The sound of a cane hitting the floor sounded outside the door, it should be that some minister has come to 10 Downing Street again, right?

David. Lloyd's. George looked up from the document and rubbed his eyes. After tidying up his clothes, he stood up and walked to the door of the small prime minister's office, waiting for the visitor. And his eyebrows are still tightly twisted.

The year 1920 was probably the worst year of his reign for the prime minister, who was tasked with organizing a wartime cabinet and successfully leading the British Empire to victory. Almost two years have passed since the end of the world war, but the fabled post-war boom has not come as expected. His slogan in the elections at the end of 1918: "Fight Britain and become a country worthy of the heroes who have returned from the battlefield" also became a joke.

After the end of the war, there was no economic boom in Britain, but production fell and unemployment rose, and by the beginning of 1920, the number of unemployed had exceeded 1.5 million! Moreover, the British workers who are not currently unemployed do not have a safe share of the work - the class contradictions in Britain are now acute, and the strike movement is on the rise. Although Lloyd's. The George government made some economic concessions to the working class, but the class antagonism became more and more severe as the economy continued to deteriorate.

At the same time, the Irish issue has also left the British prime minister anxious. In January 1919, separatists led by Sinn Féin held a meeting at Dublin City House to establish the Irish Parliament and proclaim the Republic of Ireland. Sinn Féin leader Valera was elected President of the Republic. And Lloyd's. The George government's policy of repression by force provoked the righteous indignation of the British working class, triggering a series of protests. And there are differences of opinion within the British leadership. Some advocated compromise with Ireland, while the Conservatives advocated repression.

In addition, Britain has suffered a series of setbacks in its foreign policy. The first was the failure of the armed intervention of Soviet Russia, because of the Japanese "mutiny", which made this intervention aimed at restoring the Normanov dynasty provoked by Britain an international joke, and the British Empire was even more disgraced! The subsequent war in support of Poland's invasion of Soviet Russia was also a complete failure, and now the war in support of Greece's invasion of Turkey has also suffered a huge setback, and it seems that in the end it will not escape the fate of defeat.

Finally, Britain is now caught in a naval arms race with the United States and Japan! Compared with the wealthy United States and Japan, which did not hesitate to spare any money, the British Empire, which was in internal and external difficulties, could hardly afford such a shipbuilding race -- the British working class was not as good at talking as the Japanese working people! They don't allow the government to use every last copper plate to build warships!

The door was cautiously pushed open by the Prime Minister's secretary, Miss Kelly. Then I saw Churchill walking in with a cane and a cigar in his mouth. Churchill had just been appointed Secretary of State for Colonial Affairs -- a year earlier than in history, perhaps Lloyd. George wanted to use his talent and drive to deal with the colonial independence movement that was on the rise of China, right?

Churchill handed the cane to Miss Kelly, and then took off the hat from his fat head and headed Lloyd. George nodded: "Mr. Prime Minister, the situation in India is really terrible. The half-naked liar (referring to Gandhi) went everywhere. Preaching his set of non-violent non-cooperation ideas -- why can't we arrest him and kill him? Just like the Japanese did with those Korean independence leaders! ”

Lloyd's. George glanced at Churchill, who was full of righteous indignation, and did not answer the other person's question, but waved his hand to him to sit down in an armchair, and then answered himself in the back of the office. Then he said slowly, "Winston." On the issue of India, we will have a cabinet meeting to discuss it later. I invite you here today mainly to hear your opinion on the Siam issue? ”

Churchill was slightly stunned, the Kingdom of Siam was an independent country, not a British colony. Therefore, it should not be under his authority as Minister of Colonial Affairs, but rather under the purview of the Foreign Secretary. He thought for a moment. Only then did he say tentatively: "Mr. Prime Minister, do you mean that you can consider turning Siam into a colony of the Empire?" ”

"Is that possible?" Lloyd's. George was noncommittal.

"I'm afraid not, now the problems of India and Ireland have already preoccupied the empire - the United States and Japan are also looking for our troubles"

"You can't do that, this damn world war has exhausted the Empire." At this time, the secretary, Miss Kelly, brought the freshly brewed coffee. Lloyd's. George took a sip of his coffee cup and said, "Winston, what I want to know is that once China and Siam form an alliance, will it stimulate the independence movement in Burma and Malaya?" ”

The British Empire was now in internal and external difficulties, and it really did not have the strength to start another war. Even if the opponent is just Siam! The conundrum now facing the British Empire was how to preserve it, not continue to expand.

"It's hard to say, it's not Myanmar and Malaya that matter, it's China. If China supports the independence movement there, we will be in big trouble. Otherwise, it's not a big problem. ”

"Will China support the independence of Burma and Malaya?"

