After the signing of the "Treaty of Tianjin," there was naturally an uproar at home and abroad.

The Qing court was furious and blamed Li Hongzhang for signing without asking for instructions. Li Hongzhang hurriedly returned to the Forbidden City in Yanjing, explained to Cixi and Guangxu in person, and according to the idea given to him by Wang Chenhao, he said that the Liaodong Peninsula would be recovered within three months.

Cixi, Guangxu and a group of ministers hurriedly inquired about the details, and Li Hongzhang only said that the cession of Liaodong was a delaying tactic, and the purpose was to sign a contract as soon as possible to enable the powers to lift the arms embargo against China, and once the weapons and ammunition arrived, Li Hongzhang promised to recover Liaodong.

Li Hongzhang went out and wore a flower feather as a guarantee, and if he couldn't recover the Liaodong Peninsula, he would apologize with death. Cixi knew that Li Hongzhang was the pillar of the Qing Empire, and although she wanted to suppress him from time to time, the imperial court must not live without him. As long as she keeps Fengtian and cedes the Liaodong Peninsula, she doesn't care about it. On the contrary, the Liaodong Peninsula is Li Hongzhang's family foundation that has been painstakingly operated for more than ten years, and Li Hongzhang even gave most of the brigade to himself, and his strength has been greatly reduced. Cixi then nodded in agreement, and let Li Hongzhang take full authority to handle the matter, giving him a three-month period.

Li Hongzhang broke out in a cold sweat and immediately returned to Tianjin from Yanjing.

That night, Li Hongzhang convened a meeting of all his staff members again to discuss the next countermeasures.

Zhou Fu said: "The spies reported that after the treaty was signed, the Russian minister Cuman sent notes to the ministers of various countries one after another, clearly opposing the occupation of Liaodong. Therefore, Chen Hao's speculation has come true! ”

Li Hongzhang breathed a sigh of relief, looked at Wang Chenhao and smiled: "I hope!" This time, the old man vouched for it with his head, and the Queen Mother only gave me three months! ”

Wang Chenhao said at this time: "Russia will not put pressure and threaten it on itself, and he will definitely unite other countries to intervene in the return of Liao." According to my speculation, in the current pattern of the Far East, only Germany and France will come to help, and the other powers will choose neutrality! ”

Yang Shixiang asked: "Chen Hao, don't talk about it!" Let's talk to the big guy and let us see it! ”

Wang Chenhao looked at Li Hongzhang, who nodded in agreement. Looking at Zhou Fu and the others, everyone was also looking forward to it.

Wang Chenhao thought to himself that although people were afraid of being famous, pigs were afraid of being strong, and it was not a good thing to be in the limelight, but thinking that this was Li Hongzhang's staff group, and he had become Li Hongzhang's quasi-son-in-law, it was a good thing to be in the limelight and deter everyone.

Thinking of this, Wang Chenhao then said: "Since the Second Opium War, Russia has long maintained its territorial needs in the Far East, and has successively occupied the Outer Northeast, which originally belonged to us, seized Sakhalin Island, and even built the Trans-Siberian Railway, in an attempt to establish a sphere of influence in the Northeast and Korea, and seize the ice-free port of the East, which is of great military strategic value. However, it is said that Ben occupied Liaodong and Korea, robbed the Russians of food, and caused Russia to feel that its interests were damaged. Therefore, a dispute between Russia and Ben is inevitable. It cannot be ruled out that the Russian army even intends to go to East Asia and do not hesitate to use war to solve the Liaodong issue. ”

Wang Chenhao had already mentioned this point before, and at this time, he summed it up, so that everyone could deeply understand that Russia's strategic purpose was interrupted by the book, and the two sides would never give up.

