On April 20, the 34th year of Taiping in the Ming Dynasty, the Wenhua Hall of the Western Cape Palace.

The main representatives of the Ming and the Anti-Ming Alliance gathered again to officially begin the second phase of negotiations: negotiations on matters related to the Lucia battlefield.

The pattern of the talks changed again, and the number of countries in the anti-Ming alliance changed from ten to nine.

The Ottomans withdrew outright.

The representative of the Ottomans, the Grand Vizir Za Adin, although he wanted to see how the Tessians negotiated with the Ming Dynasty, but it was the right thing to deal with the complicated affairs in the country, so he set sail directly with the delegation and returned.

Muhammad Ali went to the side of the Ming Dynasty and sat down with Suleiman, the son of the Duke of Persia.

Behind a row of official delegates, it was originally an inconspicuous place, but the delegates of the Tessie countries couldn't help but look at him.

Ali sat there, which meant the split of the anti-Ming alliance, which meant that he not only jumped ship, but also turned to the side of his opponent.

In fact, in the past few days, the Ming army has officially entered Cairo and Alexandria in Egypt.

The forces of the anti-Ming alliance had to withdraw completely.

At the same time, in the past month or so, the Ming Dynasty has continued to import weapons and equipment to the Kazakh and Khiva khanates, send military commanders and staff officers, and have the two countries build defensive lines and fortifications on the Lucian border.

On the northwestern border of Persia, more than 100,000 local troops of the Ming Dynasty were directly stationed.

At the same time, with the support of the Ming Dynasty, the three countries began to build a railway in the western region, and it is estimated that it will soon be able to build to the Lucia border.

Against this background, the atmosphere at today's talks is quite depressing.

After Zhu Jingyuan announced the official start of the talks, he still asked Shen Fu to speak on behalf of Daming first.

Shen Fu did not directly ask Lucia the "price of peace" as he did last time, but first questioned the question raised by Zhu Jingyuan:

"According to the request of the Prince of Great Food, as the party who took the initiative to break the peace treaty, Lucia should make compensation for this.

"We demand that Lucia hand over all the land in the Lena River basin, as well as the upper Yenisei River."

Representative Lucia's expression was already gloomy, and it became even more ugly when she heard this request.

It doesn't seem like there are many places to sink into, and it really isn't big in terms of area alone.

But these places are concentrated in the southern part of the Xianbei region (Siberia).

The Xianbei region of Lucia is worth it in the south, because the north is too bitterly cold.

Shen Fu demanded the most valuable land in the entire Central Xianbei (Central Siberian) region.

If these lands are directly handed over to the Ming Dynasty, there is not much difference between directly giving up the entire Zhongxianbei.

The point is that this is only reparations for Lucia to tear up the treaty, and there is no talk of the price of another peace treaty.

Prince Nikolai looked at his companion, the chairman of the Lucian Imperial Council of Ministers, Wadmayer.

Wademeyer stood up directly, with an expression of death:

"His Royal Highness the Great Food King, Shen Shaoqing, there is no need to dwell on this so-called compensation.

"You might as well be blunt, what Lucia needs to do for peace."

Shen Fu looked at Zhu Jingyuan, and the situation seemed to be a little unexpected.

Lucia's delegate did not compromise on the contrary, but seemed to be confused.

Zhu Jingyuan was a little prepared, and now he decisively and directly explained his requirements:

"Bounded by the Ural Mountains and the Ural River, to the east belongs to the Great Ming, who can promise Lucia a permanent peace."

Wademeyer seemed to have expected this, and did not make any reply after listening.

Then Prince Nikolai stood up, with the same expression of death:

"Abandoning the east of the Urals will make our Romanov dynasty unsustainable, and we will die horizontally and vertically, and we will only be able to fight the trapped beasts."

The representatives of Zhu Jingyuan and Daming were a little surprised, but they didn't show any shock.

Zhu Jingyuan was noncommittal and said:

"Are you trapped in the beast fight, what does it have to do with our Da Ming?"

As soon as Zhu Jingyuan's words fell, all the other Taixi representatives also stood up:

"What if we all were together!"

"All of us Europa stand with Lucia!"

