In November of the second year of the Republic, after nearly a year of turmoil in Russia, the Russians were really a little tired of it. Comrade Trotsky's revolutionary fervor had slowly faded under the embattlement, and although he still insisted on his communism, he no longer shouted the slogan of raising up the proletarians of the whole world.

In the same way, Nicholas II also knew that there was no way for him to return to St. Petersburg, including Kerensky in Belarus, they all thought that they had to have a reorientation towards the current Russia, maybe their position was different, but when China and Britain offered to let them sit down for peace talks, they could not find a reason to refuse.

Representatives of the three parties soon gathered in Konsnets, and together with Stessel, who represented the interests of the Eastern Siberian Autonomous Region this time, Russia's participation in the talks began on 7 November.

The Chinese side paid enough attention to the peace talks, and the official newspapers and several very influential newspapers basically sent special reporters, and left a special section on the pages of the newspapers to report on the progress of the Russian talks. On the issue of Russia's Quartet's interests, China's comments were fair and impartial, and it did not say who it was biased for.

At the same time, all peacekeeping forces withdrew from Siberia, leaving security there under the responsibility of the Self-Defense Forces of the Siberian Autonomous Government. At this time, the Self-Defense Forces and the self-government suddenly changed from a role of assisting the peacekeeping force to an autonomous regime.

All this made the Russians here very satisfied, and they were all discussing the direction of the self-government and the self-defense forces, and Stessel made it very clear that every inch of Siberia was inalienable to Russia, and if the peace talks could achieve a successful conclusion, the self-government and the self-defense forces would be willing to accept the leadership of the new government.

The other three parties have also expressed their opinions on this, and their appreciation is certain, and in order to put the Siberian Autonomous Government on its side in the negotiations. They all began to make all kinds of promises to Stessel, as well as to the Chinese side.

Needless to say, Kerensky was a relatively enlightened and very patriotic progressive, and he said that if the Siberian autonomous government was willing to stand on the same side as Belarus, then there would be a place for Siberia in the new government that would be formed in the future, and that the autonomy would not change, and that all commercial treaties with China and other countries would be valid commercially.

Comrade Trotsky said the same thing, saying that although the economic policy of communism was now practised in his territory, it was a different matter for Siberia. If Stessel was willing to fight with him for the poor of Russia, he would advise the Duma to elect Stessel as the head of the Siberian Autonomous Region.

Even Nicholas II knighted Stessel. Faced with the temptations of these people, Stessel behaved like a pure Russian nationalist, refusing to respond to any of these rewards, saying that he would only obey the future new Russian government.

The Siberian side did not express any opinion on Russia's internal affairs in the negotiations, but only occasionally confronted the Japanese negotiation supervisors, and Stessel said that he was very dissatisfied with the Japanese now holding the East Siberian region and refused to withdraw, and he believed that the Japanese army should also learn from the peacekeeping forces of China and other countries, when the Russians themselves sat down to negotiate. When the cessation of hostilities in Russia does not require you to keep the peace, please leave Russian soil.

The words are quite tough, and a bit inconsistent with the identity of a regime that has just been established and is not yet complete. But such an attitude really made the prestige of the Siberian self-government in Russia slowly grow, and the Russian people, who have undergone great changes, like to hear such arguments.

Little Japan also smelled something strange from Stessel's arguments.

Withdraw troops? It's impossible. Don't say that you Russia has not yet completed peace negotiations. Even if you really reunify and want Japan to spit out what you eat in your mouth, it depends on whether the Russians have the ability to do so.

The Siberian Autonomous Government has been developing under the cover of China, and the outside world knows nothing about the combat capability of this autonomous army. The only reference for the Japanese was the battles they had fought with the former Russian forces. Quite a beautiful win. When the peacekeepers first entered Siberia, they fought with this team several times, but the Japanese side really didn't know what to say about the results.

Immediately after Stessel showed unfriendliness towards the Japanese, the Japanese side made a rough estimate of their military strength. Little Japan is absolutely not capable of challenging them, so they immediately thought of the Chinese.

"Terauchi-kun, the information from Constance is that Stessel has been in charge of military affairs and has been spreading hatred for the Japanese Empire in the local area, and it can be seen from all indications that this guy is a guy who is not friendly to us. He even openly proposed among the Self-Defense Forces that the task of the Siberian Self-Defense Forces is to protect the integrity of Siberia. I think maybe we're going to have to face a war. ”

Prime Minister Saionji sat cross-legged in his official residence, boiling kung fu tea, while discussing the current situation with Japanese Field Marshal Terauchi Masatsuki. He prefers this way of talking, talking about national affairs makes people nervous, and kung fu tea can make them sit down and be calmer.

