The people of the Republic of China living in Shanghai were lucky. They immediately learned about the naval battle between the Zhejiang Army and the British Fleet at the mouth of the Yangtze River, and they won the battle strangely. ¡ÌFor the people of the Republic of China, this kind of thing can be said to be rare in a hundred years. ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? It¡¯s too shameful. Even the rickshaw pullers in Shanghai¡¯s concessions straightened their backs unconsciously when they saw patrol police and foreigners. It seemed that they had a share of the credit for defeating the British. Since Shanghai opened as a port, it has never been so festive. The jubilant citizens set off firecrackers in the concessions unscrupulously and held parades to celebrate the Zhejiang Army's great display of power, suppressing the arrogance of the British. Nowadays, Shanghai Beach finally feels like the territory of the Republic of China people. It is impossible for the people to be the masters of the country, but it is really possible to stand tall and not have to look at the faces of foreigners. Coupled with lengthy propaganda in newspapers, the composition of the foreign company's business model is constantly exposed. The main trade exports are minerals, agricultural products, and a small amount of primary industrial products. In the trade composition of the Republic of China, there is absolutely no need to look at the foreigners, only the foreigners look at the people of the Republic of China. Because if foreign companies did not purchase these minerals and agricultural products of the Republic of China, such as silk, tea, non-ferrous metals and other commodities, their factories in Europe and America would stop production due to lack of raw materials. These newspapers were mainly published in the concessions, such as "The News", "Shenbao", etc., and they almost explained the foreign trade relations of the Republic of China very clearly. Until now, if businessmen in the Republic of China have not formed a business group and negotiated prices, they would be embarrassed to say that they are qualified businessmen. Business opportunities turned out to be when the government used newspapers as a propaganda front to lift the mystery of foreign companies, revealing the stinky face of a baggy old woman. Who would still worship a foreign trader like a Bodhisattva? From the economy, military, and politics, these things that the people of the Republic of China felt were very close to them, but yet extremely far away, were all suddenly opened to supply. If the people of the Republic of China didn't know the new term "knowledge explosion", they would have been confused by the dazzling new trends of thought and new concepts in front of them. And these things were originally a fig leaf for the great powers in China. In the past, whenever these issues were brought up, the concession authorities would definitely become restless. But now, not to mention the British, even the Japanese are dumb. Although many people still look at all this with suspicion, judging from the reaction of the concession authorities, we can see some clues. Anyway, the originally aggressive police officers from the patrol house were holding wooden sticks listlessly on the streets, as if they were slaves of a first-class official whose house had just been ransacked, guarding the empty mansion, spying on this unreal place with blurred eyes. world, I can¡¯t help but ask myself, is this still a foreign concession? What's even more pitiful is that the patrolmen don't even dare to control citizens setting off fireworks. If they had set off firecrackers on such a large scale in the past, they would have definitely been punished. If you are caught, you will be fined, which will make people angry but afraid to speak out. It has only been half a month since Wang Xueqian declared sovereignty in Shanghai. Two record-breaking victories have given the people hope. The industry that I am most grateful to Wang Xueqian for is the incense and candle shop. This is a shop that deals with dead people. People in the Republic of China also had the custom of setting off firecrackers to clear the way when doing funerals. This, coupled with the custom of worshiping ancestors many times a year, gave the incense and candle shop the soil to survive. Therefore, a large number of firecrackers are usually stored in such stores. In just half a month in Shanghai, Wang Xueqian had all the fireworks in these shops sold out twice. This is a big trend that doesn¡¯t even happen during the Chinese New Year. Besides, during the Chinese New Year, no one goes to the incense shop to sell fireworks and firecrackers to celebrate the auspicious New Year. On the contrary, the grocery store on the side of the alley will stock some to supply the surrounding residents. But on normal days, these grocery stores don¡¯t stock fireworks. Firstly, no one buys them; secondly, it¡¯s not safe to keep them at home. Gu Weijun was walking in the overly busy streets and felt an awkward festive atmosphere, butafter all, the only thing he could barely relate to was the Dragon Boat Festival, which was still a few days away. In the Republic of China, when did the Dragon Boat Festival become so grand? Of course, that¡¯s not to say there are none. The customs in some places are still very weird, making the Dragon Boat Festival extremely grand. But in