The attendant didn't say anything, nodded and agreed, Lin Yuan thought for a while and said, "Go and invite Director Shen, I'll go with her, and ask Director Shen to bring a batch of materials from French Indochina, and your chamberlain will help us prepare a small gift for the French ambassador." ”

The attendant asked, "Lin Shuai, may I ask what kind of gift is more appropriate?" ”

Lin Yuan said: "Just reflect the characteristics of Chinese culture, and don't need to be too expensive. ”

The attendant agreed, and soon the car and gifts were ready, the gifts were a few root carvings, which were carved by folk artists from tree roots, Shen Wanqing also came, and Lin Yuan went to the French Embassy.

Lin Yuan brought his wife and gifts, obviously an ordinary private visit, so the French ambassador also seemed very relaxed, and asked the servants to prepare coffee and French pastries, Lin Yuan smiled first: "Mr. Ambassador, you have also seen that I came with my wife and gifts this time, which shows that I don't want to make this meeting too formal, but the topic we have to talk about is still quite strict." ”

The French ambassador smiled and said, "Mr. Lin Yuan has something to say. ”

Lin Yuan took out a copy of Wen Jiàn from Shen Wanqing's handbag, put it on the table, and said: "This is what our businessman in Vietnam told us - three months ago, the French army in Vietnam surrounded a village in northern Vietnam and killed all 786 villagers, including 329 children and 103 old people, is your country's garrison a little too cruel?" ”

The French ambassador's face was ugly for a while, and he said: "I don't know about this matter, but I believe that our troops in Vietnam will not be so cruel, and the Chinese businessmen may have received the wrong information." ”

Lin Yuan nodded, took out another copy of the text, and said: "This is a telegram issued by the Governor's Office of the Federation of French Indochina, which reads in black and white: The French army attacked the Anshi area, killing more than 1,700 rebels, and the bandit Huanghuatan fled to the north. There must be nothing wrong with this message, right? ”

The French ambassador nodded, and Lin Yuan continued: "Huang Huatan has led the war against France since 1888, and until now, you still haven't caught him, and under his encouragement, in the past two years, more than seventy peasant uprisings against France have broken out in Vietnam, am I right?" ”

The French ambassador nodded again, and then said, "What does Mr. Lin Yuan mean when he mentions these things?" ”

Lin Yuan said: "Your country has implemented an exploitative policy against Vietnam, and the Vietnamese people have long been unbearable, so they have risen up to resist, and the British have seized these opportunities to draw the hatred of Vietnam to China!" Just today, more than a dozen Jing people lit gasoline in front of the main gate of Zhongnanhai to protest! I hope that your country will immediately change its policy in Viet Nam. ”

The French ambassador's expression hardened, and he said, "Mr. Lin Yuan, how do you want us to change?" ”

Lin Yuan said: "Your exploitative policies in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia are divided into two parts: first, the big capitalist groups collude with the former elites to frantically occupy the land, and then hand over the land to tenant farmers to cultivate and enjoy the benefits; Second, the big capitalist groups set up factories and mines in various places, hired local laborers at low prices, and made a lot of profits. ”

"In view of the above two points, I hope that you will make the following changes: first, carry out land reform in Vietnam, nationalize all land and contract it to farmers for cultivation, and the state will greatly reduce the agricultural tax levied; Second, the funds of the big capitalist groups were withdrawn from the factories and mines in Vietnam and other places, and the factories and mines were handed over to the locals. ”

Without thinking about it, the French ambassador said: "Impossible, the French big capitalist group will have hundreds of millions of profits every year in the two big projects of land rent and factories and mines, and it is impossible for them to give up such a big profit because of your few words." ”

Lin Yuan said: "I am asking the big French capitalist group to withdraw from Indochina with dignity, and if they don't listen to me, it is very likely that they will not get back a penny of their investment." ”

The French ambassador asked, "Mr. Lin Yuan, what do you mean by this?" ”

Lin Yuan said: "The anti-French struggle in Vietnam has been surging, resistance organizations have emerged in an endless stream, behind these resistance organizations are the shadow of the British, the British have a strong political and military presence in Siam, Burma and India have British garrisons, especially India, the British have been operating there for nearly a hundred years, the roots are very deep, can mobilize a large number of troops, I think the next main action of the British is: to encourage Siam to attack Laos and Cambodia, Restore Siam's historical suzerainty over Laos and Cambodia. ”

"Laos and Cambodia are also being exploited and oppressed by your country, when Siam sends troops to attack France, they will definitely respond to the Siamese army, your troops stationed in Laos and Cambodia will inevitably suffer from the enemy, plus the Vietnamese resistance, can your French army stop it?"

The French ambassador thought for a while and said, "Mr. Lin Yuan, is there any basis for you to say that Britain will instigate Siam to attack Laos and Cambodia?" ”

Lin Yuan said: "We once caught a British diplomatic envoy in the Philippines, and he personally told me: Britain wants to plan a big move in Southeast Asia, and we can take out the Southeast Asian countries one by one, and only Siam can make a big move." ”

"I also met a Siamese today, and from her mouth I learned about the feelings of the people in Siam, and from these feelings, I felt that the public opinion preparations for Siam to attack Laos and Cambodia have been prepared, and in our Chinese idiom it is: everything is ready, only the east wind is owed."

The French ambassador was silent, and only after a while did he say: "I will report this matter to the country immediately." ”

Lin Yuan said: "When I made the report, I asked your government to seriously consider my two proposals. ”

The French ambassador nodded and said, "I will report to the prime minister seriously." ”

Lin Yuan stood up and said, "Since that's the case, then I'll take my leave." Lin Yuan said goodbye and left, and when he came out, an attendant came over and said: "We have contacted the Siamese royal family, they said that they have sent an envoy, and it is expected to enter China at about two o'clock tomorrow morning, and the Siamese royal family also hopes that we will not pursue the childish behavior of Princess Arlinn, she is only a little more than fourteen years old this year, and she is less than fifteen years old. ”

Lin Yuan nodded and said, "Fourteen years old is less than fifteen years old, this is the most enthusiastic time. Who did the Siamese royal family send? ”

The attendant replied, "It is Prince Doma, who is the younger brother of Rama IV Mongu and the uncle of the current Emperor of Siam, Rama V." ”

Lin Yuan asked: "What I care about is not these, what I care about is whether he has an official position in the Siam government?" ”

The attendant replied: "Judging by the title introduced: he has the post of President of the Senate. ”