In the early morning, in the British Concession on the banks of the Huangpu River in Shanghai, as soon as the bell rang eight times, Carvin rushed out of the gate with his camera on his shoulder, and his assistant followed behind him had already whistled loudly and called for the nearest rickshaw driver.

The three rickshaws quickly stopped in front of the building, and Calvin quickly boarded the car and reported where he was going.

Since this is the British Concession, there are not many Chinese on the street, but as long as he sees those Chinese with bare heads, only a big braid at the back of their heads, and dull faces and wooden eyes, there will always be a trace of ridicule in his eyes.

As an American correspondent in the Far East who had worked here for almost two years, the freshness and mystery of his arrival had long since disappeared, and he could not even believe that this country full of filth and opium could make such fine porcelain and silk better than a woman's skin.

What made him even more incomprehensible was that at this moment, in a war on the northern soil of this country, the army and leaders of this country turned out to be a supporting role.

But today he really didn't have time to express his feelings, or write some mocking press releases and send them back to coax those Wall Street bastards, because today is an extraordinary day for him, no, maybe for the entire Far East!

A negotiation on the situation in the Far East, which could affect the future situation in the Far East and will redraw history, will begin at nine o'clock today.

In fact, this negotiation had nothing to do with him, because at the beginning of the negotiation was arranged in Yanjing, but for some reason, the Hawaiian young master, who always had strange ideas, suddenly proposed to change the location of the negotiation, and chose to be held in Shanghai, in the famous Shanghai club.

This sudden change was a hectic and competitive situation for all the participants in the negotiations, so in the past few days there have been many large and small ships or warships flying the flags of various countries, and since this is the British Concession, the British Far East Fleet has even sent two cruisers into the Huangpu River to ensure safety during the negotiations.

Looking at the cruiser leaning against the shore with the British flag flying, Carvin's eyes shone with envy and jealousy, envy of the power of the British here, and why they discovered it earlier than the United States.

Soon, the rickshaw stopped at the door of the Shanghai club, and the driver saluted him with a yellowed towel, hoping to get more fare, but Calvin coldly avoided it, because he hated dealing with these yellow-skinned monkeys, so he handed over the payment to his assistant.

Three on the Bund, Shanghai Club.

Built in 1861 by some British expatriates, the windows with changing shapes, the exquisite carvings, the black and white marble decoration in the bar that is tens of meters long, and the baroque pavilions at the top of the north and south sides of the building all show the majesty and luxury of the building's owner.

But at this moment, Kavin did not have time to take a look at this world-famous building, because the two sides of the entrance of the building were already crowded with colleagues from all over the world, some of them came with envoys, and some of them were unlucky ghosts who were resident in the Far East like him.

Calvin hurriedly grabbed a good seat, set up the camera, and before he could adjust the lens, he saw a luxurious carriage slowly approaching from a distance.

Looking at the familiar Stars and Stripes on both sides of the carriage, Carvin's breath became rapid, and the rising United States had finally come to the Far East, to this land, to participate in this negotiation that could change the situation in the future.

And the first to arrive!

As Carvin quickly pressed the shutter to freeze the moment, more carriages appeared, including German envoys, French ambassadors to China, British ambassadors to China, and envoys who had come from China, as well as Italy, Austria-Hungary, and so on.

Of course, there are also those Qing officials who are dressed in long robes, long braids, hat-like hats and feathers.

When the negotiators swam in under the protection of British soldiers, everyone realized that the Hawaiians, the most important party in the negotiations, had not yet arrived.

These arrogant guys!

As Kavin cursed, his hand reached for the pocket watch in his pocket, three hours had passed since the scheduled start of the meeting, and the guys hadn't arrived yet!

He was about to curse twice, but the aftermath was still lingering in his throat, when his eyes suddenly straightened out by something that appeared in the distance.

What is that?!

In the agitation of everyone, two black cars with four wheels and leather roofs slowly drove to the gate, and even the British soldiers were slightly stunned, because they had never seen a car of such shape!

