The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Nationalist Government had recently moved from inside Nanjing to the foot of Zhongshan outside the city, a newly built embassy district from which most of the countries that had diplomatic relations with the Republic of China had moved their embassies from inside Nanjing, in order to be close to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the dictator in Tangshan. Among all the foreign embassies in China, the most luxurious and magnificent is naturally the embassy of the British Empire, the world hegemon. Even in the sweltering heat, the soldiers of the Royal Marines in blue gowns still stood motionless in front of the embassy, showing the glory of the British Empire. The flowers and trees in the embassy are transplanted from England and carefully maintained by Sikh gardeners from India.

With a tired face, the ambassador stepped out of the car with the rice flag and strode towards the embassy with his head down. Although his status as the Chinese ambassador was increasingly bullish in Whitehall, Sir Mack was not at all happy. China, which once could only look up to the empire, has now become almost an equal ally of the empire, and the Chinese warlord who made the British Empire almost unable to step down from Taiwan in 1917 has now become a figure that he, the British Empire's ambassador to China, needs to work hard for!

During this time, he couldn't remember how many good words he said in front of Chang Ruiqing, how many smiling faces he accompanyed, I really don't know when such a day is a head?

In the living room of the British Embassy, there was already a middle-aged man in a navy summer uniform waiting for him. This is the British Royal Navy's chief adviser to the Chinese Navy, Andrew Murray. Brown. Major General Cunningham. Because in the last Sino-Japanese war, the weak Chinese navy was excellent. As the general counsel, Cunningham has naturally won the highest respect from the Chinese side. Therefore, when Britain was eager to win over China to maintain its crumbling world hegemony, Major General Cunningham became a frequent visitor to the British Embassy, often coming to discuss with Ambassador Mahke how to use his influence in China to achieve the diplomatic tasks assigned by Whitehall.

I saw Ma Ke walking in with a calm face. Cunningham smiled as soon as he was served with English milk tea, "Hey, sir, what makes you look so sad?" Is it because Whitehall has given you some difficult mission? That's why you invited me here, right? Tell me how I might be able to help. ”

Sir Mok smiled wryly, took off his coat, and sat down wearily on the sofa, where the Sikh servant handed him a chilled towel. The ambassador wiped his sweat and sighed, "The square inch of Whitehall is out of order, General, say something that shouldn't be said." The current Labour government simply does not know how to maintain the world hegemony of the British Empire! They don't have any strategy at all, they don't know what to look forward to, they only know how to deal with the situation passively, and they make things worse and worse. God knows. They can't go on like this! Now the British Empire is slipping into the quagmire. And Whitehall actually wants Chinese to help pull the empire out......"

Seeing Sir Marc complaining about Whitehall, Major General Cunningham could only smile faintly. He knew why the macks were whining, and in fact it was not only the macks who were whining, but the whole of England was whining, and all the Britons were strongly dissatisfied with Whitehall's wrong policy.

And this erroneous policy began with the fresh announcement of the interim president of the Persian Republic on July 9, Reza. Khan's high-profile announcement of the withdrawal of oil rights ceded to Britain began. Reza. Khan's actions were undoubtedly challenging the hegemony of the British Empire in the Middle East, and in fact the Anglo-Iranian oil companies did not benefit much from Iran (several large oil fields in the Middle East had not yet been discovered during this period, and the world oil market was mainly monopolized by the United States). Khan doesn't matter either. But that's it. Where does the face of the British Empire go? How dare a small country like Persia slap the British Empire in public, and how still does the British Empire's privileges in the rest of the world be maintained?

So the MacDonald cabinet in Reza. The day after Khan took back the Anglo-Iranian oil company's exploitation rights. Categorically declare a naval blockade of Persia! Since Reza. Khan didn't want the British to exploit Persian oil, so he didn't want to make a penny from the oil!

