The next day, Zhu Erdian asked to see Wu Tingfang again, but he was received by Chao Dianyu, vice minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"May I ask why Lord Wu Tingfang didn't come to see me? I have been given full negotiating powers, and you must have an equal minister, not a vice-minister. ”

Zhu Erdian immediately protested, and it was obvious that Wu Tingfang deliberately arranged for the vice minister to negotiate with him, which was humiliating Britain in disguise.

Chao Dianyu smiled and said, "Mr. Zhu Erdian, if you are sincere, I think our adults will meet you." You should be well aware that your arrival in Yanjing has attracted strong attention from the political axes of the other G8 countries. Just now, the ambassadors of France, Germany, and Italy sent a note to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of our country, asking for an explanation of the reasons for our unilateral contacts with you. You should understand that the G7 is going to completely divide up all of your overseas colonies, and we are running out of time for you. ”

**Naked threats!

Zhu Erdian knew that there was something behind Chao Dianyu's words, but he also knew the current situation, the Eight-Nation Alliance had been peeping at the British colonies for a long time, and now Britain was weak, which was really the best opportunity for them to fall into the ground.

"Alright! I'll be very busy with Wu Tingfang! Zhu Erdian had no choice but to negotiate with Chao Dianyu, who was one level lower than him.

"To show our sincerity. We can admit that the British Bermuda, the British West Indies, the British Maltese Islands, and the British Pacific Islands that the Chinese Empire currently actually occupies, the amount of compensation should be less than 10 million. ”

"Is this your sincerity?" Chao Dianyu shook his head and immediately said no.

"It seems that you have not yet realized the seriousness of the problem, the Eight-Nation Coalition is about to seize all of Africa and West Asia, and the next targets will be South Asia and the Americas, when your colonies in India and Canada will be lost. The colonies we are asking for are islands, not the economic center of your country. ”

"That's right, it's all islands, and it's true that they're not the center of gravity of the economy." Zhu Erdian sneered: "Don't think that I don't know, what you have seized is strategic places, and with these islands, your navy can be sent around the world, which is one of your plans to dominate the global seas." ”

Chao Dianyu looked at Zhu Erdian in surprise, he didn't expect him to have such a strategic vision, so he said: "I think your country has come down from the throne of the world's number one naval power, and my Chinese Imperial Navy is currently the world's strongest navy, so it is not an exaggeration to ask for some overseas military bases." ”

Zhu Erdian said: "You are only temporary! Our British Imperial Navy is invincible, our strong industrial base is not comparable to yours, and it won't be long before we regain the throne of the world's first. ”

Chao Dianyu nodded and said, "It is undeniable that your British industrial base is very strong. I also admit that there is still a certain gap between China and your country in terms of industrial capacity. I believe that your country will soon be able to regain its position as the number one naval power, and we do not have the idea of competing with your country for world hegemony, we just want your country to recognize us as the hegemon in the Pacific. As for the other oceans, we do not compete with you. ”

"Is this true?" Zhu Erdian asked.

"Of course!" Chao Dianyu nodded and said, "We have no interest in meddling in the affairs of other continents, which can be seen from our eight-nation convention. ”

The Eight-Power Pact has been made public, in which the eight countries divide up the British colonies, and the Chinese Empire is only interested in the Asia-Pacific region, occupying only a few islands in other regions.

"But we can't give you Australia!" Singapore and Cyprus are one of the most important military bases of our British Empire, and you have not occupied them, and we cannot give them up. ”

Chao Dianyu said: "We didn't say that we had to occupy Australia, but we asked Britain to dissolve the suzerainty relationship with Australia, and it will be up to the Australians themselves to decide where Australia goes." ”

Zhu Erdian suddenly said angrily: "Is there a difference between your occupation of this root? Don't think we don't know your purpose, most of Australia's current people are yours, and even if you vote in Mingzhuo, it will become your territory. ”

"You know a lot!" Chao Dianyu smiled and said, "At least we saved face for Britain, didn't we?" ”

"Robber!" Zhu Erdian said indignantly.

"Please watch your words!" Chao Dianyu's face suddenly sank, and he snorted coldly: "Say that we are robbers, what about yourself?" Didn't it rise by robbing Spain? Didn't you rise by invading China and dumping opium? Who are you to say about us? ”

Zhu Erdian was speechless for a moment.

