Prince Henry's itinerary was determined in August 1902 when the German leadership determined that China could be a strong ally. A large group of German delegates visited Austria-Hungary and Turkey, and then Prince Henry and a group of high-ranking officials attended the groundbreaking ceremony of the Eastern Railway. Then, a group of German representatives gradually disappeared from the world's sight, and half a month later, Prince Henry and his entourage secretly arrived in Beijing, the capital of the Chinese Republic, and began the largest cooperation negotiations between the two countries in the history of China, from the beginning of the negotiations, China Germany has become an ally that is not an ally for 25 years.

Both sides are people who understand, and in such an international situation, the two sides have come together, which can be said to be forced by the situation or driven by interests. But even then, both countries must weigh their own interests. And in the beginning, the Germans asked for a bit too high.

"The German Empire can provide the Chinese Republic with sufficient financial and technical support, but in return we hope that German merchants will receive national treatment in your country. And in terms of tariffs and so on, we want to get greater concessions. And the cooperation between the two sides in the military field should not be limited to the sale and purchase of weapons and related technical exchanges, we hope that the relationship between the two countries can be further deepened, for example, we can raise the relationship between the two sides to the level of Germany and Austria. Prince Henry said.

"We are very grateful for your country's support for our development, but I have a few questions to ask." Xu Jie said flatly: "Britain and France are allies, can the businessmen of both sides enjoy national treatment in each other's countries?" Could it be that the financial markets of both sides are open to the other? Isn't there no tariff barrier between the two countries? Cooperation between us should be equal cooperation, not one-side-led. That's a good score of a cake. Since the person with the knife has the right to divide the cake, it makes sense for the other person to pick the cake first. ”

"I think Premier Xu should understand that there is no such thing as a free lunch in the world. And in the present situation, your country's once largest source of funds and know-how is no longer guaranteed, and the proximity of Britain and France will inevitably mean the final compromise between Britain and Russia, and what does your country have now? The fact that the scale of industry is not as good as that of Russia, and that a large amount of money has been borrowed to prepare for war, will greatly limit the future development of your country, with funds, technology, equipment, and technical personnel. Your country lacks them. Is there any other choice for you? Prince Henry said with a little dissatisfaction. In his eyes, Huaxia is already cornered, in this case. The demands of the German Reich can and must be accepted! Just like the choice made by France after Germany defeated France!

"I understand that lunch is paid, but there is one thing. What we needed was lunch. Instead of adding anything else, the Chinese Republic is indeed more difficult now, but before the Russians abandon the Far East, the British aid is only a little less, and if the British want to turn the Russian double-headed eagle to Europe, they must first cut off the claws of the Russians to the Far East, maybe we will win more difficult, but the result is certain. Xu Jie said with a smile.

"Exactly. The situation in your country is very bad, after the Russian double-headed eagle turned to Europe. Who will it target next? I don't think there is any country other than yours or your allies that can arouse the appetite of the double-headed eagle. And your country will face the Anglo-French forces on the Western Front, and the Russians on the Eastern Front. Xu Jie continued.

"We also have allies, the Kingdom of Italy and Austria-Hungary are loyal allies of the German Empire, the German Imperial Army is confident that it can defeat Russia with the Austro-Hungarian army while ensuring a defensive position on the Western Front, which does not need to worry Premier Xu, while the Italian Navy and the Austro-Hungarian Navy can form an advantage over the French Navy, without the sea dominance of the Mediterranean, the cost of transporting British resources in India, Southeast Asia and Australia to Europe will increase significantly. And in terms of industry, we are not at a disadvantage compared with Britain, France and Russia. Prince Henry said proudly.

"Your country underestimates its superiority at sea. I came from the Navy, so I think I'm in the best position to speak in this area, Admiral Scheer, and I wonder if you agree with me. Xu Jie looked at Scheer and said with a smile. At this time, Scheer did not make any objections, after all, the other party was much stronger than himself in terms of record and strategy.

"What if supplies from the Far East and Oceania had to bypass all of Africa? Sooner or later, it can be transported, even if your country or Turkey has a fleet in the Indian Ocean? Does Turkey have the ability to repair and keep the fleet constantly operating? Even if your country and your allies conquer the Suez Canal, will Britain and France be completely cut off from war resources? When pigs fly! The British Empire could still get much-needed resources from the Americans, and as long as the shipping routes were secured, Britain could get a steady stream of support from the United States, which, you know, now had higher production capacity than Germany. Xu Jie said solemnly.