Shanghai, the Dragon Boat Festival is indeed not a festival that is taken seriously. He secretly made a calculation in his mind. It seemed that what the newspaper said was probably true. The warship lost power and ran aground on the riverside from Wusongkou, as well as the joyful expressions of the people in Shanghai. I am afraid that everything is heading towards the most unfavorable situation for diplomacy. Unlike ordinary people, Gu Weijun is well aware of the habits of the British. On the surface, these guys flaunt themselves as gentlemen. But in fact, if they suffer a loss, they will always make up for it elsewhere. The diplomatic disputes between the Republic of China and the United Kingdom were inherited from the Qing Dynasty, which is a bit unbelievable to say. Regardless of the independence of other new regimes in the world, or the change of dynasties, outsiders must show respect and sufficient goodwill towards the new masters. All previous treaties will be abrogated. Even if a new treaty is re-signed, it will give the new government enough face. But the establishment of the Republic of China was not like this. The great powers led by Britain seemed to have recognized that the Republic of China could be bullied, and tried their best to focus on the dirty places. If it is a debt of the Qing Dynasty, the Republic of China must bear it; if it is not a debt of the Qing Dynasty, the Republic of China must also bear it. As a result, after the establishment of the Republic of China, the government has been very unstable, finances have been exhausted, and social conflicts have become further acute. The Republic of China was like a dilapidated temple. Even after changing the head monk, there was still no improvement. It has to be said that the British played a very disgraceful role here. But Gu Weijun knew this reason very well. The Republic of China, or China, was too big. Unlike the revolution in Tsarist Russia, the product output of the Republic of China was even much richer than that of Tsarist Russia. Even though Tsarist Russia has oil fields, coal mines, and iron ores, it seems that they have everything on earth. Of course, Tsarist Russia really cannot produce tropical rubber or anything like that. But the problem is that there are few people in Tsarist Russia and they are scattered, so it is impossible to collect them on a large scale. But the Republic of China was different. With its huge population base and intelligent people, for the British to control the Republic of China was equivalent to their direct control of 30 million square kilometers of colonies. You know, at its peak, the British colonies were about 30 million square kilometers. Except for India most of them were barren land. It cannot be regarded as a barren land. For example, Africa, the British and the French carved up the entire Africa. In Africa, the British colonial area covers more than 10 million square kilometers. But do the British have a chance to sell their industrial products in Africa? "Don't be ridiculous, it was a wild land, and the battles in most areas were still immersed in feathers and spears, and they never tired of it. The only reason that allows Britain to occupy Africa is that the existence of the Suez Canal finally eliminates the need for the mainland to subsidize the costs of colonial governments in Africa. Therefore, India, with a population of more than 300 million, is extremely important to the United Kingdom, and the Republic of China is equally important to the United Kingdom. But unlike India, the intensity of the resistance in the Republic of China was unbearable to the British. Even in the era of swords and spears, the brutal war left the British invaders with cold hands and feet. During the First Opium War, Yangzhou had 7,000 Qingzhou soldiers. Their weapons were so crude that they were still in the cold weapon era. However, in the face of the British invaders, this army used all their heroic sacrifices to tell the British that they wanted to enslave China. possible. Later, the British finally understood that it was impossible to be alone in China, so they brought in the French, Russians, Germans, and Americans In other parts of the world, Britain, Germany, and Russia were mortal enemies. , competition for any colony was not allowed, but in the Republic of China, these powers that had sharp conflicts in other parts of the world cooperated. From beginning to end, there is a shadow of the British. These past events were no secret in the intellectual circles of the Republic of China. It was just that some of the things they said were so crazy that no one dared to say them. And now, with the power of Zhejiang, Wang Xueqian actually defeated the British fleet. No matter how big the fleet was, this victory made the people of the Republic of China stand taller. Anyway, the rumors have changed in Shanghai. It is said that the British were sunk by the Zhejiang army at sea dozens of warships, each of which was larger than Dingyuan and Zhenyuan back then. Think about it, this happened even on the streets of Shanghai. How could it be spread in other places in the Republic of China? But Wang Xueqian dared to bear the pressure alone and challenge the British navy, which was the best. In the Republic of China, this was the strength and courage to invest in it. He was so popular that he was even as popular as Mr. Sun Da for a while. Regardless of whether he has any contact