It stands to reason that the British Empire's reaction was not excessive, it was really not excessive, and it did not send troops to attack Persia, it was just playing with the embargo. If Reza. Khan clamped his tail and said nothing, and perhaps that was the end of the matter, at least the British would no longer be looking for trouble until the civil strife in India was settled.

However, he was cheap and obedient, and openly allowed the Soviet Union to send weapons and ammunition to northwestern India through Persian territory, and many of the Baloch tribes there no longer accepted orders from the British colonial authorities after the outbreak of the Calcutta uprising. It is said that Jinnah, the chairman of the All India Muslim League, has infiltrated Balochistan and is inciting an anti-British uprising.

Now that the rebellion on the other side of Calcutta has not been quelled, will the British Empire's rule in India be maintained if the Muslims in the northwest of India revolt again? Even if Britain had worked hard to extinguish the raging flames of the Indian uprising, would British interests in the Middle East still be maintained?

Since Persia can send out Reza. Khan, so why can't there be any more Reza in Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and even Egypt, which guards the Suez Canal. And what about the national hero who hugged the thigh of the USSR like Khan?

So the Londoners, realizing that they had made a mistake in the Persian question (which was not a mistake at all, and that the British had no right choice with such a spoiler as Trotsky at all costs), decided to take remedial measures to overthrow Reza. Khan's regime, restoring the pro-British Qajar dynasty.

However, the British Empire was afraid that the British Army would not be able to defeat the great Soviet Red Army! It is quite possible that while the power of the Soviet Union was contained by China and Germany, the power of Britain was also held back by India and the United States. Moreover, Britain has never been an army power, and if the Soviets were determined to defend Persia, Britain would most likely face a long and bitter battle with heavy casualties!

And how could the citizens of the British Empire, who lived comfortably and wealthily, be willing to sacrifice their lives under the guns of the Soviet Empire in order to invade Persia? So as soon as MacDonald began to cry out for war, the British working people took to the streets to hold anti-war demonstrations.

It seems that there is no possibility that the British people will go to Persia to fight in person. However, Britain had to "retake" Persia and block the Soviet Union's aid to the Indian rebellion, so the Prime Minister of Downing Street naturally thought of finding someone to help.

And among several allies of the British Empire. It was impossible to get the French to do it, and it was impossible for the arrogant Gallic roosters to send their youth to the Persian Gulf for the good of the British Empire. Of course, it is impossible for Germany to send troops to the Persian Gulf, and the Soviet Red Army has stationed millions of troops on the Polish-German border and "forcibly occupies" East Prussia, in this case, how can the Germans have the spare strength to send troops to the Persian Gulf? So now the only people who can help the British send troops to Persia are China and Italy.

"London wants to organize a Triple Coalition of British, Italian, and Medium to intervene in the Persian Revolution and help the waste king of Persia, Muhammad. The Shah regains power. Sir Marc said to Major General Cunningham: "The Prime Minister hopes that the Chinese can send an infantry army of about 50,000 men." If the Soviet Red Army also sent reinforcements to Persia, the Chinese were obliged to increase their forces further until the Soviet Red Army was driven back home. ”

Cunningham was a little surprised. What exactly does Prime Minister McDonald want to do? Could it be that he was enraged by Moscow's series of revolutionary moves, and was ready to fight a tough battle in Persia and the Soviet Red Army? It would be too risky to do so, and if both sides could not control it, the Persian War would most likely become the trigger for World War II! Moreover, Sino-Soviet relations are also deteriorating day by day. Nanjing is increasing its forces and deploying troops to the northwestern region bordering the Soviet Union. Before they completed the defense of the northwest, Chang Ruiqing would agree to help the British fight? If so, at what cost?