"We Europa people will not be defeated by the Ming Dynasty!"

"If Da Ming insists on this, then let the war continue!"

"We will fight together to the last man!"

At this moment, Zhu Jingyuan and Daming's representatives were really a little surprised, and then they quickly understood the logic.

Zhu Jingyuan's bunch of operations during this period of time constantly put pressure on Lucia, and once again made the pressure on them exploding by Daming.

And the representatives of the Tessie countries, because of the Ottoman detachment from the alliance, realized the consequences of betraying their teammates.

That is, he will also be broken by each one.

In the end, all nations will have to pay the greatest price to achieve a humiliating peace.

So they stood very resolutely behind Lucia this time.

However, although Zhu Jingyuan was surprised, he did not have any panic.

Although I don't know what moves the Tessie people will have, they are ready for the worst.

At most, let the war continue to drag on for a few years, and the current Ming is not unbearable.

In particular, Da Ming has now pulled Osman out of the car and directly taken the large piece of land next to the Great Qin Sea.

The coast of the Great Qin Sea and the two river basins, as well as the Persian Gulf, were completely opened.

The power of the Ming Dynasty will not be constrained by the narrow environment of the Xihai Peninsula.

The war in the Great Qin Sea is basically over, and the next step is to seize the coastal areas of North Africa.

Next, just grab Lucia and go all out.

So Zhu Jingyuan was still noncommittal:

"That is, if the Ming insists on claiming all the land east of the Urals, then the Tessie countries decide to fight to the end with Lucia?"

This time it was the Prince of Wales who replied as a representative:

"Yes, we're going to fight alongside Lucia."

Zhu Jingyuan waved his hand indifferently:

"Then please go back to Tessie and prepare for battle, don't waste time here, send off."

The other Ming representatives stood up one after another, really in a gesture of sending off guests.

Da Ming's reaction made the representatives of the Taixi countries obviously stunned.

Then, after a brief period of consternation, they slowly prepared to leave together under the reminder of the representatives of Britain and France.

Zhu Jingyuan and Daming's representatives watched quietly here.

Then, after seeing them a few steps, the representatives of Prussia first slowed down, and then the representatives of Austria.

Next came the Dutch, the Portuguese, the Spaniards.

Finally the British and French also stopped.

Only Lucia made it to the door.

The hearts of the representatives of the Tessie countries were a little broken.

Then they looked at the representatives of other countries who had stopped before them, and they all had expressions of hatred on their faces.

The atmosphere at the scene was a little awkward for a while.

Zhu Jingyuan suddenly remembered an idiom: fifty steps to laugh at a hundred steps.

It is clear that these representatives have not been given the mandate to abandon negotiations altogether.

They should have discussed it, and they were ready to force Daming to make certain concessions by advancing and retreating together on the negotiation field.

However, Zhu Jingyuan didn't eat this set at all.

The old emperor was worried that the war would drag on for too long and affect the rule of the Ming Dynasty, but Zhu Jingyuan felt that the war would not last long.

The Ming didn't need to really directly occupy much land in Lucia.

As long as vassal states were established in Khiva and Kazakhstan and the front was pushed directly to the Urals, it would be difficult for Lucia to hold out for another year.

How long the rest of the Tessie countries can hold out is also a question.

In the first war in history, Lucia always insisted on war, but she collapsed herself, continued to insist on war after transforming, and then collapsed a second time.

Austria-Hungary felt that it was no longer good, so it surrendered first, but after surrendering, it collapsed again.

It was a popular revolt in Germany itself, which drove the emperor out and then surrendered.

If you simply look at the battlefield map at that time, when Germany and Austria-Hungary surrendered, the battle lines of both countries were still abroad.

Germany held a large area of Lucia at the time, and had even just signed a treaty with which Lucia had a great advantage.

As a result, just a few months later, he was gone.

By the time of the Second World War, the Free French mainland was gone, but the fighting continued, and the Germans finally resisted to the city of Berlin.

World War II and World War I were two very different wars.

During the First World War, the whole world was still dominated by the princes and nobles.

At that time, the countries were still aristocratic groups, driving ordinary people to participate in wars.

