Wen Yan is in his mouth, and he has a big stick in his hand. ,!” Xu Jie couldn't help but smile bitterly. The Russians' move to win over the Americans did not hide from Xu Jie's eyes. After the Russian envoy arrived in the United States as soon as possible, the British passed the information to Beiyang, and the Americans did not seem to have any intention of concealing it. At the behest of the U.S. government, an American envoy under the pseudonym Jack secretly arrived in the Qing Kingdom. The purpose is very simple, to wait for the price and sell, knock on the bamboo poles on both sides. And today, the American envoy who came to extort money is coming, and he needs to deal with this envoy!

The two sides did not exchange too many pleasantries, and after completing the necessary courtesy exchanges, the two sides immediately cut to the chase. It was as soon as the confrontation began, and the smell of gunpowder permeated the entire venue.

"My country deplores the commercial discrimination of your Government against the United States of America. and make the most solemn representations. Our businessmen deserve the same treatment as Britain and Germany. Europeans can enjoy a variety of benefits in your country. And our businessmen have to put up with high taxes and all kinds of trouble! This is an act of hostility! Jack said.

"Yes, while other countries are helping our country to resist Russian aggression, your government is ready to provide Russia with funds and supplies. In the First Sino-Japanese War, your country's aid to Japan made the Beiyang Navy and Army pay a heavy price, so please tell me, sir, if China's normal tariff policy is hostile, then can your country's policy be regarded as a declaration of war? Xu Jie said righteously.

"These are normal business transactions. The war between the two countries does not mean that trade and financial operations cannot be conducted. Not to mention the fact that large amounts of money were borrowed before the war, both legally and morally. None of this is to blame. Jack said without changing his face.

"Then we give certain commercial concessions to Britain and Germany in return for their support to our country. Then tell me, sir, on what basis your country is treated like this? Is it because of the Chinese Exclusion Act passed in 1882 or because the Japanese and Russians used money and weapons from the United States to massacre our citizens? Xu Jie said angrily: "Between the unfair treatment of our expatriates and the unfriendly attitude of your country in this war, my Beiyang plan is to increase the additional tax on American goods by 100% within the control of my Beiyang!" ”

"You are a provocation, this is a naked provocation! What you do will bring disaster to the Qing Kingdom! Your hubris and conceit are bound to pay a heavy price! Jack stood up, he really didn't expect the other party to be so tough! Originally, in his opinion, in the face of the powerful United States of America, even if the other side opposes it, it will definitely not refuse in a direct way. Or even directly choose revenge. Faced with this unexpected situation, even the scheming Jack was a little out of shape.

"Disaster? The U.S. fleet was completely wiped out by the Spanish Navy at its own doorstep, and even if the United States supported Russian supplies, I am afraid that it would not be able to reach the Far East by sea, and there was only one master on the sea in the Far East, that is, the North Ocean, and any country that tried to challenge had already tasted the consequences of defeat, first Japan and then the Russians, and the former was almost on the verge of extinction. And the latter has just suffered a shameful defeat, as for the funding? This thing can't be eaten or weaponed. The Russians could not get enough supplies by land, so what was the use of having more money? There was a hint of disdain in Xu Jie's eyes.

"The United States must reflect on what it has done. It is true that the United States is a powerful country, but its strength is only relatively speaking, and in the face of the anti-Russian alliance formed by Beiyang and Great Britain, as well as the support of Germany and Italy, do you not think that your country is too thin? It was a whimsical idea to cross the ocean to come to the Far East to find us trouble. "Xu Jie is not afraid of the current United States, which has a strong economic aggregate. But there is no matching ocean-going fleet, and although the financial industry is already relatively developed, it is a drop in the bucket compared to the British. With the financial support of the United Kingdom, Xu Jie does not need to rely on the strength of the United States at all!

As for saying that the Americans support Russia? The Americans would not support the losing side, and there was no interest in supporting Russia at all, and the Russians belonged to the type of person who did not pull out a dime, and attempts to obtain commercial advantages from the sphere of Russian power were never realized. The purpose of the United States in doing so is nothing more than the following three considerations. The first is naturally to get some benefits. The second is as a retaliation for a series of actions of Beiyang in the Spanish-American War. The third is to demonstrate the United States' right to speak in the world. Since the end of the Spanish-American War. After the fleet, which the United States had been operating for years, finally disappeared outside the port of San Diego, the United States' standing in the eyes of the great powers plummeted. To put it mildly, if the American-British War of 1812 earned the United States some respect from the British. Well, after a lapse of 86 years, the Americans. In particular, the military strength of the United States is directly despised by all countries. Being beaten up at the doorstep of a country that is not even a third-rate country in Europe really disgraces the United States. Although the defeat of the United States was the result of a combination of many reasons, in the eyes of the vast majority of people, the US Navy has become a laughing stock. So the United States is trying to salvage some of its reputation by being tough in the Far East!

