1881, 19 August, evening.

Looking at the text of the in front of him, Ding Yuntong smiled.

The key to the agreement is twofold:

First. Let the situation go back to the way it was. France would still retain Cochinchina, and Emperor Duc would remain the sole legitimate emperor of Vietnam.

Second. Both sides did not pay reparations to each other and released all prisoners of war. At the same time, the prisoners of war will be paid for food and medical expenses. After negotiations between the two sides, the French side still had to pay 7 million francs after deducting the part to be paid by the Chinese side, based on the calculation of 350 francs for each prisoner of war. (According to the international exchange rate in 1881, it is equivalent to 1 million taels of silver).

The rest is just a few fine prints.

The first clause of the agreement said that the situation should be restored to the previous one, that is, the two sides would cease fighting, France would withdraw its troops from Taiwan, and Emperor Duc would return to the palace in Hue, and France would not lose Cochinchina, and both sides would be able to get by.

But the best thing is that this "once upon a time" is when it was "once upon a time". The French side acknowledges in the memorandum that it refers to before 1874. Because 1874, the French side recognized >< the Treaty of Saigon in disguised form as invalid in this way, and Vietnam was a vassal state belonging to China, and the puppet government of Hue was illegal.

And the second article, France is equivalent to a disguised indemnity of 1 million taels of silver. After weighing the pros and cons, the French government believed that this "food expense" could enable France not to need to send reinforcements and keep Cochinchina, and the reason was also explained in the past and it was very cost-effective, so it gritted its teeth and agreed.

For Ding Yuntong, this million silver is not a large amount, but it is ironclad evidence of a great monarch. Who is not subject to my rule? Who dares to say that I am not Mingjun? I can get France to pay reparations, which of you can? Who?

This is a great achievement that will be promoted for a hundred years. With this foundation, any mistake is easy to say, seven points of work, three points of fault.

Two days later, on the table in front of Ding Yuntong, a report appeared. The report gives a detailed account of the reports and comments on the surrender of the main French forces in the major European and American newspapers on August 19. Although it had been expected before, when this thing finally came, it was obvious that these foreigners were still shocked.

In the United States, the headed by the famous journalist Pulitzer first published the news, and Pulitzer himself wrote a commentary: "A new power is rising, and Shijie history is changing." Ding Yuntong knew that it was this person who would set up the Pulitzer Prize in the future to reward journalists for their courage in exposing fraud. Ding Yuntong remembers that before the crossing, the Pulitzer Prize was awarded to a journalist who exposed the huge wealth of the prime minister's family. Although then both the reporter and the newspaper where the reporter worked were subjected to strong reprisals. Including the malicious suppression of the market value of stocks, and the difficulty of journalists' visas.

Subsequently, and other major American newspapers reported one after another, which aroused the American people's curiosity about the distant ancient country, set off a "China fever" for the first time, and greatly improved the social status of Chinese in the United States.

In Britain, the and reported at great length, pointing out that the rise of China had complicated the situation in the Far East and that the British Empire needed to adjust its policy.

On the contrary, the French newspapers were relatively calm, after all, they were already mentally prepared to know that it was a matter of time before they were only analyzing how to end the war. Almost all newspapers believed that in the face of the threat of the German Empire, in the face of the occupied Alsace and Lorraine, it was no longer possible to expend energy in the Far East. As long as the outcome of the negotiations is not too embarrassing, let "the damn war end here." ＂

Interestingly, the most heated discussion was in the German public opinion circles, with the , , the , the , and the News, as well as the pro-official , the conservative , the Central Party's , and the Jesuit liberal all analyzed the war in detail, and all believed that although China could not be regarded as a Shijie power, it had become a force to be reckoned with in Asia. Many newspapers have called on the government to develop multifaceted relations with China in order to contain other European powers.

In Russia, the official mouthpiece and the pro-official including the populist have expressed some concern, invariably pointing out that the future rise of China could challenge Russian interests in the Far East

Looking at these reports, Ding Yuntong's mind has already thought of the future: France's reaction will not care about him first.

Britain's attitude is ambiguous, because on the one hand, Britain hopes that China will be able to counter Russia's expansion, and on the other hand, it is worried that China's strength will affect British interests in Asia. The mentality is quite contradictory.

The attitude of the United States is relatively positive, after all, it is far away from the ocean, and there is no conflict of interest for the time being. Perhaps Americans will feel that with the right policies, they can use China to steal profits.

The most active is Germany, they have realized the seriousness of the proximity of Russia and France, and if there is another pro-German China next to Russia, then the strength of China is a good thing, so Germany should most welcome the rise of China.

Russia, on the other hand, seems to have shown some hostility. It is not surprising that at this time in Russia there were already some chauvinists who began to clamor that "the East should be liberated."

Everywhere they declared, "the Russians are a superior people, morally responsible to the barbarian tribes of the East, and the time has come to take responsibility." ＂

Now, Ding Yuntong must consider a question, when he and Japan have a decisive battle in Northeast Asia, if Russia also sends troops to the war to stir up the situation, what should he do?

Ding Yuntong thought about it for a long time, and Zuihou came to a conclusion: In the Sino-Japanese war, Russia will definitely come forward to stir up the situation. And there is no doubt that it will definitely be on the side of Japan. However, as long as the war starts early, the Russians will not succeed in stirring up the situation.

