Frederick Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, 1st Daferline and Marquess of Ava, he is the current British Viceroy of India and Vice-King of India. Speaking of the Siamese war against Cambodia and Laos, he can be regarded as one of the driving forces behind it.

In 1885, Britain had just completed its third war with Burma, and Britain used the appeal of a British company fined by the Burmese government as a pretext for waging war, with the goal of annexing all of Burma. On October 22, Britain issued an ultimatum to the Burmese government, demanding that Britain be given the power to supervise Burma's foreign affairs. The Myanmar side accepted the request. Nevertheless, the pre-positioned British troops went on the offensive. On November 14, the British army occupied the border fortress of Minhra and approached Mandalay, the capital of Burma. The Burmese regular army could not withstand the British army, which was superior in numbers and equipment. On 28 November, the British army marched into Mandalay. On January 1, 1886, Burma was declared a British territory as an independent province of British India.

Although the guerrilla war in Burma was still ongoing, the threat to the British was no longer great, and the British naturally turned their attention to Siam, which was adjacent to Burma. But at this time, they also discovered that their European neighbor, the old rival of the Hundred Years' War, was France. Life in Asia was not easy, in fact, rather, it was the wolf bèi to the point of no return. Under the suppression of the Northeast Autonomous Region, they not only lost the entire colony in Southeast Asia, but also made a large amount of war reparations. The great humiliation of the Franco-Prussian War more than ten years ago has struck again more than a decade later, and although the French are grieving, they are helpless and helpless.

Although the British laughed at the French plight of their plight in a down-and-out manner, they also felt a faint threat. The huge military power of the Northeast Autonomous Region in the sea and air fields, as well as the aggressive momentum displayed in the war with France, made even Britain, the strongest country in the world today, feel uneasy.

You can't let them go on unbridled – that's what Frederick Hamilton Temple Blackwood really thinks! He sent envoys to lobby King Rama V of Siam and promised military assistance. Although the preparations were a bit hasty, the Indian governor and vice-king of India was still very confident in his plan, after all, although the French were strong, there were less than 20,000 soldiers in Vietnam, and even if you count the African Servant Legion, the number is not very large. The navy was wiped out by the Northeast Autonomous Region, so that on the premise of losing its greatest advantage, relying only on the army to fight in a foreign country would be a dead end.

However, in Siam, Rama V was the native king, enlightened and beloved by the people, while Cambodia and Laos were its traditional vassals, and their feelings were similar to those of the Qing dynasty towards Korea and Annam. He didn't have much idea about the northeast occupation of Vietnam, and even felt gloating. Because before the Europeans came, the whole of Southeast Asia was a situation where Burma, Siam and Vietnam competed for hegemony. Now that Burma has become a British province and Vietnam has become the territory of the Northeast Autonomous Region, Rama V will inevitably feel a little desolate about the fall of his former opponents.

The Northeast extending its hand to Cambodia may be said to be the inheritance of the French treaty rights, but the annexation of Laos to its own territory is somewhat beyond the limits of Siam's bearing. Rama V did not want to be Burma and Vietnam, he was afraid that the Northeast was reaching out to him.

Of course, he was also wary of the British, but the lesser of two evils made it a last resort for him to go to war with the Northeast Autonomous Region. On one side is the United Kingdom, while on the other side is the Northeast Autonomous Region. One is the most powerful country in the world today, while the other is an emerging powerhouse. In order to defend his country, this battle had to be fought, otherwise his subject country would be annexed, and he would be silent. Then the wise Rama V can imagine that the next target of the opponent's butcher's knife will definitely reach out to him without any scruples.

"Mr. Johnson, it's up to you this time." King Rama V is talking to Frederick Hamilton Temple-Blackwood's plenipotentiary Larry Johnson, after all, the British promised to help in the first place.

"I'll do my best." Johnson bowed slightly.

After returning to his residence, his subordinates reported: "Mr. Special Envoy, there is a call from Beijing. ”

Johnson took it and saw that it was a letter from the British Counselor to China, Ogne, which was full of detailed information about the Northeast Autonomous Region, and Zhao Liewen was the focus of the introduction. After all, he is also Johnson's main opponent.

