better. Something like the sending of troops in Simpelia. It's better not to show up again! ”

Tanaka Yoshiichi glanced at Yuan Jing coldly, and said lightly: "Of course such a thing will not happen again!" The Empire must find a more secure path forward, but it will not stand still! Your Excellency the Prime Minister, the subordinate still has military affairs to deal with, and he will be out of company first. He nodded at Yuan Jing and strode outside.

Yuan Jing stood there looking at the direction Tanaka had left and shook his head with a wry smile before walking towards the Buddhist hall where the mountain was chanting. But my heart is full of worries and confusion about the future, why can't Japan stop expanding and live comfortably? Why is Japan's national policy always to expand and expand again? After defeating North Korea, I want to be Manchurian, and when I get the Far Eastern State, I want Xianbeilia, and after Xianbeilia and Manchuria lose troops, I want Nanyang to go on like this, I really don't know when it will be the end!

With such a question, he walked into the Buddhist hall of Youpeng in Shan County. Under the dim light, Shanxian sat kneeling in front of a Buddha statue, but instead of chanting, he was in a daze. Hearing the footsteps behind him, the old man turned his body to face Yuan Jing and smiled, "Yuan Jun, sit down and talk." ”

Seeing that Shanxian County's complexion was okay, Yuan Jing breathed a sigh of relief, although Youpeng in Shanxian was a little domineering, he was still able to suppress the army, a monster with his own independent thinking, after all.

"Your Excellency Yamagu, now that the Japanese Empire has reached a critical crossroads, you must take care of your health!"

"It's just a slight occasional illness, this old bone will always last for a few years, at least until the national policy of going south is determined, and he will not go to see the Meiji Emperor."

Yuan Jing smiled reluctantly: "Still decided to go south?" According to people on the army side, the situation in the Far East and North Korea seems to be very dangerous. ”

Shan County nodded: "It is not unreasonable for them to propose that the Far Eastern State is indeed the lifeline of the empire, and there is no room for failure. But the entrenchment of the Far Eastern states cannot be relied on by the army alone. Diplomatic cooperation is still needed. Yuan-kun, you're just in time. Tanaka Yoshiichi has just put forward a plan to conclude non-aggression pacts with China and Soviet Russia, and as long as these two treaties are in place, the generals of the army will have nothing to say. Do you think it's feasible? ”

Yuan Jing was stunned, silent and did not speak, until a long time later, he heard him say faintly: "Japan, Russia, and China are now containing each other, as long as the empire can sign a non-aggression pact with one country between China and Russia, the attitude of the other country will definitely be relaxed." It might also lead to a non-aggression pact in which the three countries would protect each other. ”

"Hehe, it's a bit like the 'Triple Alliance' of Imagawa, Takeda, and Hojo in the Warring States Period, right? If the three families contain each other. Then there would be no Imagawa Kamiraku, no Hojo galloping Kanto, and no Takeda Ichikoshin Now the army is secretly pushing for China and Japan to sign a non-aggression pact, but the weight of the army alone is probably not enough, and they are not doing this. Yuan Jun, are you willing to act as Taiyuan Xuezhai in our time? ”

At this time, Nanjing, the chairman's palace of the national government.

Inside the conference hall. The high-ranking figures of the Nationalist Government, the National Defense Force, and the Kuomintang and the Communist Party all sat solemnly, looking at a copy of the document in their respective hands and looking at it carefully. Hu Hanmin, Chen Duxiu, Chang Ruiqing, Song Qingling, Chiang Kai-shek and others sat side by side on the rostrum, looking at the civil and military forces below, motionless.

Today's meeting is a private meeting. The windows of the conference hall were covered with thick curtains, and the security personnel of the presidential palace were guarding the perimeter of the conference hall to prohibit idlers from approaching, and no reporters were invited to cover the news.

That document was part of the secret Sino-Japanese cooperation agreement proposed by Kita Kazuki, mainly the content of the signing of a non-aggression pact. Chang Ruiqing continues to carry forward his democratic style. I brought this article to today's meeting for you to discuss. Originally, today's meeting was to discuss the focus of the development of China's heavy industry, which is the so-called "sea and land dispute". And if China and Japan want to sign a non-aggression pact. This is tantamount to a death sentence for the Great Navy Project -- because this non-aggression pact actually gave up the intention to compete with Japan for interests in the South Seas, and at the same time gave a green light to Japan's national policy of going south. There was even a hint of encouraging them to go south and clash with the British and American powers. And the direction of China's future development seems to be the north and the west, right?

However, Chang Ruiqing also made it clear that while signing a non-aggression pact with Japan, China would also seek to sign the same treaty with Soviet Russia, Britain, and France. The task of China's national defense forces is only to defend the country, and external expansion is not the development path that China should take, and China's future should follow a path of peaceful development.

Foreign Minister Wang Zhengting was the first to speak, he shook his head, and then hesitated and said: "The purpose of Britain, the United States and France in supporting us is to let us contain Soviet Russia and Japan.

"What would happen to Anglo-American law if we signed a non-aggression pact with Soviet Russia and Japan? If we don't sign, how much benefit will they give us? Chang Ruiqing interrupted Wang Zhengting's words, and said slowly: "What Yingmei is willing to give, it has been given in the past few months, and if they are not willing to give, even if we are obedient, it is useless!" In that case, why should we try to contain Soviet Russia and Japan for them? ”

Wang Zhengting shook his head and had nothing to say. Chang Ruiqing's "national policy of peace" sounds very beautiful, and I am afraid that as soon as it is proposed, it will be unanimously supported by the people -- China has not yet developed to the so-called imperialist stage, and neither the ordinary people nor the big capitalists are actually very willing to fight. Even Britain and the United States and France are not easy to say, and isn't China still willing to sign the same treaties with the United States, Britain, and France? It was also about securing the security of their Asian colonies.

"What about the layout of heavy industry? Is it around the needs of the Army? Navy Minister Cheng Biguang asked.

"Yes. If we could sign non-aggression pacties with all the neighboring countries. Chang Ruiqing immediately replied: "Then the development idea of the national defense force in the future should be local defense, so there is no need for a large navy, and the navy only needs to develop submarines, speedboats, and small surface ships." ”

"This is also what Mrs. Sun and Premier Chen meant." On the side, Hu Hanmin also added: "We and Yaoru have repeatedly studied it, and we feel that it is better to have a peaceful national policy after signing non-aggression treaties with Japan, Soviet Russia, and Britain, the United States and France, and we will also promote a broader peace mechanism to try to ease relations between Britain, the United States and France and Japan, and Soviet Russia." After a worldwide war, we should all realize that the means of war cannot promote the development of a country, and that only peace is the primary condition for development. So in the future, our country will not pursue a large navy, and at the same time, it will not pursue a large army. What Yaoru means is that it is enough for us to have a sound national mobilization system, to maintain a small army and air force in peacetime, but with a high degree of mobility and firepower, and a navy that can defend the coastal waters and break up diplomatic relations with the oceans. ”