Zhang Zhigao can understand Liu Ping's mood, and can see the undercurrents under the surging sea.

Five years of the Empire's efforts to break the dilemma of isolation flashed through his mind like a slide.

In 1905 (the first year of Kaihong), the Gurkha Kingdom, which was the former British protectorate and at the same time a nominal vassal state of China, had a coup d'état, and the new king announced that it would stop paying tribute to China. After a series of arduous negotiations, China and Britain finally signed the "Calcutta Agreement," which stipulates that the two sides will ensure that Nepal is an independent and sovereign state, that neither side will be allowed to station troops in Gurkha, that the Gurkha will not conclude a military alliance with any country, and that the size of the Gurkha army will be limited. As a result, the empire gained a buffer zone on the Indo-Tibetan border, greatly improved the security situation on the part of the Indo-Tibetan side, and was able to carry out the discipline and administration of Tibet – transforming Tibet's feudal domain system into a modern constitutional system.

In 1909 (the fifth year of Kaihong), after the failure of the first Sino-British negotiations on the Afghan issue, Afghanistan, supported by China, defeated the British army in the Battle of Kabul, and at the same time announced that it would implement a policy of permanent neutrality in diplomacy and not form a military alliance with any country. At the beginning of the following year, China and Britain signed the Karachi Agreement, which was similar in content to the Kolkata Agreement, and Afghanistan became a two-way buffer zone between China and the UK.

So far, with the exception of the Hong Kong issue, which has tacitly maintained the status quo for the time being, the actual contradictions between China and Britain have been basically resolved, and it should be said that each side has its own gains—the British side is actually implementing the global strategic contraction strategy since the Boer War, and the Chinese side has greatly improved the strategic posture of the western frontier and got rid of the long-term passive situation.

What's more, the fish have been hooked one after another, and the "European New Crusade Alliance" assembled under the banner of anti-yellow perils is about to collapse.

In June 1908, the general strike in Mumbai, India, turned into a major uprising that swept through western and northern India, and the empire secretly carried out the "Peacock King" operation, imported German-made weapons to the rebel army, and used a trick to get a German diplomat in India into this matter, as a result of which the diplomat was expelled at the end of that year, and caused a protracted war of diplomats and a war of words between Britain and Germany.

In June 1908, the Persian king Muhammad Ali took advantage of the people's dissatisfaction with taxes and relied on the Cossack brigade trained by Russian officers to launch a counter-revolutionary coup d'état, abolishing the constitution, dissolving the parliament, and promulgating the military decree. In the name of fighting against the Yellow Peril, Germany proposed to Britain to form a "three-emperor alliance" to jointly crusade against the Persian revolutionary government, but the British side categorically refused, accusing Germany of "having boundless ambitions" and "attempting to encroach on and disintegrate Britain's world empire by deception," and for a time banned German warships from passing through the Suez Canal and entering and leaving the Persian Gulf. For this reason, the Kaiser repeatedly denounced Britain in public that it was "blinded by filthy selfish desires", "has no basic sense of responsibility in the civilized world", and "cannot shoulder the mission of Europe and the white race".

In August 1908, the German-Italian coalition brazenly invaded Ethiopia (Abyssinia), which had received strong assistance from China, and the Italian army was initially attacked by the main force of the Egyptian army and suffered heavy losses. However, the German army, which did not meet the main force of the Egyptian army, successfully invaded Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, before other belligerent countries, and seized more than 60% of Ethiopia's territory, causing serious dissatisfaction among the accomplices. During the negotiations that lasted for half a year, during which Britain threatened to send a naval blockade of the German Somali coast, Germany finally made a concession, agreeing that Addis Ababa would be jointly administered by the four powers, and that 30% of the territory occupied by Ethiopia (that is, 18% of the entire territory of Ethiopia) would be redivided between Britain, France and Italy. The radicals in Germany clamoured for the creation of a fleet strong enough to rival the British navy, so that "this humiliation would never be repeated."

One of the last baits prepared for Germany is in Turkey. In July 1908, Niazi, a Turkish officer in Reshna, Macedonia, unveiled the flag of righteousness and occupied Thessaloniki on July 23, and Sultan Hamid II was forced to issue an edict to immediately restore the constitution and hold national elections shortly thereafter. After the election, the Young Turks organized a new government, which received great support from China, and in addition to military supplies and advisers, they were able to order two battleships from China at a preferential price. In the face of the pro-Chinese tendencies of the new Turkish government, the Kaiser has already made threats in his "crusade speeches" more than once, will he be smarter this time?

In Zhang Zhigao's view, the plan was being carried out perfectly, Germany and Britain were repeatedly strongly stimulated by each other, the trend of public opinion in the two countries was changing, the Yellow Peril theory was gradually losing its market, the British newspapers were now popular with the term "German liar," and German public opinion was attacking "hegemonic pirates and scum of the civilized world," and the Anglo-German confrontation became the focus of more attention.