"Looks like it's a bit of trouble!" Larry Johnson rubbed his eyebrows a little tiredly.

Speaking of which, the Northeast once hoped to negotiate with Britain on the division of power in Southeast Asia, but in the eyes of the British, although the Northeast has risen, it is not enough to negotiate with itself. Moreover, the Indian Viceroy was full of ambition for the whole of Southeast Asia, not to mention their recognition of the French sphere of influence in Southeast Asia, that is because France is also one of the European powers, and Britain maintains a certain respect for it, but the Northeast does not have such a low position, at best it is only a few small Americans.

It seems that the governor of his own house has misjudged the form, and Sir Ogne praised the Northeast in his heart, and he admired Zhao Liewen even more.

"Except for Li Hongzhang, who has half eyes open to see the world, when did such a force in the Northeast emerge in the Qing Empire?" Larry wondered. According to what he said in his heart, the rise of the Northeast was very sudden, and before everyone reacted, he had already begun to rise. And by the time people realized his existence, his tendency was almost irrepressible.

The talks between Siam and Northeast China were held in the port of Bangkok, and in addition to the two sides of the talks, there were seven countries: Britain, France, the United States, Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain. In addition to the United States and Germany, several other countries have colonies nearby, and Germany, it should be said that Prussia forced Siam to sign an unequal treaty in 1862, and it is reasonable to say that it came to the conference. As for the United States...... It's completely the screen at a glance.

After Zhao Liewen arrived in Siam, he also did some research on this country, and in general, Rama V was much stronger than the old bitch in his own country, and knew how to take advantage of the contradictions between Britain and France, in exchange for the protection of British sovereignty over Thailand by hiring British advisers and granting British businessmen the right to exploit some minerals, and then in the sporadic conflicts with France, Rama V made Britain and France reach an agreement to maintain the status quo of Thai territory at a relatively small cost, leaving room for his country to survive.

However, for Rama V's personal life, Zhao Liewen felt that barbarians were barbarians, and his brother married his half-sister, which was very rare in the Qing Dynasty, but in Siam, it was a completely different situation.

At the age of 14 or 5, King Rama V married Princess Ponbon, the daughter of Prince Monone, and soon after, the granddaughter of the Prince Regent, the Duke of Sisuriaon. Later, he married several half-sisters who lived in the inner palace and canonized them queens. According to our point of view, marrying a half-sister is a great act of incest. But this happened a lot in the Siamese royal family, who usually chose a mate within the royal family in order to maintain their royal lineage. Among the royal sisters and queens of the fifth king, there are three of the most beautiful and favored by the fifth king. The three queens were Princess Suranta, Princess Sawanwatana and Princess Chaowa Papenhi, and they were born to their mother, Princess Biya, the fourth king's favorite concubine.

Today's reciprocal talks with Zhao Liewen were held by King Rama V, the younger brother of Emperor Chulalongkorn and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Deva Wangsa.

As early as 1871, King Rama V allowed the royal family to receive Western-style education, first by selecting 14 members of the royal family to study at Raffles College in Singapore, and then opening two schools in the Siam Palace, one teaching Thai and the other teaching English, named the Rose Garden School. At that time, they were all studied by the younger brothers of King Rama V, and the best of them were the royal brothers Thanrumung, Deva Wangsa, Valolava and Pannurangjisi, all of whom later became the pillars of Rama V's reforms. For example, Tan Loong served as Minister of Education for 7 years and Minister of Home Affairs for 23 years, effectively leading administrative and educational reforms. Deva Wangsa was Minister of Foreign Affairs for 37 years, Pannurangjisi became Minister of Military Affairs, and Valolava became the monk king of Siam.

Although Zhao Liewen now speaks English well, he still converses with Deva Wangsa in Chinese, with an accompanying interpreter on his side to translate his words into English.

Dwawangsa was the first to fire at this time, and as soon as he came up, he said: "Mr. Foreign Minister, we are currently negotiating, why do you want to start a war on our territory to wipe out our army?" ”

Zhao Liewen smiled, didn't care, and said, "Is there such a thing?" What about the evidence? ”

Deva Wangsa is still young after all, and he is still a little inexperienced in the face of an old fox like Zhao Liewen, and he has no evidence in his hand at this time, so he just listened to the reports of his subordinates, so he came up and wanted to take the lead.