Therefore, while the nobles participated in the war, they also needed to spend additional strength to maintain their rule.

When the ongoing world war drained the power of the aristocracy and made it impossible for them to continue to rule, the domestic order collapsed on its own.

Of course, there was a great defeat on the battlefield, and there was no choice but to surrender.

By World War II, the form of war had changed radically, and it was no longer the aristocracy that drove the people to war.

A war in which the citizens themselves are directly involved, they are able to fight until the last moment.

Of course, if the people do not want war, they may also surrender instantly, such as the French Republic.

Because France had fought to the end in the First World War, losing a generation.

The current form of war between the Anti-Ming Alliance and the Ming Dynasty is similar to the First World War in the original time and space.

It was the aristocracy that drove the common people to fight, so it was very important to maintain the rule of the country.

Once the power is lost, war and domination can collapse at the same time.

Although Daming still has some strength to spare, it can't be said to be particularly relaxed.

Otherwise, the Ming royal family would not have begun to sell benefits.

But it's a bit easier than the Tessie countries.

As long as you hold on to it, it should be the enemy who collapses first.

Da Ming can watch the enemy collapse and only take the real strategic goal, without thinking about fully occupying the Taixi continent.

So Zhu Jingyuan is not stingy.

Of course, being able to surrender without a fight is also a better result.

After all, Da Ming has his own traverser, and it is more beneficial for Da Ming to fight after twenty years.

Zhu Jingyuan looked at the embarrassed representatives of the Taixi countries, and said with a smile:

"What's the matter, guys? Anything else to say? Is it to renew the war? ”

Hardenberg of Prussia said with a dry smile:

"I think we still have some things to discuss, and war is not the only way to solve problems."

Prussia was the last to want to continue the war, so it was natural to be the first to speak.

Prince Nicholas of Lucia stood at the door of the main hall, looked back at the people behind him, and rebuked loudly:

"Prussians are cowards!"

At this time, French Foreign Minister Talleyrand also came out to dissuade:

"Whether it is to make extreme concessions directly, or to continue to insist on the war, it is possible to collapse the empire.

"But if you make some concessions, you can buy a few years of buffer time.

"Even if you want to fight until the last minute, it's better to have a preparation time!"

Prince Nikolai's face darkened completely.

What Talleyrand said was indeed reality.

Even if you want to fight hard with Da Ming, now you have to hand over a little bit of things to delay time, and then accumulate strength to fight, and the effect will be better.

But now you don't act according to the plan, and it is also a fact that there is a direct backlash on the spot.

Zhu Jingyuan still watched this scene quietly and did not speak.

Shen Fu seemed a little impatient to remind and urge them:

"Guys, do you want to go?"

The others looked at Lucia's two representatives with strange expressions.

Prince Nikolai still had a black face and did not speak.

Wademeyer had to speak:

"What does Lucia have to pay if there is to be twenty years of peace?"

Shen Fu looked at Zhu Jingyuan again, and the representatives of various countries also turned their faces together.

Zhu Jingyuan thought for a while and said:

"Zhongxianbei was ceded to the Ming Dynasty, and Xixianbei was listed as a demilitarized zone, and Lucia's troops were not allowed to be stationed."

After getting Zhu Jingyuan's official response, all the delegates looked at Representative Lucia again, but the two of them kept their faces calm and did not speak.

Neither of them was sure whether the empire would be able to hold on to this condition after it was brought back and implemented.

At the same time, Zhu Jingyuan thought about it again and said:

"But if you really want peace, I have two other options here."

Prince Nicholas and Wademeyer of Lucia were both stunned, as if they had caught the last straw in the water, and looked at Zhu Jingyuan together.

The other representatives of the Taixi countries also turned their faces together, waiting for Zhu Jingyuan to speak.

Zhu Jingyuan explained his thoughts unhurriedly:

"The first option, provided that the Lena River basin and the Yenisei and the upper reaches are ceded directly as compensation.

"Then, the Xianbei region of Lucia was split off and used as a buffer state between the Ming and Lucia.

"The state belonged to the Romanov family, and the monarch was a descendant of Emperor Paul, but the state system had to be fully Ming and become a vassal state of the Ming dynasty.