So, next, is it necessary to embark on the road of Sino-German unity, as the pro-German faction wishes?

If peace cannot be reached, it will have to be fought to the end, or the Allies will win, or the Allies will win, and many military elders obviously prefer the former.

In any case, it would be too risky to follow the path of the Allies......

"Elder Zhang? It's okay. ”

It would be too rude to be in a daze in front of His Royal Highness the Prince, Zhang Zhigao bowed his head apologetically.

"I'm fine, Your Highness, please continue."

Liu Ping didn't care: "Well, today's British Empire, on the surface, is attached to the Quartet, and all countries come to the court, but in fact, they have their own ghosts and are ready to move. ”

Zhang Zhigao said happily: "It's good that Your Highness has this ambition, the emperor must be very pleased when he hears this." ”

"I'll just think about it, it's good to have the imperial sister here, I'm still playing with airplanes, driving chariots or something, that's enough."

"Your Highness, don't think so, even if your imperial sister ascends the throne, the crown prince will be you."

"How could it be ......?"

"Your imperial sister has decided not to marry for the rest of her life, and of course the prince can only choose from your younger siblings."

Liu Ping shook his head again and again: "I'm not interested in the throne, it's too unfree, you can choose Fan'er, you can also choose Yuchun-anyway, it has already set a precedent for the crown prince." ”

"Your Highness, as a prince, you naturally have to take responsibility for the royal family and the empire, and there is not much freedom to say. Does Your Highness know the truth? In addition to your imperial sister, the emperor and all the elders value you the most, please don't let the emperor down. ”

Liu Ping was silent, Zhang Zhigao was clearly criticizing him for being "willful" and "ignorant of the general situation", and he was indeed irrefutable as he became more sensible.

Every child has to grow up, and it's time to face up to reality, when the vague and romantic dream of free flight when I was a child is reluctant, but I have to give in to more concrete and greater ideals.

At this time, in the Chinese embassy not far from the hotel, a stout man with a face that seemed to be made of metal parts was looking at the embassy's third-class military attache, Second Lieutenant Tang Lingzhu, with unpredictable eyes.

"I didn't expect it to be such a tender ......"

Wu Haisong, the overseas commissioner of the Haw Par Battalion, put away his ambiguous gaze and lit a cigarette from Genkinhard.

"Sir, can we get down to business?" Tang Lingzhu is colored.

Wu Haisong puffed a cigarette in his nose: "Okay, it's actually very simple, I came here as His Highness's escort this time to ask you for three things on the orders of Shangfeng." ”

"What's that?" Tang Lingzhu had a premonition and straightened his body.

"Three heads."

Tang Lingzhu nodded slightly expressionlessly: "Understood, when do you want it?" ”

"Your Highness will leave England in a week, and I want you to put your things in here at that time......" As he spoke, Wu Haisong opened the large leather case on the table, lifted the covercloth, and found three cylindrical glass vessels that radiated a piercing chill, which contained a liquid as translucent as fascination.

"It's a formalin solution inside, be careful when you put it, be sure to completely submerge it, and leave no gaps." Wu Haisong reminded with a smile, "The day before Your Highness leaves, I will come to pick up the suitcase in person. Remember, no one but the dead will be held accountable for this, and it must be done without leaving a trace! ”

"Understood." The young Second Lieutenant Tang Lingzhu had clearly realized the fate of defeat.

Wu Haisong closed the suitcase that looked very ordinary, and pushed it in front of Tang Lingzhu with both hands.

"Is there a way? Do you want to support? I've brought a reserve with me. ”

"No, no. I've got an idea. ”

This is a test and an opportunity, and Ensign Tang doesn't seem to want to be divided into victories.

"Three months ago, we had a key clue that every weekend, the target would send someone to London to recruit prostitutes on their behalf."

Wu Haisong spat a cigarette at the ceiling: "Sounds like a bamboo in your chest?" ”

"Yes, we've set our sights on the client who served the target, and our agent disguised himself as a pimp, sucked him in with a hefty kickback, and sent a female agent to pretend to be a prostitute to confirm the target. As long as the client comes back on the weekend, we can do it. ”

"Kidnapping the client? The risk is too great. ”

"No, as long as the client accepts the prostitutes we offer, we are halfway there, and the main force can follow the past, and then there will be a lightning attack. Just in case, our people opened a shop in London's red light district, and the female agents who were going to be sent were all working and training in it, and all aspects were also disguised, and in case of an accident, all the things could be blamed on the agent himself who was a smuggling prostitute, and the police basically couldn't dig up any clues. ”

Wu Haisong's steel face almost crunched and smiled, and he stretched out a big hard and powerful hand to Tang Lingzhu: "Very good, waiting for your good news." ”

"Please rest assured, the pig's head you want, there will be no less, my father is a pig killer, and his whole pig's head is famous in his hometown - I have also learned the whole pig's head."

Wu Hai loosened goosebumps on half of his body - such a cold quip.