And there is no unpleasant smell of kerosene!

Countless flashing lights drowning the two cars in the blink of an eye, with the Hawaiian flags hanging from the front of the cars and the spotless bodies glittering in the sun.

Calvin's eyes widened as well, and he quickly pressed the shutter. He didn't know, but what would happen when the picture came to the United States a few months later.

On August 1, 1896, with the transfer of Russian Foreign Minister and Plenipotentiary for Far Eastern Affairs from Yenching to Shanghai, a diplomatic contest that the whole world was watching finally came to an end! ――

In the large club, the bar has been temporarily removed, and only the long tables in the middle are arranged in a box, and the tables on all three sides are already full, except for the south side, which is empty, and the Russian ambassador to the Qing Dynasty, Cassini, and the foreign minister, Robertov, with a few assistants and interpreters, occupy the west side.

The Qing Dynasty represented Sun Yuwen, the Minister of Military Aircraft, and Xu Yongyi occupied the east side.

The northern side is occupied by representatives from several countries.

British Ambassador Ogner was talking with the envoy to China, but his eyes kept looking at the German ambassador Hai Jing next to him, and he still couldn't find out anything about Germany's absence that day.

However, the German ambassador Haijing's gaze swept over the obscene mustache of the one who was crowded next to Austria-Hungary and Italy, and at the same time, a trace of mockery and smile was wiped on the corner of his mouth, but he quickly turned to the French ambassador, tasting Chinese tea by himself.

As for the French ambassador, he was very laid-back, for him France was only a bystander to the war that took place in the Northeast, and he had to be a bystander, because the parliament would not consider going deep into northern China to fight at all, so he just had to listen well and take back some of the interests that should belong to France!

But what made the French ambassador even more annoying was that he was actually arranged by the Yankees around him, and he despised and hated it very much, because these damn nouveau riche actually started the idea of the Panama Canal! Don't they know that it is the territory of the French?!

Roosevelt sat in a corner, coldly glancing around, while next to him was his old buddy, George Dewey, commander of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Squadron.

"George, it looks like your opponent is getting stronger." Staring at the two chairs that were still empty, Roosevelt suddenly turned his head and said. "Hehe, that's not my opponent, it's the opponent of the United States!" George smiled and glanced at the empty chair as well: "But they're just too unreasonable." ”

"No, George, you're wrong." Roosevelt's eyes lit up slightly: "They did it on purpose!" I know Li Enfu as a person, and he led the last negotiation with Yue himself, haven't you seen that the Russians are already a little impatient? ”

"Look, that's a tough opponent."

"Hehe, I'm a soldier, I don't know much about these in the first place." George laughed and said that he had been in a good mood lately, and that the country had decided to continue the construction of four battleships, so that his Pacific squadron would be divided into five, perhaps more, according to the proportion.

Just when everyone was waiting most anxiously, Li Enfu was dressed in a black dress, his hair was not messed up at all, and he appeared at the door with Feng Qi under everyone's gaze with a smile on his face, and after glancing at the audience, he sat down at the empty long table with several translators and assistants without saying a word.

"I want to protest, you are showing contempt for the Great Russian Empire, and on behalf of the Empire, I am asking for an apology from your country!" Li Enfu had just sat down, and Cassini had already stood up angrily, these damn Honolulu people were so snub about this meeting, they were thirty minutes late!

In the face of the accusation, Li Enfu was not angry at all, but smiled and said: "Dear Mr. Ambassador, I am very sorry for my tardiness, but we are not here today to apologize and quarrel, if you have any opinions, I can leave immediately." ”

After speaking, Li Enfu immediately got up, put away the meeting minutes and other things he had just taken out of his purse, and stood up.

"Leave immediately?"

Li Enfu's words and actions made everyone involved in the negotiations chuckle, especially Roosevelt's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he looked at this possible future opponent deadly.

