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The negotiations between China and Russia on prisoners of war were kept top secret. This was mainly proposed by the Russians. After all, Russia was still at war with the Ottoman Empire, and if the Ottoman Empire knew that Russia wanted to ransom these prisoners of war, it would certainly have taken other actions. After all, the main reason why the Ottoman Turkish Empire was able to gain an advantage on the battlefield was that the elite units of the Russian army had been wiped out, and if these prisoners of war were ransomed, the situation on the battlefield would soon be reversed.

"Your Excellency, the Emperor has agreed to negotiate with your country on the question of Russian prisoners of war." Lin Zihao said.

"Thank you to the Emperor of China, His Majesty, for his kindness, God will bless him!" Russian Minister Putiyatin said. Of course, this is just a spectacle. In fact, almost all Russians wished that the Chinese Emperor Long Yufei would go to hell sooner.

"Your Excellency, according to our statistics, there are more than 824,000 Russian prisoners of war who have been captured. These prisoners of war are currently working on various construction sites in the Empire. If Russia wanted to redeem these prisoners of war, it would inevitably have an impact on the construction of the empire. So, to be honest, it really makes it difficult for Russia to ransom these prisoners of war. Lin Zihao said.

Putiatin secretly cursed in his heart: "These damned Chinese actually use Russian prisoners of war as coolies, it is simply inhumane!" ”

Putiatin knew that the reason why Lin Zihao said this was nothing more than wanting Russia to pay more price. Merely. He won't be fooled.

"Your Excellency Foreign Minister, Russia will remember the help of the Chinese Empire, our peace and friendship. It's going to go on forever. Minister Putiyatin said.

"Peace and friendship? Bullshit! Maybe in a few years, the war will start again. Where can there be friendship and peace! It's better to have some practical benefits. Lin Zihao scolded in his heart. However, he is not afraid that Putiyatin will not take the bait, anyway, if it drags on like this, it will not benefit Russia at all. The empire has time and the Russians to wear!

Sure enough, after a bit of talking, Minister Putiatin was a little anxious. He was given an order from home to ransom the prisoners of war as best he could. That's the case. Those prisoners of war will be able to recover as soon as possible and form a fighting force. Russia would be able to defeat the Ottoman Turkish Empire as soon as possible. The current battlefield is on Russian soil. If the war does not last a day, it will cause huge losses to Russia!

"Your Excellency the Foreign Secretary, I wonder when your country will be able to release those prisoners of war?" Minister Putiyatin asked.

"Your Excellency, I wonder how much your country is willing to pay to redeem these prisoners of war?" Lin Zihao asked rhetorically. If the Russians wanted to redeem these prisoners of war without pulling out a dime. That's absolutely impossible.

"Ugh! Your Excellency the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. Now that the war is over, why can't the Chinese Empire unconditionally release those prisoners of war? Minister Putiyatin's face was a little ugly, as if he did not expect the Chinese Empire to ask for money. Of course, this is nothing more than a pretend.

"Unconditional release? How is this possible. Your Excellency, those prisoners of war were captured by the Imperial soldiers on the battlefield at a great cost. How is it possible to release unconditionally? If Russia wants to ransom those prisoners of war, it will have to pay us a ransom. Lin Zihao said clearly. If the Russians want to ransom the prisoners of war, they have to take money. Want a dime a dozen, don't spend a penny. That's impossible.

"Your Excellency the Foreign Secretary, in the last peace treaty, we have paid your country 120 million pounds in war reparations!" Minister Putiyatin said through gritted teeth. Such a huge indemnity is almost 6 times the revenue of Russia. The Chinese still want ransom, they are simply too greedy.

"No, no! Your Excellency, how can war reparations be war reparations and ransoms be ransoms? Besides, after those prisoners of war were captured, the empire needed a lot of food to feed them, and these needed money to buy. If Russia wants to ransom these prisoners of war, shouldn't it pay a ransom to the Reich? Lin Zihao said solemnly.

Putiatin was very angry, but there was nothing he could do. After all, those prisoners of war were in the hands of the Chinese Empire, and Russia had lost the war so badly that it could only beg the Chinese Empire to release these prisoners of war. If the Chinese Empire refused, they had no choice.

"Well, Your Excellency the Foreign Secretary, I wonder how much ransom we have to pay to ransom those prisoners of war?" Minister Putiyatin asked.

