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"Damn those yellow-skinned monkeys, soon, great Russia will let you know the fate of being an enemy of Russia!" Russian Foreign Minister Count Nesherrody said through gritted teeth. Now he has got into a carriage and returned to the Russian embassy in France from the Tuileries. The Chinese Empire's stern refusal made him very angry, as if he had been insulted. Originally, he thought that even if he could not obtain a stake in the Canal Development Company from the Chinese Empire, he would at least be able to reach an agreement with the Chinese Empire to divide the Manchu Dynasty. But I didn't expect that none of the goals were achieved, and the emperor of the Chinese Empire was too arrogant. Did he really think that the Chinese Empire could compete with the Russian Empire?

"When I returned to St. Petersburg, I needed to build a foundation to His Majesty the Tsar and start supporting the Qing state. If the Chinese Empire really unifies China, it will not be a good thing for the Russian Empire. Count Niechel Rodie said secretly. After suppressing the anger in his heart, reason returned to his mind, and Count Nesherrodi began to analyze the situation today. There is no doubt that the Chinese Empire is very powerful, and even in the face of a strong threat from the Russian Empire, they are not willing to bow their heads. Such a strong country is generally difficult to deal with. At present, the Chinese Empire does not share a border with the Russian Empire. But if you wait until the Chinese Empire falls and the Manchus fall. The two countries are bordered. The Russian Empire was also a very powerful country, two powerful countries next to each other, if no conflict broke out. That's the ghost.

Originally, Russia planned to seize the northern part of China, on the one hand, so that Russia could obtain the coveted ice-free port. On the other hand, it is to create a buffer zone between the Chinese Empire and Russia, so as to ensure Russia's security. However, the Chinese Empire was so tough that it refused to bow its head in the slightest. This forced Russia to find a way to change its strategy.

In the opinion of Count Nesherro Die, although the Manchu Qing Dynasty was decaying, the army of millions was not muddy. If Russia could support the Manchus. Perhaps the Manchus would be able to compete with the Chinese Empire, or even defeat it. In this way, the Russian threat in the East was resolved. Russia could also use this to extort more benefits from the Manchus, such as asking the Manchus to give a port concession to Russia.

Of course. If you want to implement this program. Tsar Nicholas I had to be convinced. Tsar Nicholas I focused his eyes on the Balkans, not on the Far East. At this time, another 'Pan-Slavism' appeared in Europe, and a Pan-Slavism also appeared in Russia. Their basic claim is that the Slavs and Russians share a common history and blood relationship, a similar language and culture, and the same religious beliefs. They live in close proximity to each other and share a common destiny and interests. The Russian nation was the leader of the Slavs; Propaganda that Russia was the 'protector' of the Slavic peoples, that the future of the Slavs could only be secured by the Tsar, and that the Great Slavic Empire with Russia as the leader was established. In order to free the Slavs from Austrian and Ottoman domination, and finally to advance Russia's European borders to the west and south. Moreover, both the former Tsar Alexander I and the current Tsar Nicholas I were active supporters of Pan-Slavism. Therefore, Russia's main national policy now is to expand to the west and south. It was not so easy to convince Tsar Nicholas I to turn his sights to the East. However, Count Neschel Rody believed that he was confident in convincing Tsar Nicholas I. After all, formally, under the obstruction of the Chinese Empire, neither of the tsar's two goals was able to accomplish, and this was enough to cause the tsar's wrath.

"Damn yellow-skinned monkeys, this time you're dead!" Count Nesher Rodie was very happy to understand this, and planned to return to St. Petersburg as much as possible, and to get Russia to start contact with the Manchus before the Chinese Empire launched a war against the Manchus, so as not to be caught by surprise by the Chinese Empire. It will take a long time to return to St. Petersburg from Paris.

After the departure of the Count of Nescher Rodie from the Tuileries Palace, the Chinese Emperor Long Yufei and the Foreign Minister Lin Zihao also had a secret conversation. The content of the conversation was precisely how much influence Russia would have on the situation if it intervened in China's unification war.

"Your Majesty, the minister understands, why His Majesty often says that Russia is one of the great enemies of the empire, and the kind of greed that flows from the bones of the Russians makes it doomed that there will be no peace between the empire and Russia!" Lin Zihao said. Count Nesser Rodie's appearance today shocked him, and at the same time he was very vigilant. I am afraid that for a long time to come, the opponent of the Chinese Empire will be Russia.