Terauchi Masatsuki immediately said: "Your Excellency, if it were only the Stessel gang, it would not pose a threat to our Imperial Japanese Army. But I have enough reason to believe that the Chinese side will not turn a blind eye to the fighting there. Zhang Zuolin's Northern Group Army has begun to mobilize, the general of the Volunteer Army has gone to the northeast with Bing to take over the command of Li Debiao, and the Chinese militia in the northeast has also begun to train. ”

Xiyuan Temple's hand holding the teapot paused slightly in the air, and the battle with China must be cautious, because it is a decisive battle of fate: "If China intervenes in the battle, what are our chances of winning?" ”

Masaki Temple's head shook lightly a few times: "Please forgive me, with the current military deployment, we have no chance of winning at all!" Naokami Matsubara has only 200,000 men in Eastern Siberia, and these people are enough to deal with the Russians, but against the Chinese, we must send more troops and increase war materials. ”

Saionji continued to pour his teapot for a long time before he said: "I'm really not sure what strategy the Chinese side will take, because as you can see from their current domestic newspapers, they are not carrying out any anti-Japanese propaganda. It is impossible for Yang to fight ghosts without knowing that once the war between China and Japan starts, it will be a decisive battle of fate, why does he not carry out a larger-scale mobilization? ”

There is really no way to answer this question, because he doesn't know the way either. In his military report to the emperor yesterday, Terauchi made it clear that Japan must now make a choice, either to withdraw its troops from Russia immediately, or to prepare for a battle on an unprecedented scale. The emperor hasn't replied to him yet, but if he wants to come to Xiyuan Temple to drink tea with himself today, it should be for this matter.

Sure enough, after the tea was ready, Xiyuan Temple poured him a cup, and said while drinking: "I have already seen the proposal given to the emperor by the temple king. The Emperor said that your proposal is very pertinent, but there is an obvious question, and I would like to ask Terauchi-kun to answer it. ”

The temple was busy putting down the teacup: "Hayi! ”

Xiyuan Temple said: "It can be seen from China's peacekeeping that they are fully capable of sending a large number of troops to Siberia in a short period of time. If Yang Fighting Ghost really wants to go to war, the best time is now, we don't have the speed of theirs at all, and Naokami Matsubara will be forced to face the pressure alone. Why would the Chinese side not react now? ”

Terauchi Masaki said: "I have discussed this with Marshal Dongxiang, maybe in Yang Xiaolin's intentions, he hopes that our navy can do it in the South Seas." ”

The corners of Saionji's mouth smiled, and the answer given by Masaki Terauchi was basically the same as the result of his discussion with the emperor.

"The two proposals you gave were one for withdrawal and the other for a decisive battle. I want to know which one you are more inclined to in your heart? ”

Masaki Terauchi's face was solemn: "Your Excellency Prime Minister, from my personal point of view, I think it is more rational to withdraw troops, our current army and China are fighting, even if we go all out, we are not sure of victory." But from the perspective of the Emperor and the Empire of Japan, we must fight to the death! Because we have no way back. ”

As he spoke, he took out a small notebook from his bosom and handed it to Xiyuan Temple with both hands: "This is the resources of the Siberian region that we have counted, please take a look!" ”

Xiyuan Temple took it with both hands, he opened it and looked at it, while Zhengyi in the temple continued to whisper: "Your Excellency, the Chinese have now obtained the vast territory of southern Siberia, where the resources are much richer than their Jianghuai mines!" And the amount of resources we occupy in Eastern Siberia and the Far East is also very rich, equivalent to the sum of two Indonesians! If we withdraw from Russia now, the Chinese will get here immediately, and in a few years, our national strength will be far behind China. ”

The reason why the Japanese are unwilling to give up is the reason why Yang Xiaolin does not want them to get it, the contradiction between them is irreconcilable, China can cede its interests to the British Empire, can share resources with the United States and France, and can also develop with Germany, but only Japan cannot!

In fact, even if Stessel didn't make these moves, Japan would find an opportunity to kill him. Because the Japanese know that these people are protecting China's interests in Siberia. There is Japan but not China in this area, and if there is China, there is no place for Japan to have a foothold.

The battle is decided, and the key is how to fight. Little Japan will not say that it is up to you to calculate in China, and people have their own strategies. (To be continued......)