Thinking of this, he looked at the Ma Ke class seriously, and asked in a solemn tone, "Sir, how is the situation of the negotiations?" Is it possible that the Chinese will agree to London's request? ”

"It is possible that the Chinese will agree!" Ma Ke handed the towel back to the servant, took another glass of chilled whiskey and took a big sip before sighing and saying, "Their Foreign Minister Wang Zhengting said that it can be considered...... That's a hateful reply! ”

Even Cunningham, who was not very skilled in diplomacy, understood the implicit meaning of the Chinese's reply. The Chinese want benefits! The British Empire had just sold the Kingdom of Siam to China, and the Chinese had not even swallowed Siam. They want to get more out of the British Empire again!

"Sir, what can I do for you?" Cunningham said, "Do you want me to inquire about the Chinese's hole cards?" By the way, how much benefit is the empire ready to use to buy China? I don't think it's realistic for them to send troops for nothing, right? After all, there is no such thing as a free lunch. ”

"The instructions given to me in Whitehall didn't mention how much China would be paid, but I can guess what they thought." "General, I think you also know that this war can be big or small, and perhaps Trotsky will be frightened away and obediently retreat from Persia. It is also possible that there will really be a real war to be fought in Persia. So the reward given this time can be big or small, do you know what I mean? I suspect that Whitehall may have wanted to use Persian interests to lure China and Italy into sending troops. But Chinese and the Italians are not fools either......"

Cunningham pressed his forehead, he was a very capable naval officer, and he was not ignorant of politics and diplomacy. So he had already guessed a little bit of MacDonald's wishful thinking, and the British prime minister probably wanted to play the trick of the fox and the tiger. First, he pulled the Chinese and Italian troops into the Persian Gulf with murderous spirits, and put on a show to fight. At the same time, they secretly negotiated terms with the Soviets...... Maybe it can divide Persia in two, maybe it can turn Persia into a buffer state that neither the British nor the Soviet forces touch, in short, if you can't fight, you can't fight, and if you can fight small, don't fight big. China and Italy, on the other hand, if they accept the offer of sending troops to benefit from Persia, will most likely end up working in vain and gain little.

I just don't know if Chang Ruiqing and Mussolini, two dictators who are more cunning than foxes, will be fooled?

……

"Chairman, this is a detailed summary of the changes in the situation in Persia and India over the past week, with some key analyses. Please take a look...... The British military campaign in India was very unsmooth, the situation in north-west India was very unstable, and there were several anti-British uprisings in East Bengal and Bihar in the past few days. In this case, the British actually wanted to move Persia. This stall is just too big.

This is the latest report on the situation in Siam, where King Rama VI has ordered the army to disperse the protesters in Bangkok, but several divisions of the Siamese army have refused to obey the order. Rama VI could only mobilize his descendants of the Wild Tigers to maintain order in Bangkok. The two sides were facing off at Wangjiatian Square, but the Tigers did not shoot, and the Siamese people exercised restraint. The great monks of Siam were trying to persuade Rama VI to abdicate and his younger brother Pachadipo to ascend the throne and establish a constitutional monarchy. ”

Zhang Guotao respectfully handed the report to Chang Ruiqing, who was sitting behind the desk, and then retreated to his seat and sat still. Now in this office. In addition to him and Chang Ruiqing, there are also Pan Yucheng, Bai Chongxi, Wang Zhengting and Zeng Qi, all of whom are the core figures in Chang Ruiqing's regime. Zhang Guotao was able to be among them in a short period of time, which was enough to make him feel excited.

Chang Ruiqing took the report with a smile. Nodding his head, he said: "Siam is doing very well, as soon as Rama VI abdicates, the authority of the Siamese royal family will fall." Now it's time for all sides to fight for power...... Such a small country. If there is any more infighting, it will be difficult to maintain an independent status, so we can just implement it according to the original plan. The main purpose of inviting you here today is to discuss the affairs of Persia, Mr. Rutang, and tell me about the requirements of the British. ”

Wang Zhengting sat down and bowed to Chang Ruiqing, and replied with a smile: "Chairman of the National Committee, this morning Ambassador Ma Ke made an informal request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, hoping that our country can follow the provisions of the "Five-Power Alliance Treaty". Join the British in sending troops to Persia to contain the Soviet Union's southward advance. Protect peace and tranquility in the Middle East. ”

Chang Ruiqing glanced at a few people in the office, including Bai Chongxi, who didn't look very interested. At present, the huge oil reserves in the Middle East have not been discovered, only the British have found oil fields in southern Persia, and the whole Middle East gives the impression of a large desert and the legends of the Thousand and One Nights, which really makes people not interested in sending troops.