"Let's talk about Germany. At the beginning of the war, Kaiser Wilhelm II felt that Germany should get involved in East Asia, but the reaction was lukewarm. Because he knew that behind this war was the struggle between Britain and Russia. The Russo-French alliance between Russia and France in 1892 had shaken Germany's position in Europe, and Germany wanted to see Russia's jokes. However, unexpectedly, on October 20, Emperor Alexander III of Russia died, and was succeeded by Nicholas II, a cousin of Wilhelm II. Once a son of heaven and a courtier, the new emperor succeeded to the throne on behalf of the possibility of an improvement in relations between Germany and Russia. Therefore, Wilhelm II threw an olive branch to Nicholas II, and Nicholas II accepted, and in early November, he took the daughter of Ludwig IV, the Grand Duke of Hesse, as empress, which represented the warming of German-Russian relations, and the signing of the Second Reinsurance Treaty between Germany and Russia. Therefore, at this time, Wilhelm II will change the direction of the wind and turn in favor of Russia against the British. Therefore, Germany would intervene in the Liaodong question together with Russia in exchange for Russia's support for German expansion in East Asia and against Britain. ”

"Next up is France." Wang Chenhao took a sip of tea, moistened his mouth and continued: "Based on the Russian-French alliance, France has to help Russia deal with Britain. Especially after Germany's series of moves to woo Russia in recent months, France must have feared that it would be impossible for them to reconcile with the German occupation of French Alsace and Lorraine in Europe. Britain pursued a glorious and isolated continental policy in Europe, which offended all the countries of the European continent, France and Britain in the French Indochina region in the colonies, although they could not defeat Britain alone, but if Russia formed a gang and many countries joined forces, France would definitely not be left behind! ”

"Britain could not choose to confront Germany, France and Russia, but it could not support them, so the British could only choose to be neutral. As for other countries, they can only bully weak countries, and in the face of the three great powers of Germany, France and Russia, they don't even dare to let out a fart. ”

Everyone immediately laughed, but Wang Chenhao's inference was really an eye-opener for them. For them, they know very little about the affairs of other countries in the world, and when they heard Wang Chenhao say this, they nodded and praised.

Li Hongzhang was greatly relieved and happy, and the performance of Wang Chenhao, a prospective son-in-law, was admired by all his staff members, which naturally made his face doubly bright.

Zhou Fu couldn't help but sigh: "Chen Hao's words, let me wait for the old guys to be ashamed!" ”

"Lord Zhou is serious!" Wang Chenhao hurriedly said modestly: "Chen Hao is familiar with the affairs of the great powers because he has been wandering overseas all the year round, but if he is at home, Chen Hao is not as good as Lord Zhou and all of you!" ”

Everyone laughed again, which made everyone very happy, although they admired Wang Chenhao, and because he had become Li Hongzhang's son-in-law and needed to take care of Li Hongzhang's face, they also had to save face. Wang Chenhao's modesty made everyone have a step down, which can be described as a great joy.

Li Hongzhang nodded happily and said: "After listening to Chen Hao's words, the old man can be regarded as relieved, according to this view, the intervention of Germany, France and Russia is a foregone conclusion, and British neutrality will make the old man isolated, and the Liaodong Peninsula has to be spit out by the old man!" ”

Wu Rulun suddenly asked: "Then what if the side can't withstand the pressure of the three countries, and the old matter is brought up again, and still asks us to pay compensation and cede Taiwan?" ”

Zhou Fu laughed and said, "Didn't Lianfu forget Chen Hao's purpose of asking Lord Zhongtang to sign the Tianjin Treaty immediately? The "Treaty of Tianjin" has already taken legal effect, the Liaodong Peninsula has given the book, and the Qing Dynasty has ended the war! As for the intervention of Germany, France and Russia in the return of Liao, it was their war against Yuben! If Ben is in arrears, Germany, France, and Russia will bear all the responsibility for Ben's war against China again! And Germany, France and Russia want to return to the Liaodong Peninsula to us, we owe them the favor of the three countries, this is another matter, the two seem to be the same problem, but in fact we take advantage of the loopholes of the international law, put the book together, so that the book will not get anything! ”

After Zhou Fu explained Wang Chenhao's meaning, Wu Rulun and other staff members who did not understand Wang Chenhao's intention of eagerly asking Li Hongzhang to sign the "Tianjin Treaty" suddenly realized that they gave Wang Chenhao a thumbs up.

Invisibly, Wang Chenhao's image of "Little Zhuge " in the Beiyang Group began to take shape in the hearts of the staff group, and Li Hongzhang obviously had great expectations for him. Li Hongzhang felt that he was old, and urgently needed to find a successor to take him to manage Beiyang, there is no doubt that this successor is his own person, but Wang Chenhao is in line with several requirements of the successor, young, capable, prestigious, and his own family.

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