with the Zhejiang Army, the governors from all over the country will send a congratulatory message to express their admiration. "It's like the heroes in the forest showed infinite yearning when they heard about Liangshan, to express their respect. And unlike the news from the Guangzhou Provisional Government, warlords from all over the country showed a way of indulging public opinion and publicizing Wang Xueqian and the Zhejiang Army. The first person to bring Wang Xueqian's reputation to a new height was Zhang Zuolin. The master of the three eastern provinces felt that Wang Xueqian's thoughts were not easy to guess. When he and Cao Kun were duel, he could not make a clear position. This made Zhang Zuolin I am very worried that if Wang Xueqian joins the war at a critical moment, it will undoubtedly be a catastrophe for Fengjun. It is better to take this opportunity to brush up Wang Xueqian's reputation. Firstly, it can alert the British and focus Wang Xueqian's energy south of the Yangtze River. Secondly, Zhang Zuolin does not like the British either. In this way, it would be easier to handle. Newspapers in Northeast China all began to publicize Wang Xueqian's feat of defeating the British team in Shanghai. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?Recently, officials and newspapers in central and southwestern China have successively given long reports on this naval battle of the Zhejiang Army. Even a small local newspaper like "Chuanzhong Jiwen" spread the news in the nooks and crannies of Sichuan with genuine pages that there was a Wang Xueqian in Shanghai, and he was so awesome that he trampled the British reputation into the ground. . This is also the first time that Wang Xueqian¡¯s name has gone beyond Zhejiang, Fujian and Shanghai and onto the national stage. "And unlike other governors in the Republic of China, most of the governors' reputations were spread in the neighboring provinces or across the country in the form of scandals, but Wang Xueqian had improved his reputation one layer after another. In one fell swoop, he established his identity as the first anti-imperialist person in the officialdom and political circles of the Republic of China. Then, "Shenbao" and "News" successively reported on Zhejiang's industrial revitalization plan, the implementation of a universal education system, and a series of new policies and good governance, pushing Wang Xueqian's reputation to a new height. Even when Wang Xueqian himself read the newspaper, he felt that he was just a black crow before, but now, he feels like a white lotus blooming. While warlords are fighting in various places, there is still a local governor who can pay huge financial revenue for investment in industries closely related to people's livelihood, such as education and economy. Such an official would definitely be known as a politician with hope for national rejuvenation in the Republic of China. When the warlords who had been beaten by Wang Xueqian with bruises and swollen faces saw the news, they all turned pale and cursed: "These people are blind, the warlords are fighting in a melee, when did Wang Xueqian miss it?" Public relations, this word It has to be said that Wang Xueqian turned into another weapon and appeared in the political arena of the Republic of China. It has to be an accidental opportunity, but at the same time, it is also an inevitable result. The dissemination of news in the Republic of China mainly relied on newspapers, and controlling the mouthpieces of newspapers is equivalent to controlling the eyes and ears of the people. It is logical that the people's mouths will follow the results Wang Xueqian wants. In addition, even the Guangzhou Provisional Government vigorously promoted Wang Xueqian's limelight, which had the vague appearance of becoming a spiritual leader in the Republic of China, and even had the shadow of Mr. Sun Da becoming the most famous positive politician in the Republic of China. At this time, Wang Xueqian cooperated very well and gave a public speech on the occasion of the establishment of the Shanghai Special Municipal Government. The topic was definitely novel and eye-catching. "The Republic of China should embrace the world, but the world should not reject the Republic of China" Such a topic would definitely be extremely difficult for another person, but for Wang Xueqian, this is simply easy to grasp. This kind of conceptual change can easily make the people of the Republic of China feel that they are important and increase their national pride. At the same time, it also allowed the world to see a completely different spirit of the Republic of China. Now, even English newspapers such as "Zi Lin Xi Bao", "Bei Hua Jie Bao" and "Oriental Times" have reported Wang Xueqian's speech one after another. It can be said that in the Republic of China, as long as those who were literate and had the habit of reading newspapers, they could feel Wang Xueqian's broad mind up close. Westerners are even more excited. Prejudice and suspicion are the most obvious human characteristics of Westerners towards outsiders, but they don't admit it, and they won't admit it even to death. So when Wang Xueqian said that the Republic of China should embrace the world, and the world should not reject the words of the Republic of China, even Western newspapers rushed to report it, and "Times" and "The New York Times" both reported Wang Xueqian's story in large