"Sir, the Ambassador of the Confederate States of America has come to visit you. "Guta came and reported.

"Confederate States of America?" Ji Aojian read the name, "So the American South has been officially established?"

"Yes, this ambassador is still an old acquaintance of ours. ”

"Which one?"

Guta pouted, "It's York who rowed with us in the Atlantic." ”

"York, doesn't he have a former U.S. senator's father in London, so why is it his turn to be ambassador?"

"His father had been borrowing money for the south, and he had died of illness from overwork. ”

"Alas, this is really worrying about the country and the people, and he died a well-deserved death. ”

The newly appointed ambassador of the Confederate States of America came in with an entourage and immediately exclaimed, "My dear friend, I heard that you are going to marry a Jew?"

This was yesterday, and someone knows about it today?

Ji Aojian coughed, "That's the case, what's wrong?"

"Great, I have something to ask you for. ”

No, I'm getting married, and you didn't come to congratulate you, but asked me for help, what is the reason?

"Tell me, how can you help?"

York said with a delighted face, "I heard that your fiancée has a high status among the Jews, can you help persuade the Jewish bankers to give us some loans?"

"Not really, right?" Ji Aojian said strangely, "The existence of your southern country is conducive to the world interests of Britain, are the Jews unwilling to support you?"

"Jews in England and British people are not exactly the same thing, they do not have British interests as their own business. York said angrily, "Damn the Jews. I just know how to make money!

He suddenly came to his senses, "I'm so sorry. My friend, I'm not talking about your future lady. ”

"It's fine. It's okay. "Ji Aojian is very generous and doesn't care.

Obviously, these big Jewish capitalists have no basic civil rights to buy real estate, and can only live in hotels and hostels all year round, and it would be strange to say that they will have a sense of belonging to Britain.

"The financial circles of Europe are not only Jews, but also bankers who are authentically aristocratic. Even if the Jews don't want to help you, you can find other channels, such as the Bank of Bahrain or something. ”

"Don't mention it. Yorke said with chagrin, "The other banks are too big." I have been investing in minerals all over the world, and now I am busy in the futures business, and I don't have many positions at all. Otherwise, the Jews were cunning, and they still had a relatively large amount of liquidity, and they could only get a loan. ”

"Whoever you lend money to is a loan, must the Jews not want to trade with you?"

"It's not necessarily impossible. "It's just that their requirements are too high, and we feel that some of them are unbearable, and we hope that a respected friend like you can help us." Let the Jews lower the terms of the loan. ”

"How can I help you?"

Pointing to his entourage, York said, "Let him speak to you." ”

The front of this entourage's hat has been holding the upper half of his face low, but there is an aura on his body that Ji Aojian is very familiar with.

"This is General Simon, and you're coming to England too?"

Simon sighed. He took off his hat and said, "Sir, I really don't want to meet you. ”

Ji Aojian said indifferently. "I don't want to meet you either. ”

York was stunned and said, "Do you know each other?"

"Of course I do!" Guta smiled happily. Pointing at Simon, he said, "He's our loser!"

"There is no need to talk about the past. Ji Aojian waved his hand. "Tell me what you're here for. ”

"So you're the commander who defeated our army last year?" said York, shocked, "well, I understand why General Simon must have said he was coming to you." ”

"The Jews did not believe in the combat capabilities of our Southern army, so the loan requirements were very high. After a moment, Simon reluctantly spoke, "As the victor of that war, I hope that Mr. Gireeve will help prove our actual combat prowess. ”

"Oh, how do you prove that?"

"Here is an investigation report on the Mexican-American War, on which we would like the Marquis to make a statement and sign it: You have defeated the army that entered California with ten times as many troops. ”

"Poof-" Ji Aojian couldn't help but squirt.

"How can we have ten times the number of troops!" Guta shouted indignantly, "Obviously, our militia is far inferior in numbers to the invading army that came to California, we are winning more with less, and more with less!"

"Ugh. York said awkwardly, "Mr. Gillief, dear friend, that war is a thing of the past, and it is all the fault of the United States. We, the Confederate States of America, and Mexico are willing to maintain a permanent friendship, so you can help us. ”

"Impossible! Making such a statement would seriously affect my place in the history of war!"

Ji Aojian refused without hesitation, "With the glorious example of winning more with less, maybe I can get the evaluation of a generation of famous generals in the future." But if I had won with ten times my strength, I would definitely be regarded as a mediocre general. ”

The difference between this general and the mediocre general is too big, and the issue related to the historical reputation of the Marquis, how can he easily back down?

"War is only a continuation of politics, and you should mind if it is only a reputation on a military level?" York persuaded without giving up, "Your Excellency, Marquis, you should look at the relationship between you and us from the perspective of a great statesman. ”

Ji Ao Kendao, "What does the so-called vision of a great politician refer to?"