First of all, from the political analysis,

Russia's expansion in the West has been blocked, and next year, the establishment of the German, Austrian, and Russian Emperors alliance will make it impossible for Russia to expand into the Balkans. The "Mediterranean Agreement" signed by Britain with Austria, Italy, and Spain also made it difficult for Tsarist Russia to expand beyond the Black Sea to the Aegean Sea and the Mediterranean.

It is therefore not surprising that there is a chauvinistic mood of "eastward expansion" in Russia. Its main representatives are Ukhtomsky, editor-in-chief and publisher of the , and Badmaev, a lecturer on Mongolian issues at the University of Petersburg. Ukhtomsky preached "Yellow Russian Jihua" everywhere and was called a "super patriot" by the Russians at that time. Badmayev was the first to propose the construction of a railway to Chinese mainland, advocating the use of trade as a guise to rebel in China and eventually gradually incorporate it into Russia.

Siberia is vast and cold, the geographical conditions are primitive and harsh, and the transportation is isolated, so it is impossible for Russia to transfer troops on a large scale. Central Asia, on the other hand, is relatively accessible but faces the desolate desert of Xinjiang, far from the center of Chinese domination.

That is, unless Russia builds the Trans-Siberian Railway, it will not be able to launch a large-scale attack on China. In fact, Russia's territorial plundering of China in the previous life was mainly based on intimidation, until the construction of the railway began in 1891. By the time of the Boxer Rebellion, although the railroad had not yet been completed, it had already allowed Russia to mobilize troops to invade the northeast.

Ding Yuntong knew that the real decisive year was 1886. It was in this year that Tsar Alexander II officially decided to build the Great Railway. Before that, Russia was like a robber in the Far East, taking advantage of whoever was easy to bully, but did not decide which one to rob. One moment to grab the outer Khing'an Mountains, and the other to grab the Kuril Islands, but there is not a single strategic goal.

It was not until 1886 that Russia's national policy was clear: to occupy northeastern China and obtain ice-free ports in the Pacific Ocean.

That is to say, as long as the war began earlier than 1886, the Russians were not prepared in terms of policy, resource allocation, and military deployment, and they had not yet made up their minds politically.

Secondly, militarily, the Russians are politically determined and cannot interfere. Even in 1904, the railway could only run two or three military cars a day and night, and it took a month and a half to travel from Europe to Northeast China. Without the Trans-Siberian Railway, the Russians would not have been able to send troops over at all.

Economically, Russia's treasury was extremely empty at this time, and there was no money to fight at all. Due to the serious backwardness and stagnation of the serfdom economy and the large consumption of military expenditures caused by successive years of foreign expansion, Russia's financial expenditures were stretched thin, and the extreme lack of funds became a serious problem plaguing the tsarist government. Historically, it was not until 1892 that Sergei 61 Witt became the Minister of Finance, and after taking measures such as the introduction of foreign capital, tariff protection, and currency reform, Russia's industrialization was greatly accelerated, and its strength increased greatly, so that it could afford to fight the Russo-Japanese War.

After thinking about it in this way, Ding Yuntong's heart calmed down, as long as the operation is done properly, the Sino-Japanese war should not worry about a third country participating in the war.

In any case, the finally made China's southern gate safe for the time being.

And in the north, it is still only an undercurrent, at least on the table is still perfunctory to each other, and it is not yet the moment to see the poor dagger.

Ding Yuntong thought silently: The past few years have been too precious, domestic and foreign affairs must be stepped up, and there must be a breakthrough in army building. In terms of internal affairs, it is even more necessary to start careful planning and strict control.

At this time, the next person came to report that the Vietnamese Emperor sent a minister to thank the Celestial Empire for driving away Fayi.

Ding Yuntong thought to himself: "Hey, okay, just thinking about cleaning him up, he sent someone here, and it was the heart that corresponded." Then the envoy came in and bowed down and handed over the document to the eunuch. It was the Vietnamese minister, Tuan Hung Inspector Nguyen Youdu, who was also a relative of the royal family of the Nguyen Dynasty.

Ding Yuntong just opened the paperwork, and just saw the title on the far right, he was immediately furious in his heart, and the title was actually three words: Thanksgiving edict.

What is called "edict", Fengtian carrier, the emperor edict said, the emperor said that what the emperor said was called "edict", and the fake emperor spoke called "edict". You are a broken king of Vietnam, as a vassal, you dare to openly claim to be the emperor of the suzerain, it is really arrogant. Probably because Nguyen Phuc Shi returned to Hue and was dizzy. Or think that China helped him drive out the French, and also ousted the puppet court from power, thinking that China acquiesced to his throne.

The widows of a small country are shameless and shameless, and they will not shed tears if they don't see the coffin, it's time for him to be sober.

Ding Yuntong sent a telegram to Vietnam, ordering Tang Jingsong to be the minister in Vietnam, with the same rank as the minister of the imperial court in Tibet, which means that the change of the throne in Vietnam in the future must be approved by the central government. At the same time, he ordered Feng Zicai's army to leave a force behind to supervise Vietnam before returning to China, and all the children of Nguyen Phuc Thi should go to China with the army!

Ding Yuntong sneered in his heart: You are still dreaming of being an emperor, and you will immediately be inferior to a puppet.

Looking at Ding Yuntong's smile, the Vietnamese envoy suddenly felt cold down his spine.