Long Yufei nodded, the Russians are too arrogant, they claim to be the overlord of the European continent, and the powerful army of millions makes them unscrupulous to oppress other countries. However, they wanted to hit the Chinese empire on the head, and it was a big mistake. The Chinese Empire will bring this greedy polar bear to its senses once and for all.

"It is now almost certain that the Russians will intervene when we wage war against the Manchus. It's just that I don't know what Cheng Dù they will meddle in, whether they will only provide equipment and intelligence support to the Manchus, or whether they will send troops directly! Long Yufei said.

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid we'll have to prepare for the worst. If Russia sent troops to help the Manchus, what should we do? Lin Zihao was also nervous. Although the Chinese Empire has defeated European powers many times, this time Russia is different, with a strong force of up to 1.4 million, just thinking about it is enough to make people's scalps tingle. After all, this is already twice the size of the Chinese Empire!

"If the Russians dare to really send troops to China, the empire will have no choice but to declare war on Russia!" Long Yufei said firmly. As long as the polar bears dare to stretch out their claws, then cut off their claws completely, only in this way will they be afraid, and the next time they want to invade the east, they will be afraid. Of course, to do this, the Chinese Empire will definitely pay a huge price.

"Your Majesty, the army of the Empire, can defeat both the Manchus and Russia at the same time?" Lin Zihao couldn't help but be a little worried. After all, the Manchus had a million new troops, and Russia had a strong army of 1.4 million. Taken together, it is enough to make all the countries of the world afraid. The total strength of the Chinese Empire's army was only about 700,000. Excluding the troops stationed in other places, I am afraid that the number of combat troops that can be put into operation is only 400,000 to 500,000, and the gap is really too great.

"Don't worry, I have confidence in the soldiers of the Empire, and the final victory will definitely be ours. Although the Manchus had a large number of troops, their combat effectiveness was extremely low, and they did not pose much of a threat to us. As for the Russians, most of their army equipment is still old-fashioned breech guns, how much combat power can they have? Besides, Russia's area is too large, the transportation in the Far East is extremely backward, and the Russians have an army of 1.4 million people, but it is estimated that only a few tens of thousands can be thrown into the Far East to fight, and at most no more than 100,000. What can such a small number of troops do? Long Yufei looked very relaxed, as if he had the chance to win.

Seeing Long Yufei's self-confidence, Lin Zihao was also relieved. Long Yufei has always given them the feeling that they are omnipotent, and now it seems to be the same. Although the enemy was strong, they believed that the final victory would be the Chinese Empire.

In fact, Long Yufei also has something to worry about. In northern China, northeast, Mongolia and Xinjiang, transportation was also extremely backward, and the army of the Chinese Empire was mostly infantry, with very few cavalry. If you want to pursue the enemy in northern China, I am afraid it will not be so easy. The Cossack cavalry of the Russians, also not covered. Perhaps, when the Chinese Empire will win over the Mongols, although in the past two hundred years, the Mongols have been castrated by the Manchus, but they have grown up on horseback since childhood, and the blood of Genghis Khan flows in their bodies, perhaps from these Mongols, some cavalry can be recruited. It was then mixed with the Han cavalry to form the cavalry of the Chinese Empire. Cavalry, in this era, is still the most mobile branch of the army. If the Chinese Empire wanted to defeat the Russians in the Mongolian steppes in the north and even in Siberia, it was indispensable to build a strong cavalry force!

"Your Majesty, in that case, I'm afraid our war against the Manchus will have to be carried out earlier." Lin Zihao reminded.

"In my name, send a telegram to the country, and let the General Staff begin preparations for war! When the time came, he immediately launched an attack on the Manchus. Long Yufei said. The battle against the Manchus was bound to be a large-scale war, and the preparation time was also very long, and the mobilization and deployment of troops alone would take at least several months. Due to the constraints of traffic, Long Yufei was already very satisfied with being able to start a war this autumn.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Lin Zihao nodded.

After Lin Zihao left, Long Yufei began to think about how to make trouble for the Russians, if Russia supported the Manchus, it would definitely cause the Chinese Empire to encounter a lot of trouble. But in the same way, the Chinese Empire had to pay homage to the Russians in order to do so.

"By the way, Prince Wilhelm of the Kingdom of Prussia, the future Wilhelm I, seems to be still in Paris. If the Chinese Empire supported the unification of Germany by the Kingdom of Prussia, would Germany be unification ahead of schedule? A united Germany is also a great threat to Russia. The ambitions of the Prussians, too, were unleashed. Long Yufei muttered.

"Ambassador Guo, you go in person and invite Prince Wilhelm of Prussia to the Tuileries Palace." (To be continued......)