But it is clear that the Americans did not reach, and after a complete tear on both sides, the whole talks could not proceed. And soon, on the second day of the talks. The White House received Jack's report, in which he expounded Beiyang's attitude and suggested that he should take a look at this "fanatic who dared to slander the United States of America." In this case, President William McKinley immediately summoned senior government officials, including Vice President Garrett Hobart and Secretary of State John Hay, to discuss the response, and in addition to the troika of the US government, Major General Magiffin, who had been in Beiyang and participated in the Spanish-American War, was also invited to attend the meeting. They need to collect information about Beiyang through Majifen.

"I have to say that General Xu in the Far East is very arrogant, and what they have done has touched the interests and dignity of the United States, and we must respond to it." McKinley set the tone for the talks.

"What can we do? Economic sanctions? There was not much trade between the Qing and our country in the first place. Threat of force? It's just a joke. Or help the Russians knock on the North Ocean? Vice President Hobart smiled wryly.

"In a way, we are helping the Russians, no different from throwing a lot of dollars into the Pacific, Russia's finances are not in a good situation, and they are on the verge of collapse under the weight of the construction of the Far Eastern Railway and the huge military spending. Plus, for now, the Russians don't have the slightest chance of winning. It is simply impossible to get enough war dividends to cover their losses. Secretary Hay said.

"So what's your opinion? According to the information I have received, the problem of funds is not difficult for the Russians, and the French have provided them with a large number of loans. And now the Russians intend to use this loan to buy American warships. McKinley said.

"I'm afraid the navy won't be happy, will it? General Magifin. Hobart said with a glance at Magifen next to him.

"The Navy has just suffered a crushing defeat, and we need more capital ships to arm our Navy." Magifin said it ambiguously, but he had already expressed his meaning, that is, he did not want the warships of the American fleet to arm the Russians.

"If American warships enter the Russian fleet, especially at such a critical moment, I think our interests in the Far East will suffer extremely serious losses. That General Xu can definitely do what he says! There is no point in us doing this except for making a feud. Hobart said after glancing at Magiffin.

"But Beiyang has already provoked us, and if we don't react, the United States will be seen as a weak and bullying country!" McKinley said impatiently.

"Since the end of the Spanish-American War, the United States has been labeled as a weakling." Hobart said, holding his glasses. "And things are not without a turning point, the talks between the two sides are just private negotiations, and the specific content is not known to the outside world, if we don't say it, no one knows about it."

"But in the eyes of that General Xu, the United States will be weak and deceitful, and in future interactions, he will even more ignore the interests and dignity of the United States." McKinley said.

"The United States could not contain him now, and he was about to build a new state on the corpse of a decaying country, which would grow stronger and stronger under his rule, and he dared to help Spain as early as 1898. Then after that, he will be even less likely to be afraid of the United States, and we simply cannot stop what he is doing now. Britain and Germany also wanted him to defeat Russia! We cannot be at the same time at the hands of three great powers or potential ones. Hobart let out a sigh of relief and said, "There's a kind of friend like this, when you can't beat an enemy, then he can be your friend." What we need now is not to fight each other, but to consider how to improve the relationship between the two sides. ”

"The war in the Far East has nothing to do with us, and the United States is now only an American country." Hay added.

"So what do we do now? How to solve this problem decently? In the face of the staunch opposition of the two, McKinley's advice could not be adopted. Then you can only retreat and find a way to end it.

"The boat is sellable, but the delivery time we can make some corrections. For example, it was delivered after the end of the war. In this way, neither side can say anything, and directly handing over to the Russians the warships that the Navy is already ready to serve will obviously cause dissatisfaction in the Navy, and it will not be able to form combat effectiveness in a short time, and the Russians will not need it at all. I think General Xu, who started in the navy, should be able to understand this. Secondly, we did sell the Russians a new warship, and at a relatively friendly price, the Russians should not complain. Hay said.

Thanks to the book friend Shan Qingying for the reward, and the book friend Moncheri for the evaluation vote. The subscription is still not ideal, and the author is very sad——!

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