pages. speech. Westerners have narrow regional and national sentiments, but they like to see those selfless minds. Wang Xueqian¡¯s words suddenly hit the sweet spot of Westerners. Anyway, in Western newspapers, Wang Xueqian was named among the greatest politicians of the Republic of China, and his erudition and magnanimity impressed a large number of fans. This is nonsense at least one person thinks so. Gu Weijun has been hiding in the Chinachem Hotel for three or four days. He originally planned to find Wang Xueqian and question him as soon as he got off the boat. Why did he cause such a disaster by not paying attention? In fact, Gu Weijun, who has become accustomed to the disadvantaged diplomatic negotiation situation of the Republic of China, can't help but wonder whether he can escape the stormy anger of the British? The loss of a fleet is nothing to the Royal Navy, there are only a few broken ships, and they are still old ships ready to be dismantled. Due to the restrictions of the new treaty, the Royal Navy had to downsize in order to build better warships. There are a total of fourteen battleships of the same type as the Suffolk, twelve of which have been dismantled or sold at a low price. It can be said that for the British, this battleship has been removed from the naval sequence. Even if the outerwear iceberg sinks, it won¡¯t hurt. But if this warship brings shame to the British, that is another matter. His face was swollen, and he was embarrassed and sent to the Far East. Can the British tolerate this result? When he was alone (mainly in the toilet, people who didn't know better thought he was constipated), Gu Weijun always sighed. This diplomatic mediation was too difficult.Even he himself wanted to give up. But reading the newspaper, he was very angry. Wang Xueqian was becoming more and more popular. I was really afraid that that day confirmed a truth that everyone knows. The higher you climb, the more painful it will be when you fall! "Darling, it doesn't feel good for us to hide from Zi Gao like this!" Huang Huilan doesn't have much sense of good and evil. She is a woman and doesn't care about politics. She only cares about herself and the men in her family. She is a woman who devotes all her love to her family wholeheartedly. To explain in a simple sentence: Huang Huilan is a relatively refined housewife. In her eyes, Gu Weijun is perfect and everything in her life. Of course, as Gu Weijun's friend and alumnus, Wang Xueqian also unreasonably turned into a good person in her eyes. Moreover, he is personable, has extraordinary appearance, is generous, and speaks well. It must be said that Wang Xueqian is a type of man who is very popular with women. Of course, not everyone alumnus Gu Weijun has this kind of treatment. For example, she dislikes Hu Shi very much. She was very paranoid that Hu Shi was a man with different appearances and was just confused on the outside. Gu Weijun sighed: "You think I want to hide from him! Look at this newspaper, this prince is about to go to heaven. With the energy he puts in, and the intensity of the tout from everywhere, I will even think about him running for president in two days." "It's not surprising." "He's running for president, Darling, do you have a chance to be prime minister?" Huang Huilan obviously didn't care about what Wang Xueqian did, nor did she care about political evaluation. She just thought, friend. Friendship can be quantified. For example, if Wang Xueqian becomes president, Gu Weijun will be promoted to prime minister. vice versa. Although Gu Weijun is now a cabinet member and the Minister-General of Foreign Affairs, in Huang Huilan's heart, she still feels that there is no one more decent and face-saving than the Prime Minister. The feeling of being sought after is a poison that every woman, especially older women, cannot resist. Love of vanity is not unique to women, but it is most vividly reflected in women, and it is not unreasonable. Huang Huilan doesn't care about Gu Weijun's inner thoughts, she treats the British anyway In fact, she seems to have forgotten that she seems to be a British citizen. It's just that during the Republic of China, no matter whether they were European, American or overseas Chinese, they would not regard themselves as Really think of yourself as British and American. Instead, they will stubbornly believe that they are Chinese. Their roots are in China and will never change. It's not surprising that Huang Huilan had this idea. She said whatever came to her mind: "Darling, Zigao is not old, but he is very prudent in his work. He is very sincere among your friends." People" "Pfft" Gu Weijun squirted the coffee in his mouth without any hesitation. To say that Wang Xueqian is generous, this guy doesn't care about money, of course he is generous; to say that Wang Xueqian is true to his word, this guy basically doesn't have to step forward to do things, and his subordinates do it for him. In order to curry favor with Wang Xueqian, he naturally does everything in a different way. Of course, he will not change his mind; but Wang Xueqian is sincere in his treatment of others and is a benevolent gentleman Politicians in the Republic of China are almost grinning. In this filthy pool of the Republic of China, can a gentleman survive for three days? Even Gu Weijun casually thought that he had become friends with Wang Xueqian, and he was probably depraved. (To be continued.) 8