On May 14th, late at night, the lights in the Heart Cultivation Hall were still bright. Beijing in May is the most haode season of the year, when it is neither hot nor cold, and peonies are in full bloom.

Ding Yuntong was wearing royal blue civilian clothes, sitting at the table, smelling the scent of flowers, feeling the brightness in the room, today is the first time he uses an incandescent lamp, in his previous life, this was just a basic element of life, but this life made him very excited.

At this time, the incandescent lamp was only made of carbonized bamboo filament produced in Japan, and the life span was about 1,200 hours, which was very expensive. It was not until 1906 that bamboo wire was replaced with tungsten wire, the life span was greatly increased, and the cost was reduced accordingly, so that it was truly popularized to ordinary people.

Even so, this has made Ding Yuntong very satisfied, at this time, he is carefully looking at the minutes of the day's meeting, and the stunned expression of Rama V is still vivid.

He has made it clear to the other side that China will soon "re-assert" its administrative jurisdiction in Shanglao, Laos.

Rama V obviously did not expect that when he first came to China to explore the rumors, he originally wanted to get some benefits, but he did not expect such a result, and immediately lost control of his emotions and retorted fiercely, insisting that Shangliao was the sacred territory of Siam.

Ding Yuntong did not answer, and Xu Shichang, who accompanied him, immediately brought out a lot of historical materials, quoting scriptures and telling the other party that the entire Laos, including the Shangliao region, has been China's territory since the Sui and Tang dynasties, and the central government had set up the Lao Zhi Division, the Lao Division, the Military and Civilian Marshal's Palace, etc., and Siam did not occupy this place until decades ago. Turning the pages one by one, Rama V was immediately speechless.

Ding Yuntong is very confident in this aspect, and the origin of Chinese history is too terrible. In the whole of Asia, no matter which corner is in the middle of the road, as long as we carefully dig through the historical materials, we can always find evidence that it is Chinese territory. This is also Ding Yuntong's emphasis on the "re-exercise" of rights against Shangliao.

After arguing for a long time, Zuihou Rama V insisted that they should discuss it carefully. But the emperor's words will not be said a second time, and all that remains is how the people below will "discuss" the handover ceremony. If Siam knew each other, they would have discussed it with pen and paper, and perhaps they would have been able to give it some benefit. If you don't know each other, you have to use guns and cannons to "discuss", and Rama V does not have the guts.

Ding Yuntong's strategy against Siam was to use the victory in the Sino-French war to deter Siam, and then advance in layers, gradually encroaching until the Line of Actual Control was advanced to the east bank of the Mekong River, and Zuihou included Laos and Burma in its territory.

Then now is the first step, annexing Shangliao first. According to Ding Yuntong's estimate, Rama V will accept this step with hatred, and at most he will bargain, but the next step is likely to be to resist by force.

Looking at the minutes of the Sino-Japanese talks, there are not only detailed records of the meetings, but also spies secretly planted by the Ministry of the Interior, which also monitored the private contacts of officials on both sides.

As for the process of the talks, Ding Yuntong felt that it was simply ridiculous and funny, it was not like a diplomatic dialogue at all, but more like a fraternity. The two sides hardly came into contact with any substantive contradictions, and more discussed how to enhance friendship, expand economic and trade exchanges, broaden the channels of dialogue and communication between the two sides, and strengthen cooperation in international diplomacy. Japanese officials generally have a high level of Chinese proficiency and can write some limericks that seem to be incomprehensible. As for the communication between the two sides, it is not a problem, and they can basically understand each other's meaning by "talking with a pen" directly on paper, so that they can have a good time.

After the meeting, the two sides reached a consensus to turn 1882 into a "Sino-Japanese-Sino-Japanese Friendship Year."

Ding Yuntong secretly praised in his heart: "These devils are playing a good trick, come up first and talk about it." The words of the chief representative, Iwakura Gushi, what China and Japan have the same language and the same species, and they should support each other, coexist and prosper, etc., how does it sound so familiar. ＂

He had already made it clear to the Chinese delegation in advance: He only talked nonsense with the Japanese, and he did not relax in the slightest on the issue of principle. That is, the DPRK is a vassal state of China, and any issue concerning the DPRK is illegal and invalid without China's prior permission. This position is non-negotiable.

It's impossible for the Japanese to play from beginning to end, and now the relationship is just to pave the way, so it's time to get down to business next time.

Sure enough, in the second round of talks two days later, the situation was completely reversed.

The atmosphere of the Sino-Japanese talks has changed dramatically, and as soon as the issue of the DPRK is introduced, the two sides begin to exchange words, and they almost flipped the table.

In the beginning, the Japanese side repeatedly stressed that Japan only cared about economic interests in Korea and hoped that China and Japan would not interfere in each other's trade with North Korea. Including tariffs, personnel circulation, ship docking, transportation, etc., Zuihou Iwakura Gushi proposed to build a "small" railway in North Korea to strengthen material circulation, hoping to get the understanding of the Chinese side.