"You can divide the people who have a heart for the Ming Dynasty into this country, and leave the people who are at the top of Lucian nationalism in the country.

"In this way, as far as the Romanovs are concerned, there should not be much real loss, and the land they rule can still be stabilized.

"The Ming Dynasty can guarantee that it will not withdraw the feudal state, not push favors, and not change the establishment, and allow this feudal state to always exist. The Romanovs, for their part, pledged never to merge their territories.

"The second option, premised on the cession of the Lena River basin and the upper Yenisei River as compensation.

"Then, you Lucia as a whole will be a vassal to the Ming Dynasty, and the Ming Dynasty can make an exception to give the leader of the Romanov family the treatment of the prince.

At the same time, Lucia must fully adopt the Ming system and give one-tenth of the annual tax revenue to the Ming as a tribute.

"The area east of the Urals is classified as a demilitarized zone, and Lucia is not allowed to deploy a standing army here, and the Ming Dynasty will not require troops to be stationed in Lucia.

"The Ming Dynasty also promised not to withdraw the feudal domain, not to push favors, and not to change the establishment."

Zhu Jingyuan's two choices were said in turn, and the expressions of the representatives of the Taixi countries quickly became more and more exciting.

Calling the minister Nagong is Huaxia-style.

Divide the territory, it is Tessie style.

Both options seem to have some viability.

Although it may seem very insulting, the actual damage to the interests is not significant.

It was not uncommon for the traditional European aristocratic ruling class to merge or divide their own territories.

It is not uncommon for a part of one's own family's rule to belong to other high monarchs at the same time.

The actual status is determined by the supreme territory, and the rest is nothing more than a matter of taxation.

Emperor Lucia's international status was originally equivalent to that of Prince Daming.

After being a minister to the Ming Dynasty as a whole, he became the prince officially recognized by the Ming Dynasty, and his status was not a loss.

As for the tithes of the tax, it is equivalent to a long-term war reparation.

The biggest problem is the comprehensive adoption of the Ming system, which is actually a comprehensive and thorough reform.

In the state of rapid development of Lucian nationalism, this can really be said to be highly toxic.

Maybe the reform will be changed halfway, and Lucia will collapse on her own.

Therefore, although Xiang Daming as a whole can maintain his overall strength, it is obviously difficult to maintain it.

Dividing the Xianbei region to become a vassal of the Ming Dynasty and dispersing people with different ideological tendencies in two countries can indeed make the rule more stable.

However, after the partition, the Minghua part is very problematic, and it is obvious that it will quickly and comprehensively fall to the Ming Dynasty and become a real Ming vassal state.

At that time, it is not certain whether that part of the land can be considered the territory of the Romanov family.

But either option is much better than directly ceding east of the Urals.

It is even more acceptable than ceding Central Xianbei and at the same time listing Western Xianbei as a demilitarized zone.

The outcome of the current war, which ended with the tributary or the division of the territory, can be regarded as a more reasonable result for both sides.

But these things are all on the minds of the Lucians themselves.

The British and French considered that no matter which way Lucia accepted, they would follow in the footsteps of the Ottomans and break away from the anti-Ming alliance.

After Lucia also left, the anti-Ming alliance was really completely abolished.

The border line between the Taixi countries and the Ming Dynasty is only a little bit of North Africa, and Egypt, a Ming vassal in the middle, is still in between.

Da Ming really always aims to dismantle the alliance!

The Prussians and Austrians considered that whether Lucia as a whole became a vassal state of the Ming Dynasty, or whether the Xianbei region was divided into a buffer zone, Lucia itself was completely free of pressure in the east.

Then you can go all out to deal with yourself!

It's impossible for me to become an ally of the Ming Dynasty!

Ali of Egypt considered the question if the Ottoman Grand Vizier was still there......

When the Great Vizier found out that Daming might reconcile with Lucia, what would he think of the peace treaty signed before, as well as the land handed over?

Could it be that the Ming Dynasty in turn supported Lucia and let Lucia come and occupy the Ottoman lands in Europe?

Sure enough, as long as Daming's promise is not on paper, it can't be believed in a word!