"Your Excellency, the Russian prisoners of war who have been taken prisoner are more than 820,000 in total, even if it is 820,000. The ransom of these men, plus the money they had spent over the past three months, was five hundred pounds each. 820,000 people, a total of 410 million pounds. In view of the friendly relations between our two countries, a fraction of 10 million pounds sterling can be erased, and Russia will give us 400 million pounds! Lin Zihao calculated it one by one, and then gave a total number.

Putiyatin, the Russian minister to China, had already turned black as the bottom of a pot. 400 million pounds, the Chinese really dare to speak! That's an astronomical sum! This amount has already exceeded the expectations of the Russian side. Minister Putiyatin had to admit that they still seriously underestimated the greed of the Chinese Empire.

"Your Excellency the Foreign Secretary, a ransom of four hundred million pounds, this is absolutely impossible. Russia doesn't have that much money, and even if it did, it would never have paid that much ransom. Minister Putiyatin said through gritted teeth. He was trying to calm down his anger, otherwise, he was afraid that he would slap Lin Zihao in the face.

"Your Excellency, all right. If we can't talk about it, then we don't force it. Anyway, these prisoners of war are still working on the construction site, so we'll wait for when they can earn 400 million pounds before we release them! Lin Zihao said indifferently. Anyway, those prisoners of war are in the hands of the Reich, even if they are in a hurry, it is these Russians who are in a hurry.

"Damn, these shameless, insatiable Chinese. Why didn't God throw them all into hell! "Minister Putiyatin is about to be blown up. However, he knew that, as Lin Zihao had expressed, it was the Russians who were in a hurry, and if Russia did not agree and dragged on, it would be more and more unfavorable to Russia.

"Your Excellency the Foreign Secretary, this price is so outrageous that Russia simply cannot afford to pay that much." After the Minister Putiyatin calmed down, he said with a sad face.

"Really? Your Excellency the Minister. Didn't your country easily pay £120 million last time? As far as the Reich knew, it was only a fraction of the gold and treasures in the hands of the Russian royal family. Although 400 million pounds is more, it is less than 3,000 tons of gold. Lin Zihao pretended to be surprised. Although the empire did not know the exact amount of the wealth of the Russian imperial family, it would have been three or four thousand tons if all of it was converted into gold. These are all accumulated by the Russian royal family over hundreds of years.

His Excellency the Foreign Secretary laughed, this is all a rumor from the outside world. In fact, the last time war reparations were paid, His Majesty the Emperor had already spent all his wealth. Minister Putiyatin said.

"Really? In that case, I'm sorry, but I can't do it any other way. This is the emperor's request, and we, as courtiers, can only do it. Lin Zihao put all the blame on the Emperor Long Yufei. Anyway, no matter how bold the Russians were, they obviously didn't dare to question the Emperor Long Yufei. Therefore, even if all the responsibility is put on Long Yufei, there is no problem.

"Your Excellency the Foreign Secretary, this price is outrageous and we cannot accept it." Minister Putiyatin shook his head. He knew that if the Chinese's demands were transmitted back to China, neither Tsar Alexander II nor the Russian ministers would agree. After all, 400 million pounds can buy enough weapons to arm all the Russians.

"Well, Your Excellency, for the sake of the friendly relations between our two countries, we can take the initiative to make concessions. For each Russian prisoner of war, a reduction of one hundred pounds. The total price of the ransom is reduced to 320 million pounds. Lin Zihao said. He now behaves as if he were a bargaining merchant.

Minister Putiyatin still shook his head, for for him, the difference between 320 million pounds and 400 million pounds was not very large, and it was impossible for Russia to pay such a large ransom.

"Your Excellency, then, how much is Russia willing to pay the ransom?" Lin Zihao asked.

"Your Excellency the Foreign Secretary, we can pay a ransom of a total of ten million pounds. That's a lot of money already! Minister Putiyatin said.

"What? Ten million pounds, if apportioned to American prisoners of war, is only a dozen pounds. No, are those Russian prisoners of war so worthless? In this case, we might as well keep them working on the construction site, and perhaps we can create more wealth for us. Lin Zihao's head shook like a rattle. The Russians paid only 10 million pounds, which was too far from the price expected by the Chinese Empire.

"Your Excellency, this is indeed all the money we can come up with!" Minister Putiyatin said pitifully.

"Your Excellency, the Empire has given way one more step. £250 million! This is the last bottom line of the empire, if Russia does not agree, then forget it! "Lin Zihao's attitude is very resolute! (To be continued......)