"Yes or may not." Churchill frowned and said, "Not long ago, they supported the Korean independence movement, but when the Korean revolutionaries needed help the most, they turned to Japan. Abandoning the Koreans, apparently supporting colonial independence, is not China's established policy. And this time China's cooperation with Siam was also motivated by Siam's anti-Chinese policy - the Chinese seem to have cooperated with Siam to get Siam to lift the anti-Chinese regulations. Their current policy in Nanyang may be limited to protecting the interests of the Chinese diaspora. But given the sheer size of the Chinese diaspora in the South Seas and the distance between China and the South Seas, their current policies still pose a threat to the Empire's interests in the South Seas. ”

Lloyd's. George sighed, picked up a copy of the paper on his desk and handed it to Churchill: "This is a note from the Dutch ambassador, who wants our support - the Chinese government has just protested against the Dutch anti-Chinese policy in the Dutch East Indies!" The Dutch government hopes that the Empire, France, and the United States can take a common stand against China in the South Seas. Winston, what do you think? Could this be the beginning of unrest in British Malaya and British Burma? ”

"And Hong Kong!" Churchill added: "If we confront China, we must be prepared to lose Hong Kong." ”

Lloyd's. George glanced at Churchill, "Winston, you mean it's better for us not to support the Netherlands against China, right?" ”

Churchill took a sharp puff of his cigarette and let out a large puff of white smoke. "No!" He said: "My idea is just the opposite, I build the British Empire to stand firmly on the side of the Netherlands and resist any Chinese intervention in the Nanyang colonies!" If necessary, we should do the same anti-Chinese actions in Myanmar and Malaya. Drive all the Chinese out of there! ”

Lloyd's. George snorted softly: "Then Burma and Malaya will be economically bankrupt, and the Chinese will definitely support the independence movement there, and they may also support the independence movement in India - not Gandhi's non-violent non-cooperation, but terror!" Winston, have you forgotten that Chang Ruiqing, chairman of China's Military Commission, once engaged in terrorist activities? ”

Churchill was not Lloyd. George's words were overwhelming. He sat up straight. Sticking to his opinion: "The British Empire should not show weakness, as the hegemon of the world, any show of weakness will cause more imitators." If the empire retreats from China in the South Seas, Japan will surely soon follow. The United States will do the same. So the empire must stay the course - of course such insistence will not necessarily lead to the rupture of Sino-British relations, and I believe that the Chinese are tempting, and if we insist, they will retreat from their current position! ”

Lloyd's. George was silent for a moment and shook his head: "What if they don't back off?" ”

Without waiting for Churchill to answer. Lloyd's. George said slowly: "I also know that if we don't support the Netherlands now, then our policy of restricting the Chinese in Burma and Malaya will not be able to be implemented. But what's the solution? Now the Reich is facing unprecedented difficulties, in Ireland, in Russia, in Turkey, in Poland, the policy of the Reich has all failed or is facing defeat!

And the United States and Japan have provoked a new naval arms race, but the empire does not have enough financial resources to deal with it! The empire has no money - even if it is spent to the last penny, there is no way to maintain the superiority of the navy! And on the European continent, because of the German problem. We are also in opposition to France. ”

"I'm for the French!" Churchill chimed in: "There must be no revival of Germany!" Absolutely not! ”

Lloyd's. George smiled wryly and asked, "Then who do we rely on to contain the Bolsheviks?" Do Poles do it? ”

"Your Excellency, Prime Minister, we had a chance to strangle the Bolsheviks!" Churchill gritted his teeth and reminded: "If we had persevered in the policy of intervention and sent more troops into Russia, we would not have faced the problem of containing the Bolsheviks now, which is the consequence of the policy of retreat!" The empire retreated on a defensive line. This will cause another or even several lines of defense to waver, and as a result, you will have to retreat in more places until you lose the entire empire. So we can't go back now, in Europe. The line of defense to contain the Bolsheviks could only be located in Poland! The pressure on Germany must be maintained, and the country must not be allowed any possibility of revival! At sea. The empire must maintain an overwhelming superiority and not allow the United States and Japan to take away the throne of the empire's maritime supremacy! In the East, the empire had to contain both China and Japan, and could not allow Siam to ally with them. ”

"So the empire is fighting against the whole world!" Lloyd's. George stood up and paced a few steps, then looked back at Churchill coldly: "This is not going to work!" Winston, I want you to go on a trip to the East, on the one hand, to mediate the contradictions between China and the Netherlands, and in any case to avoid the rupture of relations between China and the Netherlands; On the one hand, he visited Siam to find a way to win the country back from the Chinese -- Siam is a key breakthrough in China's Nanyang policy, and if Siam can be sealed, China will not be able to dictate in Nanyang for the time being. ”

But what good could the British Empire do to Siam? Give them back the land cut from Siam? Churchill asked with some reluctance.

Lloyd's. George frowned: "It is really not possible to propose to allow Siam tariff autonomy first, and then consider the issue of returning the four Malay princely states, but in that case, the Muslims of the Malay Peninsula will be dissatisfied again, and these colonies are really troublesome!" ”

"Comrade Mao ZD, now is not the time to immediately support the people of the Nanyang countries to rise up against Western colonial rule. Although the Western powers were showing signs of weakening, they were far from the time when colonial rule collapsed. Moreover, at present, the Nanyang Chinese do not have an advantage in numbers, and they are still subject to various restrictions from the Western colonizers, and even if the Nanyang countries can gain independence through their own struggles, it may not be advantageous to the Nanyang Chinese -- this is contrary to the Nanyang policy implemented by the Nationalist Government at present. Here's our opinion."