"Dear Mr. Li, I think you must have some misunderstanding, let's continue to negotiate."

After being kicked by the envoy sent from China and pinched by Ogna, Laker, the British minister to Hawaii who had just arrived from Honolulu, had to stand up and persuade both sides.

Li Enfu didn't expect the British minister in Honolulu to also come, and the two were also old friends, so they should not save face, so he smiled and nodded at the other party, and sat down again, but this time he did not open the briefcase, but stared at Cassini, who was still standing, as if waiting for the other party's response.

"Mr. Lecker is right, let's start negotiating." The representatives of the Great Qing Kingdom were still Sun Yuwen and Xu Yongyi, and seeing this scene, the latter also hurriedly became a peacemaker, bowing to the Russian ambassador Casini and making a gesture to sit down.

Now that there were steps, Cassini stopped insisting and sat down slowly.

Roosevelt sighed in his heart, Hawaii won another game, but unfortunately the Russians still did not change their arrogant attitude, not realizing that Li Enfu was deliberately provoking them, and it seemed that this negotiation would be very difficult.

As Roosevelt guessed, less than a short time after entering the negotiation process, Russian Minister Robertov had already quarreled with Li Enfu, and the key to the quarrel was the extremely rude peace treaty.

According to the first draft of the peace treaty presented by Li Enfu, according to the contract, the Russians not only had to withdraw from the three northeastern provinces, but the soldiers currently imprisoned must also serve five years of hard labor before leaving empty-handed, even the most elite Cossack cavalry was not allowed to carry war horses, and the total number of troops in the Far East within ten years must not exceed 30,000!

As for the navy, the Hawaiians also gave the strictest regulations, requiring that the total displacement of the Russian fleet in Vladivostok should not exceed 10,000 tons, and that the entry and exit of the Yellow Sea must be declared to Honolulu!

What made him even more dizzy and dry was that the Russians also had to compensate Hawaii for the loss of 20 million pounds for this lost war, and they also needed to cede Vladivostok!

Robertov's face turned green after reading the treaty, this is simply too deceitful, do they really think that the Great Russian Empire is a cattle and sheep to be slaughtered?

It's almost-for-tat! Robertov also threw out an entente, according to which Sandalwood had to publicly apologize for the attack on Vladivostok and the Russian fleet, and also demanded 20 million pounds in compensation, as well as the immediate and unconditional release of all Russian soldiers.

The negotiations were so deadlocked, no one was convinced, and each side insisted that it must follow its own agreement, so that the real master, Qing Zhengaxe, lost his right to speak.

Feng Qi glanced at Sun Yuwen and Xu Yongyi who were next to him, and sneered a few times, is it still necessary for a political axe that can't even be the master of his own country? It's also a shame that they still have the face to sit here as a third party.

Unlike Feng Qi, who watched coldly, as the chief representative, highly educated, and always showed himself as gentle and elegant, Li Enfu uncharacteristically quarreled with Robertov, especially in the amount of compensation and how to compensate for the plan, it was a penny by penny competition, he was simply a red-faced businessman!

Roosevelt frowned secretly, among all the people present, he could be said to be the one who had studied Li Enfu in depth, if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed that the other party would behave like this anyway, and now the negotiation has become a shrew under a burst of accusations and curses.

Why did he do it?

When Roosevelt was puzzled, a smile in the corner of Li Enfu's eyes made him understand that the other party simply wanted to take this opportunity to disrupt the entire negotiation and take the opportunity to fish in troubled waters!

The expansion of Honolulu was something that Roosevelt did not want to see, so how could Roosevelt watch the Russians being led by the nose by Lee En-bo? immediately interjected: "Two, I think it's too early for everyone to get entangled in the issue of compensation?" Now it is time to first resolve the question of the ownership of the three northeastern provinces, and we, the American political axe, want both Hawaii and Russia to withdraw their troops from the northeast and return them to the Qing government. ”

Roosevelt's sudden interjection made Li Enfu and Feng Qi suddenly alert, the ownership of the three northeastern provinces has always been the key to this negotiation, so as soon as his words came out, they immediately aroused the approval of France and Austria-Hungary, and they all said that Hawaii should immediately withdraw from the northeast.

