Edward was silent, he glanced at the Empress Dowager Cixi, and turned to leave, "I never knew you were such a person. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info"

The Empress Dowager Cixi's body shook slightly, but she didn't have anything else to say, she exhaled, turned around and walked back to the inner room to sit down, and said to Li Lianying, who was like a living dead on the side, "The British are very disappointed." ”

"Yes." Li Lianying just said such a word and didn't speak again.

"Then it's up to the British to see what cards the British will play," Cixi sighed slightly, as if she was a little depressed, but then cheered up again, "I'm quite looking forward to it, Xiao Lizi, the news from outside you will be transmitted back in time." ”

"Huh."

Will you regret it?

Probably not.

。。。。。

Edward returned to Haiyan Hall, summoned the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Deputy Secretary of the Privy Council, as well as the ambassador to China Wade, who had just returned from outside, "Since the Chinese have put pressure and threats on us, we must fight back!" Edward, who had always spoken softly, spoke firmly, "Foreign Secretary, do you have any good ideas there?" ”

"We have contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to raise tariffs on the goods and machinery needed by China, and the technology transfer of a certain musket has been temporarily frozen, but these measures of the Ministry of Commerce, but, Your Royal Highness, I can't hurt China quickly, and the economic means are now for the two countries that are tens of millions of feet away from each other, the effect is there, but it is also very slow, and our current trade with China, the trade war can easily hurt our domestic economy and consumption, If the price of tea and porcelain were to go up, the people in the country would scold the government to death. ”

"It seems that more and more economic ties are not a good thing either." Edward sighed.

"The Qing government is **** and arrogant, so they don't need to care about the opinions of their subjects, but we have to care," said Deputy Foreign Minister Bazali helplessly, "otherwise we may lose the majority of the parliament because of skyrocketing prices." ”

"What about diplomacy?" Edward nodded, turned his head and asked Wade, "Sir, you are in China and other countries, have you contacted other countries, what do you mean?" ”

"The Japanese are willing to help us put pressure on China," Wade said, "and they are also very unhappy with China's assertiveness, and they are willing to join us in protesting against the Prime Minister's Yamen, and of course, they have demands." ”

"Ironclad." Edward nodded.

"Yes, it's an ironclad ship," Wade spread out the paperwork in his hand and handed it to Edward, "They asked for a seven-thousand-ton ironclad ship to counter the Chinese navy." I briefly talked to the Japanese ambassador and they were willing to pay for the warship in two parts, just like the Chinese, but asked for the first payment to be halved. ”

"Halving?" Under Foreign Minister Bazali frowned, "That means the second payment is 75%?" Absolutely not, in this case, it is impossible for the naval department to accept it! ”

Bazali turned his head to Edward and explained: "And I have always thought that in the Far East, it is better to limit the naval construction of various countries, I have always adhered to this view before, but the cabinet believes that low-tonnage warships cannot form effective combat effectiveness in the Far East and can be sold, but the Chinese have formed a combat power that cannot be underestimated by relying on these low-tonnage warships, and by this they have oppressed Spanish rule on the Spice Islands, although there is no movement of naval war with France, But why they were able to form such an aggressive position in Indochina has absolutely something to do with the fact that they have two fleets. ”

"Now Japan has no money, but wants to compete with the Chinese, this is indeed beyond our means, and we must also prevent provoking the Chinese, after all, Your Royal Highness, even if China and Russia talk about it, the border between the two countries is so wide, there is absolutely no possibility of peaceful coexistence, they are just a temporary deal, we also need the Chinese to confront Russia in Asia." Therefore, my personal opinion is that it is inappropriate to over-support the power of the Japanese and lead to the weakening of China. ”

"But the power of the Chinese is now too strong," Wade retorted, "I'm sorry, Mr. Chancellor, please forgive me, the reason why the Chinese are acting recklessly in the Far East is that they rely on the warships we sell to the Chinese, they have formed a huge force, in the waters of China, the naval strength of Spain, Portugal and Japan is negligible, Spain and Portugal only occupy a few small islands as colonies, in the face of Chinese pressure, they can give up, this will not hurt their fundamentals." , but Japan is different, they are on the edge of China, as you said, one edge and one government, close neighbors will never have the possibility of peaceful coexistence, then Japan will definitely curb China's development for its own development, from this point of view, I think it is possible to give Japan a chance, there is a way and time to pay we can talk slowly, but we must make countermeasures to deal with the Chinese's counterattack, so it seems that Allowing Japan to have a 7,000-ton ironclad ship can form an effective threat to China, and I personally believe that China's foreign affairs department has been in chaos at this time. ”

"They panic," Wade said proudly, "the balance of naval power in Asia has tilted, and this is entirely due to the operation of our British Empire, which only our British Empire has such capabilities." ”

"They won't panic," Bazali calmly analyzed, "and they'll have a super ironclad right away." ”

"But China will not accept the possibility of equal power, and they will only continue to buy and buy to ensure their superiority in the Far East." Wade said, "Of course, our purpose is not to fall out with the Chinese, which is not in our interests in the Far East, but should ensure that China has a deterrent effect against Russia, and then arrange for Japan to balance, so that there will definitely be no new regional powers." ”

Edward nodded, "Since the Chinese are using Kashmir and Suez Canal shares against the British," he showed a disgusted expression on his face, "then of course we can fight back, then start negotiations with Japan on the purchase of warships!" (To be continued.) )