"Now, then, your country is faced with a dilemma: if you can't defeat the British Grand Fleet, it will not be possible to deal a fatal blow to Britain, and the Ocean Fleet will not be able to blockade Britain's sea transportation lines, so the ships of the Americans or other countries can transport a steady stream of supplies for Britain and France, and at this time, will your country dare to attack American merchant ships? Is your country willing to add a new enemy to itself for nothing? ”

"Germany, on the other hand, has a strong production capacity, but does not have enough raw materials and labor, and even food cannot be guaranteed in wartime, food security is the foundation of an empire, although the output rate of agriculture is very low, although the same capital will earn more profit elsewhere than agriculture, but no amount of industrial products and money can be eaten! With the trade-off, did the German Empire have a chance of victory? Britain, France and Russia are the greatest enemies of your country, and the shortage of domestic raw materials and food is the greatest difficulty and the second enemy of your country! After Xu Jie finished speaking, he quietly observed the other party.

"We can buy materials and food for hoarding, and in our timetable, the war will not go on for too long, all this is a problem that can be avoided, and in a maximum of 2 years, this big war in Europe will be won or lost." Prince Henry said quite unkindly, although his tone was tough, but his slightly pale face betrayed the tension in his heart! The food problem has always been an eternal pain in the hearts of the Germans. Most of the Polish Plain was occupied by the Russians, and Ukraine was a famous granary in Europe, but all this was in the hands of the enemy, and Germany's grain was always on the alert, but the population of the German Empire was as high as more than 60 million, making it difficult for him to ensure safety by importing reserves, after all, no country in the world would export rations that could be eaten by tens of millions of people at once!

"If it can really be solved, then Your Excellency will not come to Huaxia to talk to me face-to-face about cooperation between the two countries." Xu Jie Ha said with a smile. "2 years to end a world war? Are you kidding? The French and the British have plenty of resources to spend with your country, and the border defense line established by the French is to make your army's head break and bleed, and I also know the deduction of the Republic of China and your country, and it seems that your country has no good way to break through this line of defense. Britain and France have made up their minds to fight a protracted war with your country, and the war will not end as soon as the Franco-Prussian War did. ”

"We can defeat Russia, and then get the necessary resources from Russia to continue the war." Prince Henry said without showing weakness. "Russia has a huge strategic depth, a harsh winter, and of course there is also the question of whether China can seriously weaken Russia, and if the Russians do not suffer heavy losses in the upcoming war, I think the German Empire will also be disappointed, right?" Xu Jie said meaningfully.

"Your Excellency, Honorable Prince, let's see what the Huaxia Republic can offer your country. Although we cannot directly help your country fight Britain, France, Russia and other countries on the battlefield, there are some things that only the Republic of China can provide and other countries cannot provide. Interested in hearing about it? Xu Jie asked. After a few seconds of silence, Prince Henry's face turned pale but he didn't refute, so Xu Jie started his own counterattack.

Although the United States of America on the other side of the ocean also has a strong grain production capacity, but because American businessmen sell their stocks according to the market, if your country wants to hoard enough food for tens of millions of people to eat for 3 to 4 years, I am afraid that this cannot be achieved through the market alone, or the price of realization is too high."

"And we are different in China, to a certain extent, we are transitioning from agriculture to industrialization, the countryside has sufficient labor to engage in agricultural production, and the Northeast grain base has been built before the Sino-Russian War, and now we have incorporated a large area of land on the north bank of Heilongjiang into the territory of China, we now have enough manpower and land to engage in production, although the efficiency is low, but we can use government means to raise, your country does not have to worry about price fluctuations, and do not have to worry about not being able to buy, as long as the warehouse is built. How do you feel? Xu Jie asked.

"In addition to the export of large quantities of grain, we can also provide your army with a variety of military rations that are convenient for consumption and have a shelf life of 10 years. This will greatly facilitate the logistical supply of your country. Take this compressed biscuit, for example. Xu Jie said as he took out a new product that he had improved from the compressed biscuits sold in supermarkets in later generations.

"Although the taste is a little worse, it contains all kinds of essential elements for the human body, and the biggest advantage is that after being sealed, it will never deteriorate, and only two pieces the size of a palm are enough to maintain the normal combat needs of a soldier. Of course, if the senior officers need it, we also have field rations that can be heated automatically without the need for flames. If you are interested, the generals of your country can taste it after the meeting. Xu Jie said. (To be continued......)