"This," said York, with a smirk, "of course it is you who make the suggestion, and we will listen respectfully. ”

Ji Aojian knew that he was waiting for him to open a condition, smiled, and said slowly, "There is a place called Texas, which has been a sacred and inseparable part of Mexico since ancient times. ”

"Texas became independent ten years ago!" Simon said angrily, "and that is civil self-determination, in accordance with all moral principles." ”

"yes. Texas did have a time of civil self-determination. Ji Aojian said disapprerovingly, "But." I've heard that they already regret it, if there is another civil self-determination. Maybe they'll want to go back to Mexico. ”

"How could they regret it!" Simon exclaimed, "and the Republic of Texas, before the outbreak of war last year, joined the United States!"

"It was to join the United States, not the Union States. ”

"What's the difference?"

"There's a difference, there's a difference!" York hurriedly stopped, "General Simon, Texas has only declared its membership in the United States, but it has not yet declared its membership in the Union States. ”

"Sooner or later, they'll join. ”

"This. It's hard to say. York hesitated for a moment and said, "Texas is also very separatist now, and the call to return to Mexico is very high, and we can't afford to be hostile." ”

Texas was originally a Mexican territory, and the United States coveted this land, to be precise, the American South wanted to turn it into a slave state, and for many years tried every means to immigrate to it, and then instigated American immigrants to vote on independence. The Republic of Texas was formed, and then, at the invitation of the United States, joined the Union.

But there is still a significant proportion of Mexicans in Texas, who are "conformist" to become Americans. Reluctantly. After the defeat and division of the United States, they were encouraged and actively demanded their return. Even many immigrants in the United States have this idea. Even the originally determined American immigrants are in a situation where the North and the South are divided. Also hesitating, someone wants to follow the United States, which represents orthodoxy. Someone wanted to follow the Union states with a similar economic structure.

All in all, the current Confederate States of America are simply unable to digest this land that is about to become a civil strife of its own. To forcibly take Texas would mean to confront the United States of the North, which is far more powerful than itself, and to suppress an internal hidden danger that is constantly strife.

Moreover, from the perspective of the external situation, it is not difficult to imagine that both Mexico and the United States of the North willingly support the faction close to them among the Texans, constantly depleting the Union State's already modest national strength.

Simon was thinking about it, only to hear Ji Aojian sigh softly again, "For the United States, it has long been willing to recognize Mexico's sovereignty over Texas. ”

"What?"

"I see!" York hurriedly snatched it over, "Your Excellency the Marquis, our Confederate States have always respected the free will of the people of Texas, and if there is any more self-determination of the citizens of Texas, no matter what the outcome, we will recognize and support it." ”

Simon was stunned and said, "York, how can you say that?"

"General Simon, we need Mexico to be our ally, or at least to be friendly and neutral. "Don't you understand, the Northerners could have given up Texas to curry favor with Mexico, and if they got the first step, our situation would be really dire." ”

Simon froze for a moment, then suddenly realized that this was indeed the case. It has always been the Southerners who have been manipulating Texas to become independent, and finally admitting Texas into the United States, and the president, who is also a Southerner, signed the order. And the people of the North of the United States have always opposed these actions of the Southerners, and even more so to the war with Mexico. In this era of confrontation between the North and the South, a piece of land separated by the South has no geographical interests for the North, and it is possible to recognize Mexico's sovereignty over Texas without scruples in exchange for Mexico's support for their reunification.

And if Mexico forms an alliance with the United States, it means that the newly baked alliance will not have the slightest chance of survival in front of two opponents whose comprehensive national strength is far superior to its own.

As senior Southern officials, both Simon and York knew that Mexico should welcome the division of the United States, which was the psychological basis for them to come to seek help.

However, giving the North a golden opportunity to break Mexico's foreign policy for a piece of Texas that is simply indigestible is not only unwise, it is simply self-defeating.

Thinking of this, Simon couldn't help but let out a long sigh, "...... We, we respect the choice of the people of Texas, as it has been, it is, and it will always be. ”

"Wouldn't that be good. Ji Aojian clapped his hands and said, "Then let's wait for the next free referendum of the people of Texas." ”

The so-called self-determination of citizens and nationalities has never been the business of the self-determiners themselves, and the outcome of any self-determination is only the only outcome that is destined in the first place. Even some places that claim to be "permanently neutral" are just a buffer and trading platform deliberately set aside under the game of great powers.

On the question of the fate of Texas, the South of the United States no longer dares to exert influence, and the North of the United States is even more unable to change its usual attitude and stretch out its hand far away to anger Mexico, the original owner. So there is only one possibility of the outcome of the next referendum.

"My dear friend," said Yorke carefully, "we have seen your vision as a great statesman, what do you think of the results of that war report?"

"Oh. Ji Aojian rubbed his eyes and sighed, "I suddenly remembered that at the beginning, we mobilized almost the entire adult population of California, and the front-line personnel plus the reserve personnel were at least ten times more numerous than the army led by General Simon, maybe twenty or thirty times. ”

Guta muttered, "How can there be so many people?"

"The brave and warlike Indians are all soldiers. Ji Aojian said with a serious face, "From six-year-old children to eighty-year-old people, regardless of gender, they are all new forces, so our strength in California is hundreds of thousands!" (To be continued......)