Li Enfu narrowed his eyes and understood why the young master had always attached importance to this American representative, because it could be seen from his understatement just now that he had firmly grasped the key to this negotiation, that is, to contain Hawaii as much as possible!

But he may not know that his attitude in this negotiation is not up to him, but to change in the United States!

A sly smile hung from the corner of Li Enfu's mouth, and his gaze turned to several others.

The statements of France and several other countries, Li Enfu knew very well that it was not that they wanted to intervene in the war in the northeast, but that they wanted to take this opportunity to gain some benefits, perhaps if they promised to withdraw from the three northeastern provinces, they would immediately use various excuses to coerce the Qing Dynasty, and then garrison troops to enter.

Therefore, the crux of the problem is still Britain, the United States, and Germany, after the official announcement that they will not intervene in the conflict between Hawaii and Russia, only they have the strength to intervene!

Thinking of this, Li Enfu wanted to look at Ogner, who had not expressed his position, before taking out the official document that had been prepared from his bag and handing it to Sun Yuwen: "Lord Sun, this is the lease agreement of my family's Duke Grass, and we hope that His Majesty the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty can allow us to lease the three northeastern provinces for cultivating grain and supplementing Hawaii's regular consumption." ”

"Lease the three northeastern provinces!"

Although Sun Yuwen and Xu Yongyi knew that Li Mo would not be willing to give up the meat in their mouths, they didn't expect that their appetite was so big that they actually wanted the entire three northeastern provinces!

Before the two of them could refuse, Li Enfu said again: "Of course, if His Majesty the Emperor does not agree, we can also withdraw our troops immediately, but your country needs to bear the military expenses we spent for you to drive out the Russian army, a total of 500 million pounds!" ”

500 million pounds!

As soon as this number came out, everyone knew that Hawaii would never give up the three northeastern provinces! Otherwise, he wouldn't have opened his mouth so suddenly and put forward the numbers randomly. 500 million pounds! Not to mention the Qing political axe, even super-rich people like Britain and the United States may not be able to get it!

"Mr. Li, do you agree to withdraw from the Northeast?" Roosevelt stared at Li Enfu with a cold gaze.

"I know that this number may be a bit big, but," Li Enfu also looked at Roosevelt without showing weakness, "If the American political axe is willing to be generous again like last time, I don't think we will like to stay there for one more day." ”

Generosity?!

Roosevelt was stunned for a moment, remembering the last loan that the United States gave to Ben, but he didn't expect Li Enfu to bring up the old matter again, everyone knew that such a large amount of American political axe would not agree to it at all, and it would not be able to take it out at all!

So he made it clear that he was ridiculing himself!

But before Roosevelt could continue to speak, seeing that there were so many people supporting him, Sun Yuwen's waist was also stiffened, and he slapped the table and shouted: "Presumptuous, this is blackmail!" I have a million soldiers in the Qing Dynasty now! Aren't you afraid that I will tell the emperor and order a crusade? ”

Millions of soldiers? Bear soldiers are a million!

After Li Enfu twisted his eyebrows and said secretly, he suddenly got up and picked up the briefcase: "Ladies and gentlemen, in view of the big differences between us, I suggest that the meeting be adjourned immediately to give everyone time to think about it." ”

After speaking, he deliberately glanced at Roosevelt and said with a smile: "Dear Mr. Roosevelt, I hope you can send a telegram back to China as soon as possible to revisit what you just said." ”

"Send a telegram back home as soon as possible?"

Roosevelt raised his eyebrows, and for some reason the crooked corners of Li Enfu's mouth always gave him a bad feeling, could it be that there has been a change in the country?

(To be continued)