"What conditions did the British offer?" Chang Ruiqing pondered for a while and asked lightly.

"Not yet," Wang Zhengting shrugged. "As in the last unofficial temptation, the British only wanted to know whether we would be willing to send troops, and it seemed that we would have to get a positive answer before discussing the distribution of benefits after the war."

"What profit can Persia have?" Bai Chongxi interjected. "What else is there besides that little oil field in the south? Moreover, the first phase of our Heilongjiang oil field has been put into production, and that bit of oil is not rare at all, so it is not worth it to be cannon fodder for the British. ”

Chang Ruiqing glanced at him and said in his heart: "The oil in the Persian Gulf can't be described in a little bit, it's a piece of land floating on the oil sea!" ”

"Yes, yes, what Minister Bai said makes sense." Pan Yucheng hurriedly echoed and said: "Oil is not worth much, a ton is only a few dozen Chinese dollars, and our country's annual consumption is only more than one million tons, and the total is only tens of millions of Chinese yuan...... If you really send troops to Persia to fight Lao Maozi, you will have to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on military spending alone! We have a lot of places to spend money......"

Chang Ruiqing looked at his think tank Zeng Qi again, who frowned and thought for a while, and said to Chang Ruiqing: "Chairman of the Committee, my subordinates feel that we still have to pull the British." ”

"Oh, why?" Chang Ruiqing asked with interest. "Is it because of the obligations of the Five Nations Alliance?"

Zeng Qi nodded, and said solemnly: "Now that our country's strength is limited, it is the best policy to take a dip under the big tree of Britain and the Five Nations Alliance, but Trotsky can't be allowed to cut down this tree." Now the Soviet Union has joined forces with the United States, controlled Japan, Poland, Persia and other countries, and is still infiltrating into the South Seas and South Asia. In particular, the momentum of the revolution in India is very strong, and if we do not help Britain cut off the channel through which the Soviet Union sends aid to India through Persia, the British will probably not be able to maintain their rule in India in the end! At that time, India will also become an ally or vassal of the Soviet Union, and the next step for the entire Middle East and South Seas may follow in the footsteps of Persia and India, so that our contacts with Britain, France, Germany, and Italy will be interrupted, and we will be surrounded by the power of the Soviet Union! So the troops in Persia were not sent for the sake of Britain, but for ourselves. ”

Chang Ruiqing nodded, Zeng Qi's analysis did have some truth, he just wanted to push the boat down the river to finalize the decision to send troops to Persia. Bai Chongxi put forward a different view: "If we want to help Britain maintain the situation, why don't we directly send troops to India?" India is the jewel in the crown of the British Empire, and as long as India is not lost, Britain's supremacy can be maintained for some time. We could propose to send troops to India, and at the same time Britain would strengthen its defenses in Iraq to prevent the Soviets from moving south through Persia. The risk of doing so is much smaller than attacking Persia directly, and we can also get a piece of the pie in rich India. ”

Rich in India, poor in the Middle East? What kind of thinking is this? However, Chang Ruiqing doesn't plan to play the role of a god again, and will the British agree to get involved in India? Thinking of this, he looked at Wang Zhengting with a smile and said: "Just follow General Jiansheng's method to discuss with the British ambassador, but the defense of Iraq should be jointly responsible for the Chinese, British and Italian coalition forces, and the British family cannot bear it." As for the military expenses for sending troops to India, they should also be borne by the British and Indian sides...... Of course, China-India and China-Myanmar border demarcation talks should also begin immediately. (To be continued.) )