Chao Dianyu sneered, and then said: "I heard that your country is extremely short of materials, prices have risen wildly, and the materials needed for the survival of the people have reached the warning line, and they must not be able to support it for long. I've heard that the hundreds of new warships in your country have basically stopped working, and if we continue to blockade them, you will be even worse. ”

Zhu Erdian's face was immediately embarrassed, and he retorted: "To be honest, we are not preparing to start a war with your country, it is you who sneak attack us. ”

"You British are arrogant!" Chao Dianyu sneered: "You are arrogant and think that we will not dare to start a war with you, so you did not have enough war materials in your country before the war, and you did not expect that we would block your life supply line, so you have only landed in this field now, this is the result of your arrogance." ”

Zhu Erdian was very angry when he was so counted by Chao Dianyu, but after thinking about it, what he said was not wrong at all. If it weren't for the arrogance of the British, who didn't take the Chinese Empire in their eyes, and had prepared for war early, they wouldn't have been so passive.

Zhu Erdian sighed and said, "If your country can stop the blockade of our country, we are willing to relax the conditions. ”

Chao Dianyu said: "Our conditions remain the same! ”

Zhu Erdian said: "Australia can give you, but the reparations should be reduced, the British Empire's economy has collapsed and it is unable to pay." ”

Chao Dianyu received an order that there would be no counteroffer for the land cut, and the compensation could be negotiated. So he said: "Singapore and Cyprus must give us, and the compensation is negotiable, but it should not be less than 400 million pounds." ”

Zhu Erdian suffered for a while, but he had already won the stage surname, and the Chinese Empire reduced the amount of reparations to 400 million pounds.

Zhu Erdian then took his leave and went back to send electricity to the British headquarters. The British headquarters quickly called back, asking Zhu Erdian to make persistent efforts, but the time could not be delayed too long, and the state of war with the Chinese Empire must be ended within half a month and the blockade must be lifted.

In the following week, Zhu Erdian successively negotiated with Wu Tingfang and Chao Dianyu, and the Chinese Empire was resolute in its refusal to relent, but considering the transfer of Britain's military spearhead to other European countries, the Chinese Empire decided to make concessions on the issue of reparations.

On the tenth day of negotiations, the Chinese Empire reduced the amount of reparations to 200 million pounds, an amount that was acceptable to the British. The British side was anxious to lift the blockade and resume shipping, so it authorized Jurdian to agree to this condition.

However, the news leaked, and the seven countries of France, Germany, Italy, Austria, Russia, Turkey, and the Netherlands asked to intervene in the negotiations, and the political axes of the seven countries sent a note to the political axes of the Chinese empire, asking the G-8 to jointly negotiate with Britain.

After careful study, the political axe of the Chinese Empire believed that it should not offend the Seven Kingdoms at the same time, advance and retreat with the Seven Kingdoms, and expand the contradictions within the Seven Kingdoms and the contradictions between Britain and the Seven Nations in line with the future strategic objectives of the Chinese Empire. As a result, the Chinese Empire held closed-door meetings with the Seven Powers and the British, and reached a series of secret agreements with each other.

Since between the seven countries, the Netherlands and Turkey played soy sauce, and the Chinese Empire only appeased it slightly. With regard to the Triple Alliance and the Entente, the Chinese Empire adopted divisive tactics to exploit the contradictions between the two blocs, and eventually forced them to accept negotiations with Britain within the framework of the G-8.

Privately with Britain, the Chinese Empire, in order to transfer the future contradictions of Britain to the other seven countries, reduced the amount of reparations to Britain to 100 million pounds. In order to save Britain's face, the Chinese Empire expressed its willingness to peacefully buy the colonies ceded by Britain to China.

Britain was very angry about the land reparations, and the British political axe was forced to negotiate with the Chinese Empire to make both sides reasonably step down and have face-saving terms.

In the end, the Chinese Imperial Political Axe decided to seize the British colonies for a total price of 49 million pounds to purchase peacefully, while the British Political Axe decided to return the economic losses caused to China by the British war against China since 1840, as well as the great damage caused by opium to the citizens of the Chinese Empire, with 99 million pounds in compensation.

In this way, both sides will have the face to step down and will give an account to the people of both sides.

On August 29, 1906, the 15th day of July in the sixth year of the Chinese Empire, the weather was sunny.

At the Yanjing International Hotel, Wu Tingfang, the plenipotentiary negotiator of the Chinese Empire, and Zhu Erdian, the plenipotentiary negotiator of the British, signed the Sino-British "Armistice Peace Treaty".