It was Chang Ruiqing who spoke, and he was now attending a meeting of the Central Government Bureau. The meeting was originally convened for Mao Zd to report to the Central Committee on the situation in Xinjiang -- he had already handed over the military and political power of the Northwest Bureau and Xinjiang to Zhou Elai, and he was going back to Nanjing to become party chairman. Probably because of this reason, Mao ZD suddenly began to pay attention to the arrival of the Nanyang Revolution, and hastily reported the affairs of Xinjiang. He proposed to support the independence struggle of the people of the Nanyang countries, and also wanted to support the establishment of the GCD of the Nanyang countries to lead the independence movements of the Nanyang countries

But Chang Ruiqing bluntly objected. With regard to the Nanyang and the export revolution, he had some views that were contrary to Mao's opinion -- of course, the Nanyang countries wanted to get rid of the colonial rule of the Western powers and move towards independence, but it is debatable who will be the masters of the Nanyang countries after independence. According to Chang Ruiqing's thoughts, it is to establish some small Chinese countries in Nanyang. At least where China's land forces will be able to reach in the future. They should all be independent countries ruled by the Chinese, and the people should be mainly Chinese. Of course, the political and military affairs of these countries are also controlled by China behind the scenes, and at the appropriate time they will form a Greater China Federation with China.

To achieve such a goal. The core of China's current Nanyang policy is implicit colonization -- for the time being, it will not pursue the domination of the Nanyang colonies, but it will ensure the interests of the Nanyang Chinese, encourage the surplus population of the Chinese mainland to migrate to Nanyang, and strive to make the Chinese Nanyang region within 10 to 20 years. At least the main ethnic group on the Indochina Peninsula!

After listening to Chang Ruiqing's statement, Mao Zd lit a cigarette, took a puff, and said sullenly: "According to Comrade Chairman, what we want to implement is the national liberation policy or the colonialist policy?" And if we do not support the national liberation movement of the Nanyang people, will the Nanyang Chinese become the so-called ruling nation? Aren't they, like the indigenous people of Nanyang, oppressed by Western colonial powers? ”

His voice was very firm. However, among the members of the Political Affairs Bureau who were seated, except for Li Dazhao, who frequently nodded in support. Almost all shaking their heads slightly.

Chang Ruiqing laughed slightly, and said to Mao Zd: "Comrade Mao Zd, you are right, our policy in Nanyang is a kind of colonialist policy!" And this policy is not being implemented now. Rather, it has been performed for hundreds or even thousands of years! Nanyang has always been an important direction for the Chinese nation to open up to the outside world, and it has always been like this!

Comrade Runzhi, do you know who built Nanyang with blood and sweat? Not the Western colonizers, nor the indigenous inhabitants of the South Seas. It is these Chinese who have immigrated to Nanyang for thousands of years! The Chinese are the developers and builders of Nanyang, according to the point of view of our GC ists. In Nanyang today, the Western colonizers are capitalists, the overseas Chinese are the working masses and the working class, and it is the labor of the Nanyang Chinese that has created the prosperity of Nanyang today, so from the perspective of GC doctrine, the Nanyang Chinese who belong to the working class and the working class must become the leading class in Nanyang! ”

Chang Ruiqing's words are full of words, but the members of the Central Political Affairs Bureau who are sitting here all know in their hearts that this Standing Committee Chairman is secretly changing concepts, confusing nationality and class, and also confusing the criteria for class. But Mao ZD also understood that most of the comrades in this room were still willing to support Chang Ruiqing's opinion -- that the current Chinese GCD was not so much a party of GC activists as a party of social patriots. They oppose the colonial policy of foreign imperialism against their own countries, but they do not oppose the colonial policy of their own people against foreign countries! Even if you don't support it in your heart, you won't go against Chang Ruiqing, the powerful "dictator".

"Then what is the Nanyang policy of our Chinese GCD?" Mao Zd, who knew that his correct views could not win the majority support for the time being, had no choice but to change the topic, and he, who would soon be the chairman of the party, was most concerned about the construction and development of the company itself.

Chang Ruiqing smiled secretly in his heart. Compared with the future party chairman, he didn't fall behind! However, on the surface, he still had a righteous and awe-inspiring expression, and nodded at Chen Duxiu: "Chairman Chen, my proposal is that our party should set up a secret Nanyang Bureau, and at the same time set up six special committees, including Annam, Laos, Khmer, Siam, Malaya, and Burma. Under the present circumstances, these party organizations should be underground and should not be able to operate openly. Focus on the penetration of the trade unions and the government agencies of the colonial authorities in the South Seas, as well as the colonial army, but do not take any revolutionary action so as not to expose their strength, and for a certain period of time they will mainly develop in the latent field. At the same time, the Kuomintang will continue to recruit party members among the middle and upper echelons of the Nanyang Chinese, and the Military Intelligence Bureau will also try to control and infiltrate the political and military organizations of the Nanyang natives. ”