But Zeng Jize, the representative of the Chinese side, knows in his heart, he has fought with Russia and France, and he can be regarded as a veteran of the battlefield, and the tricks of the Japanese are all pediatrics, and he knows that a large set of words in front of him are just empty words, and the key is to build railways.

In this regard, Zeng Jize immediately refused, leaving no room for the slightest, saying that China would "never" agree to the emergence of a Japanese-dominated railway on the Korean Peninsula, whether large or small.

I didn't expect Zeng Jize to be so ruthless, and the Japanese side felt that the previous friendship offensive was in vain.

Kuroda Kiyotaka faced Zeng Jize and protested loudly: "Your deputy's statement about North Korea requires China's permission. However, since the ninth year of the Meiji era, Japan has signed the with Korea, and the first paragraph clearly states that Korea is an independent state and retains equal rights with Japan. In this case, China has no right to interfere in Japan-North Korea relations! ＂

Looking at Kuroda Kiyotaka's angry eyes, Zeng Jize was not in a hurry, took a sip of tea, and said slowly: "I heard that it has been very popular in your country recently to call China China, and I originally planned to call you Japanese slaves." Now that you have changed your mind, I am not sorry for myself. As for the Meiji 9th year you are talking about, I am not a subject of Japan and do not understand this year, so you have to talk about it when you go back to China, otherwise we will regard it as a provocation. ＂

Zeng Jize's few words that were neither yin nor yang made the Japanese side stammer, and their faces were embarrassed.

Seeing that the momentum of the Japanese side was defeated, Zeng Jize then said: "I solemnly declare once again that any treaty signed by the DPRK with another country is illegal and invalid without the approval of the Chinese government. Korea has been a vassal state of China for thousands of years, and no matter how much the Japanese side quibbles, it will be useless. The Japanese delegates did not look at Chinese characters, but also studied Chinese history. The so-called statement that the DPRK is an independent state is nothing but a play on words with ill intentions. Such tricks are truly disgusting, and they will never succeed! ＂

Seeing that Zeng Jize's voice was full of expression, the Japanese side Matsukata Zhengyi came forward to turn around: "Now that the two sides have different opinions on the North Korean matter, it is better to put aside the dispute for the time being and seek to develop friendly diplomatic relations." It is important to know that if the railway can be built, it will not only be of great significance to the development and progress of the DPRK itself, but also China and the DPRK will also benefit from it. Our purpose is only for friendship and regional prosperity, and nothing else. The purpose of this visit to China is to explain the situation face-to-face, enhance mutual trust between the two sides, and eliminate misunderstandings between the two sides. As for the it was ratified by the Emperor of Japan, and I hope that your country will respect it. ＂

Zeng Jize immediately refuted them one by one without hesitation: "First of all, the matter of North Korea is uncontroversial and does not need to be shelved. The controversy mentioned by the Japanese side is purely a matter of nothing.

Second, whether or not North Korea wants to build a railway, is it good for China and North Korea, and what does this have to do with Japan? Why do you need the Japanese side to point fingers. With all due respect, this is a salty radish to worry about, not to bother.

Thirdly, there is no misunderstanding between China and Japan, and everyone knows the intention of the Japanese side to build the railway.

As for the Nalao Shizi Treaty, is it ratified by the emperor of your country, and what does it have to do with China? Without the signature of our representatives, it is illegal, France and Vietnam signed the treaty privately, Zuihou is still not over, learn from the past, and think twice. ＂

One by one, the Japanese delegates said that their faces were red and white.

On the other hand, the Siamese side calmed down and the talks went well. King Rama V must have carefully weighed with his ministers, that is, since China can defeat France, Siam has no capital to resist, and the only thing left is to bargain, thinking that the loss will be smaller.

The two sides eventually reached an agreement: from June 1, China will "reassert" jurisdiction in the three states north of the 20th parallel in the Shanglao region, Phongsali, Oudomxay and Luang Prabang, and China will provide Siam with a concessional loan. At the same time, China will also help Siam build a short-distance railway from Bangkok to the seaside Samut Prakan province, and Siam will use rice to pay for the construction of the road, so this agreement is commonly known as "rice for railway".

Ding Yuntong was very satisfied with this agreement, although he made concessions and did not ask for the entire Shangliao, but he was able to get the three northern states of Shangliao without a single shot, and the harvest was still very large. More importantly, the word "re-re" in the agreement implies the validity of China's sovereignty over the Shangliao region in history. The meaning can be extended to the whole of Southeast Asia, laying the groundwork for future actions. Moreover, China's first export of capital and heavy industrial products to help Siam build the railway will not only boost the confidence of domestic industries, but also begin to exert influence on Siam's economic life, which is of great significance in the long run.

But the deal also has drawbacks, making Siam hostile and wary of China. Because on the evening of the signing of the agreement, Ding Yuntong received a report from the secret agent of the Ministry of the Interior: The veteran minister who accompanied Rama V to China, the chief military minister of Siam, Chaopaya Suriwang, paid a low-key visit to the Japanese delegation and discussed all night at the Japanese delegation's residence!