The treaty stipulated: "British Australia and its Pacific Islands, British Bermuda, British West Indies, British Cyprus, British Indian Ocean Territory, and British Singapore were to be resold to the Chinese Empire for a total value of £49,000,000." Britain formally apologized in writing for launching the Opium War against China, returned the indemnities paid by the Chinese Empire to Britain, and compensated the citizens of the Chinese Empire who were persecuted by opium, totaling 99 million pounds.

The last clause of the treaty is that after the signing of this treaty, the two sides shall cease all military hostilities and the two countries shall be reconciled forever.

The treaty signed by China and Britain took care of the feelings of the people of the two countries for the war to the greatest extent, and the citizens of the Chinese Empire cheered and celebrated, and the British people remembered the guilt of waging the Opium War against China, and it was also appropriate to compensate the Chinese Empire for its losses, so the anger against the British political axe was reduced to a minimum. The Chinese Empire acquired some British colonies by way of ransom, which made the British people feel better.

Soon, the anger of the British people was transferred to the other seven countries of the Eight-Nation Alliance.

Under the mediation of the Chinese Empire, the G-8 collectively signed an armistice and peace treaty with Britain, the Nine-Power Pact. The treaty required Britain to recognize the validity of the Eight-Power Pact and the efforts of each country to liberate the colonial people enslaved by the British. Britain should pay the cost of military spending and casualties paid by the Eight-Nation Coalition in the "rescue operation", totaling 450 million pounds. The United Kingdom would have to pay the reparations by taking out a loan from a G-8 bank at an interest rate of 4% per annum, to be repaid over 39 years, with a total of £980 million with interest, secured by customs duties. The British army withdrew from the unliberated colonial garrisons in the Eight-Nation Pact, dismantled the forts and defense systems, and each of the eight countries sent troops to maintain local law and order, and handed over the eight countries to implement the commission and management.

The British had no choice but to accept the terms of the Eight-Nation Alliance.

After Britain signed the Nine-Power Pact, large-scale protests and demonstrations broke out in Britain, and British Henry was forced to resign en masse, and the British Conservative Party immediately stood up to reorganize the government, but the pressure on the Conservative Party was also unprecedented, and it could not control the situation alone, so it had to ask the Liberal Party to cooperate, so the two sides formed a coalition cabinet to jointly deal with the current crisis.

After the war, the situation in Britain was turbulent. The Chinese Empire took the opportunity to voluntarily renounce the indemnity payments to China stipulated in the "Nine-Power Pact" and carried out large-scale assistance to Britain, including the delivery of a large amount of grain from the Chinese Empire itself, as well as various urgently needed materials for daily life.

The anger of the British was thus transferred to the other seven countries.

Of the seven powers, the Netherlands and Turkey were weak, and when they saw that the Chinese Empire had given up its demand for reparations, they also gave up their demands for reparations.

The German-Italian-Austrian Triple Alliance naturally did not care about the anger of Britain, and the Franco-Russian Entente continued to retain its demand for reparations, so that the hatred between Britain and the two major military blocs intensified.

With the Chinese Empire abandoning the reparations of the Nine-Power Pact and turning to British aid, this move on the one hand increased the export trade of the Chinese Empire, and on the other hand, it did help Britain to recover its strength as soon as possible. The Chinese Empire did not want Britain to be weighed down by heavy debts, but hoped that Britain's contradictions with the Allies and the Entente would further deepen.

The Chinese Empire knew the industrial capabilities of Britain, and Britain would certainly retaliate if it gasped, so the Chinese Empire made overtures to Britain and transferred British hatred and anger to other countries.

With the lifting of the blockade of Britain by the Chinese Empire and the resumption of British shipping, the urgently needed supplies in Britain were quickly replenished, and society gradually stabilized.

Most importantly, the British naval industry, having received industrial raw materials, quickly resumed production and construction.

At the end of 1906, because of the heavy losses in the war and the need for the British economy to recover, the British Admiralty canceled the construction program of other battleships. The steel of eight battleships was dismantled, and the twelve Bellerophon-class battleships and St. Vincent-class battleships of the British Navy, which were nearing completion, were completed. In addition, 18 cruisers of the first rank, 23 cruisers of the second rank and 83 destroyers were completed. The construction of more than a hundred cruisers and destroyers was canceled.