British envoy Larry Johnson then laughed and said: "If not, of course the best." If so, I hope you will stop, after all, the two sides are holding talks now, and we should try not to spoil the friendly atmosphere. Sabre-rattling doesn't do anyone any good. ”

Zhao Liewen said with a smile: "What the envoy said is good, and the old man agrees." ”

Deva Wangsa had no choice but to nod.

"Then now the talks have officially begun......" Zhao Liewen's face changed at this time, he put away his warm smile, and his momentum became different, very strict. His Royal Highness Deva Wangsa, we cherish peaceful relations with Siam, actively develop commerce and trade, and promote people-to-people exchanges. However, on February 15, 1886, taking advantage of the rebellion in our province of South Vietnam, you brazenly launched an attack on the provinces of Cambodia and Laos in our north-eastern autonomous regions, a complete betrayal of the friendly relations between us that had been with us for many years. ”

Deva Wangsa looked at Zhao Liewen and said angrily: "Cambodia and Laos are my Siamese subject countries, and the Northeast has taken them into its own territory without our permission. ”

Zhao Liewen sneered and said, "Don't forget, you Siam is still my subject country of the Qing Dynasty." ”

The tone of the two sides is not good, although there are British people in it, but Siam is weak after all...... In fact, his military reforms began in 1887 in response to the French Federation of Indochina, and at its peak there were only 50,000 troops. Although only the 1st Infantry Division has really been on the battlefield in the troops sent from the Northeast, while the 5th Infantry Division and the 5th Artillery Division have not yet passed the test of war, these second-line troops with modern weapons and equipment are far from being matched by the current Siam. If you count the first division of Laos, the first division of NATO, and the servant army of Cambodia, if you also count it as a division, if the logistics in the northeast can keep up, it is enough for Siam to destroy the country.

In the negotiations, the two sides did not give in to each other, and even if the British forcibly intervened, Zhao Liewen still stuck to the bottom line. That is, to demarcate the territory currently occupied by the army, and to carry out territorial punishment for the military offensive in Siam. As for the indemnity, the Northeast will not get much, but five million taels of silver.

A week later, in the Siam Palace, King Rama V Chulalongkorn the Great met with his younger brothers, along with British Commissioner Larry Johnson.

Deva Wangsa said with a little shame: "Your Majesty, my brother is incompetent and cannot achieve the desired results for the country. The Northeast Autonomous Region is very tough, and they are overwhelming the border, and we really have no bargaining chips to rely on. ”

Dan Long did not speak, in fact, he was very much against this dispatch. The same is true of Pannurangjisi, who was in charge of military affairs, how the army was not successful, how to engage the enemy. He likes military affairs, and he understands that the modern army is not just a person with a gun, that is, a soldier.

"What are the requirements of the Northeast?"

"Now all the territory occupied by the army belongs to them, and we will pay an indemnity of five million taels of silver, which may also be used in gold."

When Rama V heard this, his brows tightened, and he sat on the throne without speaking. Later, turning to look at Larry Johnson, the British envoy did not dare to look at him and helplessly lowered his head. Rama V smiled wryly in his heart, it seems that outsiders are outsiders, and the British are not enough to make people believe.

After a long time, King Rama V seemed to have made up his mind, and said: "Agree to the demands of the Northeast, but our demand is to move all our subjects from the occupied territories, and at the same time sign a peace agreement between the two sides." ”

Everyone present was taken aback, and no one could speak.

"It's my fault, I shouldn't have rushed the troops...... Pannuranggisi! Rama V then exclaimed.

"Brother is here!"

"From today onwards, you are in charge of our military reform! We want to build our own modern army! ”

Pannurangjisi said loudly: "Please rest assured! ”

"Mr. Envoy, I beg you one thing too!"

Larry Johnson bowed slightly and said, "Your Majesty has commanded, and the minister will do his best." ”

"I hope that your country can shoot more military advisers to guide the training and reform of our army. In addition, I hope that my country will build its own navy, and I hope that the special envoy will be fulfilled. ”