After the British Navy obtained 12 dreadnought battleships, its naval strength suddenly recovered to the second level in the world, surpassing the French Navy and the German Navy, and after the 12 Dreadnought battleships became the main force of the British Navy, even the Imperial Chinese Navy did not dare to touch its edge easily.

On December 13, 1906, the British ambassador to China, Zhu Erdian, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Chinese Empire, Wu Tingfang, to express to the Chinese Empire that Britain wanted to abolish the "Nine-Power Pact", but Britain said that it would abide by the "Armistice Peace Treaty" between China and Britain.

Wu Tingfang immediately consulted with Prime Minister Zhang Feng and others, and jointly entered the palace to report the matter to Wang Chenhao, the emperor of the Chinese Empire.

"Your Majesty is like a god, the British are really going to tear up the "Nine-Power Pact."

Regarding Britain's plan to tear up the "Nine-Power Pact," Wang Chenhao had long thought in his heart that Britain was not intimidated by the military strength of the G-8, but was forced to succumb to the blockade of the lifeline of the Chinese Imperial Navy. Once Britain restores its life supply lines and its powerful naval industry quickly completes the construction of new concept warships, Britain will no longer give in to the G8 and will definitely change its mind. It was precisely because of this that Wang Chenhao took the initiative to exempt Britain from the indemnity to China stipulated in the "Nine-Power Pact."

Wang Chenhao then said: "Since the British are willing to abide by the Sino-British armistice and peace treaty, it proves that our goal has been achieved. The British will not turn against the Empire anytime soon, and their main focus will be on dealing with the Triple Alliance and the Entente bloc, which is exactly what we are happy to see. ”

"Your Majesty is very true!" Zhang Feng said: "Britain's powerful naval industry is really terrifying, and in just a few months after the resumption of shipping, they have completed twelve Shenbow battleships, as well as hundreds of other warships. If the Empire had not blocked Britain's sea lines of communication, I am afraid the result would have been very predictable. ”

"This is naturally the result of His Majesty's Shengming's decision!" Wu Tingfang said with a smile.

"That's it! Don't flatter me! Wang Chenhao said with a smile: "It is also your dedication and the soldiers who use their lives, otherwise there will be no victory in this war." ”

Wang Chenhao paused, and then said: "Now that Britain is obviously preparing to retaliate against the seven European countries, this is a good opportunity to deepen their contradictions. You reply to the British, tell them that we will not be involved, reassure them. In addition, this is a great opportunity to make war money, and Britain will not give us face, they will definitely import materials from the empire on a large scale in order to appease us, and they must not lose the opportunity to make a fortune. ”

Zhang Feng and Wu Tingfang suddenly understood, and hurriedly said: "Your Majesty is wise, and the ministers will obey." ”

The next day, Wu Tingfang replied to Zhu Erdian and conveyed the attitude of the emperor and the imperial political axe. After receiving the promise of the Chinese Empire, Zhu Erdian immediately stated that he would transfer Singapore and Cyprus to the Chinese Empire in their entirety, and transfer 50 million pounds of indemnity to the Chinese Empire within three days. In addition, Zhu Erdian said that Britain will import flour, canned food, medicines, ores, agricultural products, industrial products, textiles and other substances from the Chinese Empire on a large scale, with a total import value of 20 million pounds.

Wu Tingfang was immediately overjoyed, and agreed to conduct large-scale trade with the British, and at the same time, he admired Wang Chenhao even more in his heart, and praised His Majesty's wisdom.

In the Sino-British War, the Chinese Empire robbed thousands of British merchant ships, and after reffitting and painting, they formed the Chinese Empire's ocean-going trade fleet, which exported materials to Britain on a large scale, benefiting more than 5,000 foreign trade companies of the Chinese Empire, and greatly stimulated the foreign export trade of the Chinese Empire.

On December 18, the British side handed over Singapore and Cyprus to the Chinese Emperor in their entirety. At the same time, according to the provisions of the treaty and the private secret agreement, Britain also transferred 50 million pounds of indemnity to the Imperial Central Bank of the Chinese Empire, and the Sino-British War ended completely.

Although the British political axe was unwilling to let the Chinese empire make such a huge profit, but Britain's main enemy now is the seven countries of Germany, France, Italy, Austria, Russia, Turkey and the Netherlands that are invading the British colonies, and the British political axe decided to deal with these seven European neighbors first, and in the future to deal with the Chinese empire far away in Asia.

However, what will happen in the future, the British themselves have no bottom in their hearts, they can only look at the present.

(To be continued)